A Non-Campers Guide to Glamping.

For all those who don’t particularly like camping ( what is wrong with you?!) and prefer to do as little as possible but enjoy little nuggets of nature, this is a little guide to glamping for you. I recently enjoyed a girl’s night away glamping in the Elgin Valley with glampinghub.com. An avid lover of camping, I too enjoyed the break from the usual setting up and DIY element of camping and just relaxed. My friend is now hooked on glamping and aims to do it way more of it in future. Here’s a few guidelines for glamping:

1. Do not set up a tent.

One of the greatest joys of glamping is that you can literally show up and enjoy your tent from the get go. No peg poles, no deciphering the tent setup manual and diagram, no logistics of discovering which way the wind is blowing and no manual labour involved to get you all sweaty and hungry. All you need do is show up to discover your tent is set up, in our case on a deck in the forest, check in and perch yourself on said deck. We stayed at Tri-Active Adventure Camp in Elgin and loved the forest setting.

2. Do not make a fire or braai your own chops.

Five minutes post-arrival you’ve established that no tent set-up is needed so now it’s time to make food. Wait, what?! That’s right you are not responsible for starting a fire, bringing a gas stove or cooking food because you have arrived at a glamping establishment like those available for Colorado glamping, with it’s own restaurant. No pans, matches, cooking utensils or fending for yourself in the bush. Just pop down to the restaurant for where gourmet lamb chops await. if you’re lucky, there will be a camp fire set up for you to enjoy there later anyways.

3. Do not brave a day or night without electricity.

4. Do not sleep on the floor.

Stretcher? What is that exactly? Luckily you will never need to find out. There is a luxury bed waiting for you inside your tent with a duvet and warm blanket for those chilly nights. No need to unzip yourself into a sleeping bag, your comforts from home are already there and once you’re tucked in, all you need do is switch off the night lamp on your side table and make sure your mosquito plug is in.

5. Enjoy nature combined with luxury.

While some people may have been brought up not keen on bugs, the feet touching the sand and the sounds of wildlife in their ears, I don’t believe anyone’s soul is not fed by taking the time to immerse yourself in nature. If it’s not your thing, take small steps: sit outside your tent and read in the forest, go on guided walks or at least stroll around the camp site. Take a dip in the ocean, dam or swimming pool even if it’s really cold. Do something that scares you (but won’t get your killed) and walk barefoot.

6. Do not spend an entire day ‘breaking down’ the camp.

Ever since caravanning as a child with my family, I know full well how arduous packing up an entire campsite can be. From the makeshift kitchen, washing up stand and washing line to the removing of pegs from hard soil, folding chairs and the dusting of all equipment in the hot sun. Or even worse, a day of pack up in the rain. Whilst glamping, all you need do is pack your own little bag, check out and drive home.

If glamping sounds like your cup of tea where you get to enjoy luxury and the nature, then South Africa is one of the best places to do it in with diverse landscapes and epic spots. Visit glampinghub.com and book your stay in one of their many beautiful locations around the country.

Thank you to Glampinghub.com for collaborating with us on this post. If you are still looking for Valentine's Day ideas in South Africa, look no further and get glamping with your loved one: Glampinghub.