I'll admit it, I'm a little bummed that I didn't get a treehouse to play in as a child. There's just something about them that immediately makes them cooler than any normal house, because, whoa, you're in a tree! Well, now I can have the childhood that I always wanted times a thousand with any of these super swanky, earth-friendly tree palaces that combine the dream paradise of a kid's brain with completely grown-up sophistication. They seem worth checking out.

1. Tree House Lodge

Southern Caribbean, Costa Rica
A great option for environmentally conscious tourists who don't want to give up looking fly as hell , the Tree House Lodge was designed for minimal impact on the surrounding rainforest with a huge impact on living in crazy awesome style. All of the furniture was created with sustainable wood from fallen trees, and all of the electricity and water is provided through solar power. Gorgeous Sangrillo trees wind through the centers of the house. The shared bathroom is on the ground level, created in the different folds of the Sangrillo tree. It's enough to make you feel like a freaking jungle queen.
Tree House Lodge Costa Rica

2. Finca Bellavista

Southern Pacific coast, Costa Rica
Finca Bellavista is an awesome community of treehouses connected by a zipline over 90 feet in the air, so you can feel like you live in Captain Planet's secret castle kingdom of forest friends. There is tons of unspoiled nature to explore for the adventurous at heart, and beautiful views for the romantic. There is actually a permanent community of tree-house dwellers who loved it so much, they decided to build their own treehouse there. It must really rule.
Finca Bellavista, Costa Rica
Photo by James Lozeau

3. Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel

Manaus, Brazil
This place is the Meryl Streep of treehouse hotels. One of the largest in the world, Ariau Amazon Towers features over ten miles of wooden catwalks that connect to not only a hotel restaurant, but private jacuzzis and plunge pools. The site is apparently a hotbed of local animal activity, hosting "friendly monkeys, macaws, sloths, and parrots scampering, fluttering, and dangling all over the place". Parrots just dangling all over the place! That's how I want my Amazon treehouse to be.
Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel
Source: Pocket Village blog

4. Playa Viva Resort

Zihuatanejo, Mexico
Playa Viva is all about preserving history, culture, and environment for the future. Like others, the site features houses made from completely sustainable materials, and powered by solar power. On top of that, Playa Viva features an on-site turtle sanctuary founded to protect endangered turtles from predators and poachers. Also, while surveying the land for building, the creators noticed some irregular mounds, which they excavated under the supervision of archaeologists to reveal an important ancient community, called Xolochiuhyan, a small Aztec town. Playa Viva is not only spearheading an effort to restore the site, they are also erecting a museum there to commemorate the site. Apparently the resort is just run by a bunch of saints.
Playa Viva - Zihuatanejo, Mexico
Source: Itsagreengreenworld.com

5. Aqua Wellness Resort

Tola, Nicaragua
What could make living in a glorified fort better? How about a private white sand beach and a bird's eye view of the Pacific? Sounds alright I guess. Not to mention, Aqua Wellness also makes an effort to promote local business and sustainability, with some of their profits funneling into local education, study and preservation of local monkey populations, and commitment to reforestation.
Aqua Wellness Resort - Nicaragua
Source: Lostgirlsworld.com

6. Anse Chastanet

St. Lucia
The Anse Chastanet is all about giving you tons of options. First, you've got the beautiful white sand beaches, but then they go and give you over 12 miles of hiking trails, those nice guys. But then it just keeps coming, with 3 different on-location restaurants, 2 bars, beachside boutiques, a jungle grill, an art gallery, a spa. Come on, guys, this is just getting ridiculous.
View from ocean of Anse Chastanet Amazing view from Anse Chastanet in St. Lucia
Source: ansechastanet.com


7. Haramara Yoga Retreat

Sayulita, Mexico
If you're looking for a vacation that is less luxury, (well, still luxury, who are we kidding, it's gorgeous) but more of a retreat from the world, check out Hayamara's gorgeous yoga retreats. You'll have no electricity, but the scenery and lodging is so pretty that, frankly, I don't think you'll miss it. If you really want to cut back from your reliance on distractions, you can live in the dormitory suite, for maximum focus on meditation and yoga.
Haramara Yoga Retreat - Mexico
Source: Haramara