Accommodation to call your own is a much more selective and secure way to go for your group. Consider these three ideas:
My Own Private Ocean
When land-based hotels and resorts feel too crowded, a private yacht makes the perfect floating boutique hotel. Even better, the view will change every day. An exclusive booking makes it special and reassuring – just your group and your crew, which have been tested and vetted before sailing.
Small yachts can make you feel like a big shot – imagine sailing into coves for long days of swimming and sunning, panoramic sunsets that take over the horizon, and riding a tender to a water-access-only beach your captain has discovered. Popular yacht-charter destinations include the British Virgin Islands and the Caribbean, but don’t forget the majestic forests, wildlife, and mountains of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
My Own Personal Chalet/Villa
Booking out a villa for a beach holiday or a chalet for a snow-cation has long been the best idea for multi-gen gatherings. These days, it makes even more sense to keep your group safely together. (And if the family cook wants a break – private rentals often come with a private chef option, too.) A large home with multiple bedrooms gives everyone a place of their own, with grand living rooms and glorious verandas to gather for meals and sundowners.
Why not create your own deserted island fantasy and stay on one of the 350 islands of the Bahamian archipelago? Many of these white-sandy dreams can be rented out entirely by your group. If heli-skiing is your thing, many fly-in lodges offer private luxury in unbelievable beauty -- head to northern B.C. or along the province’s famous powder highway in the Kootenay Rockies.
My Own Secluded Countryside
Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam! It's easier to stay distanced when your private ranch house is on a wide-open acreage. Dig out those cowboy boots and plaid shirts; vacationing on a dude ranch offers so many options for guests and families who don't like to laze about. No matter which style you choose – backcountry luxe or working ranch – guests get to choose their own outdoor adventure: horse riding, fly fishing, marksmanship, hiking, off-road drives, even putting yourself to work with the cowboy crew if you're up for it.
Travelers come from all over the globe to stay at North American dude ranches – it might be time to try one out with your gang. Favorite states include Montana, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, or head into northern British Columbia, the Alberta foothills, even the central Saskatchewan Prairies. Wherever you go, the star gazing will be incredible.
Where is your ideal escape?
