The Amazing Stuff

Want to get out into the peacefulness of nature without sleeping in a tent? Want to stay in a beautiful hotel, but would rather avoid the stress of a city? Thanks to this stunning getaway, now you can.

Hotel Robins Nest, located in a forest in Hesse, Germany, is a serene little place where you can relax in the beauty of nature.

Each room is a tree house.

Hotel Robins Nest

Because these rooms are all perched in trees, they allow you to see the beautiful surroundings from a high vantage point.

Every single tree house is totally unique!

Hotel Robins Nest

Hotel Robins Nest

There’s even this geodesic dome tree house.

Hotel Robins Nest

Hotel Robins Nest

While they have electricity and heat, they don’t have plumbing. Visitors use communal bathrooms and showers.

Hotel Robins Nest

Robins Nest was dreamed up by Peter Becker. After working in Berlin for years, Becker grew tired of city life and decided to move out to the woods. With a few friends, he built some tree houses and decided to open for business. Today, he runs the place alone, but a little solitude doesn’t bother him. But now that this unique hotel is becoming more popular, he always has company.

The rooms are beautifully decorated inside, and they have plenty of rustic charm.

Hotel Robins Nest

The furniture is all made from wildwood.

Hotel Robins Nest

This is definitely a place you should check out if nature is your thing!

Hotel Robins Nest

(via My Modern Met)

In true form, Robins Nest has no Wi-Fi service, so guests can truly get away from the demands of modern society. It allows them to slow down and appreciate the beauty of nature, and more importantly, each other’s company.

For more information, check out their website. They’re also on Facebook.

We’ve covered some pretty strange hotels before, and while some of those might seem weird, this one is downright morbid. It all starts in a quaint New England town, where owner Andrew Knight renovated the rectory of an old church into a cute little hotel. The Italianate building is pleasantly picturesque from the outside, but inside, there’s a dark little secret.

This is the newly opened Inn at the Agora in Lewiston, Maine. It was originally the rectory of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Looks cute, right?

The Hotel Crypt

In the late 19th century, St. Patrick’s was run by Monsignor Thomas Wallace. He loved the church and the town so much, he never wanted to leave.

The Hotel Crypt

The Monsignor oversaw the church’s construction, as well as that of a mortuary chapel and a crypt so that he could be buried in the place he so loved. In 1907, his wish was fulfilled, and his remains were interred in the crypt.

Wallace stayed there for 102 years, until 2009, when the church closed. His body was relocated to a local cemetery, and the church was purchased by Knight, who set about turning it into a hotel — including the crypt.

That’s right. For a little extra, you can spend the night in Wallace’s next-to-final resting place.

The Hotel Crypt

It’s outfitted with furniture and a TV.

It even has a cozy coffin for two in the space where Wallace’s body used to be.

The Hotel Crypt

Wallace’s original name plaque is still visible, and the coffin bed is placed atop the original slab that once contained his bones. But don’t worry, he’s been moved.

The Hotel Crypt

It seems morbid, but sleeping in a crypt was surprisingly popular. Knight held an eBay auction for the first night, and the first guests won with a bid of $760.

The Hotel Crypt

Since it’s a crypt and not exactly designed for the living, the crypt room doesn’t have a toilet. Because of this, guests are required to leave by 2 am, and must make arrangements at the Inn at the Agora for the rest of the night.

The entrance to the crypt as seen from the outside.

The Hotel Crypt

(via CNN)

If you’re staying at the Hotel Crypt, you’ll also be treated to a complimentary bottle of “Bloodeaux” red wine. You can opt for a “last meal,” as well.

To those who think that turning a crypt into a hotel room is disrespectful, Knight insists that Wallace would be thrilled to find that people love his church as much as he did. “He’d at worst have shrugged it off as a minor annoyance or, at best, laughed at the ridiculousness,” Knight says.

You can check out more information, including booking deals, at the Inn at the Agora and Hotel Crypt.

In the lush, rolling countryside near the picturesque village of Hay-on-Wye, England, sits a bus parked in a large garden. Contrary to what you might believe, it’s anything but an eyesore, because this is no ordinary bus. This is the Majestic Bus, a bus that was converted into a beautiful cabin able to accommodate up to eight people (four inside and four camping outside).

And yes, you can stay in it!

The Majestic Bus

The deck area has two levels and accommodates up to four extra people in a little camping area.

The Majestic Bus

There’s also a fire pit for open-air cooking.

Set in the beautiful countryside, this converted bus is a perfect getaway for city dwellers, and its surrounding garden is an explosion of color. Visitors can relax on the patio outside the bus and take in the natural beauty. The gardens, which also grow vegetables, are managed by a local family, who sell what they grow at the Hay-on-Wye farmers market.

Inside, the bus has been completely remodeled.

The Majestic Bus

You wouldn’t even be able to tell that this used to be a bus. Its lights and sockets are powered by solar panels on the roof.

Up front, there’s a couch that folds out into an extra bed.

The Majestic Bus

There’s also plenty of other seating (including where the driver’s and passenger seats used to be), as well as a little stove for chilly nights.

They’ve kept the steering wheel for decoration.

The Majestic Bus

The little stove can be used to make meals.

The Majestic Bus

The bus has a mini fridge, too, which the owners keep stocked with milk, and the kitchen area is always full of coffee, tea, sugar, and condiments. The bus also comes with linens (for inside only) and toiletries.

There’s something just so charming about making tea in a bus.

The Majestic Bus

Next door, there’s a small bathhouse, complete with a toilet, shower, and tub.

The Majestic Bus

There’s also a second wood-burning stove in here, so you can lounge in the tub without getting cold.

As for the rest of the area, it’s perfect for exploring the outdoors in a relaxed environment.

The Majestic Bus

The Majestic Bus

The Majestic Bus

You can stroll through the gardens and check out all the flowers.

The village of Hay-on-Wye is pretty adorable.

The Majestic Bus

It is known for its historic charm and number of unique shops, as well as for its many second-hand bookstores. It’s also home to an annual literary festival late each May, and there are several restaurants, a movie theater, and parks along the River Wye.

The view is pretty impressive, too.

The Majestic Bus

Staying here is a bit pricey, with rates beginning at 100 pounds ($155) per night on the off-season. However, if you have the money to spend on a dream vacation, you might consider this one.

You can learn more about the details on the Majestic Bus’ website. If you probably won’t be making it to the Majestic Bus in person, you can always visit vicariously on Facebook and Twitter.

If you love quiet getaways and converted buses, we’ve got you covered:

When you travel, you can always rely on the safe route, taking the well-beaten path and keeping things nice and predictable. In Peru, that might mean a guided tour of the country’s historic ruins and natural wonders.

Or, you could spend a day scaling the cliff faces in the Sacred Valley, spend the night in a bubble clinging to the cliff side, 400 feet off the ground, and zipline back to Earth the following day. Your choice.

What we’re talking about is a real option for the more adventurous types out there. Tourism company Natura Vive offers climbing and zipline getaways in Peru’s Sacred Valley, allowing even inexperienced climbers the option of scaling near-vertical cliffs and having a high-up adventure.

To get to the pods, you have to climb up the cliff.

Natura Vive

Although it looks daunting, the climb is actually suitable to people with little or no climbing experience. Iron rungs, called stemples, make climbing up the more sheer areas easier. This ladder-like addition, called a via ferrata (literally, “iron road”), makes the climb much more accessible. In addition, each climber is outfitted with safety gear and attached to a lifeline. Guides, all trained in ropes and vertical rescue, also accompany each group.

It’s a 400-foot climb.

Natura Vive

If you’re still not convinced, consider the fact that the minimum age to participate in this trek is nine. If a nine-year-old can do it, you probably can, too.

Still, it’s probably not the best if you don’t like heights.

Natura Vive

Don’t worry. Everyone is locked in with harnesses and ropes, and guides accompany guests to ensure safety.

After all that climbing, you come to the hotel where you’ll be spending the night.

Natura Vive

The “hotel” is made up of three pods that can sleep up to eight people altogether and offer panoramic views of Sacred Valley. And yes, they have bathrooms.

The platform on top is perfect for really taking in the view.

Natura Vive

It’s also the perfect spot for the most scenic meal of your life.

Natura Vive

The skylodges, as they’re known, are far less rugged than they might seem. Besides being spacious, they also come with dinner, breakfast, and wine, and have room for beds, a dining area, and a bathroom. The bathroom features a dry, ecological toilet and sink. They have their own lighting, too, which is completely solar-powered. For pods dangling from a cliff face, that sounds pretty decadent!

And the beds are surprisingly luxurious.

Natura Vive

Imagine falling asleep like this…

Natura Vive

…and waking up to this.

Natura Vive

(via Lost At E Minor, Daily Mail)

In the morning, guests come back down to the surface by either rappelling or ziplining, and return to the nearby city of Cusco. If this sounds like your kind of adventure, you can check out the details on Natura Vive’s website.

Looking to go off the beaten path for your next vacation? Look no further:

We cover a lot of tiny living spaces on ViralNova, and we’ve seen a lot of stuff crammed into some very tiny places. But even we’re amazed by the tininess of the homes you’re about to see. These tiny cubicles look like they could be bunks on an old ship or in some kind of post-apocalyptic bunker.

But they’re neither. These little cubes of personal space are actually “rooms” in a guesthouse designed specifically for backpackers in Japan, a place known for its space efficiency in the form of capsule hotels. When we say they’re no-frills, we mean it. They don’t even have windows or a door, just a curtain at the entrance off a long hallway of identical plywood boxes.

The privacy issue doesn’t stop people from staying in them, and that’s what fascinated photographer Won Kim, creator of the series Enclosed: Living Small.

Won Kim

Ai, from Japan

Kento, from Australia

Won Kim

Mendis, from Sri Lanka

Won Kim

Kim said that in his experience, he found that the spaces were comforting, rather than claustrophobic, and described them as “womb-like.” He also found that even in such small, bare-bones quarters, the residents managed to make the most of their spaces, and that their spaces reflected their personalities and circumstances.

Rie, from Japan

Won Kim

Yusuke, from Japan

Won Kim

The residents varied in circumstance, Kim found. Some were only passing through, visiting Tokyo on the cheap or saving money to rent a better apartment. Others were more long-term residents, and they typically had more belongings packed into the little space. Some were orderly, others chaotic. Some people had rigged up shelving and hangers for more storage. Some even decorated as much as possible in such a small space.

Jim, from the Netherlands

Won Kim

Many of the rooms aren’t even large enough to allow an adult to fully stand.

Hanad, from Finland

Won Kim

Nikolas, from Finland

Won Kim

Sky, from Japan

Won Kim

Daniel, from the U.S.

Won Kim

Naya, from Japan

Won Kim

Kiyoshi, from Japan

Won Kim

Murakawa, from Japan

Won Kim

(via Ignant)

Kim was struck by the way the people in the guesthouse, living in little more than crates, were able to make the most out of their small quarters and function so well. The guests’ untold stories, which can be guessed at only by these images of their possessions, remind us of the transience of life and the journey that all people are undertaking.

You can see more of Kim’s work on his website, and keep up with his latest projects on Twitter and Instagram.