Glamorous camping in the Yukon wilderness
You know, I’m thinking that glamping would be awfully nice right now. I’ve been living outside now for well over a month paddling north on the Yukon River, and the Arctic Circle is drawing near.
What? You’ve never heard of “glamping”?
Glamping, short for glamour camping, is the tourist industry’s hottest niche market. And right now it’s looking pretty good to my blood-shot eyes.
Wealthy English aristocrats thought up the original concept 150 years ago for their Africa safaris. Then sultans from the Ottoman Empire refined the concept to its present level of luxurious enlightenment.
It’s five star camping for the pampered diva or corporate executive. And you’ll find them everywhere.
Well, maybe not up here in the Yukon and Alaska wilderness where I’m swatting bugs.
So how do you go about glamping? It all begins with picking a theme! You can choose anything from a Swiss Family Robinson tree house getaway or a Huck Finn theme, to an Arctic trapper experience — all five star mind you! Think down duvets, hot tub, heated floor and original watercolour paintings.
Unlike my tent, you’ll live in a climate-controlled designer yurt decorated with opulent rugs and antique china. And don’t forget the king-sized bed and heated floor.
Of course they all have romantic sound-surround music to titillate your audio senses. I’ve got that too — sound-surround music — though I’m serenaded by swarms of mosquitoes singing about the delicious taste of my blood. I don’t want to complain but I’d prefer Beethoven.
What about dining? That’s one of my favourite subjects. Rather than the “old school” burnt hot dogs and baked beans that some campers “enjoy,” you’ll enjoy a six-course haute cuisine fit for a Saudi prince prepared by a cordon bleu chef named Jacques. Oh pardon moi! I forgot to tell you about the Belgium chocolates. And the wine list! Oh….
So if you’re a double-income, multi-tasking executive interested in sampling some existential delights, try glamping. You might even decide to toss out your old mildewed sleeping bag, ripped bug
net and leaking tent.
Perhaps if I just ring my bell for service right now, Jacques will appear with a wine list.
Happy glamping.
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Tags :
adventure,
arctic,
camping,
canoe,
expedition,
expeditionrcgs,
food,
glamping,
gold rush,
klondike,
nature,
north,
yukon
Comments (3)
Hallo Allen,
you remember us? Ansgar, Till, our dog "Bear" and me, when we met you in Fort Selkirk? After we leave you in Dawson, every evening we hope you will come and we waited in Circle for 3 nights. But this was our trip-end. The next week we also stay in our tent, but there are a lot of other camping families and I missed every evening the loneliness campingsites at the Yukon banks.
When the weather is bad and the wind is hard, then it is nice to dream from a glamping site. But the most important thing is the weather. If some days are bad, you will forgot it quickly, when the sun is coming out...
Nice to meet you and enjoy your trip
Birgitt
Submitted by Birgitt on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Hi Allen,
Hope all is well. Room service is not all what it's made up to be. The water there probably tastes better than most fine wines. Take care.
Submitted by Scott M. on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Nice article.All the camping is well but the water there is very different.We enjoyed the trip.
http://www.campingtourist.co.uk/
Submitted by julieanderson on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
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