See inside Buffalo Farm, a glamping retreat where you can stay in a yurt
The great outdoors is even greater when you’re bunking at one of Ontario’s plushest glamping getaways
How much: From $139 per night Where: 2137 Highway 630, Mattawa, 647-898-6147 Travel time from Toronto: Four hours, 20 minutes
Five years ago, 20-something siblings Javid, Shara and Raschad Gibson opened a 600-acre bohemian retreat on the site of a former buffalo farm in Northeastern Ontario. “People still slow down as they drive by to see if they can spot any,” Shara says. The Gibsons live year-round in two cabins, harvesting most of their produce from a massive garden and drawing water from a well. For their guests, Raschad built a vacation yurt using canvas stretched over 200 balsam saplings. Inside, there’s a queen-sized bed topped with organic linens, a hemp futon and a collection of wool blankets, plus a wood stove where guests can cook their own food. “We only provide the essentials, so people can get away from needing so much,” says Shara. This year, the Gibsons are building a larger, two-floor yurt and a teepee that will be ready by summer. They’ve also brought in a small herd of baby buffalo and 14 horses for guests to ogle, pat and whisper to.
Everything in the yurt is handmade, including the flooring (milled by a neighbour) and sofa (built from reclaimed barn beams):
The yurt can accommodate eight guests. The Gibsons provide organic linens, wool blankets and hemp futons (made by Raschad), but ushankas are BYO:
The property sits on the Amable du Fond River. Guests can explore the area in a cedar canoe or hike to a secret waterfall:
The farm is home to several horses, which were rescued from slaughter:
And a small herd of baby buffalo:
Guests bring their own food to cook on the wood stove. The Gibsons provide coffee, a French press and pour-over pot:
The teepee is a new addition for this year:
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