Some like it hut.
Introverts looking to escape the urban rat race need look no further than the Floating Glacier Hut, a rustic hut in East Greenland that could be the world’s most remote Airbnb.
Situated in a “secluded fjord” in Kulusuk, this isolated abode “offers glacier-front views and unparalleled access to the Arctic’s breathtaking landscapes,” per the listing. “Epic views, tranquility, and magic await you here!”
Just don’t ask for the Wi-Fi password, as there is no internet — guests’ only line to the outside world is a satellite phone.
Local glacier guide Nicco Segreto started the getaway as a hyper-remote stay catering to the “world’s most adventurous travelers,” according to BBC travel writer Laura Hall, who stayed at this veritable apocalypticist’s Valhalla.
“I got goosebumps when I found it,” Segreto exclaimed. “I wasn’t looking for it. It’s really a hidden gem that I want people to see.”
It comes amid the quietcation trend, in which travelers swap out the bloated, tourist-filled resorts for Spartan locales that allow them to get away from it all.
Rustic living is the theme of this Spartan shelter, which is only accessible by boat. During the stay, the abode is tethered to land by two ropes and an anchor, and includes a small stove, one bed, a composting toilet — and no shower.
To clean herself, Hall reportedly took a “lightning-fast dip in the utterly freezing sea.” Glampers turn away now.
The lack of internet forces guests to forgo surfing social media and gaze up at the Scandinavian sky through the “ceiling” portals, which come without curtains as “daylight lingers late into the night” at this time of year.
There’s even a 7-inch ice-fishing hole so visitors can catch their dinner. Total price for this minimalist setup: an eye-popping $1,000 per night.
Go figure: Hall said the place can get quite lonely. Indeed, the nearest settlement, Sermiligaaq, is found along the East Coast and has a population of 209, and the next nearest town is Ittoqqortoormiit, located 497 miles away with a population of 345.
On the plus-side, this tranquil boathouse offers a great shelter from predators. “If a polar bear comes,” said Segreto. “You couldn’t be in a safer spot. Just get inside and lock the door.” It seems like the perfect place to be during a zombie apocalypse.
The downside is that, in the event of “bad weather we would not able to reach the floating hut,” the listing warns. “We are not responsible to provide an alternative option. We will do our best to help you finding one.”
What does one do for fun in the middle of nowhere?
According to the listing, visitors can “watch the Northern lights dance overhead while surrounded by icebergs” or immerse themselves in “nature and adventure with optional activities like glacier, walking, fishing and ice-caving.
During Hall’s stay, Segreto took her to a “vast cave” with “a ceiling of ice and a muddy, sandy floor that hasn’t seen daylight since the Ice Age began.”
Next year, he plans to open an upscale wilderness retreat, Vision Lodge, that will allow visitors to see the cave and partake in other pursuits during a weeklong jaunt.
As for food, guests can enjoy “BBQ-style” vittles on the outdoor deck “or a homemade pasta or a local[ly] caught fish made by” Segreto, per the listing.
So far, the accommodation only has one review from Helen in August.
“This was spectacular accommodation,” the satisfied traveler gushed. “If you want to stay a night surrounded by nature, and truly being in the wild — yet comfortable and warm — this is for you.”
She added, “The only noise we heard was from the glacier nearby and small bits of ice passing by. I can’t recommend this place highly enough.”
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