World's 11 Wildest, Most Interesting Vacation Rentals

While a great hotel can make a trip -- and staying with friends or family can break a trip -- travelers are increasingly exploring a third option, vacation rentals. In 2010, more than one in five travelers tried a vacation home rental, according to an industry trade group. The same group says that nearly 50 percent of people planning a trip in the next two years are considering a rental rather than a more traditional stay.

While the Vacation Rental Managers Association has a vested interest in promoting its industry, the sheer uniqueness of vacation rentals is an undeniable benefit to these hotel alternatives. In a world awash in cookie-cutter chains, rentals offer one-of-a-kind experiences like spending the night in a static aircraft, a crane cab in the Netherlands, an English wheelhouse or an entire German wine country village.

Here, then, 11 of the world's quirkiest, wildest and just plain unique vacation rentals.

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Comments

[ThatCar]

11:13 AM on 10/26/2011

The Harbor Crane in the Netherlands was fantastic. You can operate the controls in order to rotate the entire crane and change your view. http://www.flickr.com/photos/thatcar/1457824417/in/photostream

[Burton BagbyGrose]

12:11 PM on 10/09/2011

Have to admit that Greenland does not appeal....

[Burton BagbyGrose]

11:43 AM on 10/09/2011

Always dreamed of sleeping in a lighthouse. Looks and sounds GREAT! And in England!

[Amazonia26]

10:21 AM on 10/08/2011

Hubby and I have rented neighborhood apartments in Paris, Prague, Brussels and London. What a different experience than a hotel! You get to see so much more of the local culture and find shops and cafes that you likely wouldn't otherwise. You'll be on your own but if you have an adventurous spirit you'll find that the locals are very willing to guide you along, especially if you make an effort to at least learn a few polite phrases and customs.

[PeaceVoyager]

04:12 PM on 10/07/2011

I could never understand renting a hotel room for a week , when you could rent a place for a month .

There are some neat places to visit on the list . I especially like the SriLanka island . On the other hand , I would feel uncomfortable renting the Irishchurch and sinning_all night long ..

lol

[Liberal Independent]

04:41 PM on 10/07/2011

LOL!

F&F. And thanks for your F&F the other day.

[PeaceVoyager]

04:47 PM on 10/07/2011

A good friend told me about you and I then I took a look at your musings ..
- the rest is history *wink

[dinafiorela]

01:21 PM on 10/07/2011

He BOUGHT the thing, and lived there part time for a while, between there and Morocco. When he bought it, the Sri lankans had been using it as a cobra disposal site: any cobras they found on the mainland around those parts, they'd capture and chuck on the island. :) Cheers!
http://www.amerinkatravel.com

[NunuDudu]

12:51 PM on 10/07/2011

Note to self: Ad Sri Lankan Island Villa to bucket list.

[Annemarie Dooling]

12:23 PM on 10/07/2011

There's no 'Edward Cullen' room because it looks like it's geared toward the wolf fans, what with Jacob references and what not.

[dissanayake]

11:33 AM on 10/07/2011

http://www.taprobaneisland.com/taprobane.html

[dissanayake]

11:24 AM on 10/07/2011

The photo above the caption is mentioned as a "Villa on the Island" They omit the name of the island...which is the Island of > Count De Mornay ( 1st Duc de Morny ) owned the property,and later a series of Local Gentry.de Mornay was the half Brother of Napoleon 11.

[CityLiving Apt]

10:22 AM on 10/07/2011

Fiji is amazing! Love it!

www.citylivingapt.com

[CaroleK1970]

10:02 AM on 10/07/2011

the Fiji island would be perfect as long as it had a good espresso machine

[lotusgirl]

12:17 PM on 10/07/2011

You may not need it. You would get plenty of rest and feel too refreshed to get caffeinated. :)

[frank day]

09:19 AM on 10/07/2011

That island in Sri Lanka is my kind of vacation spot.

Hopefully Mr. Bond hasn't already reserved it.

[David Rozgonyi]

09:42 AM on 10/07/2011

That island in sri lanka (called Taprobane; not sure if it was mentioned) has fascinated me for years, ever since I learned that one of my all time favorite authors, Paul Bowles (Sheltering Sky is his most famous work) fell in love with the place back in something like the 40s or 50s. He BOUGHT the thing, and lived there part time for a while, between there and Morocco. When he bought it, the Sri lankans had been using it as a cobra disposal site: any cobras they found on the mainland around those parts, they'd capture and chuck on the island. :) Cheers!

[frank day]

09:53 AM on 10/07/2011

That's very interesting.

I've only seen the movie but enjoyed it.

I may pick up the book now and give it a go.

[hungrypilot]

09:50 AM on 10/07/2011

I'm surprised it survived the 2005 tsunami unscathed.