Ten moments that make a glamping anniversary great

Arriving at an amazing space gets your anniversary off to a flying start. You might catch sight of it through the trees as you approach, then round a corner and gasp as amazing views open up and you find your romantic escape sitting right in front of them. What’s even more fun is booking it as a surprise and watching your partner’s face spin through a range of emotions.

It may not sound like much, but this is a lovely moment for a couple of reasons. First of all, you’re surrounded by nature and no other noise. Secondly, it means you’re both lying still, in each other’s arms, just listening, and when was the last time you did that?

Eventually the birdsong spell breaks and one of you agrees to get up and make breakfast. On the first morning this is probably the person who did less of the driving, but on subsequent days you can spice things up by making it the stake in board game competitions. Often, you’ll find a welcome hamper when you arrive, with freshly laid eggs, great bread and other local produce, for a delicious anniversary breakfast.

Now this is a romantic weekend away, so you probably aren’t going to hit a 20-mile march up a mountain, but a little walk can go a long way. A hike, as long as you aren’t out of breath, can be great for catching up and really talking. The movement distracts the functional, worrying part of your brain and fills any silences, letting memories of your time together and random ideas float out into the day.

This is one of two great things to do on your anniversary that involve not wearing much. We’ll discuss the other one later, but wild swimming should definitely feature in your romantic weekend. If you’ve never tried it, then it’s an exhilarating experience which can bring you closer together, not least when you’re huddling for warmth after you get out. Always check that the place you’re eyeing up is safe to swim and the water quality is ok, and don’t fall for the idea that a river on a summer’s day is going to be warm. They are constantly refreshed by mountain streams and you are going to let out a scream. Embrace it though. Loudest scream gets out of cooking breakfast maybe?

Ok, for some couples this can easily result in a relationship-ending argument. If you can already feel the rage surging up as you think about that time you lost to “Qi” on a triple word score on the final turn, then skip this section and be thankful that you’re seeing another anniversary. If you’re one of those people who doesn’t mind losing (remind me, DO you like to lose?) then crack open the games cupboard you’ll find in most spaces and let the friendly competition begin.

A romantic classic and an anniversary highlight, there’s not much more to say than heat it up and get steamy. Then jump in the hot tub, ha ha. Always remember to get the fire going nice and early, as it can take a good few hours to heat a tub properly. Also stir regularly, using the paddle you should find with the tub. There’s nothing as disappointing as stepping into a hot tub and finding everything except the top inch of water is lukewarm. Also, don’t be fair-weather hot tubbers! Soaking in hot water while it rains is enjoyably surreal. While it snows? Pure magic.

Far better than visiting a fancy restaurant is cooking your own anniversary meal out under the stars, over glowing coals. It has an intimacy and immediacy that no carefully chosen abstract paintings and uplighting can ever match. You could try and recreate their favourite meal, or the food you ate on your first ever dinner date, as long as you didn’t have fish & chips, because that could end up a flaming oily nightmare.

Another one for the burning love theme, but this one is much less effort than even the fairly gentle pursuits of hot tub stoking or wild cookery. It’s simply sitting by the fire, enjoying a calm moment with the one you love and using that little bubble of inactivity to browse the night sky and your memories and plans. With the freedom of its soft focus, it’s rather like the hiking, only with less leg work, more marshmallows and, if you’re so inclined, a whisky or two.

Notice we said reconnecting IN nature, not TO nature. This is the other anniversary thing you can do while not wearing much. You’re in a romantic place, there’s nobody around, it’s a warm summer night or you’ve got plenty of blankets. We’ll leave you to work the rest out for yourselves, only adding that you should probably book places that are in the “on your own” collection, to guarantee you don’t disturb the neighbours.