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.
Way
back when, parents used to name their kids whatever they like and that's
the end of that.
Welcome
to the Public Observatory channel, where you can see live video of the
Sun, moon, or the planets taken through one of our telescopes. The
Public Observatory is located at the National Air and Space Museum on
the National Mall in Washington, DC.
