Unusual Places to Stay with Kids Outside Europe

Unusual or downright weird places to stay are always a winner with kids – much more so than any bland five-star hotel room. America, being the far-out place it is, is perhaps the world’s best hunting ground for quirky accommodation – tipis, hobbit huts or a giant bird's nest, anyone? – but we’ve picked out something all over the globe to tempt every adventurous family.

'Set in a historic 1930s manor surrounded by indigenous forest, Giraffe Manor is a unique Kenyan hotel with a resident herd of endangered Rothschild’s giraffes who like nothing more than snuffling pancakes through the windows.'

USA

Winvian

Home to all manner of unconventional luxury accommodation, this 113-acre estate is only a two-hour drive from New York City and perfect for an America family holiday with a difference. Winvian features 18 unique cottages, each with a different theme. Airwolf fans will love staying in the hangar-like ‘Helicopter’, which sleeps five and features a restored Sikorsky Sea King kitted out with a widescreen TV, bar and a wood-burning stove, while the Greco-Egyptian style ‘Secret Society’ is like stepping into a swanky Ivy League clubhouse and has a glass canopy for a ceiling, perfect for stargazing.

Winvian offers plenty of free amenities, including snow shoes, mountain bikes and canoes, plus extra activities such as yoga, horse-riding and campfire roasts. It’s not cheap, but under-fives go free and there are sometimes mid-week savings.

Saugerties Lighthouse

Another famous American landmark, this mid-19th-century (but still operational) redbrick lighthouse on the Hudson River has wonderful views down to the Catskills. Located on a remote shoal and accessible only via a kilometre-long trail – where you can spot beavers, eagles and herons – this rather special two-room B&B is a great place for communing with nature. Note that it does get booked up months, even years, ahead. 

BRAZIL

Juma Amazon Lodge, Careiro Village

For a real jungle adventure on your Brazil family holiday, check out this gorgeous eco-friendly jungle hotel – great with older kids. Set in a remote, preserved area of the Amazon rainforest, it has 20 bungalows built on stilts that reach high into the treetops. Making full use of solar energy, the lodge is all about environmental responsibility and also offers adventurous guests an array of amazing tours including wildlife spotting, canoe trips and piranha fishing, all in an untouched corner of the Amazon. 

CHILE

Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve, Los Ríos

Tucked away in the heart of northern Patagonia, this place feels like you've landed in Enid Blyton's Magic Faraway Tree and is a dream way to see Chile with kids. It offers a clutch of different accommodation in the Valdivian rainforest, our favourite being Montaña Mágica Lodge, a wonderfully whimsical hotel reached only by a rope bridge. Designed to look like a mountain out of a fairytale, complete with a waterfall cascading from its pinnacle roof, it has 13 rooms, plus 11 cabins sleeping 4–6. Look out for condors and eagles in the skies and pumas on the ground.

Also in the reserve you'll find Forest Cabins, a Canopy Village – actual cabins in the treetops, and Hotel Nothofagus, a glorious wooden built hotel in the shape of a beehive. It has 55 rooms and suites, all with views over the jungle. 

COSTA RICA

Peace Lodge at Waterfall Gardens, La Paz

Hidden away in the heart of La Paz Waterfall Gardens nature park, the Peace Lodge at Waterfall Gardens is something a little bit special for a Costa Rica family holiday. Great for families with kids of all ages, each of the 18 rooms in this upmarket forest lodge has a hot tub, plus a spacious balcony with far-reaching views over La Paz River Valley and the Poás Volcano. However, the highlight of a stay is the free access to the park, both when it's open and closed. Home to the largest animal sanctuary in Costa Rica, it's a great place for youngsters to see monkeys, sloths, puma, hummingbirds, macaws and toucans, away from the crowds. 

TURKEY

Museum Hotel, Cappadocia

Turkey with kids is always a winner, particularly when you can stay in an actual cave. The Museum Hotel in Cappadocia is perfect with wannabe historians aged 12 and over.  Overlooking the fairytale landscape of Cappadocia, the world’s first 'living museum' hotel is an amazing concept  - cave-dwellers had some proper style, it seems. Each with its own unique story and architectural style, the 34 cave and traditional stone rooms are filled with artefacts from Hittite, Roman, Seljuk and Ottoman eras. For a real treat, book one of the three pool suites, which feature beautiful indoor pools.

OMAN

Desert Nights Camp

Live out those Arabian Nights dreams on your next Oman family holiday with a few nights at the country's best desert retreat. Set on 10 acres of Wahiba Sands – two hours from Muscat – this luxury desert resort has 55 Bedouin-style tents, all with air conditioning, ensuite bathrooms and glorious views of the sands. For a real treat, book one of the swanky Pool Villas. It's great for all ages, with plenty of adrenaline-fuelled activities to keep tweens and teens happy, from dune bashing and sandboarding to sunset camel rides and bathing in Wadi Bani Khalid.

KENYA

Giraffe Manor, Nairobi

If you fancy sharing your breakfast with a bristly chinned giraffe, this the place for it. Set in a historic 1930s manor surrounded by indigenous forest, this unique Kenyan hotel is home to a resident herd of endangered Rothschild’s giraffes who like nothing more than snuffling pancakes through the windows. The Manor has 12 rooms, six in the original manor and six in the new wing, as well as a wellness centre and Daisy's Cafe. It's the perfect way to start your Kenya family holiday. 

SRI LANKA

See also our features on the eco-friendly Heritance Kandalama with its cave dining and elephant safaris and on its equally sustainable sister hotels the Heritance Tea Factory and the Rainforest Ecolodge.

Wild Coast Tented Lodge, Yala National Park

Stay where the jungle meets the Indian Ocean in this gorgeous luxury safari camp ideal for the ultimate Sri Lanka family holiday. Stay in one of 28 Cocoons scattered around watering holes and moments from a secluded beach. Each has soaring vaulted ceilings, four-poster beds and freestanding copper tubs. Enjoy daily game drives to spot leopards, elephants and sloth bears, walking safaris. and unique experiences such as Junior Ranger programmes. For those lazy days, there's an infinity pool, the Sanctuary Spa, and, of course, miles and miles of palm-fringed beaches.

KumbukRiver Eco Resort, Okkampitiya

Where else in the world can you sleep in the belly of a giant straw elephant? This eco-lodge 250km from Colombo blows kids’ minds; they may also spot real-life elephants in the moonlight, or glimpse peacocks roaming at sunrise. You can on a game drive or go trekking in Yala, Sri Lanka’s most famous wildlife sanctuary, next door. Explore the fascinating riverfront and miniature island, or take a guided tour of the region's historical sights, go night-driving to spot animals, or simply relax in the camp's herbal plunge pool.

See also our feature on the Best Wildlife Experiences in Sri Lanka with Kids.

THAILAND

Soneva Kiri, Koh Kood

For Thailand family holidays with all-out luxury, Soneva Kiri does not disappoint, from The Den, a giant manta ray shaped bamboo playground to Treepod Dining, a unique culinary experience where you dine in a bamboo pod suspended in the rainforest canopy, with drinks are delivered via a zip-line. The resort has 32 private villas with one to five bedrooms, private pools and a spectacular beach, jungle or clifftop setting. And there are plenty of great experiences, from rainforest adventure tours to night snorkelling amidst bioluminescent plankton and stargazing in the resort's private observatory.

Elephant Hills, Khao Sok

Rated among the best places to encounter elephants in Thailand with kids, this is one of the country's first tented safari camps, perfect for your nippers' first jungle experience. You'll sleep in gorgeous safari-style tents with ensuite bathrooms and private decks to relax on. Offering a truly hands-off approach to elephant experiences, the resort is entirely ethical and sustainable and includes feeding and observing Asian elephants in their natural environment. You can also stay on a unique floating camp on Cheow Lan Lake.

INDONESIA

Tiger Blue, Eastern Indonesia

Exploring Indonesia with kids should be high up on any family bucket list. For something completely different, book a sea safari around the beautiful rocky outcrops of eastern Indonesia. Perfect for more intrepid families looking to explore off the beaten track, Tiger Blue is a 34m luxury phinisi yacht that combines traditional design with modern comforts. It sleeps up to 12 in five cabins.

Snorkel, dive and kayak in pristine waters and see colourful coral reefs and spectacular marine life at Manta Point. Anchor down off islands such as Komodo and explore remote villages and visit Komodo National Park for dragon sightings. 

AUSTRALIA

Roar & Snore at Taronga Zoo, Sydney

When visiting Sydney with kids, one of the most magical family experiences you can have is this glamping experience in African-style safari tents, which includes a night tour of the conservation-focused zoo led by the keepers, a campfire under the stars, and the chance to peek behind the scenes of one of Australia's best-known zoos. For an elevated experience, check out Taronga's Wildlife Retreat, a luxury eco-hotel with 55 rooms and views over Sydney Harbour, Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Each stay includes two-day access to the zoo, breakfast and a guided tour. 

The Canopy Rainforest Treehouses & Wildlife Sanctuary

On your next Australia family holiday, stay in the heart of the Atherton Tablelands, famously home to lush waterfalls and oodles of wildlife including cassowaries, green possums and rare Lumholtz tree kangaroos. Stay in one of six two- and three-bedroomed treehouses in this 100-acre private wildlife sanctuary and wake up to the sound of parakeets, while red-legged Pademelon wallabies and coppery brushtail possums will visit your balcony every night.

NEW ZEALAND

Woodlyn Park Motel, Otorohanga

For Lord of the Rings fans, New Zealand family holidays are the dream. And what better place to stay than a hobbit motel? It's the latest addition to this unique, in-your-face farmstay just two hours from Auckland, where artist and NZ pioneer Billy Black Woolman also offers a quirky train motel, plane motel and boat motel. Located in Waikato, a two-hour drive from Rotorua, the area offers plenty of out-there activities include caving, black-water rafting, glow-worm walks, 4x4 biking, and horse riding.

FIJI

Poseidon Undersea Resort

Not yet open at the time of writing, this resort built underwater in the South Pacific will transport guests by helicopter and submarine to the middle of an enormous lagoon then down by lift to its guestrooms complete with acrylic transparent walls so that you can watch the marine life around you. Special family programs are promised.

By Tracey Davies

See also our features on Unusual Places to Stay in Europe.