MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Spring 2019

SPRING 2019 ML BLUE 71 words and photos :: Colin Field When it comes to unique glamping experiences in the area, you’d be hard pressed to find a better place than Naomi Assenheim’s Lotus Belle Outback tent. Just outside Meaford, hidden among the woods near Bayview Escarpment Nature Reserve, this beautiful tent has everything you need for a weekend, or a week away. “It’s definitely a dream come true,” says Assenheim. “I’ve been wanting to do this for over a decade, so it’s really, really satisfying. In Mexico we have a piece of property there, it’s all outdoors, it’s very basic. That was kind of our inspiration. In the winter of 2018 we were like, ‘We could build something here that’s super glam, super simple and set up for the summer and take it down in the winter.’” Currently listed on Airbnb as the Woodland Retreat Glamping Experience, the 16-foot Lotus Belle tent features a queen-sized bed, a wood stove and some cozy chairs to truly relax in. For amenities, Naomi and her husband Emliano built a couple of outdoor buildings where guests enjoy a deluxe composting toilet, an outdoor, hot-water shower, and a separate outdoor kitchen building complete with grill, sink, cooler, storage and all the cutlery needed. “We wanted a yurt so badly,” she says. “When we bought this property we had this vision and when we saw these tents, we were so excited. It expedited our timeline by ten years.” Launched on a Tuesday in early June 2018, by that Friday the place was booked through August. The tent is perched on an old workshop foundation that was already on the property. The couple laid flagstone, got some cedar from local Mennonites, built a deck-like structure and placed the tent on top. The Lotus Belle tent itself was designed in the UK and came to market MOUNTAIN HOME HAPPY GLAMPERS A tent with everything you need for a weekend, or a week away