Media Review
Let’s own up: We are all pampered.
When I talk about hotel staycations and luxurious holiday destinations, everyone’s faces light up. But when I talk about roughing it out and going overnight camping on a beach or attempting a five-hour hike up some mountains somewhere, the enthusiasm is quite obviously much lesser. I’ve always wanted to go camping at East Coast Park, and my husband would know that I talk about it all the time. The only reason why we’ve not done it after so many years of talking is because the husband doesn’t think I would enjoy it. Having gone through army and countless field camps himself, he doesn’t equate outdoor camping to fun at all, and wonders why we should torture ourselves when we’ve got a comfortable big bed at home.
And that is why GLAMPING is a huge game-changer. For people who wants to have a taste of camping (like me), but still want to have a comfortable and somewhat luxurious experience, glamping is totally the way to go. And the way Glamping Society did it for us, we are already planning our next glamping expedition with them right after the first one! For the skeptical ones out there, here are five reasons why glamping is the best idea ever:
#1: Actually, you only need ONE reason – THIS:
As its name implies, glamping is all about glamourous camping and even with that concept in mind, we were totally blown away when we reached our tent at East Coast Park Area G (near Outward Bound School East Coast)! This is way too cool, don’t you think??!
We reviewed the Sleepover & Picnic Under The Stars package, which included finger food such as sandwiches and muffins, snacks, fruits as well as two bottles of sparkling juices. Everything was displayed in such pretty settings – One inside the tent, and another outside the tent for outdoor dining! Both come with abundance of cushions and all the cutlery are provided for your convenience. This means you just need to show up at the campsite without hauling a huge luggage along!
#2: Comfortable Beds!
I know how incredibly unbelievable this is, but yes Glamping Society ensures that you can get a good night’s sleep while camping as well! For our package, we had 3 double airbeds set up inside our tent, so it sleeps 6 pax comfortably. Because of this, when my other parent friends ask me if it is alright to bring even little kids for this, I told them it’s absolutely doable. My kids stepped into the tent and immediately claimed their beds – They even thought the airbeds were waterbeds and couldn’t stop rolling around! =P Pillows, cushions and blankets are provided as well.
One of the most common questions my friends ask me is whether it is hot inside the tent, and I have to say that it does get pretty warm and stuffy during the afternoons and evenings, but there are two fans set up inside the tent to help in circulation, and when night falls and the temperature drops, everything cools down and by 1-2am in the morning, it got so cold I had to shift the fan away. To my surprise though, there were no mosquitoes at all throughout our stay, so even though I brought along mosquito repellent, I didn’t even need to use it.
#3: Outdoor Dining At Its Best!
As part of the setup, Glamping Society did up this lovely outdoor dining area for us to chill at, and it was so pretty that we had many people who passed by us and couldn’t resist coming over to take photos! It attracted quite a lot of attention, I must say!
I love everything in this setup – from the wooden crates to the cushions, balloon arch to the giant flamingo float and cactus lights! Everything looked so dreamy and pinterest-worthy!
A major thrill for my kids was the hammock that was set up outside the tent, and they fought took turns to chill in it!
#4: Great Idea For Gatherings!
We love to have our friends with us for such fun outings, and I think glamping is a fantastic idea! Not only do you get to hang out and chill together, you get to enjoy fresh air and indulge in the beautiful scenery! We had a great time playing silly games, laughing our heads off and chasing sunsets! It was the perfect way to spend my weekend!
The kids had fun playing on the beach right in front of our tent (the whole stretch of beach was totally covered later on at night when the high tides came in!). And where our tent was located, the sunset was right in front of us at the breakwaters – So beautiful!
When night fell, the outdoor setup became even more magical after we switch on the fairy lights!
It was mesmerizing and really peaceful to watch the flickering lights, while chatting with our friends. Such a wonderful feeling!
#5: Personalized Service By The Crew!
We felt very taken care of by the Glamping Society crew throughout the stay! When we reached our tent, they were finishing up the final touches to the decor, so we had a chance to meet them and chat with them - Very nice folks! They passed us extra batteries incase the fairy lights run out of batt and even dropped by late at night to replace the battery for our fans and to check that everything was okay! Kudos to the crew for such a great experience! This is definitely not possible if we had chosen to go camping on our own. Haha! :)
Many friends PM-ed me after I shared the experience on my social media, so I thought I address some FAQs here:
1. Is the tent weather-proof? If it rains, do you have to evacuate?
It started to pour really heavily at 7am the next morning when we were still sleeping soundly. It was a thunderstorm with fierce lightning and thunder, so we zipped up the tent and stayed inside. Even though we could hear the pitter platter of the heavy rains, the tent was very sturdy and strong, and we continued to snooze some more (which was just perfect, isn’t it?) No water sipped in, and the tent did not even shake one bit. Tried and tested – thunderstorm weather-proof. LOL!
2. Are there bathing facilities?
Yes, Area G of East Coast Park is a designated area for tent-pitching, so rest assured that you will not be the only group there, especially during the weekends. The whole area is brightly lit throughout the night, and we also saw There is a toilet with bathing facilities nearby. Just make sure you bring your own shampoo, bathing gel and towels. Sorry, no hot water. Thankfully, even though my kids and I are all used to bathing in warm water, the water was not cold even by our standards. In fact, it was super refreshing especially after running around the whole day, sticky and all!
3. Can we leave the tent and go elsewhere for dinner if we wish to?
Yes, you can. There is a number lock provided for you to lock up the tent if you need to leave for dinner. Alternatively, you can opt to rent the BBQ pit (as your own expense) and have a BBQ dinner near your tent, or order-in from Deliveroo or Foodpanda. :)
4. Can I have air-conditioning in my tent?
YES, you can top-up $100+ to get a generator air-conditioning in your tent. You get cool air for sure, but you probably have to bear with the generator noise. (But hey, just go au natural la! It’s outdoor camping after all!)
If you are interested to find out more about glamping by Glamping Society, hop over to their website now! There are ongoing promotions as well as packages that you can choose from, to personalize your experience. Speak to the crew to plan something something for your special events too! They are very flexible and can customize your perfect glamping experience.
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GIVEAWAY!
Thanks to the kind folks at Glamping Society, I am giving away one SLEEPOVER & PICNIC UNDER THE STARS package (Worth $399 and perfect for 6 pax) to one blessed reader of The J Babies! This package includes the following (basically what you see in this post!)
Please participate via Rafflecopter to qualify! Closing date for participation: 10 Nov 2017, 2359 hrs.
