Camping in Style

Educating our children on the remaining treasures of the Earth is essential to planning a greener, more environmentally conservative future. Today most consumer products come with a “green,” “recycled,” or “eco-friendly” option, and travel has been no exception! As the global population approaches the 7 billion mark, it is important to consider how we can access world heritage sites without detrimentally depleting local resources or harming vital ecosystems, and how to coach our kids on responsible tourism.

So how exactly does the luxury traveler consider a low-impact family adventure without giving up the five-star atmosphere? While several options exist, deluxe camping is not only a highly self-sustaining practice, but also provides an intimate, educational family experience that is simply unachievable within conventional luxury settings.

Consider these examples:

- After a day of learning about the Mala Man and watching the sun set on the Kantju Gorge, return to your intimate 15-tent camp to a gourmet, 3-course dinner under a blanket of stars. Retire to a canvas-roof, air conditioned deluxe accommodation atop a red sand dune facing Uluru. Longitude 131 in Central Australia was constructed with preserving the local environment in mind. Completely sustained by solar power, Logitude 131 offers an intimate, luxurious experience within an expansive living cultural landscape, as well as an education on the unique history of the Outback.

- Depart from the traditional park reserves and join the Maasai Mara in the Chyulu Hills of southern Kenya (the Green Hills of Africa of Ernest Hemmingway) at Campi ya Kanzi. Campi ya Kanzi, meaning “Camp of Hidden Treasure,” is dedicated to sharing an authentic experience of an iconic Africa, rich in wildlife, wilderness, and culture without subjecting its patrons to the hustle and bustle of busier commercial cities and properties. After a quiet night’s sleep in your luxurious thatched roof, tented room, complete with feather bed, begin your day with tea on your private veranda overlooking Mt. Kilimanjaro. Options for the day include National Park excursions, Maasai cultural villages visits with your own personal Maasai tracker, Cloud Forest walks, bird watching, and more. All accommodations have been constructed from local materials (without a single tree cut!) and provide both electricity and hot water via state-of-the-art solar power system.

- Follow in the footsteps of the Patagonian natives, the Kawesqar, who built their geodesic huts along the dismembered coast. Ecocamp Patagonia hosts an intimate, luxurious group of geodesic huts (a cross between an igloo and a dome) amidst the magical flora and fauna of the Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. Each day at Ecocamp offers the opportunity to follow the Kawesqar’s example of communing with “mother nature:” horseback riding within the virgin beech forests, observing Chilean condors from the southern face of Paine Massif, or kayak expeditions to the colossal calving glaciers. Each night, return to the organic wood-and-leather comforts of your dome, warmed by a low-emission wood stove. Hot showers and electricity are provided via solar and wind energy.

While camping – even luxurious camping – may not be every family’s cup of tea, try to consider destinations that utilize energy-efficient power and water supplies, and contribute to the native community. Several deluxe properties take advantage of the growing “green” trend with renewable building materials, low carbon emissions, and energy efficient appliances. Look for buildings with LEED certifications – they are the leaders in environmentally sensitive construction.

Thailand, Laos, & Burma – Eastern & Oriental Express + Road to Mandalay – February 20 – March 4, 2010

I had the great fortune to recently join Cindy Holloway on the Eastern & Oriental Express on its first journey into Laos and then on the Road To Mandalay from Yangon to Mandalay, both of which were extraordinary experiences.

First we stayed at The Sukhothai, a serene alternative to the hustle and bustle of the Mandarin Peninsula. The rooms are very large and have wonderful bathrooms with a contemporary, very luxurious ambience. The pool, spa, and restaurant were great, and the service was excellent.

Next was The Mandarin Oriental, the Grande dame of Bangkok hotels. It has a very traditional décor and old world atmosphere. The lobby is a constant buzz of activity and star sightings… the Crown Princess of Thailand was coming in as we checked in! The service is impeccable – there is butler service on all floors – and there are many restaurant choices: Chinese, Thai, French, Seafood, Italian, riverside, etc…

Directly across the river from the Mandarin Oriental is the Peninsula, a very contemporary and luxurious option for those who prefer high tech to charm. They have a large spa, several small swimming pools that are tucked in alongside the hotel, and several restaurants. They also have a complimentary water shuttle.

While in Bangkok, I spent two days touring with a guide and driver arranged through Trails of Indochina. The guide, Lee, was flexible and very personable.

We boarded the Eastern & Oriental Express in Bangkok for its inaugural journey into Laos. The train is beautifully appointed. There are two suites that are slightly larger than the staterooms, with bigger bathrooms, inclusive mini-bar, and their own sound system. Staterooms are extremely comfortable with a day bed, two chairs, table, and small but efficient bathroom. Both the suites and the staterooms are made up with two twin beds while you are at dinner. Breakfast is served in your cabin, and the cabin coverts back when you get off the train to tour in the morning.

Our first afternoon and evening were spent traveling Northeast through Thailand. We were treated to a conversation with fellow guest William Warren, author of many books including “The Unsolved Mystery of Jim Thompson.” There was also a palm reader on board, as well as a fruit lecture/tasting. Lots of fun!

On our first full day, we visited ruins of Phimai, a world heritage site on the old route to Angkor, and the largest complex of Khmer ruins in Thailand. After lunch on board, we visited a lovely family run wintery, Granmonte, in the Asoke Valley. The Thai wine industry is young but promising.

The next morning we made the historic crossing of the friendship bridge spanning the Mekong River into Laos. We disembarked in Vientiane, where we spent a full day touring That Luang, Patuxai Victory Gate, a Lao Textile museum, and Wat Si Saket with lunch at the colonial style Settha Palace Hotel.

Half of the passengers stayed in Laos, likely travelling north. We returned through the night to Bangkok. From Bangkok we flew to Rangoon/Yangon, the (former) capital of Burma/Myanmar. We spent our first night at the beautiful Governor’s Residence hotel, an exceptional Orient Express property in the embassy district of the city. The hotel appears colonial, but is a new property. The rooms are spacious, there is a beautiful garden where meals can be taken, an inviting swimming pool and wonderful upstairs porch perfect for reading, napping, or playing a little pool. You could easily spend a week at this hotel alone. Franz, the hotel and boat manager, is an interesting fellow who enriched our stay with wonderful stories and introductions to local expatriates.

Our next day we flew from Yangon to Bagon on a small prop plane. A little scary on the aircraft, but the flight is wonderful as you fly north and see hundreds of temples and pagodas from the air. We were greeted by our exceptional guide, San, and drove to the riverbank where the Road to Mandalay was docked. The Irrawady River was exceptionally low for this time of year, which made our journey logistically challenging. We had to take small fishing boats from the river bank out to the boat, adding to the charm.

The Road to Mandaly was damaged 18 months ago in a cyclone that practically snapped her in two, but the rebuild/renovation is spectacular. The cabins were reduced to 43, and are spacious and extremely comfortable. The boat has a small spa, gift shop, spacious dining room, piano bar, lounge, and upper deck with pool, ample seating, and where lunch is served.

The guides are employed by the boat and travel with you – and are excellent!

We spent our first afternoon exploring the temples and local villages of Bagan, enjoying the magnificent sunset from the top of one of the 3000+ temples in the 36 square kilometer area around Bagan. The next morning we started early, enjoying more walking through Bagan and local villages. This is also a great place to do a balloon ride to appreciate the scope of the landscape covered in Buddhist temples, pagodas and stuppas. By mid-morning we were sailing towards Sagaing, which is 30 kilometers south of Mandalay. This is as far as the river would allow us to go, but normally you would sail into Manadaly, which is a magnificent sight with gleaming gold pagodas covering the hillsides. We visited Sagaing and Mandalay by road.

Burma is a mysterious country, closed to the world for so many years, and still oppressed by an unnoticeable, but intimidating military dictatorship. The people are happy, well fed, and placated by Buddhism.