“What gives value to travel is fear,” said Albert Camus. “It breaks down a kind of inner structure we have. One can no longer cheat—hide behind the hours spent at the office…. Travel robs us of such refuge. Far from our own people, our own language, stripped of all our props, deprived of our masks (one doesn’t know the fare on the streetcars, or anything else), we are completely on the surface of ourselves.” Taking Camus’ well-articulated thoughts on the merits of travel, we’ve put together this list of far-flung destinations for you to rediscover yourself.
Albert Camus
The luxury British chocolate firm Hotel Chocolat has transformed St Lucia’s oldest cocoa plantation into a chocolate lover’s dream. Expect heady cocoa-inspired dishes and treatments at Boucan by Hotel Chocolat. Hovering over a volcanic coast on the westernmost tip of Jamaica is Rockhouse Hotel that mimics an African village, in a seamless transition between nature and man. Throughout the property, ladders and stairs carved into the rock provide easy access to the water. Over in Brazil, neighboring a nature reserve, Kenoa – Exclusive Beach Spa & Resort takes pride in being located on the phenomenal, sunny beach of Barra de São Miguel. Each of the 23 villas and suites is in harmony with its stunning ecological surroundings.
Individual palapa bungalows with private plunge pools encourage local-style indulgence at Hotel Escondido in the Oaxacan village Puerto Escondido.
In the UNESCO-listed area of Fujian Province in southeastern China, Tsingpu Tulou Retreat emphasizes the essential meaning of place through traditional aesthetics and an exterior untouched by time.
There are some places on earth that seem kissed by the heavens, where dappled sunlight sets the scenery aglow, the waters lap the beach just so, and the craggy coastline is the perfect foil to the flowing Pacific Ocean. Perched on a dramatic bluff, framing this ruggedly cinematic Californian coastline, Timber Cove Resort is just that and more—a contemporary lodge that pays homage to its 1960s architecture and soul.