Holiday

Plans are afoot for a magnificent new open air lagoon in Canada that will be kept at balmy temperatures year-round through a “huge Thermos” heating system underneath to become the largest lagoon of its type in the world.

Sigurd Larsen recently completed a tiny house-style cabin for hospitality startup Raus. It's designed to offer a strong connection to the landscape and is defined by its generous glazing, including a large sliding door that opens up to the outside.

This new model by Baluchon meets the strict size requirements of a French tiny house while maintaining a relatively comfortable interior layout. It sleeps a family of four inside – as long as the kids don't mind sharing a sofa bed.

​Rather than retiring from a day of elephant spotting to a four-walled hotel room with a window or two, safari guests of the South Africa’s Cheetah Plains Game Lodge will have plenty of opportunities for extracurricular connections with nature.

If you’re tired of the crowds and a virtually tourist-free getaway appeals to you, here are a few of the world’s secret islands.

A few years ago, Vipp released a luxury tiny house that costs over half a million US dollars. The firm has now opened it as a "hotel room," along with a renovated apartment. A night in each will set you back €1,000 (US$1,150) and €1,500 ($1,739), respectively.

Hiboux Architecture riffed on traditional short-term huts used by Greek farmers and harvesters while designing this unusual shelter that looks a little like a basket on stilts. Named Tragata, it's located in Cephalonia, Greece, and envisioned as a possible glamping shelter.

British architecture firm Studio Weave, in collaboration with collective Bruit du Frigo, recently completed this attractive little hiking shelter on the outskirts of Bordeaux, France. Raised atop a weathered steel platform, it's available for anyone who wants to stay, free of charge.

China can now lay claim to the world's longest sightseeing escalator. Located in the Enshi Grand Canyon in Hubei province, it measures 688 meters (2,257 ft) long and has recently opened to tourists in central China.

Those looking to dip a toe into the small living movement and see if it's for them will soon have a new option in the Pacific Northwest region. A tiny house vacation village near Portland, Oregon, is about to open and the homes will set you back from US$129 per night.

Ever wondered what it looks like if you combine Dubai's wealth, ambition, coastline and climate? Well, it looks like floating villas with submerged bedrooms that provide views of the surrounding sea-life off a reclaimed island archipelago shaped like a map of the world in the Persian Gulf.

An extension of the Musholm sports and holiday resort for people with disabilities is said to have made it one of the most accessible in the world. It has a new multi-purpose hall and 24 new holiday homes. Access routes, wayfinding, lighting and facilities have all been designed for accessibility.