Uncommon Family Accommodations From Cox & Kings

Tired of big-box hotels and want to expose the kids to unusual digs worthy of a “What I Did on my Summer Vacation” essay?

Luxury travel company Cox & Kings showcases five of its most uncommon accommodations around the world — from deluxe yurts to underwater guestrooms.

Sleep al fresco in a Luxury Skybed on a Cox & Kings’ South Africa & Botswana: Cape to Delta journey, which travels from Cape Town to Botswana’s Okavango Delta. The Natural Selections’ Skybeds are built two stories off the ground, high above the plains, where elephant, lion, giraffe and other wild animals roam. The skybeds are enveloped in sheer mosquito netting that keep out the bugs, but let in the starlight and the primal sounds of the African night.

Lying just off the equator in Kenya, families can curl up in Loisaba Starbeds at the Loisaba Conservancy. This isn’t your scouting version of camping. The starbeds offer a dining and sitting room, as well as a wooden viewing platform built high above the bush, allowing guests an intimate — but safe — experience with the wildlife below.

Manta Resort underwater room © Cox & Kings, The Americas

On the Kenya & Zanzibar Family Discovery tour, guests can sleep under water at the Manta Resort, just off the coast on Pemba Island. The suite, located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, is anchored to the sea floor and encapsulated in a glass bubble, allowing guests to wake to the sight of shoals of reef fish swimming by. Meanwhile, families can also enjoy the beaches of Zanzibar, snorkeling, windsurfing, kayaking, sunbathing or sailing the clear blue waters in a traditional dhow vessel.

How about a luxury yurt at the Patagonia Camp in Chile, which has taken the traditional Mongolian yurt concept — made of felt or animal skins on a collapsible framework — and added such amenities as central heating, en-suite bathrooms and comfortable, handmade furniture and textiles? The yurts are equipped with a circular translucent dome, which allow for maximum stargazing in comfort, turning their yurts into private planetariums. The yurts, available on Cox & Kings’ incredible Chile & Argentina: Patagonia Fjords journey, complement the other tour features, which include hiking past glittering lakes in Torres del Paine National Park, cruising through the Dramatic Beagle and Murray Channels and visiting large colonies of penguins.

Patagonia Yurt, Delux © Cox & Kings, The Americas

In the heart of Jordan’s vast Wadi Rum desert, Sun City Camp offers guests accommodations in so-called Martian Domes, which feature a full wall of glass allowing for 180-degree views of the surrounding countryside. The interiors combine an authentic, desert-living vibe with modern luxury and are available on the Splendors of Jordan journey. The tour also incudes visits to the historic city of Jerash, the biblical site of Mount Nebo and what is probably Jordan’s most famous site, the city of Petra.

On Cox & Kings’ Japan: Path of Enlightenment journey, families can stay in Japanese temple lodging, known as a shukubo, which also comes with a traditional vegetarian Buddhist dinner. The shukubo is located in Koyasan at Holy Mount Koya, the center of Shingon Buddhism. Situated on a small plain, Koyasan is known as the Danjo Gara, a complex of temples, halls, pagodas and Buddhist statuary.