Camping in the Southwest has gone luxe with a new option by Camelback Adventures, a Scottsdale–based DMC. Using luxury tents that can be set up virtually anywhere, meeting and event planners can provide a glamorous desert experience.
These are not your parents’ tents. Custom-made, they have canvas walls that are fastened and sealed to a Cedar plank floor. Sleeping tents are outfitted with a queen-size bed, side tables, storage trunks and a desk. Luxury bedding, upscale amenities, solar lighting, and bathrooms with hot and cold water provide all the comforts of home.
The dining and lounge tents can accommodate 50 people; custom-built oak tables provide a rustic elegance, with linens, floral centerpieces and candles as the finishing touches. The sides are removable to showcase the incredible scenery but also can be configured to provide protection from the weather and shade from the sun. Propane heaters warm the night air. The lounge tent features a Cypress bar complete with comfortable furniture, a fireplace and even a dance floor.
The camping experience comes complete with a fully staffed and professionally equipped kitchen. Cooking over the campfire is an art that the chef and his team have mastered over the years and is reflected in the regionally sourced menu.
For incentive groups, Camelback Adventures offers a menu of experiences in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, from kayaking to cattle drives, Hummer tours to hot air balloons. Another high-end option: a floatplane ride through the mountainous canyons to a remote location, landing on one of the rugged desert lakes. In the evening, guests return to the camp for a gourmet dinner under the stars, perhaps including a wine or tequila tasting, a cigar roller or even a beer burro or two.
