- Accommodation: Camping involves setting up a basic tent; glamping involves pre-set-up accommodation.
- Comfort & amenities: Camping is more basic, while glamping has private toilets and luxury beds.
- Cost & effort: Camping is cheaper, though you may buy camping gear. Glamping has everything you need, but this makes it pricey.
- Should I go camping?: Camping is perfect for people who really want to get into rugged nature.
- Should I go glamping?: Glamping is best for those who want luxury and for special occasions.
Traditionally, camping is budget-friendly and rugged. You pitch your tent out in the wild and rely on your own self-sufficiency. Glamping, however, or glamorous camping, is the more decadent, luxurious holiday option. Glamping means you get your own real bed, a private bathroom, and even electricity and Wi-Fi, but you still get to spend time in nature, just from the comfort of a cosy, comfy cabin or safari tent.
Accommodation:
While camping involves either pitching your own basic tent or driving out into the wilderness in your campervan, glamping is a higher-end option, featuring larger, more glamorous tents such as safari tents, domes, or treehouses. You usually don’t have to so much as hammer a single nail when you get to a glamping campsite.
Want to stay in a retro 1970s Airstream? At the BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Soldiers Point, you can. The accommodations are fitted out like a luxe hotel room, but without you being trapped in a massive hotel building. Enjoy a stylish bathroom, comfy, snuggly double bed, and a deck complete with an outdoor kitchen where you can enjoy everything Soldiers Point has to offer on a balmy night. You can also enjoy any of the nearby 26 beaches and bays of Port Stephens, whether you go for sunset-lit walks or winter whale watching with Moonshadow TQC Cruises.
Comfort & amenities:
When you go camping in the traditional sense, you sleep on a sleeping pad, in a limited campervan sleeping area, or in a sleeping bag. For meals, you might cook on a portable stove or visit a nearby café. As a glamper, however, you get to come back and sleep on a real mattress with air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and even your own private toilet!
How does a beachfront villa with a bath on the deck or a safari tent with a four-poster bed sound? That’s what you get at the NRMA Murramarang Beachfront Holiday Resort. Enjoy the poolside bar, onsite bistro, and luxurious accommodation, and when you’re well-rested, lace up for the dramatic coastal 34 km Murramarang South Coast Walk, a path through spotted gum forest, secluded coves and bays, and major Aboriginal sites.
Cost & effort:
Camping is usually thought of as an economical option; it’s true. But you do have to buy a certain amount of camping gear, like your tent, cooking stove, and provisions. You also need to learn how to physically set up your tent and use your stove, as well as any other gear you bring along or install in your campervan. Glamping, on the other hand, is the more expensive option per night. However, a safari tent or cabin also requires zero equipment or setup on your part. You simply turn up to the site with your luggage.
And who says glamping has to be wasteful or excessively decadent? At Sapphire Coast’s Tathra Beach Eco Camp, you can choose from luxury snuggly bellbird tents, perfect for couples, or the bigger driftwood tent option, complete with massive beds, indoor and outdoor amenities, and stylishly furnished cabins. Then there’s the self-contained Gumnut Pots with reverse-cycle air-conditioning, and the camp’s own dedicated nature areas for unwinding in – the cultural area, bush tucker garden, and kangaroo resting zone.
Should I go camping?
If you like relying on your own wits, saving money – with a little bit of an upfront cost – and you adore the physical challenge of thriving in the outdoors and getting dirt on your hands, camping is your best bet. You don’t have to totally rough it – when you’re finished exploring, you can always come back to the campsite at night and unwind with some TV or social media. Camping is a good option for a family, too.
Should I go glamping?​
On the other hand, go glamping if you do want to experience a bit of nature, but on your own terms, with a good night’s sleep, wifi, a private toilet, and all your favourite modern luxuries available at the end of the day. If you want a romantic getaway or a fun birthday trip with friends, glamping gives you that bit of wild fun, with chic, convenient accommodation. Safari tents and beach villas aren’t quite a city-centre hotel room, but you also don’t have to set them up and service the sunset-view tent or treehouse yourself.
Either way, you’ll get a unique, curated experience where you can unplug, unwind, take in stunning nearby views, go for walks, and enjoy fun local attractions.
Find your local holiday park here and head out on your glam or basic camping adventure in nature!