Five Best: Traditional Teepee Camps

Blackfeet Indian Tipi Village US

The Blackfoot tribe were known for their skilled buffalo hunting. Blackfeet Reservation in Montana is home to several thousand members of the Blackfeet Nation, as well as a small tepee village open to guests. With a backdrop of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains, each teepee is by a fire with a dining hall for communal eating. A day of horse-riding, reservation tours or fishing draws to a close with traditional food cooked on open fires and evenings spent sitting around the campfire.

Blackfeet Indian Tipi Village, Blackfeet Reservation, near Browning, Montana, US (001 406 338 2787; www.blackfeetculturecamp.com). Teepees sleeping four start at $76 (£45).

Shelters Unlimited

Tipi Camp Wales

Shelters Unlimited has been producing authentic teepees and Bedouin tents for more than a decade, but has more recently set up camp on an 18-acre site in the Welsh countryside, overlooking the Dulas Valley. The five cosy teepees come furnished with futons, vibrant Mexican rugs, back-rests, cushions and sheepskins - or just with rugs for more hardy campers. Each was made on-site with local spruce used for the poles and firewood. There is also cooking equipment and fireplaces, which means they can be used for year-round camping.

Shelters Unlimited Tipi Camp, Ceinws, Machynlleth, Powys, Wales (01654 761720; www.tipis.co.uk). Unfurnished teepees start from £20 per person or £50 for furnished teepees. Teepees sleep two to 16 people.

Tipis Indiens

France

In the midst of the Pyrenees, these four teepees are furnished simply with beds, a lantern and traditional American Indian decoration. Guests can explore the surroundings, from grottoes in nearby Trabés and Lourdes to hiking the Saugué Plateau or visiting the Cirque de Gavarnie, a dramatic valley scattered with waterfalls. At 1,300m, the campsite is set amid stunning mountain scenery, shared by small goats that roam the site. For those unwilling to forgo modern-day amenities, there's also a cottage in the grounds.

Tipis Indiens, near Gèdre, Gavarnie, Hautes-Pyrénées, France (00 33 6 15 41 33 29; www.tipis-indiens.com). Open May-September. Teepees sleeping four-six people start at €85 (£61).

Tipi Camp Nature Retreat Canada

A refuge serving up vegetarian food from an outdoor kitchen may not be everyone's idea of a sanctuary, but this secluded spot between British Columbia's Selkirk and Purcell mountains is more than a hippie retreat. The site of four traditional teepees on the shores of Kootenay Lake hosts regular meditation, yoga and spiritual retreats and offers boat tours of the lake, taking guests to remote beaches. There are also miles of forest trails to explore.

Tipi Camp Nature Retreat, Pilot Peninsula, Kootenay Lake, British Columbia, Canada (001 250 227 9555; www.tipicamp.bc.ca). Teepees sleep either up to six or eight people. Prices start at C$85 (£40) per person, full board.

Deepdale Farm England

Deepdale is the perfect location for anyone wanting to get back to nature without feeling totally cut-off: the working farm offers accommodation in teepees, a converted granary, stables and a traditional campsite with a café, clothes shop and internet access. The teepees sleep up to six and are kitted out with faux fur-clad mattresses, a stove for heating and a barbecue and lantern. It's also an ideal base for exploring Blakeney Point with its seal population, or to go windsurfing and hiking off the North Norfolk Heritage Coast.

Deepdale Farm, Burnham Deepdale, Norfolk, England (01485 210256; www.deepdalefarm.co.uk). Available March-October. Two-man teepees start at £60, or £90 for three-six guests, including one bag of fuel.