(14/06/23) Songtsam has expanded its portfolio of luxury
boutique hotels with the opening of its first glamping property in
Tibet, the Songtsam Glamping Palpa.
Located in Baiba Village, approximately 13,989 ft
above sea level on the Niyang River in Nyingchi, the
Songtsam Glamping Palpa provides guests with a luxury outdoor camping
experience where they are surrounded by snow-capped mountains,
forests and pastures.
Glamping allows guests to stay in luxury tents in some of the
world’s most remote locations, such as Tibet, without having to
give up comfort, safety, or even good amenities.
As Baiba has only 37 households in the entire
village, the conical tents of Songtsam Glamping Palpa
extend from the earth like mushrooms, blending into the
surrounding village like a new small community.
Luxury Tentipi Tents at Songtsam Glamping Palpa in Baiba Village, Tibet
Songtsam Glamping Palpa has 30 accommodation
tents, 4 dining tents and 1 public leisure tent. All tents in the
camp are made of Tentipi, which have an unique patented ventilation design
that can be
adjusted according to the weather conditions. The wind resistant
level can reach to level 9.
Aurum33, a Swedish made tent, stands for ‘a room
like gold’, and 33 means that the internal area of the tent can reach
33m² (approx. 355ft²), which ensures that guests never feel
constrained inside.
Each tent is equipped with an outdoor table and
two outdoor chairs on the balcony outside the tent, a private
bathroom, 24 hours of continuous hot water, a copper
wash basin, and the toilet not only automatically flushes, but
also has heating and other functions.
A camping night light on the bedside table, a B&O
portable Bluetooth speaker, multiple charging sockets, textured
brass switches, matcha-colored soft leather sofas, Lhasa handmade
wool carpets, and cozy bedding complete the luxury camping
experience.
The four Stratus 72 (S72) dining tents
can accommodate up to 72 people at the same time. Dishes served by the restaurant are all freshly prepared
using Tibetan ingredients, with some of the most unusual
including: fresh yak meat served with wild bamboo shoots and spices and local
wild agera leaves; steaming yak meat hot pot; and yak meat
carpaccio.
The camp also provides free afternoon tea, and
welcomes guests to sit under a hawthorn tree, while tasting
well-paired snacks and refreshments.
Most of the villagers living in Baiba Village are
Gongbu Tibetans. Guests are able to learn how to shoot a Gongbu
sound arrow, and experience the daily life of Gongbu people,
which has lasted for thousands of years.
Under the guidance of professional coaches, guests can
also learn how to saddle and mount a horse and then later try the “Forest Ride”
and explore the secrets depths of the Tibetan forest.
About a 10-minute walk from Songtsam Glamping Palpa, guests will reach a flat
river valley pasture where cattle graze leisurely. At dusk, guests
may even encounter herdsmen milking cows.
In the coming months, more outdoor activities will
be available at Songtsam Glamping Palpa, including the
construction of a via ferrata (a protected climbing route), which
will be the first via ferrata experience in Tibet.
Other outdoor
adventures soon to be added will include: rock climbing, ziplines,
rafting, mountain biking and perhaps the most surprising, off-road motorcycles.
The Palpa Glamping site adheres to Songtsam’s
principles of sustainability and eco-friendly tourism. Songtsam
currently employs 16 of the 178 local villagers. As the resort expands its outdoor projects and
activities, more villagers will be hired to join the Songtsam
family.
“The income of local employees used to be mostly seasonal,
from farming and grazing, to digging caterpillar fungus. The
presence of Songtsam not only provides local villagers with a
stable income, but also professional training skills,” said Tuo
Qing, the local village store manager.
Songtsam has also pledged to distribute 200 Yuan
(approximately US$28) from the income of each tent per night to Baiba for the further development and construction of the
village.
