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How Do You Go Beach Glamping? I’ll Take Mine with a Thatched Roof

I’m a sucker for thatched roofs. What summertime concert experience beats hanging out at a Parrothead’s thatched roof trailer bar while tailgating at a Jimmy Buffett concert? And there’s nothing more adventurous than a thatched roof villa in the middle of the jungle. The best place to enjoy a thatched roof villa, cabina, cabana, casita or palapa is on beach, accompanied a book or beverage of your choice. Here is a worldwide sampling of some fantastic thatched-roof-glamping-beach-book-and-beverage locations to consider for your next experiential journey.

Asia

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When a resort refers to itself as a “beach camp,” you instantly know you’ve found a place that understands beach glamping. Beach Camp Yala in Sri Lanka emphasizes a “passion for two things – wildlife camping and hospitality,” which is glamping, simply stated. A stay at Yala combines a great beach vacation with the option of a guided safari to view elephants, sloth bears, and the largest leopard population on the island.

Central America

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All of the luxury villas at El Secreto in Ambergris Caye, Belize have thatched roofs, and the name of the game is snorkeling and diving- with the Belize Barrier Reef right on the doorstep. El Secreto, or “the secret,” may be named for the fact that it has a “privileged and secluded location on North Ambergris Caye,” a prized aspect of glamping done right.

South America

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If kite surfing is your game, or you just want to try it, the thatched roof cabanas of Pueblo Barrancas in Uruguay are the answer. The luxury glamping dwellings are nestled into the hillside in plain view of the beach, and yurts are offered as well.

Europe

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You’d be right to guess Spain as a European country with thatched roof huts near the beach. At Casas Karen, they are referred to as “chozas de paja,” or “straw huts.“ Glamping.com previously highlighted a report from The Guardian that named Casas Karen number 7 on the Top Ten Luxury Campsites in the world. It’s said to be on “one of the last wild coasts in Southern Spain.”

Africa

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As I stated before, placing the word “beach” in the name of the resort saves a whole lot of trouble, and another prime location has embraced this wisdom. Dugong Beach Lodge in Mozambique has 12 luxuriously appointed, air-conditioned (thatched roof!) chalets inside the Vilanculos Coastal Wildlife Sanctuary, all of which are exquisitely ensconced on a beautiful beach.

Oceania

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Located on a former cocoanut plantation on a fabulous beach on the Island of Fiji are 25 thatched roof “bures” and a luxury villa all exquisitely appointed by the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort. It’s Fiji- need I say more? If so, check out Jen Bianco’s entertaining blog entry here.

The definition of glamping can vary widely. If glamping is your goal but you’re not sure, then adopt this simple rule of thumb- when in doubt, thatched roof=glamping. Now go hit the sand!

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Day 3 At Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort in Fiji

One of the things I like most about this resort is that everyday their is a different theme to the activities and outings. Today’s theme was “Fijian Culture.” Some of the activities offered were Fijian Storytelling and an outing to nearby Nukubalavu Village.

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We stayed on the property and enjoyed breakfast and a cooking demonstration where we learned to make coconut stuffed plantains braised in coconut milk. This dish was on the menu for tonight’s dinner so it was fun getting to learn how to make it ourselves.

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Most of the day was spend in the Serenity Area around the pool and reading in the hammock at our bure. It rained on and off during the day but that did not seem to keep anyone from having fun.

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Lunch was exceptional– with salmon served on udon noodles as the standout dish. The thinly sliced pork was also tangy and delicious.

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You’re well fed at the Jean-Michel Cousteau resort, but the portion sizes aren’t huge, which is nice when you’re spending most of your day rocking a bathing suit.

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I drank a few young green coconuts and also decided to try the fresh lemonade made with local Fijian lemons which really hit the spot during the heat of the afternoon.

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The clouds were extremely beautiful during the magic hour before sunset, making me sad to be leaving tomorrow.

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The evening activities were particularly fun since dinner was traditional Fijian Lovo buffet. Lovo means cooked underground while wrapped in leaves and fish, pork, and chicken were prepared this way.

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It was fun to watch the lovo pit for the few hours before dinner to see the leaves before and then the meat being pulled out once it was cooked.

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While I might attempt the coconut milk braised plantains, I’m going to leave the lovo cooking to the Fijians!

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The dishes were served in baskets and platters woven out of local leaves. It was a great dinner.

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The evening’s entertainment included a traditional kava ceremony and music from the Kava Boys. There was also a special meke dance performance from school aged children from Nukubalavu Village.

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Since most of the resort’s staff is from this village, many of the performers were children or relatives from the attentive staff we’ve gotten to know during our stay. This added to the home-like atmosphere that the resort fosters.

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While I’m sorry for my stay to be ending, I felt that tonight’s entertainment was a highlight that won’t be forgotten.

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This has been such an amazing South Pacific glamping adventure. I want to say vinaka (that means “thank you” in Fijian) to Mark, Bart and all the staff at the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort and Glamping.com for making this trip possible.

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Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort – Fiji Day 1

It’s such a pleasure to be in Fiji on assignment for Glamping.com. I haven’t been here since my husband and I went on our honeymoon.

The Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort made it’s first impression at the Nadi Airport. Mini, who works for the eco-luxury hotel, greeted me at the airport. She had noticed that there was only my reservation on the non-stop flight to Savusavu, the island where the resort is located. My husband was scheduled to take a flight with a connection. Mini pulled some strings and got my husband on my flight so we could arrive together. Impressive!

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The one hour flight to Savusavu was easy and we were greeted again by a representative of the resort who gathered up our bags and drove us the 20 minutes to the resort. Upon arrival, we were greeted with tropical fruit juice and live music by the staff which was finished with the traditional Fijian greeting of “Bula!”

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At reception we were told “Welcome home.” This is the standard greeting here and I love this sentiment. The staff really goes out of their way for you to make you feel like Jean-Michel Cousteau is your home in Fiji. They also do a really great job of catering to families with children and providing separate areas for families and couples. They even provide a nanny per child. This ensures everyone has a good time lounging around the pool or taking part in the various activities.

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Our garden view bure (thatched hut) was not ready yet, we were given a brief tour of the property and given an orientation before sitting down for breakfast. The scrambled eggs with ham and cheese were outstanding, as was the fresh fruit.

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We spent most of the day in the daybed in the “serenity area” (aka “no children”) near the pool where we sipped on Mai Tais and fresh green coconuts. It was extremely relaxing, but we did have a light lunch of vegetable tempura, tomato soup and fresh local fish (walu).

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Then we were shown to our garden view bure, #18, which is fairly simple, but comfortable and charming and cooled by fans. While there are no televisions in the room, the bathroom is nice and there is a minibar packed full of Fiji water and other beverages. All but the alcohol is complementary.

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We changed into our swimsuits and spent the rest of the day lounging around the pool before some late afternoon rain arrived, making it the perfect time for quick nap before dinner.

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The resort is big on giving back to the local community, so the evening’s entertainment began with a crab race. I was surprised how fun it was to watch. Then a group of local dancers performed a few songs before dinner.

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After dinner, we enjoyed music and a kava ceremony with the Kava Boys before enjoying a good night’s sleep. Turndown service comes with mosquito coils and mosquito nets upon request. We had a good night’s sleep in this friendly Fijian paradise.