1. Meteora Monasteries, Thessaly, Greece
Monks have resided at Meteora since the 11th century. These monasteries were built atop huge sandstone pillars — most of which were inaccessible by road — to protect their inhabitants during unstable political times.
Photo: lo.tangelini
2. Festus Cave House, Festus, Missouri
This cave south of St. Louis was once used as a roller rink and a concert venue, but has since been converted into an enormous, modern, 3-bedroom family home. The 15,000-square-foot space retains the cave’s sandstone walls and uses geothermal heating, eliminating the need for a furnace or air conditioning.
3. Puebloan cliff dwellings, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park is a maze of sandstone-block dwellings built into an alcove under an overhanging cliff. The area is made up of at least 23 kivas and 150 rooms, which were inhabited by Ancestral Puebloans until about 1300 AD.
Photo: Ken Lund
4. Kandovan Village, Azerbaijan Province, Iran
The cone-shaped structures in Kandovan Village were naturally formed from volcanic ash and debris. Natural erosion created small pockets in the pillars that were found and shaped into cave dwellings. Most of these houses are 2-4 floors high and have connecting tunnels leading to surrounding structures.
Photo: basheem
5. Gibbon Experience treehouse, Bokeo Nature Reserve, Laos
This treehouse in Laos sleeps up to 8 people, and somehow has sufficient enough plumbing for a kitchen, a bathroom, and a shower. The Gibbon Experience runs these guesthouses, all of which are connected to one another with zip lines, and all profits are reinvested into conservation projects within the reserve.
Photo: Christian Haugen
6. Coober Pedy, South Australia
Located between Adelaide and Alice Springs, Coober Pedy was established when opal was found in the area. To avoid the surface-of-the-sun-like summer heat, most warm-blooded humans moved into dugouts: caves bored into the hillsides. For some above-ground action, keep an eye out for the local golf course, where most play happens at night with the assistance of glowing golf balls.
