New business offering geodome getaways in Porters Lake

Some strange shapes are popping up around Porters Lake—domes, geodomes. These bubble shaped yurts are growing in popularity, and the recently opened Nalu Retreat is betting on them.

“The uniqueness of the structure is what drew us to them,” says Nalu co-owner Paul Peic.

Peic owns and operates Nalu Retreat with co-owners Heather Van-Riper, Ish and Neru Padmanabhan. It offers overnight stays in their luxury domes.

Nalu Retreat sits on 25 acres on the northern part of Porters Lake, “Northern Porters Lake doesn’t look like anywhere else I’ve seen in Nova Scotia, when you come you feel better instantly.”

The domes are quite large. They’re 16 feet high with windows 22 feet wide. They each have private decks with hot tubs, outdoor showers and fire pits.

Peic says part of the appeal from a business perspective is lower cost of construction compared to cabins: “to build any other structure with a 22 foot window would cost you five times the amount of money.” 

Peic sees it as a great alternative to having to drive way outside the city to immerse yourself in nature, “the whole benefit to us being where we are is we’re so close to the city, but you feel like you’re miles and miles away from civilization.”

A stay in one of these domes isn’t exactly cheap. A night costs $300 or more. Peic says they have offered discounts to some locals, and want to offer more as business progresses.

Nalu is also in the process of opening a Nordic spa. “That way people don’t have to stay overnight, they can come to the spa for a day to heal,” says Peic.

But construction on the spa has been delayed. Nalu has run into a number of issues trying to get it running, mostly involving power supply.

“It took six months just to get one line run for power. We were on generators for over six months,” said Peic.

Nalu is hoping to have the spa open by the spring, but as of now it is just a hope, there is no set date. For now, the retreat will be running through the winter.