You Can Rent a Treehouse Escape at the Base of a Volcano in Hawaii
If you’re looking to get back to your roots and spend a little more quality time with nature then, man-oh-man, do we have the accommodations for you.
Nestled at the summit of Kilauea, five minutes from the gate to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, sits a custom-designed treehouse that’s now accepting reservations for overnight stays.
According to the listing, the treehouse was built by the experts from the television show Treehouse Masters using primarily recycled materials. It sits high above the ground in the midst of ohia trees growing over a once active lava tube jutting out from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
To access the treehouse, guests must walk “100 meandering feet in the forest” down a gorgeous path that is also flanked by “lava boulders."
The ascent, the listing warns, is somewhat steep, but the end result is totally worth a little struggle.
The treehouse, the owners noted, is built on two levels, which are connected by a ship's ladder. The main level of the treehouse includes a surprisingly spacious living room that comes with a sitting area, flat screen TV, and a window table with stools so you can sit and stare at the forest for hours.
The main floor also comes with an outdoor shower (as if there’d be any other way you’d want to shower in a place like this) and a composting toilet for convenience.
Just outside guests will find a cedar hot tub as well as a teak table and chairs “for al fresco dining in the trees.”
The upper level of the treehouse is located in the forest’s upper canopy, meaning you’ll be sharing the space with plenty of tropical birds. There, guests can sleep in as late as they’d like thanks to the plush memory foam queen-sized bed. The room also comes with French doors that open up to an additional balcony space.
The only potential downside to the treehouse is the fact that it comes with no real kitchen in sight. "We encourage you to enjoy the nearby restaurants and recognize the treehouse experience is not a cooking experience," the listing states. "This is not by our choice but a change we are forced to make to comply with anti-vacation rental legislation on our island." However, guests do have the ability to make hot beverages like coffee and tea, and can bring in snacks.
“This particular area is adjacent to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where Kilauea has been active for decades,” the owners explained, noting that it’s still a perfectly safe place to stay.
“There are hiking trails in and around the park through rainforest, desert, volcanic devastation, even a path with footprints preserved from an eruption over a hundred years ago.”
The owners explicitly note the treehouse is meant just for two people. So, leave the kids at home, and book this place as a romantic getaway just for you, or you and a partner, to get away from it all. Even for just a night.