Getting back to nature – same thing as roughing it? If you find yourself loathe to ditch your oh-so-self-indulgent rituals like “warmth”, “being clean” or “eating actual food” you’ll be delighted to pitch in with a hot new approach to the great outdoors – glamping. Luxury without ostentation, eco-tourism without eco-terrorism – and everything catered for so you can enjoy your surroundings without worrying if you’ll survive the night in them.

Solar-powered lighting, rainwater reuse and an organic menu make Canvas Chic an eco-friendly lodging, while antique décor, four-poster beds and oriental rugs make it luxurious. Located along the Ardeche River gorge in the Rhone-Alps region, the scenery is awe-inspiring.

At Ecocamp Patagonia in Chile, you can stay in domes that resemble the ancient dwellings of the native Kaweskar and soak in the stunning landscape of Torres del Paine National Park with activities like hiking, horseback riding and kayaking.

Looking for something a little closer to home? Just an hour outside San Francisco, Costanoa is set in the heart of nature among 30,000 acres of protected wilderness. Their spacious canvas bungalows seem more like cabins than tents with queen beds, windows and hardwood floors. (Image via Jazz Violin)

Built above the ground to catch the breeze off Jervis Bay, the safari style tents at Paperbark Camp in Australia are extravagant and eco-friendly, with spacious verandas, solar-powered lighting, insect screening and hardwood floors. Plus, guests can explore the bay and surrounding forest with complimentary canoes and bikes.

At Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, tents are equipped with their own fireplace, cozy bed, antique dresser and composting toilet. This stunning destination on Vancouver Island provides plenty of activities for its guests with library, lounge, spa, dining and games tents.

The Resort at Paws Up is nestled along the beautiful Blackfoot River in Montana. Lavish tents with king beds, stylish wall art and a personal butler make for a pampered stay, while activities like horseback riding and mountain biking cater to your adventurous side.

Not exotic enough for your seasoned taste? Take a journey into the Gobi Desert and stay at the Three Camel Lodge. Their deluxe gers feature wood stoves, hand-painted furniture and a king bed. Plus, they come stocked with Mongolian-style bathrobes, felt slippers and locally produced toiletries.

Main image: notsogoodphotography

Unless otherwise noted, images are the property of the corresponding, respective facilities.

Imagine being cast away on your very own desert island … a coral cay lush with greenery and bird life and fringed with white sand. Day after day you would swim in the clear blue ocean and spot giant green turtles, manta rays and rainbow-hued fish and coral.

This was the reality of my recent holiday on Wilson Island on the southern tip of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. It genuinely was a desert island – all the water had to be brought in by boat – but this was not an episode of Survivor.

I guess this is what you call “glamping” – glamorous camping. Our so-called tents were really canvas cabins with wooden floors, a double bed with heavy linen, a wardrobe and a deck with a hammock and ocean views. We also had hot showers, a chef to cook gourmet meals three times a day, and champagne and nibblies on the beach at sunset each evening.

Before the Green-Eyed Monster makes you start throwing things at me, I hasten to add that I am unaccustomed to such luxury on my vacations. This was my honeymoon and we were happy to splurge. While it might sound terribly exotic, it was actually relatively local considering I’m Australian and my wedding was in Sydney.

I was drawn to Wilson Island because of its natural beauty – particularly the fact it was a turtle breeding island and known for its fabulous snorkeling right off the beach. It’s part of the Capricornia Cays National Park and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The last thing I wanted was for my presence to harm the ecology of this natural wonderland.

Tourism can be a mixed blessing. In many places around the world, including Australia, natural beauty has been destroyed or diminished by over-development. Yet tourism makes conservation of this beautiful part of the world not just morally desirable but also economically viable – no mean feat given the amount of oil estimated to be buried beneath the reef. About 1.6 million people visit the reef every year, delivering revenue of more than $AUS1 billion.

The Great Barrier Reef has thousands of islands; some of them are quite developed, while others are closed to humans and you risk a fine of thousands of dollars even stepping on to the island.

I was impressed by the balance at Wilson Island. There are only 12 guests allowed on the island at one time, plus two hosts who do all the cooking and cleaning. There are no permanent buildings on the island and the tents are scattered to give maximum privacy. The water is brought in and the grey water is shipped back out again (while the sewage is held in sceptic tanks). There is no power generator on the island – the hot water and limited electricity in the kitchen and communal long tent all run off solar power. (Luckily there’s plenty of sunshine in this part of the world). All the garbage is shipped off the island and the bottles and paper are sorted for recycling.

As it is a national park and a marine park, guests are reminded not to interfere with nature. The rule is to look but not touch – to take only photographs and leave only footprints. That can be hard. If you come at the right time of year, as we did, you might see baby turtles hatching and racing for their lives down the beach. With seagulls circling overhead and reef sharks lurking just off the beach, ready to snack on tasty baby turtle, it can be tempting to give Mother Nature a hand. It is important not to succumb to the urge so that the eco-system of the reef can keep its natural balance.

If you find yourself in this part of the world and you are looking for a romantic break, then I recommend you check out Wilson Island. When we booked, they were offering five nights for the price of four. While the price of $AUS700 per night seemed steep at the time, it is all-inclusive. And when they say everything is included, they mean everything. It includes a free boat transfer from nearby Heron Island (also a nice island but more of a family resort and much, much bigger), all your food including picnic hampers if you prefer not to eat communally, an open bar stocked with copious amounts of wine, beer and spirits, and use of a wetsuit, mask and snorkel, flippers. Even the sunscreen is free. We actually ended up spending more money in total in six days on Heron Island than five days on Wilson Island, though admittedly that included two dive trips at Heron.

The Great Barrier Reef is considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World but like so many of Earth’s treasures it’s under threat from climate change.

UPDATE 5/28/2009 Wilson Island is certified under Australia’s Eco Certification Program. The resort is closed from 26 January to 28 February for the bird nesting season.

The writer and her husband took the holiday in a personal capacity and paid for it in full.

Images courtesy Caitlin Fitzsimmons