Warm weather is just around the corner for these Southern Hemisphere escapes.
Pumpkin spice and holiday music aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. It’s already spring in the sultry Southern Hemisphere, where temperatures rarely dip below 80 degrees Fahrenheit and where the island waters will be warmed by a full summer sun by December, so you’d be happy to trade a “Silent Night” for sea air, sunshine, and chilled Sauvignon.
Betsy Cox, CEO of Blackbook Concierge and magic wand waver to the most demanding clients, says it’s no surprise people are itching for summer. According to her, they spent the pandemic in the Hamptons, Miami, and Malibu, then headed to the Med. “Now they want to go somewhere really exclusive, where they will not run into anyone they know.”
The resorts and developers in Oceana and Southeast Asia have proven they didn’t waste the time by unveiling a series of super-luxury sanctuaries loaded with perks that simply can’t be matched anywhere in the Caribbean after sitting out some of the most strict Covid-19 lockdowns on the planet for two years.
The Great Barrier Reef surrounds Lizard Island, an exclusive resort with 40 rooms and villas. Kate Hudson, Tiger Woods, Charlize Theron, and Russell Crowe have long frequented this offshore slice of Australia. They are now clamoring for the House, the island’s new villa. The getaway, perched on a small peninsula between pristine beaches, opened in July after almost 30 years of red tape.
Businessman Steve Wilson, who built the House, calls the villa a “special responsibility” to a unique stretch of land on the island resort founded by his late father in the 1970s. The island is the only habitable outer-reef island, and it is very close to the continental shelf, where the coral drops 1,000 feet. “You have to see it to believe it.”
This Planet Earth-caliber natural wonder boasts an airy design by Australian architect James Davidson that makes full use of organic materials. In addition, the villa comes with staff and a fleet of watercraft, including a 56-foot Riviera yacht.
A newly discovered natural feature has been added to the Vatuvara Private Islan, in Fiji, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle checked in famously hush-hush in 2018. After being closed for two years, this all-inclusive resort (from $4,300 per night, with private plane transfer to the island) reopened in January with fresh amenities, a focus on conscientious luxury, island-grown organic food that eliminates supply chain issues, and a swimmable sea garden featuring two-foot-long giant clams, otherwise extinct in the wild.
A rare private island off the coast of Phuket, Koh Rang Noi, is where Cox is sending her biggest fish, which she calls “one of those places where the sky is the limit.” Located on just under 10 acres, the resort has three fully staffed villas, with four to eight bedrooms and prices starting at $5,000 per night. A range of yachts (depending on group needs) plus three smaller sport boats, windsurfing gear, and an armada of 15 Jet Skis are available for larger groups or customized stays – expect rates to start around $50,000. It’s time to kick back in the 43-seat cinema after a day on the water.
As part of a hospitality swap with his “favorite castle owner in Scotland,” John Sutherland has been exploring the idea of playing hostess for clients on Koh Rang Noi, while the Sutherland team will travel to Scotland. He describes the island as “absolutely fantastic.”. “But the quality of the people who are looking after you also matters.”. “Good staff makes all the difference.”
