Weird & Wonderful
PLACES TO STAY
Weird & Wonderful
PLACES TO STAY
HOUSEBOAT
Paolyn Houseboats
Coron Island, Philippines
Forget stopping by, the best way to make the most of Coron Island’s turquoise water is to sleep on top of it.
Weird & Wonderful
It doesn’t get much cooler than a collection of houseboats floating in the middle of a lagoon, in the Philippines. You can opt for a simple private room, but when there’s an entire houseboat on offer and that houseboat has glass fold-away doors for walls, you book it (good choice).
Put ‘stumble out of bed and straight into the crystal-clear water’ on your to-do list, along with snorkelling the massive coral garden at the lagoon’s entrance, speedboating to Kayangan Lake and exploring nearby Banul Beach. Oh, and sweet fuck all—put that on there too.
From AU$248 per night
FARMHOUSE
Farasha Farmhouse
Marrakesh, Morocco
This Moroccan farmhouse puts Old MacDonald’s to shame.
Weird & Wonderful
They don’t have any cows (unfortunately) or any animals at all, but what this magnificent property lacks in livestock, it makes up for in literally everything else.
A short 30-minute drive from Marrakesh? Check. A deep-rooted olive grove? Check. An on-site kitchen that serves farm-to-table food all day long? Check. A 50-metre pool lined with comfortable daybeds? Check. Check. Check. The farm even offers day passes to non-guests. That’s how cool this place is.
From AU$564 per night
HERITAGE STAY
Miss Midgley’s
Brisbane, Australia
What do you get when you mix one of Brisbane’s oldest heritage homes with a design aesthetic fit for Barbie?
Weird & Wonderful
From its fascinating past as a private school in the early 1900s, to its present-day blush-coloured exterior, this historic building goes as hard as Ryan Gosling’s singing I’m Just Ken.
We’re talking five beautifully renovated apartments, each with ornate plasterwork, high ceilings, hardwood floors, marble countertops, private outdoor space and functional kitchen.
The building might be 160 years old, but the guesthouse’s luxe amenities certainly aren’t. There’s a quaint library if you fancy a read. The heated outdoor pool ft. sun deck and surrounding tropical garden. And we can’t forget the laundry, on-site parking and convenient bike storage.
Just as quirky as the headmistress it’s named after (rumour has it she could write with both hands simultaneously), this property reaches must-stay-at status. Consider that an order.
From AU$370 per night
MOUNTAIN ESCAPE
Shinta Mani Mustang
Mustang, Nepal
Move aside Mt. Everest and Annapurna, the Nilgiri mountain range is the next big thing.
Weird & Wonderful
Or at least the guys behind Shinta Mani Mustang certainly think so. Built into the Lower Mustang landscape with a perfect view of the lesser-known mountain range opposite (Nilgiri), this luxurious retreat is like something straight out of your saved Insta vids.
Out of the 29 suites in this property, all 29 of them have dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows with spectacular views of, you guessed it, the snow-capped peaks of the Nilgiri mountain range.
If you get tired of looking at the view (highly unlikely), trek to Dumba Lake with your Sherpa guide, explore the surrounding villages for an in-depth look into daily life in Nepal or visit one of several monasteries in the area.
From AU$2,731 per night
TINY HOTEL
Hocus Pocus Hotel
York, UK
Get ready to channel your inner Sanderson “sistaaahhh”.
Weird & Wonderful
Whether you’re obsessed with the 1993 cult-classic film Hocus Pocus or you simply want to sleep somewhere extraordinary, York’s quirkiest establishment will frightfully delight all who enter.
This historic building turned tiny hotel has five ‘themed’ rooms: the Principium Magicae, the Intinerandum, the Sorceryum, the Libraryum and the Apothecary. Yes, they sound more like words from a Harry Potter book, but each room has been specially designed to summon a little magic.
Try making potions. Get lost in a hallucination-inducing library. Sleep in an ancient train station. And while you’re at it, practice your witch cackle and get out your broomstick. Add creepy hallway music and old-timey costumes—yes, you can try them on—to the mix and you’ve hit the fantastical jackpot.
From AU$372 per night
LUXE CAMP
Molori Mashuma
Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe
They say pictures are worth a thousand words and, well, you’ve seen the photos.
Weird & Wonderful
This luxury tented camp in the untouched wilderness of Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe is nothing short of STUNNING. A stay here will not only let you keep your poor tent-putting-up skills a secret for a little while longer, but it’ll also give you a front-row seat to one of Mother Nature’s greatest shows.
Birdwatch and game-view in absolute luxury on the 507m² outdoor terrace, decked out with four seating areas, a separate dining area and one fully stocked bar. Cocktail in hand, watch a parade of your favourite African animals (think hippos, elephants, buffalos and antelope) wander up for a bit of a squiz and a drink straight from the Mashuma Pan.
No, this isn’t a National Geographic documentary, it’s the real thing.
From AU$1,745 per night
get in the know Mustang was a forbidden kingdom of Tibet, and some areas have only been open to foreign visitors since 1992.
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