The world's best campsites

Australia

Point the remote-control at the electronic blinds; put on the CD of Aboriginal music and lean back against plump pillows with a drink from the complimentary mini-bar to watch Uluru's chameleon colour change as the sun rises. From your luxury tented room at Longitude 131 you have uninterrupted views towards this icon of Australia's Red Centre. On the walls, old photographs of brave explorers remind you how inhospitable this land can be to newcomers. But it's hard to see how you'd perish at Longitude 13. As you reach the end of a guided walk, a member of staff magically appears presenting a silver salver of canapés and flutes of chilled Champagne. Austravel (0870 166 2070; www.austravel.com)

India

The Narmada River flows cool and clear in front of the beautiful Ahilya Fort and temple in Madhya Pradesh. The 18th-century fort, with its courtyards and maze of rooms, has extra accommodation for guests in one of the riverside gardens. Here, two tents with ensuite bathrooms have bougainvillaea-framed views to the intricate carvings of the neighbouring temple and the holy river. There are no hectic Ganges scenes here even though, according to resident 'Prince' Holkar, the centre of the universe is marked by a nearby shrine in the eddying waters. The river is clean enough to swim or work up an appetite for a delicious candlelit dinner in the gardens. Indus Tours (0208 901 7320; www.industours.co.uk)

Kenya

Views of the Maasai Mara National Reserve are frequently marred by herds of tourists in safari buses. Not so at Ol Seki, a luxury, seasonal tented camp north of the Mara in little-visited Eastern Koiyaki. Here, six spacious, circular tents stand on a promontory above the Il Supukiai river. Each has an ensuite bathroom and is furnished in neutral colours with African artwork (some have wi-fi access). From your deck, the panorama over the tree-filled valley looms large. You will see topi, elephant, lion and, if you are very lucky, wild dogs. The calls of rain birds and doves mingle with the sound of cow bells from Maasai livestock. Aardvark Safaris (01980 849 160; www.aardvarksafaris.com)

Nepal
At nearly 13,000ft, surrounded by spectacular peaks of the Himalayas and dropping down to the deepest valley on the planet, Nepal's Kopra Ridge has to be one of the most breathtaking places to pitch a tent in the world. After a steep hike above the tree line, you will arrive at your campsite to find your two-person tent already erected by the porters. There'll be a cup of tea waiting and a bowl of hot water to wash in. Hearty meals are cooked over the campfire. The loo is a long-drop, but with views like this, who needs luxury? Peregrine Adventures (0844 736 0170; www.peregrineadventures.co.uk)

Oman

It's neither the red desert sand-dunes, spotting an ibex nor even the view of the Indian Ocean that is the most amazing thing about a new mobile tented safari in Oman; it's that your luxury billet, complete with bed, Egyptian linen, Turkoman-style rugs and hand-carved furniture including a chest that doubles as a cold-box, reappears at a new site each evening. At the end of a day's four-wheel-drive safari, you will find yourself on a rug by a new campfire, G&T in hand, while the chef prepares dinner. There's a different view each morning - from the dunes of the Empty Quarter to the thundering ocean. It's a fairytale safari. Cazenove+Loyd (020 7384 2332; www.cazloyd.com)

Switzerland

The wood-burning stove keeps you warm inside the white canvas, geodesic domes. Outside, the crisp night sky is scattered with stars and moonlight sparkles on thick, fresh snow. Welcome to Whitepod: nine cosy tents on wooden platforms, 4,500ft up in the Swiss Alps. The views are of pine trees frosted with snow and rugged mountain peaks. It's as if you are on top of a giant, roughly iced Christmas cake. Only two of the tents have their own bathrooms, none has electricity. By day you can wrap up in a rug and cheer as lively huskies pull you along in a dog-sled or ski down the private ski-slopes where there are never queues at the lifts. For groups, there is a "Group Pod" that sleeps eight. Whitepod (0041 24 471 38 38; www.whitepod.com)

Thailand

This Four Seasons' luxury tented camp is in the Golden Triangle, the opium-growing region covering northern Thailand, eastern Burma and western Laos. So as you relax in your hand-beaten copper bath after a day learning to ride an elephant, the views from your open-sided bathroom are of the Ruak river in Burma and the mountains of Laos. The only opium you may come across today will be at the nearby Hall of Opium, an exhibition on the history, use and abuse of the drug. Other attractions include artisans, shrines and a royal villa built in a curious blend of northern Thai and Swiss Alpine architecture. Or stay put and enjoy the spa or laze in the pool before you zip up your flaps and fall asleep to the music of the jungle's insect symphony. Exsus (020 7292 5060; www.exsus.com)

UK

Kilims and scatter cushions, sheepskins, lanterns, a pot-belly stove…this could only be a yurt (or 'ger'), the large round canvas and felt tents that are home to the nomadic people of the Steppes. But rather than a view of yaks, there are Friesians and fields: this is Devon not Mongolia. In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the four yurts in this two-acre field have views over the Otter Valley. Outside, hammocks are perfectly placed for star-gazing. The yurts are large, with five beds and a kitchen area. There's also a well-equipped "farmhouse kitchen" in the field. With the Jurassic coast nearby, walks over rolling hills and villages called Newton Poppleford, it's more the place for lashings of ginger beer than yak-butter tea. Hunger Hill Yurt Holidays (01395 568454; www.yurt-holidays.co.uk)

United States

Here's one you'll have to wait until next spring to enjoy but it's worth the wait: the Gold Rush camping trip includes some of the most stunning camps in the world, including several national parks from the Grand Canyon to Yosemite and the desolate Great Basin Desert. Of all the trips featured, this is the least luxurious with accommodation in simple two-person tents. But imagine the thrill of unzipping your tent flaps in the morning and looking out over Monument Valley. And there are the odd touches of luxury, including a four-wheel drive safari in Monument Valley. Trekamerica (0870 444 8735; www.trekamerica.com)

(πηγή: www.telegraph.co.uk)