Five Unique Sleepover Experiences For Solo Travelers

What sets the world’s best hotel experiences apart from the rest? A dash of something different – nothing beats a mind-blowing setting or evocative detail from a long-lost era. Flash Pack curates group adventures and experiences for solo travelers in their 30s and 40s, and hand-picks some of the most unique hotels from across the world.

When traveling solo, there are many things to take into consideration before embarking on your journey. Preparation is key. The solo traveler will want to find a place to unwind and regroup at the end of the day.

Whether it’s a night in an old prison or bedding down in the jungle of Borneo, below are five unique Flash Pack’s sleepover experiences the solo traveler won’t want to miss.

A lodge made of salt, Bolivia

If you’re the kind of person who worries about your salt intake, put things into perspective at this one-of-a-kind retreat. Hotel Luna Salada is perched on a plateau by Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt plain, and is made entirely from salt blocks. Floors, tables, chairs: even the beds are carved out of the grainy stuff, and you’ll feel it crunch beneath your feet as you walk about. The views across the shimmering flats are quite sensational, and best admired from the vantage point of the hotel hot tub, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to the landscape. Night times are equally wow-worthy, as the remote sky lights up in a dazzling blanket of stars. Grab a glass of fruity red wine, and girdle your appetite for home-cooked Andean cuisine. Need a little seasoning? You won’t have to look far.

Add a salty twist as you uncover the Inca heritage of Peru and Bolivia.

A desert island, the Philippines

If life on the insanely picturesque island of Palawan is a bit too “been there, done that” for you, take off in a private boat instead. The hidden coves of the Bacuit Archipelago await at your service, presenting a dream-like canvas of limestone karsts and powdery white bays. Depending on where your whims take you, one of these can be your bed for the night, complete with a private chef and beach BBQ. Tuck into freshly grilled seafood by the waves before retreating into luxury one-person mesh tents. A few nights of sleeping beneath the stars on your secret idyll, and you’ll feel like a whole new person. Robinson Crusoe, eat your heart out.

Bed down on the beach and explore pristine Philippines paradise.

The world’s highest inn, Nepal

High up in the Himalayan peaks lies Yeti Mountain Lodge in Kongde. Claiming to be the world’s highest hotel at 4,2350 metres, this unique eagle’s nest hideaway is dwarfed by a line-up of the world’s largest mountains. Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyo, Gyajung Khang and Ama Dablam tower like centaurs around its rim, providing the most spell-binding breakfast view you could ever hope for.  You’re miles above the nearest village, with nothing but the snow-dusted contours of the Khumbu valley stretching out from all angles.  But even with the off-radar setting, this cosy lodge still manages to throw in perks such as homegrown organic veg and a well-stocked bar. You know, the essentials…

Reach for the stars on an awe-inspiring Nepal trip to the ceiling of the world

A 19th Century prison, Helsinki

Fancy channelling Orange Is The New Black? We’ve got just the place for you. Hotel Katajanokka in the Finnish capital Helsinki is a former prison with all the features you might expect from a jailhouse of old. Guests here are treated to barred windows and original Panopticon stairwells, along with a basement chapel and isolation cell. But if the 19th Century red-bricked institution seems a little austere from the outside, you don’t have to look far for trimmings. Large beds, luxe toiletries and a weekend sauna add a boutique twist that would no doubt have hit the spot for the inmates who once wandered the corridors.  Head behind bars on a Finland winter escape, while you learn to canoe on Lake Haukkalampi and master the art of wilderness cooking.

A jungle longhouse, Borneo

Sure, you can trek through the rainforest, but how much better to actually stay there. Nanga Sumpa Lodge in Sarawak lets you get right to the core of Borneo’s lush tropical interior, with a unique “village stay” by the banks of Delok River. Sitting by a jungle longhouse, this basic wooden lodge offers a rare glimpse into the Iban people’s way of life, and you really couldn’t get more remote. Drift off to the chirrups of the nocturnal forest canopy, before heading out to spy orangutans, pygmy elephants and crocodiles on a dawn river safari. Magical.

Cut loose in the Borneo rainforest.