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How Glamping Changed Our Trip Around the World

When I first heard about glamping, it seemed entirely too perfect to be real. Combining the outdoors and adventure with luxury and comfort? Stop it. And the definition doesn’t even do it justice—glamping isn’t just an accommodation, it’s an experience. And in providing luxury and security, it allowed us to step outside our comfort zone in new and otherwise unreachable ways. Glamping enhanced our trip immeasurably, gave it height through new adventures, depth through new friendships, and breadth through the diversity of the experiences it allowed.

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For our year trip around the world, we wanted it all. It was our dream, and we wanted it to leave no drop of energy untapped, no adventure not had, and no place not seen. We wanted it all, which is an incredibly unrealistic expectation in all areas but one. Enter glamping. Being young enough to love adventure, but old enough to love our comforts, we were in a difficult position to find something that kept us close, but not too close, to the action. And once we experienced the balance that glamping allows, it became difficult to do any other type of accommodation. But glamping was so much more than a place to lay our heads.

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Whether it was a cooking class in Japan, drinking rosé overlooking a French truffle plantation, or dune busting in India (don’t ask, just know its amazing!), glamping provides a window into a destination that isn’t possible in any other type of accommodation. The luxurious and safe environment allowed our adventurous sides to take over, and the gorgeous temporary homes provided a fabulous base to launch some of the best experiences of the trip. This says nothing of the incredible people who hosted us at these glamping sites. This is a special type of person, and that type of person is our favorite. They provided us a home, and when you’re traveling for 54 weeks straight, this is an invaluable gift. Our time at these glamping sites allowed us to refresh and reset, and we’ll forever feel grateful to the people around the world who made that possible.

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Our trip around the world was an indescribable experience, and glamping enhanced it in luxury, adventure, as well friendships. The accommodations aren’t only some of our favorite from the trip, but the experiences we had while glamping were the main highlights from our year. By providing us comfort in a trip that could be quite uncomfortable, glamping refreshed our minds and bodies and allowed us to make more of our next adventure. We wanted it all on our year around the world, and in glamping we found it.

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Glamping Is Reaching A New Audience

It looks like television shows have caught on to the evergrowing trend of glamping. If you didn’t know, now you know, glamping is becoming increasingly popular and a couple of TV series are taking their stars on glamping retreats. Whether it is for the mere fun of it all or to generate inspiration, maybe we should all take the hint and give it a try ourselves.

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The comedy show called New Girl recently aired Season 6, Episode 3 called “Single and Sufficient”, where most of the crew goes glamping. The group of friends stay in luxurious yurts, go horseback riding, and sing together around the fire pit. Those are only some of the many advantages of glamping, not having to pitch your own tent and getting straight to business… meaning having fun and taking in the stress-free peacefulness of nature.

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Project Runway featured a glamping night on Season 12, an episode called “Let’s go Glamping” and took their designers out of their windowless studios and into the woods for some fresh air and inspiration. The crew enjoyed outdoor activities such as zip-lining and river rafting, then retreated to their glamping tents after a chef prepared dinner. With comments such as “It’s fabulous”, “I like glamping, it’s my favorite thing to do now”, and “I love it and I never want to leave”, viewers will be drawn to trying an experience alike for themselves.

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Both shows have at least 6 seasons under their belt and I can’t deny having watched both on planned occasions and while skipping through channels. The number of viewers who have just caught a glimpse of glamping for the first time through television has obviously increased the number of people who now have a better idea of what glamping is all about. We only hope the word keeps spreading, inspiring property owners to share their hidden natural gems and non-campers a way to experience the outdoors in comfort.

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To Cuba, and why we love it

I don’t know whether it’s the architecture, the burst of vibrant colors, the Caribbean climate or the warmth of its people, singing and dancing every chance they get, but Cuba, the alligator shaped island just 90 miles South of Florida, is the most captivating place I’ve ever been. And I don’t say this because everyone else does. It just is.

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My love affair started in 2014, when as an American citizen, I joined a people-to-people tour journeying from Havana all the way to Guantanamo, the easternmost province. Despite initial doubts, the structured tour afforded me the opportunity to meet some incredible artists and communities I wouldn’t have otherwise met as a tourist: music students, ballet dancers, cuentapropistas (Cuba’s self-employed entrepreneurs) and more; the common thread, unrelenting passion. It was an intense 13 days that opened my eyes to the magic of Cuba and the intricacies of its history, starting with the allure of Havana and on to the artists of Camagüey, the Afro-Cuban vibe of Santiago de Cuba, and lush remoteness of Baracoa.

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This summer, as Cuba further nurtured diplomatic relations with the United States, I excitedly returned to the island. This time, I traveled west to Pinar del Rio, and then on to Cienfuegos, Trinidad and Bay of Pigs. The biggest difference, aside from the changes occurring on the Caribbean nation, was entering with my Romanian passport. I wanted a different perspective, which proved just as valuable. While I missed some of the first-hand interaction with Cuban communities on my previous visit, this time around I was free to go wherever I wanted, whichever beach or museum. I stayed in casas particulares (privately-owned houses open for tourists) instead of hotels. I went local, still, in a different way. I loved the mogotes (limestone formations) and guajiros (farmers) of Viñales and swimming in the Bay of Pigs. Looking back, this trip was just as rich as my first.

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But most importantly, I realized that regardless of my passport or the two eventful years that passed, Cuba remained in essence the same: vibrant, welcoming and wholehearted. Yes, there’s some real change to be seen: better, cheaper Wi-Fi in hotspots around the country, landmarks refurbished, new hotel sites and ever-booming tourism. Frenzied energy is palpable on the streets of Havana, and so are higher prices. But Cuba, at its core, with all its controversies and irresistible pull, won’t be changing any time soon. Go now, go whenever. Cuba is, and will remain, unrelenting passion.