TREEHOUSE
ACCOMMODATIONS
by Reed Ide
Times have changed since I slept out in my treehouse as
a kid. It was a simple affair, a six-foot square platform
on which my dad built a one-room domain, complete with
picture window and lean-to roof. It was my palace, just
high enough from the ground to require a climb, but not
so high as to be terribly dangerous if I fell. That treehouse
and I shared many nights in the ensuing two or three years.
When I outgrew it, my brother was ready to claim the space
as his and continue the tradition. In recent years, I
have happily discovered that I am not alone in my grownup
nostalgia for treehouses. It seems there are adults throughout
the world who have taken their romance of the branches,
added amenities few kids ever thought about, and created
oases of pure comfort and joy for those travelers whose
love affairs with the treetops will never die. Here are
eight such establishments. Each has its own unique approach
to treehouse living. Each offers its own spectacular setting,
giving the visitor an experience of nature, forest, or
wilderness that can be had no other way. Some offer the
luxury you would expect of a five-star resort hotel, while
others provide simpler pleasures. Some are built into
the trees and others stand on stilts that elevate them
to the canopy. A hotel, B&B, or country inn can offer
the traveler an opportunity to relax and rejuvenate, but
only a treehouse inn can do that plus transport a person
into a fanciful dream that suddenly becomes wonderfully
real.
For those seeking a real rainforest
adventure, this remote treehouse hotel provides an opportunity
to sleep and sightsee at canopy level, while still enjoying
the comforts of what might be called a more “grounded”
establishment. Fly to the interior city of Manaus, where
you will be met at the airport and whisked by boat some
35 miles to the hotel. The several hotel “towers,”
restaurants, bar, and other buildings are connected
by over three miles of catwalks 70 feet above ground.
Recently married or celebrating a civil union? Stay
in the Honeymoon Suite 110, ten feet above ground in
a Mahogany tree, where you can watch acrobatic monkeys
and colorful macaws at eye level. Prices start at $470
per person for a two-night, three-day stay that includes
transfers to and from the airport, all meals, and special
guided excursions. http://www.ariauamazontowers.com
LODGE KURA
HULANDA & BEACH CLUB
CURACAO, DUTCH WEST INDIES
Set in the opulent Lodge Kura Hulanda & Beach
Club, The Mansion Treehouse is a two-bedroom,
two-bathroom 1,312 square-foot suite offering an African
motif amid the soothing breezes of the Caribbean. A
spiral staircase leads up to the mansion’s open-air
living room and terrace, both of which offer views of
the often-dramatic ocean sunset. Both bedrooms are air-conditioned
and also equipped with the tropics’ oh-so-necessary
mosquito netting. A full kitchen, flat screen TVs, and
WiFi Internet ensure a life of ease during your stay.
If snorkeling, swimming, and beach lazing aren’t
enough, a shuttle bus can whisk you to nearby Willemstad
for a day of exploration and shopping. Rates range from
$1,000 to $1,500 a night, depending on the season. For
a camping atmosphere, you might consider the Lodge’s
basic treehouse. Guests climb up a ladder, through a
trap door, and onto a wooden platform where a full-sized
safari tent is erected. A full bathroom is located on
the ground below. The rate is $100 a night. http://www.kurahulanda.com
HINCHINBROOK
ISLAND WILDERENESS LODGE
CARDWELL, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
Just off Australia’s Northeast coast lies
Hinchinbrook Island National Park, home to this spectacular
nature resort. If you live a fast-paced life, this retreat
offers the opportunity to recharge in a completely undemanding
atmosphere. Rest your weary self in a spacious, treetop,
timber bungalow in the island’s rainforest. Enjoy
ocean breezes, awesome views, and much-needed privacy.
Lounge on your own deck; stock your fridge with a fine
wine or two; and feel the thrill of having no television,
no telephone, and no real need for any interface with
technology. Well, if you must, there is a TV and DVD
player in the main lounge, and WiFi Internet is available.
Your stay includes free use of kayaks, canoes, snorkels,
masks, and beach hammocks. Meals are served in the main
dining room. Rates for treetop accommodations (not including
meals) begin at $445 Australian (US$408) per night for
a one-bedroom, two-person bungalow. http://www.hinchinbrookresort.com.au
THE SUITE ON
THE OAK
LA PIANTATA FARM, TUSCANIA, ITALY
Set in the breathtaking Tuscan farm country, just
an hour’s drive north of Rome, you’ll find
this enchanting accommodation. A few steps from his
olive grove, owner Renzo Stucchi has created the dream
of nearly every child: an elevated bedroom suite with
bath, nestled in the branches of an ancient oak tree,
24 feet above the ground. Furnishings are elegantly
simple. Natural wood tones enhance the warm atmosphere.
The outside deck provides a delightful place to relax
and enjoy the lavender-scented Tuscan breezes. An elegant
breakfast is delivered directly to the bedroom each
morning by way of a pulley mechanism. Spend your day
relaxing by the farm’s swimming pool, then enjoy
a rejuvenating professional massage. Or take an exploratory
excursion through beautiful landscapes to Tuscania,
the nearby village. Rates begin at $300 for one night.
Multiple night stays receive discounted rates. http://www.lapiantata.it/en
POST RANCH
INN
BIG SUR, CALIFORNIA, USA
It’s luxury all the way at this elegant inn
and spa on California’s coast, set some 1,200 feet
above the Pacific Ocean. Of the 30 rooms, seven of them
are treehouse accommodations, built on stilts among
ancient oaks. Each is triangular in shape, accommodates
two people, and has grand mountain views. Relax on the
deck, sip cordials in front of your fireplace, or enjoy
an in-room massage. During the day, center yourself
with morning yoga. Fridays offer guided morning nature
walks, and Saturday activities include an interior journey
guided by Shamanic drummers. Each day you can decide
to stay in your treetop retreat and relax, or venture
into nearby civilization for shopping and sightseeing.
Rates for a treehouse room are $895 per night and include
an expanded Continental breakfast each morning. http://www.postranchinn.com
Slideshow
Oops!
It looks like you don't have flash player
installed. Click
here to go to Adobe download page.
|
THE CANOPY
RAINFOREST TREEHOUSES
TARZALI, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
Set on Australia’s Northeast coast, in one of
the country’s largest pristine tracts of rainforest,
these five exquisite timber and glass treehouses sit high
in the canopy, on the banks of the Ithaca River. Each
is distanced from the others to ensure complete privacy
and a heightened sense of being alone in nature. Still,
no amenity has been overlooked, so there is no sense of
needlessly “roughing it.” Each treehouse has
two bedrooms, a full kitchen, spa bath, balcony with grill
and hammock, and can sleep two to six people. Massage
and other spa treatments are available right in your own
treetop refuge. Rates in high season start at $349 Australian
(US$319) for a two night minimum stay. In the off-season
that rate drops to $333 Australian (US$304). Special Romance
and Spa packages are also available for longer stays.
http://www.canopytreehouses.com.au
GANDOCA-MANZANILLO
WILDLIFE REFUGE
PUNTA UVA, LIMÓN, COSTA RICA
Situated on ten acres of oceanfront property with 1,000
feet of pristine beach, this tranquil hideaway offers
three exotic accommodations. The Tree House (sleeps
six) is built with two levels. Upstairs there is a bedroom
with private bath, while downstairs there is another
bedroom as well as a kitchen and an additional relaxation
room that is air-conditioned. Other houses on the property
are equally enticing. The thatched-roof Beach House
(sleeps five) and recently completed Beach Suite
(sleeps six) offer luxurious amenities, ocean and botanic
garden views, and a wonderful sense of privacy. Rates
for the Tree House start at $300 per day for two. The
Beach House is $250 for two. The Beach Suite is $400
for two. Seven-day adventure packages are available
from $2,105 for two. http://www.costaricatreehouse.com
[Published:
November, 2008]
|
