14 design-led cabins, lodges and luxury treehouses to book for a dreamy nature escape

Situated atop a picturesque hillside deep in the mountains of Hoang Lien National Park, Topas Ecolodge is a boutique resort that combines rustic charm with modern convenience and sustainability, perfect for eco-conscious travellers.

Each of the individual chalets is crafted from local white granite and offers breathtaking views of the mountain peaks from a private balcony, ensuring maximum privacy amidst nature.

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Located at the intersection of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle is a one-of-a-kind luxury retreat with an adventurous spirit, designed by renowned architect Bill Bensley. On the ground, interactions with rescued elephants and explorations of mountain trails await.

After a day of adventure, breezy treetop tents welcome guests with a dreamy outdoor shower or a wooden hot tub for a personalised wellness experience cocooned by nature, against a backdrop of uninterrupted views over the Ruak River and the jungles of Myanmar beyond.

Perched on a ridge in the heart of the Himalayas, The Kumaon offers a serene mountain retreat with spectacular views of the Nanda Devi Range. The retreat’s luxurious suites come with floor-to-ceiling windows and private terraces to take in the views of the surrounding valleys and undulating Himalayan mountains.

Designed by Zowa Architects, the lower suites were built using locally quarried stone in the fashion of Kumaoni village homes, while the upper floors were constructed out of fly ash bricks clad with bamboo sticks and copper wire. Another noteworthy detail: The rooms are equipped with traditional wood-burning bukharis for extra warmth and comfort in the mountains.

Set along the scenic Banks Peninsula in New Zealand, Annandale is a working coastal farm with five secluded villas designed by Patterson Associates, including a fully restored 19th-century homestead, as well as vibrant gardens.

One of the farm’s most coveted stays is the modern Seascape villa; with its turf roof, stone walls and glass façade, it offers a romantic retreat overlooking a private bay, in which dolphins and seals can be spotted frolicking. Guests can enjoy farm-to-table cuisine and a wealth of outdoor adventures beyond.

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Longitude 131 is an award-winning luxury camp at the heart of Australia’s Red Centre, offering views of both the Uluru and Kata Tjuta formations. The camp’s tented pavilions, originally designed by Philip Cox with recent refurbishment works by Max Pritchard, are characterised by their signature sense of “outback glamour”.

The most luxurious accommodation at Longitude 131, the generous Dune Pavilion features separate living and sleeping areas, an outdoor deck, a fireplace, a private plunge pool, and a series of custom furnishings and artworks crafted by local artists.

If sleeping amid pristine, untamed nature is what you’re looking for, consider a stay at Juvet, a collection of seven petite cabins on stilts, with glass walls that let in clear views of the Norwegian forest and the river below, while still maintaining privacy thanks to careful orientation.

While each cabin is unique, the award-winning design by Jensen & Skodvin Architects emphasises a common dark interior that keeps the cabins minimalistic and avoids upstaging the surrounding landscape.

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Sweden’s Treehotel offers a unique blend of rest and exploration with its unconventional treehouse designs.

One of its most iconic offerings, the Biosphere room, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, immerses guests in the Swedish ecosystem, up close and personal with the local birdlife. The unusual structure is entangled in the canopy of trees and accessible via a suspended bridge, adding to the magic of this unique stay.

Other rooms include the Mirrorcube, The Bird’s Nest, The 7th Room, and the UFO, each designed by a different renowned architecture practice and offering a distinct and memorable experience in the treetops.

Designed by owner and architect Martin Gruber, Freiform is pitched as a hybrid of a guest house and a nature observatory in Italy’s South Tyrol region, bordering the Dolomites.

Shaped like an organic walk-in sculpture, this modern cabin offers a chance to disconnect and immerse yourself in nature. The dynamic interiors continually change with the seasons as light and weather patterns become one with the design, making it worth a visit any time of the year.

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Panoramic views, romantic nights by the fire and plenty of opportunity for stargazing and sleeping under the stars—that’s just some of what you’ll find at Neugrad, a unique retreat of sustainably built cabins by Mitto Architekten, situated in the heart of Germany’s Eifel National Park.

Choose between a cabin with a stargazing window right above the bed, something cosy with a built-in sauna, or a family-friendly layout to bring the kids along.

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Located in the Dordogne’s Landais Forest, Terre et Toi is made up of three handcrafted cabins, each nestled among the oaks and overlooking the retreat’s wild swimming lake. Built with sustainable, locally sourced materials, including oak and clay from the cabins’ land, they reflect the natural beauty of their surroundings.

The Skylark cabin is a particular favourite, built into the tree canopies over two floors with clear glass doors and windows that lend light-filled interiors and maximise views of the natural setting. Upstairs, French doors open onto a king-size bed among the branches, where the serene beauty of the stars above and the reflection of the moonlight on the lake will lull you to sleep.

Seen all over Instagram, the three Tye River Cabins are located in the wilderness just outside of Skykomish, in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Constructed as dreamy A-frame cabins that comfortably sleep a family of four, they are equipped with all of the necessities you could wish for during your stay, and, of course, make for quite the Instagrammable getaway at the heart of the forest.

You’ll discover The Ranch at Rock Creek hidden away in one of Montana’s most pristine valleys, in the vicinity of five sublime mountain peaks. The ranch offers luxurious accommodation that revives Western heritage in a 19th-century homestead, refurbished by Jet Zarkadas to introduce modern comforts and award-winning hospitality.

Accommodation options range from one-bedroom lodge studios to five-bedroom homes, each featuring custom furniture and curated antiques that echo the homestead’s rich heritage.

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Nimmo Bay provides an immersive, remote retreat into the coveted landscape of British Columbia, with tailored wilderness, wildlife, culinary, and wellness experiences.

Whether you choose to stay in one of the ocean-facing intertidal cabins or a forest cabin, the latter located beside a natural stream and waterfall, you’ll have plenty of room and all of the amenities and services you could wish for while taking the precious time to reconnect with the outdoors.

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