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.