Travel Explorer Magazine Issue 4

More documents

Recommendations

Info

SWEDEN’S TREE HOTEL Words & Photos by Robbie Sinclair Taking time out to do nothing can be much harder than we think. Yes, we can book our white sand ‘fly and flop’ holiday and our city break spa day, but do we actually switch off? Many of us are so focused on getting the digital thumbs up from social media followers, that we fail to stop and actually look and listen to what is happening around us. On my recent trip to Sweden I did just that and it’s changed my perspective on weekend breaks and allowed me to take some much-needed time out. After a few nights staying at The Ice Hotel we started our 3 or so hour car journey to The Tree Hotel. As it was September the long stretches of road were lined with the most beautifully coloured leaves marking the changing of the seasons. Rich reds and spicy orange colours littered the green landscape that looked like the perfect picture postcard. The air was crisp and the quiet roads made this all feel like it was all mine, I didn’t have to share it with anyone, no pedestrians, no drivers, just me, my partner and the few birds that soared above us. According to our sat-nav we had reached our destination and as we turned into the car park of the humble cottage of Kent and Britta, owners and masterminds behind the Tree hotel, I couldn’t imagine that this was the birthplace of the incredible feats of design I had seen online in my quest for the perfect tree house hide-away. To check in, we entered the warm home that instantly transported us back to times gone by. A strong mid 20th century theme ran throughout the home that was used for check-in, breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as charming relaxation spots. Well-loved armchairs and hand embroidered wall hangings put an instant smile on my face, and although I wasn’t born until 1983 I felt a huge sense of nostalgia. Many of these 1930’s - 1950’s trinkets that littered the shelves and walls took me straight back to my grandmother’s house. Before even meeting our hosts, I felt instantly cared for. I felt welcome. We were given the warm welcome we’d imagined and handed our set of keys for our home for the next couple of days. Our chirpy hostess gave us a simple map and pointed us in the direction of the tree houses after the usual jokes about the woods being home to “lions and tigers and bears - OH MY!”. She said she usually just does that joke for kids but thought I’d like it too! I did. As we started our 10-minute walk through the woods in search of our tree house we followed the route and caught our first glimpse of these magnificent marvels. The first room we saw, called ‘The Cabin’, loomed over us and sitting high in the trees, the capsule like structure told us that we were entering a world of floating homes and mind tricking architecture. As we continued up the path we caught a glimpse of the UFO room that looked like something from a 1980’s sci-fi movie. Just as we almost missed it I saw a glint of sunlight hit a large square structure up in the trees and realised that I had walked past the Mirror Cube room without even seeing it! Our room; The Blue Cone (which is actually red) stood bold amongst the green trees that surrounded it. We crossed the bridge to the door and turned the key; our room was cosy and optimised Scandinavian design with light wood and sheep skin rugs. A large window delivered the most breath-taking views that sat opposite the large bed that was cocooned in a cubby and added to that comforting feeling. A small ladder led up to a mezzanine level which housed 30 | RB COLLECTION | TRAVEL EXPLORER Travel Explorer Magazine Issue 4.indd 30 15/01/2018 12:46
two small children’s beds and a skylight for viewing the northern lights, one of the main attractions for visiting this part of Scandinavia. After scrubbing up in the traditional Swedish style shower and sauna lodge close to my room I got ready for our casual but quaint dinner at the cottage locally known as Britta’s pensionat. On our descent to dinner we took a quick detour to a viewing platform to watch the sun cast an orange glow over us as it set. Night creeped in and a smoky mist started to cloak the forest floor like a chalky blanket. This place really did feel like a fairy tale and those earlier jokes of lions and tigers and bears came back with my imagination running away with itself. For dinner, we were given one of the private dining spaces; a chintzy snug of a room littered with decorative plates, busy patterns and charming historical family photos that told the story of this homely space through the years. We were served traditional dishes of tender reindeer steak, hearty soup and lots of red wine; my mouth is watering as I type! Full and sleepy we left for bed and as we entered our cosy blue (red) cone tree house a full moon sat slap bang in the centre of our window. The soft blueish glow from the room backlit the high trees that stood in-front of our ‘room with a view’, and as I drifted off to sleep I realised that I hadn’t checked my phone, my social media or my emails all day. This place is magical, it tricked me into forgetting about my stressful job and my day to day worries, it taught me how important it is to take time out and to take care of myself and it gave me the best night’s sleep I’ve had in years. Over breakfast the next morning we met Kent and Britta and asked them hundreds of questions about how they got started with the Tree Hotel project, and listening to their stories about the ups and downs of such a huge task made me love this place more. The Tree Hotel isn’t just another gimmick hot spot to tick off a list, it’s a sustainable jigsaw of jaw dropping architecture and a home away from home - albeit a very surreal home! This place was built with love and as I gorge my way through the best breakfast I’ve eaten, and I learned how much Britta and Kent care about their town and the wildlife that flourishes here. We say our goodbyes and as we drive away I feel calmer than I have in a long time. TREE HOTEL READER OFFER - Return flights - Private return car transfers - 3 nights on full board - Guided tour of the tree houses - Complimentary Sauna access All for only £1,299 per person Terms & Conditions: Mention ‘Travel Explorer’ when you book. Offer may be withdrawn at anytime, valid on new bookings made before 31/3/18 only. 31 | RB COLLECTION | TRAVEL EXPLORER Travel Explorer Magazine Issue 4.indd 31 15/01/2018 12:46
Page 1 and 2: TRAVEL EXPLORER Issue 04| Winter /
Page 3 and 4: 5 24 28 35 43 CONTENTS 5 8 20 24 OU
Page 5 and 6: OUR TRAVELS: DOWN MEMORY LANE It is
Page 7 and 8: 7 | RB COLLECTION | TRAVEL EXPLORER
Page 9 and 10: VOTE & WIN The entries are in and w
Page 11 and 12: 1. Silk Ruffle blouse, £198, DVF 2
Page 13 and 14: THE QUIET EMIRATE... Who: Nathan wi
Page 15 and 16: LISA VISITS THE SEYCHELLES British
Page 17 and 18: MAJORCA’S OTHER SIDE... Palma The
Page 19 and 20: DISCONNECT: CARIBBEAN If like me, y
Page 21 and 22: With so many coffees to choose from
Page 23 and 24: That evening we dined at the Dorfal
Page 25 and 26: READERS OFFER: CHERRY BLOSSOM TOUR
Page 27 and 28: Photos from top left: Downtown Colo
Page 29: ‘... it was time for us to vacate
Page 33 and 34: Food in this part of Croatia is ess
Page 35 and 36: TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE Ahead of the Wo
Page 37 and 38: WESTERN CANADA Words: David Wickers
Page 39 and 40: 39 | RB COLLECTION | TRAVEL EXPLORE
Page 41 and 42: Who: Nicola Brereton What: Luxury T
Page 43 and 44: SUMMERTIME SUGGESTIONS Looking for
Page 45 and 46: LONG LIVE THE HOLIDAY MEMORY Words
Page 47 and 48: Save £500 per person on 2018 and 2

Travel Explorer Magazine Issue 4

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?