Canvas beyond safari: The remote luxury tented camps springing up everywhere from Morocco to Mexico

Not quite camping, not quite a five-star hotel: these hideaways are a low-impact option that gets you out into remote nature. And there’s more coming in 2023, says Lucy Thackray

The Caravan Agafay camp between Marrakech and Morocco’s Atlas Mountains (Habitas/Kleinjan Groenewald)

In The Independent’s travel trends column, Trendwatch, we dig into the types of trip, modes of transport and top buzzwords to watch out for.

There is something so romantic about a tented camp. Last month I sat outside my smart canvas-wrapped suite at new Moroccan retreat Caravan Agafay, barefoot on locally sourced leather cushions and woven rugs, as the sun set over the rock desert in front of me. After dark, I would follow lantern-lit paths through pitch-black grounds to the communal log fire pit, to eat delicious tagine of the day at the al fresco restaurant, or to gaze up at crystalline constellations with the house astronomer, under the most jet-black, hyperreal night sky I’ve ever seen.

Tented camps – featuring relatively luxe, often-walled canvas tents in a remote, naturally beautiful location – are a stalwart of safari life. But in the past few years, camps have sprung up in nature-blessed locations away from the big game drive nations: as well as Afagay in Morocco, this year alone saw Nayara Tented Camp pop up in Costa Rica and Canoe Camp launch in South Africa’s winelands.

And these are just a few out of a wave of safari-style glampsites getting us closer to nature in countries not traditionally known for luxe canvas accommodation. There were a few pioneers before this wave: Al Maha’s desert camp in Dubai has been around since 1999 in the wild-feeling dunes of the Emirate’s Desert Conservation Area; Cambodia opened Cardamom Tented Camp and Shinta Mani Wild in 2017 and 2018 respectively; Bali’s first camp, Capella Ubud, was unveiled in 2018.

Shinta Mani Wild in Cambodia (Bensley Collection)

At least four more high-end glampsites are slated to open in 2023. After the success of Shinta Mani Wild in Cambodia, the interiors-focused Bensley Collection is opening not one but two new ambitious camps and lodges in 2023: one in Nepal, the other in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Meanwhile, Botswana’s on-trend Okavango Delta is getting an exclusive three-tent camp of its own.

So why the boom? A recent Booking.com survey of 24,000 global travellers found that 55 per cent are looking for “off-grid” style vacations to escape from reality, a fantasy fulfilled by tented camps – which, although they have hot showers and delicious cuisine, often run on renewable energy sources such as solar power, and experience lots of jolly blackouts that’ll make you feel like an explorer. Some of these camps have as few as three or six tents, meaning it’s an intimate experience where you’ll get to know others around that firepit or while indulging in some stargazing.

And not all of these camps are miles from the nearest town or airport – Agafay, for example, is just a 45-minute drive from Marrakech’s airport, but puts you around an hour from some of the most dazzling views and quaintest villages of the High Atlas Mountains. You could pop in for a long weekend to do a bit of yoga and sunbathe by the pool, or you could make it your jumping-off point for lots of adventure in the region. Meanwhile, the new Four Seasons Naviva camp is on a headland less than an hour’s drive from Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta airport. This is a region in which you can go whale watching from the main harbour, or nip inland to taste tequila and mezcal at historic distilleries.

And Sub-Saharan Africa, known for decades for its luxe, tented safari camps out in the savannah, is not left out of the new wave. In fact, there are two new African camps opening next year, which put guests within metres of some incredible wildlife, from gorillas to cheetahs.

The new Naviva tented camp, a Four Seasons resort in Punta Mita, Mexico (Four Seasons)

The new camps to watch out for

Opened June 2022: Camp Canoe, South Africa

Set within the nationally renowned Boschendal wine estate, Camp Canoe has a youthful spirit and endlessly photograph-worthy design. With hipstery, Wes Anderson-inspired interiors and Instagram-catnip nets suspended from their decks, each of the camp’s seven tents also has its own woodfired hot tube – no roughing it here. Only an hour outside of Cape Town, it’s a fab first stop on a road trip into the Winelands and out along the famous Garden Route; you can nip out to nearby wine hubs Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, or just immerse yourself in nature, with mountain biking trails plotted out, horse riding adventures and campfire cooking over your own braai.

Opened August 2022: Nayara Tented Camp, Costa Rica

The first structures here opened back in 2019, but this year saw a big “phase two” for Costa Rica’s first luxe tented camp. Expanded to 37 canvas rooms and suites, it also added a reception tent, bar, lounge, restaurant, swimming pool and fire pit to up the glamour stakes. Situated on the slopes of Costa Rica’s northern Arenal Volcano, with incredible views of the main attraction, its six geothermal pools are fed by hot springs warmed by the mighty peak. For wildlife lovers, there’s a resident sloth to meet, via residents’ experience “The secret life of Tony the sloth”.

Opened November 2022: Caravan Agafay Marrakech

Less than an hour’s drive from Marrakech airport – some of that off-road bumpy through the Agafay “rock desert” – this is a peaceful little number of just 20 walled, canvas-topped sleeping tents. Owners Habitas have an earthy, hippyish approach (you’re welcomed with a locally inspired smoke ceremony) and stargazing, Moroccan breadmaking and trips to meet Berber communities are all on the menu. But don’t be fooled by the simplicity: thread counts are high, sun loungers cushioned, yoga regularly programmed and the food is firmly local but five-star in style. Come for devastatingly beautiful sunsets, days reading to the sound of birdsong and bracing dips in two icy, unheated pools.

Set within the nationally renowned Boschendal wine estate (Camp Canoe/Inge Prins)

Opened November 2022: Banyan Tree AlUla, Saudi Arabia

Tourism in Saudi is still an emerging concept, as the country’s goals of a thriving, Oman-or-Jordan-style tourism scene conflict with its relatively unknown landmarks and highlights. Resort group Banyan Tree opened its first outpost here last month, close to the country’s first Unesco heritage site, the Nabatean city of Hegra. A showstopping swimming pool set into towering rock face has turned plenty of heads amid the marketing shots, while tents are predictably mega-luxurious, with three-bedroom family pads available, and private pools and cushion-trimmed fire pits for sociable evenings.

Opened December 2022: Four Seasons Naviva Punta Mita, Mexico

Firmly adults-only, this camp an hour from Puerto Vallarta, on Mexico’s west coast, is all about the romance. Staying in one of 15 tents in the jungle Punta Mita area, you’ll hear big Pacific waves crashing and chill by your private pool on a huge tent deck. Each group has a bespoke itinerary sorted for them before they arrive, meaning you can train with PTs at the camp gym, have private dinners on the beach, cooking lessons with the chef or head out on excursions. There’s a communal pool and camp beach, as well as a clifftop yoga pavilion for those sunset stretches. Don’t miss a ceremony in the house temazcal, or Mayan ritual sweat lodge, which was a big travel trend for 2022.

Opening January 2023: Zambezi Sands River Lodge

This collection of 10 fabulous Bedouin-style tents will open on the banks of the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe, around an hour’s drive from the bucket-list-worthy Victoria Falls. Each tent has a gorgeous river view, with verandas designed for daily wildlife spotting: hippos and elephants are just some of your awe-inspiring neighbours. Riverboat cruises and game drives also make the most of the wild setting. Reopening in January after a major renovation, the new property is part of Batoka Hospitality, the first Black female-owned safari lodge group in Africa. The group is also launching a philanthropic fund, the Tesse Fund, to which 10 per cent of your rate will go towards supporting local projects.

This camp opens in Utah next year (Ulum Moab)

Opening March 2023: Ulum Moab

In the middle of russet-rock wilderness and dramatic boulder stacks in deepest Utah, USA, Ulum camp will open this spring close to the Looking Glass Arch landmark. Regular yoga and stargazing sessions will make the most of the breathtaking space, quiet and darkness, while live acoustic performers will soundtrack s’mores o’clock around the campfire. Adventurous types will book in to explore the Utah desert’s hiking trails and white water rafting around Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park, but get delightfully spacious tents with minimalist yet plush furniture (double beds, squishy sofas) amid the wilderness.

Opening June 2023: North Island Okavango

Botswana is back in the travel consciousness after Prince Harry and Meghan dished the details on him whisking her there to go camping after just two dates. And right on time, set to open in June, North Island Okavango is the definition of intimate and romantic with just three tented suites to book on a private island in the country’s water-filled Okavango Delta, home to magical boat safaris. Waterway views can be seen from dramatically veiled beds and sunken decks with sofas, while guides can take you out in the country’s traditional wooden mokoro boats. Each will be super luxurious with their own plunge pool, freestanding bathtub and fireplace for chillier nights; the owners are the folks behind Botswana’s already beloved Jack’s Camp and Tuludi, and true connoisseurs can book an itinerary visiting all three.

Opening late 2023: Kozala Zamba, Republic of Congo

The much-anticipated follow-up to Cambodia’s Shinta Mani Wild, this Congo property is building buzz for its end-of-2023 opening. Six individual camps will have just six tents each, in the same explorer-maximalism style as SMW. With owners Bensley Collection calling its environment “the very last pristine forest on Earth”, Kozala looks to be a true – albeit pricey – adventure. A selection of journeys (six nights, 13 nights) will connect up various camps depending on what wildlife guests want to see – including the Congo’s A-listers, the gorillas – and the experiences they want to have. Early renderings of the camp show tents on high stilts, lush forest views and handcrafted, locally sourced furnishings. Kozala’s guides aim to educate the intrepid about the Congo, which was once 800 kingdoms, and the heritage of its many tribes – there’s even a recommended reading list before you go...