Tristan de Cunha
A six-day boat trip, usually by fishing vessel, is the quickest way to reach this South Atlantic island from the nearest port of Cape Town, South Africa. Less than 300 people live in the most remote human settlement on Earth, a quaint village, named as if by a novelist on adventure, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas. The rural community sits beneath the giant basalt cliffs that raise active volcano Queen Mary’s Peak nearly 7,000 feet above them. Napoleon was exiled on nearby island St. Helena, and soon after, the British realized the strategic importance of Tristan and annexed it in 1816. Loaded with rare sea birds, marine and plant life, and virtually disconnected from TV and Internet access, this is the definition of an escape. Shipping prices start at $250 and accommodations include a public house, guest houses and stays in private homes, starting at $50 per person per night, or stay at the Traditional Thatched House Museum for $165 per person for a one-night stay.
:: tristandc.com
Greenland
Erik the Red named Greenland to entice Scandinavians to settle there. It was a tough sell. Almost all of the North Atlantic island is buried underneath ice. But for the traveler looking for the place less traveled, this is the place. From Kangerlussuaq Airport, catch the first flight north to Ilulissat. Then, a short drive brings you to the striking red hotel. The Hotel Arctic looks out over iceberg- filled Disko Bay, 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Inside, a Danish sense of modern design takes over, with large windows to drink in the view. Restaurant Ulo and Café Ferdinand bring gourmet eats to the rocky outpost. In the summer, visitors can enjoy a Greenlandic barbecue and stay in modern aluminum-framed igloos. Rates begin at $360 per night. Prices include breakfast and airport shuttle.
:: www.hotel-arctic.gl
Alaska
The Winterlake Lodge only has latitude and longitude coordinates. That’s remote. Almost 200 miles northwest of Anchorage, along the Iditarod Trail at the western edge of the Alaska Range, the resort has just five cabins and a main lodge, and the only way you’ll get there is by a plane that lands on the lake. Surrounded by wilderness, there are plenty of trails to explore as well as kayaking and fishing. Of course, if you’d rather, just hang out at the lodge, enjoy a massage or yoga class and get a glass of wine at the bar. In the winter, explore by dog sled and watch the Northern Lights from the hot tub on the deck. Cabins start at $1,400 per person per night and include air transport to and from the airport, meals and guide service.
:: withinthewild.com/lodges/winterlake
