10 of the world’s most remote hotels for a crowd-free holiday
Truly get away from it all come the next global crisis and consider holing up in one of these out-of-the-way retreats, hand-picked by Tamara Hinson
Pandemic restrictions may be lifting, but it can’t be long until the next global calamity shows up. In which case, where better to sit it out than one of these 10 remote hotels, as far from the madding crowd as it’s possible to get?
Wa Ale, Myeik Archipelago, Myanmar
If the thought of getting to Myanmar sounds like a hard slog, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Wa Ale, a 5,000-acre private island off the southern tip of the country, has 11 tented beach villas and three tree houses. To get there, you’ll start with a flight (via Bangkok) to the Thai town of Ranong, before a short drive to a nearby jetty. From there you’ll take a boat to Myanmar’s Kawthaung Jetty, before a final 90-minute boat transfer to Wa Ale. Feeling guilty about the carbon footprint you’ve just laid down? Offset your guilt with the knowledge that this is one of Asia’s most sustainable resorts – it’s built entirely by hand using reclaimed materials, and 20 per cent of profits go towards local communities and conservation projects. The resort is currently closed but will reopen in October 2022; it’s now taking reservations.
waaleresort.com
Bawah Reserve, Riau Archipelago, Indonesia
Full disclosure – there are certainly cheaper ways to get off the beaten track, but on the plus side, with just 36 suites and bungalows, there’s plenty of room to lay out your sun towel at the Bawah Reserve. You can take your pick from 13 beaches and three lagoons, but this is one place where you’ll want to do more than just sunbathe – the reserve is surrounded by coral reefs, which rival the Great Barrier Reef in terms of diversity. And despite its remote location in the South China Sea’s Riau Archipelago, getting there is relatively easy – from Singapore (300km away), you can transfer to the resort via seaplane.
bawahreserve.com
Bertrand's Cottage, St Helena
In 2017, South African Airways launched their first flights to and from St Helena, albeit just once a week (from Johannesburg). Our advice? Do as Napoleon did and hole up in the Longwood area, more specifically Bertrand’s Cottage, built in 1816 as a home for General Count Henri-Gatien Bertrand (the man who accompanied Napoleon during his period of exile on the island). The property, which has two twin rooms and one double, is just a few metres from Longwood House, which doubled as Napoleon’s prison.
Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, Empty Quarter, Abu Dhabi
Don’t be surprised if the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort looks familiar – it was a backdrop for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It’s another luxurious affair; amenities include six helipads for those who can’t face the 90-minute drive from Abu Dhabi or the three-hour transfer from Dubai. It’s ideal for anyone keen to gain an insight into the Middle Eastern way of life, at least for the privileged – activities on offer include falconry, archery, horse riding and camel trekking, and rooms are filled with Arabian fabrics. A word of warning – if you’re not a fan of extreme temperatures, avoid the summer months, when the mercury regularly rockets to 52C.
anantara.com/en/qasr-al-sarab-abu-dhabi
White Desert, Antarctica
This Antarctic glampsite looks like the kind of place which might well spring up on the moon in the next decade or so – a cluster of pods clinging to the windblown Antarctica landscape. Perhaps unsurprisingly, your average hotel transfer bus simply wouldn’t cut it here; you’ll arrive via a Gulfstream private jet, and you’ll be taken to the camp, which sits near the edge of a 200-foot ice cliff, in a six-wheeled truck. The six two-person pods are surprisingly stylish, with Philippe Starck-style chairs and beautiful writing desks – the perfect spot from which to write all all-important “wish you were here” postcards to your nearest and dearest. Except you probably don’t and won’t.
white-desert.com
Pelican Point Lodge, Walvis Bay, Namibia
Hunker down at Pelican Point Lodge to enjoy unbeatable views of Walvis Bay lagoon, the Atlantic Ocean and the beach, with a distant backdrop of the Namib Desert’s sand dunes. The lodge is 32km from Walvis Bay, a small port city halfway along Namibia’s coastline, and a 40-minute flight from the country’s capital, Windhoek. There are just nine suites (each with their own private deck) inside the former Harbour Control building, although the most sought-after spot is the Captain’s Cove suite, with its 360-degree views over the Atlantic Ocean. Activities on offer include quad biking, kayaking and dolphin-spotting catamaran cruises.
pelicanpoint-lodge.com
Tambopata Research Center, Tambopata Reserve, Peru
Stay at South America’s most remote rainforest lodge and it’s highly likely you’ll see creatures you never knew existed, whether it’s bright yellow porcupines or agoutis, which resemble super-sized guinea pigs. Getting there involves a flight to the city of Puerto Maldonado, on the edge of the rainforest, before a one-hour road trip and a two-and-a-half-hour boat ride. The fact that this lodge doubles as a research station is testament to the fantastically diverse flora and fauna, and activities are designed to provide an unbeatable insight into the region, whether it’s with visits to the local palm swamp (which absorbs three times more carbon than any other tropical ecosystem), night walks or hikes to the local clay licks - brightly-coloured macaws flock here to nibble at the nutrient-rich clay.
perunature.com/amazon_lodge/tambopata-research-center
EOLO, Patagonia, Argentina
Nobody likes long journeys, but they’re an unavoidable downside of getting to the world’s best bits. To get to EOLO, you’ll need to fly to Buenos Aires before taking a three-hour flight to El Calafate airport. From there it’s a 30-minute drive to EOLO. The light at the end of this (very long) tunnel is this beautiful, 17-room hotel in the centre of a 10,000-acre property, close to the Unesco-listed Los Glaciares National Park. The rooms have been designed to make the most of the surrounding landscape, with enormous armchairs positioned next to floor-to-ceiling windows for unbeatable views of the Patagonian steppe.
eolopatagonia.com
Capella Lodge, Lord Howe Island, Australia
Visitor numbers to Lord Howe Island (a favourite destination of Sir David Attenborough) are strictly controlled, and its remote location ensures overcrowding will never pose a problem – it’s a two-hour flight from Sydney, and only 400 people are allowed to visit at any one time. Capella Lodge is the island’s most luxurious accommodation – a beach house-inspired retreat with nine beautiful suites and an infinity pool surrounded by the island’s endemic Kentia palms. If you can drag yourself away from your decadent digs, hike the island’s network of walking trails or wander over to nearby Ned’s Beach, where you can hand-feed the famously friendly, metre-long kingfish.
lordhowe.com
Ultima Thule Lodge, Alaska, US
Visiting this remote Alaskan lodge requires a flight to Anchorage, followed by a charter flight to the remote town of McCarthy. And although the property is pretty luxurious – amenities include a wood-fired sauna, organic vegetable garden and library – there’s no forgetting you’re truly in the back of beyond. There are no marked hiking trails here, and the most popular modes of transport are the resort’s tiny Piper Super Cubs planes. Prefer sticking to ground level? The lodge’s guides will happily take you on backcountry hikes through valleys at the base of Mount St. Elias (one of the largest vertical rock faces on Earth), or kayak tours of alpine lakes.
ultimathulelodge.com
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments