Every year, as summer approaches, the Well Rounded Woman gets positively misty-eyed remembering the idyllic camping trips of her youth. She could (and, to her friends’ dismay, often does) wax poetic about cocoa and companionship around the campfire. But then, mid-sigh, the rest of the memories come flooding back: the burnt marshmallows, the leaky canvas, and—heaven forbid—the lumpy sleeping bag. So these days, to ensure she remains a happy camper, the Well Rounded Women wisely sets aside her good intentions and focuses instead on good tents.
British Columbia
Some of her favorites belong to the Outpost at Bedwell River, a deluxe waterside camp on Canada’s Vancouver Island. This part of B.C. is known for millennium-old forests, glaciated mountains, and crystalline waters. The landscape is best described as “hardy”; however, she hardly roughs it there. You see, guests sleep in elegant, white prospector tents complete with remote-controlled propane woodstoves. Interiors are eclectic: rustic-looking Adirondack beds are complimented by plump duvets, plush rugs, and antique accents.
Equally important, from our fastidious camper’s point of view, is that the privies outside each are indeed private and showers (hot ones!) are nearby. Cedar boardwalks connect her sleeping quarters to lounge tents, massage tents, and two lavish dining tents where local delicacies (think tuna tartare or roast venison) are served on fine china. Thus, when the Well Rounded Woman hears the call of the wild, she can answer it in style. The fishing here is alluring, as is whale-watching, horseback riding, and hiking. A three-night package with round-trip floatplane transfers from Vancouver costs her $4290.
Tunisia
Though we are loath to admit it, our heroine sometimes has questionable taste. She’s mad about The English Patient, for instance, and habitually hums “Midnight at the Oasis.” So it is, perhaps, not surprising that for a truly in-tents experience, she treks to Pansea Ksar Ghilane in Tunisia. With its waving palms and emerald pool, this North African resort appears like a mirage at the Sahara’s edge. It is, in truth, an oasis: one still frequented by semi-nomadic Berbers. Appropriately, Pansea’s ultra-sheik main building (which houses a restaurant and solarium) is modeled upon a Berber encampment.
The Well Rounded Woman, meanwhile, beds down in an ivory-colored linen tent that looks worthy of, well, Merchant & Ivory. Each has modern amenities—air conditioners for hot days, heaters for cool nights, and discreet en-suite bathrooms—yet the décor is timeless. So are the activities. When not lounging Cleopatra-style by the pool, sybarites can climb the observation tower for panoramic views, ride camels across the dunes, or simply contemplate infinity while counting grains of sand. Two-night packages are $189–$349 per couple, depending on the season.
North Carolina
When the Well Rounded Woman wants to pretend she is in a foreign country without having to actually go to one, she packs her bags and books into Falling Waters Adventure Resort (near Great Smoky Mountains National Park) where the accommodations consist of Mongolian-inspired yurts. These 16-foot circular tents aren’t quite as hedonistic as her other choices. Nevertheless, they boast pine floors, French doors, and blissful wraparound decks.
