Silky Oaks Lodge, Cairns
Destination
Surrounded by the UNESCO-listed Daintree National Park and situated close to the tranquil Mossman River, this rustic, eco-friendly hotel offers 36 rooms and four suites set high above the trees.
Design notes
It’s all about understated luxury. Rooms feature polished timber floors and wide balconies that provide expansive views of the lush surrounds.
Activities
Explore the flora and fauna of the thriving rainforest with an experienced guide, or learn more about the indigenous tribes on a Kuku Yalanji cultural habitat tour.
Dining
The Treehouse Restaurant specialises in modern Australian plates, some featuring exotic meats like crocodile and kangaroo. The Treehouse Bar, meanwhile, serves up premium craft beers, ciders and cocktails.
Keemala, Phuket
Destination
This luxe hillside resort offers a relaxed vibe and gorgeous views of the Andaman Sea. There are four accommodation types, including seven double-storey Tree Pool Houses with plunge pools.
Design notes
The resort celebrates open spaces by integrating amenities such as swimming pools with the natural surroundings. Indoors, you’ll find plenty of earth tones, with furniture made from eco-friendly materials such as bamboo, teak and mahogany.
Activities
Pamper yourself with an invigorating massage at Mala Spa, or venture out of the resort for an immersive guided tour of Old Phuket Town.
Dining
Mala Restaurant offers all-day dining; order from the Healthy Living Cuisine menu, which features raw, slow-cooked ingredients and superfoods. Alternatively, enjoy snacks and cocktails by the water’s edge at Cha-La Pool Bar.
Sekeping Serendah, Selangor
Destination
Situated an hour’s drive north of Kuala Lumpur in the sleepy town of Serandah, this resort boasts several accommodation types – including a series of glass treehouses – nestled amid tropical rainforest.
Design notes
The treehouses have full glass façades, while their interiors are all about dark wood, wire-frame sofas and brick walls.
Activities
Visit the nearby Orang Asli (indigenous) villages, or go on a short half-hour walk to cascading waterfalls for an afternoon dip.
Dining
Self-catering is advised; each treehouse comes with a kitchen as well as an outdoor barbecue space.
Rabeang Pasak Treehouse Resort, Chiang Mai
Destination
Nestled in a teakwood forest, this family-run resort was first established in 2010 as a private holiday residence. It was converted into full-fledged guest accommodations in 2012, and now offers eight suitably rustic treehouses.
Design notes
Don’t expect any fancy trappings here: Each treehouse is simply constructed from wood and equipped with fans and open-air showers. The bigger properties have terraces that overlook either a trickling brook or the forest canopy.
Activities
Visit the local bat colony and marvel at stalagmites and stalactites at the nearby caves. Or take a scenic bike ride to the Pa Sak Ngam Lake.
Dining
Meals, which are made with local ingredients and feature Thai influences, are served on an open-air terrace.
The Gibbon Experience, Laos
Destination
This unique treetop retreat aims to preserve the Nam Kan National Park via reforestation and irrigation schemes. What makes staying here so unforgettable? Guests travel to and from their treehouse and explore the jungle via a network of zip lines.
Design notes
Built 30 to 40 metres above the ground, the open-air treehouses are fashioned from wooden beams and slats, and simply furnished with mosquito nets and mattresses.
Activities
There are several programmes to choose from; the two-night Classic Gibbon Experience comprises a relatively easy one-hour trek and plenty of free time to wander and spot the gibbons that give the project its name. The two-night Waterfall Gibbon Experience includes a two- to three-hour trek daily that will take you deeper into the jungle.
Dining
Warm meals – think rice and a varied assortment of Laotian dishes – are prepared in the resort’s kitchen and delivered to your treehouse by zip line daily.
SEE ALSO: The hotel hot list 2018: Into the wild
This article was originally published in the September 2017 issue of Silkwinds magazine
