When you arrive at Castaways Resort & Glamping near Auckland it’s hard not to immediately feel a little more relaxed. As you walk up to the entrance you are surrounded by views of the open sea and rocky cliffs from Karioitahi Beach. There is something special about this place, it has a vibe that really makes you slow down and live in the moment.
You probably know that I love road tripping around New Zealand with my lovely home on wheels. But I also LOVE a good night in some unique and exceptional/original accommodation.
What’s best than glamping for that?
I had enjoyed glamping a couple of time in France a few years ago but never get the chance to try it here, in New Zealand. So I was waiting for this weekend for a long time.
Castaways Resort is one of the first operators to bring glamorous camping, also called ‘glamping’, to New Zealand. And as I made one of my goals to discover as much as unique and original accommodation around New Zealand, I couldn’t dream of a better place than Glam Camping at Castaways for this first glamping experience in NZ.
After this hell of a year, I needed to take it slow and enjoy every minute. Castaways Resort met all my expectations while I was there. The perfect place to just pause, relax, and reconnect far from the craziness of Auckland City
For the story, this weekend getaway was originally planned for April 2020. But like everywhere in the world, Covid-19 hit New Zealand and lockdown forced us to reschedule our long-awaited weekend to October.
We finally did it a few weeks ago and I can’t wait to share it all with you.
The Location – How to get there?
Situated in 10-minute from Waiuku, a vintage township on the South Western Coast of Auckland, Glam Camping at Castaways is set on the wild coastal cliff tops of a remote part of Karioitahi Beach.
And the resort is just 50-minutes drive from Auckland CBD, super easy to reach! The check-in is at 3 pm which gives you plenty of time to arrive.
From the entrance of the resort, it is only a 5-minute walk to the beach where you can go for a walk or enjoy activities offered by the resort such as volleyball, Bootcamp, yoga, blokarting and more.
Our Coastal Glam Camping Experience – Glamping near Auckland
Saturday 31 October – 3 pm
We decided to go have lunch at Karioitahi Beach before heading to Castaways Resort for the check-in.
Castaways offer a range of different glamping experiences. They have the coastal tent located on the cliffs, the tree tents suspended in between two mighty totara trees, and a brand new group glamping Village further along the beachfront clifftops
For our weekend, we chose to stay in a coastal tent. There are three Coastal Tents located on the secluded cliffs above Karioitahi Beach. The lovely girl at the reception gave us the information on how to reach our tent and everything we needed to spent an amazing time.
After getting our map, we were given the keys to a golf car; yes this is how you’ll get to your tent – the adventure begins!
We drove along the coast, following a four-wheel-drive track, enjoying the view to find our tent. 15/20-minute drive later, we discovered the beautiful coastal tent, situated on the cliff overlooking the beach, complete with an outdoor bath and hammocks.
The scenery is just magical! Speechless!
There is no cellphone reception, no wifi, no building or people around. Nothing but yourselves and the world around you. The wind breeze on your faces and the sounds of the waves crashing. It is hard to believe you are just 50 minutes drive from Auckland CBD.
The place is truly conducive to relaxation and peace! With a self-cook dinner and breakfast included in the package, all you need to think is rest, make the most of the outdoor bath and enjoy your time there! That’s bliss!
Coastal tent Facilities
The coastal tent is as amazing as the view. Everything is ready to have the best time of your life!
This special-designed glamping tent is completely off-grid: solar power produces electricity for lighting, stereo and this is heated by gas which means you can also stay there during Winter season.
Once you come in, there is a nice area with BBQ facilities, and then the main area furnished with a king bed super comfy, a seating area, a bathroom and a little kitchen where you can find all the basics, even an espresso machine!
The fridge is full with food – that you can choose during your booking with cooking instructions provided – the barbecue is ready to go and on top of it all: a bottle of wine and lots of treats are waiting for us !
We brought some extra appetiser and wines with us but there is no need. Everything is already perfect as it is!
After visiting the inside of the tent, we turned on the stereo (the playlist was just as romantic as the place.), poured us some wine and went enjoying the sunset in the outdoor tub before having an amazing dinner with a view. We had the most wonderful evening!
We woke up the day after to the sounds of the oceans waves and the birds. What a bliss!
The breakfast included in the package was, as expected since the beginning of the stay: fabulous! Good coffee with the last bath to enjoy our last hour in this coastal tent.
BUT, it wasn’t the end of our weekend yet!
If you want to fully enjoy your getaway at Castaways, you have to stop by Bersantai Day Spa!
The Spa -Bersantai Day Spa
I told you, Castaways got it all right! How could you finish a romantic weekend better than with a couple spa treatment?
Bersantai Spa is a Balinese-inspired day spa offering a wide range of treatments.
I decide to book the couple special occasion package included 60-minute couples relaxation massage, 60-minute couples facial and a 45 minute outdoor stone bath with a glass of bubbles and a shared cheeseboard.
The perfect romantic package to end our getaway weekend. Now it is time to go back to our city life.
Other Facilities
Restaurant
We did not have the chance to try the Castaways Restaurant & Bar but we will be coming back to enjoy a meal with the stunning panoramic views over the beach that it offers.
Accommodations
If you are not into glamping, that’s not a problem, Castaways has also 25 chalet/ studio units that suit couple, families.
Venues
They also have conference/private events and Wedding venues if you want to say “I DO” in the most stunning clifftop oceanfront venue in Auckland region.
Which period’s the best for a glamping night near Auckland at Castaways?
The glamping tents are set up for all seasons and all-weather. So you can come when you want.
Before our stay, it was pouring rain and I was a bit sceptic of how the experience would be. But it was still amazing. We’ve been lucky the rain stopped once we get there. It was windy and cloudy but it did not change anything on the beauty of the place. And a bit of wind while you are in a super hot bathtub is quite revigorating 😉
The perfect glamping near Auckland
I truly think this is one of the best glamping near Auckland! I can’t recommend enough this place if you are living in /visiting the Auckland region and wants to live a unique experience you’d remember forever!
Thanks, Castaways and Bersantai Spa for this amazing weekend. I will be back to try the Tree tent that’s for sure!
Thank you all for reading me as well. I hope this little shared experience will be helpful for your future stay around Auckland.
See you soon for another escape,
Justine
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