Combine the words "glamour" and "camping" and you have the fine art of glamping. You can enjoy the adventures of the great outdoors without leaving your luxuries at home. What used to be a niche market is becoming a more common trend, and there are options all over the world.
Take a safari with a wilderness guide, live like a cowboy, or watch monks chant their morning prayers without having to live like one. Here are some of the ten most exotic locations for those that love to glamp.
10 Lak Tented Camp, Vietnam
Glamping doesn't mean a bigger carbon footprint, especially here in Lak Tented Camp. Located in Yok Nau village in the Daklak Province of Vietnam, the preservation of the local culture and environment is just as important as providing a comfortable place to get back to nature.
This region of Vietnam is dotted with reflective lakes and lush fields, and you can relax and enjoy the view from a luxury tent or bungalow. There's a restaurant on-site that's built in an open concept style and serves Vietnamese and Western food along with special local plates.
9 Todos Santos Eco Adventures in Baja, Mexico
It just as much about the luxury of experience here with Todos Santos. The main draw here is the incredible amount of daily activities offered, and all of them connected with the local culture and environment. Watch whales, go exploring in a kayak, or hike through the pristine local hills.
Programs change seasonally, hence unique concepts like migratory glamping that you won't find elsewhere. Choose from four different locations throughout Baja, including one in a biosphere reserve.
8 Aman-i-Khás in Rajasthan, India
Experience a lush, natural jungle at this glamping location near Ranthambore National Park. The design of the tents, including the dining room and lounge areas, is inspired by the royal hunting parties of the Victorian Era.
The culture that began here has changed, but the level of opulence hasn't. Today the visitors can join several tours that lead to ancient ruins, tiger habitats, and local markets. Today's "hunters" take only pictures and leave only footprints.
7 Rosewood Luang Prabang, Laos
Laos is still mostly undiscovered, so you can enjoy some authentic culture and wilderness at Rosewood Luang Prabang. The whole property includes rooms, suites, villas and hilltop tents.
This historic location is inhabited by monks who regularly chant and tend their gardens while welcoming curious visitors. The cuisine is based on farm-to-table concepts with local ingredients used to create traditional and international cuisine. The spa is a sophisticated wellness center that features a variety of services and combines traditional practices and natural ingredients.
6 Treebones Resort, California
Luxury tents, cabins, or shacks, so why not a yurt? There's an amazing view from this location on California's Sur Coast, so you'll be able to take some great pictures no matter what colorful, eco-friendly yurt you choose.
Other upscale lodging options here include the shell-shaped autonomous tent, twig huts (also referred to as "human nests"), and regular campsites. The resort offers yoga classes, seasonal whale watching, and hiking, and it hosts a restaurant that serves gourmet campfire cuisine.
5 Tigertops Elephant Camp in Chitwan National Park, Nepal
Glamping and elephants, together at last. You don't have to be an animal lover to enjoy the immersive natural and cultural experience. This is hardly a snowy mountainside but, instead, a lush, tropical river valley. In Chitwan National Park, both the rare ecosystem and ancient partnership between animals and people are preserved.
The location is equipped with upscale safari tents next to the elephant corral and riverside. You can watch the elephants bathe, eat, and play, along with learning about the working culture of the elephants and local people.
4 Serengeti & Silverbacks Tours, East Africa
With locations in Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, Peregrine Adventures organizes your route of choice and includes accommodation with each safari. This includes regular hotels and refitted hunting lodges in addition to some stunning glamping locations.
The Kati Kati Camp is eco-friendly and changes locations with the seasons so it's always in the thick of an active and sophisticated environment. This is the "feature stay" of the trip and is a one-of-a-kind glamping experience.
3 Sandat Glamping Resort, Bali, Indonesia
Sandat doesn't just dip its toes into the glamping pool—it goes all the way and makes that the central draw of the resort. Building materials and interior decor mix traditional designs with upcycled or handmade furniture, emphasizing the environmentally-conscious nature of life in Sandat.
Located only a few miles down the road from the historic city of Ubud, the resort includes eight structures that are all built with the environment in mind. Designs used and cuisine offered uses local ingredients and international recipes.
2 Dunton River Camp in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado
The sight of such a vast wilderness, complete with a river valley, can look pretty exotic to city folks, even if they aren't far from home. This location is the former Cresto Ranch, now fitted with eight luxury safari-style tents. Visitors can experience the rustic life of the Old West, like horseback riding and cross-country trekking, with modern amenities at hand.
Those tents are equipped with luxury amenities, like a six-foot soaker tub. The location itself is rich, with a scenic riverside that includes a view of the distant mountains and lush forests.
1 Farm Stay Esjan, Reykjavik, Iceland
Exotic can mean unique, and you won't find a glampsite like this anywhere on earth. Visitors don't stay in tents, yurts, or cabins. The accommodations here are refurbished city buses that were salvaged from a scrap yard.
Each is now firmly planted in the warm earth that covers the foot of Esja Mountain near Reykjavik, Iceland and next to a quiet hobby farm. The location is small, with only three rooms, but also includes a bathhouse and amazing views from the side of the mountain.