For adventure & comfort in the wild, go for glamping

Bhanu P Lohumi

Glamping is the new buzzword that has added another dimension to eco-tourism, adventure and rural tourism. It is a form of camping involving accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping.

It offers travellers an opportunity to be out in the wild without having to carry and put up their own tents, sleep on the ground, or stumble in the dark to relieve oneself. Glamping is different from traditional camping in the sense that accommodation offered to tourists includes beds, electricity, en-suite bathrooms, resort-style toiletries, coffeemakers and sometimes even full kitchens. Usually, there is a restaurant on-site serving cuisine but one can still cook on the open fire.  

It is a self-driven expedition where guests bring their vehicles and the rest is taken care of. The aim is to take tourists to virgin, untouched and unexplored places in the Himalayas and provide them with best possible facilities.

The first expedition was launched in June this year at Daran Ghati on a trial basis and it turned out to be  a wonderful experiences. Enthused by the response of tourists, other tracks such as Shimla, Kinnaur, Spiti and Manali were explored.

The recent Tribal Monastic Drive with glamping covered places like Shimla, Narkanda, Sangla, Shichling, Kaza, Chandra-Tal and Manali. Tourists are keen to visit famous places, especially Buddhist monasteries, for sight-seeing, camping and adventure activities. Aamod Nomad, adventure wing of Aamod Resorts near Shimla, has taken the initiative.   

“The idea is to inject hospitality into adventure travel. I wanted to do this as a guest, and many of my friends and family members wished to go to exotic, virgin areas like Spiti but the problem was that the required infrastructure did not exist. There was accommodation issue, and women travellers looked for hygiene and safety. Taking all these factors into consideration, we decided to carry infrastructure along with the guests to make the travel a memorable experience,” says Gaurav Jain, Managing Director of Aamod Resorts, the man behind the initiative.   

As the topography is tough, the motorcade moves with infrastructure, mechanics, food vans and other amenities. Medical assistance, a Gazebo set up, buffet spread, bar counter with cocktails and mocktails and a professional masseur are available to the guests so that they can enjoy nature with a relaxed body and a rejuvenated mind, says Harish Sharma, Trip Coordinator (General Manager). “We provide a mix of camps and resort accommodation,” he adds.

The different drives will be of minimum three nights and four days and maximum 14 nights and 15 days. Luxury tents with professional bedding, general amenities, and proper toilet facilities are provided so that guests don’t face the challenges countered at a regular campsite.

The concept has been taken well by adventure tourists. “I found the itinerary and the concept modern and comfortable, says Virat, a guest. “The whole experience was amazing and the staff was professional. However, we wished to spend more time at some places and enhancing the time spent in these places would even make the trip more enjoyable,” says Anuradha, another guest.