Short for glamorous camping, glamping is one of the best ways of immersing yourself in nature without sacrificing your home comforts. Glamping is similar to traditional camping in many ways, but you don’t need to worry about cramping into small tents or sleeping on the — more than uncomfortable — ground.
Instead, you can get a good night’s sleep in a real bed and be steps away from the natural wonders at the same time. Whether you’re going as a couple for a bit of quiet time, looking for a family holiday that keeps the kids entertained, or hanging out with mates, a glamping holiday offers everyone a chance to enjoy the outdoors.
Glamping is one of the best ways to enjoy a safe but adventurous staycation in the UK. Find out below everything you need to know to enjoy the best possible glamping experience.
What to expect when Glamping
It’s easy to assume that glamping is more similar to traditional camping than a luxury hotel room, but this isn’t always the case. While some glamping sites will offer different facilities, you’ll always have toilet facilities, comforters, and – more often than not – heating, electricity, and running water.
If it’s your first time glamping, it’s a good idea to bring extra layers to keep you warm, safe and dry. While it should be fairly snug inside your glamping pod, there’s no guarantee that it’ll be that cosy outside so having all the essentials — wellies, raincoats, wool socks — with you is always a good idea. The beauty of glamping is that you can wake up from a good night’s sleep with the great outdoors right on your doorstep.
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If you’re looking for somewhere where you can take a step back from your busy life and relax, or simply enjoy exploring the outdoors, then you’ll more than likely enjoy glamping. It’s a great way to get back to nature and appreciate its beauty.
How to Find the Right Glamping Place
There are hundreds of glamping sites scattered across the country. Whether you’re looking for cosy cabins, lavish tipis, even treehouses, you’re bound to find the perfect place. We recommend doing a bit of research beforehand to ensure that your glamping sites offer you everything you need – different sites will offer different amenities.
White House Glamping is a top UK glamping site. Situated in the heart of Herefordshire, you’re steps away from some of the most beautiful scenes of the West Midlands. The river Wye, a Herefordshire landmark, runs through the farm where guests can walk alongside to find the secret pebble beach.
The site itself offers 5 luxury tipis all equipped with comfortable beds, a private outdoor eating area, a fire pit, a camping stove — even a BBQ! With numerous day activities nearby from canoeing down the river Wye, exploring the rural market towns to hiking, White House Glamping makes a peaceful and luxurious glamping treat.
Glamping Packing Essentials
While most glamping places do provide you with all the essentials you need for a comfortable stay, there are a few things you should bring with you. We recommend packing:
- Waterproof clothing: We’re talking about big socks, wellies, walking boots and rain-proof coats. Walking is a big activity when glamping and you’re going to want to explore every inch of the rural countryside. Make sure you’re prepared for all weather conditions – this is the UK, after all.
- Food and drink: Most places will be self-accommodating; this means that you will have to sort out your own meals. While there are, as you can imagine, a vast array of delicious pubs, it’s a good idea to stop at the supermarket and get some snacks and food to whip up at the site.
- A few extra layers: Yes, most accommodation will offer heating, bedding and blankets, but it’s best to bring a few layers with you – just in case! After we’re still in Britain and you’re still technically ‘camping’.
- Sunscreen/Umbrella: You’re likely to be outside for the majority of your trip, but unfortunately, you never know where the weather will take you, so don’t forget to bring the little things like sunscreen, umbrellas or hats. Better safe than sorry!
- A map: Many glampsites have wifi so you can look for directions; however, once you start exploring you’ll encounter a few areas with pretty bad to no signal. It’s best to print out the directions or bring a map with you just in case.
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Our Top Tips For The Best Glamping Holiday
- Research your accommodation
Different glamping sites offer different experiences, depending on the location and the owner. In some places, all you’ll have to bring is clothes and food; however, others may require you to bring bedding, heating and a camping stove. All glamping sites will have a list of what they offer, so we recommend taking some time to research the different locations and choose the one that best suits your needs.
- Choose a great location
First things first, you need to decide where you want to go glamping. The last thing you want is arriving at your destination and finding out that it’s in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. Find somewhere that’s close to some big walks, market towns – maybe even a beach! They don’t have to be within walking distance, but at least a short car drive away so that you have options; especially if you have kids.
- Don’t forget marshmallows
Marshmallows are essential for a successful glamping holiday. Sit around the fire pit, tell some ‘spooky’ stories and roast some marshmallows – or, if you’re feeling extra adventurous, bring some biscuits and chocolate with you to make some delicious s’mores!
- Soak up your surroundings
It’s easy to cram absolutely every activity in a short period of time whenever you go on holiday, but the best thing to do when glamping is sitting back and relaxing. Enjoy the views, take time to explore the countryside before you get back to your hectic lifestyle.
- Bring a torch!
Your accommodation will have lighting indoors; however, not all glamping sites will have lighting outside. Make sure to bring a torch with you in case you need to access the toilet facilities in the middle of the night!
Fun Glamping Activities
In the spirit of adventure, there are a few activities that you must look out for on your glamping holiday. As you’ll be staying in nature, the best way to experience it is to explore it. Take a lookout for some top activities in the local area such as:
Canoeing
There’s nothing quite like relaxing on the waters. Spending a day drifting down the local river is a great way to see the countryside as well as being very relaxing. Don’t forget to take a picnic to enjoy halfway through (or find a pub to end up at!).
Hiking
Lace-up your boots and explore the local footpaths. We’re very fortunate to have footpaths all over the UK to tap into. There are plenty of resources and tools to help you plan this such as AllTrails which offers maps to top walking routes in your area all from a handy app.
Fishing
For the fishers (and even those who’ve never fished before) out there a glamping holiday is a perfect opportunity to spend some time with the rod. Look for local lakes or rivers that offer fishing, some glamping sites even have it on-site.
Your Glamping Trip
There you have it: everything you need to plan your glamping holiday. The beauty of a glamping trip is that you don’t even need to go far. Very often, there is adventure just on your doorstep with some interesting and unique glamping spots. The only question that remains is: when are you going?