Daily Archives: June 14, 2011

On your next vacation, do you want to be as close to nature as possible? Have a totally private experience, tucked away where no one can find you? Rekindle your adventurous spirit by living out your childhood dream? Or give your kids the most memorable vacation of their lives? Any of those fantasies could become reality by booking your stay in a treehouse.

Yes, there are real tree houses for rent on FlipKey! Here are a few that, complete with modern comforts, are even cooler than your childhood perches (real or imagined):

In Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica, Lapa’s Nest Treehouse is a six-level tree house in the middle of the rainforest that boasts a “Modern Swiss Family Robinson” experience. An entire family (up to eight people) can live 55 feet up in the canopy, surrounded by tropical birds and monkeys. Other fun features include an elevated shower with a glass bottom, and a private pool fed by a natural spring.

On the Big Island in Hawaii, two different tree house rentals await. One is a secret, romantic spot fit for two that was built at mid-canopy level. It offers rustic amenities like an outdoor shower and a composting toilet for the eco-conscious. The other is a slightly more spacious house (sleeps up to four) that was built into five living trees. It includes modern amenities like a DVD player and a full bathroom. Both tree houses are close to the famous Hawaii Volcanoes National Park as well as the artsy hub of Volcano Village.

Some other FlipKey-listed “treehouses” are not literally built around the trunks of trees, but their locations and architectural styles provide a similar sense of adventure. For example, these rental homes in Breckinridge, Colorado and Auckland, New Zealand, are perched among trees, offering complete privacy and panoramic views.

A number of other vacation rentals, while not attempting to balance on branches, do offer backyard treehouses for children to play in. So, if you’re too terrified of heights to sleep in the canopy, you can still give your daredevil kids the ultimate play space while you relax safely at ground level. For ideas, check out these homes in Canada, Italy, and Greece.

Joanna Eng is a New York-based writer and editor who covers travel, green living, food, careers, entrepreneurship, and more. Her travel experiences have ranged from hostel hopping in Mexico to staying with distant relatives in China to renting a beach apartment in New Jersey.

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