Five Best: Beds on wheels

The Tundra Buggy, Canada

The first polar bear trips from Churchill, Manitoba, rolled out across the frozen Canadian wilderness in 1979. From the Tundra Buggy™ - best described as a huge motor home on monster wheels - visitors are able to get up-close to these majestic creatures. Almost 100m long, hitched together are two dormitory cars, a lounge and a dining car. It's basicliving - chemical toilets and lights off by 10pm. But, after your first bear sighting, who cares?

Tundra Buggy™ Adventure Tours, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada (001 204 949 2050; www.tundrabuggy.com). The three-day Adventurer tour costs C$2,549 (£1,204) per person.

Wagon Stays, New Zealand

This canvas-covered wagon is surrounded by an organic garden and tree-studded farmland in Christchurch, with grazing deer, sheep and cattle. It's fashioned on an 1870s wagon used by early settlers. With polished timber and brass taps, it sleeps two with an adjoining cooking area, cow-hide couch and roomy "driver's platform" to sit out on. Expect a few extras that pioneers could only dream of: a mini bar stocked with local products, and a TV and DVD to enjoy from the luxury queen-size bed. You can also soak under the stars in the private outdoor heated tub or just enjoy the views of the Southern Alps in the distance.

Wagon Stays, 700 Cashmere Road, Christchurch, New Zealand (00 64 3 322 8277; www.wagonstays.co.nz). The wagon costs NZ$250 (£88) per night, including breakfast and airport transfers.

Okonjima Villa, Namibia

Opened in January, this thatched luxury villa - overlooking a waterhole - is set in a secluded spot 10km from the Okonjima Main Camp, home to the AfriCat Foundation which rescues cheetahs and leopards. A grand main house and two private suites, sleeping up to eight adults and five children, come with a chef-designed kitchen, fireplaces, an infinity pool, plus a personal chef, safari guide and driver. Brad and Angelina stayed here, but that's not the USP: guests can choose to have their beds wheeled out onto the open-air terrace for a night under the stars.

The Okonjima Villa, Otjiwarongo, Namibia (00 264 67 687 032; www.okonjima.com). Rates start at N$3,200 (£220) per person per night, full-board.

The Marmara Antalya Hotel, Turkey

The Marmara hotel might as well have been beamed down from space to the old town of Antalya. Its futuristic bright-white angular structure certainly stands out on the rocky coastline. Inside it's equally eye-catching. Celebrated French designer Christian Allart has gone for a lurid colour scheme and chic furnishings in each of the 212 rooms. It gets more curious at the "Revolving Loft" - a separate building with 24 rooms. Claiming to be the "world's only revolving hotel", the whole building turns 360 degrees at varying speeds (it can take from two to 22 hours), so each guest gets a view of the sparkling Mediterranean and mountains.

The Marmara Antalya Hotel, Eski Lara Yolu, Sirinyali, Antalya, Turkey (00 90 242 249 3600; www.themarmarahotels.com). Loft rooms start at €250 (£179), half-board.

The Old Railway Station, UK

Built in 1894, Petworth Railway Station is now a beautifully restored B& B (the last train ran in 1966). You can stay in the station itself, but boarding one of six rooms in the Edwardian Pullman carriages is more popular. Inside, there's a real attention to history - original marquetry, old radios and fine mahogany. Although the rooms are small, Flora 2 (all the rooms are named), features a king-size wrought-iron bed. Breakfast, cooked to order, is served on the platform, former ticket hall or delivered to your carriage.

The Old Railway Station, Petworth, West Sussex (01798 342 346; www.old-station.co.uk). Pullman rooms start at £69, including breakfast.

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