Buried in the old-growth forests of the Great Bear Rainforest,
Nimmo Bay is totally
inaccessible by road. Only reachable by helicopter, the aerial
journey over
British Columbia gives you a teaser of the surreal nature
you’ll be immersed in at Nimmo. The family-owned and -operated
hideaway began as a heli-fishing destination, but has since added
an array of activities to its offerings. Pack your itinerary with
paddleboarding alongside dolphins and sea lions, kayaking on
sparkling waterways or bear spotting on a forest hike. Or you could
just head for a clifftop picnic followed by drinks in the hot tub.
Accommodation comes in the form of nine rustic-chic cabins where
you’ll fall asleep to the soundtrack of a babbling brook and awake
to birdsong.

Vagar airport is telling of the 18 islands themselves; tiny,
stress-free and extremely quiet. With few flights in and out of the

Faroe Islands, this little-known destination started to creep
onto travel hotlists a couple of years ago thanks to striking
scenery,
Michelin-starred cuisine and incredible treks. Best make the
journey while the sheep to human ratio is still 2:1. First and
foremost is the landscape; cragged mountain ranges, remarkable
waterfalls like Mulafossur, rolling green fields and little
villages dating back to 1350 AD make for a quaint but dramatic
scene. A must-see is Sorvagsvatn Lake. Dubbed “The Lake Over the
Ocean”, it sits 30 metres above sea level on the edge of a steep
cliff, but thanks to an optical illusion, it often appears as
though it’s hovering hundreds of metres above the sea below. If
time allows, a trip to Berg Hestar stables (an hour from Gjogv) is
highly recommended – because what better way to take in the Faroes
than on horseback?

East of Madagascar
on Reunion Island, Cirque de Matafe sits in the heart of a
collapsed volcano enshrouded by untamed nature, without a road in
sight. The caldera looks totally inaccessible and for the large
part it is, but for the lucky few travelling by way of helicopter
(or those willing to make the journey on foot) Cirque de Mafate
offers an unruly, spectacular landscape that looks lifted right
from Jurassic Park with 120,000 kilometres of forest trails to
explore all its ravines, ridges and waterfalls. Although the
terrain appears inhospitable and there aren’t any towns, you’ll
find isolated Creole settlements dotted across the mountains,
living on a plateau or in the hollow of a valley – spottable by the
bright colours of the homes – where you can rent a room for the
night and meet the locals. We suggest brushing up on your French as
English isn’t widely spoken here.

Niehku is definitely one for
those who are seeking a thrill as much as they are privacy. With a
name that means “dream” in northern Sami, the newly opened lodge is
definitely a skier’s paradise. A 90-minute flight from
Stockholm to Kiruna followed by another 90-minute drive along a
desolate road will bring you to Niehku’s doors. So far off the
beaten track you can hardly see it, Niehku is housed in a former
railway roundhouse deep in the Arctic Circle, on the border between

Sweden and Norway.
Built by skiers for skiers, winters sports take centre stage here
with helicopters firing up at 9am everyday with a maximally
certified guide on board. From there, it’s a case of scouting out
the pristine pistes – it’s a “if you can see it, you can ski it”
mentality here and the only thing you’ll be sharing a slope with is
a reindeer. Back at the lodge, typically minimal Scandi design and
a generous helping of industrial accents make a chic setting for
apres. In the off-season, hiking, cycling, fishing and hunting are
on the itinerary instead.

North Island first made the papers as the (reported) setting of
Kate and Will’s honeymoon, and since then its granite peaks and
pearly shores have embedded themselves in our travel fantasies.
While the majority can only access North Island via their desktop
screen, for the lucky few boarding that 20-minute helicopter from
the capital of Mahe, insurmountable luxury awaits. In
see-it-to-believe-it scenes, glittering white beaches meet lush
green forestry and deep-blue cyans on either side. The island’s 11
luxury villas are very Robinson Crusoe meets TAT London in style –
but you won’t be spending much time indoors. Try downward dog on a
paddleboard, kayak on your own private patch of sea, picnic on a
cliff or indulge in a seaweed wrap at the spa. Whatever you do, end
the day with a barbecue and cocktail on East Beach. If you’re
looking for something more private, Honeymoon Beach is your go-to
(quite possibly the most romantic place we’ve ever seen, so we’ll
forgive the name).

The
Italian isles conjure images of glitz, glam and expensive
negronis, but unpretentious Ponza is a welcome exception. Although
the largest of the six Pontine Islands, Ponza is still a fleck in
the Tyrrhenian Sea and on this tiny isle, simplicity rules. Cars
are a scarcity; there is only one main road and no five-star
hotels; natural landscape is unmanicured and the only language
spoken is Italian. It’s very much Call Me By Your Name territory,
with greenish-blue waters lapping golden shores that give way to
marbled grey cliffs ascending into clear skies. During the days,
pack a picnic, rent a motorboat and drop anchor in an isolated
alcove for an idle afternoon of sunbathing, doggy paddling and
mozzarella eating. Post-beach, make your way back to shore for a
sunset aperitif and dance at Covo Nord Est, the only club on the
island. After a day in Ponza, you’ll understand why Homer’s
Odysseus and his crew ended up staying for a year.

Although domestic flights in and out of
Ladakh are available, the region’s landscape appears so
untouched it still counts as secluded. Situated in the farthest
flung outskirts of India, where the country meets
Tibet,
Kashmir and Pakistan,
this Buddhist ex-kingdom is unearthly, an attribute resulting in
its throng of nicknames: The Roof of The World, The Land of High
Passes, Moonland and so on. As the latter would suggest, the
terrain is lunar-like; the arid desert is clay coloured and snow
peaks of the surrounding craggy outcrops are otherworldly – signs
of life manifest in the prayer flags fluttering in the wind or an
eagle flying overhead. For a little more human contact, you’ll head
to Leh, the region’s biggest town. Here you’ll find trekking paths
and Buddhist sites, including the colossal 17th-century Leh Palace
that was modelled on the Dalai Lama’s former home and offers
panoramic views of the old town’s bazaar and labyrinth-like
pathways below. Be wary about driving in Ladakh as treacherous high
passes are closed around October to May so road access is
limited.