A Loo With A View: A Look at 21 Toilets in Unique Locations Around The World!

I don’t know about you, but I find going to the toilet a bit of a chore. Especially when you travel! I’m sure you can all relate, wandering around a city bursting for a pee and attempting to find a public bathroom (Venice, I’m looking at you with your ‘follow’ the WC graffiti for miles just to pay 1.50Euro just to relieve yourself…or Mostar when I paid to use the toilet to discover there was NO toilet, just a hole in the ground, that felt like the biggest rip off ever!). Or having to hold on for hours on a long bus journey.

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However, sometimes the toilet stops can surprise you, they appear in the most beautiful locations and offer you amazing views from the loo and suddenly it turns a mundane task into a memorable experience!

Loo With A View

Africa

Morocco – Sahara Desert

For me, the toilet that I’ve been the most excited to see, was the one at my desert camp in the Sahara Desert. I had been mentally preparing myself for weeks at the prospect of having to just squat behind a dune, I even bought myself a She-Wee!

So you can imagine my relief when we rocked up to camp and there was a caravan ‘cassette’ toilet in its own little tent! It wasn’t 100% private, there was just a curtain (that didn’t fully shut) between you and the dunes, so you kinda had to sing or make noise to warn others it was occupied.

I woke up early and used it the morning after we had been hit by a sand storm, and had to blow the sand off the seat, but hey I’ll take that over the alternative!

Namibia

By Claire from ZigZag On Earth

These have been my favorite toilets so far in my travels (yes I have favorite toilets LOL). I found them at a campsite in Namibia.  The best part is that you don’t have to close the curtain. Just place the sign outside to say it is busy.  This way you can enjoy the view of the savannah 🙂 (hopefully without wild animals coming to say hello… )

Europe

Slovakia – High Tatra Mountains

By Shara Johnson from SKJ Travel

My husband and I spent several days hiking a circuit in the High Tatra Mountains of Slovakia. As no camping is allowed, hikers wishing to spend the night must stay in one of the chatas with dormitory-style beds and outdoor loos.

We spent a couple lovely nights at the Zbojnícka chata. It could be a hassle putting on my boots and tromping outside every time I needed the toilet, but every time, as the jagged peaks of mountains loomed above me on all sides, and the night’s stars populated a crisp, clear sky, I appreciated the opportunity to witness this beauty, and was reminded how very worth it the loo trek was.

Russia – Mount Elbrus

By Campbell & Alya from Stingy Nomads

We have stumbled upon many strange toilets while hiking somewhere in the mountains. The most remarkable one we found climbing Mount Elbrus in Russia. The toilet was at 4000m above sea level, a very simple wooden booth with basically a hole, some sort of dry toilet.

It was located on the slope of the mountain on the wooden deck half hanging in the air. From the only one small window you could see the surrounding mountains and a far away ski station, a spectacular view!.

For us going to the toilet was a real challenge. First, because we were camping a bit lower and every time we had to walk uphill to get there and at 4000m even small uphill makes you quite tired. Second, the weather wasn’t great though it was summer; strong wind, snow, hail, night temperatures between -15C and -20C.

Every time to get to this toilet with the view we got dressed like for conquering the mountain and since it’s recommended to drink a lot at this height to prevent altitude sickness we had to do the uphill run quite often.

Norway – Trolltunga Trail nr Bergen

By Lena from Travel Monkey

This might not be a toilet with the best facilities, but it surely is a toilet with one of the best views, if you dare to sit with the doors opened. This eco-friendly loo is situated 1,5 km up one of the most scenic hikes in Norway – the Trolltunga trail hike.

Right after you pass the steepest and the hardest part of the hike, you have the chance to rest your soul in this wooden toilet overlooking the mountain ahead, with it’s back to the vastness of Norwegian fjords.

Norway – Skjervsfossen Waterfall

By Jurga from Full Suitcase

Using public bathrooms when road-tripping is often an adventure in itself and usually not in a good way. So when I saw my husband and kids come out of the public toilet at Skjervsfossen waterfall in Norway smiling and telling me to go and take a picture, I was really intrigued to see what I would find inside.

I opened the door and wow! There was a big window and a glass floor looking over the mountain river just underneath. We have seen many special bathroom facilities all over the world, but this was by far the most unexpected find and the best view from a toilet we had ever seen. If you ever do a road trip in Norway’s fjord region, check it out!

Austria – Mayrhofen

I was so excited after I used the toilet at the first cable car station (not the base station) up the Penkenbahn in Mayrhofen, Austria!  I literally came running out shouting “You’ve got to go in and look at the toilet!!!”.  

The end toilet partly had a glass window, so you could see the tops of the Austrian mountains while sitting on the pan.  My Dad let me peak in the men’s toilets (once it was empty of course) as all the urinals looked out over the mountains!

Portugal – Praia Da Fateixa

By Nanouk from Digital Nomad with Kids

We travel full time in an RV in Europe, and this winter, we traveled through Portugal. We absolutely loved the beautiful sceneries of the Portugal coastline! We mainly free camp and we found this impressive little beach called Praia da Fateixa. At the top of the cliff, we stayed for two nights and had the best toilet with a view ever.

Portugal – Peneda-Geres National Park

By Josh and Sarah from Veggie Vagabonds

Right in the heart of the Peneda-Geres National Park in Northern Portugal, when nature calls you’re greeted with this view! This is in a beautiful hostel nestled in the mountains near Spain, a haven for hikers with routes going for miles and miles in every directions. 

Every visit to the toilet inspired us to get into the outdoors and back on the hiking trails. The village the view looks over has extra special memory as we nearly got trapped in a wildfire about 10km away! Exciting stuff!

Asia

U.A.E – Intercontinental Dubai Marina

By Arzo from Arzo Travels

Intercontinental Dubai Marina is a very bright and stylish hotel located in one of the most popular districts of Dubai – Marina.

Wherever you look around, you´ll see many interesting skyscrapers and strolling around this area is so much fun. You can have these beautiful views, whatsoever, also from your toilet at Intercontinental.

The hotel uses a lot of glass which makes it very bright – and which allow great views. I had one of the best toilet views from there – overlooking lovely Marina. It is different looking out the window and see nature (which is indeed a nice view, too) or looking at newly built skyscrapers and the man made marina.

Since there are skyscrapers just opposite of you can close the blinds and make it opaque, so you do not have to worry about other people seeing you in there.

South Korea – N Seoul Tower

By John from Roaming Around The World

The toilets atop the N Seoul Tower must have the best views in all of Korea! The Seoul Tower soars 236 meters (about 70 stories high) above South Korea’s sprawling capital. If you are nervous of heights and find yourself with the need to “go” while in the observation deck, then you’ll be in a situation that literally scares the piss out of you!

The clear glass windows lining the toilets provide a vertigo-inducing look down into Seoul. The men’s facilities have urinals lining the windows which can be a bit of a distraction from watching one’s aim. Ladies also get a lou with a view, with toilet seats lining the windows that offer a panoramic down into the bustling capital city with looming mountains that surround.

Mongolia – Gobi Desert

By Lisa from TheHotFlashPacker

I have traveled all over the world and especially in Africa, South America, and parts of Asia, there aren’t always toilets available when you need them, thus the need for a “bush toilet”.  I’ve had the necessity of using bush toilets 100’s of times.  Usually it is best when there is an actual bush, tree, sand dune, or large rock to give some privacy, but that’s not always available. 

My most memorable bush toilet was in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.  We were on a vast plateau with no large plants or rocks nearby and my friends and I desperately needed a stop.  We found the opportunity for a toilet/photo stop when we found ourselves in the middle of a large field of blooming purple desert chives as far as the eye could see.  We couldn’t stop laughing because it smelled like we were peeing in a salad.

Vietnam – Halong Bag Cruise

By Allison from Flights to Fancy

Halong Bay is a UNESCO world heritage site in the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam. The best way to see the stunning seascape is by boat and we chose Orchid Cruise Halong Bay from the hundreds of cruises on offer.

The cabin on our luxury cruise was amazing but the jewel in the crown was the bathroom.  The expansive window allows guests unparalleled views not only from the huge tub, but also from the toilet.

There’s no need to take any reading material when you’ve got a job to do on Orchid Cruises. The jagged limestone karsts, 1600 odd islands and vibrant emerald green waters passing slowly by the window are the only inspiration you will need.

While privacy is not normally an issue, occasionally a row boat will circle the cruise ship trying to peddle their wares to the guests. If you are worried about being caught with your pants down you may want to close the shutters!

Maldives – Adaaran Club Rannalhi Resort

One of my bucket list travel dreams was to stay in an overwater bungalow in the Maldives! After some searching I found a resort with ‘cheap’ overwater bungalows, that came with a choice between the older bungalows with a glass floor in the bedroom, or the newer bungalows that had a glass bathroom!

I opted for the glass bathroom because I liked the thought of being able to watch the sea while on the toilet!

Singapore – Hotel Indigo

By Greta from Greta’s Travels

The bathroom of Hotel Indigo in Singapore has one of the best views I have ever seen (as well as some lovely interior design)! It’s slightly further out from what is considered the city centre of Singapore so there are no swooping skyscrapers, on the other hand however this is better as there is little chance of anyone seeing into the bathroom from outside!

The floor length windows give you an epic view over the rooftops of the smaller coloured houses of East Coast Road. Relaxing in a bathtub while watching from above the hustle and bustle of a busy Singaporean streets is a priceless experience.

North America

USA – Cool Springs Station Route 66 Arizona

One of our Route 66 highlights was driving the Oatman Highway and Sitgreaves Pass.  A little outside of Kingman, heading west-bound on the Route, you come to the little stone building that is Cool Springs Station gift shop and museum.

They have changed what is just a boring Porta Potty into a little rest room complete with a sink with running water!  What makes it cool is that it’s surrounded by desert in all directions!

USA – Grand Canyon Bright Angel Trail

The Bright Angel Trail is an 8 mile trail that descends down into the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River. I decided to hike a small 1.5 mile section of it to the ‘Mile and a Half Rest House’ which features, you guessed it, toilets!

These long drop toilets don’t have windows so unfortunately there are no views from the seat but you’ve got to admit, they are in a pretty cool location! (Header image of the toilet building, image below is the view looking back up the Canyon).

South America

Peru – Trekking to Machu Picchu

By Claire Sturzaker from Tales of a Backpacker

Probably the best view from a loo I’ve ever had was in Peru on the trek to Machu Picchu.  I didn’t take the traditional Inca Trail, rather a different, less crowded trek route over the mountains. 

Each afternoon the porters would race ahead to set up camp for the evening, put up our tents, prepare dinner, and set up the portaloo.  Well, I say portaloo, it was really a hole in the ground with a plastic seat we could sit on to do our business. 

It was set up inside a little blue toilet tent, but the zip had broken, and they set it up facing away from camp so when we sat down, the view of the surrounding scenery really was spectacular!

Colombia – Sierra Nevada

By Thomas from Tom Plan My Trip

In Colombia, the Sierra Nevada is the 2nd highest Coastal range mountain in the world with a peak at 5700 m. And if you’re lucky enough, you can admire the eternal snows from the beach. After being bored to find Kilos of sands in their hair, travelers like to chill in this green ocean surrounded by trees, coffees, and monkeys.

Casa Elemento, in Minca, is their first choice.  The hostel has set up a HUGE hammock above the edge, where you can contemplate the valley and the sun going down in the ocean. And if you urge to go to the toilet at that moment, don’t worry.  You’ll still have a great sight of the sunset 😉

Australia

Australia – Nerren Nerren Rest Stop Western Australia

When you road trip Australia, they have rest stops where you are allowed to stop and camp for free for 24 hours.  We purposely planned to stop at the Nerren Nerren Rest Stop because we knew there were toilets however there was nowhere to wash your hands or brush your teeth so we had to just spit into a bush!  There were some lovely Australian outback views to greet you when you finished up!

Antartica

By Lauren from The Traveller’s Guide By #ljojlo

Could there be a better view from a loo than in Antarctica? For anyone who has been to Antarctica as a tourist you would be aware you can’t actually go to the toilet while on the continent, but if you are lucky enough to visit on board a Hurtigruten ship, there are toilets that provide extraordinary sights.

Imagine doing your business opening the door and be greeted with windows overlooking the driest continent on Earth. I mean the view below was just one of the many spectacular environments that could witness while washing your hands. Tough life, don’t you think?

Travel Toilet Kit

Here are a few travel products I’ve found handy when it comes to using the toilet on the road!

• Antibacterial Travel Hand Santizer Gel with Carabiner Clip
• Cotton Buds Toilet Tissue To Go (Toilet roll without the cardboard tube!)
• SHEWEE Extreme (Girls can stand up to pee! It works, I have one!)

Have you ever experienced a ‘loo with a view’ or stopped anywhere PURPOSELY because you knew the toilet had a view? Let me know! Thank you to all my amazing contributors for this post!

Last Updated on March 8, 2024