Anyone for glamping in the northern Thai hills?

Fancy a Thai holiday with a difference? 

The community-focused Visama Mae Chan luxury tented camp in the hill country of Chiang Rai, northern Thailand, opened earlier this month. 

The new project, with 10 luxe tents, aims to deliver a "holistic and immersive" holiday experience combining cultural and nature activities and high-end northern Thai culinary fare, much of it organic and sourced on an adjacent farm. 

There are fully-equipped luxury tents in four categories.

Each accommodation category has a hill tribe name such as “Akha”, “Yao”, “Lahu”, and “Lisu” and range in size from 48 to 80 sqm, including a 12 or 20 sqm veranda. The largest tents have two bedrooms, making them suitable for families.

Amenities include air conditioning, phone, espresso machine, French press coffee pots, wifi, rain showers, safety deposit box, refrigerator, his and her bathrobes and slippers, bathtub and 24-hour concierge. 

Activities such as pottery, painting, foraging, private picnics, arts and crafts workshops, cooking classes with Lanna-Thai recipes, discussions with guest speakers, tree planting, body and mind sessions, and spa and wellness experiences will be central to the lodge’s activities offerings – as will private trips to heritage attractions such as the opium museum, Doi Mae Salong, and Chiang Rai’s aesthetically stunning White Temple.

“What sets Visama Mae Chan apart is our ability to fill multiple-day immersive experiences that leave an unforgettable impression on guests, the local community and the environment,” said lodge co-founder Mark Remijan.

Chef Suphannat ‘Miu’ Amnuayrit and his culinary team have crafted a menu based on both traditional Lanna cuisine of northern Thailand, nutrition-rich international comfort foods and local specialties. 

A resort highlight will also be The Ambalama, a fireside gathering place for storytelling and talks by authors and historians.

The property also has a community purpose. It will support the neighbouring Friends of Thai Daughters foundation, which seeks to prevent child trafficking by empowering girls from hill tribe communities.

Visama Mae Chan will also host a farmers’ market once a month that will be open to the public. A proportion of the income from the market will go towards the hill tribe foundation, as will income from tree planting activities that the lodge will offer to guests.

“We aim to provide direct income, vocational training and sustainability benefits to the local community,” said Christopher Stafford, co-founder of the lodge. 

“Visama Lodge will also proactively involve itself in nature conservation and the promotion of local Lanna culture,” he said.

Twelve additional luxury tents will be added to Visama Lodge in 2024.

“Visama Mae Chan is a holistic experience,” said Stafford. “We give guests the opportunity to learn from northern nature and culture, embrace the art of living well, and at the same time give back in a meaningful way to the local community.”

The property is a 40-minute drive north of Chiang Rai international airport and sounds like a fascinating destination. 

See https://maechan.visamalodges.com/

Wine producers keeping it in the family

With the second generation of the family now in charge, Bellarine Estate has expanded its impressive tourism offering. 

Not only does the family-run business produce wine, it also has a distillery on site, along with an eatery serving a Texas barbecue themed menu - and a new glamping experience.

Established in 1996 by Peter and Lizette Kenny, Bellarine Estate is set on 100 acres on the Bellarine Peninsula, overlooking Corio Bay - just outside of Geelong. 

The family produces chardonnay, pinot noir, shiraz, merlot, sauvignon blanc and viognier and also recently launched its gin distillery, as well as adding glamping accommodation over the summer months. 

Thirty Acres Distillery and Texas BBQ @ Bellarine Estate and Coastal Glamping @ Bellarine Estate make the estate a popular destination. 

The business is now run by the second generation with eldest son James Kenny taking over the reins from his parents as general manager, while his younger brother Julian Kenny is the estate head winemaker. 

Bellarine Estate produces a total of 16 wines each year, 10 under Bellarine Estate label that uses estate fruit and six under the Portarlington Ridge @ Bellarine Estate label with fruit sourced from local growers. 

Thirty Acres gin is made from the vineyard’s that have been wild fermented, twice distilled, charcoal filtered and macerated with locally inspired botanicals. 

Texas BBQ @ Bellarine Estate was launched last year next to cellar door, paying tribute to mother Lizette's US roots. 

Think an American BBQ Sampling Platter with Lizette's family recipe for brisket highlighted (above), or a Vegetarian BBQ Sampling Platter. 

The property is also home to 200-capacity outdoor beer garden - perfect for live music events. 

For more information, see www.bellarineestate.com.au

Discover Tasmania's quirkiest and most private glamping experience

 

First take an almost impossibly lovely riverside campsite, surrounded by towering trees overlooking a bubbling stream with its own resident platypus. 

Then add some rustic but well-equipped wooden shacks, one with a kitchen/diner and two, tucked a little further back, with an open-air shower and composting toilet. 

Then add one very stylish blue kombi van known as Frida, equipped with a sound system, comfy double bed and little luxuries. 

You have one of Australia's most luxurious camping experiences - and one that is unique to the beautiful Huon Valley, just 30 minutes south of Hobart. 

If you've ever dreamed of a completely isolated couples getaway this is it, except for the resident wallabies, echidnas, possums and all manner of bird life. 

Fancy a nude swim in one of the swimming holes that dot Kellaways's Creek? Feel free. 

Feel like toasting some marshmallows over the fire pit at midnight? Go right ahead.

You can chill a bottle or two of local wine in the river - choose from popping into cellar doors  including Home Hill, Kate Hill, Two Bud Spur, Elsewhere, Hartzview and Heriot’s Point, or from appointment-only venues like Chatto, Altaness and Sailor Seeks Horse. 

If cider is more your speed then Willie Smith's, Frank's and Pagan are all just a short drive away. 

You have absolute peace and quiet with the chance to enjoy an off-grid, camping-style stay with a luxury vibe.

You can cook over the fire pit, on a small butane stove, a pot-bellied stove, or on a gas barbecue, but be warned, the local possums are voracious scavengers of anything you might leave outside Frida - from food to your shoes. 

Frida is a restored 1975 blue transporter kombi who comes complete with a full-sized double bed for a very comfortable night of sleep. 

To offer a little personal touch, Frida comes styled in the guests’ choice of theme – Boho Ivory, Mandala Magic, or Flower Power.

Kombi Kamp owners Pam Lane and Nic Smith have lived on the 80-acre property for over 20 years.

“Kombi Kamp gives our guests the chance to experience the iconic cool kombi vibe in a stunning private rural setting,” says Pam. “The Kamp is exclusively yours for your stay - no sharing, which makes it a perfect venue for couples seeking their own space.”

The kitchen is stocked with pots, pans, and utensils, as well as a basic pantry including locally roasted coffee, and a herb garden.

Breakfast provisions including farm fresh eggs, local bakery bread, milk and jam are also provided for your stay. A Waeco fridge is provided to keep provisions cold.

The Kamp is situated in the heart of the Huon Valley - but off a very quiet dirt road - and is a perfect base for exploration of the local artisanal food and beverage scene, as well as the region’s natural environment and heritage attractions.

It might be a little cold in winter, but hey this is Tasmania, and that is part of the experience.  

Bookings can be made through airbnb.com at www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/53053371

Images: Winsor Dobbin and Harriet Paul Photography, Sally TBC Photography