High Above the Panamanian Pacific

Are you a mountain or beach person? Why choose when you can have both. Set at an elevation of 3,116 feet above the Pacific Ocean in a forest with rivers and lakes, Luxury Camping: Altos del Maria has the best of the mountains with panoramic views to the seas. Altos del Maria is an exclusive community 60 miles south of Panama City that has recently opened this boutique Glamping property for those looking for a taste of the good life.

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Luxury Camping: Altos del Maria is set on 7,000 acres in the El Chamo region with trails ascending its peaks and dipping into the cloud forests of the Continental Divide. The average temperature here is a pleasant 75 degrees keeping the flowers in bloom and the wildlife thriving year-round. The Audubon Association even gave a nod to the area for its incredible biodiversity and 276 species of birds! Bird watchers get your binoculars ready!

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Keeping the property intimate and maximizing guests’ contact with nature, Luxury Camping: Altos del Maria has five free-standing suites. The luxury tents open up to views of the Valle Maria and the Pacific. Two double beds and an en-suite bath make them ideal for families.

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Perched on its own little hill and garden, the Camping Suite. Tucked away on its own little hill and garden, the Premier Camping Suite is a yurt for the modern nomad.

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The Yurt’s circular walls with lattice pattern and woven cupola make for a truly stunning space. Further enhanced by chic furnishings and a luxurious bath, it’s where every couple wants to be.

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Walk out to the private terrace for 360-degree views of the Valle Maria, mountain peaks, and ocean. Add coffee and it’s the perfect way to wake up.

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Senderos Restaurant is the culinary heart of Luxury Camping: Altos del Maria. The name translates to “trails” and is the pinnacle of international cuisine in the area. The menu takes inspiration from Europe, Asia, the Americas, including the surrounding region. Panamanian dishes to try are the Sancocho stew and a dessert of wine-marinated pears.

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Take a picnic to one of the six panoramic viewpoints or take nature walks along the property’s five trails, including one to the impressive El Chorro waterfall. Tennis and mini golf are also available if sports are what you crave. Plus, rappelling is coming soon!

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If the beach beckons you closer, the Panamanian Rivera is only 30 minutes away, starting with the curving coastline of Coronado Beach.

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Easy to access from Panama City airport, but a world away, Luxury Camping: Altos del Maria makes choosing between the exotic beaches and lush mountains of Central America an easy decision.

Anne and Mike Howard are creators of the around-the-world honeymoon blog HoneyTrek.com and Long Term Travel Coaches for anyone looking to travel the world safely, affordably and off the beaten path. You can follow @HoneyTrek on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Pine Mountain Camp California

If you’re looking for a great glamping option for a group retreat or get-together, a peaceful place for an intimate wedding, a place that’s relaxing and allows guests to reconnect with nature, a place that not only provides tranquility and seclusion but also great recreational opportunities if a guest should be so inclined,
I have a couple of places to present to you. Each of these places is great for family gatherings, religious and corporate retreats, weddings, and both have had their share of high-powered celebrity guests. I would also consider both as exquisite glamping locations.

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If you have a minimum of 16 people in your group, may I suggest to you the ultimate glamping playground, with two private beaches, tennis courts, a wide selection of water-sports equipment, personal chefs, swimming pools, stunning views, spa treatments, and an aero-submarine that travels 100 feet below the ocean’s surface. The place, you may ask? It’s Richard Branson’s Necker Island, yours for a mere $62,000 per day. Yowza!

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If however your family, group or business doesn’t have that kind of coin, then I have the perfect suggestion for you. It’s the Pine Mountain Camp near Lake Arrowhead, California, where you can have the entire property starting for a mere $1800 a night (2 night minimum) with all the seclusion, nature and recreational opportunities that forty acres of pristine wooded beauty perched high above a picturesque mountain lake can offer.

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In fact, for a true group outing experience, one that provides connection and rejuvenation, I have to say that Pine Mountain Camp is by far the better of the two.

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I do not mean to suggest that you would not enjoy a stay at Necker Island, but it is more likely to cause group distraction than connection. A place that has it’s own submarine is not going to inspire me to “regroup with others” or “restore my inner resources.” I’ll be too busy playing Captain Nemo!

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And how could you possibly “relax with a book” at a place that costs $62,000 a day? Wouldn’t you feel the pressure to do everything the place offers all at once? Sounds like a vacation that requires a vacation from vacation- we’ve all had one of those. So, relax. There’s no risk of that kind of stress with a group stay at Pine Mountain Camp.

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The Pine Mountain Camp website makes the claim, “Be in nature, within luxury accommodations,” which succinctly sums up the essence of glamping. Guests enjoy “wireless internet and flat-panel TVs” at a resort set deep in the heart of the San Bernardino National Forest, and can instantly step away to smell the mountain pine and feel the breeze.

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Remember, it’s not just a retreat- it’s a resort. Hiking, biking, boating, swimming, water-skiing, fly fishing, hot springs, there’s plenty to do in the summer, and you can even catch a movie nearby or shop if you can believe that! I’d like to be here for one of the weekly summer concerts at Lake Arrowhead Village.

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With activities like skiing and sledding, wintertime group outings are a great option, too.

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Stay in the luxurious Ponderosa Lodge, which sleeps 13 with a main floor master suite, a bunk-room for 6, and 2 upstairs private bedrooms.

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The lodge has a fully appointed kitchen (cooking classes available with advance reservation!) and a cozy, spacious central living area set with a warm and inviting stone hearth fireplace.

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If you want to get away from the group a bit, you can always opt for one of the two “enchanting” cabins, or even “brave” the tepee. It’s a pretty cool tepee, on an elevated deck, with 2 futons inside and is nicely appointed with a nearby eating area and restroom. The tepee is described as a “Lakota-Sioux design, but with more durable and weather-resistant fabrics.” Kids dig the tepee, and you might, too.

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I’ve been to plenty of lodges, and many of them are way too “lodgy,” over crammed with deer and moose antlers and woodland tchotchkes in every possible space. While the lodge décor here isn’t subtle, it isn’t over the top, either.

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I don’t want my lodge to be subtle. A place like this has to be confident in it’s identity, and Pine Mountain Camp understands it’s character, a beautiful woodland retreat perched above Lake Arrowhead nestled in 40 wooded acres and the décor strikes the right balance. (Thank you, Pine Mountain Camp).

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I’m sorry, Necker Island, I didn’t mean to bash you. I’m sure you’re amazing but you helped me make my point- for a place for groups to get their glamping rejuvenation on, Pine Mountain Camp is the place to be. I do hope, however, that Glamping.com will send me to review you someday. Wish me luck!

5 New Shades of Glamping

Latest luxury camping alternatives for your outdoor getaway

Once it was only celebrities at festivals who could afford to go ‘glamping’. Now though everyone seems to be getting in on the trend of posh camping.

Whether you feel like slumbering underneath the stars in luxury yurts, or getting close to nature with wooded tree-top hideaways, the new designs in camping alternatives are coming in thick and fast.

So for those of you who don’t like to spend nights atop damp ground proof sheets on rocky floors, why not take a look at some of these recent innovations designed to revamp the peg-up tent into a relaxation station?

Stackable sleeping cells
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‘Did you ever live in a beehive before?’ says co-inventor designer Barbara Vandhorre.

These honeycomb-shaped wooden cells were designed by a team of Belgian designers called B-and-Bee, who were fed up with sleeping in tents at music festivals. The separate capsules are great for avoiding the muddy or flooded floor beneath: plus everyone gets their own individual pod (so no disturbance from all the other sweaty bodies around you after a night of dancing!)

Each pod contains a king sized bed, which can be transformed by day into a comfortable seating area. And the best bit is locks, lights and power are all included, meaning you’ll still be able to keep your gadgets buzzing throughout the trip!

The QUQUQ camping box
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With one of these European-designed camping boxes, you can transform your van into a two-person camper in under one minute. Crack open the top to find a miniature kitchen inside, complete with a 2-flame stove, a freshwater sink and storage space, as well as a comfy bed for two.

When compared to other campers-in-boxes, the QUQUQ is not only more fun to say, it also appears to be simpler to transport and transform. It’s effectively a home in one, and means you can switch that mouldy old tent for a cool, compact camping compartment.

De Markies mobile home
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For the laid back roadtripper, the De Markies (Danish for ‘The Awning’) is a perfect way to live and breathe those wide, open roads. When driving along it measures just 2.00 metres by 4.50 metres, but once you’ve arrived at your destination, it opens up and the space can increase threefold in a matter of seconds.

One side of the Dr Markies hosts a private boudoir, whilst the canvas on the other side is completely transparent, allowing for breath-taking views of the countryside from the comfort and warmth of your cosy camper.

Orange, stainless steel, and crisp white complete the vintage-looking design, which is both stylish and contemporary.

Glisten Camping
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Glisten Camping brings a truly unique glamping experience to the south-west of France. The brainchild of Cornish-based camper Simon Thomason, Glisten selects the best locations in south-west France then sets up the distinctively stylish geodesic domes. Each dome sleeps a family of up to six.

These camping pods have hanging beds for kids, tonnes of head room, partitioned bedrooms and luxurious king-sized beds and are the true essence of glamping. As Simon puts it, “the great outdoors deserve a beautiful indoors”.

Indoor Caravanning
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Although combining indoor and outdoor is usually the worst design faux-paz known to man, bringing the outdoors inside has proved fabulously popular in Germany.

The Huttenpalast (meaning ‘caravan palace’) in Berlin provides quirkily decorated vans within the comfort of an old vacuum factory. They even provide AstroTurf flooring for makeshift gardens, and hanging baskets galore, so you still get a healthy fill of the fresh outdoors without actually having to step outside. This is an ideal for the novelty-seeking glamper.

Have you noted any other glamping designs or trends in other countries? Let us know in your comments below!

All photos curtesy of Salop Leisure