If the bustle of Hong Kong life is making you want to head for the hills, look no further than these lush green retreats for a forest escape: From luxury treehouses to reclusive resorts nestled in the heart of earth’s wildest jungles, your spirits will be soothed in no time.
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- Como Shambhala Estate, Bali
- Mashpi Lodge, Ecuador
- Blancaneaux Lodge, Belize
- Amanyangyun, Shanghai
- Beniya Mukayu, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
- Revugia Spa and Wellness Resort, Germany
- Keemala, Phuket
- andBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, Tanzania
- Domaine de Puybéton: Chateaux Dans Les Arbres, France
- Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur
Not only are you nestled in the tranquil greenery of the Ubud jungles, you’re also met with good-for-you activities everywhere you turn at this ultimate wellness escape. Ayurvedic healing, yoga and fitness, nutrition, and of course, plenty of spa treatments await you at the award-winning Como Shambhala Estate.
Como Shambhala Estate, Banjar Begawan, Desa Melinggih Kelod, Payangan, Gianyar 80571, Bali, Indonesia
Located in the northwest corner of Quito, the capital of Ecuador, this private nature reserve sits 950m above sea level amidst the cloud forests and rainforests, making for a dramatic backdrop to explore earth’s green lung — not to mention the vibrant ecosystems within. The Lodge rooms are designed with floor-to-ceiling windows for you to enjoy the nightly show or to wake up amongst the vines.
Mashpi Lodge, Reserva Privada Mashpi, Mashpi 150150, Ecuador
The 20-room Blancaneaux Lodge is lush, private and impossibly cinematic — as expected for a property belonging to Francis Ford Coppola’s estate. After the filmmaker visited Belize for the first time in the early 1980’s, the lodge was used as a family hideaway before opening to the public in 1993. Wake up in your exotic thatched roof cabana and fill your days with exploring sapphire waterfalls, steamy jungle paths and excursions to ancient Mayan civilisations.
Blancaneaux Lodge, Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve, Belize
Just 20 minutes’ drive away from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Amanyangyun stands amidst an ethereal forest of ancient camphor trees. It’s made up of 26 remastered Ming and Qing dynasty houses, moved brick by brick from Fuzhou — famed for its ancient architecture and literary talents. The retreat pays careful attention to conservation of the arts and history, and is an ideal locale for spiritual introspection. Celebrate its one-year anniversary with a package that includes a blessing ritual under the King Camphor Tree.
Amanyangyun, 6161 Yuanjiang Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 201111, China
If a zen respite is what you’re after, Beniya Mukayu is an intimate and stylishly minimalist 17-room retreat in the midst of the Yamashiro Onsen countryside — one of the largest hot spring resort areas in Ishikawa Prefecture. Each room features its own open-air bath. A vibrant backdrop of red pine, cherry, maple and camellia make for the perfect place to sip tea, meditate, dine on Kaga region delicacies, and while away a few blissful days of doing sweet, sweet nothing.
Beniya Mukayu, 55-1-3 Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga, Ishikawa, 922-0242 Japan
Slated to open by the end of 2019, Revugia is a new wellness retreat nestled in the heart of Germany’s Black Forest. Designed by Matthias Arndt, founder of German architecture firm Lichtecht, the suites and treehouses are like otherworldly glass and timber cubes — with the intent to have minimal impact on the land. With plenty of wood, natural stone and glass, each cabin creates a seamless experience connecting the indoors to the wilderness.
Revugia, Schwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Proving that pool villas don’t have to be all sea and sun, Phuket’s Keemala resort is an enchanting wonderland of eclectic villas, ranging from luxurious clay homes set in the hills to tented pool villas to extravagant bird’s nest structures perched on the mountainside. Located in the rainforests of Kamala, there’s lush greenery everywhere you look.
Keemala, 10/88 Moo 6, Nakasud Road, Kamala, Kathu, Phuket, 83150, Thailand
Surrounded by an ancient mahogany forest within Tanzania’s Lake Manyara National Park, andBeyond is the only permanent lodge in the park grounds. The tree lodge comprises 10 romantic stilted treehouse suites, allowing for sophistication and privacy as well as elegance and comfort in raw leafy surrounds. Guests are offered safaris in remote, game-rich locales twice a day, including night drives. The area is known for its abundant bird species, tree-climbing lions and the nearby soda lake with pink flamingos.
andBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania
Ever dreamed of having your own castle among the treetops? Now you can — in the heart of Perigord, these luxury treehouses float above the lands that were once the Domaine de Puybéton castle stronghold. Today, these luxurious castles in the sky have replaced the crumbled chateau, offering charming, bucolic views over the old moat — with private spa baths and saunas to boot.
Domaine de Puybéton, 24440 Nojals-et-Clotte, France
The name Big Sur may draw to mind images of the coastal cliffs of central California, but Post Ranch Inn offers a romantic escape with an array of views: looking out to the Pacific Ocean, taking in the mountain peaks, or for a cosier, introverted hideaway, sleeping next to the towering pines. Triangular in shape, treehouses are each fitted out with a King bed, fireplace and skylight for you to admire the natural beauty surrounding you.
Post Ranch Inn, 47900 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920, USA
