Do any of these situations apply to you?
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You love the great outdoors but the idea of crawling bugs, mosquito bites, smelly sleeping bags, sudden storms, wild animals, unlightable camp fires, bad weather and leaking tents isn’t very appealing to you
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The mere thought of using nature as your bathroom repels you
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Your picture of a relaxation vacation is NOT sleeping on the hard, lumpy ground and spending all your time trying to cook a decent meal for everyone
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You have a modest budget and can’t spend a lot on your vacation
If yes, then my dears, glamping, which is short for glamorous camping, is just the thing for you! Glamping is a new camping option which is fast growing in popularity in the travel & holiday industry. As the name shows, glamping is camping with a luxurious difference; it offers the best of both worlds i.e. exposure to the great outdoors but with amenities never experienced before in traditional camping. In short, you get to enjoy the wonders of nature & experience the thrill of camping with none of the fuss. And the best part is, it’s affordable too! After all, even in tough economic times like these, we all want to go for that elusive 
vacation no matter how cash strapped we are, just to get away from it all!
Glamping offers luxury accommodation that can include everything from big, clean & airy tents, comfortable beds, and carpeted floors to amenities such as wood stoves and power for your PlayStations & hair dryers. A few high-end glamping sites in the West even have swimming pools, restaurants, four-star baths and camp butlers to light fires and generally meet every need. Your tent is not a dreary, smelly one of yesteryears, stuck with pegs in the soggy ground, but a beautiful, high-end one, perched on a raised wooden platform, overlooking some spectacular view and furnished with tables, rugs, china & silver accessories and even candles.
The beauty of glamping is that you don’t have to do a thing! There’s no hassle of setting up camp, erecting the tent, collecting wood for campfires etc. All the work is done for you before you even enter the campsite. You are shown to a pre-erected tent with all necessary equipment supplied, the beds turned down and the fire burning merrily. You simply move in, like you would with a hotel. All you need to do is turn up. It’s instant, comfortable camping. Sounds awesome doesn’t it?! Can’t wait to try it out myself!
Glamping is ideal for families and honeymooners alike (wherever women are involved!). Afterall, bachelors may like to rough it out with traditional camping but it’s not so easy for us ladies to get and down and dirty! Glamping is THE BEST holiday option for families with pre-teen & teen children. For spoiled kids growing up on iPods, cell-phones, Facebook and Twilight, glamping is a great way to give them a back-to-nature, adventurous vacation with all the comforts associated with hotels (room service, cable TV, wireless internet connection, junk & gourmet food, clean linen, laundry service, hot and cold running water, and a toilet that flushes!). It’s a win-win situation for everyone! Or is it? Don’t get me wrong, glamping is supposed to be easier on your pocket, but it can be expensive too. Obviously, the price range increases with the level of luxury you desire (Don’t expect scented bubble baths, butlers and chefs at your doorstep to come cheap!). But if you’re just going with the basic amenities (which is enough for even the crankiest of us women) then it’s very affordable.
For those of you who are warming to the concept, some great news; Glamping is happening right here in Pakistan too! The Gilgit Serena Hotel and the Serena Hunza Baltit Inn are offering “camp” or “tent” rooms with all the aforementioned facilities. Imagine camping in the surroundings of the gorgeous Hunza valley, with lush green fruit trees, snow-capped mountains and roaring rivers all around you! Sounds heavenly!
![clip_image001[4]](http://www.biggtech.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/clip_image0014.jpg)
So folks, for all those of you who are disillusioned with the trials and tribulations of traditional camping, but still want to get up, close & personal with nature, glamping is the only way to go!
Gilgit Serena Hotel & Hunza Baltit inn Pictures courtesy of Durdana Ali Malik (You magazine)
Contact Info
GILGIT SERENA HOTEL
Address Jutial, Gilgit, NWFP, Pakistan
Phone (92) 5811 55894-99
Fax (92) 5811 55900
Website http://www.serenahotels.com/pakistan/gilgit/home.asp
HUNZA BALTIT INN
Address Karimabad, Hunza, Pakistan
Phone (92) 5813 457012, (92) 5813 457660
Fax (92) 5813 457661
Website http://www.serenahotels.com/pakistan/hunza/home.asp
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