Weird & Wonderful
PLACES TO STAY
YOUR OWN PARTY ISLAND IN THE CARIBBEAN
Oasis Kalua, Rosario Islands, Colombia
This might just be the ultimate party house.
Weird & Wonderful
PLACES TO STAY
YOUR OWN PARTY ISLAND IN THE CARIBBEAN
Oasis Kalua, Rosario Islands, Colombia
This might just be the ultimate party house.
Weird & Wonderful
If you manage to round up a few of your best mates for a week at Oasis Kalua in Colombia, your life has surely peaked.
Kalua is a four-bedroom, thatched roof, tropical paradise surrounded on all sides by the Caribbean Sea, about an hour by boat from Cartagena. By day you’ll be faced with such tough decisions as whether to lounge in the cabana or on one of the many sunbathing decks, and whether to swim in the pool or the crystal-clear sea. By night, its coronas, Piña Coladas and dancing in your own private Casa de Fiesta. Salud!
AU$3,620 per night
EPIC SECLUSION
Eyre Peninsula, South Australia
We’ve all had a cabin dream at some point, and we’ve found one in the southern reaches of Australia that wouldn’t look out of place in those dreams.
Weird & Wonderful
On the edge of a picturesque gully overlooking the coastal cliffs of the south coast of the Eyre Peninsula in southern Australia, is Maldhi, a brand-new, off-grid cabin of exquisite simplicity. Sun, which there’s plenty of in these parts, powers the place completely.
The cabin makes the most of this desolate, barren, beautiful part of the world by taking up minimal space, letting the location do the work.
There’s surf down below and there’s trails to explore, but when it comes to cabin life, it’s all about getting away and taking it slowly with the special people in your life.
AU$450 per night
OARSOME BAY
Oarsman’s Bay Lodge, Yasawa Islands, Fiji
Typing Yasawa into a search engine is enough to work out that this remote archipelago in the west of Fiji is an absolutely stunning patchwork of beaches, coral and dormant volcanos.
Weird & Wonderful
What a Google search won’t do is satisfy your quench for the ultimate beach holiday. For that you’ll need to head to Oarsman's Bay Lodge on the northern tip of the islands, an impossibly attractive resort with recently renovated, simplistic ‘Bures’ and the happiest of Fijian smiles.
Turquoise waters and white sand beaches back up against volcanic peaks, with the tough decision of swimming, snorkelling, diving or laying in a hammock with a book. For about AU$160 you can even rent out your own island for the day – ideal for honeymooners and lovebirds, or extreme introverts.
From AU$280 per night
BOTÁNIKA RESORT
Costa Rica
Botánika Osa Pensinsula is like a homage to planet earth.
Weird & Wonderful
It’s a brand-new eco-resort in Costa Rica, situated where stunning rainforest meets an idyllic stretch of coastline that is more or less private except for the biota that also call this part of the world home.
Located right next to Corcovado National Park and Golfo Dulce, thriving reptile, marine and wildlife hubs respectively, the resort could not be better placed for animal lovers.
When you’re done watching those beasts roam around their habitats, you can roam the stunning expanses of the resort; be it the lagoon-style pool, world class restaurants or jungle-like luxury of your room or villa.
From AU$168 per night, minimum three nights.
RIVERSIDE M’FER
Jølstraholmen, Norway
The architects of Jølstraholmen in Western Norway seem to have taken literally the lyrics of Talking Heads’ 1978 classic Take Me to the River.
Weird & Wonderful
Jølstraholmen is a compound of several different accommodation types, the most memorable being A-Frame tiny homes that are situated right on the river. And when we say right on the river, we actually mean pretty much in it.
The 'Cabins' each have in-ground hot tubs, meaning you can sit in warmth as the icy waters of the river Jølstra rushes by. Inside, it’s classic Scandinavian minimalist design, which we think looks cosy af, especially when there is snow falling on the outside.
Perfectly situated in the fresh air of Norway’s west coast, this place is an outdoor lover’s dream: it’s possible to kayak, canoe and float down the river in a boat. There’s bike tracks, a water slide, a zip-line, a giant trampoline, amazing spots to fish and more.
From AU$459 per night (for the River Suite).
A TROPICAL GETAWAY... IN NYC
Margaritaville, New York City
A tropical island getaway, sipping a cocktail on a sunbed by the water, is the quintessential idea of a holiday. You get all of that at Margaritaville, the only difference being, you’re right in the middle of one of the world’s biggest cities.
Weird & Wonderful
Right from the giant blue flip-flop that greets you at reception, Margaritaville is like a slice of tropicana in the middle of the concrete jungle. It springs up out of nowhere in the middle of Times Square, with a long swimming pool, rooftop deck and tropical ambience throughout – like the Tiki Bar that serves frozen cocktails and Piña Coladas.
Margaritaville have a number of other similar accommodations in more likely places – think Florida, Cancun and the Bahamas – and they’ve simply transferred those same beachy vibes into the middle of the Big Apple. And while this might seem like a strange idea, to get lost it seems perfect; we don’t always have the time or money to fly to an island for a week or two, so instead of going to the island life, let the island life come to you.
From AU$393 per night.
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