A late-summer surprise

On a late summer Saturday, we leave Lausanne with close friends, the car packed with good humor, bags and laughter already filling the air. We don’t really know what’s waiting for us but the thrill of heading off together is enough to make us smile.

A few hours later, we arrive at Les Grands Lacs. A vast stretch of water, forests on the horizon, birds singing, and a calm that instantly embraces us.

Rowing to our onion-shaped floating cabin

The surprise unfolds: to reach our cabin, we have to row across the lake. Splashes, clumsy laughter, the boat rocking gently, the cool breeze through the trees. The adventure starts immediately.

And then it appears, our onion-shaped cabin, floating like a little island in the middle of the lake, paired with another just beside it. On the terrace, a private jacuzzi is waiting, surrounded by water.

Sunset drinks and starlit jacuzzi

At the entrance to the domain, we had already met a few donkeys grazing in the fields, as if to welcome us.

On our little island, our friends pull out a surprise apéro. The sun slowly dips, golden reflections dance on the water. Soon, we can’t resist the jacuzzi: hot water, wooden deck creaking under our feet, bubbles fizzing on our skin. Pure bliss.

Dinner at the on-site restaurant follows. To be honest, neither the food nor the service will be remembered. But our mood is so good, laughter so abundant, that the evening is still delightful.

Back on our island, fairy lights glowing, we dive back into the jacuzzi before starting a round of Hitster Bingo. A QR code launches a song on Spotify, and we need to guess the title, the decade, and complete our bingo grid. Quickly, the game becomes karaoke, with us singing, laughing, and teasing each other until late at night, under the stars.

Floating morning and local breakfast

The cabin proves both cozy and steady. In the morning, we wake to a still lake, trees mirrored in the water, and silence all around.

We row once more to pick up breakfast: crusty bread, homemade jams, yogurt, coffee, local juice. On the terrace, hair still damp from a last jacuzzi soak, we enjoy it in the soft morning sun.

And then, it’s time to leave, heart light, carrying the memory of a magical pause, floating between water and sky.