Arajilla Retreat
A family-run forest retreat of a dozen or so suites behind Old Settlement Beach, with an ayurvedic-leaning spa and bicycles at the door.
Lord Howe Island, Australia
Lord Howe Island is a World Heritage-listed volcanic crescent in the Tasman Sea that caps visitors at 400 at a time, so its turquoise lagoon, southernmost coral reef and kentia palm forests stay all but private. Two hours by air from Sydney, it pairs barefoot island simplicity — no phone signal to speak of, bicycles instead of cars — with a handful of genuinely world-class lodges.