Sunset beach walk at NIHI Sumba

NIHI Sumba

Where only a 50-minute flight from Bali will take you to “The Edge of Wildness”. You will have two room captains (think butler) who will make sure your dreams come true. The food is varied and wonderful, with several parties or special dinners during the week. Take advantage of the private surf break, swim with the horses, play at the racquet club, or just relax in your private villa. I found NIHI to be heaven on earth, both honeymooners and families agree.

Swim with the horses of Sumba or simply enjoy them on the beach during turnouts.

Four Seasons Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru

Start with the island specialty, a Landaa Spritz, as you take in the endless blue of the Maldives from your overwater villa. The team creates a seamless experience of luxury, whether you choose to relax in your private plunge pool, dine at Blu Beach Club, or dive with enormous schools of extraordinary sea life. If you love to dive, Four Seasons runs their own PADI scuba center within the Baa Atoll’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The visibility is beyond imagination. Landaa Giraavaru is the pinnacle for romantic honeymoons.

Diving the Maldive’s Baa Atoll is extraordinary.

Take a romantic sunset cruise with Four Seasons hospitality.

&Beyond Mnemba Island

&Beyond Mnemba Island is the perfect beach retreat if you are heading to or from Africa on safari. Watersports and wellness are available for those who would like to do more than relax with their toes in the sand while eating delicious lobsters caught that day. Zanzibar has a rustic feel, but &BEYOND has created luxury at this intimate resort.

Watch dow racing in Zanzibar while enjoying fresh caught lobsters.

Zanzibar sunsets are beautiful.

• At NIHI, take advantage of the spa safari for an adventure and wellness treatments. You don’t have to give up the views for a massage. The tables have mirrors hung so you can still see the ocean. Happiest hour is an upbeat sunset event at the surf shack as they celebrate the day’s surf legend.

• Getting to NIHI is seamless. Representatives greet you at the Bali airport and then again at the Sumba airport for your 1.5-2 hour drive or a 20-minute helicopter ride.

• In the Maldives, indulge in a feast at Al Barakat, but be careful not to fill up on the bread. This is a meal for kings. For the easiest arrival, straight from Malé to the resort, take the Four Seasons float plane painted to represent the beautiful fish of the Maldives.

• There are no docks at Mnemba Island. The resort will take you from the airport to a boat transfer, but you will have to wade in water. If that is not your style but you still love the idea of a post-safari beach escape, ask me about the Seychelles.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Tropical Vacations page.