Total relaxation: eight of the world's most remote destinations
Fancy getting away from the crowds this summer? These destinations are weird, wild, exciting and spectacular, but above all, they're all miles from anywhere.
The Garvault
Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom
Self-described as 'Britain's most remote hotel', The Garvault occupies a lonesome place in the Scottish highlands, with nothing for miles around. An ideal place for hikers and cyclists, it's also sold as a haven for shooting, fishing and birdwatching.
http://www.garvaulthotel.co.uk/
Amankora
Bhutan
Amankora is a series of lodges across the central and western valleys of Bhutan, itself already isolated between the Tibetan Plateau and India. Nestled in the mountain passes, the lodges provide breathtaking scenery and luxury design touches including baths and wood-burning stoves.
http://www.amanresorts.com/amankora/home.aspx
Kokopelli's Cave
Farmington, New Mexico
Seventy feet (21 meters) underground, nobody can hear you scream. Or do anything else for that matter. These cave dwellings are basic but comfortable, and you can be assured there are no noisy neighbors, just meters and meters of solid rock.
http://www.bbonline.com/united-states/new-mexico/farmington/kokopelli.html
Posada de Mike Rapu
Easter Island, Chile
This eco-lodge demands a four-hour flight over the Pacific from South America to get there, then a trek of more than eight kilometers from the most populated part of Easter Island. On arrival though, it'll all be worth it, with rooms offering stunning views of the open ocean, a swimming pool, solar-heated jacuzzi and bar.
http://www.explora.com/explora-rapa-nui/posada-de-mike-rapu/
Hotel Budir
Iceland
Wild Iceland is remote enough for some, but lazing under the stunning skies on the western Snaefellsnes peninsula, stars and Northern lights puncturing the blackness, is an experience not to be missed. By day, there's plenty to do too, including seal watching in the bay and exploring the Snaefellsjokull glacier.
http://www.hotelbudir.is/
Jotunheimen National Park
Fannarakhytta, Norway
The huts dotted around this hiker's paradise are available to rent from the Norwegian Trekking Association, and many are mercifully equipped with basic facilities such as a stove. Hiking in the shadow of Northern Europe's highest peak, Mt Galdhoppigen, is an experience not to be missed.
http://www.turistforeningen.no
Wolwedans Private Camp
NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia
This suite caters for only four guests, so it's perfect for a family keen to get away from it all. The lodge offers stunning views out to the plains, but each room is equipped with en-suite bathrooms and there's a fully equipped kitchen to make sure no one goes hungry.
http://www.wolwedans.com/lodges-camps/private-camp/
Petit St Vincent
St Vincent and Grenadines
Billed as a 'private island for private people', this island offers non of the connectivity we're used to, with television, internet and mobile phone signal all conspicuously absent. instead. Petit St Vincent offers a spa, yoga, sailing and privacy that's almost unmatched.
http://www.petitstvincent.com/
(Correction note: A previous version of this story published Sunday, June 24 at 3:50 erroneously identified the location in the photo as Brunei, when it should read Bhutan.)
