Explorable

Growing up we went camping from time to time. It was a lovely family activity – getting back to nature, sitting around the fire, drinking condensed milk coffee (or sherry on cold nights) and looking at the stars until we went to the tent. I love it, but I will be honest: I also love a warm, comfy bed in a bug-free room. Preferably with an en-suite. Fortunately there are many alternatives to camping with a similar feel to it, with something for everyone from the survivalist to the pampered. I would argue that all of these belong on this page. Just because I don’t sleep in a tent on slowly-deflating bed, doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the camping experience.

Let’s get into the different alternatives:

Camping – back to basics with a tent with poles and ropes

• Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. Set up camp at the La Leona Ranger station at the park entry.
• Denali National Park, Alaska, USA. Several camp sites – at some you can also set up your caravan or RV. Based on the photos, I’d pick either Igloo Creek or Teklanika River Campground.
• Tartaruga Camping in Zakynthos, Greece. Set up a tent, or stay in a caravan or RV.
• Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, California, USA. With about 15 open campsites, you can grab your tent or roll in with your caravan or RV. At some sites you can even opt for a cabin if you wish.
• Glentanner Park in the Aoraki Mount Cook region, New Zealand. You can choose from several rooms ranging from motel-room to dormitory size. However, if you see the camp site views, you might consider unfolding that air mattress and getting the air compressor (unless you want to do it on lung capacity alone).
• Jasper National Park, Canada. You would definitely be in the mood for camping if you look at the photos of this park; or at least I was. With seven different campgrounds, you can pick which scenic view you want to wake up to.

Glamping – camp in luxury in a already set-up tent

• Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. Stay in one of the luxury camp sites (like the Cottar’s 1920’s Safari Camp), or set up your own tent in the private camp sites (you can also rent all the equipment there).
• Mounts Bay Meadow Glamping at St. Michael’s Mount in England, UK. Enjoy your stay in Cornwall in one of three Glamping pod sites – Scenic Bay, Coastal Gaze or Mount Lookout.
• Otro mundo Eco glamping near Sierra de Segura, Spain. Nestled in nature but still close enough to town that you can explore the local culture.
• Paperbark Camp, Australia. If you are looking to get out of the city (in this case, probably Sydney), you can choose to stay in ‘African inspired canvas safari tents’ in Jervis Bay. With the basic option being a Deluxe tent, you will definitely have a glamourous camping holiday.
• Stay in a Bubble Lodge. See my shortlist below.

Yurts, cabins or treehouses – when you prefer a slightly sturdier alternative

• Garden Route National Park, South Africa. Options ranging from pitched tents to luxury cabins. My pick: the Forest Huts or Harkerville Treetop Chalet.
• EcoCamp Patagonia, Chile. Pick your level of comfort in the eco-friendly dome hotel. Stay here when you complete no. 38 on my bucket list.
• Miyajima Island, Japan. There are both cabins and tent sites available at the Tsutsumigaura Inlet.
• Hossa National Park, Finland. They have a wide range of facilities, from lean-to shelters to caravan sites and rental cabins. Personally, I would prefer the rental cabins. An added benefit is that this is Finland, so you will find saunas everywhere. If that is your kind of thing.
• The Isle of Arran, Scotland. With everything from campgrounds, like Lochranza Caravan and Campgrounds, to beautiful cottages (here is a whole list of them) – you will definitely find a perfect place to stay on this enchanting island.

Roughing it – going in the opposite way of luxury, with things like cowboy, bivy or hammock camping

• Waldseilgarten Höllschlucht, Germany. This is far out of my comfort zone, but if you want to sleep in a tent hanging from the tree tops or a suspended ledge from a cliff wall, this is your place!

You know when you look for something specific on the internet and before you know it, you fell into the google-wormhole… That is exactly what happened to me when I was looking at the bubble lodges. These ‘tents’ were designed by French designer Pierre-Stéphane Dumas and are sold by Bubble Tree. Since it is a French concept, these lodges are quite common accross France; however, there are some popping up in the rest of the world. I have browsed through and made my own shortlist of favourites, but if you want to see all the options you can find it here on the Bubble Tree website.

• Le Domaine Des Butineuses. About 2 hours from Paris and nestled in nature, you’ll find three Bee Bubbles (yes, they are bee-themed and very cute!). You can also rent a telescope, get packed lunches and buy products from their bee colonies.
• Domaine Le Coq Enchanté. About 20 minutes from Lisieux. They have a beautiful Bubble, but also several other options each as lovely as the rest. The decor reminds me very much of Scandinavian design (very white and grey – don’t get me wrong, I love it), which fits even better when you learn they also offer a Norwegian spa on site.
• La Vallée de Pratmeur. Set in a beautiful hilly estate; a 5 min drive from Quistinic in Southern Brittany. They have a lot of interesting and unusual accommodation options, each more amazing than the next. Be sure to check out the Bubbles (of course), the treehouses, the spa cabins… you know what, just explore all the different options because they are all great.
• La Route des Bulles. Now, I’ll be honest – this one is one of my favourites because of the originality of the name. About 20 minutes drive from Troyes and in the heart of the Champagne valley, you can stay in a bubble right next to the Champagne Gremillet estate. If you are not bubbling with excitement over this, then you are obviously not a champagne fan. And that is also okay. You can also consider their Haute de Flandre bubbles 10km South of Malo-les-Bains in Northern France.
• L’Angle du Bonheur. The estate is about 130 km (1h30 drive) south of Nancy and just as far from the Basel and the Swiss border. Their website describes the accommodation as ‘magical cabins and bubbles’, and I couldn’t agree more. It really looks like something from a fairytale.
• Somn’en Bulle. Vibrantly decorated Bubble lodges, baskets with snacks, massages and beautiful nature. This is a perfect retreat from a busy life. About 90 minutes drive from Toulouse and be sure to book on their site for a discount.
• Ferme de Courneillac. Ferme = farm in French. And yes, this is on a working Agora goat farm that produces Mohair products about an hour south of Toulouse. Apart from staying in a bubble with a beautiful view of the Pyrenees and a hot tub, you can also meet the goats. If you pick the right season, you can hold a lamb! Well, I suppose you can also just visit the farm, but then you miss out on the hot tub…
• Ô Clair de Bulles bubbles and spas in Lot et Garonne. I am usually hooked with the word ‘spa’, but wait until you see their Scandinavian baths.
• Les Cabanes de la Romaningue. Just 15 minutes outside of Bordeaux. They offer a wide variety of interesting accommodations – from hanging tents to treetop cabins. And, of course, bubbles with a lovely view. You can also add activities, such as a cellar or vineyard tour, massages, picnics or a variety of baskets.
• La Bulle d’Ardèche. About 90 km from Valence you can find a bubble with some of the most spectacular views. These bubbles are also available year round and it looks amazing in winter with snow all around.
• La Bolla del Borgo in Italy – about an hour from Ancona on the east coast. The bubble suite is in a cherry tree orchard with the vineyards of the Mencaroni’s Farm all around.
• Hotel Aire de Bardenas at the entrance of the Bardenas Reales Natural Park in Spain. This is a desert landscape about an hour from Zaragoza. There are several room options, but can you imagine how amazing the starry sky will be from your bed in a bubble room here. The restaurant, orchards, pool and long list of activities are a bonus.
• Bubble-tent Bad Dürrheim in the Black Forest in Germany offers beautiful views of the Alps, breakfast baskets and heated tents for the winter.
• The 5 million star hotel, Iceland. This one is unique, since it is more a tour than a place to overnight. There are two scheduled tours: the Golden Circle tour or the South Coast tour. Each ends in you sleeping in a bubble room. And if you go in the winter months, you might even see the northern lights!
• Les Bulles de Farino Lodge, New Caledonia (French territory). A beautiful island destination, stunning island-inspired decor and surrounder by breathtaking nature. You will have to unwind if you stay in this bubble for a while. The lodge is adults–only, but with a hot tub and breakfast provided, this is a great place for couples. *The website is only in French, but fortunately we have Google translate.
• Kaz Insolite, Réunion (Island). Surrounded by the forest you can truly become ‘one with nature’. With several units to choose from, you can pick a bubble that works for you.
• Le Domaine des Bulles, Martinique. Definitely one of my favourites when it comes to decor. Or maybe rather immediate scenary. Each bubble and the plot around it is uniquely decorated. And if that didn’t win you over, there is also a spa.
• Bubble Lodge, Mauritius. I always think of Mauritius as a dream-holiday destination. The Bubble Lodge definitely supports this – the decor, the surroundings, the luxury. One day when I am all grown up and super rich, this is where I will go for summer vacations.
• Basecamp Terlingua in Texas, USA. The camp is close to both the Big Bend National Park and the Big Bend Ranch State Park, and has several bubbles to choose from. They also have other options, in case you want a different experience – chosing between casitas, tipi tents (how cool is that?!), lotus tents or if you prefer diy, you can pitch your own tent.
• Mirumiru in NSW, Australia. There is this joke that everything in Australia will try to kill you, and probably can, so personally I am not keen on sleeping in a tent. Which makes these bubbles even more perfect for the land down under. Your own little safety-bubble. The picturesque Tenterfield Heritage Village, spectacular landscapes and interesting activities all adds to the charm.