Break the shackles of modern civilisation and return to a nomadic state of bliss beneath the wide, open Texas sky at this off-beat camping site. Located in the high plains desert just outside of arts hub Marfa, El Cosmico is the perfect place to unplug, recharge, do something amazing or nothing at all.
The Ritz this ain’t – choose between a gorgeous vintage trailer, magnificent Mongolian yurt, Sioux-style teepee or safari tent, each decked out in style.
Begin your day at the outdoor bath house, share a meal with your fellow nomads at the alfresco communal kitchen, explore the incredible Donald Judd and Chinati Foundation art sites, settle in for an afternoon snooze in the hammock grove, and end your evening by soaking in a wood-fired hot tub under a clear, starry sky.
A cemetery isn’t your typical setting for a summer night’s entertainment, but Cinespia at Hollywood Forever Cemetery isn’t your typical cinema. Thousands of people flock to the cemetery when the weather warms to catch classic films under the Californian night sky against the backdrop of a historic Hollywood landmark.
Picnic on the open lawn lined with LA’s signature palm trees and listen to DJs play until sundown. Then sit back with a bottle of wine (no spirits allowed) for a surreal cinematic experience at the final resting place of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. If you’re lucky one of Hollywood’s A-listers might even make an appearance (in the flesh, not the film). This is a BYO event, bring a blanket or chair – just make sure doesn’t surpass the 68-centimetre height limit.
An adults-only holiday in Bali that’s far from the crowds? It’s rare, but possible. A stay at Alam Anda Ocean Front Resort & Spa goes way beyond the ordinary beach holiday, allowing you to experience this island in its real sense and immerse yourself in a traditional Balinese environment.
The four-star resort is boutique in size and offers beautiful, traditional single-storey bungalows and villas, each designed in typical Balinese style.
Pamper yourself in Alam Anda’s fantastic spa, wellness and relaxation area, then learn what Balinese cuisine is all about with a cooking class at the resort and a trip to the local market.
Water babies will find an exceptional dive centre at the resort, with world-class dive schools and a house reef just off the beach. There are some incredible dives in close proximity to the resort, too, including the wreck of the USS Liberty. For something land-based, a drive past rice fields, coffee and cocoa plantations to the great temple Pura Ulun Danu Batur at the edge of the crater of the Batur Volcano offers memorable scenery.
Forget tourist-heavy Angkor Wat. Some 40 kilometres east you’ll find Beng Mealea, a large unrestored temple that’s completely overrun by nature. Built in the twelfth century, the temple is surrounded by a 45-metre-wide moat (mostly dry) and once marked the centre of an Angkorian-era town.
Now in a state of disrepair, the maze-like ruins are best navigated with a guide. To access the most interesting parts you’ll need to climb over large stones, up walls and around dense foliage. It’s sweaty work but worth the effort.
The beautiful, tiny and undeveloped island of Koh Totang is part of a 12-island archipelago in Cambodia’s Koh Kong province. The only accommodation here is Nomads Land, an eco-friendly guesthouse, restaurant and bar that relies solely on rainwater and solar panels, keeping it completely off the grid.
Five rustic bungalows face the beachfront, each with a private terrace and hammock perfect for lazy days. The island is surrounded by coral reef, so find a hidden beach on the rocky shore, grab a mask, and fin over the ocean life. Go searching for iguanas in the jungle. At night, phosphorescence gives the beach a neon glow and fireflies illuminate the sky. It’s only a five-kilometre boat ride to Koh Sdach, the largest island in the group – head there and check out the fishing village if you’re in need of a little more stimulation after a few days spent swimming and strolling.
Hidden away down a rough track just a short drive from the medieval hilltop town of Marvão lies Lost Valley of Ramila, a complex of eco-friendly buildings spread across the hillside. Choose from four cosy self-contained apartments, each with neat kitchenettes, spacious bedroom/living area and private terrace with a glorious vista across the hills. Down by the river stands the charmingly renovated, century-old mill, with thick stone walls, neat windows, rustic furnishings and, forming one of the two bedrooms, a sleeping platform. All bathrooms are modern with showers and terracotta floor tiles.
The setting is magical – think rocky outcrops covered in lichen, wild swimming in the river (or in the purpose-built hillside pool), secluded picnic spots beneath gnarled cork oaks, and wooden decking areas connected by pathways that meander through cacti, yuccas and olive trees. You can even try your hand making pizza or homemade bread in the traditional wood oven. Shops and restaurants are just a short drive away and the area is a dream for nature walks, photography, bird-watching and horse-riding.
The choice of accommodation is also an advantage; choose between newly built, eco-friendly apartments or one of the century-old mills, painstakingly restored to their former glory, with all the contemporary trimmings. But it’s the Sever River that makes this place even more special. As you meander along the river through the valley, enjoy your own private river beach, swing bridge or a nature walk through the São Mamede Natural Park.
Equal parts eerie and amazing, this underwater gallery of more than 500 life-size sculptures brings new meaning to interactive art. Occupying 420 square metres of seabed off the coast of Cancún, the Museo Subacuático de Arte is a haunting garden of human faces and bodies. The sculptures, created by dive instructor and graffiti artist Jason deCaires Taylor, surrender to the marine environment over time, transforming into a unique artificial reef that is constantly evolving.
The reef is a magnet for snorkellers and divers, and also helps promote the recovery of sensitive ecosystems by luring visitors away from natural reefs vulnerable to human impact. The museum can also be enjoyed from a glass-bottom boat.
Step 1) Find a glass bottle.
Step 2) Stick a whole venomous snake in it, like say, a cobra.
Step 3) Leave it to ferment so the venom seeps into the alcohol.
Step 4) Try and get Westerners to drink it by telling them it cures everything from poor eyesight to hair loss.
If you’re feeling particularly brave, drunk or stupid, you might also have a go at downing a shot of blood from the still-beating heart of a snake. It, like so many things in Asia, is said to increase male virility.
Head to the reputable snake meat and liquor restaurant, Quoc Trieu, in the famed ‘snake village’ of Le Mat near Hanoi. There you will find all manner of snake dishes and, if you request, they can even source you a live cobra.
Hidden away in a remote section of the north coast on Indonesia’s Seram Island is Ora Beach Resort, where accommodation is kept deliberately simple to highlight the sheer natural beauty of the surrounds. Only accessible by water, the resort is not easy to get to, but if you do brave the trip – via plane, ferry, car and fishing boat – you’ll be more than rewarded. Think steep limestone cliffs, powdery white sands, electric-blue waters, delicate coral reefs, mountains carpeted with riotously lush rainforest and more than 117 species of exotic birds.
Stay in one of the five stilted bungalows that jut out over the reef – perfect for fishing from the balcony – and get up close and personal with the breathtaking marine life on a dive or snorkelling adventure.
For a truly ‘out-there’ experience, sleep under the stars surrounded by wild animals, all under the watchful eye of the night rangers at Pamushana Lodge in Zimbabwe.
Don’t be put off by the idea of sleeping in the desert – this lodge is all luxury. With ensuites, air-conditioning and telescopes in every suite, you’ll struggle to decide whether to go on an animal-spotting safari or stay in and enjoy the lodge’s outdoor hot tub.
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