A World of One's Own
There's always a niggling feeling that luxury holidays would be even more paradisal if you didn't have to mingle with your fellow holidaymakers. Well now you needn't. Cynthia Rosenfeld checks out the latest 'private' destinations.
THE NEWEST TREND in luxury travel is having it all to yourself. Group hedonism is so last century. These days, idyllic palm-covered islands that look fantastic from afar begin to feel cramped the moment bare feet alight on their sandy shores. 'Sharing paradise with others was, admittedly, somewhat disappointing,' says Dawn Schneider about her last visit to the Caribbean island of Mustique. That nagging sense of spoil sent the American businesswoman on a quest to find a holiday island of her very own. With busy lives and little time, elite travellers are increasingly casting about for five-star solitude. What you may be surprised to learn is that this precious indulgence can be found at every price.
Schneider's global quest led her to The Rania Experience, an innovative land-and-sea combination in the Maldives. She and her companion may opt to hop aboard the 26-metre luxury yacht Rania immediately on arrival, or speed up the journey by chartering a seaplane across Faafu Atoll to palm-covered Water Garden Island, where a full staff including chef, masseur, PADI-trained diving instructor and yoga teacher await them - and only them. This solo sandbox boasts a three-suite air-conditioned villa with infinity pool, while the yacht is at the disposal of those who wish to skim the turquoise sea in the comfort of its two well-endowed suites, originally kitted out for an Arab sheik. Generous types, and Schneider confesses that this holiday season she isn't one of them, may invite up to seven friends to stay in three deluxe thatched guest bungalows along the palm-fringed lagoon.
One of the Earth's most spectacular views is all yours from the top of Australia's highest coastal headland at Moonlight Head lodge, a 200-square-metre Modernist glass house designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Glenn Murcutt and his wife Wendy Lewin. The environmentally conscious quarters along Victoria's Great Ocean Road take full advantage of southern views across the Indian Ocean, west to the striking Twelve Apostles rock formations and east to Great Otway National Park's iconic lighthouse. The interior is European minimalist, ensuring one's attention is kept on what's happening outside, be it the sublime summer sunsets or majestic winter storms, while skylights and indigenous bluestone floors blur the line between inside and out.
This being Australia, bush hikers can use the lodge's Global Positioning System, while adrenaline addicts may use the BMW and Ducati motorbikes or take a spin on the Great Ocean Road in the lodge's Mercedes-Benz coupe. The lodge's motto conveys this gung-ho spirit: 'To provide whatever you want, whenever you want it. All you have to do is ask.' Such unlimited access may not last long, though. A 75-room hotel is in the works, as are four additional lodges on the 42-hectare perch.
The western hemisphere is catching on to this preference for privacy as well. A 17th-century sisal plantation built on top of Mayan ruins on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Hacienda Petac ('House of the Turtle Catcher') has been extensively refurbished as a stylish five-bedroom Moorish sanctuary that redefines the one-week all-inclusive concept. The rate includes all essentials plus guided excursions to nearby archeological sites, Mexican cooking classes, Spanish lessons, bird-watching treks and sunset serenades by local favourites Los Tres Yucatecos. The only out-of-pocket expenses are a massage by Carolina (an absolute must) and the recommended purchase of a Yucatan hammock, said to be Mexico's finest. There's no need to budge off the daybed, though.
The manager can arrange to have your hammock delivered poolside along with afternoon nachos and fresh-fruit margaritas.