Leave the World Behind with These Off-the-Grid Getaways
By AFAR contributors
Sometimes you just need to unplug and get away from it all. Whether relaxing on the beach or hiking in the mountains, or staying at a resort or sleeping in a tree house, these vacations ideas will set you straight and bring equilibrium back to your world.
Unplug literally with River Kwai Jungle Rafts.
Boek Phrai, Thailand
“NO ELECTRICITY in the heat of Thailand? Are you crazy?” Yes, this super eco-friendly hotel operates without the use of electricity. It’s snuggled deep inside the luscious green mountain on River Kwai in Kanchanaburi province. I was scared of the concept at first but as soon as I was being transported from the dock by a long tail boat, feeling the cool breeze from the river and admiring the scenery of jungle on both sides, my doubt started to subside. Once I saw this hotel made of bamboo huts, floating quietly on the water, my worries completely went away.
The hotel is next to the local village where you can go visit. You can hike or do the elephant trekking. The elephants also came by to the hotel for morning visit. But the most fun activity was jumping off the dock to the river, floating downstream to the end of the huts, getting out and repeating.
The hotel prides itself on being sustainable to the environment. The flowing river underneath keeps the room cool, the oil lamp at night keeps the place bright. No TV, no computer. It’s good to unplug from our busy life. Just a good book and a hammock, and letting the time pass by.
Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa
(Courtesy: Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa)
Wolgan Valley, Australia
The ultimate wilderness escape for those who like a bit of pampering, this conservation-conscious resort takes up just 2 percent of a 4,000-acre nature reserve in the Blue Mountains. Indoor-outdoor pools and fireplaces are standard in all 40 of the stand-alone suites, which include binoculars for viewing wildlife.
Charles Darwin visited Wolgan Valley in 1836. On sunset tours, in-house guides help spot the wallaby and wombat species that fascinated the naturalist. Spa treatments use native ingredients such as wattle seed and eucalyptus.
Related: Talk About Getting Away from It All: the World’s Most Remote Vacay Spots
Omni Puerto Aventuras Beach Resort
Quintana Roo, Mexico
How do you photograph the sweet strains of piano and guitar that float around you or the sense of calm that envelopes you when you gaze across the still water of the pool and out to the sea? How do you put into words the everything-is-right-with-the-world feeling that lifts your spirit and settles your soul?
I love the Omni. I live nearby and come often to sit at the swim-up bar and enjoy a drink or savor the pumpkin flower cream soup at the restaurant that overlooks a thousand shades of blue.
I’ve stayed in the immaculate rooms, where the pillows are like clouds and fresh roses and wine greet you when you check in. But mostly, I come here for the peace. The sound of waves gently lapping the shore and the soft breeze that touches everything with its salty fingers.
(Courtesy: The Outlook Lodge)
Green Mountain Falls, Colorado
Don’t expect butlers, room service, or even a receptionist at this six-room lodge set at nearly 7,800 feet in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.
Owner Christian Keesee vacationed in Green Mountain Falls as a kid. When the New York-based art collector saw the town falling on hard times, he stepped in to restore this 19th-century lodge and start an arts festival. Keesee decorated the Outlook with works from his private collection, including original pieces by Kate Carr.
The steep switchbacks of the six-mile round-trip Catamount Trail take hikers through a wildflower meadow. Modern and midcentury furnishings decorate the Outlook Lodge, where a backyard fire pit is perfect for s’mores.
Related: A Photo Tour of Australia’s Remote Northern Territory: Worth Going the Extra Mile
Beresheet Hotel
(Courtesy: The Beresheet Hotel)
Mitzpe Ramon, Israel
Guests often describe their stay at Beresheet Hotel as “otherworldly,” thanks to the property’s unique setting, poised atop a cliff that slopes into the 120 million-year-old Ramon Crater.
The 111-room hotel spreads out over two floors. Guests in ground-level suites cool off in infinity plunge pools; those on the second floor watch shooting stars and sunsets from their balconies. Indoor and outdoor pools overlook the Ramon Crater. Indiana Jones wannabes can explore the crater by bike, or Jeep, or even rappel 50 feet down into the crevasse.
Visit the Ze’elim hot springs or one of the area’s wineries.
Uma by Como
(Courtesy: Uma by Como)
Bhutan
Last September, Como Hotels and Resorts opened its second Bhutan property. In the rarely visited western part of the Punakha Valley, nine rooms and two villas all have unobstructed views of the Mo Chu River.
The river rocks that line the spa’s traditional bath release muscle-soothing minerals into the hot water, and the hotel’s restaurant serves classic dishes such as chicken curry with mustard greens and coriander over red rice.
Adventurous guests can opt for a multi-day side trip to Como’s wilderness campsite, set high in the Himalayas. Ponies carry supplies as local guides lead the way along remote mountain paths.
Wiesergut
(Courtesy: Wiesergut)
Hinterglemm, Austria
Josef Kröll has reimagined his family’s 14th-century estate in the Hinterglemm valley and turned it into a modern, 24-suite hotel. Its outstanding restaurant serves updated versions of classic dishes using produce grown on-site.
Camp Orenda
(Courtesy: Camp Orenda)
Johnsburg, New York
This family-owned retreat within Adirondack State Park is geared toward campers who want comfort. Adirondack chairs (of course) sit on the decks of five canvas tents equipped with wood-burning stoves and cedar-lined showers.
Related: Get Lost! America’s Most Remote Hotels, Resorts, and Lodges
Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort
(Courtesy: Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort)
China
In March, Anantara opened a resort in a rugged part of southern Yunnan Province. Guests can unwind with tai chi classes and pick tea with local Jinuo tribe members.
Lakshman Sagar Hotel
(Courtesy: sewara.com)
Pali, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India
Twelve villas ring a private lake on 25 acres located between the popular tourist spots Jodhpur and Udaipur. Explore the nearby Badlands of India on a horse safari, then enjoy an evening dance performance.
See more off-the-grid getaways
More from AFAR:
Let Yahoo Travel inspire you every day. Hang out with us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
