Getting away from it all gets harder and harder, as cell phones and 4G devices keep us tapped into our lives. These 10 getaways take up that challenge, spiriting you away from worldly cares. And we promise you won’t miss civilization one bit.
Kauri Cliffs, Matauri Bay, New Zealand
Kauri Cliffs, poised on the edge of the Totara forest, offers panoramic ocean views in 22 guest rooms — with his-and-her walk-in closets — on 6,000-acres. The resort is owned by American hedge-fund tycoon Julian Robertson.
Cost: Starts at $623 a night per person, double occupancy, with meals and drinks all-in. For $7,171 nightly, though, you can book the 4,200-square-foot Owner’s Suite, with a private infinity pool and kitchen — so the chef can come to you.
Getting there: Hop Air New Zealand’s daily 40-minute flight to Kerikeri Bay from Auckland, then drive. Or take an hour-long helicopter ride from Auckland directly to the resort.
What to expect: The main draw are the links, ranked the world’s 18th best by Golf Magazine, but you can also chill out on the pink-sand beaches, go boar hunting (pick your weapon: gun or knife), deep-sea fishing or play a little polo. Tip: book the Private Beach Barbecue, where a Kauri chef cooks up a feast of fresh seafood and local produce surfside.
This article, "The world's most remote resorts," first appeared on CNBC.com.
Amangiri, Canyon Point, Utah
Amangiri is a 34-suite resort nestled in a rocky valley in the southern Utah desert and has hosted celeb guests from Brad and Angelina to Katy Perry.
Cost: $1,000 to $3,600 a night
Getting there: Fly to St. George Municipal Airport via Los Angeles or Salt Lake City and take a 2 1/2-hour road trip. From Page Municipal Airport in Arizona the drive is just 25 minutes, but you’ll have to book a charter from Phoenix, Denver or Las Vegas.
What to expect: Surrounded by the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, the Grand Staircase and Bryce and Zion national parks, Amangiri has abundant natural beauty, plus a swimming pool carved out of a canyon. Activities include outdoor yoga and fly-fishing on the nearby Colorado River.
Bloomfield Lodge, Queensland, Australia
Sitting in the middle of the Daintree Rainforest, Australia’s largest stretch of tropical jungle,Bloomfield Lodge is too far removed to receive a cell signal. Nevermind: You’ll be too wrapped up in the views of Weary Bay from your private terrace to get lonely.
Cost: $1,210 to $3,730 per guest, per night
Getting there: You’ll have to charter a plane for the 30-minute flight from Cairns, but after that, hotel staff will chauffeur you through the Outback and ferry you across Weary Bay in an aluminum boat. (Don’t attempt the overland route, a four-hour drive from Cairns on gravel roads that become impassable when it rains.)
What to expect: Rainforest hikes, gourmet picnics on the white-sand Kangaji Beach, and sport fishing and snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. Then relax over a menu that includes locally caught Barramundi and barbecued kangaroo.
Winterlake Lodge, Alaska
Located nearly 200 miles north of Anchorage on the Iditarod Trail, Winterlake Lodge’s 15 acres are so deep in Alaska’s backcountry that no roads or waterways reach it.
Cost: Starts at $1,395 per person per night, and includes meals and transportation from Anchorage to Winterlake.
Getting there: From Anchorage, take a puddle-jumper — a ski plane in winter, a floatplane in summer — that lands on the lodge’s mile-long lake.
What to expect: Fifteen cabins, each with artisan furniture and wood-burning stoves, are a short walk to the main lodge, where you’ll find daily yoga classes, massages and wine and cheese tastings (samples flown in weekly from Murray’s Cheese Shop in New York). Outdoors, there’s dog-mushing school and bear-viewing. Or take one of Winterlake's two choppers to a glacier in the Tordrillo Mountains or a remote fly-fishing spot.
Antarctic Expedition Cruise
Earth’s southernmost continent has few permanent residents and certainly no hotels. But for those looking to see one of the planet's most remote locations, you can get close to its glaciers by ship.
Cost: $8,799 per person for a 10-day voyage to $14,799 for 17 days.
Getting there: Silversea Expeditions’ Silversea Explorer departs from Ushuaia, Argentina, a 3 1/2-hour flight from Buenos Aires.
What to expect: The 354-foot Explorer brings along a marine biologist, historian and geologist to guide excursions to Deception Island (home to a collapsed volcano), Paradise Bay (named for its stunning mountains and glaciers) and Brown Bluff (a 2,200-foot bluff where penguins go to breed). Onboard there are workshops and martini tastings.
Longitude 131, Ayers Rock, Australia
A string of 15 tents dotting a sand dune in the Outback may not sound luxurious, but the tents of Longitude 131 cover 430-square-feet and have air-conditioning, retracting blinds and Bose sound systems.
Cost: Double occupancy starts at $2,070 per room per night. If you stay three nights or more, the price drops to $1,758.
Getting there: Catch a direct flight to Ayers Rock Airport from Sydney to catch a 4-wheel-drive vehicle for the last six miles through the Outback to the resort.
What to expect: Watching the sunrise over Uluru (a natural sandstone rock formation and UNESCO World Heritage site); sip cocktails by sunset over the vast Kantju Gorge; and dine under the Outback stars.
Posada de Mike Rapu, Rapa Nui, Chile
Thirty rooms sits in the middle of the South Pacific on Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island or Isla de Pascua). Its closest inhabited neighbor, Pitcairn Island, is 1,289 miles away.
Cost: $2,385-$3,225, double occupancy, for a three-night stay. (Most expensive: the 474-square-feet Raa suites).
Getting there: The island is roughly a five-hour flight from Santiago, Chile, or Papeete, Tahiti.
What to expect: Besides visits to the mysterious stone heads, you can hike, or take a cycling trip to a tuna-fishing village that uses traditional methods. The resort’s menu is packed with super-fresh seafood and Chilean wines.
Motu Teta, Rangiroa, Tahiti
Don’t feel like sharing? The 9-acre island ofMotu Teta rises out of the ocean like a South Pacific day-dream: swaying palm trees, powdery beaches, aqua waters lapping at the shore. Once you get there, it’s just you and the staff.
Cost: Two people each pay $1,707 a night, but the bigger the group, the more the rate dips. Includes transport from Rangiroa plus food, liquor and unlimited use of sporting equipment.
Getting there: The most arduous part of a Motu Teta vacation is arriving, which requires two flights – one to Papeete, Tahiti’s capital, and another to the atoll of Rangiroa – then a 90-minute boat ride to the resort.
What to expect: Sail in one of the resort’s six boats, windsurf, spear fish by day — naked if you like, since bathing suits are optional. By night, retreat to your 2,250-square-foot villa facing the lagoon and eat fresh fish and French-inspired cuisine prepared by your private chef.
Phinda Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Phinda sits on 56,800 acres of wilderness near South Africa’s eastern coast. Africa’s Big Five game animals (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) roam the property, along with 415 bird species.
Cost: The Homestead Villa has four suites, expansive wilderness views, an eternity pool, a private ranger, butler and chef, plus your own 4x4 safari vehicle. Rates range from $3,778 to $5,101 a night, with a limit of four guests.
Getting there: Fly from Johannesburg to Richards Bay, then board a 10-seater to Phinda’s airstrip. Driving? Gas up: The resort is eight hours from Johannesburg.
What to expect: Twice-daily drives in open safari vehicles let you observe the Big Five in their natural habitats. Or take walks in the African bush (accompanied by an armed ranger) or a canoe trip down the Mzinene River. Everything from booze to laundry services is complimentary.
Nimmo Bay Resort, Port McNeill, British Columbia
Set at the foot of Mount Stevens in the Great Bear Rainforest, Nimmo Bay is basically the world’s fanciest summer camp.
Cost: It’s just $895 per person per day to hang around camp, but $2,450 per person for helicopter adventures. If you want to fly solo, it’s an extra $300 a day.
Getting there: Nimmo Bay is accessible only by air or sea. Most guests opt for a 20-minute helicopter ride from nearby Port Hardy, itself a one-hour plane flight from Vancouver. Boat lovers can take a 90-minute cruise from Port McNeill, B.C., (but you’d have to get there from Vancouver, an eight-hour trip).
What to expect: Nine deluxe cabins stocked with homemade cookies and wine back up to a frigid plunge pool. The floating main lodge beckons with piping-hot bread from the onsite bakery and seafood dinners. Most activities require a helicopter ride. You can visit 10,000-year-old glaciers, natural hot springs and white-sand beaches.
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