By Nicole Frehsee
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.
The 9-acre island of Motu Teta rises out of the ocean like a South Pacific day-dream Motu Teta, Rangiroa, Tahiti
Don't feel like sharing? The 9-acre island of Motu 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.
Winterlake Lodge's 15 acres are so deep in Alaska's backcountry that no roads or waterways reach it. 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.
Kauri Cliffs, poised on the edge of the Totara forest. 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.
Amangiri is a 34-suite resort nestled in a rocky valley. 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.
A string of 15 tents dotting a sand dune in the Outback. 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.
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