This burgeoning hotel trend has branches all over the world.
Maguire House by Free Spirit Spheres on Vancouver Island, Canada.
Photo by Free Spirit Spheres
You think tree houses are just rickety constructs made out of lumber, serving as little fortresses for kids in backyards? You thought wrong. Tree house hotels are a fast growing trend that allows anyone to escape the mundane with a new perspective on nature.
Not only are these hotels praised for their original design, but they also emphasise sustainability over conventional hotels. The construction of a tree house hotel does not require the surrounding land to be cleared, and hotel owners (and guests) have a stake in the health of the tree that supports their accommodation. This, coupled with the up-close experience of nature during their visit, allows guests a unique connection with the natural world that surrounds them.
With more and more tree house hotels springing up, the choice can be overwhelming. With this selection of tree lodges around the world, one can get a first overview
Tranquil Resort: Kerala, India
This 1.6 km² private property is situated on a coffee and spice plantation in the northern rainforest of Kerala. There are only seven rooms and two tree houses on this plot. Access is via treetop paths, and Tranquil's tree houses are made from local coffee tree wood. From their position in a flame tree some 14 metres above the ground, there is a good view of the plantation. In the bedroom, guests can see the tree trunk growing through the ceiling. The resort's year-round pool is open for refreshment, or guests can indulge in an Ayurvedic massage for optimal relaxation. There are 13 hiking trails through the plantation on the grounds and guests can even take one of the house dogs as a guide.
Tree Hotel: Harads, Sweden
This Swedish hotel 50 km south of the Arctic Circle is like a cross between âThe Twilight Zoneâ and a contemporary art gallery. Each of the seven rooms in the Tree Hotel was designed by a different Swedish architect to create a unique visitor experience in each of them. One of the most coveted is the UFO-themed room, while another aptly looks like a bird's nest. Even the bathrooms are special with their combustion toilets that burn the contents at around 600 °C.
Gibbon Experience Project: Huay Xai, Laos
The Gibbon Experience is one of Laos’ most famous quarters and involves a two- or three-day adventure in some of the country’s most pristine treetops. This includes a series of ziplines that span the property, as well as some of the tallest tree houses in the world. Since its inception in 1996, the project has made it its mission to protect the surrounding rainforests from threats such as poaching, logging and slash-and-burn. In recent years, they have run two reforestation programmes â a commercial farm to promote sensible logging practices, and the reforestation of degraded areas in Nam Kan National Park.
Hapuku Lodge and Treehouses: Kaikoura, New Zealand
Hapuku is located on a game farm on the South Island of New Zealand, at the foot of the Seaward Kaikoura Range. The development comprises five tree houses in the canopy of the Kanuka forest, designed to complement the natural surroundings. Hapuku is a family business owned by native New Zealanders who originally moved there for the good farming and surfing opportunities. The lodge eventually found its start thanks to the growing eco-sea tourism in the area and now offers visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in Kaikoura’s rugged coastline and thriving seascape.
Airbnb's âSecluded City Treehouseâ: Georgia, USA
Located just minutes from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, this treehouse was voted Airbnb's most wanted listing worldwide in 2016. The property was designed and built by Peter Bahouth, former Greenpeace manager and current manager of the U.S. Climate Action Network. It consists of three separate suites connected by wooden bridges adorned with fairy lights. The shapes are organic, the furnishings vintage, and the treehouse itself was built from recycled materials â including 80-year-old windows from a Masonic temple in South Carolina that match this extraordinary experience.
Free Spirit Spheres: Vancouver Island, Canada
Inspired by sailboat building, inventor Tom Chudleigh created these handcrafted wooden spheres using the principle of biomimicry â innovations that seek durable and sustainable solutions to human affairs, mimicking nature’s strategies. The spheres are suspended amidst several trees to which they are tied. This provides stable support, and since the spheres use the forest as a foundation, residents have a heightened interest in the health of the trees and are reminded that humans are also connected to their ecosystem.
Finca Bellavista: Zona Sur, Costa Rica
About a decade ago, Erica and Matt Hogan stumbled across a piece of land for sale as a potential timber harvesting area. The sight of it prompted them to save the land from logging and turn it into what is now Finca Bellavista. Currently, the community covers about 2.5 km² in the South Pacific region of Costa Rica, including a mountainous rainforest, two white-water rivers and biogreen. The entire area is off-grid and runs entirely on solar energy. The tree houses, both in trees and on stilts, allow animals to walk along the ground undisturbed and food to be grown on site. Through a network of ziplines and platforms, guests can explore the rainforest in an exciting and environmentally friendly way.
Papaya Playa Project: Tulum, Mexico
About 130 km south of the party capital Cancun, you'll find this luxurious, eco-friendly resort in the coastal town of Tulum. Papaya Playa began as a classic hotel, but its latest addition is a two-storey treehouse suite set amidst the landscape of the lush Mexican jungle. The treehouse design uses regional wood as well as the traditional Mayan construction method called âChukumâ, which uses tree resin to cool the interior of buildings. In recent years, Papaya Playa began its mission to be an emission- and pollution-free community by 2018. Since then, they have introduced solar energy and water purification, contracted jobs locally and used locally sourced materials to achieve their goal.
Lion Sands Game Reserve: Kruger National Park, South Africa
Lion Sands calls its tree houses the âultimate bush bedroomsâ ÂÂÂâ for good reason, visitors are almost completely exposed to the vast wilderness right outside their rooms. Here, one can arrive at sunset, where a picnic already awaits. Afterwards, you can gaze at the stars while listening to the sounds of the animals you might spot the next day. On the list are: Hippos, leopards, hyenas, impala and many more. Lion Sands offers game drives, walking safaris and helicopter flights over the Blyde River Canyon. The reserve also takes guests to the henna preschool to see for themselves the work being done for the local communities.
The Gibbon Experience project in Laos is temporarily closed. More news can be found on the website.