8 Glamping Sites In Asia For Your Pocahontas Dreams Without The Rabak-ness

Camping in style

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I’ve always wanted to go camping. Not the secondary school kind of camp at Dairy Farm, but the kind you see in the movies. The whole experience seems so magical – but the thought of mosquitoes, no hot water, and the absence of electricity makes me shudder.

And that’s how glamping came about. A combination of “glamorous” and “camping”, it’s exactly what it sounds like: you have a camping experience without sacrificing the comforts a 21st century Singaporean cannot live without. 

There are multiple glamping locations across Asia, from Taiwan and Hong Kong to Malaysia and Indonesia. If you’re planning on visiting one, get a SIM card to stay contactable as possible. If you’re using an M1 Prepaid SIM Card (M Card), you’ll be able to use your data at any of these locations at SG’s rate without having to change your SIM card. All you have to do is to enable the free M1 Prepaid Data Roaming service! 

1. The Canopi Resort, Bintan, Indonesia 

Bintan is our go-to place for a weekend getaway, but did you know that aside from beachside villas, you can also enjoy a stay in a luxurious tent? 

The tents at the Canopi Resort look like something straight out of a safari expedition, but every tent is home to comfortable 4-poster beds, air-conditioning, and other modern conveniences we can’t live without. You also get your own private garden and campfire, so you can roast marshmallows in style.

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There are plenty of activities to enjoy as well, like cable skiing, kayaking, and even ATV rides! You get all of the ruggedness of the great outdoors, and none of the discomfort. 

Find out more here!

2. Highland Park Resort, Bogor, Indonesia 

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You have options when you come to Highland Park Resort. Want to stay in a Mongolian yurt-inspired tent? How about one modelled after the tents of the Apaches? Or a treehouse? 

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With the many different possibilities, you can have a glamping experience that’s one of a kind. They have hot water, cable TV, and air-conditioning, but you’re able to be fully in touch with nature while you’re there. 

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Highland Park Resort has loads of activities, like mini golf, flying fox, a spa, and a swimming pool complete with some pretty wicked-looking slides. Not forgetting how easy it is to update your Insta story with your M Card while you are having fun!

Check out their website here.

3. Firefly Bamboo Eco-Cottage, Bali, Indonesia 

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Tucked away from civilisation in a quiet rice field in Bali, Firefly Bali is the ultimate retreat from the bustle of our busy world. While it doesn’t have air-conditioning, you’ll be able to get up close and personal with nature from your luxurious cottage – you might even see fireflies!  

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Breakfast is served daily, but you can cook your own meals if you like. Firefly Bali is only five minutes away from Central Ubud, so you get the best of both worlds – access to restaurants and shops, and a hidden getaway to get some peace and quiet. 

Find out more here!

4. Caravan Serai, Pahang, Malaysia 

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Like Sailor’s Rest, Caravan Serai falls on the ‘camp’ aspect of the glamping spectrum. Located just 45 minutes away from KL, it’s one way to experience the great outdoors in comfort. 

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They have two types of tents over at Caravan Serai. Their Deluxe Safari Tent comes with a queen-sized bed and a bathroom without a water heater – which would be an eye-opening experience for all of us city folk. But if you can’t give up hot water and air-conditioning, their Caravan Suites are rugged luxury at its finest. 

Head over to their website to find out more. 

5. Canopy Tribes, Kota Tinggi, Malaysia 

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If you’ve ever wanted a camping experience like something out of an American movie, where they pile into a car and go on a roadtrip to their campsite, you’re in luck. A mere hour or so away from Singapore, right smack in Kota Tinggi, lies Canopy Tribes, your JB glamping destination.

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You can drive up, check in to your tent, and voila – welcome to the campsite! The tents are spacious, and they have nightly barbecues that are reminiscent of sitting around a campfire. You can also go on nature treks, or get the adrenaline going with ATV rides – the choice is yours. 

Wifi is only available in public areas, so if you’re the type to Facetime your loved ones every night, get a Prepaid SIM card that gives you free data roaming service!  

Find out more about Canopy Tribes here.

6. Caravans, Hong Kong 

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I’ve always wanted to go on a roadtrip in a caravan – it’s like a house on wheels, but it’s also a portable campsite without all the tents and poles. 

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Caravans is located on Lantau Island, home of the giant statue of Buddha atop Ngong Ping.They have three different sizes of caravan, and each comes with an en-suite bathroom, kitchen, and television. They also have a BBQ stove if you want to do some real camp cooking. Plus, all the lights in the campsite are powered by solar energy – talk about going green! 

The caravans can’t really go anywhere, but it’s just 5 minutes away from the beach, located near a park and playground for kids to run amok. 

Oh, and Hong Kong’s a great place to visit, but if you don’t speak Cantonese, you’ll be totally handicapped. Be safe and grab an M Card before your flight, and avoid the hassle of queuing up at the airport or convenience store to get a local SIM. Plus, you’ll avoid the frustrating hand-waving and gesturing that occurs when you and the store clerk don’t speak the same language!

Find out more about Caravans here!

7. Mingle Farm, Hong Kong  

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Mingle Farm’s glamping options are super unique – you can sleep in a transparent igloo, a spaceship house, an inflatable bouncy castle, or – if you’re really boring – a conventional caravan. 

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Each of their rooms comes with a kitchen, attached bathroom, hot water, and air-conditioning. You can visit ancient pagodas and ancestral halls at the nearby Ping Shan Heritage Trail, or take some time to visit Kat Hing Wai, a famous walled village more than 500 years old.

Check out their website to find out more! 

8. Wuling Farm, Taiwan

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We’ve heard this can be hard to get to, so be sure to get your phone GPS ready. Located in the Heping district of Taichung, Wuling Farm has different kinds of rooms on site. If you’re looking for a more luxurious option, stay at the hotel section of the farm. Rooms start at NT$3,240 (SGD$138.18) a night for a double room, and come with all the amenities you’d expect of a hotel. 

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But if you want a camping experience, Wuling Farm has cute cabins and Japanese-style rooms, as well as various campsites throughout the area. It’s definitely more ‘camp’ than ‘glam’ (some of the accommodation options don’t come with power sockets), but totally worth it if you’re looking to see a part of Taiwan you’ve never seen before. 

And if you go in Spring, it’s even lovelier:

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Check out their website here!

Glam(p) it up all around Asia!

With so many glamping opportunities available to you, there’s no reason why your camping dreams can’t come true. Plus, get your friends jealous when you Snapchat your impossibly luxurious tent or Instagram the delicious BBQ dinner you whipped up. 

To document your trip to the fullest – because real-time updates are the best – you’re going to need data. Sure, your campsite probably has WiFi, but we all know how spotty the internet connection can be in a 4-star hotel in Penang, never mind a glamping site in Sarawak. 

Keep your loved ones updated while glamping

To avoid having photos take 18,965 years to upload, or countless Snaps failing to send, getting a Prepaid SIM Card which gives you free data roaming service at the 5 most popular Asia destinations is your best solution! If you’re traveling to Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Macau, or  Taiwan, the M Card lets you data roam at no extra cost – it’ll just be as if you were whatsapping from Bedok, not Bali. 

Whenever I have to switch SIM cards on vacation, I’m always terrified that I’ll lose my Singapore one – so having this one-stop shop M1 Prepaid SIM saves me a world of anxiety. 

It really is that easy – simply dial #100*8*1# to activate your data roaming when you’re overseas, and ta-dah! You now have an Internet connection 24/7, and the ability to make everyone at home jealous when you fill your Instagram Stories with shots of you lounging in a hammock or watching fireflies from the comfort of your cottage. 

The next time you’re going on a trip, get your hands on one of these data-roaming babies. With the additional perk of having 500MB of preloaded free data when you purchase the 

4G $15 M Card, you’ll be able to keep in touch with everyone back at home without fuss. 

Learn more about fuss free data roaming here!

M Card Giveaway (This giveaway has ended)

We’re giving away 50 M Cards preloaded with $18 value and 500MB of free data, together with a $30 SuperData Top-up (2GB data and $100 worth of free calls/SMS).

All you have to do to win is:
1. Like and share this Facebook post.
2. Comment and let us know why you would choose an M Card to data roam.

The contest will run from 26 September to 9 October 2016, and the most creative answers win. 

Winners will be contacted by 10 October 2016. Good luck!

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This post was brought to you by M1.