Thursday 18 / April / 2024
Many travellers argue that if a place is easily reached by a nonstop flight, it’s not worth stopping there. The real pleasures lie after the journey continues — another puddle jumper, a long drive, or a hike. The best remote luxury lodges pull off remarkable feats of style, service, and pleasure in the middle of nowhere, here are a few that should be on every adventure traveller‘s bucket list.
Desroches Island Resort, Seychelles
Some 930 miles to the east of mainland Africa are the 115 islands that make up the Seychelles, where it’s always island time. Desroches is one of the newer resorts and it’s all luxury: satellite TV, spa, bar, and lavish rooms. Guests can play tennis, go cycling or surfing, or try their hands at some of the best bonefishing in the world.
The Garvault Hotel, Scotland
The hotel, located between two huge private hunting reserves in the Scottish Highlands, overlooks Lock Rimsdale . Guests can trek, fish for salmon or trout or go bird-watching, then get warmed up around a traditional peat fire.
The Beach House at Manafaru, Maldives
This Indian Ocean joint is owned by the Waldorf Astoria, so it has some pretty high-end amenities, like a spa, infinity pools, an art gallery and a handful of restaurants. But those desolate, powdery-white beaches are the real pull.
Jules Undersea Lodge, Florida
Guests take the plunge–literally. Scuba dive 21 feet to your room in the former underwater laboratory, and sip your favourite beverage and look out the window onto the undersea world.
Bloomfield Lodge, Cairns Australia
To get to Bloomfield Lodge — located in the Daintree Rainforest and near the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland — one must charter a plane, drive a few hours through the Outback, and then cruise down a river. What makes it all worth it: the solitude, the hikes through rainforests, the desolate beaches, the fishing, sailing, and the end of the day massages.
