Glampers Grab Your Gucci Gear

Glampers Grab Your Gucci Gear and Get Ready to Experience Remote, Refined and Remarkable B.C. 

Clayoquot Wilderness Resort's Ultra Luxurious Tent Flaps Are Open As of May 15, 2008

Glamper - def: one who wants to experience the call of the wild, yet not return home exhausted and beaten up. 

Glamping - def: vacationing in a breathtakingly beautiful, wild and remote destination, with accommodation that provides for your every pampering need yet still allows you to be "one with nature."

Tofino, BC (2008) - Since 2001, Vancouver Island's Clayoquot Wilderness Resort (www.wildretreat.com) has brought the term "glamping" or glamourous camping to life. Named one of the top luxury wilderness experiences in the world, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is the perfect example of a "cocktail party bragging rights trip" where the exhilaration of immersing oneself into a remote wilderness destination is paired with the pampering luxuries usually only found in five star urban hotels.

Located in the fragile Clayoquot biosphere near Tofino, BC (www.tofino-bc.com) and accessible only by plane or boat, guests "rough it" in ultra luxurious white canvas tents with fireplaces, Persian rugs, antiques, and four poster beds covered in feather duvets. As the sun sets, guests usually find themselves relaxing in an oversized sofa or chair in front of the mammoth rock fireplace with wine glass in hand. Perusing the Cookhouse's five-course menu, they tell tales of that day's wilderness adventure and prepare for an evening massage.

The 2008 season, which begins May 15, 2008, will take "glamping" to new heights, with expanded spa services (including a gentlemen's morning groom complete with antique barber's chair, hot towels and straight-edge razor, seaweed body wraps and facials), the introduction of refined "cowboy cuisine" by executive chef Tim May, and expanded wilderness experiences including river kayaking in the spring and surfing on some of the best waves on the most secluded beaches in the area. As always, there will be an ever increasing focus on sustainability, as the resort is located in B.C.'s fragile Clayoquot Biosphere Reserve, described as an "upside down rainforest." 

Family "Togethering" - More than ever, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is taking bookings for extended families interested in experiencing glamping together. This follows the trend of "togethering" where people are seeking new experiences to enjoy together with friends and families. As Clayoquot's great white canvas tents are set in the surrounding rainforest, connected by a raised boardwalk to protect the flora and fauna below, small groups can easily be accommodated with their own private enclave of tents. Larger "family tents" are suitable for families of four, and special rates are provided to families with children 12 years of age and under. 

Clayoquot's popularity with families is attributed to the range of experiences that fulfill a wide range of desires from both young and old. Children can learn horsemanship from the ground up, cast their first fly, see their first whale or black bear and chef is happy to accommodate special culinary requests!  Parents may join the kids or go off to seek their own adventures like kayaking, hiking, fresh and salt-water fishing, mountain biking and trail riding. Grandparents can start the day off with a yoga class in the heated yoga studio, take in a spa service or two, and join the family with cameras in hand.

Glamping Cuisine - A wine list that features the best vintages from across the Pacific Northwest, with a sommelier who will help chose the wine for the evening's menu, fresh fruit smoothies, and well aged scotch are all available from the well stocked bar and kitchen. Chef May's 3,000 square foot "cookhouse" has a 36-inch counter that was designed so guests young and old can "belly up to the counter" and watch the kitchen team in action. It isn't always easy satisfying glamour camping palates in such a remote location. Chef is forced to improvise and turn Mother Nature into his sous chef. Chef May insists on supporting the local economy by buying in the area - letting the very nature of the region inspire exploration of a more natural method of preparation. This ensures that ingredients are always fresh, from sustainable resources, reducing the carbon footprint associated with importing food into the resort. 

Regional farmers, artisan producers and purveyors, local fishermen and foragers supply free-range hens, small-batch cheeses, fresh oysters and scallops, wild salmon and halibut, just-picked berries and wild herbs and mushrooms unique to the rainforest. From pancakes made with freshly picked blueberries to start the morning, to alder-smoked grilled salmon over wild greens for a midday feast, to four peppercorn-crusted tenderloin medallions with fire-roasted baby corn and sea asparagus soup for dinner, Chef May and his staff ensure everyone goes back to their tent satisfied. Guests can even learn to prepare "glamping cuisine" themselves by requesting a one-on-one cooking class. 

New for 2008 is Chef May's exploration with "cowboy cuisine" - offering a fresh, local twist to traditional wilderness standbys like beef stew, chicken pot pie, macaroni and cheese and gourmet burgers. 

Wilderness Spaahing - White canvas spa tents line the banks of the Bedwell River estuary at the Resort's Healing Grounds Spa, so that guests can listen to the trickling river sounds, and enjoy a customized massage, facial, men's straight edged razor shave, foot treatment or body wrap. Seaweed is one of the spa ingredients of choice, hand harvested off the east coast of Vancouver Island. Clean and unscented, seaweed is loaded with vitamins and minerals, including vitamins B, A, C, E and iron, as well as amino acids and beta-carotene. Treatments like "Seaweed for your Soles" offer a soothing sea kelp soak, followed by an oil-free seaweed body polish and relaxing foot and lower leg massage.The "Pacific Coast Salt Glow and Seaweed Wrap" is a full body exfoliation with Pacific sea salts and marine minerals that soften and refine the skin. A seaweed wrap remineralizes, regenerates, firms and detoxifies the skin. A final massage leaves guests relaxed and glowing with the healing properties of the fresh Pacific waters, connecting them to their pristine natural environment. As well as treatments, wood-fired hot tubs and saunas are located throughout the resort and available day or night for relaxing in the middle of the rainforest. 

Wilderness Experiences - Whether arriving by sea or floatplane, guests know the moment they step into the welcoming horse-drawn wagon that serves as transportation to the Resort that they are now in "glamping" territory. Daily wilderness adventures are customized based on each guest's experience and desire. What the onsite guides do not offer is easily accessible from Tofino, the nearby resort town known for surfing, fishing and whale watching. As Clayoquot specializes in remote experiences, guests may choose to be taken to a pristine and secluded beach to learn how to surf, have a First Nations guide escort them on a day long hike to the "Wild Side" interpretive trail and Flores Island, take on a mountain-fed rushing river in a kayak, or experience a gentler ocean kayak cruise to private inlets and hidden coves. Horsemanship and riding are signatures of the resort, with a range of talented horses for the beginner to the expert rider. Wildlife viewing is also part of daily life, whether guests go in search of black bears and whales or see the wildlife on the outskirts of camp, kept there by a team of well trained and well-loved dogs.  

Sustaining the very wilderness that brings guests back - Clayoquot Wilderness Resort prides itself on being committed to the triple bottom line of sustainability while continually striving to remain in the top echelon of sustainable properties in the world. As part of a guest's visit to the resort, a percentage of package rates will go to the non-profit British Columbia Wilderness Tourism Association to assist in environmental stewardship activities, which ensure ongoing viability through the protection of the wilderness tourism land base. As well, funds support the Resort's Environmental Legacy Program, which includes habitat restoration, First Nations programs, and wildlife studies in Clayoquot Sound. 

Rates and Season - The 2008 season begins May 15, 2008 and will run until early October, weather depending. An all-inclusive resort, the three, four or seven night packages include Vancouver/Tofino return floatplane, horse-drawn wagon shuttle, accommodations, all gourmet meals, snacks, alcohol, unguided activities and guided activities. Three, four or seven night packages start at CDN $4,750 per person, based on double occupancy. For more information, contact Clayoquot Wilderness Resort at 1-888-333-5405, or visit the website at www.wildretreat.com.

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