Forget about 5-star hotels with hundreds of rooms placed side-by-side, try spending the night in a tree house. Not only is it fun but it’s a great way to practice eco-tourism and co-exist with nature. You don’t have to compromise on luxury either – here are four options for staying in tree houses around the world; a spectacular overnight experience.
Eco Friendly Holidays: Tree House Lodge, Costa Rica
Get back to your childhood by staying at Tree House Lodge in Costa Rica. Here you will find your room suspended on stilts, submerged in the forest with a sloped wooden suspension bridge leading steeply to its front door. When you walk inside you’ll be greeted by quirky wooden decor that lives up to its name “Tree House Lodge.”
Venture upstairs in your treehouse to find a king-size bed along with a small ensuite bathroom. Downstairs has a second double bed, a single bed, and a kitchen. There’s enough room for the whole family. All of the furniture is hand-carved from sustainable wood, windows are open but screened against bugs, while scarlet Birds of Paradise flowers provide splashes of colour around the Lodge.
Tree House Lodge is located on a 10 acre ocean-front property in the famous Punta Uva beach, just south of Puerto Viejo in the province of Limon. Expect total privacy in natural and tranquil surroundings. Enjoy your own beach access onto the beach front, and relax in privacy at this unique hideaway.
The Tree House has been entirely built using sustainable woods, and all hard woods used on the tree House were obtained from fallen trees, meaning no live trees were harmed in the process. If you’re are searching for a tropical jungle, beautiful beaches, and a point of difference, this might be your paradise. Starting from $300 USD for two people, visit http://www.costaricatreehouse.com/the-tree-house/ to find out more.
Gankoyama Tree House Village, Japan – Sustainable Culture Centre
Gankoyama is a small tree house village located on a mountainside in the heart of southern Boso, Chiba. It was established in 1998 as the first tree house village in Japan, and is the ideal place to visit for people who want to learn about survival skills and sustainable lifestyles. Instead of merely staying the night in a tree house, you can help build one.
Situated about two hours from Tokyo, Gankoyama Tree House Village offers unique, eco-friendly tours that offer the chance to experience life in the Japanese forest. All of Gankoyama’s energy needs are provided by solar panels and a wind generator – no electricity is used. Don’t stress though, a hot solar-powered shower is always available, a flushing bio-compost toilet is on site, and electrical outlets powered by solar energy to recharge camera batteries and mobile phones.
The Tree House Master course gives people the opportunity of building a tree house from beginning to end with an experienced instructor. Learn about traditional Japanese carpentry, rope work, tree climbing and chain saw techniques in the process, and stay in tree houses during the two day course. Guests also have the option of sleeping in an indoor or outdoor hammock around the eco-village, meaning travelers can sleep under the stars.
Courses start from $75 per person. Visit http://www.gankoyama.com/ to find out more about building a tree house in Japan.
Canopy Treehouses, Australia
Canopy Treehouses is a unique Australian accommodation and wildlife experience. Set in 100 acres of ancient rainforest located on the Cairns Highlands that is strictly for the private use of guests, this eco-rainforest resort blends luxurious accommodation with caring for the environment and wildlife.
Designed for comfort in the wilderness, the Canopy Treehouses are perched high in the rainforest canopy on the banks of the flowing Ithaca River. The eco-friendly house designs blend in naturally with the surrounding rainforest, making it the ultimate eco-friendly rainforest resort in Australia. There are five completely private luxury timber and glass treehouses. Each Treehouse has two bedrooms, a fully self-contained kitchen, a spa bath, and a balcony with a BBQ and hammock.
Not all of the treehouses are built to the same design either. The Bower House is a large award-winning three bedroom Treehouse, nestled on top of a ridge, boasting beautiful views of the valley and rolling green countryside. The Rainforest Unit is attached to the main building, looking across the lawn to the magnificent rainforest. It has two bedrooms and is located at ground level, providing assisted wheelchair access.
Canopy Treehouses is located in the magnificent Cairns Highlands region, a scenic 90 minute drive from Cairns in Queensland, Australia. Starting at $350 USD per night for two people, visit www.canopytreehouses.com.au to find out more.
Bangkok Tree House, Thailand
Bangkok Tree House is a sustainable green hotel ideal for nature lovers. There are no roads for cars leading to the Bangkok Tree House meaning the only way to access this secluded location is by foot, bike or boat. It took six years to create this place, which is arguably Bangkok’s greenest hotel.
This eco-hotel takes its inspiration from Henry David Thoreau’s manual for self-sufficiency, Walden, and aims to live in tandem with nature rather than against it. It is built on stilts (from bamboo and reclaimed wood), is powered by wind and solar energy, and removes one kilogram of garbage from the Chao Phraya for every booking made at the hotel.
Bangkok Tree House concentrates on providing eco-friendly and sustainable services. There is a natural pond on-site which is free of chlorine and other chemicals, not to mention the restaurant provides organic cuisine. Sleep in one of the 11 treehouses called “nests” and enjoy a stunning view while staying in a sustainable hotel, leaving a positive footprint.
Located at 60 Moo 1, Petch CHA Hueng Road, Bang Namphueng, Phra Padaeng, Samut Prakarn, Greater Bangkok 10130, Thailand, Treehouses start from $125 USD for two people. Visit http://www.greenpearls.com/hotels/asia/thailand/bangkok-tree-house for more information.