From the article the World’s Best Treehouse Hotels Advertisement 2 of 10 Courtesy of The Aviary The Aviary Lenox, Massachusetts Why It’s Unique: Located on 22 acres of parkland designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the two-story Aviary treehouse in the Berkshire Mountains features limestone wet room with an antique soaking tub, circular stairs leading to the second-floor sleeping quarters, and a Bang & Olufsen entertainment system. Accommodations include the President Lula “Tarzan House,” built at canopy level with its own private balcony, plunge pool, and Jacuzzi. Building a hotel in the treetops is hardly a new concept: the Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel, outside Manaus in the Brazilian Amazon, has been inviting guests to explore the jungle canopy from its rooms since the mid-1980’s. Or, drive 10 minutes for a day hike in stunning Mount Rainier National Park. From the article the World’s Best Treehouse Hotels Advertisement 7 of 10 Courtesy of Tree House Hotel Tree House Lodge Limón, Costa Rica Why It’s Unique: The 10-acre beachfront property, located in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast, features a sustainably built treehouse made from fallen trees, with solar heating, two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a shower built around the crooks and roots of a massive 100-year-old Sangrillo tree. The 500-square-foot treehouse, built from coffee wood and equipped with a king-size bed, has a full bath, veranda, and the trunk of a flowering Royal Poinciana growing through the bedroom. What to Do: Relax at the resort’s spa with a massage or a hydrating coconut scrub, or explore nearby Bouma National Heritage Park’s pristine rainforest and 65-foot waterfalls. While the treehouse does have electricity, guests will have to walk 35 feet to a hot shower. What to Do: Explore one of the island’s 11 secluded beaches, and in the evening relax at the Wilderness Lodge bar.August 18, 2009 Want to go out on a limb for your next vacation—literally?Once the sole province of young boys and Ewoks, treehouses now offer adventurous travelers (read: unafraid of heights) a unique travel experience in an age of roadside motel chains and globe-stretching hotel corporations. “A lot of people had good experiences with treehouses when they were growing up,” explains Michael Garnier, a builder who has constructed tree-based dwellings around the globe and also operates the world’s largest collection of treehouses, the Treesort & Treehouse Institute, a sprawling 36-acre wonderland in Oregon with cleverly named lodgings like the “Treezebo” and the Old West-inspired “Treeloon. From the article the World’s Best Treehouse Hotels Advertisement Self-clinching manufacturers 10 of 10 Courtesy of Playa Viva Playa Viva Juluchuca, Mexico Why It’s Unique: Located north of Acapulco on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, eco-friendly Playa Viva opened in November 2008.

Head to South Africa’s Tsala Treetop Lodge, in Plettenberg Bay, and you’ll find infinity pools and fireplaces. What to Do: Snorkel or kayak off the nearby Punta Uva Beach.” What to Do: Relax by the pool, try a traditional ayurvedic massage, or take a tour of the working coffee and vanilla plantation. Three treehouse casitas completely built with sustainable materials; each have a bedroom and full porch for dining and lounging, and the master development plan calls for a beach club, lounge, and 40-room boutique hotel, plus solar-generated electricity and hot water. What to Do: Tour the resort’s 200 acres, 80 percent of which is a private nature preserve. 1 of 10 Courtesy of Tsala Treetop Lodge Tsala Treetop Lodge Plettenberg Bay, South Africa Why It’s Unique: Overlooking the Tsitsikamma Forest, the architecturally stunning stone-and-glass lodge has 10 secluded treehouse suites, each with floor-to-ceiling bedroom windows, log fireplace in the living room, private deck, and infinity-edge pool. The Costa Rica Tree House Lodge, in Limón, for example, has a full kitchen and luxurious bathroom built around a gnarled 100-year-old Sangrillo tree. Access: Winding stairwell. Access: Wooden walkways. What to Do: Visit the botanical gardens and temples of the adjacent 5,000-acre Nanshan Buddhism Cultural Theme Park, which includes a 354-foot statue of the Buddha Guanyin. Access: Rising staircase. What to Do: Don’t miss the two 150-foot-high observation towers for clear views into the awe-inspiring jungle.

From the article the World’s Best Treehouse Hotels Advertisement 5 of 10 Courtesy of Unique Home Stays Tranquil Resort Wayanad, Kerala, India Why It’s Unique: Located in southern India on a private 400-acre estate complete with a working coffee and vanilla plantation, in the Kerala rainforest, the resort has a main lodge with eight well-appointed rooms. “The kid comes out in them. Access: Ground-floor entrance. “Everyone should try a treehouse hotel once in their lifetime. From the article the World’s Best Treehouse Hotels Advertisement 4 of 10 Courtesy of Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel Brazilian Amazon Why It’s Unique: Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel, one of the largest commercial treehouse hotels in the world, is located 35 miles from the Amazon gateway city of Manaus.

But with travelers looking for ever-more-unique getaways, the treehouse-hotel concept has blossomed; today you’ll find them everywhere from Massachusetts to China. “I’ve found nowhere else like it in the world,” says former (unshaken) guest Haley Spurway.” Sometimes, it’s the solitude and seclusion afforded by sleeping in nature that attracts people to high-flying hotels. Access: Winding timber boardwalks. Access: Ascending stairs, rope bridge, and “water lift. Best of all, this new breed is more than just planks of wood nailed to an old oak. From the article the World’s Best Treehouse Hotels Advertisement 9 of 10 Courtesy of Hainan Island Sanya Nanshan Treehouse Hainan Island, China Why It’s Unique: Built into a stand of tamarind trees, the “Big Beach in the Sky” treehouse sleeps four in rustic accommodations steps away from the blue waters of the South China Sea. What to Do: During the day, explore South Africa’s Garden Route, which winds along the botanically rich Western Cape, or relax on the beaches at nearby Plettenberg Bay. From the article the World’s Best Treehouse Hotels 3 of 10 Courtesy of Cedar Creek Treehouse Cedar Creek Treehouse Ashford, Washington Why It’s Unique: Tucked 50 feet up in the air in a centuries-old cedar and bordering Gifford Pinchot National Forest, the Cedar Creek Treehouse is outfitted with a sleeping loft, kitchen, and glass-enclosed observation room with indoor hammock. “I feel like I’m Adam in the Garden of Eden,” says Donald Eovino, a frequent guest. Modern treehouses offer more than quiet or the chance to indulge a little youthful daring; they present a rare opportunity to drive past the McResort and break free of travel’s predicable stops and well-traveled routes. From the article the World’s Best Treehouse Hotels. From the article the World’s Best Treehouse Hotels Advertisement 8 of 10 Courtesy of Maravu Resort Maravu Plantation Matei, Fiji Why It’s Unique: Maravu, which sits on Fiji’s 168-square-mile Taveuni Island, features a treehouse built in an ancient rain tree with sweeping views of the turquoise-tinged South Pacific, as well as interior comforts like leather and palm-wood furniture and an outdoor courtyard with an open-air shower and a Jacuzzi pool.” Conversely, at Tranquil Resort, a working coffee and vanilla plantation on 400 acres of rainforest in southern India, chances are high that guests might find themselves in a not-so-tranquil situation: nose-to-nose with howler monkeys, who reportedly dance on the roof at night and have even startled guests by bursting into bathrooms unannounced. So, forget the stale continental breakfast and carbon-copy room; instead, consider branching out on your next trip. Access: Hanging steel bridge. Access: Rope-and-plank suspension bridge. What to Do: Take in even greater views from the recently added observatory—100 feet up a nearby fir tree—which looks out on majestic Mount Rainier. Take China’s Hainan Island treehouse, located steps from the golden sand of the South China Sea, within a 5,000-acre Buddhist park studded with temples and botanical gardens; there guests can wander in peace for hours.” “It draws an adventurous type of person,” he says. What to Do: Sample the season’s bounty in Wheatleigh’s elegant Dining Room restaurant, or poke around the historic area’s local galleries, antique shops, and museums. Access: Stairwells and wooden catwalks (which stretch for 10 miles and are flanked by incredible flora and fauna). Access: Series of stairs, ramps, and bridges. Up in the leaves, you’ll find something unique and exceptional—surely the reward of any good journey. From the article the World’s Best Treehouse Hotels Advertisement 6 of 10 Courtesy of Hinchinbrook Island Hinchonbrook Island Wilderness Lodge Hinchinbrook Island, Australia Why It’s Unique: Hinchinbrook, a 96-acre national park with lush rainforests, rugged mountains, and coarse sandy beaches, has just one option for accommodations: the Wilderness Lodge, a secluded hideaway with 15 roomy timber treehouses, each with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, small kitchen, private balcony and bath, and easy beachfront access