Why stay in an ordinary hotel or holiday cottage when you could sleep in a treehouse, a gypsy caravan or a fort? These quirky places to stay are so much fun that you – and your kids – won’t want to leave at the end of your holiday. Here’s our pick of some of the most fun places to stay with kids around the world. Which would you choose?
A fairytale treehouse on the South Downs
This delightfully higgledy-piggledy house is perched in the trees of one of the world’s wackiest campsites. The Hansel and Gretel-style house has a kitchen, a wood-burning stove and a shower in the wonky turret. It’s the latest addition to the eccentric camping site where families can choose to sleep in a full-size helicopter or a double-decker bus with a soft play area upstairs. Blackberry Wood campsite is on the South Downs, only eight miles from Brighton.
A thatched igloo in Goa
The grass-roofed domes of this Indian hideaway in Goa are shaded by coconut palms beside an idyllic white sandy beach. The rooms are simple, but chic and there are hammocks among the palm trees and toys and paints on hand for children. The atmosphere at night is magical when the resort is lit up with strings of fairy lights and paper lanterns.
A gypsy caravan in Devon
Sleeping in a gypsy caravan has to be one of the most fun places to stay with kids. If you venture deep into the Devon countryside you’ll find four beautifully restored gypsy caravans in a meadow beside a stream on the edge of a wood. You can collect eggs from the farm to cook breakfast over your campfire. On rainy days there’s table football, board games and table tennis in the barn and when the weather’s good you’re close enough to explore Exmoor National Park and some of Devon’s best beaches.
A rainforest lodge in Peru
Children at Reserva Amazonica in the Peruvian rainforest are given explorer kits so that they can do nature trails into the Amazon. This is an incredible place to spot wildlife and you can take anaconda walks, canoe rides and twilight boat trips as well as try out the wonderful canopy walkway, 30 metres above the ground. The 35 wooden eco lodges here are glamorous treehouses, some with private plunge pools and outdoor showers.
A fort in Alderney
You can sleep in an old gun battery in this fort on the island of Alderney – there are bedrooms in the magazines, gatehouses and guardrooms of Fort Clonque. The Victorian fort is perched on a group of rocks which is reached over a spectacular causeway and a drawbridge. It was built to protect the Channel Islands from capture by the French and originally housed 55 men with two officers. It’s not such a squeeze nowadays and sleeps 13 in far more comfortable surroundings. Thrillingly, at high tide, the fort is cut off from the rest of the island.
A TreeHotel in Swedish Lapland
Can you imagine staying in a treehouse designed to look like a UFO or a bird’s nest? The six eco-friendly tree houses here have been built in a tall pine forest in Swedish Lapland and combine style, fun and adventure in such a perfect package that they won Best Family Hotel in Mr & Mrs Smith’s recent awards. It’s certainly one of our most fun places to stay with kids. Once you’ve decided which tree house to go for, the hardest decision is whether to visit in summer or winter. In the winter you can go dog sledding, take a snowman building class, visit the Arctic Circle and see the Northern Lights but in the summer there’s bear spotting in the Midnight Sun, white water padding and horse riding at midnight. Decisions, decisions…
A houseboat in Amsterdam
What better way to experience the canals of Amsterdam than on your very own houseboat? This old Dutch barge from the 1920s is big enough for a family with its two bedrooms and large living room with a wood burning stove and piano. It’s moored in the Docklands area which has water clean enough to swim in and the houseboat has toys like Lego, Playmobil and a wooden train set to play with, together with a water play area on the deck.
A railway carriage on the beach in Sussex
You can combine a love of Thomas the Tank Engine and sandcastles by staying in these restored 19th-century railway carriages right on the seafront in the seaside town of Selsey in West Sussex. The carriages were converted into holiday homes after the First World War and have wonderful views of the sea from their terrace. There are four bedrooms so it’s big enough for two families staying together. When you’re tired of the beach, places to explore nearby include the delightful town of Chichester, local nature reserves and the Roman palace at Fishbourne.
A log cabin in Lake Tahoe
There are amazing views of the lake and pine mountains from this lakeside cabin at Lake Tahoe. Parents will love the fabulous home with its large rooms, log fire and hot tub on the deck but the kids will be more delighted by the stand up paddleboard, kayak and rowing boat that they can use on the lake, just a short walk away. This makes a great base in winter too – the cabin is just a short drive from the ski slopes. Moana Circle is on the west shore of Lake Tahoe and is large enough to sleep 11.
