In my latest read, Sophie Kinsella’s My (not so) Perfect Life, protagonist Katie Brenner gets fired from her marketing job in London and must return home to her father’s farm. While she secretly hunts for another job in the city, she helps her father set up a glamping destination.
Yes, that’s right, I said glamping. Think bed and breakfast in a yurt. Don’t know what a yurt is either? Let me explain.
According to the website Glamping.com, glamping (glamour + camping) is “travel that transforms you”. It’s for people who want a more “authentic experience” than a stay in a hotel with standardized fixtures. Glamping provides travelers with the opportunity to immerse themselves in nature and culture without sacrificing comfort. Some glamping destinations include a tree house in the forest canopy, a yurt on a mountainside, or an eco-lodge with gorgeous views.
When Katie Brenner tries to describe glamping to her dad, she says,
They want nice soap, but they want to use it looking at the sky, listening to cows. They want to feel rural, but not actually be rural.
She suggests outdoor showers with wooden pails that drench glampers, high count thread sheets, and yurts.
Which reminds me. This is a yurt:
According to Greenfuture.io, yurts are circular tent-like structures originally used by nomads on the grassy plains of central Asia. They were solid enough to provide a good home, but were easy to pack up and move when necessary. The Mongolian people used them, and in the Mongolian language they are called “ger”.
Yurts are no longer just for nomads or society averse hippies. They are gaining popularity for several reasons
- it’s more affordable to construct a yurt than a typical home ($10,000 to $50,000)
- modern yurts have more comfort features, including electricity, windows, and plumbing
- yurts are eco-friendly; they are usually energy-efficient and have little environmental impact
Have I inspired a desire for a new traveling experience for you? Hopefully I’ve at least taught you something new. If you like to learn new words, visit Kathy at Bermuda Onion, where bloggers share new words or ones they love.
Have you ever heard of glamping or yurts? Better yet, have you ever experienced either first hand? Please share!
Thanks for getting nerdy with me, and happy summer travels, no matter your style or destination.
I’ve wanted to go glamping but have only tried tent camping so far.
Also, I read Kinsella’s book, too!
I haven’t even tried tent camping. You’re ahead of me!
I’ve heard both words and even discussed going glamping last weekend with my grown children. A friend spent a week in a yurt a few years ago and said they loved it.
Well, if you decide to go glamping, come back and tell us about it. Sounds fun!
I’m a life-long camper so my opinion of glamping tend to be somewhat snobbish. So, I will apologize in advance for my attitude. In fact, I’ll skip all those opinions. I have noticed some very nice yurts available for rent at various national and state parks. Visiting a national park is such a positive experience for all families, that staying at a yurt can be a great addition to that experience.
Nice to see you att WWW Julia.
Thanks Margot! Good to be back. National Parks are wonderful. We’ve been to Yosemite. I’m hoping to get in a trip to Yellowstone sometime soon. We make good use of the parks near us in Virginia as well, although we’ve never been glamping. 😉
I’ve totally heard of glamping and yurts (and I love Sophie Kinsella books)! Yurt-camping/renting is fairly common in Colorado, so it’s been on my radar for years. Haven’t read that book yet~ it’s going on my list!
It was pretty good. A fun, easy read with an interesting commentary on how social media plays into our perceptions of others.
Our neighbors went glamping in an Airstream camper they rented through Airbnb and I saw plenty of pictures. It looked like fun!