Image courtesy of Nayara Tented Camp
Glamping is having a moment, and I'm here for it. Luxury tented camps around the world are redefining what a tent can be. Forget the single-post A-framers of yore, and even the high-tech provisions sold by the likes of The North Face and REI.
Now is the era of chic, canvas-walled oases in stellar locations, from Africa to Costa Rica. Indeed, many of my favorite tented camps are blissfully isolated, perched among relatively untouched wilderness.
Read on for a few of my favorite tented camps.
Nayara Tented Camp - La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Image courtesy of Nayara Tented Camp
Nayara's luxury tents are world-renowned for a reason. All of them are surrounded by the rainforest of Arenal National Park, a lush paradise filled with an exceptionally diverse array of flora and fauna. (The area is home to sloths, red-eyed tree frogs, orchids, cacao trees, monkeys and countless birds.)
Many of Nayara's tents are propped up on stilts, and all of them come equipped with private infinity pools fed by natural hot springs. Enjoy breakfast on your private terrace before lounging in your hammock with a good book. During the day, opt for a guided rainforest trek, led by one of the in-house naturalists, or an adrenaline-boosting activity like waterfall rappelling, zip-lining or white-water rafting.
No trip to Nayara would be complete, however, without visiting its unbelievable spa. Treatments are accompanied by the rainforest's soothing sounds — birdsong, rain, distant animal calls — and incorporate local materials like organic coffee and volcanic mud.
Fora Perks:
$100 food / beverage credit.
Breakfast daily.
Upgrade & extended check-in/out whenever possible.
Camp Sarika by Amangiri - Canyon Point, Utah
Image courtesy of Camp Sarika by Amangiri
Amangiri is already ultra-luxe, and ultra-isolated (in the best way). Camp Sarika is even more so. The 10-camp outpost is only a short walk from Amangiri proper, and has its own pool, restaurant and spa to boot. (Camp Sarika guests have full access to all of Amangiri's facilities.)
Camp Sarika's canvas-topped pavilions are outfitted with private plunge pools, outdoor fire pits and chic, minimalist decor that reflects the surrounding desert.
Dine fireside at the camp's signature restaurant, where local ingredients are expertly prepared in an open kitchen. Enjoy a yoga class at the top of a rock formation. Indulge in a massage at Camp Sarika's spa, an exclusive haven with two stunning spa suites. Kayak on Lake Powell, take a sunrise hot-air balloon ride or explore the area's slot canyons — narrow gorges carved by ancient rivers.
Fora Perks:
$100 hotel / resort credit.
Breakfast daily.
Upgrade & extended check-in/out whenever possible.
Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort - Punta Mita, Mexico
Image courtesy of Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort
This 15-tent, adults-only, all-inclusive resort opened in December 2022 — and continues to make waves. Occupancy is capped at a mere 30 people, meaning you're in for an especially personalized experience.
Sprawling tents are flooded with natural light, and floor-to-ceiling windows and an open-air floor-plan blur the line between indoors and outdoors, where jungle and ocean views enchant.
Wellness is the name of the game here, and because everything at Naviva is included, you can relax, indulge and luxuriate in the resort's impressive array of offerings. Sunrise nature hikes, yoga classes, mezcal bonfires, meditation classes and more are all available, and factored into the one-and-done rate. All food and beverages, plus a complimentary spa experience, are also included.
Dine by the pool, in your tent, on a picnic by the beach, at the open-fire restaurant Copal Cocina...the choice is always yours. Here is a place where spontaneity is most welcome, and perfectly executed.
Fora Perks:
When you book Four Seasons through Fora, you will enjoy exclusive Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits. I'll be pleased to give you more details.
Capella Ubud, Bali - Bali, Indonesia
Image courtesy of Capella Ubud, Bali
There's something wonderful about tented camps in the heart of the rainforest, and Capella Ubud, Bali, more than proves the rule. Twenty-one one-bedroom tents, and one two-bedroom lodge, dot Capella's jungly stretch of secluded paradise.
All tents feature a private salt-water plunge pool and a generous outdoor deck perfect for relaxing the day away, or for enjoying a private message treatment. Decor is bright and eclectic, complemented by tasteful splashes of color, patterned wallpaper and locally inspired artwork. Each tent is a playfully refined blend of colors and textures.
As delightful the tents are, however, Capella's spa is not to be missed. Treatments feature tailor-made organic products, and everything is done with a holistic ethos in mind.
As for the cuisine, expect locally and sustainably sourced nourishment (Capella Ubud boasts its own organic garden) in the most stunning settings: around a fire, at one of the hotel's stylish open-air restaurants, in a private location accompanied by candlelight or in the privacy of your tent.
Fora Perks:
Complimentary 50-minute massage for two.
Breakfast daily.
Upgrade & extended check-in/out whenever possible.
The Resort at Paws Up - Greenough, Montana
Image courtesy of The Resort at Paws Up
If you haven't heard, Montana is hot. The Treasure State is home to several luxury resorts, including one of my favorite tented camps: The Resort at Paws Up. Thirty-six glamping tents (along with 27 gorgeous homes) are spread out among 37,000 acres of a wide-open natural playground. (And if luxury tree houses are your thing, head to the resort's sister property, the green o.)
There are six camps (glamps?) to choose from, depending on what you're after. If you're a view junkie, opt for Cliffside Camp, which overlooks Blackfoot River and Elk Creek. For something exceptionally isolated, Moonlight Camp is the obvious choice — it's the most secluded of the resort's camps. For "glamping 2.0," North Bank Camp pulls out all the stops, with extra-spacious tents (including three-bedroom options) and enviable proximity to the gourmet, floor-to-ceiling-window-equipped North Bank Dining Pavilion.
Even the spa, known here as Spa Town, is its own glamping oasis, composed of white tents near an idyllic brook (the best natural soundtrack to accompany any treatment).
Fora Perks:
$300 activity credit.
Welcome bottle of wine.
Complimentary round-trip airport transfers.
Breakfast daily.
Upgrade & extended check-in/out whenever possible.
Angama Mara - Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya
Image courtesy of Angama Mara
Angama, Swahili for "suspended in mid-air," is a perfect descriptor of this luxury tented camp, perched on an escarpment overlooking the vast Maasai Mara National Reserve.
The lodge consists of two separate (and identical) 15-tent sections, but everything is a quick walk or ride away from each other. Each canvased-walled marvel (expect your jaw to drop) is outfitted with a writer's desk, a luxuriously deep bathtub, floor-to-ceiling windows that open up to a dreamy patio, all-natural African bath products (and bug spray!) and so much more. You'll find splashes of Angama's signature Maasai red throughout each tent, as well as in the lodge's common areas. (Don't miss the Map Room, where you can peruse over 150 maps, some of which date back to the 17th century.)
Angama's food is expertly prepared, locally sourced and always delicious, whether you opt for a safari picnic out in the bush, a magical forest barbecue, an intimate in-tent dinner or a candlelit meal at the main lodge.
And if you want to extend your Angama getaway, head to the ultra-special Angama Amboseli, a 10-suite retreat in the Kimana Sanctuary, Africa's first community-owned conservancy. Wherever you stay, Angama's extraordinarily kind and professional staff will treat you like royalty — and swiftly become dear friends. Don't be surprised if you shed a tear upon leaving.
Fora Perks:
Complimentary air & concierge services.