Free Spirit Spheres resort in British Columbia knows there’s nothing quite like being in an orb in a tree canopy. They invite you to experience an enchanted rainforest vacation in a spherical suspended treehouse. The year-round, adult-only resort on Vancouver Island features three hanging handmade orbs, which you can rent for $175 per night.
The Eve sphere in winter. Free Spirit Spheres
“Normal buildings that we’re in are all about separation … when you step into a sphere there is no separation. There’s only one wall,” owner Tom Chudleigh told Arbutus RV Island Adventures. Chudleigh has a background in engineering and spends three years personally building each sphere.
The three rentable orbs are called Eve, Eryn and Melody and each is accessed by a spiraling staircase. Chudleigh also has his own office sphere, called Gwyn. The orbs weigh about 1,100 pounds and are each tied to three separate trees. A strong breeze or the movement of an inhabitant causes them to sway.
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The sphere interiors hold drop-beds, workspaces, sinks and round windows, Curbed explained. Each has its own electric composting toilet outhouse and a shared bathhouse with a sauna. There are several restaurants within three to 15 miles from the resort.
Eve was the prototype and is 9 feet in diameter. Next came Eryn and then Melody, with 10.5-foot-diameters. Melody has scales from Beethoven’s Ode to Joy painted on it. Eve is best suited for one occupant and Eryn and Melody can accommodate two adults.
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“There’s a magic about these spheres,” that comes in part “from the love and intention Tom puts into each one,” says Kait Burgan of Arbutus RV Island Adventures. Free Spirit Spheres is about 35 miles north of the city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, between Qualicum Beach and what is locally known as “lighthouse country.”
Free Spirit Sphere’s hopes this floating oasis in the canopy of the coastal forest will “provide a venue for people to enjoy exceptional experiences while dwelling in a natural forest environment.” Chudleigh also wants to build new spheres and is seeking new spaces and potential partners that can enable him to do so.
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