Earth Lodge – A night sleeping in a Tree House
Hostel or Hotel Name: Earth Lodge
Location: Foothills of Antigua, Guatemala – refer to the website for details
Telephone: (+502) 5664-0713 | 4980-2564
email: earthlodge@gmail.com
Website: http://earthlodgeguatemala.com
Date stayed: November 2013
Breakfast: Not included but available till 2 p.m.
Bar: Yes
Kitchen: Meals are available to purchase and are eaten in a family-style – we loved it, but no communal kitchen.
Wi-fi: No wi-fi was available during our stay, but I believe it is available now.
Child-friendly: Yes
Review:
One of the great things about travel is you get to do crazy things. No one you know is around to tell you to live ‘a normal life’.
This is our second night at Earth Lodge, with the first night being in a Canopy Cabin amongst the trees.
But last night we slept in and above an old oak tree.
The house is small. The bed consumes most of the room. But the bed is high, so the backpacks can go under the bed. And really all you need is the bed. On the opposite, there is 2 giant glass opening windows, that look out toward two volcanoes.
I seem to always wake before 6 a.m. And I love it.
I love to be up to watch the sunrise or in this case the reflection of the sun in the clouds over the left volcano.
The sky is still misty so I wait in hope that the clouds roll away and the volcano tops are exposed.
Every half an hour or so we hear the crack and bang, but so far, no we have not seen any steam.
So what was it like to sleep in a treehouse? Well, it is different!
One good thing is my son gets to climb.
Boys are boys, and he is not a big climber, so I am a little nervous when he is already up the tree and is going higher.
Tree-houses sure are different when you stay in one.
Firstly the acorns drop loudly and frequently on the roof.
I had to kill 2 spiders before we went to bed, as we have had a couple of nasty spider bites in the past, and didn’t want that again.
Then there was a raccoon or similar animal walking on the roof in the middle of the night that completely freaked me out. There is also the swaying. Swaying?
Yes, the treehouse moves a bit when the wind blows.
But then there is the view.
As you lie in bed there are no curtains on the main windows, so we were able to look down onto the lights of Antigua below – a postcard picture.
I woke several times in the night and actually loved waking up, as the view was a million-dollar one.
The only drama is the bathroom is downstairs, but one side is clear perspex, so you get to shower overlooking the valley!
We had gone to bed quite late.
Yesterday had flown by. At 9 a.m.
Explorason and I did a yoga class – just us and the teacher.
Overlooking the orchards below, it was a great hour.
I was amazed that relaxation stretches were so difficult for my son to concentrate on, and I think we might do more, as it really helped him focus, listen to nature and learn relaxation techniques.
I am a firm believer in outsourcing instruction at times, and I think this was really great for his levels of concentration.
After yoga, I blogged off-line. We then went and enjoyed a fabulously healthy lunch made here. After lunch, we moved to our treehouse. It is set apart, on the far side of the property. Peaceful and quiet.
So in the afternoon, I wrote some more, but this time it was lying in the hammock on the balcony, overlooking the volcanoes.
By 3 p.m. it was time to head up to the main area where we met some lovely day guests.
We hung out, talked and I was able to get some suggestions of places to stay next week.
If you travel, I often find the best places to stay, like here, are suggested by fellow travelers.
Then came time for Monopoly!
My son and I had started a game the night before with 2 other fun guests, but it didn’t last long.
So I had promised him his own game.
What surprised me is how good Monopoly is for maths.
And it is great ‘Family Time’ which is one thing travel can give you.
It was so fun to see him wipe me out.
As the fire warmed the room, guests came for the night and we became a happy bunch sitting around the dinner table.
It was a great night.
Today is our last day here.
I AM relaxed!
A great hot shower; a great view; a great morning coffee; and a great view.
Now I sit watching their dog eat avocados!
I’m so glad there has been no internet.
If you travel, take time to tune into the universe, and tune out of the electronic media.
You will be glad you did!
Questions and Comments
- Are you a family that permanently travels around the world?
- What is your take on families that travel a lot?
- Have you visited Mexico before?
- Did you get to visit the Earth lodge and sleep on a tree house?
- How was the experience?
- What did you make of their culture?
- Do share your comments with us below.
