A stunning new accommodation has been unveiled near the town of Odda in Norway that sees guests sleeping in a cosy and tranquil treehouse built in a forest that overlooks the magnificent Hardanger Fjord.
Called Woodnest Treehouse, the hideaway is owned and operated by husband and wife team Sally and Kjartan Aano. When they first met in Sydney, the pair had each written a secret bucket list for life before sharing it with the other. To their surprise, they had both included that they wanted to live in a treehouse on their respective lists.
“We had a long distance relationship for a while before I moved to Norway. Kjartan had always remembered that bucket list, and he actually secretly built a treehouse on his own, with the plan of proposing to me in it! Of course I said yes. It was ten meters-high, and you had to climb the branches to get into the trap door at the top. It became our escape, our recharge space, our date night and weekend getaway, and from that first treehouse came our plans to build something that others could enjoy,” Sally told Lonely Planet.
The couple spoke with Norwegian architects Helen&Hard, who took their treehouse design and made it into something fit for guests. The two unusual structures were each designed with one tree running through the middle with little support from elsewhere. “We wanted to create something that people saw and said ‘wow’. They have breath-taking views over the Hardanger Fjord and can put their feet up and relax in the woods. We want it to be an experience, not just an overnight stay.”
The cosy spaces are just 15-square-meters, and offer sleeping capacity for up to four people. They include electricity, a small kitchenette, a stove top, mini fridge, and high speed Wi-Fi. They have flushing toilets and showers, and even boast under-floor heating to keep guests warm on winter nights.
A short thirty-minute hike is needed to arrive at the site, which has taken steps to be as environmentally-friendly as possible. Local and natural products have been provided, such as the handmade chemical-free soap and freshly-baked local sourdough. The two treehouses are deep cleaned and disinfected after each guest, and contact with staff is minimal.
“We have been overwhelmed by the positive responses we received from our guests, this brings us so much joy! We only opened in mid-September and we were fully booked for three months ahead in the first weeks. This has been a great relief for us and something we are very humbled by,” Sally said. More information on Woodnest is available at the official website.
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