Browsing all articles tagged with Glamping Archives - Hammock Tree Straps
Sep
9

Camping in Mexico for Beginners

Mexico is a huge country and offers camping in locations ranging from tropical beaches to pine mountain forests. Camping in Mexico is convenient for campers traveling by car since most sites are easily accessible by good roads. Road conditions are excellent though out the country especially since the government started work on the toll roads that traverse most of the country’s states now. Here are some of the best campgrounds in Mexico to consider when planning a Mexico vacation.

Camping Rancho San Nicolás in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas

Located in a highland valley at 2,160 meters, San Cristobal has been a favorite destination for travelers to Chiapas for many years. Its quaint Spanish colonial architecture and large indigenous population makes it attractive for those seeking an authentic Mexico experience. San Cristobal has received modern day fame for being at the center of the Zapatista Revolution in the 1990’s. Although the streets are quiet today, the Zapatista culture is still proud and strong here, with shops and Mayan vendors selling Zapatista memorabilia.

Rancho San Nicolas is located on the outside of town but within walking distance from the historic center of town. Its natural setting among the forest pines is quiet and secluded despite its central location. It has a number of accommodation styles, from campsites to modern-style apartments. RV camping is available as well since they do offer some sites with electrical hook-ups. A communal kitchen is available for campers to use for a small additional daily fee.
http://www.campingsannicolas.com/

Camping at Laguna Bacalar in the state of Quintana Roo

Quintana Roo is famous for being the home of tourist destinations such as Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Laguna Bacalar is a site off the beaten path located near the Belize border, about 5 hours south of Cancun. It is easily accessible by an exit off the Highway 307, outside of Chetumal.

Laguna Bacalar is a freshwater lake that has an amazing turquoise hue accented by a soft, white sand bottom. It is a low key destination where travelers can enjoy the Caribbean breezes while relaxing in a cool, fresh water lake. In addition, there is an old Spanish fortress located here, Fuerte San Felipe Bacalar, after which the lake was named. Just south of Laguna Bacalar is Cenote Azul, a 90 meter deep centoe that is excellent for swimming and snorkeling.

Camping at Laguna Bacalar is possible at the Los Quitos campsite right on the lake shore. RV camping is possible here but there are no dump sites or electrical hook-ups. There are a number of tourist services located in the small town of Bacalar, including hotels, restaurants and convenient stores. Chetumal is a short drive away and offers a wide range of tourist services and amenities.

Camping at the Bosque Village in the state of Michoacán

Located high in the mountains of Michoacán is the magical village of Patzcuaro. Here is a stronghold for the indigenous Purépecha culture of Mexico. Pine forests and the enchanting Lake Patzcuaro make it a wonderful destination for the traveler who wants to escape the tourist traps of Mexico.

The Bosque Village is a permaculture project on 82 acres of pine, oak and madrone forest 30 minutes outside of Patzcuaro. It is a fully off-the-grid site, with power coming from solar panels and water coming from a rain water collection system. Over 100 permaculture garden plots supply some of the food for the residents and visitors of the Bosque Village – the rest of the fruits and vegetables are bought from local suppliers.

The Bosque offers many activities and services. Classes are available in local crafts, tortilla making, and wood carving. There is a telescope to enjoy astronomy and a wood-fired sauna. Studio art classes are available, along with massages and classes, medicinal plant studies, a telescope for star gazing, and a traditional Maya sauna. Volunteers can study permaculture techniques while working in the gardens and attending to the grounds.

Visitors are welcome here, either as campers, guests in one of the cabins, or as volunteers. Campers can choose to camp near other campers or escape deep into the magical forest for a secluded retreat. Due to the nature of the site, the Bosque is only available for low impact camping and does not offer services for RV’s.

The Bosque Village asks that you contact them prior to visiting to ensure that they can accommodate you.

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Jul
29

Glamping, Eco Friendly Posh Camping in Pembrokeshire, Wales

So how do you fancy a bit of glamping? A bit of what? I hear you ask. Glamping, it’s the latest term coined from glamorous camping.

Well, glamorous camping is what you get if you stay in one of the tents in the 200 acre Fforest campsite in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Eco Friendly Campsite and an All Weather Kitchen

The idea behind this eco friendly campsite is to enjoy all the good bits of camping; the fresh air, sleeping under canvas, waking up to birdsong and being part of all the wilderness around you, without all the things that put you off, like cooking in the rain, sleeping on ground sheets and inflatable pillows and being cramped in a little tent. At this campsite, you have the choice of four different types of large canvas tent; dome, nomad, kata and threepi or bell tent, each one used traditionally in a different part of the world.

Our stay there was in the middle of October, so we chose to stay in a dome tent which their website claims is, “a 20 foot diameter geodesic dome, designed for year round living.” All the tents have raised wooden flooring and the dome tents are furnished with a large double bed with down duvet, a large outdoor beanbag and a couple of fireside chairs, plenty of storage and best of all, a wood burning stove.

Outside, was an all weather kitchen where you are provided with everything from crockery and cutlery to a tin opener and bottle opener. They supply you with pans, kettle, sieve, chopping board, matches and lots of other stuff. There really isn’t any need to bring any kitchen stuff with you. Your cooker is a 2 ring gas burning stove and your fridge is a large cool box with ice blocks, replaced as often as you need from the main lodge. Your kitchen also has a wooden table and bench and on a lovely warm evening, there’s a couple of chairs for you to sit out on your decking or you can bring the beanbag out from the tent. The site is huge and the tents are well spaced out, so no one is overlooked.

Log Fire and Breakfast Included

The main lodge is where you get your breakfast which is made with local organic produce and a warm log fire in the morning. Twice a week they have an evening meal, often a barbecue or curry evening and the staff are amazingly friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable about the local area.

However, I suppose there is one drawback. It’s the one thing that everyone hates about camping, and the one thing that even this kind of camping can’t get round – going to the toilet in the middle of the night.

Well, if you are one of those haters of moonlight toilet treks then you will need to stay in one of the campsite’s croglofts. The croglofts are individual living pods based on a small Welsh crofters cottage of the same name. It has all the comforts of beds, running water, electricity, slate floors and a wood burner but it includes a wet room and toilet. You can still enjoy all the benefits of camping, like foraging for wood, cooking and dining outside and feeling cold at night but without having to go out to the loo.

Personally, I think the dome tents are what it’s all about. To me, the croglofts are lovely but not really roughing it enough to feel like camping. It’s romantic to have no electricity, to sit and talk to each other or read by one of the lanterns supplied to you. To hear the rustling of something under your tent or the owls hooting from a far away tree while you’re snuggled under your down duvet watching the flickering flames in your log burner, that’s what I call posh camping.

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