Gearing up for a vacation at a treehouse? Let us guide you with the top 5 tree house destinations for your perfect holiday!
The Mohicans (USA / GLENMONT, OHIO)
An indulgent, master-crafted Ohio glamping experience, packed with treetop adventure, romantic luxury, and lush forest scenery. Six unique treehouses and four luxurious cabins nestled in this rustic paradise, just a few miles from the breathtaking Mohican State Park Forest. Exquisitely crafted and beautifully fitted with kitchenettes with indoor plumbed bathrooms, toasty heating, and even flat screen TVs and DVD players. For couples, Little Red and The Nest make wonderfully romantic bolt holes created by world-renowned treehouse designer Roderick Romero. White Oak -designed by Pete Nelson – is a genuinely stunning treehouse set among white oaks and hickory trees, promising space, light and oodles of charm. Inspiring Bridge of Dreams, Pleasant Hill Lake and Dam for swimming, boating, and water-skiing are worth visiting.
TreeHouse Villas (THAILAND / KOH YAO NOI, PHANG NGA)
One of Thailand’s best-kept secrets, TreeHouse Villas is a true island paradise. Escape to nature on an unspoiled island and savour every second of this astounding accommodation. Located on the northern tip of Koh Yao Noi (‘Little Long Island’), TreeHouse Villas invites you to enjoy lush surroundings, a beachside location and stunning sea views – all the while living a life of luxury in its bespoke villas. Each beautifully designed villa has been thoughtfully located to afford peace and privacy. A range of excellent restaurants and bars are ready to serve you stunning Thai and Western cuisine and mouth-watering cocktails. You’ll even find a peaceful spa, with a steam room, cooling pool and a range of relaxing treatments on offer for ultimate zen or opt for an in Villa spa experience. The upper floor has air-conditioned bedrooms, with a luxurious king-size bed looking out through the trees and towards the sea. The bathroom comes with a hammock-shaped bath and an incredible ‘jungle shower’, where wall-to-wall windows offer obscured glass for privacy but eye-height clear glass for unbeatable jungle views. If you’re searching for luxury, a natural hideaway, with unbelievable accommodation, it’s right here at TreeHouse Villas.
Kinlochlaich Treehouse (SCOTLAND / APPIN, ARGYLL)
Kinlochlaich Treehouse – bathe in historical-inspired luxury and live the high life in unique award-winning style, set against a stunning backdrop of the bracing Scottish Highlands. The treehouse blends in perfectly with its historic and natural surroundings. Its unique octagonal shape has been built from Scottish oak, with innovative use of a whole oak tree through the centre to support the roof! Oban, the nearest large town and the seafood capital of Scotland (meaning the fish and chips are legendary!), is well-known for its whisky distillery. Take a guided tour, followed by some souvenir-shopping! More adventurous types will enjoy a trip to Fort William, the outdoor capital of the UK situated at the foot of Ben Nevis, perfect for a challenging hike. So for a luxury break steeped in romance, history and adventure…come and escape to the tranquil trees of Kinlochlaich.
River Eye Treehouse (NORWAY / TESSUNGDALEN, TELEMARK)
Experience the simple pleasures of natural Norway up close, from the pure comfort of a hand-built forest treehouse. Set on the edge of the great Hardangervidda mountain plateau, and with a beautifully un-spoilt river flowing by, what a natural world you’re set to experience! Ripe with opportunities to fish, ski, hike and kayak amongst the most incredible surroundings nature has to offer, this is a genuinely exciting opportunity to escape from tired everyday life. Beautifully crafted from light wood, the décor throughout is pure and minimalist, with stunning features that include huge, light-filled windows that provide stunning viewing platforms through the trees, over the river and out towards the mountaintops. Make sure you claim the loft space situated beneath a truly awe-inspiring skylight, and there’s no better way to drift asleep than directly underneath the twinkling stars. The nearby UNESCO World Heritage site of Rjukan makes for a fascinating day out, steeped in wartime history and majestic scenery alike. If you’re looking for a new adventure and a delicious taste of natural living, you’ll soon find that a simple stay at River Eye Treehouse will convert you for life.
Pedras Salgadas Park (PORTUGAL / TRÁS-OS-MONTES, NORTH PORTUGAL)
Architect-designed treehouses and eco-houses, set within a magical century-old spa and nature park in northern Portugal. Filled with enchanting winding paths, and framed by a unique backdrop of lush valleys and mountains, the breathtaking Pedras Salgadas Park boasts 20 hectares of natural beauty. Designed by famed architect Luís Rebelo de Andrade, the sustainable treehouses you’ll find at Pedras Salgadas are no ordinary treehouses. Created from raw materials that render them almost invisible amongst their natural surroundings, you can expect truly spectacular views from your self-contained treetop haven. You’ll find a cosy double bed and a sofa, along with a bathroom and a kitchenette, inside your treehouse, meaning you’ll have everything you need to laze amongst the leaves. Stunningly restored by architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, you can enjoy an extensive range of treatments along with an indoor pool, a relaxing sauna and a Turkish bath. Wherever you’ve chosen to rest your heads, you’ll want to return there by evening, just in time to watch the blazing golden sunset sink over the mountainous horizon.
DID YOU KNOW?
- There has been evidence of treehouses used for habitation for thousands of years, as a way of living above cold ground.
- In different parts of Asia, this style of dwelling is still prevalent in areas where flooding is a potential threat.
- People use a pulley system to raise themselves and their belongings to the canopy, which in turn provides shade in a hot climate.
- There have four distinctly current periods for building treehouses: Roman era, Renaissance period, the late eighteenth-century Romantic period and the early twenty-first century.
- In England, treehouses became ideal additions to the formal gardens of the seventeenth century.
- In 1902 the architect Harold Peto designed and built a treehouse for Daisy, Countess of Warwick at Easton Lodge, Essex. This was restored in 2009.
- The evidence of historic treehouses is scant worldwide, due to their ephemeral nature.
- Always made from wood, treehouses are unlikely to have a life of more than around fifty years.
- The oldest surviving example of the treehouse is thought to be that of Pitchford Hall in Shropshire. Probably dating from the early 17th century, it was remodelled in the eighteenth century, styles from all over the world influenced garden buildings.
It’s time to switch off those phones, breathe easy, and immerse yourselves in the timeless charms of the natural world with these above treehouse destinations.
