Why spend your well-earned holiday time in the Great Outdoors? For one thing, you might find yourself welcoming weather that can make a more ‘traditional’ holiday feel a tad disappointing.
Not sure what we mean? Beach breaks have a lot going for them… unless it happens to be raining. Five-star hotel suites are sumptuous and opulent, but if the sun is shining, you may feel like you’re missing out by being indoors.
Meanwhile, camping, glamping, treehouse-stays, and quirky al fresco retreats all offer remarkable natural views and a relaxed atmosphere that suit all kinds of weather – as well as compelling you to step away from the digital devices!
There’s simply nothing like listening to raindrops drumming on a canvas roof, or strolling through a magical, sun-dappled woodland glade, to make you feel at one with the natural world and rediscover your zest for life.
Outdoor holidays don’t just mean adventure, but luxury – and even learning!
Some retreats offer outdoor facilities and activities, too – think dreamy bathing, cooking, foraging and wildlife-spotting – to reconnect you with everything that’s so wonderful about being in the midst of nature.
So, whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple, with friends or solo, these wonderful retreats all promise to ease the cares from your shoulders and introduce you to simple, soothing, and naturally beautiful ways to live.
Each unusual retreat featured here also boasts an extra-special location or extraordinary facilities… or indeed, both!
Outdoor Bathing
There is such a thing as ‘forest bathing’ – or shinrin yoku – a Japanese relaxation practice that involves calmly observing and breathing deeply in nature.
While this is wonderful (and it really is!), you can’t beat a bubble-filled bathtub or an invigorating, piping-hot shower in the elements, surrounded by big-sky views and soundtracked by birdsong.
Once tried, we don’t think you’ll ever want to freshen up inside again.
Graig Escapes
The Orchard at Fenny Castle
Rewild Things Treehouses
Erwain Escapes
Nymetwood Treehouses
Daisy Chain Cabin
The Nest
In the Trees
These sumptuous treehouses and tree-retreats (tree-treats?) are a far cry from those wobbly childhood efforts of yore, seen in back gardens across the land!
More akin to hotel-suites set amongst the whispering leaves, here you can truly experience the best of both worlds: a luxurious stay with the abundant charms of nature built right in.
The Kite's Nest
Aarunya Sky Suites
HappenOak Treehouse
The Quist
Ty'r Derw Treehouse
Pedras Salgadas Park
Keemala
Birding and Wildlife
These rural retreats offer plenty of scope – and some, tailored experiences – for you to observe diverse species of birds and wildlife in their natural habitats. Our tips: bring binoculars, and leave your phone at home!
(Why not make a day of it, and pack a tasty picnic to take with you on your wildlife-spotting travels?)
Thorney Mire Woodland Retreat
Wilson Island
Owl's Nest Hideout
Cabanes de La Réserve
Redwood Valley
Chena Huts
Canopy Tower
Elmley Nature Reserve Shepherds Huts
Wild Swimming
Is there any better way to greet a new day than with an energising dip in a serene lake or a natural swimming pool?
(Trust us: caffeine can’t compete!)
A stay at each of these retreats mean you can start each day feeling revived, or float a balmy summer’s afternoon away, without a care in the world.
The Firs Suffolk
Tiny Home Borders
Moat Island Glamping
Piglets Boutique B&B
Ecotone Cabins
Kilmartin Castle
Kudhva
West Lexham Treehouses and Glamping
Outdoor Cooking and Dining
Aside from the odd summer barbecue at home, how often do you get to whip up tasty meals in the Great Outdoors?
Cooking outside inspires relaxation and laughter-fuelled social chit-chat. It’s also a natural mood-booster, since you’re breathing in plenty of fresh, aromatic air at the same time.
Oh, and food tends to taste much better when devoured al fresco, too!
Honeydown
Nature's Spectacular
Ursabear Cabin
Plum Tree Glamping
Bryn a Mor
Fforest Farm
Swallowtail Hill
Author: Nina Jervis
Main image: Nature’s Spectacular | Somerset
