Travel tip: The craziest places to stay in the world

The all-inclusive standard hotel is too boring for you? Do you need the ultimate thrill and accommodations that you will remember for the rest of your life? We’ve put together the funkiest places to stay in the world – from green molehills with waterfalls to bunks on bookshelves. There is something suitable here. The craziest places to stay Let yourself be surprised! 

Lion Sands Chalkley Treehouses South Africa – With wild animals on you and you

The luxurious tree houses at Lion Sands Chalkley Treehouses in South Africa are truly spectacular and perfect for lovers. Spend the night in an open tree house in the middle of the African savannah, let yourself be enchanted by the starry sky and watch the roaming animals – this dream comes true here.

The tree houses are located near the Sabie River, so there is a very good chance of seeing lions, hyenas, hippos, and leopards, as well as prey such as kudu and impala. Despite being so close to wildlife, staying at the Chalkley Treehouses is completely safe. The 40-square-meter living space is built on stilts and is safe. So much luxury has its price, of course, but one is allowed to dream…

Four poster beds in the African savanna – the Chalkley Treehouses.

Glass igloos in Lapland – hello northern lights!

The glass igloos in the 4-star Arctic Resort Kakslauttanen in northern Lapland in Finland also deliver pure nature. They are oriented so that guests can gaze at the sky from the double bed – and with a bit of luck see the Northern Lights dancing across the arctic sky. Even in the heaviest of snowstorms, it stays comfortably warm inside the glass domes. In addition to spectacular overnight stays, Kakslauttanen has an extensive supporting program with husky, reindeer, and ice fishing safaris up its sleeve. Even weddings are celebrated here.

Comfortably warm even when the temperature is below zero: the glass igloos from Kakslauttanen.

The craziest places to stay

If you’re lucky, the Northern Lights will dance across the arctic sky.

Prison island Långholmen in Stockholm – a guest in prison

For almost 200 years, thousands of prisoners cast longing looks through the “Swedish curtains” of Långholmen. It’s hard to believe that just 14 years after the last inmate was released, the first volunteers returned. A bunch of crazy people? No, because Långholmen has been operating as a cozy prison hotel since 1989. The spartan times are long gone, today the cells have showers, toilets, telephones, televisions, and WiFi. And there is no shortage of fun either: parties in convict clothing are regularly organized for large groups of guests.

Simple elegance or a memorial to the past? The corridors of Långholmen.

Scandinavian simple but cozy: the cells of Långholmen.

Crazy hotel: “Dock Inn” in Warnemünde – sleeping in a container

Germany’s first container hotel ” Dock Inn ” is right next to the Warnow shipyard. The name says it all because the entire hotel consists of former containers that have been refurbished, insulated, painted, and stylishly expanded. Sound uncomfortable? no way! The short sides of the containers have been removed and replaced by large windows, heaters ensure cozy warmth and private bathrooms are also available. There are suites, double rooms, and 25 square meter dorms; a cinema container, a bouldering hall, restaurants, a casino, WiFi, and a galley for self-cooking. The Dock Inn is largely barrier-free and dogs are also allowed. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Eden Motel Taiwan – Be Batman for a night

Don’t worry! If you book “The Batcave” at the Eden Motel (editor’s note: now unfortunately closed) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, you don’t have to dangle from the ceiling like a bat to sleep. Rather, the room is modeled after Batman’s cave and peppered with all sorts of memorabilia – even a replica of the Batmobile is available. Live like a comic book hero – even if it’s just for one night.

Childhood dreams come true here – “The Batcave” at the Eden Motel in Taiwan.

Hobbit Motel New Zealand – Am I in Middle-earth?

Those who prefer Frodo to Batman should check out the Hobbit Motel in Otorohanga, New Zealand. The unusual accommodation is located in Woodland Park (you can also spend the night here on a train or parked bomber) and is faithfully based on the Hobbit dwellings from the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Here, too, you spend the night underground and the next morning the view through the typical round hobbit window awaits you. Up to six people can stay in the hobbit caves with a large living room, kitchen, shower, and toilet. The caves are made of polystyrene blocks, nice and cool in the summer and pleasantly warm in the winter. A visit is worthwhile at any time of the year.

Tip: The Hobbit Motel is near the Waitomo Caves.

Accommodation a la Frodo and Bilbo: The Hobbit Motel in Otorohanga, New Zealand.

Wanderlust Hotel Singapore – a storm for the senses

noun est omen? Not necessarily. ” Wanderlust Hotel ” – may sound like a retirement home in the Dolomites, but it is one of Singapore‘s trendiest boutique hotels and accommodation and art projects at the same time. Singapore’s award-winning design agencies Asylum, Phunk Studio, and furious were commissioned to design the rooms. The result is a creative mix of different styles. No two rooms are alike, industrial glam meets eccentricity, and surreal fairyland meets minimalism. A storm on the senses!

The hip boutique hotel Wanderlust used to be a school. The facade has remained.

Book and Bed Hotel Tokyo – Snooze on the bookshelf

Bookworms who can’t put their books down even when traveling, are in good hands in the “accommodation bookshop” Book and Bed in Tokyo. Fluffy down duvets are not a thing here, but there are tons of books and loungers on which you can unabashedly doze off when your eyes get tired from reading so much. Those who need more privacy can also retreat to small bunks between the bookshelves. Even hygiene is not neglected: there is a room with a sink for washing your cat and brushing your teeth.

Read until you drop – this is expressly desired in Book and Bed.

Even hygiene is not neglected in the Book and Bed.

Skylodge Adventure Suites Peru – sleep like in a bird’s nest

Gigantic? Outstanding? breathtaking? An adjective that does justice to the Skylodge Adventure Suits in Peru has yet to be invented. In the middle of the Valle Sagrado, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and 400 meters above the ground, three completely transparent capsules are mounted on the rocks and offer a phenomenal view over the landscape even from the bathroom. Although the lodges are modeled on a bird’s nest, nobody has to do without luxury. A gourmet dinner including wine is served, and breakfast is served in the morning. The ascent alone is a small challenge because instead of a comfortable elevator, a climbing tour on iron rungs and wire ropes awaits visitors. But as the saying goes: No pain, no gain…

Montaña Mágica Lodge Chile – living under the waterfall

Anyone who has always wanted to know how a hibernating hamster feels during hibernation will find it best in the Montaña Mágica Lodge. The hotel is located in the middle of the UNESCO nature reserve Huilo Huilo in the Patagonian rainforest and looks like a gigantic molehill. The architecture is based on a volcano and a waterfall flows along the completely green outer walls. Inside, cozy apartments, reading rooms, a mini golf course, a 5-star restaurant, and an indoor pool made of old tree trunks await visitors

Hotel Cristal Samaña Bolivia – Salt and Feng Shui

A shelter made entirely of salt? Yes, there is! The Hotel Cristal Samaña stands on the edge of the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt lake in the world, and the midst of a spectacular landscape of moon-like depressions and bizarre salt formations. Floors, walls, ceilings – even the beds in the 29 rooms and suites are made of salt. And as if that wasn’t extraordinary enough, the architecture and furnishings of the hotel are designed according to the theory of harmony of Feng Shui.

Photo credits in order of appearance

• Featured image: Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Lapland, Finland
• Four-poster bed in the African savannah. Photo: Lion Sands Game Reserve
• Comfortably warm even when the temperature is below zero: the glass igloos from Kakslauttanen. Image: Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Lapland, Finland
• If you’re lucky, the Northern Lights will dance across the arctic sky. Image: Image: Valtteri Hirvonen, Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort
• Simple elegance or a memorial to the past? The corridors of Långholmen. Photo: Långholmen Hotell och Restaurang AB
• Scandinavian simple but cozy: the “cells” of Långholmen. Photo: Långholmen Hotell och Restaurang AB
• Childhood dreams come true here – The “Batcave” at the Eden Motel in Taiwan. Image: Eden Motel Taiwan
• Accommodation a la Frodo and Bilbo: The Hobbit Motel in Otorohanga, New Zealand. Image: Woodlyn Park
• Read until you drop – this is expressly desired in Book an Bed. Image: Book and Bed Tokyo
• Even hygiene is not neglected in the Book and Bed. Image: Book and Bed Tokyo