Some people hate camping. The thought of spending a couple of days in a canvas box with bugs crawling hither and yon over their cold, clammy body fills them with terror. Ergo, camping is often regarded as more of a convenience than something fashioned from the ethereal threads of dream and reverie.

From the music festival to the French countryside, campsites are as multitudinous as any hotel chain, and often provide their services at a fraction of the cost. Unfortunately, camping has always lacked the glamour associated with a high-priced hotel and was never likely to draw anybody with money to burn.

“Glamping”, or glamorous camping, is a completely new kind of activity that has grown in popularity with people all over the world. Chilled champagne, four-poster beds and fancy art come as standard features on any glampsite tepee, and creepy-crawlies are certainly not welcome.

Of course, diehard campers would not give their sleeping bags up for all the glitter in the world, and the craze has met with ferocious criticism despite the fact that glamping has done wonders for the popularity of the activity as a whole. Glamorous tepees are often permanent features, which contradicts with the environmental ethic that some campers hold dear.

Creature comforts are plentiful, and most glampers need only provide their own towels and food. The price of such riches is steep, however, with the most popular glampsites asking for upwards of £300 for two nights. One of the most popular British sites is in Cornwall (bookings at Cornish Tipi Holidays), but larger families can expect to have to part with up to £750 for an extra-large tepee.

Written by Chris Illingworth