If you`re planning a warm-weather vacation to get away from it all this winter, it helps to know that you can do it in style.
Anyone can find sun, sand–and crowds–on a winter vacation. What we`ve got for you are 10 paradises, far from the bustling resort island casinos and beaches filled with sizzling bodies. Many are private islands, some as far away as the Indian Ocean and as near as Mexico`s Pacific coast.
So prepare yourself for the quiet pleasures of warm breezes and fragrant bougainvillea. Have a tropical drink, cozy up in a beach hammock and let the rhythm of the waves lull your body. And please, don`t phone home. We couldn`t stand it.
1. Meridian Club on Pine Cay (Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies). What once was a private club nestled at the southern tip of the Bahamas is now open to the public. A complete getaway, Meridian Club is one of the best-kept secrets in the Caribbean. It`s barefoot casual for the intelligent vacationer seeking more privacy than amusement. It features 13 hotel suites and nine cottages. When you arrive at Providenciales Island
(called Provo for short), you`ll be flown by private plane to Pine Cay. The resort is situated on a beach 2 1/2 miles long. Eat in the central dining room or dine on your private terrace (each suite has one). Full American plan is offered with a mix of continental and Caribbean cuisine. Besides water sports, tame porpoises will swim with you or you can float solo in their T-shaped pool. Daily rate is $350 for a suite based on double occupancy. For more information, contact your travel agent or Resorts Management Inc., 201 1/2 E. 29th St., New York 10016. Phone 1-800-225-4255 or 1-212-696-4566.
2. Seychelles Islands (Indian Ocean). Escape to the island of Mahe and check into the Equator Grand Anse Residence Hotel, a sleek, sophisticated, privately owned garden hotel overlooking the Indian Ocean. Expect temperatures in the mid-80s and flora and fauna unique to this part of the world. Culture blends Arab, French, African, Indian and Chinese roots. The menu features continental specialities as well as local dishes that are similar to American Cajun. All of the 49 suites have a living room, kitchenette, bath and terrace, plus access to a private beach and pool. Tennis, water sports and fishing are available. Rates start at $106 per day double occupancy. For more information, contact your travel agent or the Seychelles Tourist Board, P.O. Box 33018, St. Petersburg, Fla., 33733. Phone 1-813-864-3013.
3. Casa Careyes (State of Jalisco, Mexico). Isolation and rugged beauty
–that`s what film director John Huston found irresistible about an area along Mexico`s western Costa de Careyes, or Turtle Coast. Casa Careyes lies on the Pacific Ocean. The resort, situated on 3,700 acres, offers 35 secluded villas or the hacienda-style Hotel Plaza Careyes, ranked as one of Mexico`s best beach hotels. Villas feature two to six bedrooms, many on cliffs overlooking the eight-mile-long beach. Located halfway between Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta, Careyes features ocean or pool swimming, tennis courts, deep- sea fishing and horseback riding. Hotel rooms start at $130 per day based on double occupancy; villas at $350. Meals are extra. According to Maryann Mertz, of Travl Travl Travl, ”The advantage of Careyes is its accessibility. It`s easier to get there than many places in the Caribbean which involve several connecting flights. You can fly from Chicago to Puerto Vallarta, then drive to Careyes.” For more information, contact your travel agent.
4. Hotel Palmilla, Los Cabos (Baja Peninsula, Mexico). This secluded resort is on the beach fronting the Sea of Cortes, between the villages of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. The Baja Peninsula is actually an 800-mile-long desert jutting into the Pacific Ocean. World-class fishing and diving are among the amusements. This luxury resort, operated by Atlas Hotels, offers seaside accommodations–62 rooms and 8 suites–in a Spanish Moorish motif. Sorry, no telephones in the room. Aside from marlin fishing and a mariachi band at Sunday brunch, the few distractions include playing with the life-size chess set or strolling the beach. All meals are included in Palmilla`s American plan, and range from homemade croissants in the morning to continental and local specialities. Life here is as peaceful as the quiet hum of the ceiling fans. Daily rates start at $170 based on double occupancy. For more information, phone Baja Adventures, 1-800-543-2252, or Atlas Hotels, 1-800-854-2608.
5. Laucala Island (Fiji Islands, South Pacific). Laucala, pronounced by Fijians as ”La-thah-la,” is also known as Mr. Forbes` island (as in capitalist Malcolm Forbes). Forbes bought this 3,100-acre island in 1972 as a hideway and business venture. For those in search of peace and privacy, it offers relaxed informality combined with exotic isolation. Rather than a bustling resort, Laucala is a cottage colony that accommodates no more than 10 guests at a time. This lush outpost features coconut groves, wandering cows and goats, a pair of thatched-roof beach cottages hidden under palms. Each unit comes outfitted with kitchen, pantry, bamboo-furnished living and dining rooms, overhead fans and, if you must, one air-conditioned bedroom with shower and bath. Don`t worry about books, magazines, parlor games–they`re supplied. A private cook prepares meals in your kitchen at any hour. But dinner is offered in the Plantation House, menus based on locally grown fruits, vegetables, meat and seafood. Interruptions might be a grazing turkey or cow. Staffed boat is available for deep-sea fishing; so is snorkeling and scuba gear. Or, if you prefer, talcum powder beaches are inviting for shelling or just strolling the miles of nature trails. The eight days, seven nights package rate before January is $1,650 per person, including meals, beverages, laundry, equipment and round-trip taxi flights from Nadi International Airport in Fiji. Contact: Fiji manager, c/o Forbes magazine, 60 Fifth Ave., New York 10011. Phone 1-212-620-2461.
6. Tetiaroa (French Polynesia, South Pacific). This private South Seas sanctuary was purchased by actor Marlon Brando back in 1965 when he was filming ”Mutiny on the Bounty.” A 25-minute plane ride from Tahiti, it has room for 30 people plus a staff. You sleep in A-frame cottages or thatched-roof bungalows on stilts, lulled by the pounding of the surf on the outer coral reef. More charming and comfortable than luxurious, it affords the visitor unpretentious solitude. Sorry, no tennis courts or golf courses. Daytime activities include raft cruises to nearby islands and water sports. Popular evening amusements include reclining in a beach hammock to study the starry heavens. Come here to find yourself or get to know a friend. Meals are served at communal tables in a straw-covered main house. A five-night stay based on double occupancy, including meals and round-trip air transportation from Tahiti to Tetiaroa, is around $925. For more information, contact Island Dreams, Tahiti Nui`s, 6033 W. Century Blvd., Suite 830, Los Angeles 90045;
phone 1-800-824-4976. Or the Tahiti Tourist Board, 12233 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite 110, Los Angeles 90064; phone 1-213-207-1919.
7. Necker Island (British Virgin Islands). Be king of your own island, at least for a week. Located at the end of the Virgin Gorda, Necker Island is a coral-rimmed, 74-acre paradise with one building, a 10-bedroom Balinese villa owned by a British entrepreneur. You fly to the Tortolas, then arrive at Necker by private launch. A European-trained staff of five prepares the finest continental cuisine, served on Rosenthal china, and fine wines in Baccarat crystal. Hardly peasant living. The dining room table seats 22 with an electronically operated ceiling that opens up so you feast on the stars for dessert. The average temperature is around 84 degrees. It`s island casual and you wear what you want. Daily rate for 10 to 20 guests is $5,500. For 10 or less, $4,000. Rates include round-trip boat transfers, all food and beverages and sports gear. For more information, contact Rex Ritchie of Rex Travel Organization Inc., 1 N. La Salle St. Chicago 60602; phone 641-6633. Or the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board, 370 Lexington Ave., New York 10017. Phone 1-212-696-0400. Or their U.S. representative, Resorts Management, phone 1-800-225-4255.
8. Orpheus Island (Australia). This hideaway resort on the Great Barrier Reef is on a 3,500-acre island protected as a national park. Orpheus, located off Townsville in Queensland, is accessible by seaplane. The island is owned by an Italian businessman who dreamed about owning his own island. Maximum number of guests is 50. Unwind from the rigors of the America`s Cup races and escape to this paradise of two dozen cottages and two bungalows, all within 40 feet of the water`s edge. Fishing, water sports and tennis attract those who want to play. Daily rate for studios based on double occupancy is $235;
bungalows go for $275. All meals, continental cuisine with an Australian touch, are included. For more information, contact Orpheus Island Resort, Private Mailbag, Ingham, Queensland 4850, Australia. Or their U.S.
representative, R.H.C. International Marketing, 8019 1/2 Melrose Ave., Suite 5, Los Angeles 90046. Phone 1-800-742-4685 or 1-213-653-7877.
9. Young Island (Grenadines). Stay in a tree house suite or a cabana accommodation on this compact, 25-acre resort set in a garden of tropical flowers and trees. Located 200 yards off the southern coast of St. Vincent in the West Indies, Young Island is a self-contained resort that accepts no more than 65 guests. Each accommodation features private bath, outdoor shower and terrace. Continental or Caribbean-style meals are served in a Tahitian pavilion and libations are offered in a thatched-roof bar. Lighted tennis courts, water sports equipment, private beaches and lagoon-like swimming pool are among the amusements. Daily rates, including two meals, start at $310 based on double occupancy. For more information, contact Ralph Locke, 315 E. 72d St., New York 10021. Phone 1-800-223-1108 or 1-212-628-8149.
10. Play skipper. Enjoy your own floating seclusion. Charter your own yacht with crew and discover the Caribbean, starting out at Tortola or St. Lucia. You can drop anchor wherever the beach looks best or disco sounds the loudest. The cost includes all meals, open bar and services of skipper and cook. A 51-foot sailboat that accommodates two couples runs $1,246 per person for seven days. Contact the U.S. agent: The Moorings Ltd., 1305 U.S. 19 S., Suite 402, Clearwater, Fla., 33546. Phone 1-800-535-7289. —
