A VIEW TO THRILL
Fulfilling every adventurer’s camping fantasy
Bright Icelandic light dances off the Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Europe. In the foreground is the iceberg-speckled Jökulsárlón lagoon, the setting for a recovery mission in the James Bond film A View to Kill, as well as a car chase on ice in Die Another Day. While there are hotels in the area, the best vantage point is arguably on the lagoon’s shore — and this is where London-based travel company Black Tomato has decided to pitch a luxurious dome tent.
The tent, of course, is temporary, as are all ‘hotels’ set up through Blink, Black Tomato’s service offering of non-permanent bespoke accommodation. Black Tomato says it initiated Blink to allow travellers to pick the most remote vacation spot imaginable anywhere in the world, and spend a few nights there. The company will then create a bespoke experience just for that traveller. No other Blink client will have the same experience, says Black Tomato co-founder Tom Marchant.
Blink clients enjoy temporary accommodation fitted out to suit their whims and tastes. Additional trappings include gourmet culinary experiences with a choice of chefs, five-star service including personal butlers, and well-being facilities with fitness instructors. One may also enjoy live music, drone photography, or interaction with experts on any subject of interest to the traveller.
In Asia, Black Tomato has set up Blink camps in remote destinations such as Sumba and the further Eastern islands in Indonesia, the southern tip of Lake Inle in Myanmar, the sand bank on Mekong river, the jungle Khmer temple in Cambodia, and Ladakh in India. Further west, popular Blink spots include the far reaches of Iceland and Switzerland, Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni salt flat, the Empty Quarter and coastal area in Oman, the Chegaga sand dunes in Morocco, and the Kalahari Desert in Namibia.
Once clients identify their destination, Black Tomato conducts research and preparations for creating a bespoke Blink camp in that area. “Generally speaking, Blink is available anywhere in the world where we can transport the tents and materials, whilst offering true remoteness and a place that only that individual will enjoy,” says Marchant. Lead time depends on the location, but an average of at least six months is required to create and prepare a Blink experience. Once ready, Black Tomato arranges helicopter transfers to the remote destinations.
A range of tent types for different climates are on offer. The Dome tent, for instance, is suitable for colder and harsher environments like Iceland, while the Tropical Villa tents, with their open walls, work well in humid environments. Bell tents, on the other hand, offer large living spaces with wood stove heating. The tents are decked with materials chosen by clients, ranging from Icelandic furs and skins to handmade interiors from the markets of Marrakech.
Each camp style is based on environmentally sustainable principles, such as minimal energy and material usage, while ensuring maximum comfort and interaction with the environment. Take, for instance, the Bubble tents, which are made from recyclable materials and are inflated by a silent turbine that filters and adjusts the humidity level of the air. Staff camps are located nearby but are always kept invisible, ensuring a continuous sense of “being remote and untouched”.
The main commitment is to leave the natural environment in its pristine state. As soon as the clients leave, the Blink teams take down the tents and remove all traces of the camp. As Marchant says in summing up the service’s ethos: “Blink, and it’s gone.”
Pick the most remote vacation spot imaginable, and spend a few nights there