What is Glamping?

It is no secret that stress levels have skyrocketed in recent years, leaving people of every age and background feeling burnt out and completely devoid of morale. Thankfully, this distressing trend has pressed many of us to seek unique and thoughtful solutions to alleviate our tension and effectively escape our stressors.

As mentioned in a previous blog post, wellness retreats and other excursions that allow us to unplug from technology and escape our daily commitments have become increasingly popular over the last several years. Naturally, variations of such trips have cropped up in the past year or so, but the one that seems to be growing at a rapid pace is, without a doubt, glamping.

A combination of glamour and camping, glamping provides the perfect opportunity to those who enjoy spending time in the great outdoors but do not wish to relinquish the luxury of en suite bathrooms and running water. However, it is important to note that glamping events are much more than a nice tent; they are an all-encompassing experience, formulated with the intention of reducing attendees’ stress levels and improving their overall sense of wellbeing.

With that in mind, let us explore the more granular details of glamping, including its history and the various tiers of experience.

Glamping: a brief overview

Believe it or not, glamping is not necessarily a new concept. Instead, its roots can be traced back to the early 1900s, when wealthy tourists would travel to remote portions of Africa to stay in luxuriously designed tents, which were often decorated with Persian rugs, antique furniture, and double beds. Essentially, these excursions laid the foundation on which modern glamping was built.

A tailored experience

It is imperative to note that you will likely not find the previous luxuries in most of the tents provided on glamping trips. That is, unless you are willing to pay exorbitant fees for a chandelier in your tent.

More often than not, though, attendees prefer to pay for the experience over the various perks that come with higher packages. However, for education’s sake, let us take a quick moment to review the overarching tiers of glamping experiences.

Firstly, we have minimalist glamping, which provides attendees with the amenities and comforts of home without many other frills. Again, such packages put a heavier emphasis on the experience over all else.

Secondly, we have semi-luxury glamping. This variation strikes a happy balance between minimalistic and higher-end retreats, meaning one’s quarters will likely be decorated more lavishly, and the retreat itself would feature a perk or two more than the minimalist tier would boast — namely, a more remote destination or activities reserved for the individuals who purchased that exact package.

Finally, we have ultra-luxury glamping. Such retreats often take place in highly remote and exotic locations. Furthermore, events of such a high caliber tend to be all-inclusive, providing attendees with immaculately designed spaces, as well as a carefully curated list of exclusive excursions and activities.
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Evidently, glamping is not a one-size-fits-all experience. Instead, every trip is highly customizable to meet one’s personal goals and tastes. To further explore the benefits of setting off on a wellness retreat, be sure to start a conversation with Caitlin Crowe on Twitter. Or, request information on her own wellness retreat, Topo Pino.