The ultimate glamping experience at Big Berry Slovenia, Kolpa River

Throughout the years, I’ve traveled quite a lot: many countries and countless cities and hotels. However, I have never been to a place like Big Berry, Kolpa River before. Not to mention that I’ve never tried glamping before.

When traveling, getting to know the local culture is one of my main objectives. Wherever I go, I am always looking for opportunities to meet some of the local people and discover their traditions. However, this is not an easy task.

Talking with local farmers about their daily lives, seeing how local products are being made or getting invited to dinner by locals are just some of the things that often seem impossible to accomplish. This is why I’ve decided to try the Big Berry experience.

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The Big Berry Luxury Landscape Resort is a place like no other. Here, in the middle of nature you will experience the best glamping in Slovenia, right by the Kolpa River. The reason why this place stole my heart is that here I’ve had some of the most authentic experiences, close to the local people and traditions.

1. Why Big Berry is the best place for glamping in Slovenia

Situated in a rural area called Bella Krajina, Big Berry is not your ordinary travel experience. Big Berry is not about travel per say but about exploring the authentic life and traditions of Slovenia.

Here, you can create your own custom made holiday. The resort offers a wide range of activities which are meant to teach you more about the local life in the area. From eating with locals and learning how to cook the tasty pogača to visiting local farmers and rafting – you can plan your vacation any way you want.

Big Berry is also one of the best places to go family glamping in Slovenia. For small children and teenagers it’s a great opportunity to learn more about how local products such as cheese and milk are made and to experience the authentic Slovenian way of living in an incredible setting.

Big Berry is also great for couples or backpackers who want to explore some off the beaten track places in Slovenia and spend some time in nature.

2. Big Berry Slovenia houses/ accommodation

After checking in, your first interaction will be with your home. Depending on how many people you are, you can choose a 2, 4 or 6 persons private house.

The best word to describe the Big Berry houses is “smart”. Even though they don’t seem big, you will find everything you need inside. We had our own spacious kitchen with a living room, a bathroom and a private room. I was amazed to see that I’ve found at Big Berry all the things I needed for a perfect vacation.

My favorite part of the house was the porch which had a private hot tub (perfect to relax and enjoy the nature) and a table with chairs for unforgettable breakfasts.

You will see that Big Berry is all about taking a break from your day to day life. Here the time seems to slow down and troubles get lost along the way.

Just a short walk away from your house, you will find a volleyball field, an open-air barbecue and some comfortable outdoor beds. It just can’t get better than this.

3. Breakfast & Lunch

Big Berry Slovenia is also about eating healthy, local foods. This is why when you will wake up, you’ll find a basket full of yummy stuff right in front of your door. You can choose from: milk, cheese, salami, eggs, pogača, yogurt, apple juice, honey, fruits, vegetables and many others. All bio. Can you picture a better breakfast?

For lunch, you can choose to go and experience a local meal at one of Big Berry partners’ home. Below are just a few options:

• the best fish in the Bela Krajina area is cooked at ​at​ ​Homestead​ ​farm​ ​Zupančič. The owners, who also live there, will catch it for you just minutes before cooking it. Also, with a bit of good luck you might get the chance to see the black cave salamander, a creature that only lives in this area.
• another amazing place for lunch is ​Restaurant​ ​Muller. Their mushroom soup is absolutely amazing!
• last but not least, you can choose to have lunch​ ​at​ ​Gostišče​ ​Veselič. No matter what you choose, you will not regret it.

4. Activities

The best part of my Slovenia glamping experience at Big Berry were all the amazing activities that the staff has prepared for us. Every activity hare has one goal: to make visitors learn more about the Slovenian culture and traditions.

I really felt like being part of the local Bela Krajina community. The people were extremely happy and proud to show me their businesses and crafts. It really was an honor to be part of their daily lives for a brief moment.

Below are just some of the activities that you can experience at Big Berry Slovenia.

• visit the local farmers and see how the milk and cheese you had for breakfast is produced. The owner of the  farm Ekološka Kmetija Totter was incredibly kind and he showed us around. We were introduced to his beautiful cows and playful goats.

• did you like the pogača at breakfast? You can learn how to cook it from a certified pogača cook at ​the​ ​Home​ ​Bakery​ ​Sraif.
• are you a chocolate lover? You can see how chocolate is actually made at ​Berryshka. Samo Kenda, the founder of this chocolate heaven can show you around and at the end of the tour, you will have the chance to taste some of their products. Hint: they also produce liqueur and starting with this year Berryshka will also produce whiskey.

• did you know that there are tens if not hundreds of types of oil and each type is good for a certain illness? At Oljarna Pecaric, you can taste grape, apricot, peanuts and many other oils. I have to admit that I have bought 5 bottles; maybe my allergies will go away.

• do you like rafting? What about going rafting between Croatia and Slovenia? I have tried it for the first time at Big Berry, with​ ​Kolpa​ ​Adventures. It was quite hard to stay dry but it was an amazing experience and I will totally try it again.
• what about paddling? You can take a boat from Big Berry and enjoy a relaxing evening alone or with your partner. What can be more romantic than paddling between two countries?
• you can also choose the spend the evening in nature and visit the source of the turquoise Krupa river.

After all these activities, what can be better than the traditional rakija? After all, a bit of fun never hurt anybody! You can try the herbs rakija or the chili rakija if you are brave enough at ​Family​ ​Farm​ ​Domačija​ ​Kuzma​. And what goes best with rakija? Yes, pogača made from flour processed right here at the water mill.
Apart from all these experiences, you can also visit nearby tourist attractions such as Bled and Ljubljana as a day trip.

Big Berry is a truly unique place. For me, it felt like camping but taken to another level of luxury. I have never imagined that there is a place where I could have the opportunity to get immersed in the local culture like I did at Big Berry. This place stole my heart and I will definitely come back.

To book this place, click here.

All this, thanks to the awesome Big Berry team! Special thanks to Maria and Ivan.

May the travel bug bite you!

Disclaimer: I was welcomed at Big Berry Slovenia as a guest. As always, all opinions are my own and they reflect my true, unbiased experience. This post contains affiliate links, at no extra cost to you.

Aurelia Teslaru

Aurelia Teslaru is a professional travel blogger and the writer behind Daily Travel Pill. With a 4-year experience as a travel writer and photographer, Aurelia only shares travel guides about destinations that she visited.

She has been to more than 40 countries during the past 10 years and aims to explore 50 countries before turning 30 years old. Aurelia is a digital nomad who transformed her passion for travel into a lifestyle. Read more about her here.

To follow her adventures, check out her Instagram and Facebook pages!