instyleprincess

Hi All,

Wondering if there's any recent stay at Wickanninish Inn? Thinking about going over for a stay in late August.

Thanks in advance!

KatW

ridefar

ridefar

instyleprincess

Thanks for all the comments!

Actually Fogo Island Inn is my top choice but I'm closer to west coast and want to bring my dog with me (Wickanninish is pet friendly) for a fairly short trip, so that's why I'm considering Wickanninish.

But will definitely want to stay at Fogo Island hopefully summer next year
Interesting that you mention it's more luxurious, because from the website it looks rather rustic to me. In what ways would you say Fogo Island is better than Wickanninish?

ridefar

Well, basic rooms at either are not truly luxurious. Wick may have a tiny lead here. Suites at Fogo are much nicer -- a vast improvement over the base room, and worth the expense in my opinion. Suites at the Wick are an upgrade, but not huge. And as I said, some have odd layouts.

Fogo wins hands down for food -- assuming it is the same chef, it is just light years ahead. Even though the Wick's restaurant is a little pretentious the food is just good to very good. Service at Fogo is also light years ahead. It is completely informal but they have the Aman approach of just saying yes and figuring it out. Scenery and location are spectacular at both, if very different. The only way that the Wick has an edge is for dining off property -- there are some relatively good options in Tofino (nothing formal or Michelin type dining but some really good food). There is basically nothing else except one locals' place on Fogo. And I would say to get the most out of the location (either one) it is best if you can hike 3-5 miles at a leisurely pace. Some of the real gems in terms of scenery are just short walks/hikes. Last consideration: winter at the Wick is fine. It is wet, but fine to visit. Winter in Fogo is really winter. Both are remote, both hard to get to, but Fogo is probably even harder (I am guessing you best bet is to fly one of the 3 NYC airports and from there to St Johns or Gander ideally).

Anglo Large Clawed Otter

Have had a few remote luxury stays since last posting in here that were especially memorable:

Tierra Atacama, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (the stargazing and nearby landscapes were stunning)

&Beyond's Xaranna Okavango Tented Camp near Maun, Botswana (our favorite trip to date - amazing in every way)

Relais & Chateaux's Casa Palopo, Santa Caterina de Palopo, Guatemala (I could sit on their deck and stare out at Lake Atitlan every day for the rest of my life, and be perfectly content)

Francis Ford Coppola's Blancaneaux Lodge in the mountains of far Western Belize is gorgeous, and the individual villas (tropical hardwoods, plunge pools, the works) are set along the side of a creek/canyon. Not easy to get to, though. It's either a 3hr drive from BZE, or a quick Cessna ride from their dirt airstrip (we split the difference and had a ride to the hotel, followed by a flight back to BZE).

Relais & Chateaux's Bettei Senjuan near Minakami, Japan was also a very relaxing ryokan/onsen retreat. It's about as remote as it gets in the Kanto region of Japan (Tokyo). Nice views of Mt. Tanigawa from our room's outdoor onsen, plenty of snow for ambiance, and the drive along smaller roads on the back-side of Mt. Tanigawa to Jigokudani Snow Monkey park ended up taking us along some dramatic river/gorge scenery that was straight out of Fiordland National Park in New Zealand.

Got the idea to visit the Wickaninnish inn near Tofino from this thread. Loved it. Will definitely go back.

And some honorable mentions:

Although not really a Luxury hotel, the Airbnb we stayed at on Pico Island in the Azores is in my all-time favorites for any trip. The home has been rebuilt with modern concrete/minimalist design inside the stone shells of abandoned ancient farmhouses/buildings, and the views are about as good as it gets: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2580126 We found the Azores to be uncrowded, cheap, and jaw-droppingly beautiful. You just won't find any traditional luxury hotels there.

Colombia's Choco Coast (Pacific) is extremely remote, but there is nothing luxury out there (only eco lodges). Stayed at ElCantil Eco Lodge, which is a collection of thatched-roof huts on the beach in the middle of nowhere, a 1hr boat ride from Nuqui (a jungle/river delta trading post which is reached by 1hr flight from Medellin's domestic airport on a Harbin Y-12 turboprop aboard SATENA, which is an airline operated by the Colombian Air Force). Whale watching there was phenomenal.

Not sure it is truly remote, but off the beaten track for most American tourists is Lijiang in China. The Grand Hyatt there has sweeping views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (18,000+ ft), and the nearby Old Town (UNESCO site) is fascinating. No issues with pollution, as Lijiang is at 9,000ft elevation, just downwind of the mostly empty Tibetan Plateau. We paired that with a trip to the St. Regis Lhasa, which is somewhat remote due to the more burdensome visa arrangements, but preferred Lijiang overall.

boerne

Some we have been to that are remote + Luxury, recommended

Trophy Lodge- Iceland, part of our Golden Circle private tour. Pictures on Google maps, no real website for it, you have to be persistent to book it

Londolozi Granite suites, not the smaller rooms- Kruger, South Africa

Sanctuary Chiefs Camp- Okavango Delta

Lyngen Lodge- Norway- Oslo to Tromso, then a 3 hour van ride, pretty remote

kachemak bay wilderness lodge- First time I had a gin and tonic chilled with glacier ice, tack on a float plane out of Homer to see the bears before or after in Katmai

Treetops- Rotorua NZ, just got back, pretty great. Also stayed in Kinloch, its sister lodge, equally nice, but different venues and less remote

Explora- Chile Patagonia Torres Del Paine

Namale Fiji- the Honeymoon Bure's have their own private plunge pool, as do the Granite Suites, Kruger

Pausanias

Mashpi Lodge and Sacha Lodge in Ecuador seemed fairly remote, even to me. Mashpi involves a truly exhausting three hour drive from Quito, beginning with a proper road and for the final hour sheer torture. I didn't think the Lodge was worth the pain to my back or bank balance. To get to Sacha Lodge you fly from Quito to Coca, then it's a 90-minute ride on a motorised canoe, then a 20-minute walk through the rain forest and then a 20-minute ride on a paddle canoe. I didn't think the Lodge was worth . . . you know the rest.

LinLant

travelsouthpacific

Fiji in the South Pacific has some great remote luxury resorts/ islands. Here are a few worth checking out:

Royal Davui Island Resort
Dolphin Island
Savasi Island
Matangi Private Island Resort
Qamea Resort and Spa

I recommend talking to Spacifica Travel - they specialise in travel to the South Pacific and have heaps of contacts with the luxury islands there so can do custom deals.

KatW

Pausanias

I think there's a difference between 'a long way' and 'remote.' To get to Laucala or The Brando, for example, you simply get on a plane, then a smaller plane. In that sense, Laucala and The Brando are less remote than cheesy old Bora Bora which also requires a boat!

KatW

bhrubin