Six of the Best: Tented Camps
Published 20th Feb. 2025
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There’s something special about spending the night under canvas. Evoking the simple pleasures of childhood camping trips, but with the grown-up indulgences thrown in (en suite bathrooms, lantern-lit paths, private plunge pools...), these tents put the ‘amp’ in glamping. And with just a thin fabric separating you from the world beyond, you’ll feel far more connected with the wilderness and wildlife outside.
Dar Ahlam Desert Camp, Morocco
Experience the Sahara in style at this desert sister-stay of Dar Ahlam, a luxurious 19th-century kasbah in Ouarzazate. You can expect similar levels of comfort but under canvas: tents with king-sized beds draped in luxurious linens, sundowners served with views across sunburnt sand dunes and, at night, glowing lanterns leading the way to a crackling campfire before a candlelit dinner.
Jack’s Camp, Botswana
Channelling pre-war big game hunters and Hemingway, Jack’s is a charming time capsule of a camp in the rugged Kalahari, complete with paraffin lamps, campaign furniture and even a vintage pool table. Designed as an homage to the owner’s father, the camp abounds with personal touches, from family photographs to curio cabinets. By day, embark on game drives and bush walks to spot brown hyenas and Kalahari lions. By night, curl up with a cocktail and watch the sun set over salt pans.
Camp Nivica, Albania
Located deep within Albania’s Kurvelesh highlands, a region of craggy peaks, plunging canyons and traditional mountain villages, this remote hideaway is a hiker’s haven. Stay in a spacious Meru tent inspired by African safari camps and styled with the same rustic elegance. The property’s chief calling card, however, is the view: a breathtaking and unbroken sweep of mountains and canyons as far as the eye can see.
Puqio, Peru
This safari-style camp, set deep within the Colca Valley, is the first of its kind in Peru. Cocooned in a quieter part of the valley, with only alpacas and Andean hummingbirds for neighbours, it’s the perfect place to slow down and reconnect with nature’s rhythms. Accommodation is rustic yet eminently comfortable, and the nourishing farm-to-fork fare offers a flavourful tribute to Andean heritage.
Sal Salis, Australia
Rustling dune grasses and lapping waves are the soundtrack to this beachside bush camp in Western Australia’s Cape Range National Park. With the ocean a few steps away, stays here are centred around the wonders of the underwater world. Ningaloo Reef, the world’s largest fringing coral reef, is just 100 yards offshore and home to 500 species of fish and 300 types of coral.
Pemako Punakha, Bhutan
Wellness is woven into every aspect of this camp in Bhutan’s fertile Punakha valley. The tented rooms – set among pine and jacaranda trees – are havens of tranquillity, each with a private butler to attend to your every need. A visit to the nearby Punakha Dzong (Bhutan’s second-oldest fortress) is a must, and on your return, there are extensive grounds to explore and a traditional hot stone bath, where you can soak your aches away.
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