1. Primary-school teacher Anisha Kapoor went to the Green Magic Nature Resort in Kerala, south-west India. "It wasn't my first experience of tree-house living," she says, but it was certainly the best. The houses are entirely built and maintained by workers from the area, using traditional techniques and local materials. For instance, the lifts up to the front doors are made of cane (тростник) grown in nearby fields. They work fine, by the way, and I was glad there were no stairs to climb — the houses are 25 metres up! That's good, though, because at that height there's often a cool breeze blowing through the branches."
2. Ever since TV researcher Whitney Martin worked on a programme about tree houses, she'd dreamt about staying in one. So when her neighbours happened to mention they had just such a place in Alaska, and asked whether she'd like to spend a fortnight there in July, she said 'yes' without a moment's hesitation. "I couldn't believe it when I saw it," she says, "it had everything: even hot running water and cable TV. The only disadvantage of being there at that time of the year was the huge number of mosquitoes. I must have been bitten a hundred times."
3. Australian technician Richie O'Hara was a guest at the Hinchinbrook Island Wilderness Lodge, on an island off the north coast of tropical Queensland. "The wooden tree house was quite comfortable," he says, "and they had all the advertised facilities such as running water and a fridge. Actually, I hadn't fully read the brochure, so when I arrived, I was surprised to find an internet connection in the house. I found plenty of healthy things to do, like canoeing and diving. That was great. After a week or so, though, I was a little tired of the climb to and from the house, so I doubt whether I'd repeat the tree-top experience. But I'm sure kids would love it — it's just a pity I didn't go there when I was about ten!'
4. Medical student Kirsty Hammond spent a week in Tanzania's Lake Manyara National park, at the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. As we approached it," she says, "we glimpsed the buildings up among the branches, with the Great Rift Valley in the background. It was a wonderful sight. The houses were comfortable, too, with running water, a well-equipped bathroom and, fortunately, large mosquito nets above the beds — I'm very aware of the dangers if they bite you. I also liked the fact that almost everything was above ground, even the restaurant. The only problem there was the high night-time temperature: although my bedroom had an overhead fan, I didn't sleep very well. But generally I had a great time."
