The nine Caribbean suites at Punta Caracol Acqua-Lodge are crowned with palm fronds and powered by the sun. (Surprisingly, each is two stories with a four-poster bed on the top floor.) right when you arrive, throw open the doors to your deck, breathe in that fresh sea air, and slip into your bikini. Cannonballs are in order.

When to go: Target February to March or September to October to avoid the rainy seasons.

How to get there: Fly into Panama City, transfer to Bocas del Toro, then take a short boat ride.

"But Switzerland's not on the ocean," you say, and right you are. Hotel Palafitte's suites sit over freshwater, poised on stilts in Lake Neuchatel. The light-filled rooms are kitted out with decadent extras like hot tubs. A ladder leads directly from your balcony into the H2O, if you fancy a dip. 

When to go: Aim for the summer. It’ll cost a bit more but be warm enough to actually swim.

How to get there: Hop a plane to Geneva, then take the train to Neuchatel.

The jungly section of this Asian capital has just seen the arrival of a cool eco-friendly hotel, Bangkok Tree House. Built among mangroves, its accommodations are called "nests," save for one special "view with a room," an open-air platform ingeniously hidden away from prying eyes.

When to go: February and March have the most agreeable weather.

How to get there: Take the train from the airport to Bang Na station, and then grab a cab to the pier for a ferry to the resort.

Shack up 90 feet above the wilds of the Amazon. Perches in Inkaterra Reserva are connected to a web of walkways that link to observation platforms where you can sip pisco sours at twilight, courtesy of a "canopy butler." 

When to go: The months of December through May average a comfortable 86 degrees.

How to get there: Daily flights are available from Lima, via Cuzco, to Puerto Maldonado. From there you'll take a 45-minute boat ride to the lodge.

Every boho-gypsy fantasy you’ve ever had can play out at Ngong House in a tony suburb of Nairobi. Stilted houses, flanked by acacia trees, have a louche elegance: Canopied daybeds are piled with pillows, antique kilim rugs cover the floors, and wrought-iron chandeliers dangle from peaked ceilings. 

When to go: Shoot for the dry seasons: January to March, and then from July through October.

How to get there: Simply fly into Nairobi and the lodge will collect you at the airport.