A new pastime for 'bohos' craving new experiences? A trendy way to spend your holidays? Squaring the circle? Glamping is pretty much all of that. It's about returning to a certain idea of camping whilst setting the bar very high in terms of comfort, facilities and services. In other words, camping, but with all the home comforts... and perhaps a little bit more! This concept has spawned new and frequently unusual types of accommodation, as well as services which are often high-end.
Lodges
This is perhaps the type of accommodation which best represents the concept of glamping. Close your eyes for a moment. You're out in the African savannah sipping iced tea with Meryl Streep (or Robert Redford) and shooting the film "Out of Africa". On a more serious note, the lodges are large tents (some have three bedrooms), often with a real shower room, heating (wood burning stove), and classy furniture, more often than not wooden. Sometimes they are even mounted on stilts. A few manufacturers are offering them and some are genuinely luxurious, with a private spa installed on the terrace in some cases. Check out the VIP lodge tents at the Les Sablons campsite in Portiragnes, in Hérault, which offer you a clear view from the lake to the sea.
Floating cabins
You can also spend your holiday on water in a floating cabin. Picture yourself in accommodation which has all the comfort of a villa on the coast but in completely peaceful surroundings, the only sound being the water lapping against the floats. There you are, at the terrace edge, in a comfortable chair with a book or a fishing rod in one hand and a cold drink within easy reach of the other. What's more, every morning the campsite owner brings you a basket of fresh bread, pastries, farm butter and home-made jam in his electric boat. Nature certainly... but luxury as well. Glamping can also involve tree cabins, lavishly furnished gypsy caravans and Finnish Kota chalets.
As well as...
In short, glamping enthusiasts, or glampers, may be boho campers... although not necessarily. However, what is more apparent is that they like things which are a little out of the ordinary, such as tree houses. They are a bit avant-garde, but only make the minimum of concessions when it comes to comfort and living standards. For these reasons, campsites which have decided to play the glamping card have not only installed dedicated accommodation; they have also added high quality services such as wifi, flat screens, room service and spas. The only downside to all of this is that it sometimes comes at a very high price. That said, it might be interesting to give the experience a try.