Gluba Treetop Cabins

Gluba is two cabins raised into the forest canopy near Mandal, on Norway's southern coast. Furunåla sleeps six, with one bedroom, a loft, and a sofa bed; Elgposten sleeps ten across three bedrooms and a loft with skylights over the beds. Both run on rainwater and gas hobs, with wood stoves and composting toilets rather than mains plumbing. It is a simple setup. Elgposten stands on a cliff above Lake Gluba, facing a bog crossed by a moose trail, and each cabin has a part-covered veranda with a dining table, a wood-fired hearth, and a hammock strung for afternoons off. Down at the lake, a lean-to shelter sits right at the water's edge, dry enough for grilling in any weather, and seven canoes wait there free for guests to borrow. The lake connects by narrow channels, cut in part by beaver activity, to the Lonafossen waterfall, an easy paddle manageable for most ages. A sand beach lines part of the lake, unusual for water this far inland, and the outflow runs clear over a sandy bed suited to swimming or a look below the surface. A nine-metre lookout tower nearby gives views to the sea and surrounding hills. A suspension bridge leads from the cabins straight into the walking trails beyond.