Weird & Wonderful
PLACES TO STAY
SOULSHINE
Bali, Indonesia
Rhythm flows through Soulshine, as if its owner is a musician or something.
Weird & Wonderful
PLACES TO STAY
SOULSHINE
Bali, Indonesia
Rhythm flows through Soulshine easily, as if their owner is a musician or something.
Weird & Wonderful
But wait, this just in: its owner is a musician! Chill crooner Michael Franti and his wife Sara (a former ER nurse) have turned their considerable talents (a combo of creativity and calmness) toward Soulshine, a one-of-its-kind wellness and sound retreat.
This stunning, but laidback, Balinese resort is surrounded by rice terraces and ancient temples, and features three swimming pools, one waterslide, three Panorama Penthouse Suites, several yoga spaces and two restaurants. It’s the kind of place that’s a bit ‘ooh la la’ but being barefoot is totally acceptable (probably even encouraged).
Terazzo tubs and record players are in each room, the cocktails are abundant—as are coconut trees and sunshine—and the dancing is non-stop. What a vibe.
From AU$300 per night.
THE INTERLUDE, PENTRIDGE
Melbourne, Australia
“You’ve been sentenced to a couple of nights in Pentridge,” — not something you wanted to hear between 1851 and 1997, when the tall bluestone walls of Pentridge Prison housed some of Australia’s most notorious criminals.
Weird & Wonderful
If you’re hearing it now though, it’s good news, given the brand-new urban wellness retreat, The Interlude, at Pentridge—a converted jail. And while you’ll walk through the same intimidating prison gates as the likes of Mark ‘Chopper’ Read, escapee Ronald Ryan and even Ned Kelly, you’re in for a slightly different experience.
There are 19 exclusive heritage suites, each created out of the original cells with vaulted brick ceilings, thick cell doors and bluestone walls. The walls they did demolish (to create more expansive bedrooms) took two weeks to break down, FYI. Meanwhile the bar features former cells converted into cosy booths and a wine cellar that was also a cell. A cell-ar, if you will. But the highlight of the entire hotel is surely found below ground, where there's a candlelit pool that took three months to dig by hand.
Such is life.
From AU$700 per night.
DRYFT
Darocotan Island, Philippines
Dryft certainly has Fast and Furious connotations, conjuring images of Vin Diesel flying around corners in fast cars. But the reality couldn't be more different.
Weird & Wonderful
Dryft is a bed of tranquillity—a getaway of palm trees and purity, without internet and without worry. It is a group of glamping tents on the tiny (almost deserted) Darocotan Island, a 15-minute boat ride from the village of Teneguiban on Palawan Island.
And while glamping is the term, this is something different. They’re sort of elegant treehouses, the kind of accommodation you dream about from your desk on a Tuesday arvo.
This is a glorious part of the world, and when you are in such a glorious location, the best place is the one with the least number of barriers to nature. Dryft is exactly that.
From AU$219 per night
AMBIENTE™ SEDONA
THE LANDSCAPE HOTEL
Sedona, United States
Ambiente™ Sedona describes itself as the first ‘landscape hotel’ in North America. What's that mean? They allow the environment to take centre stage.
Weird & Wonderful
We’re not arguing given the way the hotel blends seamlessly into the dramatic red rock of its surrounds. Staying here feels less like looking at pretty scenery and more like you're an active participant in the landscape.
Floor-to-ceiling windows bless each room with epic vistas of ancient waterways and the Brins Mesa mountain range. This place is stunning, and so cool. FYI we really thought 'ambiente' was going to be Spanish for ambient, but it's Spanish for environment. Makes sense we guess.
From AU$1,300 per night
INTO THE WILD
TINY ESCAPES
East Coast, Australia
Out: iPhone, traffic and living expenses. In: Fresh air, gum trees and natural expanses
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Into the Wild Escapes are a set of tiny homes that seem to be multiplying faster than Catholic rabbits, with almost 50 stays now dotted across Australia’s eastern states.
One of these escapes is Maggie—a beautifully simple, spatially economic structure set in Victoria’s high country beneath some of the brightest stars in the world. The further you make it up the long winding driveway leading to Maggie, the more secluded you feel from the outside world. We highly recommend.
Traditionally, you wouldn’t describe Maggie as luxurious. But then that depends on your definition of luxury—waking up with someone (hopefully) very nice, drinking coffee with a panoramic view of the lush high country? Small home, big luxury vibes.
From AU$197 per night
MANTA HOUSE VELUVANA
Sidemen Valley, Bali
Veluvana’s set of bamboo villas appear to have been sent by the gods.
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Thankfully, their delivery point was perfect—smack dab amongst rice fields and adjacent to Bali's Mount Agung in Bali. Phew.
The Manta House is the newest stay, a snail-shell shaped, two-level building featuring a shifting roof (and bed!). Which means you can lay under the stars, should you ever wish. A large glass window faces the double bed, making the morning sunrise an AM bed partner as it lights up the surrounding Sidemen Valley.
Then there's the glass pool that hangs from the side of the stay like a tongue hanging from a mouth. Bad description, but rad concept.
From AU$516 per night
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