A pop-up glampsite has opened at Pensthorpe natural park this summer, giving guests the chance to immerse themselves in the wildlife and biodiversity of this Norfolk landscape It’s 5am and I awake to the sound of a gaggle of greylag geese heralding the morning outside my bell tent. The dawn chorus is in full swing, and shortly after I get up to enjoy it, I come face to face with a wild hare and spot a muntjac deer flashing past the boundary of the campsite. To the extreme envy of all my nature-loving friends, I am one of the first glampers to stay at the brand new campsite which recently opene ..read more

We were supposed to be on the Italian Riviera, but an impromptu switch to a glamping break on the Llŷn peninsula proved a more than acceptable substitute Everyone has a good holiday disaster story, don’t they? Even experienced travel journalists. Ours was a twist on the classic passport fiasco, that saw us having to “exchange” a two-week trip to the sunny Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera for sitting on a compost toilet in Wales ..read more

Pods, campervans, bell tents and even Star Wars domes feature in our round-up of sites set in glorious countryside from the South Downs to the Hebrides Wild Canvas, one of the recent wave of pop-up campsites with a festival vibe, has a host of new additions for its fifth outing this summer. The campsite makes the most of its riverside setting on the Turvey House Estate near Bedford. It has a new wellness area, the Nest, with direct river access (BYO paddleboard!) plus a yoga yurt, a mobile sauna, a treatment tent for massages and free early-morning activities from meditation to boot camp ..read more

Secret Garden Glamping in Lymington caused harmful level of disturbance to neighbours, planning officers rule It was billed as a peaceful glamping retreat designed to provide visitors to the New Forest with a taste of life’s simple pleasures, perfect for romantic getaways or family breaks. But Secret Garden Glamping in Lymington, Hampshire, has been ordered to close after neighbours complained about late-night parties, noisy sex and blaring karaoke sessions that featured “delusional” versions of the song Islands in the Stream ..read more

Travel and wildlife writers share their favourite places to revel in the dark of winter “We,” says the Brocher, face lit by fire and dark with soot, “have creosote in our blood.” In their blood, on their hats, on their boots, down their backs – the Brochers, and in particular the Clavie Crew, have creosote everywhere, except in their whisky. They take that with water, a substance they otherwise disdain as being fine for quenching a thirst but a terrible thing to allow near a bonny flame ..read more

Miles from cities and motorways, the backdrop to Louis de Bernières’s latest novel is a place for spooky hikes and a real escape from the 21st century Forget satnav, the best way to find your way around the wild granite uplands of Cornwall’s Bodmin Moor is to invest in an old-fashioned Ordnance Survey map. That’s exactly what writer Louis de Bernières did when he was exploring the setting for his new novel Light Over Liskeard, a “heartwarming” dystopian fantasy in which the hero (a quantum cryptographer called Q) seeks refuge and self-sufficiency in a remote moorland farmhouse while waiting fo ..read more

These getaways are geared towards giving men a reboot, and include both the spiritual – breathwork and midfulness – and physical, through activities such as mountain walking and coasteering One definition of wellness is “the state of being healthy, especially when it is something that you actively try to achieve”. However, in today’s society, wellness seems to be a catch-all term for anything remotely health-related, fitness, dietary or cosmetic. You name it: biometric facials, sleep syncing, orgasmic meditation. Perhaps that’s why wellness is a word that’s still taboo among many men, particul ..read more

From the wild Highlands to the sunny Scilly Isles, our campers enjoy the simple pleasures of life: beaches, walks and stargazing. Scroll down for the winning tip and enter next week’s competition Secluded, serene and unspoilt, Dark Skies Camping, near Llandovery, offers camping without the crowds. With just 10 pitches (from £40 a night for two) set within 12 hectares of meadows, which run alongside a mountain stream, this is the perfect spot to unwind and get back to nature as you sit and enjoy the incredible night’s sky beside a crackling fire. The Cambrian mountains and Brecon Beacons nation ..read more

The comedian’s collection of quirky vehicles to stay in has been relocated to the grounds of Melbourne Hall, Derbyshire What started as a drunken 2am eBay bid for a dilapidated 1960s Maltese public bus has ended up with Johnny Vegas – and his longsuffering assistant Bev – filling a field in Derbyshire with an accidental army of once-forgotten, magnificently repurposed vehicles and creating what must be the UK’s quirkiest new glamping spot. The ceramicist-turned-comedian’s rollercoaster journey to becoming an unlikely camping trailblazer was captured in Channel 4’s Carry on Glamping series in 2 ..read more

These forest huts near Ullapool are set in a stunning landscape, close to wildlife and give something back to the surroundings and community From the terrace of my cabin I can see through the trees to Loch Broom below. All is quiet, bar the faint sound of the breeze teasing branches in the forest. I close my eyes and listen to the silence, breathing in the coolness of the early evening. A cabin in the woods is the ultimate escape – and mine, Pine Marten, one of two recently opened in Leckmelm Wood, near Ullapool in the Scottish Highlands, scores top marks for its setting. Even better, a stay h ..read more