How about having one of the world’s greatest wonders to look out over as you enjoy your evening meal? The Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge boasts not one but two restaurants with a view.
Since the lodge is just seconds away from the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu you can see the outer walls of the ruins and the Urubamba mountain range. Several hundred meters below is the Urubamba river and, above that, a thick layer of forest hiding countless species of rare orchids.
The hotel began back in the 1970s when the Peruvian government built a temporary hotel on the top of the mountain just steps from the entry to Machu Picchu as a way to show off the ruins. As the ruins became a popular tourist destination, the hotel became a permanent fixture and although some people see the hotel as an unwelcome intrusion into the mystical ruins’ isolated setting, it is here to stay.
Formerly a rather plain hotel, the rustic inn was taken over by Orient-Express Hotels and transformed into a pricey luxury lodge. The Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge has one of the most dramatic and unique settings in the world and is the only hotel to stay in if you want to be perched right next to the ruins.
A reference in modern architecture and originality, Unique’s spacey, green copper façade alone makes this hotel unlike any other. Located in the well-heeled residential area of Jardins, and just meters from Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo’s largest green area, the building rises like a gracious ocean liner in dry-dock. Shielding dark glass and a desert garden of mini, sand-toned cubes of rock, palms and agaves are the first impressions that the hotel offers. Dramatic high internal spaces such as the lobby are excentuated and illuminated with walls of beige marble, and sharp, geometric themes make the spectacle even grander. A carefully choreographed spectrum of circles and squares, ellipses and sine curves flow in and out of each other, softened by wooden flooring, sleek white furnishings and transparent glass tables and fittings. The rooftop terrace displays amazing views of the city, if you manage to take your eyes off of the fascinating crimson red swimming pool.
HostelTrail is an online network of hostels and tour companies in Latin America providing up-to-date information for backpackers and independent travellers. The UK project was started in 2006 with the idea of bringing together the largest and the smallest hostels and tour companies in Latin America.
Meet Exploranter, a whole new concept in overland coach travel for those with a free spirit and the ability to sleep with bunk mates. Move aside Greyhound, Exploranter brings the cushy leather seats, the kitchen, the beds and the shower along for the journey. Think Winnebago meets tour bus.
On the banks of Peru’s Madre de Dios River in the heart of a 29,000-acre private ecological reserve deep in the Amazon rainforest, you will find the Inkaterra Canopy Tree House. The humble thatch-roofed house sleeps just two people, and is accessed via a series of hanging bridges, almost 30 metres off the ground. The house is equipped with 2 single beds, a wooden table, chairs, wash basin, portable toilet, and windows with removable mosquito netting, providing natural light and 360-degree vistas of the surrounding flora and fauna. During the day, orchids, hummingbirds, toucans, monkeys and other wildlife are an arm’s length away, while at dusk, nocturnal species come to life for evening excursions and stargazing along Inkaterra’s hanging 1,130-foot-long canopy walkway. In the evenings guests can listen to the amazing jungle sounds whilst unwinding at the relaxing canopy bar. The tree house comes with its own canopy butler, contactable by walkie-talkie, and guests can enjoy an intimate dinner for two on the platform or a late-night Pisco Sour. If sleeping at a heart-stopping 90ft above the ground becomes too much to handle, guests can descend to pre-arranged ground-level accommodation.
What do you do with an abandoned military installation in the middle of the Panamanian jungle? For avid bird-watcher, businessman, and nature conservationist, Raul Arias de Para, the answer to this question was simple: turn it into a unique ecolodge and rainforest canopy observation post. His dream finally came true in January 1999 with the opening of the Canopy Tower Ecolodge and Nature Observatory in Soberania National Park, a 55,000-acre wilderness reserve bordering the Panama Canal.
Parrot Nest Lodge is a truly unique tropical experience. Spending the night under a 100 foot Guanacaste tree in a thatched tree house is like nothing else. The lodge is surrounded on three sides by the Mopan River, so a refreshing swim in clear water is never far away and the wildlife of the area abounds.
This is a fun and quirky concept hotel: 7 ‘geodesic’ (spherical) domes with removable roofs set in the stunning Elqui Valley, famed for clear skies that attract astronomers from all over the world, as well as for its potent local liquor, pisco. Conceived in 2003 by local businessman and astronomer Esteban Zarate, who spotted a star-shaped gap in the market, Elqui Domos is a true retreat from the world. Its small size confers a feeling of exclusivity and intimacy, for a very reasonable price tag.
Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel is located 35 miles from Manuas, Brazil at the confluence of the Rio Negro and Ariau Creek. Built entirely at the level of the rainforest canopy, Ariau’s towers are linked together by 4 miles of sturdy wooden catwalks. This architectural wonder affords visitors a unique communion with the regions abundant flora and fauna while leaving the fragile eco-system completely undisturbed.
Located within the Huilo Huilo Private Natural Reserve, Chile, The Magic Mountain Hotel is without a doubt one of most unique hotels in South America. The architecture alone is sure to astound you with its unique beauty and location.