What could be more amazing than sitting by a window with almost 360-degree views of the beautiful natural scenery from high above? However, you have to be very courageous, as these houses are built on steep cliffs.
- Cliffside Capsule Hotel, Peru
Nature Vive Skylodge in Cusco, Peru consists of three transparent pods attached to the side of a cliff, 1,312 meters above the stunning Sacred Valley once home to the Inca Empire. Getting here is almost impossible for inexperienced mountain climbers. However, Nature Vive Skylodge has created a safe mountain route for guests, although you still have to climb metal ladders, cross narrow bridges, and cable wires to reach the hotel. But this thrilling adventure is worth the breathtaking natural beauty.
Each pod is made from a high-quality aerospace aluminum frame and weather-resistant polycarbonate. The room can accommodate up to eight people, equipped with four beds, a small dining area, and a private bathroom. The transparent walls allow visitors to enjoy a 360-degree view of the sacred valley, while four ventilation ducts allow natural mountain forest air to flow into the room. Good mattresses, quality cotton pillows, soft blankets, and curtains ensure your stay is comfortable and enjoyable.
A night’s stay here costs $300. But this is an experience worth trying once in a lifetime.
- Fangweng Hotel, China
Walking in the mountains is synonymous with eating canned food, but this is entirely wrong if you are in China. There is a special mountain in Hubei Province, 12 km north of the city of Xiangyang, where you can experience delicious food on the side of a cliff. Located in the Happy Valley of Xiling Gorge, the hanging restaurant Fangweng provides a beautiful view of the surrounding nature for adventurous souls.
Fangweng restaurant serves a variety of local specialties including freshwater fish, duck, pork, turtle with Chinese herbs, spices, and chili powder. And if you’re not a fan of Chinese cuisine, you can still stand on the cliff or walk on a narrow 30-meter concrete bridge between two towering cliffs to overlook the Yangtze River.
- Pole House, Australia
Pole House by F2 Architects introduces a new concept for mountain cliff houses as it is designed to be suspended out from the rock face. From a distance, it gives the illusion of floating in mid-air. The rental cost for this stunning house is $2,500 per week.
- Holman House, Australia
Located on the edge of a 70-meter high cliff in Dover Heights, Australia, the design of Holman House reflects Picasso’s painting, The Bather. It is a project by Durbach Block Jaggers, completed in 2004.
The house is set within a curved perimeter, with folds and stretches to respond to weather, landscape, and panoramic views of the surrounding nature. Living and dining areas extend out over the ocean, offering easy viewing of the sea.
- Aescher Restaurant and Guesthouse, Switzerland
The guesthouse is built directly onto the foot of a rock face on Mount Ebenalp in Appenzell, Switzerland, at an altitude of 1,350 meters. There is no TV, only a single bathroom, but all 40 beds here are always fully booked during the summer season as visitors come to seek absolute tranquility.
Travelers can only reach here via a narrow mountain road. The house is nearly 100 years old and has only been open to serve guests from May to October for nearly 30 years.
- St. George Monastery, West Bank
St. George Monastery is a complex of buildings perched on a stunning rock wall in the Judaean desert. It overlooks an area of olive and fig trees and is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Holy Land. The monastery is located in a deep and narrow rock canyon called Wadi Qelt, with caves and rock crevices that have been inhabited by monks and hermits for centuries.
This monastery was destroyed by the Persians and later rebuilt by the Crusaders before falling into a state of abandonment. It wasn’t until 1878 when a Greek monk, Kalinikos, came to live here that the monastery began to regain its glory. Kalinikos completed the renovation of the architecture in 1901.
- Stone Wall Toilet, Siberia
The only toilet at the Kara-Tyurek weather station is built on a rock wall over 2,500 meters above sea level in the Altai Mountains of Siberia. It is considered the most extreme toilet in the world, serving only one postman who comes here once a month to collect weather data and a helicopter pilot who brings food, water, and firewood (as there are no trees on the snowy mountain) for the kitchen in each autumn. While the crew must brave the harsh weather environment and isolation, their nerves seem to suffer even more every time they have to go into this toilet.
This toilet has been in use since 1939. Kara-Tyurek, which can be translated as “black heart” in South Altai, has been described as the “most romantic place possible.” From here, you can admire the beautiful nature around you. In addition, it also offers a feeling unlike anywhere else: going to the toilet above the clouds.
- Refuge des Cosmiques Hut, France
Thirty minutes away from Aiguille du Midi is a hut built among the blocks of Mont Blanc. The Refuge Cosmique, located at an altitude of 3613 meters above sea level, is open for 3 summer months with 148 beds, but only has 10 beds in winter.
