Glamping, in the traditional sense, is luxury camping where functional tents are swapped out for roomier yurts and sleeping bags are replaced with comfy bedding and decorative pillows. Demand for this outdoor pastime has spiked during the pandemic among those who are looking for social-distancing-friendly getaways, but overnight trips aren’t the only way to get your glamp on.
At Malibu Farm restaurant in Zushi, Kamakura, you can book a yurt for a two-hour lunch or dinner course on a waterfront terrace. Though the venue is just an hour away from Tokyo’s city centre, the palm trees lining the waterfront and yachts bobbing on the water will make you feel as though you’re thousands of miles away from Tokyo’s busy streets.
The menu at Malibu Farm has an emphasis on sustainable, organic produce with plenty of vegan options. You can order à la carte from the regular restaurant menu or go for the seasonal Kamakura Terrace course, which currently features a hot pot menu. For ¥8,800 per person, you get a choice of salads for your first appetiser, shrimp al ajillo, grilled vegetables with melted cheese, a choice of hot pots with a side of rice or fettuccine and dessert.
To dine in one of the yurts, you’ll have to pay an extra ¥3,300 for a table of up to four people or ¥5,500 for a table of up to six people. There is a time limit of two hours per table booking. If you are celebrating an anniversary or birthday, you can opt to have your yurt decorated with balloons for an additional fee of ¥2,200 or, if you want to go truly OTT, shell out for ‘special balloons’ for ¥13,200.
The dining yurts are available until February 28 2022, with outdoor heaters that will keep you toasty even on the chilliest nights.
Bookings can be made online, with an option of choosing a dog-friendly tent if you want to bring your pets along.
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