Really Get Away
When it starts welcoming visitors again in 2021, Fogo Island Inn, perched on the 420-million-year old rock of Fogo Island, Newfoundland, will be the ideal destination for travellers who want to feel the distance.
"People just want to do something- but they also want to be safe," says Mary Jean Tully, founder and CEO of Tully Luxury Travel. These days, her clients are seeking more intimate (read: sparsely populated) travel experiences that offer a welcome escape while also allowing for social distancing. "To avoid close encounters, some travellers are now considering off the-beaten-path destinations where there are open spaces and not many people," she says. Others are booking accommodations and experiences that prioritize privacy and seclusion, for themselves and their loved ones. "Covid-19 has made many people socially shy and wanting to stay within their cocoon of family and close friends," Tully says. Whether you've decided to go solo or are booking with your bubble, here are some lesser-known locales and under-the-radar ways to escape the crowds.
Private Escapes
Many are seeking solace in seclusion: Camp Sarika at Amangiri lets you experience the surreal desert landscapes of southern Utah with 10 tented pavilions on a 600-acre property with its own trail system. Meanwhile, at One&Only Mandarina's beachfront resort in Mexico, opening this month, choose from treehouse rooms and clifftop villas, all with private pools. Solo and small-group guided trips are also popular: Toronto-based G Adventures recently introduced a Book Your Bubble private tour collection specifically for family members or close friends with 80 flexible itineraries, including hiking the Inca Trail and sailing around the Greek islands.
Outdoor Adventures
Cold weather won't dampen our desire to get outside. Practice meditation in a cozy wooden A-frame cabin at Nectar, a retreat on British Columbia's Bowen Island, or go winter glamping in Quebec's provincial park network, Sepaq. (The architect-designed Echo cabins at Pare national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la Riviere-Malbaie connect you with 41 kilometres of snowshoeing and skiing trails.) Better yet, head to one of Canada's scenic parklands: Try snowshoe touring at Newfoundland's Gros Marne National Park or head farther north to explore the rugged terrain and sn1nning glaciers of Kluane National Park.
Pop-up Travel
Phoenix-based Cloth & Flame is serving private dinners in secluded locations (including inside the Grand Canyon) while companies like Black Tomato and British Columbia's Wild Havens arc erecting waterproof bell tents - complete with beds, fresh linens, and portable power stations - everywhere from urban backyards to the banks of the Mekong River.
