Drop out in style at these remote getaways

Ion Adventure Hotel
Iceland

As a boutique hotel, the Ion may not be exclusive but it is isolated. Beginning life as workers accommodation, it was reimagined by Santa Monica’s Minarc Design Studio. Now an essay in chaste luxury, the low-slung box cantilevers above a lava flow on dynamically arranged stilts. From day-hikes in dramatically bleak Thingvellir National Park, to dry-fishing and scuba diving, there’s plenty to do, while at night, the geothermal deck pool make for a delightful place to catch the Northern Lights.

Nesjavellir 801; Tel: 354 428 3415; ionadventure.ioniceland.is; Rates from: $307

JR’s Eco Hut
Australia

This solid, A-frame wooden structure designed by Luke Stanley Architects and located in the rolling hills overlooking the bushlands of southwestern Australia, resembles the top half of a Swiss chalet, emerging from a gravel bed. A celebration of off-grid living, the eco hut is intended as a place for dropping out and forgetting the rest of the world, a feat facilitated by panoramic views and congenial Mid-Century élan, thanks to Anthony Hunt Design’s luxuriously minimal treatment of its airy interior.

Kimo Estate, Gundagai, NSW, Australia; Tel: 61 421 505949; www.kimoestate.com; Rates from: AUS$350

Scrubby Bay
New Zealand

Scattered along the Banks Peninsula, a rocky Pacific Ocean headland of muscular ridges, private coves and grassy hills, this old-fashioned getaway is comprised of five spacious villas by architect Andrew Patterson. Design-wise, the closest to the ideal of the New Zealand bach, Scrubby Bay is a cedar-clad villa stretched along the beach and features three sea-view suites, a deck with a fire pit, and an outdoor spa. Arrival, naturally, is effected by helicopter or a panoramic (read ‘white-knuckle’) cliff-top drive.

Annandale, Akaroa, New Zealand; Tel: 64.3 304 6841; www.annandale.com/accommodations/scrubby-bay; Rates from: NZ$3,680

The Dune Pavillion at Longitude 131
Australia

With bedrooms angled to look across Australia’s Red Centre towards the most famous sandstone monolith in the world, the Dune Pavillion is an exercise in opulent restraint. A contemporary take on the outback shack, the sleek, two-bedroom property presents a blind façade that opens up, via floor-to-ceiling windows, at the rear. A fresh addition to Longitude 131’s luxury camp, it is the work of Adelaide’s Max Pritchard Gunner, a studio known for its respectful insertion of buildings in delicate environments.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Mutitjulu, NT, Australia; Tel: +61-2-99184355; longitude131.com.au/stay/dune-pavilion; Rates from: AUS$ 2,900 per person (minimum 2 night stay)

Vega Island Hideaway
Norway

From outside, the Hideaway is another simple, if more sharply designed weather-beaten fisherman’s cottage, set on the rocky seafront of the UNESCO-protected Vegaøyan Island. Inside, it’s another beast. The pared-down smorgasbord of pale woods and earthy colours, with contemporary furnishings and a shiny steel kitchen for urban appeal, is the work of Stockholm’s Kolman Boye Architects and makes the perfect base from which to explore the rugged coastline, hikeable mountains and, for the thicker-skinned at least, the crystalline turquoise seas.

Vegaøyan, Norway; Tel: +41 41 520 6046; offgridhideaways.com/hideaway/vega-island-norway; Rates from: €550 (minimum 5 night stay)

Whichaway Camp
Antarctica

On the edge of a frozen lake at the base of a towering ice cliff in the frigid wastes of Antarctica’s northern coast, the heated fibreglass sleeping pod fantasy that is Whichaway is as close to an off-world experience as you can get without breaking atmosphere. With decor meant to recall the great Age of Exploration, separate dining, lounge and shower pods, a chef, expedition leaders and a runway, it’s more Aman than Amundsen and naturally, it doesn’t come cheap.

Queen Maud Land, Antarctica; Tel: 44-1273 691642; www.white-desert.com; Rates from: $84,000 / 8-day expedition

Photography: courtesy of Whichaway Camp