The world’s ultimate retreats

Από Sophy Grimshaw

Οκτώβριος 1, 2022

Discover five extraordinary places where you can recharge and reconnect, from Canouan to Sanya.

There are moments when we all feel the need to escape, be it to recharge, restore or reconnect. Here are five hideaways where you can simply get away from it all.

Wander an unspoiled paradise in Canouan

Escaping the paparazzi, or just the daily grind? You definitely won’t be bothered by either on Canouan. A short flight from Barbados, this tiny island (it’s a mere 7.6 km²) in St Vincent and the Grenadines ticks every box for a quintessential island paradise.

Tortoises – which outnumber human residents – patrol the island’s lush interior, and plod past a deeply romantic 17th century chapel that was moved here in the 1800s. Today, the building hosts elegant weddings for guests at Mandarin Oriental, Canouan. It's self-evidently an excellent idea to spend time on the white sands of Godahl Beach, and for guests of MO’s 26 suites and eight villas, that’s very easy to do: some rooms have direct access to beach, as well as private gardens.

Is there a Spa by Mandarin Oriental? Of course there is. If you prefer some gentle exercise, play a round of golf on the Jim Fazio-designed, 18-hole championship course – the only course to this standard in the region.

Experience China’s own tropical island

It’s almost obligatory to introduce Hainan Island as ‘China’s Hawaii’ – the two places are about the same distance north of the equator, with similarly inviting climates. While that’s no bad thing, this island at the southernmost point of China isn’t really like anywhere else on earth.

The same is true of the inimitable Mandarin Oriental, Sanya. Set in a 12-hectare dreamscape of lush, tropical gardens, the resort offers guests a choice of spectacular swimming pools and restaurants. By day, snorkel or sail in Coral Bay then lounge by your pool of choice, before dining beachside at Fresh on Hele crab tartare, perhaps, or hand-dived scallops.

It’s not uncommon for luxury hotels to offer rooms with private pools, but it's rare to have an infinity pool on the South China Sea to yourself, as is the case with the Ocean View Pool Villa. Surrounds like these will help meditation come naturally, even to the most hardened screen-time addict.

Enjoy private beach perks in Bodrum

The Aegean Sea famously has its own distinctive hue – that little bit darker and more intense than the Med. There’s no better place to contemplate its shade than from the Bodrum peninsula, a beach-edged tendril reaching out from Turkey’s southwest coast.

Located on the aptly-named Paradise Bay, Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum has access to two sandy private beaches, reserved for the hotel’s guests and permanent residents.

Beachgoers here enjoy waiter service right to the side of their sun loungers, and can walk along soft, padded catwalks into the sea, thus removing even the minute discomfort of stepping on a pebble.

Back in your room or villa, the touch of a button will summon a buggy to your door and deliver you to any other part of the hillside resort, which includes a vast spa that’s undoubtedly the best in the region, varied fine dining restaurants and beach bars, and clothing and jewellery boutiques.

Find hidden peace in Marrakech

Is it any wonder that fashion legend Yves Saint Laurent couldn’t get enough of Marrakech? You’d have to have quite literally lost your senses not to be intoxicated by the tastes, scents and sights of this most sensual of destinations. To explore the great designer’s connection to the city, head to the Musée Yves Saint Laurent, or spend some time in the cobalt-hued Jardin Majorelle, where he famously found inspiration.

Haggling your way to a bargain in a gloriously frenetic souk has an enduring appeal, but to experience a deeper sense of place, you may need to look elsewhere. Hidden amid 20 hectares of fragrant gardens and olive groves, Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech offers contemporary luxury accommodation that both echoes and upgrades the traditional riad experience.

Built around courtyard pools, its clutch of villas reference Moroccan design and craftsmanship, with tadelakt lime-plastered walls, hand-woven rugs and intricate latticework. Here, the evenings are torchlit and the morning lie-ins lengthy, while a hammam in the award-winning Spa is nothing short of sublime.

Get some colour in Jaipur

Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, is India’s magnificent ’pink city’, repainted in blush during the late 1800s to welcome visiting British royalty. Once you’ve started snapping pictures here, it’s impossible to stop, whether you’re wandering the extraordinary ruins of the Jantar Mantar observatory, or marvelling at the filigree façade of the Hawa Mahal.

There’s no more luxurious retreat than The Oberoi Rajvilas, set in 32 acres of landscaped gardens just outside the city. Think lotus ponds, resident peacocks and a book-lined library bar, along with sumptuous rooms, canopied tents and dignified, pool-flanked private villas.

If Jaipur has sparked your imagination, explore the curated experiences on offer at the hotel. They run from a consultation with an astrologer to miniature painting demonstrations, via Indian wine-tastings, cookery masterclasses and more.

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Sophy Grimshaw

Sophy writes for titles including The Times, The Guardian, The Independent and Condé Nast Traveler.