A barefooted stroll from the surfing sanctum of Batu Bolong
Beach, this eat-drink-sleep address (yes, lockdown would be a
doddle here) has become a mecca for boho types seeking respite from
Bali’s moped-clogged locales. Tropical greenery, blonde woods and a
surf-psych-rock soundtrack soften
The Slow‘s brutalist, polished-concrete edge, while an on-site
gallery features Aztec installations and the owner’s collection of
Woodstock posters.

South America’s sparsely populated tip is among the world’s most
remote corners, perfect if you’ve become accustomed to social
isolation but fancy prising yourself off the sofa. Perch in one of
Awasi’s 14 stilted cabins where hot tubs overlook mountains and
guests can curate their own adventure thanks to personal guides and
a private four-wheel-drive. Plan your visit around 14 December (if,
fingers crossed, travel restrictions have eased) when the region
will bear witness to a solar eclipse.

A short flight from
Palermo, the Pantelleria is the “Black Pearl of the
Mediterranean”, known for its dark volcanic rock, natural hot
springs and rejuvenating mud. In keeping with this dramatic
setting,
Sikelia hotel inhabits an ancient stone dammuso (house),
updating it with modernist suave and contemporary art inspired by
the island’s crafting heritage. Take aperitivo on the rooftop,
where views stretch across the hotel’s Arabic garden to
Tunisia.

Camouflaged among the rolling Provencal vineyards, between arty
Aix (once the home of painter Cézanne) and the untamed Luberon
Regional Nature Park,
Villa La Coste is a 28-suite retreat for aesthetes and
epicureans. Admire artwork by the likes of Renzo Piano and Louise
Bourgeois before taking a seat in the over-water restaurant helmed
by Argentinian chef Francis Mallmann, whose menus smoulder with
fire-cooking techniques.

Battered, weathered and beautiful,
Berber Lodge epitomises low-key luxe in the foothills of the
Atlas Mountains. Set in an ancient olive garden in Oumnass, a
20-minute drive south from Marrakech proper, its rustic shell gives
way to a design-led interior that revolves around an ethos of
openness and calm. Earthen tones backdrop textured woods,
terracotta tiles and rattan furniture. Want to embrace simplicity
without forgoing the good life? This is the place for you.

To redress months of being cooped up, take a walk on the wild side. Set in a secluded slice of national park populated by elephants, hippo and antelope, Puku Ridge marries elements of Luangwa’s old-world tented bush camps with sustainability-forward mod-cons. Pitch up in the private lookout and survey sweeping floodplains, riverine forest, oxbow lagoons and tufted grassland punctuated by sausage trees (a real thing, Google it).

Food steals the show here – after all, this is
Tuscany. In the family-owned, 12th-century castle, organic
produce sourced from the hotel grounds is treated with the utmost
respect and minimal fuss. Between feasts, laze in the shade of
cypress trees and peer across one of two infinity pools to the
fertile Ombrone Valley and the forest-carpeted hills of
Maremma.

A literal and figurative hotspot,
Palm Springs has drawn artsy folk to the Californian desert
since the heydays of Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra and pals. Opened in
the 50s by Hollywood actor Don Castle and his wife Zetta, this
indie boutique hotel near the San Bernadino Mountains was revamped
in 2013. Today, its minimalist-meets-Western vibe manifests in
horse-trough bathtubs, dark-wood cladding and a fire pit flanked by
s’mores-making fodder.

This hotel began life in the 1910s as an all-girls school –
don’t fret, you won’t be presented with chalkboards and elasticated
gym shorts at check-in. Behind the art-nouveau facade, is the
interior-design equivalent of Scandi noir – all pared-back,
high-brow style, dark woods and moody hues.
Stockholm‘s main drag is but a few blocks away.

Bougie
Mallorca and hedonistic Ibiza
often steal the Balearic spotlight; Menorca
is the sleepy sibling. That was until Experimental Group opened
this
bohemian bolthole in a 19th-century finca in the island’s
sun-kissed countryside. Designer Dorothée Meilichzon’s voguish
interiors – terracotta tiles, quirky ceramics, graphic throws – are
accompanied by a roster of creative classes, ideal for brushing up
on those painting skills you flexed during isolation.