There’s a whisper of nostalgia about a night spent under the stars: the promise of simple, adventure-packed days and lazy evenings by the fire. Happily, you can leave the tent pegs at home, thanks to a growing collection of luxury camping hotels: from out-there lodgings in Sri Lanka to cosy cabins in the UK, romantic nests in India and other alfresco hideouts. When it comes to camping, we’ve got a few pitches for you…
ULUM MOAB
Utah, US
Slumber close to the US’s famous national parks, perhaps a short hike from monuments such as Mount Rushmore or the Grand Canyon, courtesy of Under Canvas. The group’s new, sumptuous offshoot is ULUM Moab: a luxury outdoor resort outside of Moab in Utah and in full view of the iconic Looking Glass Arch, which raises the ‘camping’ tent pole by honing in on wild wellness. Intersperse canyoneering and rock climbing with dips in hot and cool plunge pools, sound bath meditations and guided stargazing, or medicinal-plant walks and soap making. Select from a seasonal menu of regionally inspired cuisine and enjoy dinner alfresco under a star-splashed sky. After dark, enjoy the humble pleasures of s’mores and strummed songs around the campfire, then snooze in dwellings kitted out with soft, king-size beds, wood-burning stoves, ensuite bathrooms and Aesop bath products.
UNDER CANVAS YOSEMITE
California
If you need another excuse to strap on your pack and don those hiking boots again, outdoor resort expert Under Canvas will be coming to California in May 2025, with its first site in the Golden State. Under Canvas Yosemite’s comfortably kitted out tents are set in 85 acres of forested land — with giant redwoods standing sentry — across Big Oak Flat, a 10-minute drive from the entrance to Yosemite National Park. Spend your days hiking up sky-scraping granite cliffs and domes, meditating by majestic waterfalls and ticking off natural wonders (Glacier Point, Half Dome, El Capitan), before convivial, cocktail-fuelled evenings back at camp.
WILD COAST TENTED LODGE
Sri Lanka
There’s nothing quite like the chrysalis-style cabins at far-flung Sri Lankan retreat Wild Coast Tented Lodge. Poised between the country’s wave-lapped southern coast and wildlife-packed Yala National Park, they seem to mimic their natural environment, with organic carapace-like shells, surrounded by lush tropical greenery. Inside, the scene is firmly of the man-made variety, with canopied beds, swirling ceiling fans and heritage safari furniture. Free-form plunge pools add the final flourish — ideal for cooling down after game drives to spot elephants, sloth bears and leopards.
DUNTON RIVER CAMP
Colorado
Sister property to Dunton Hot Springs, waterside Rockies retreat Dunton River Camp stands on the former site of Cresto Ranch, a 19th-century cattle farm. Surrounded by 500 acres of free-range grazing, it’s been transformed into a summer-only camp, with eight elevated, prospector-style tents fitted with stoves and cow-hide rugs. Fly-fishing is the main hook here, thanks to the camp’s location on the banks of the Dolores River. But there’s also horse-riding, mountain biking or hiking in the San Juan range for those who prefer land-based activities. By day, serrated mountain scenery and forest pines surround you – plus visiting hummingbirds that dart into camp to feed. Come nightfall, congenial company awaits at farm-to-fork meals and fireside gatherings with guests.
GALÁPAGOS SAFARI CAMP
Ecuador
Had this light-touch, luxury camp been around in Darwin’s day, his stay on the Galápagos might have been a touch more comfortable. Indeed, the jungle-wrapped Galapagos Safari Camp is somewhat evolutionary: a land-based lodging on a string of islands that are usually traversed by boat. Pitched in the highlands of Santa Cruz island, these 10 teak-floored, safari-style tents let you access both sides of the Galápagos: spying flagship species such as giant tortoises and vermilion flycatchers amid the pit craters and lava tunnels of these volcanic isles; as well as vessel-based visits to nearby islands and the surrounding marine reserve.
AMANWANA
Indonesia
Aman Resorts is way ahead of the curve when it comes to luxury camping, having launched super high-end tents at Aman-i-Khás in India’s tiger-prowled Ranthambore National Park and also at Amanwana. Set on the Indonesian island of Moyo, east of Bali and Lombok, this exotic paean to pitching features both ocean-facing and jungle-ensconced tents, featuring Indonesian interiors and the suave minimalist accents that have become the brand’s calling card. Beyond the tents, there’s scuba diving in the Flores Sea and hiking trails through tropical forests to glimpse deer, macaques and wild boar.
RAAS CHHATRASAGAR
India
Raas Chhatrasagar camp stands on a raised bank overlooking a reservoir that was built in 1880 by local nobleman Chhatra Singh to harvest monsoon rains. By the 20th century, the area had become lush and green — a bona fide desert oasis — and hosted legendary sporting parties with high tea and exotic dinners, followed by nights under canvas. Today, that rich history is recreated by Singh’s great grandchildren, who provide Rajput-style tents facing out across the lake, adorned with handcrafted furniture and colourful Indian motifs. Trips to rural Rajasthani villages and local bird-watching tours can be arranged, before a torchlit dinner back at camp.
MAGIC CAMPS
Oman
Magic Camps pitches up in Oman‘s distant desert. Like a scene from Lawrence of Arabia, you’ll be picked up and whisked across the sands for some dune bashing, followed by a sunset drink atop a pyramid-like mound and a ride to your candle-lit camp in the country’s wind-whipped Wahiba folds. Accommodation is in luxury off-grid bell tents with private ensuites, all set up for you alone. Half-board meals are prepared by a chef and served in a Bedouin tent, followed by sweet tea and shisha beneath the Arabian night sky.
CAPELLA UBUD
Indonesia
Bali’s Capella Ubud: stretching the definition of ‘camping’ as tautly as a tent-peg. Maximalist Bill Bensley has used colourful fabrics and pitched canopy roofs, but these hideaways are more akin to something a Victorian explorer might stay in, packed with antiques, four-poster beds, copper bathtubs and minibars in steamer trunks. So you’re not exactly in the weeds (in fact, you’re surrounded by dense jungle), but immersion comes in many forms here, whether you’re out on the Tegalalang rice paddies, hiking to waterfalls, or learning balinese dance and calligraphy.
CLAYOQUOT WILDERNESS LODGE
Canada
On Vancouver Island, you never know what you’ll see from your Adirondack chair — could be a black bear, a pod of orcas, a shy cougar… Even if you luck out on the animal sightings, your view will still be spectacular, out over the waters of the Clayoquot Sound and the pine-bristled mountains beyond. Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge is only accessible by seaplane or boat, so it’s a remote rugged experience, but with some smooth edges: tents are stylishly Scandi in style with wood-lined bathrooms; the spa has cedar hot tubs to soak in; and you needn’t paw a salmon from the water, with fresh scallops, Blue Goose beef and other BC delicacies to dine on.
REST + WILD SHROPSHIRE
UK
Simplicity is what getting out into nature is all about. Rustling leaves, grass underfoot, fresh air: we’re all for it. But we don’t want things to be too simple — no, we want rusticity run through a Vogue filter (log-burners, considered colour palettes, just-so rumpled linens) and a freestanding copper bath tub set on a podium amid the verdure. Dotted over particularly picturesque Shropshire hillocks, Rest + Wild’s cabins on the sprawling Downton Estate (unrelated to the show, we’re afraid, but grand nonetheless) cater to the indoor-outdoorsy, and even getting a little muddy has a modish feel.
Carry on camping with the rest of our perfectly pitched collection…