<\/span>The idea of “Glamping” has been intriguing to me for a while, due in equal parts to my very real fear of toilet snakes (which is magnified with more rustic camping sites), and my love of a clever name.\u00a0 I finally got to fulfill my glamping dreams at Big Berry<\/a><\/span> in the Bela Krajina region of Slovenia.<\/p>\n

$\"Big$ <\/a>
<\/span>The clear waters of the Kolpa River steps from your front door!<\/p><\/div>\n
$\"Big$ <\/a>
Slovenian countryside in your backyard.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/span>At check in, guests are presented with a welcome basket full of local goodies for their stay.<\/p>\n
$\"Welcome$ <\/a>
Local beer and wine, the best kinds of goodies!<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/span>The Big Berry houses themselves are adorable and hardly feel like “roughing it.”\u00a0 There are a few different sizes to choose from based on your party size.\u00a0 There are houses that sleep 2, 4, or 6.\u00a0 I stayed in house number 3 which sleeps 6 and would be perfect for a family or group of friends.<\/p>\n
$\""Brown$ <\/a><\/p>\n
The house for 6 people has 2 bedrooms; the “master” with a double bed, and a second bedroom with 2 sets of bunk beds.<\/p>\n
$\"Big$ <\/a><\/p>\n
$\"Bedroom$ <\/a><\/p>\n
All of the houses have one bathroom, one living room, and a full working kitchen, though the configuration is a bit different depending on the size of the house.<\/p>\n
$\"Kitchen$ <\/a><\/p>\n
<\/span>These are fully equipped modern houses with electricity, wifi (though at times spotty), and TVs, that if you’re like me, you’ll never use.\u00a0 Who needs a TV when you’ve got this outside?<\/p>\n
$\"Sunrise$ <\/a>
<\/span>Sunrise on the Kolpa<\/p><\/div>\n
The outside of the Big Berry homes is even more impressive than the inside, because that’s where the hot tub is!\u00a0 Each home has a porch with a hot tub, two lounge chairs, and a dining table for communal dinners outdoors.<\/p>\n
$\"Big$ <\/a><\/p>\n
The Big Berry Difference:<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/span>Big Berry describes themselves as a “lifestyle camp.”\u00a0 I’ll admit I was\u00a0 confused about what that meant, and a little concerned I was joining a cult (which I may have, I do really want cut ties with everyone and live there forever).<\/p>\n
<\/span>Big Berry is more than just a beautiful place to stay, it’s an all inclusive experience.\u00a0 While staying at the camp, all of your food and activities are included and there is plenty to do, but the most impressive part of a stay at Big Berry is the people.<\/p>\n
<\/span>The camp is small enough that you’ll get to know your neighbors and the staff.\u00a0 The Big Berry team is comprised of super friendly interns from all over the world eager to swap stories and show you around their new home.\u00a0 They were even nice enough not to make fun of me for being completely out of shape on the worlds longest bike ride (story to follow as soon as I recover enough to share it with the world).\u00a0 If you leave Big Berry without a few new friends, you’re doing it wrong.<\/p>\n
The Food:<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/span>Every morning a friendly staff member will deliver a gorgeous basket full of local foods for breakfast.\u00a0 You can expect to find fresh yogurt, milk, honey, fruits, juices, eggs, and plenty of poga\u010da (a bread local to the region that is similar in both taste and pronunciation to focaccia).<\/p>\n
$\"Breakfast$ <\/a><\/p>\n
$\"Breakfast$ <\/a><\/p>\n
Big Berry also partners with local restaurants that provide food to guests of the camp.\u00a0 Simply take your key with you and show it at any of the participating restaurants, or some will even deliver to the camp.<\/p>\n
$\"Venison$ <\/a>
<\/span>“Young Stag” from Gostilna Muller<\/p><\/div>\n
$\"Dessert$ <\/a>
<\/span>Pana Cotta from Gostilna Muller<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/span>My favorite local restaurant was Gostilna Muller, which has been serving traditional food to the area since 1965 (before it was even Slovenia).\u00a0 The restaurant is beautiful and has a patio that overlooks the river.\u00a0 I enjoyed this restaurant so much I ended up going back twice in the 4 days I was staying at the camp.<\/p>\n
On the weekends the Big Berry staff and guest fire up the grill and come together for a BBQ.\u00a0 This is a great chance to sample some local flavor, or try your hand at cooking (I opted to let the capable folks at Big Berry do most of the work for me \ud83d\ude09 ).<\/p>\n
$\"Firing$ <\/a><\/p>\n
$\"Firing$ <\/a><\/p>\n
$\"Firing$ <\/a><\/p>\n
The Activities:<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/span>There’s plenty to do without ever leaving the camp.\u00a0 The Kolpa River water is some of the cleanest around.\u00a0 You’ll see plenty of guests and local taking a dip.\u00a0 The water was a little too cold for this Floridian, but others disagree.<\/p>\n
$\"Outdoor$ <\/a><\/p>\n
The camp has canoes and bikes for guests use during your stay, as well as a communal BBQ area, and these dreamy open air beds.<\/p>\n
$\"Dreamy$ <\/a><\/p>\n
Oh, and how could I forget outdoor swinging chairs?!<\/p>\n
$\"Hanging$ <\/a><\/p>\n
There is also a volleyball court available for guests.\u00a0 Unfortunately, I was there during a local volleyball tournament, so I had to skip the <\/span>sportsing<\/a> and take pictures of these shirtless Slovenian athletes.\u00a0 My job is full of sacrifices.<\/p>\n
$\"Beach$ <\/a><\/p>\n
Field Trips:<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/span>It’s difficult, but worthwhile to pry yourself away from the camp.\u00a0 One thing that makes Big Berry so unique is that the offer trips to local producers in the region.\u00a0 Remember all of those delicious items from breakfast?\u00a0 Well, now you get to find out how the sausage is made ( or milk, wine, honey, bread, etc.).<\/p>\n
I had the privilege of visiting a 4th generation beekeeper and sampling some delicious honey,<\/p>\n
$\"Sampling$ <\/a><\/p>\n
<\/span>learning a bit of regional history and sampling some freshly baked poga\u010da.<\/p>\n
$\"Sampling$ <\/a><\/p>\n
trying my hand at traditional egg dying (*spoiler alert… I need some practice)<\/p>\n
$\"Dying$ <\/a><\/p>\n
tasting every imaginable kind of oil and learning of their medicinal properties,<\/p>\n
$\"Sampling$ <\/a><\/p>\n
<\/span>and best of all, drinking local wine, in a vineyard, by a church, at sunset.\u00a0 This is the stuff dreams are made of.<\/p>\n
$\"Drinking$ <\/a><\/p>\n
$\"Gorgeous$ <\/a><\/p>\n
<\/span>It’s impossible to visit all of the local artisans in the area in one trip, which gives me a perfect excuse to come back.<\/p>\n
Big Berry also offers trips further afield.\u00a0 My Big Berry neighbors and I got to spend a lovely afternoon exploring the capital of Ljubljana, which was a nice surprise.<\/p>\n
$\"The$ <\/a>
The Dragon Bridge in Ljubljana, Slovenia<\/p><\/div>\n
The Details:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Big Berry Camp is open seasonally from April-October and is booking for next year.\u00a0 A house will run you <\/span>\u20ac 200\/night.\u00a0 When you consider that includes room, food, and activities for up to 6 people it’s really a steal.\u00a0 There are currently only 5 houses being rented out, so if you’re looking for a unique getaway, head to the Big Berry website<\/a> and reserve your spot now!<\/span><\/p>\n
~<\/p>\n
I was kindly invited as a guest of Big Berry, but all opinions expressed are my own and I would recommend this once in a lifetime experience to anyone!<\/span><\/p>\n
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The idea of “Glamping” has been intriguing to me for a while, due in equal parts to my very real fear of toilet snakes (which is magnified with more rustic camping sites), and my love of a clever name.\u00a0 I finally got to fulfill my glamping dreams at Big Berry in the Bela Krajina region […]<\/p>\n
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