The Guardian had a fascinating article recently on "glamping," the increasingly popular swank camping trend that is becoming a popular alternative to expensive hotels (or leaky tents) around the world. In Britain, the article says, there has been "an explosion" of venues for upscale camping. This month alone, two specialist travel companies have opened dedicated glamping websites and Lonely Planet, the travel publisher, last month listed a glamping site as one of Britain's best short breaks.
This summer there will be more than 150 glamping sites around the country offering luxury accommodation, including a renovated shepherd's hut at the bottom of a field and a large bell tent in the garden of a B&B. Several upmarket hotels have joined the craze and are offering treehouses, tepees and yurts set up on their manicured lawns.
At the recent Latitude festival in Suffolk, organizers expanded the luxury campsite to include a number of bell tents, fully furnished and carpeted, complete with flowers and chocolates on the linen pillows and a lockable canvas door. Meanwhile, Jollydays, a luxury camping site in Yorkshire, is offering in-tent showers.
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