We enjoy staying in hotels with their amenities when we travel, but when I won a free night’s stay in the Marmora Retreat Instagram contest, we decided to give glamping a go. Glamping is a luxurious form of camping. Once we selected our date to stay, we were sent detailed instructions about the workings of all the off-grid features. The emails also included handy tips and suggestions about what to bring to make our stay comfortable.
This win on Instagram encouraged us to make the short road trip through the Kawartha area in Central Ontario. We explored some of the small places on our way to the town of Marmora. This was our route:
We had the opportunity to try a night’s stay at the Marmora Retreat’s geodesic dome tent. I do not consider myself a camper, but this geo dome set up looked interesting. I was also curious about the area. This contest win allowed us to explore some of the small towns along the way, like Havelock and Norwood. We also ventured out to the village of Tweed. Did you know that North America’s smallest jail is in Tweed? Who knew?
We checked in at 4 pm on a Wednesday and settled into our off-grid experience for the night. The dome tent was pet-friendly, so our pup Penny came with us.
Features of the Marmora Retreat Dome
Our home for the night was equipped with all the essentials. We only needed to bring firewood. Luckily for us, the weather was clear, and so we were able to enjoy the deck area as well as the dome. It was also pre-black fly season!
Setting
The glamping dome is situated just outside the town of Marmora, near a lake, on a newly created alpaca farm. Sebastian, the manager of Marmora Retreat, warmly welcomed us. The property also includes a large farmhouse and horse stalls. Our geodome had a full view of the alpaca enclosure. We enjoyed watching them being “wrangled” into the barn for the night. Since we had our pup with us, we kept our distance to avoid stressing the animals. They were fun to watch even at a distance.
Hot tub
We were told to start the fire-heated hot tub early, as it takes 3 or 4 hours to heat up. After my failed first attempt at the fire, Craig took over and was very successful! We climbed into the tub about 3 hours later. It was warm but still cool at the bottom, so we had a short soak. It was a beautiful setting. Unfortunately, the overcast skies prevented any stargazing opportunities, which would have been excellent in this location!
Living Space
The dome has a kitchen area with sink, fridge/freezer, stove and prep area. We were able to prepare our meals easily. there were manual foot pumps to bring up the water to the sink in the kitchen area and the bathroom. A large 5L bottle of drinking water was available and there was a kettle for our morning coffee and oatmeal. I appreciated the many how-to guides posted around the dome to ensure we used the propane stove and compostable toilet safely and correctly. We did not use the outdoor shower as the temperature was only 5C in the morning. Too cold for us!
The living room area overlooked the alpaca pen, and the couch and chairs were quite comfortable. There were charging ports and lights throughout the dome for additional comfort.
The sleeping area was very comfortable, and the large pentagonal window at the top of the dome provided ample light. It was the largest tent that I have ever slept in.
Using Marmora Retreat as a mid-week destination gave us a chance to explore some of the Kawarthas area. We drove out as far as the village of Tweed, and had the chance to drop in on friends and family for quick visits on our way back to Barrie.
Would we try glamping again?
No. It was too rustic for us, although Penny adapted well to our surroundings. Preparing and maintaining a fire throughout the cool night interrupted our sleep routine. We appreciated the sounds of birds in the daytime and the frogs at night. The glamping set up at Marmora Retreat is good, but it still did not convince us to join the world of camping! If you enjoy camping, I think you would enjoy this place. Thanks again to Marmora Retreat for letting us give glamping a try!
Would you want to try out a glamping adventure?
