5 Out of This World Destinations

There are places on this planet that do not feel like they belong to it. Not merely remote, and not merely expensive — genuinely strange. An island where the most beautiful beach in the world has no one on it. A reserve where the trees are two thousand years old. A canyon in Utah where the building is the same colour as the rock.

These five are the ones our specialists keep coming back to. Each entry says what makes it unlike anywhere else, what you actually do there, and how you get in — because with places like these, access is most of the difficulty.

Seychelles · Indian OceanFregate Island Private

Four degrees south of the equator, alone in the Indian Ocean, Fregate Island Private is the closest thing to a private planet in the luxury inventory. The climate is temperate all year — there is no bad month — and the island carries flora and fauna found almost nowhere else, including giant tortoises that wander where they like.

It has seven private beaches for a single island, and one of them, Anse Victorin, has been voted the most beautiful beach in the world. The relevant detail is not the accolade; it is that you will frequently be the only person standing on it. We wrote about all seven in our guide to Fregate’s unspoiled beaches.

One thing to know before you plan: the island is reopening in 2026 after several years closed. That is the reason to move early rather than a reason to hesitate — reopening years are the ones where the best weeks are still available.

Zimbabwe · SafariMalilangwe Reserve

Singita Pamushana sits high on a sandstone ridge above the Malilangwe Dam, inside a 130,000-acre private wildlife reserve in Zimbabwe’s remote southeast. Private is the operative word: the reserve is not shared with other camps, so the game drives are yours.

The reserve holds baobabs approaching two thousand years old — thirty metres tall, with trunks so massive that local legend says God planted the trees upside down, the thick tapering branches being the roots. Days run to game drives, rock-art sites, bush walks and sundowner boat cruises on the dam.

Malilangwe House itself is taken on an exclusive-use basis: five bedrooms, each with its own deck, sleeping ten, with a dedicated private chef, your own game vehicle, Field Guide and host. There is a rim-flow pool with the dam below it, an interactive kitchen, a tennis court — and, for the children, a trampoline in the middle of 130,000 acres of wilderness, which is a detail worth picturing.

Phuket · ThailandKeemala

A collection of private villas built into Thai rainforest above Kamala — close enough to Phuket’s coast to reach it in minutes, far enough for genuine quiet. Streams and waterfalls run through the property, and jungle walkways connect the villas rather than corridors.

The seven Tree Pool Houses appear suspended from the canopy — 169 square metres each, inspired by the We-ha, the sky clan. For the strangest version, the Bird’s Nest Pool Villas are exactly what the name suggests: a woven-wood cocoon with a glass facade, 185 square metres, private pool, and a bathtub perched on the terrace. There are eight, and some have a partial sea view. The coast from quiet Kamala to lively Patong is moments away when you want it, which is the balance Phuket does better than anywhere.

Phuket is the one destination on this list where we hold deep inventory beyond the resort itself — clifftop estates above the Andaman Sea, fully staffed, with private chefs. Browse Phuket villa rentals or the wider Thailand collection — and if the idea of a private island appeals more than a resort, our round-up of private-island villas covers the alternatives.

Mozambique · Indian OceanAzura Benguerra Island

Azura rests on the shoreline of Benguerra Island and was built entirely by hand by the local community — which is unusual enough to be the headline. Eighteen villas sit steps from the beach among indigenous gardens, each with an ensuite bathroom and alfresco shower, a private plunge pool, a beachside sala, a sundeck and day beds.

Every guest is assigned a Mozambican host for the duration of the stay. Meals happen in the restaurant, on the beach, or at a picnic somewhere secluded. The water sports centre runs scuba, snorkelling, sailing, big-game fishing and kayaking, and island drives and cultural excursions are arranged on request.

The thing not to miss is a sunset cruise on a traditional dhow, watching the sun go under the African horizon from a boat design that has not needed changing in centuries.

Utah · American WestAmangiri

Amangiri — “peaceful mountain” — sits in southern Utah near the Arizona border, beside the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument. The building is the same sand colour as the canyons around it, which is the whole architectural idea and the reason it looks like a geological feature rather than a resort.

It sits in the middle of the so-called grand circle: the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Bryce, Zion and Lake Powell are all within reach. Guided hikes and Lake Powell water sports are the standard; the two worth the effort are hot-air ballooning over the canyons and a helicopter tour across the Grand Canyon. Yoga and Pilates run twice daily and are complimentary, the fitness studio looks out over the desert, and the 25,000-square-foot spa has a water pavilion with hydrotherapy rooms and a watsu pool for water shiatsu.

Don’t miss the Hoodoo Trail, which ends on top of a sandstone formation with the best views in the area.

See our Utah villa rentals for the wider area, or Colorado if the American West appeals more broadly than the desert alone.

Questions we get about these five