Camping has always been the surest way to commune with nature. Unzip the tent, rub your eyes, stretch in the morning sun, and take in the views of a serene lake enveloped by evergreens, disturbed only by, say, an eagle snatching a bass in its talons. While some might find camping to be calming, others could consider it a subtle form of torture: the terror of nighttime creatures on the other side of a thin fabric wall, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch, communal bathrooms scrubbed fortnightly.
For those who demand a little more from their accommodations but still want that connection with the natural world, luxury glamping tents with exceptional views are the way to go. From the outside, these glamp-sites might look like the expeditionary accommodations of a five-star general heading into the vast unknown, but don’t let the cloth fool you. The interiors are fabulous, designs exceptional, and comforts extreme—they’re as luxurious as any five-star hotel room. Below, AD surveys the seven most extraordinary glamping tents that offer stunning views of nature without compromising any of the finer things in life.
Photo: Courtesy of EcoCamp Patagonia
EcoCamp Patagonia (Chile)
Wood stoves, composting toilets, and green-energy-equipped geodesic domes are the best ways to experience Patagonia. After a day of hiking through Torres Del Paine in search of the elusive puma and rare flora, coming back to EcoCamp Patagonia complements the landscape and elevates the experience. The property offers four types of domes, though splurging on the lofts in the suite dome provides the above-noted frills, along with elevated vistas of snowcapped mountains.
Photo: Courtesy of Amangiri
Camp Sarika by Amangiri (Utah)
With pavilion tents designed to blend into the surrounding rust-colored mesas and tan slot canyons, Camp Sarika by Amangiri is positioned in one of America’s most dramatic landscapes. Nearby, guests can explore a Navajo Nation reservation and three national parks, or simply stay back to stare off into Utah’s finest panorama. You can enjoy the view from the tent’s private terrace or plunge pool, or you can enjoy it from inside, where gorgeous, uncomplicated rooms feature a clean, minimalist’s touch.
Photo: Courtesy of Capella Ubud
Capella Ubud (Bali)
At Capella Ubud, nature spills through the canvas tents perched on cliffs. Though all of Ubud’s resorts tie seamlessly into the Balinese jungle, Capella gets visitors much closer to nature without the complication of noise-cancelling walls. Outside, decks offer lush valley views, where guests can rest on daybeds or float beneath the forest canopy in private pools. Tents are outfitted with indoor and outdoor bathrooms, the former often having gorgeous copper tubs.
Photo: Stuart Thurlkill courtesy of Paws Up
Paws Up (Montana)
If looking out at creeks and rivers, mountains and covered bridges, and bisons appeal, kick your own paws up at this Montana resort. The property features a variety of magnificent camping experiences. Whether you’re situated cliffside or creekside, the tents are enveloped by green forest and a night sky full of stars. Some tents have heated floors, others copper tubs, but all come with a camping butler who caters to guests’ needs.
Photo: Jonathan Cosh of Visual Eye courtesy of Mahali Mzuri
Mahali Mzuri (Kenya)
Each year, millions of wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles migrate between the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Richard Branson’s Mahali Mzuri in the Maasai Mara offers one dozen tented suites with front-row seats to the Great Migration. Even outside of this million-creature journey, countless animals fill the valley below. During daylight, guests can sit on private porches (or inside their tents soaking in elegant tubs) and look down upon towers of giraffes trotting through the valley, or across the way where a resident lion pride combs the hills. By night, with a hot water bottle slipped under the covers of king-size beds, visitors can hear hippos and buffalo trade off similar-sounding moos, or the growls of a female leopard sleeping nearby. Unlike with tent camping, guests leaving their luxury accommodations by dusk have the company of a Maasai guide, who waits on the path to escort visitors to dinner or drinks.
Photo: Courtesy of Shinta Mani Wild
Shinta Mani Wild (Cambodia)
This Cambodian jungle retreat has its tents perched over rolling rapids or situated above boulders that disappear under white water during monsoon season, making the tent look like it’s continuously surfing the rushing river. In the dryer season, swimming holes are just beyond some terraces, though all 15 tents have views of the river. Inside, each is creatively designed: The Bohemian Tent has funky art, while the Butterfly, Elephants, and Birders tents are gentle odes to their respective creatures. Of course, certain beautiful touches—like bathtubs situated on balconies, books, and old valises—are found across each one.
Photo: Jeremy Koreski courtesy of Clayoquot Wilderness Resort
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort (Vancouver)
On Vancouver Island, about two dozen white canvas tents line the banks of the Clayoquot Sound or are scattered about the temperate rainforest. The designs are simple and the tents are furnished with works from local craftspeople. The verandahs have Adirondack chairs and tents are equipped with cast iron stoves for easy cooking. Some even have private outdoor cedar showers to rinse off a day of canyoning, horseback riding, or hiking.
Photo: Courtesy of EcoCamp Patagonia %2520-%2520ecocamp%2520patagonia%2520.jpg)
Photo: Courtesy of EcoCamp Patagonia %2520-%2520ecocamp%2520patagonia%2520.jpg)
Photo: Courtesy of EcoCamp Patagonia 
Photo: Courtesy of Amangiri 
Photo: Courtesy of Amangiri 
Photo: Courtesy of Capella Ubud
Photo: Courtesy of Capella Ubud
Photo: Stuart Thurlkill courtesy of Paws Up
Photo: Stuart Thurlkill courtesy of Paws Up
Photo: Jonathan Cosh of Visual Eye courtesy of Mahali Mzuri
Photo: Jonathan Cosh of Visual Eye courtesy of Mahali Mzuri
Photo: Courtesy of Shinta Mani Wild 
Photo: Courtesy of Shinta Mani Wild 
Photo: Jeremy Koreski courtesy of Clayoquot Wilderness Resort
Photo: Jeremy Koreski courtesy of Clayoquot Wilderness Resort
