Glamping for the first time - why it's different.
Glamping is an entirely different experience from camping, but it might not be obvious why it is different. The name itself is derived from the term “glamourous camping” – so what’s the glamour part all about?
Look at it this way: camping is you against the world. You’re there in your little tent, braving the elements, roughing it. Glamping is like a home from a home, or even a night in an up-market hotel!
Glamping for the first time - why it's different
Glampers are most often found in bell tents which are large, comfortable, and great-looking tents. You’ll have seen them at festivals, or at trendy weddings. A fully glamped-up bell tent can have rugs on the ground and a king-size airbed, alongside tables, comfy seating, and some even have wood burning stoves. Get the teapot out, make a brew, and kick back and relax…your holiday starts here.
In many cases, if you forget the shape of the room you are in, you could easily imagine you’re indoors rather than sitting in the great outdoors. And that’s the big difference between glamping and camping – there’s not a hint of roughing it.
Don’t misunderstand, you can enjoy your glamping experience however you want to. You can still cook on a BBQ or portable stove, and you can sleep on an air bed or even in a sleeping bag if you prefer. Air beds are much more “glam” than sleeping bags, but that’s one of the great aspects of glamping. You get to choose how you enjoy yourself, and your bell tent is your own domain to set up as you like.
If you’re on a glamping campsite, you’ll most likely have wi-fi access, and there’s a good chance you’ll be surrounded by fairy lights running on electricity provided by a power pack. It’s a million miles away from scrambling around to get your tent up quickly before the sun goes down!
Glamping for the first time - why it's different
When you think glamping, you need to be thinking of luxury. Whatever your sleeping and seating arrangements are, you’ll find your comfort is enhanced with an assortment of pillows and pouffes. Relaxing is a key component of glamping, and soft furnishings are a great way of convincing your body that it’s time to chill out.
Many people have had bad experiences with camping when they were younger, with nights spent in the dark, cold, and wet. Some people love the sense of adventure that camping in difficult conditions brings, but just as many people don’t want to sacrifice their comfort and happiness just to say they got away from it all.
Glamping is the ideal solution for getting closer to nature without actually having to get too close to nature. If you’re heading to a glamping campsite, you’ll often find a range of amenities, and might even get the chance to relax in a hot tub.
If you want to get all the benefits of being surrounded by greenery including the boost you feel to your mental wellbeing, you need to get out into nature. With glamping, you can do it on your own terms, and you’ll feel like you’ve spent time in a luxury resort, all from the comfort of a bell tent.
