Luxury campsite flies guests in via helicopter

Camping in the wilderness may never be the same after a “glamped” experience at Minaret Station. Located in the heart of the Southern Alps in New Zealand, the site offers luxury tented glamping amid a picturesque glacial valley. The remote location is only accessible by air, where guests are flown in by helicopter before being escorted to their luxuriously furnished tented suite. While the accommodation is constructed from canvas tents and the property classifies itself as a “camp," this nature retreat has little in common with the traditional camping experience.

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Minaret Station is considered New Zealand’s first high-end tented camp site, and features canvas suites complete with wall-to-wall sheepskin carpet, king beds, private decks set with hot tubs, full en-suites with double vanity and enough hot water for endless showers. Guests can leave their belongings in a secure storage for the duration of their stay and won't have to worry about digging a toilet, cooking on the grass or washing the dishes in the river. The location is also home to the "Mountain Kitchen" with its well-stocked cupboards, dining room, living area, open fires and first class chef.

The dramatic surrounding landscape is suitable for hiking, spotting wild game animals on the adjacent slopes, fly-fishing in pristine rivers, experiencing a day-in-the-life of high country farming or exploring the rugged Fiordland West Coast by helicopter.

Unlike most camp sites, this accommodation does not come cheap, but the rates do include return scenic helicopter transfers from Wanaka airport, full breakfast, lunch, pre-dinner drinks with canapés, gourmet dinner and most beverages. For those who love the outdoors, Minaret Station is unquestionably one to put on the wish-list, but start saving your pennies – a tented suite for two will set you back NZ$3,500 (US$2,878) per night with additional nights (after two nights) costing NZ$1,950 (US$1,605).

Source: Minaret Station