Glamping Travel Trends: Demand for luxurious outdoor experience

As the demand for glamourous outdoor travel has increased, the desire for glamping has suddenly caught fire.

Glamour camping, known as glamping, is becoming a growing trend by allowing people to stay connected to nature with the comforts of home.

The search volume for the keyword “glamping” currently runs at more than 175,000 searches a month, a 30% increase from the past year, says Ryan Hutchings, general manager of Glamping.com.

Whether the experiences are in opulent tents or cabins, over the past six to eight years the demand across the globe for a true glamping experience has risen making wave for new properties and a new way to bring the comforts of home to the great outdoors.

For more information on Glamping and resorts check out Barron’s article, Lux Travel Trend: Glamping.

Living Airstream: Glamping Rentals Galore

Airstreams not only hold the hearts of many with memories of camping and childhood road trips, but the metallic gleam is a staple of the brand stopping many in their tracks to marvel at these unique recreational vehicles. We sat down with Bill Ward of Living Airstream, a luxury rental company of his fleet of vehicles ranging from vintage model rentals to newer models nightly, weekly and monthly. Renting for all types of occasions, from photo shoots to weddings, mobile offices to Burning Man accommodations, Living Airstream is picking up momentum as the cult-like following of Airstream becomes engaged.

Bill Ward

Glamping.com: How did you first become involved with Airstreams?

Bill Ward: I first got started with Airstreams when I saw one up the street from where I lived in Denver (super shined up exterior… beautiful), thought “what the hell” I’ll buy one! I mentioned it to my father and a friend of mine and they wanted in on it, too, which sparked the idea that maybe other people might be interested in becoming a part of this as well.

G: What markets are you currently in with Living Airstream?

BW: We have our main branches in Denver and San Francisco and satellite offices in Los Angeles and Scottsdale.

Bill Ward

G: Any favorites in the fleet?

BW: I really like the 1964 Bambi, because they truly represent the all-American road trip.

G: What makes Airstreams the right fit as opposed to other RVs?

BW: Airstreams are rolling pieces of art that have stood the test of time with a cult-like following. Anytime anyone sees that polished aluminum exterior pull up to a campsite, they immediately want to look inside and take photos. Plus, more than 60% are still in use (from what I’ve researched). We also have a new website, www.rentbowl.com where customers can rent RVs, campers, off-road ATVs and more as part of a sharing community, much like airbnb.com but with recreational vehicles.

Bill Ward

G: How is Living Airstream a glamping experience?

BW: Living Airstream is a unique glamping experience in that it allows for a mobile airstream experience. Between our high-quality product and our customer service we are bringing retro back into glamping.

G: Where do you see the future of the company?

BW: For the future of the company, I see Living Airstream expanding to a commercial division as well. I want us to then take both divisions, business and leisure alike, throughout the United States and eventually Europe where Airstreams are enormous.

Whether purchasing a new Airstream to refurbish or moving inventory across the country, Ward does so with a smile. With the company growing and the demand increasing with it, glamping in style with Living Airstream is proving to be a popular option across the United States. Eventually utilizing rentbowl.com, Ward is looking to the future for an inventory-less model, making room for even more unique stays as the site becomes more popular. Rental information for Living Airstream can be found at LivingAirstream.com.

Glamping Review: Safari West

Since the very early stages of our courting, my wife and I have talked openly about a shared dream to take an African safari. Elephants! Rhinoceros! Giraffes! All of these animals are critters we have hoped to see in the wild. With two children, however, we likely can’t afford to schlep the kids. And we wouldn’t want to leave them home for such a fantastic adventure.

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Naturally, then, we’ve looked far and wide for similar wildlife-oriented experiences here at home. It turns out one of them is around the proverbial corner from our house in Sonoma County, California: Safari West. The 400-acre preserve is home to nearly 700 species of animals, including Grant’s zebras, ring-tailed lemurs, and southern white rhinoceros, to name a few. The place also has 30 canvas-walled tent cabins—imported from Africa, of course—in which visitors can spend the night.

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One night this spring, my wife and I did just that. Our cabin—Cabin 19—overlooked the giraffe enclosure; from our deck, where we drank a bottle of local Zinfandel after check-in, we watched the animals cavort with wildebeests and frolic with each other, just few neck-lengths away. Inside the tent’s pale green canvas walls, décor was rustic but elegant, a motif I like to consider bush chic. Two of the tables were hand-hewn from pieces of a felled tree trunk. Overhead lights were made from tree branches. The lampshade had metal silhouettes of animals from the Serengeti. The cabin had two double beds (with electric blankets), a space heater, and an armoire with umbrellas and flashlights. There also was a small-but-spotless private bathroom, which had a copper basin and hot water.

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On the night we stayed, we could have taken the car into Santa Rosa for an upscale meal. Instead, we opted to stay on-property and eat at the Savannah Café, a low-lying building that doubles as the mess hall for resort guests. Chefs cooked up a buffet-style ranch barbecue, complete with chicken, corn, beans and more. After an hour, we were so stuffed that we grabbed our flashlights and headed back to the cabin, where we snuggled down on a comfy bed beneath an electric blanket, and dozed off to the cacophonous cackles of flamingoes—nature’s white noise.

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The following morning, we awoke to the same flamingoes bright and early, and wandered down the hill to the Café for a continental breakfast that comprised bagels, fresh fruit and coffee. Fueled for the day, walked around a back portion of the park in which monkeys and cheetahs and other animals (including a porcupine) are sequestered in separate habitats. My wife, an anthropologist, spent much of the time regaling me with details about the monkeys. Her tutorial made the experience significantly more interesting.

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Around 10 a.m., we returned to the area in front of the Café and boarded double-decker, open-air Jeep-like vehicles for a “safari” around the property.  Over the next 2.5 hours, our vehicle sputtered up and over the back hills of Sonoma County, inching past gazelles, oryx, antelopes, cape buffalo and other critters. A Safari West naturalist guided our trip, pointing out distinguishing characteristics on each of the animals as we drove by. I found the naturalist helpful—just not as helpful as my own wife.

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The tour ended just before lunchtime, and we had enough time to hike back to the cabin and retrieve our belongings before check-out. That evening, on the drive home, my wife and I struggled to summarize our experience overnight at Safari West. No, we agreed, it wasn’t luxury living on the Serengeti. But it sure came close.