Holidays in a tree house (Reading)

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Holidays in a tree house


You are going to read a magazine article about people who stayed in tree houses. Choose the best answer from the people who talks. The people may be chosen more than once.

A
Primary-school teacher Anisha Kapoor went to the Green Magic Nature Resort in Kerala, south-west India. ‘It wasn’t my first experience of tree house living,’ she says, ‘but it was certainly the best. I was pleased to see that in a region where there aren’t many jobs, the houses are entirely built and maintained by workers from the area, using traditional techniques and local materials. For instance, the lifts up to the front doors are made of cane grown in nearby fields. They work fine, by the way, and I was glad there were no stairs to climb – the houses are 25 metres up! That’s good, though, because at the height there’s often a cool breeze blowing through the branches. For power there’s solar energy, and the taps in the kitchen and bathroom are supplied by pollution-free natural springs in the nearby hills. There’s even a pretty good shower.’

B
Australian technician Richie O’Hara was a guest at the Hinchinbrook Island Wilderness Lodge, on an island off the north coast of tropical Queensland. ‘The wooden tree house was quite comfortable,’ he says, ‘and they had all the advertised facilities such as running water and a fridge. Actually, I hadn’t fully read the brochure, so when I arrived, I was surprised to find an internet connection in the house and I wished I’d brought my computer with me. Still, I found plenty of healthy things to do, like canoeing and diving, and in the evening I could sit in the living room looking out above the rainforest to the Pacific beyond. That was great. After a week or so, though, I was a little tired of the climb to and from the house, so I doubt whether I’d repeat the tree-top experience. But I’m sure kids would love it – it’s just a pity I didn’t go there when I was about ten!’

C
Medical student Kirsty Hammond spent a week in Tanzania’s Lake Manyara National Park, at the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. ‘As we approached it,’ she says, ‘we glimpsed the buildings up among the branches, with the Great Rift Valley in the background. It was a wonderful sight. The houses were comfortable, too, with running water, a well-equipped bathroom and, fortunately, large mosquito nets above the beds – I’m very aware of the dangers if they bite you. I also liked the fact  that almost everything was above ground, even the restaurant. To be honest, I’d had my doubts about some of the traditional meals I’d seen people eating, but once I tasted them realised how good they were. The only problem there was the high night-time temperature: although my bedroom had an overhead fan, I didn’t sleep very well. But generally I had a great time. There’s some fantastic wildlife around, including tree-climbing lions – though perhaps luckily I didn’t actually see any of those.’


d
Ever since TV research Whitney Martin worked on a programme about tree houses, she’d dreamt about staying in one. So when her neighbours happened to mention they had just such a place in Alaska, and asked whether she’d like to spend a fortnight there in July, she said ‘yes’ without a moment’s hesitation. ‘I couldn’t  believe it when I saw it,’ she says, ‘it had everything: even hot running water and cable TV.  Though I rarely watched that because I was out most of the time. Just a few steps from the house there were trails that seemed to go on forever through the forest to some really fantastic rivers and lakes. And of course that far north days are really long in summer, so I could keep going until very late. I hardly ever felt cold, though, and on those occasions when I did, I had a nice warm place of my own to look forward to. The only disadvantages of being there at that time of the year was the huge number of mosquitoes. I must have been bitten a hundred times.’


Which person...

1.says they probably would not stay in a tree house again?
2. was sometimes keen to get back to the tree house?
3. was glad there was protection from insects?
4. enjoyed the view from the tree house?
5. did not have to walk up to the house?
6. took part in water sports?
7. liked the fact that local people benefit from the tree houses?
8. immediately accepted an unexpected offer?
9. spent a lot of time walking?
10. has stayed in a tree house before?
11. was pleasantly surprised by the local food?
12. wishes they had gone there as a child?
13. felt hot despite the cooling system?
14. was in a house with clean water from the ground?
15. regretted not taking something with them?

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