Glamping
After several months of quarantine and in the deepest midst of the travel blues, I decided I wanted to start doing some local adventures. One of the things on this list included “Glamping”.
Let’s start from the beginning.
What is Glamping?
Glamping is the combination of the two words “glamorous” and “camping”. It’s basically an upscale modern take on traditional camping. While you get the camping environment, you also get extra amenities that you would typically have at a hotel or resort, the most important being air conditioning (to me anyway).
Why should you try it?
This is a great option for someone like myself who can’t necessarily sleep in a tent, outside, in the forest for health reasons. A fun fact about me is that I am allergic to a slew of things that are outside including grass, pollen, dust, some trees, and mold to name a few. I also have back problems so sleeping on the ground is not happening for me.
I know someone is laughing at me right now. “This isn’t real camping.” Yes, I am aware, that’s why it’s called glamping. If you want to be in nature without having to be IN nature, then you should check out glamping in your area.
How did I find it?
I was inspired to rent a yurt after seeing a local YouTuber film a video about her experience glamping at a place that was right outside of Austin. I knew I wanted to try glamping, but I had to figure out what place I wanted to go to. I never thought that I could find a place like this so close to home but after chatting with my friend she told me she actually knew of a few places right by her house (she lives 30mins away from me).
Immediately, I had my Google fingers going to work looking for yurts to rent. After narrowing down my choices to three options, I decided to go with Lucky Arrow Retreat.
Booking and Price
Lucky Arrow Retreat had the most inexpensive yurt out of the three options I had picked for glamping. The average price to rent a Yurt in the area is $100-$200 a night. The yurt I rented was $120 total with taxes included. The starting price for this particular yurt is $109 but the price depends on the day and season that you decide to book.
I purposely chose to book during the week because it was cheaper and there would be less people on the property. In fact, there was only one other yurt booking for that day and their yurt was nowhere near mine. You can book a yurt through their website very easily. The process took me less than five minutes.
Check-In Process
The check-in process was extremely easy. I did not have to come in contact with another person at all. I received a text message the day of check in with all of the information including the gate code and the code to the key lockbox. I also received a map of the property which I believe is also available on their website. I had no issues locating the yurt when I arrived or finding parking.
The Experience
What I enjoyed…
I overall had a good experience glamping and would recommend this activity to others. I thoroughly enjoyed being in nature without having to be too uncomfortable. The Lucky Arrow Retreat is a lovely property and the yurt I booked was aesthetically pleasing which is great for photos or just overall relaxing. The bed appeared to be some sort of memory foam mattress which I found comfortable and the bedding allowed for a good night’s rest as well. I booked for a Wednesday night so no one was occupying the nearby yurts. The area was very quiet when I went to bed and all I could hear were the bugs outside and the wind. I fell asleep staring at the stars through the skylight above the bed and woke up to the clouds passing by.
What I didn’t enjoy…
The things I didn’t like about glamping were probably the same things I don’t like about camping in general. For starters, I kept forgetting that my yurt is actually a glorified tent because when the wind blew it made a weird noisy inside like you were hearing a ghost. Another thing I wasn’t exactly fond of, was the fact that I had to walk to the bathroom. The bathroom wasn’t very far, maybe a 3-5minute walk depending on how fast you were walking but I was definitely NOT about to walk there at night alone in the dark. If I was super desperate at night, the yurt is equipped with a flashlight to assist in visibility at night. The last downside to glamping and camping are the bugs. I sprayed myself with OFF Deep Woods which seemed to help a bit, but I still came away with about 10-15 bug bites and an odd rash that developed the next day after spending the night there. The rash appears to be going away on its own so it could have been an allergic reaction.
Conclusion
I can definitely see myself taking more glamping trips with my friends or my canine companion. I liked that I could be in nature without actually being “ in nature”. I enjoyed my time at Lucky Arrow Retreat and would definitely encourage you to see if there are any glamping spots in your area. Glamping is a unique experience that I believe each person should experience at some point in their travel life. It’s a great activity for singles, couples, families, or friends groups.
GO GLAMPING!
