Is winter making you plan your family escape to warmer places with sunny skies and cerulean waters? For a unique family experience, try one of these far-flung warm-weather glamping spots, which provide a retreat from the US’s chilly winter weather. They also allow families to get in touch with nature and truly relish in warm weather. These destinations are all bookable on Pitchup.com, an outdoor lodging website that recently launched in the United States.
1/5 Carrillo, Costa Rica
Average Winter Temperature: 73.5° F
Where to Stay: Bar’coquebrado Camping, where campers can sleep in a kitted-out tent in between days of playing on the beach and exploring Costa Rica’s lush jungles. Bar’coquebrado is in a prime spot for jungles, beaches and the ocean – on the Nicoya peninsula coastline, it’s a 20-minute walk from Barco Quebrado beach and just a little further from the surfers’ paradise at Barrigona. When you can pull yourself away from splashing in the waves or lazing on the sand, take the site’s horseback tour of the jungles and beaches.
2/5 Chang Mai, Thailand
Average Winter Temperature: 73° F
Where to Stay: Karen Eco Lodge is ideal for adventurous types. You can go jungle trekking on a half-day tour (picked up and dropped off from the site), go bamboo rafting close by, visit the local elephant camp or amble around the local villages within 10 to 15 minutes’ walk. Retreat to your lodge for lazy evenings: All have small balconies attached, with screen doors and windows, and you can leave the doors open to fall asleep to the sounds of the jungle.
3/5 Arushu, Tanzania
Average Winter Temperature: 72° F
Where to Stay: Ngorongoro Forest Tented Lodge is ideal for turning off the world and reconnecting with nature through hiking and safari-ing through Tanzania’s northern circuit. Using Ngorongoro Forest Tented Lodge as a base for a few days, you can also visit Tarangire National Park and Lake Eyasi, as well as explore the region around Karatu where there are many hiking/walking opportunities.
4/5 Durban, South Africa
Average Winter Temperature: 76° F
Where to Stay: Isinkwe Safaris Bush Camp, a family-friendly campground near the oldest formally protected area in Africa, the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve, with a swimming pool for the kiddos. On the Elephant Coast, the site is in a particularly scenic part of the bush. Follow the self-guided Galago nature trail through the site, keeping eyes and ears open for wildlife, like birds, antelope, tortoises and mongooses. Alternatively, head into Hluhluwe to sign up for a horse safari.
5/5 Exmouth, Australia
Average Winter Temperature: 86° F
Where to Stay: Ningaloo Lighthouse Holiday Park, situated at the base of the famed Vlaming Head Lighthouse, with plush amenities like a separate kids’ pool, tennis court and café with a beach nearby. This is an incredible part of the world to visit for encounters with the nature and wildlife. Spend your days watching humpback whales, scuba diving from Navy Pier, snorkeling with whale sharks or catching a glimpse of turtles nesting on the beach. There’s a beach for swimming and sand castles, plus a surf center for water sports lessons. Fishing facilities include a boat launch, tackle store and fish cleaning area.