8 Breathtaking Hotels Nestled Into Nature
With eco-consciousness on a steady rise, more and more people want to expand their efforts of going green and also spend their vacations surrounded by mother nature. Afterall, what is more relaxing than getting away from all the daily hustle and bustle and spend a few days in nature to recharge your batteries? Recognizing this growing trend, dozens of new hotels and resorts spring up every year, offering a wonderful combination of comfort and closeness to our roots.
1. KAKSLAUTTANEN ARCTIC RESORT, FINLAND
This snow-covered resort is tucked away far in northern Finland and offers a stunning front row seat to the Northern Lights. Apart from a truly unique sleep experience in a glass-dome iglo, the resort features the world’s biggest smoke sauna, ice swimming, a visit to Santa’s Home, and an icebreaker cruise.
(MKeerati / Shutterstock.com)
2. NKWICHI LAKE MALAWI, MOZAMBIQUE
Once said to be Africa’s best kept secret when it comes to lodging, the Nkwichi resort on the shores of Lake Malawi is slowly making the rounds on the internet. Kilometers away from the nearest town, the resort consists of eight secluded beaches with close to zero light pollution. The open-air beds offer the perfect chance to sleep under the stars and take in the beauty of a clear night sky.
If, as a child, you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to live in a soap bubble, this is your chance to find out. Attrap’Reves is located only 1.5 hours from Marseille and the transparent inflatable domes spread out over five different locations let you experience the surrounding forests and prairies to the fullest.
(“Attrap’rêves, dormez dans une bulle, la tête dans les étoiles” by ADT 04 is licensed under CC BY 2.0)
Deep in the Chilean Patagonian rainforest, the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve offers a number of unusual sleeping arrangements, ranging from a canopy village of tree houses to a three-storey hotel resembling a mushroom. The flagship of Huilo Huilo is la Montana Magica Lodge (Magic Mountain Lodge). Sporting a waterfall coming down the side of the volcano-shaped building, this hotel is as beautiful as it is unique. If it wasn’t for the many windows and rope bridge leading to the entrance, guests might easily overlook this perfectly integrated building.
(Guaxinim / Shutterstock.com)
5. JUVET LANDSCAPE HOTEL, NORWAY
Specially designed to blend in with the gorgeous landscape, the Juvet Lanscape hotel features a number of glass cube hotel rooms on stilts, as well as a main house, all offering incredible views of the surrounding forests and cliffs. Every room is designed to maximize the mix of privacy and exposure to nature (the rooms have no curtains.) The hotel was even the set for the 2015 sci-fi thriller Ex Machina, which fully showcased the hotel’s beauty.
(Inspired By Maps / Shutterstock.com)
The minimalistic forest huts of the Kolarbyn eco lodges cater to guests looking for a survivalist vibe with a minimum of comfort. If you like electricity and running water, this is not the place for you, but the tranquility, wilderniss, and required DIY-attitude are the eco-lodge’s main selling points.
Every since childhood, getting into a treehouse gives a sense of escaping from the world and entering your own private space. Tree House Hideaway in India’s Bandhavgarh National Park took this concept to the next level and built an entire lodge with five treetop rooms. After a long day in the National Park watching Bengal Tigers, climbing into your cozy tree house hotel may be just the right thing.
Bringing us back to Scandinavia, this collection of six individual architectural wonders hidden in a tall pine forest in Swedish Lapland, is a worthy final entry. Each of the seven rooms in the hotel is hung into a tree several meters off the ground with no two rooms being alike. Once you’ve manage to make your pick from architectural wonders such as a bird’s nest, a UFO, or a mirrored cube, you can get into your room by climbing up a ramp, bridge, or electric stairs (depending on the room). And if you still need more adventure, the surrounding area is perfect for kayaking, ice fishing, and snow shoeing.
(Scandphoto / Shutterstock.com)
