Going The Distance

Sometimes, all it takes to feel the benefits of travel is a weekend escape—thirty-six hours away from one’s ordinary landscape. But every so often, an opportunity arises for more elaborate adventure, one that may require greater effort in the journey, but whose rewards are beyond compare.

You’re a sophisticated bunch of travelers, so we’ll skip over the Traveler’s Manifesto, and get straight to the point: the hotels.

ZANZIBAR SERENA INN
Zanzibar, Tanzania

When we say “off the beaten path” we’re assuming that most of our readership lives outside of Tanzania. But even if we’re wrong, it’s probably fair to say that only the most jaded traveler would turn down a chance to watch the sun set over the African continent from the west coast of Zanzibar.

QUALIA
Queensland, Australia

For most of us, Sydney is a long haul, even with a direct flight. And while Hamilton Island, in the Whitsundays on the Great Barrier Reef, is a quick hop from eastern Australia’s airports, Qualia feels like another world.

HOTEL RANGA
Hella, Iceland

More than a few of you have probably visited the capital (possibly on the late, lamented Icelandair layover deal). Even so, it’s time to take a break from Reykjavík’s nightlife and spend some time in lodge country, on the island’s southern coast.

PONTA DOS GANCHOS
Santa Catarina, Brazil

These days the big cities of Brazil feel about as fresh as another rendition of “The Girl From Ipanema.” Leave Rio and São Paulo far behind at Ponta dos Ganchos, on a cliffside overlooking the Emerald Coast of Santa Catarina.

PETIT ST. VINCENT RESORT
St. Vincent, St. Vincent & Grenadines

Hard to believe that at this late date, there’s anywhere left in the Caribbean that feels truly remote. But two flights and one plane ride from Barbados is the chic little island of Petit St. Vincent and its twenty-two well-hidden cottages.

EVAASON MA’IN
Madaba, Jordan

The Middle East means a lot of things to a lot of people. At the Evason Ma’In it means hot springs in Jordan, on a mountainside above the Dead Sea, and a spa getaway that’s anything but ordinary.

CEYLON TEA TRAILS
Hatton, Sri Lanka

The coastal destinations are hot, but the tea-growing country in Sri Lanka’s interior is still relatively uncharted territory.

LAS CASITAS DEL COLCA
Arequipa, Peru

Once in a long, long while, the answer to your travel dilemma happens to be “make like Pizarro.” Head for high ground at Las Casitas del Colca, a luxe enclave in the picturesque Colca Valley of the Peruvian Andes.

AWASI
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

It’s the nearest approximation on this planet that NASA could find to the surface of Mars, and northern Chile’s otherworldly Atacama Desert is the setting for Awasi, a rustic yet plush little compound in San Pedro.

EXPLORA RAPA NUI
Easter Island, Chile
There’s debate among grammarians about whether there are degrees of uniqueness, but surely there’s nowhere more unique than Easter Island.

Our Top 10 lists may not bring world peace, but we’d like to think that seeing things organized neatly will at least leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Check out our thoughts on the best hotels for honeymoons, great beach escapes for the family , and the best hotel breakfasts.