If you fell down a rabbit hole, where would you end up in?
Crazy House – a hostel in Da Lat Vietnam – depicts Alice’s destination in real-life.
The sprawling complex is a literal maze of irregularly-shaped buildings, precarious walkways, cavernous tunnels and animal-themed rooms. You’ll get a chance to unwind in any of them for just S$44 per night.
Ready to have your next adventure? We’ve done some digging on your behalf and here’s what is awaiting you down this rabbit hole.
Their grotesquely shaped buildings are a fascinating sight to behold. The main structure is a literal house-in-a-tree with convex windows surrounded by vines, branches and shrubs.
Vietnamese architect Dang Viet Nga says the hostel seeks to encourage visitors to return to nature, and the lush greenery wrapped around the towering structures surely achieves that purpose.
Crazy House also has houses on stilts — minus the Mad Hatter.
The architect shares that she usually begins by painting her ideal shapes and designs. Afterwards, she seeks help from local craftsmen to make her vision a reality — like this spider-web themed house adorned with ominous looking stalactites.
This also explains why many of the outlying buildings resemble impressionist artwork.
As we marvel at the current structures, it’s hard to believe that Crazy House is still a work in progress. Construction first began in 1990, but Ms Dang plans to extend the massive complex with more themed houses until 2020.
Crazy House definitely has some crazy architecture.
We’re sure tourists will love taking lots of selfies in front of the houses — but the real fun begins once you navigate past these organic tree-like passageways.
Have a blast finding your room by venturing through these precarious tunnels.
For those of us who’ve never had the guts to walk on rooftops, their high walkways will let you experience it for the first time.
You can easily conquer your fear of heights because the stairs are lined with man-made twisting organic structures that you can hold onto, in case you go weak in the knees at that altitude.
The best part? Surviving the climb to the top gives you an uninterrupted view of nature — in sharp contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city.
We’re sure you won’t mind staying outside all day long, whilst staring at these clear blue skies.
Crazy House’s obsession with nature doesn’t stop there.
10 animal-themed rooms such as the Eagle Room, Ant Room, Tiger Room, Kangaroo Room, Bear Room & many others help you feel close to the wilderness in spite of the artificial setting.
Each animal is meant to represent various nations — the industrious ant for Vietnam, the bald eagle for America, the majestic tiger for China and so on.
Guests will definitely enjoy the Hobbit-esque bedrooms, expertly crafted to make you feel like you’re living right in a village out in Middle-Earth.
Your madcap adventure won’t be complete without a deep dive to the sea.
Crazy House’s aquatic-themed room features larger-than-life corals and monstrous creature lurking in the depths of our vast ocean.
Don’t forget to watch out for sharks at the snack bar!
You can book a flight from Singapore to Lien Khuong Airport on Jetstar Airways. From there, take a 40-minute taxi ride.
Crazy House is the ideal destination for fans of avant-garde architecture and unconventional living experiences. At S$44 per night, it’s definitely an affordable stay in wonderland to say the least.
If you don’t try too hard to make sense of it with your internal GPS, you’ll have a pleasant stay indeed.
Opening Times: 8:30am-7:00pm
Location: Số 3 Huỳnh Thúc Kháng, Phường 4, Thành Phố Đà Lạt, Lâm Đồng, Vietnam
Website: Crazy House
Featured image from Instagram and Crazy House.
The kitten will be put up for adoption after its injuries are cured.
The toasts were barely a few centimetres thick.
The boy was trapped inside the lift for over half an hour before being rescued.
The man is known to be a frequent troublemaker.
A total of 13,099 travellers were fined.
He confessed to local police that he ate the dogs.