A socially-distanced wooden cabin for travel post-COVID

The Australian startup Unyoked is developing stylish cabins that provide a safe option for travellers looking to get away from the city

Spotted: Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, luxury travel advisors were seeing overworked urbanites turn to nature to escape and recharge. This market for restorative travel has only intensified in the midst of the global health crisis. The Australian startup Unyoked, launched last year by brothers Cam and Chris Grant, is offering secluded yet accessible cabins in beautiful rural locations. Starting at €135, Each of the 17 cabins is less than a two-hour drive away from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane.

The 150-square-foot wooden cabins offered by Unyoked sit in isolated settings, such as an ancient pine forest in Sydney, a eucalyptus Grove in Kangaroo Valley and a deserted acreage at Blue Pyrenees Winery in the state of Victoria. Although the cabins aren’t big, they are surrounded by the grandeur of nature and are sleek and luxurious. They are also eco-friendly, with solar panels lining the roof, and inside guests can find a plush Queen bed fitted with Italian linens and a fully stocked kitchenette with bottles of local larger and organic coffee. Stepping out of the cabin, a stone fire pit awaits, ringed with Adirondack chairs.

Other companies similar to Unyoked are also offering rural hideaways near major cities around the world. Getaway in the US, which debuted in 2016, offers cabins from €84, located in places such as California’s Big Bear Lake, the Catskills in New York and Shenandoah in Virginia. At Elmley Nature Reserve, about 50 miles east of London, cabins have also popped up.

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