17 Most Exotic Off-the-Grid Hotels in the World

It doesn’t get much more remote than the wide-open savannah of the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Angama Mara—a luxury lodge perched on the promontory where Out of Africa was filmed—is one of the best camps in Africa, with a modern design that dispenses with the usual safari tropes. In addition to game drives, guests can picnic in the bush, do a walking safari with a Maasai guide, and take a hot air balloon ride over the Mara.

2- Cape Kudu Hotel, Koh Yao Noi, Thailand

A 20-minute speedboat ride from bustling Phuket will bring you to this smaller, more remote island in the Andaman Sea. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the Cape Kudu Hotel is a beach-chic resort that lets you enjoy the best of the island. We recommend visiting a local coconut farm and doing an island-hopping excursion aboard a traditional long-tail boat.

Not far from famous islands like St. Barth and Mustique, Canouan is more under-the-radar. Although it has a reputation as the island where the billionaires go to escape the millionaires, you don’t actually have to be a millionaire or a billionaire to stay at the Mandarin Oriental Canouan. There, you can soak up the sun, indulge in a relaxing spa treatment, go swimming and snorkeling, and hang out at the boho beach club L’Anse Guyac.

This Relais & Châteaux hotel is nestled in the Langhe Hills in Piedmont, a wine region that’s lesser known than Tuscany but produces some of Italy’s most prized wines. Housed in a 17th-century monastery, the family-run hotel has its own garden that produces fruit, vegetables, and herbs used in the Michelin-starred restaurant. You’ll need a car to get around—and you’ll want one in order to visit the prestigious vineyards in the region and explore the idyllic countryside.

In the Grumeti Reserve just outside the Serengeti, acclaimed safari operator Singita runs a handful of lodges and tented camps. Sasakwa Lodge is the largest and most comfortable, and is located on a vertiginous cliff that offers sweeping views of the plains below. A benefit of being in Grumeti—a private concession—is that safari vehicles can go off-roading, so you can get up close and personal with the animals.

You wouldn’t expect to find much in the countryside outside of Lyon, but in the tiny village of Ouches lies Maison Troisgros, a family-run Relais & Châteaux inn with a three-Michelin-starred restaurant. It’s here that culinary legend Michel Troisgros makes gastronomic magic in a setting that’s as beautiful as what’s on the plate. He and his family transformed an old farmhouse into a 15-room hotel with the restaurant occupying a modern glass-walled addition that seems to glow from within and will make you forget all about your everyday cares.

On the remote island of Sumba, about 250 miles east of Bali, Nihi Sumba will let you live out your fantasies of being a castaway on a deserted island—only you won’t have to worry about foraging for food to survive. It has just 33 villas spread out over 567 acres, so you’ll feel like you have the whole island to yourself. Activities include surfing, snorkeling, spear fishing, yoga, horseback riding, hiking, or just lounging around on the sand.

In the remote rainforest of Belize, this eco-lodge gives you the chance to get in touch with nature. In fact, you shouldn’t be surprised to hear monkeys howling outside your wooden bungalow. The resort is located on a 12,000-acre nature reserve and 3,000-acre organic farm that supplies 70 percent of the food served in the restaurant and produces cacao that’s turned into chocolate in a small factory on-site.

How would you like to stay in an open-air bamboo suite in the jungle outside of Ubud? Bambu Indah is an eco-friendly complex comprising suites made from restored Javanese bridal huts and standalone cocoon-like suites made almost entirely out of bamboo. Guests can swim in the river and forage for fresh fruit and veggies in the on-site garden in addition to touring local temples and rice terraces.

Most people who visit Hawaii go to the big island, Maui, or perhaps Kauai. Lanai—Hawaii’s smallest island—feels completely different. There are only two luxury hotels on Lanai, and they’re both run by Four Seasons. Four Seasons Resort Lanai, Hawaii has beach access, a restaurant by Nobu, and tropical birds that guests can observe up close. Guests can also do 4×4 excursions to the Mars-like landscape at the Garden of the Gods.

Located near Ubud, this Capella Ubud in Bali by acclaimed designer Bill Bensley features a collection of whimsical tented suites inspired by the heyday of exploration. Guests can enjoy the grounds, which have a tented gym, pool, restaurant, and even a Hindu temple, where you can receive a blessing. The property is a member of Leading Hotels of the World, so you can rest assured that it’s going to be top-notch.

The tiny town of Garzón was all but abandoned until fairly recently, so you certainly wouldn’t expect to find anything worth visiting here. But foodies from around the globe make the trek in order to dine at Restaurante Garzón run by Francis Mallmann of Chef’s Table fame. Above the restaurant, which is housed in the town’s old general store, there are a few comfortable rooms, so you don’t have to wander far after dinner.

Set in far west Texas near the border of Mexico, Marfa is a three-hour drive from the closest airport, but draws art lovers who make the pilgrimage here to visit the Chinati Foundation established by Donald Judd. The town has a funky, artsy vibe you wouldn’t expect to find there, and El Cosmico—a collection of restored airstream trailers, teepees, and yurts—is the funkiest place to stay. Even Beyoncé is a fan.

One of Malaysia’s original eco-resorts, this member of Leading Hotels of the World is poised on Datai Bay with direct access to sandy beaches and lush jungle. Guests stay in rooms with views of the treetops, beach villas, or rainforest villas that guarantee wildlife spotting. There are two swimming pools, a relaxing spa, five restaurants and bars, and a golf course.

Inspired by African safari camps, this new luxury camp in Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano National Park has just 29 spacious tents outfitted with plush beds and modern amenities. Guests can enjoy the amenities at sister properties Nayara Springs and Nayara Gardens, including six restaurants, as well as partake in yoga and meditation above the trees, go on guided nature hikes, and visit a sloth sanctuary.

This wellness-focused retreat occupies its own private island in Turks & Caicos, so you definitely won’t run into any annoying tourists. Because of its location and exclusivity, the property is a favorite of celebrities like Bruce Willis, Keith Richardson, and Donna Karan, who all have homes on the island (some of which can be rented out when they’re not in use). If you’re a wellness-obsessed yogi who wants to meditate and get Ayurvedic consultations with the doctor in residence, this is the place for you.

Located in the protected Siswan Forest Range outside of Chandigarh, this resort by award-winning Indian brand Oberoi comprises a collection of tented suites, a luxurious spa, and a main building with a restaurant. Guests are encouraged to explore the natural surroundings on a guided tour and can even arrange a special excursion to a hut in the mountains with spectacular views of the foothills of the Himalayas and the river below.