Travel experts Off the Map Travel have arranged an exclusive new “Seven Nights Seven Rooms” itinerary that is certain to entice adventure, culture and architecture lovers.
In seven nights, travelers will experience seven different treetop accommodations, each notable for their distinctive design and placement. Each accommodation will be ‘paired’ with activities and eating experiences linked to each room to complete this new Arctic adventure.
On the trip, guests will indulge in multi-course meals with wine pairings, learn about the local Sami culture and experience all that the forest has to offer from foraging to rejuvenating spa treatments, the Northern Lights and the star-filled Arctic sky.
Itinerary Details
The first accommodation, “The Dragonfly” with its rust-brown sheet metal exterior (and wooden interior) looks like an insect perched among the pine trees with dramatic views of the valley. In keeping with the room, the evening is a relaxing, nature-filled soiree with an outdoor dinner by the Lule River.
The second day’s activities are rich in culture, where guests will meet Lars Errikson, one of the last remaining forest Samis, who will tell stories of the Sami’s rich Arctic traditions. Guests will also meet the reindeer that wander the farm. Dinner is a meal inspired by traditional Sami delicacies, followed by an overnight stay in the cozy and ironically named “Blue Cone,” a red wooden structure in the trees accessed via a bridge from the nearby hillside. The cabin, reminiscent of the red houses in Sweden, gives an authentic and traditional feel to the accommodation.
“The UFO,” a spherical structure cast in durable composite material, is the home for the third evening and is preceded by a stargazing evening and gastronomy experience. Photographers and Instagrammers will be particularly inspired by both the shape of the treetop room and the evening’s events which include instruction in the basics of night photography with the hopes of capturing the Northern Lights.
The day focuses on learning about local Swedish life, history and culture with a walking tour around the small village of Harads with a local guide and an invitation to a Swedish home to sample traditional Swedish fika. A three-course Swedish meal precedes the move into the fourth room, the “Mirrorcube,” an unusual hide-out among the trees, disguised by mirrored walls that reflect the surroundings. Six panoramic windows bring the outdoors inside and offer a panoramic view of the forest.
From this perch, guests will wake to the sound of birds in the treetops as they stay in their very own bird’s nest, with the chance for guests to “preen” themselves on a forest spa day. With use of the Tree Sauna and Jacuzzi, local snacks and beverages to refresh, and classic Swedish massage guests will be fully pampered and relaxed ahead of a three-course dinner with select wine pairings at the property’s Guesthouse. Guests will then climb into the camouflaged “Bird’s Nest,” a tangle of exterior branches with interior walls made of wood, accessed by a retractable staircase.
The next accommodation is the perfect starting point for the day’s foraging and exploration of the woodlands. The guide will lead guests on a forest hike to search out local wildlife, views of the beautiful local countryside, and berries to savor with fika around the campfire. The evening’s accommodation will be “The Cabin.” Set high in the trees, The Cabin comes with a rooftop terrace to admire the spectacular Arctic night sky along with a wall of windows that look out over the wilderness through which guests walked earlier in the day.
The seventh and final day is all about scale and height where guests will first experience awe-inspiring views of Storforsen, one of the highest unrestricted white-water rapids in Europe. This is a worthy precursor to a special seven-course dinner made with local ingredients, inspired by each room, and presented by the head chef.
Appropriately, the final accommodation in the itinerary is the exclusive “7th room,” the newest, highest and largest of the treetop cabins at Treehotel. Using clever camouflage techniques, the entire underside of the in-the-sky building is covered by a life-size photograph of the treetops as they looked before the room was created, with the outside façade finished with a black, charred wooden surface.
The cabin itself sits high in the trees and is reached by stairs and landings which arrive at treetops where panoramic windows show off the Lule River and skylights allow for inside viewing of the Northern Lights. An outside net functions as a patio (or as an additional bedroom for those looking for a more adventurous night), allowing guests to soak in the wilderness and search out the Aurora.
