Start 2021 with Restorative Glamping
Rarely has the whole world been so glad of a new year to turn things around, and we could all do with pressing the reset button and starting afresh, if not in practical terms then at least mentally and emotionally. Glamping is the ideal restorative holiday (although we reckon a spa break comes a close second!) because you get back to nature, reconnect with your most basic instincts and skills and more importantly, have a change of scenery and break from the usual daily grind.
The sense of calm and achievement that comes from starting a fire and cooking your dinner over it cannot be beaten, and after a year where we have been mostly powerless to effect any real control over what we did with our lives, being in control of the fire and our nutrition is the perfect antidote. Making our own entertainment also helps boost our moods and releases creativity in everyone; even if you’re not great at charades you can still have a good laugh trying to mime your choice and make everyone else laugh too.
Glamping allows you to get close to nature in a way that most of us don’t get to experience often. Watching the pretty spring flowers blossom and feed the bees is a simple, yet enriching activity and it’s also a very mindful practice, restoring a sense of balance and purpose to your life. Spring is also the time of year when you can observe birds out foraging to feed their young, and within just a couple of minutes of observation you can often locate the nest and even see little beaks poking out waiting for food. It’s important not to disturb nesting birds, but you can watch from a distance and even compare hunting methods – Blue tits, for example, are great fun to watch as they swoop and strike insects in mid-air.
If you’re glamping in the rural countryside you’ll also get to see new-born lambs frolicking in the fields, and if you’re really lucky you might get to watch one being born. Many farms offer camping and glamping to supplement their income, so if you want to get a ringside view of the lambing opt for a glampsite on a sheep farm. There’s one form of wildlife you won’t get much of in the springtime, and that’s insects and bugs. It’s still too early in the year for wasps, flies and mosquitos; so if you love the outdoors but hate the bugs, spring is the time to go glamping.
It’s not just insects that will be lower in numbers, but your fellow glampers too. Sites are often much less crowded in the spring so if you like your peace and quiet you can avoid the high season and go in March or April instead. This also gives you plenty of time to save up and book another glamping break for the late summer or early autumn when it’s also less busy. The great thing about early spring and early autumn glamping is that you can go to the same site and experience completely different environments; instead of the spring bulbs coming up you’ll see the leaves starting to change colour, and instead of birds busily feeding their babies, you’ll get to watch squirrels stocking their larders for the winter. Comparing the landscape at different times of the year really helps further that connection with the natural world because you have experienced it in different phases – watching the circle of life in action helps restore our sense of self and purpose.
Yes, the weather can be a bit changeable in April, but this is all part of the fun of spring glamping and it makes you much more aware of the natural world and how important the environment is to our life on this planet. If you’re desperate for a break, a change of scenery and an experience that will both ground and revitalise you, book a spring glamping holiday now.
