Skylodge Adventure Suites: Peru’s Cliff-Hanging Hotel for Thrill Seekers

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Fancy staying in a transparent pod attached to a sheer rock face? Since it opened in 2013, this sky-high hotel – the first-ever hanging lodge in the world – has been popular with travelers looking for something a little different while en route to Machu Picchu.

Guests are invited to spend the night in one of their three hanging bedrooms and wake up to 300-degree views across a dramatic Peruvian landscape. The pods are fitted with everything you need for a comfortable stay, but as they are suspended 1,300 feet (396 meters) in the air, this is a mountainside retreat with a death-defying twist.

To reach your pod, you must first get harnessed up and complete a vertical climb using a set of iron rungs, via ferrata-style, or alternatively, undertake a demanding hike. Both ascents are tough, but once they have reached the top, guests are rewarded with mind-blowing views and a glass of wine.

Each private pod comes complete with a double bed, bathroom (including an ecological toilet and a washbasin with running water) and a lounge area for dining and relaxing.

It’s a special place to watch the sunset, as the views over Peru’s Sacred Valley are unbeatable. A delicious dinner is served by your guide in a luxury transparent capsule, and once night falls, guests head back to their pods to stargaze from the comfort of their own beds. In the morning, you can see the sunrise while swaddled in a cloud-like duvet and spot native Andean birds such as the condor soaring about. After breakfast, a zip wire brings guests safely back down to solid ground.

For some, a night spent suspended on a sheer cliff face is their idea of a nightmare. For others, it’s pure bliss. It’s certainly not an adventure for everyone, but for those who thrive on adrenaline and love to stay well off the beaten track, Skylodge Adventure Suites could be the wow factor experience you’ve been searching for.

A reasonable degree of fitness is required, and you must have steely nerves when it comes to heights.

This experience is designed to take you out of your comfort zone without sacrificing on luxury. The pods are claimed to be indestructible, which is reassuring when you consider that they’re riveted to a cliff face. Each octagonal capsule is made from aerospace-grade materials, making them secure and weather-resistant.

This has to be the ultimate bucket-list must-do for thrill seekers. Many might be put off by the effort of getting there, but those who dare will be richly rewarded.

Fancy staying somewhere a bit less cliff-edgy? You could book one of the most romantic hotels in Peru now.

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