If you love the idea of saving money on a camping vacation but just can’t bear the thought of losing all your luxuries, then a new holiday movement may be for you.
Glamping is putting the glamor into camping! Australia is one of the best places to glamp, with many holiday spots embracing this upscale alternative to roughing it.
A glamping holiday in Australia celebrates the rugged beauty of the great outdoors without sacrificing style. You’ll enjoy flushing toilets, piping hot showers, and comfortable bedding. Those creature comforts make glamping more expensive than traditional camping, but it can also be more affordable than a resort stay.
Australia has several accommodation spots paving the way for this new vacation trend. In the Northern Territory, glampers flock to Longitude 131. The air-conditioned tents, complete with mini bars and sound systems, are a wonderful refuge from that infamous Outback heat. The elevated tents keep snakes and other nasties at bay, and the view of Uluru can’t be beaten.
Tents at Longitude 131
The Great Barrier Reef is another natural wonder made for glampers. The six tents of Wilson Island all offer reef and ocean views. You’ll pay a bit more for that level of exclusivity, but where else can a group of friends rent out an entire island? While it’s a small cay, it doesn’t skimp on features. Each tent has its own king-sized bed, a private shower, and solar power to keep the water hot.
If that level of exclusivity is appealing, you may also like to visit Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. Many locals actually regard Ningaloo’s coral reef as a smaller, but no less impressive, alternative to the Great Barrier Reef. Its glamping spot is just as impressive too, with five wilderness tents set just a stone’s throw from the water. Each one is kitted out with en-suite bathrooms, plush towels, and solar power. There aren’t any televisions or telephones, but there is cell phone coverage if you insist on staying connected. Personally though, I’d just soak up that beach-side location.
New South Wales has Paperback Camp, a bush retreat nestled in Jervis Bay. It’s just two hours from Sydney, but you’ll feel a world away from the big smoke when you’re enjoying dinner by candlelight and a massage in your tent! You can hike through the mangrove forests and canoe down the river by day, then retreat to your solar powered tent for a steaming hot shower!
When you set off for your glamping adventure, make sure you remember your own luxuries. A bottle of champagne or two and some gourmet camping recipes will ensure you’re really holidaying in style!
