Leaves rustle in the breeze, stars twinkle through the foliage, a barn owl hoots. Tucked up in the peaceful boughs of a tree, you feel not just close to nature but a part of it. Fortunately, treehouse designs have come a long way from makeshift shacks of flimsy wooden planks and rope ladders. The latest installations are stand-alone structures supported by steel frames with spiralling staircases that wind up to a large open room and an outdoor terrace. In these modern arboreal abodes you can enjoy all the creature comforts of a hotel, lots of natural light and a bird's-eye-view of the world. And the kids are in den heaven. Below are five of my favourites.
Perche dans le Perche, Normandy, France
Nestled among a 200-year-old sweet chestnut tree in the hills of southern Normandy, this treehouse at La Renardière offers splendid isolation. There are two double rooms (one has an extra single bed), a small kitchen and large shower room and you can eat breakfast (organic bread, home-made jams, seasonal fruit and yoghurt served in a picnic basket to your balcony) on a terrace looking out over green fields. The treehouse is surrounded by a nature reserve that is home to wild boar, roe deer, badgers, foxes and hares, as well as various species of birds and butterflies. Perché dans le Perche is also a good base for hill-walking and mushroom-picking in the nearby Parc Naturel Régional du Perche. You won't want to come back down to earth. greentraveller.co.uk
Orion B&B, South of France
Lounge in the lap of luxury at one of four plush cedarwood treehouses near Nice on the French Riviera. The stand-alone treehouses are built among oak and pine trees, 30m-high, and are reached via an outer wooden staircase leading to a large double bedroom and ensuite bathroom. 'Shere Khan' has a round teak bath while 'King Louie' has a footbridge over to the kids' bunk bed hideaway. Back on terra firma, you can soak up the sun by a gorgeous natural swimming pool and it's just a short walk to the pretty medieval village of St Paul de Vence. orionbb.com
The Suite on the Oak, Italy
If you wake up not knowing where you are, you'll soon be reminded that you are 8m up a tree when breakfast arrives via a pulley. Situated among lavender hills, this treehouse for two is a short walk from an olive grove on an organic agriturismo (La Piantata) near the old Etruscan town of Tuscania. The treehouse is in the dense foliage of a century-old oak; there's a four-poster bed, bathroom, shower and terrace. La Piantata is also a horse-riding centre and it's just a few kilometres to Lake Bolsena, where you can hire sail-boats for the day. lapiantata.it
Keycamp, Brittany
Here's one for the kids. A series of tree houses are available to hire at six of Keycamp's family-friendly French campsites — at Carnac Grand Metairie and Dol-de-Bretagne (both Brittany), at La Croix du Vieux Pont (near Disneyland), La Forêt (Vendée), Le Château des Marais (Loire), and Le Val de Bonnal (Jura). The domed, thatched tree houses are wrapped around the trunk of a tree about five metres off the ground, reached by a spiralling staircase. Each has one double and four single beds, plus a large decked terrace. greentraveller.co.uk
Kadir's Tree House Hotel, Turkey
A backpacker's mecca in deep forest at the foot of the Taurus Mountains on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. The rickety tree-houses (for four to six people) come in all quirky shapes and sizes (including some semi-covered platforms). Vegetarian food is served all day long and there are lots of activities on offer in the vicinity, including mountain-biking, canoeing, rock-climbing, and a forested walk to the sea. Expect crowds of people in the height of summer when it's one big party. kadirstreehouses.com
For more treehouse holidays, see greentraveller.co.uk.
Richard Hammond is the co-author of Clean Breaks — 500 new ways to see the world (Rough Guides, £18.99)
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