Travel

When gas prices discourage long U.S. road trips, there’s only one thing to do—fly far, far away to roads less traveled. Drive less, luxuriate more. Drink fine wines, dine like the gods and sleep like the royalty that you were meant to be.

Mystical Sojourn in Costa Rica

Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort, at the base of Costa Rica’s fiery Arenal volcano, went posh last year with a massive renovation. Its spa was proclaimed one of the world’s best by Travel + Leisure, and Luxury SpaFinder anointed it the "favorite spa in Central America." And this month it goes mystical, with spiritually based wellness programs in its natural rainforest setting of hot spring lagoons, thermal pools and waterfalls.

On Oct. 19 to 23, acclaimed spiritual yoga instructor MeShall of Mystical Sojourn Retreats (who also is a wellness consultant for The Ritz-Carlton) will lead an elite group of guests to mindfulness and serenity with Temazcal rituals in traditional Mexican sweat lodges—the only ones in the world, they say, that are embedded in the empowering energy of an active volcano.

MeShall, along with Tabacón resident shaman-master, Tonatiuh, will guide you through chakra-opening rituals, guided meditations, the Five Tibetan Rites and Angel Yoga. Meanwhile, the resort’s luxurious pampering services will help you unwind, unblock and elevate the senses.

No, you won’t be sleeping on lava rocks—the five-star Tabacón resort is everything you’d expect from a member of Leading Hotels of the World. The four-night mystical experience, which includes all meals, is $1,500.

To combine romance with rejuvenation any other time, I suggest the honeymoon suite (about $500, depending on dates). Meditate on the magic at www.tabacon.com.

White Sails in the Galapagos

Not every eco-adventure involves roughing it. Certainly not aboard the 140-foot yacht Alta, surely the most romantic sailing ship in the Galapagos Islands.

This stunning private ketch-rigged motor schooner, which accommodates just 16 passengers, has nearly as many billowing white sails as it does passenger cabins. You can join a 10-day naturalist-led excursion or charter your own private sail into the land of blue-footed boobies, penguins, marine iguanas and the descendents of Charles Darwin’s giant tortoises. Each day’s landing is a surprise, with a stunning diversity among the stark volcanic rock islands and the sugary white, crystal pink and black sand beaches, while red-pouched frigate birds soar overhead and fur seals waddle down the beach to check you out.

Island hopping, gourmet dining, kayaking, volcano walks, swimming with sea lions and other wonderments of this world of natural selection abound. Boundless Journeys offers a holiday sailing aboard the Alta from Dec. 25 to Jan. 3.

Plan on about $5,000 per person, including airfare. www.boundlessjourneys.com.

Heaven on Earth: New Zealand

"Somewhere beneath the stars known as the Southern Cross, on an Island in the South Pacific, you will find what people around the world call Heaven on Earth. Eagles Nest is that place."

These words from the Web site could be an exaggeration. But not really. Imagine succulent cuisine, world-class New Zealand wine, and sumptuous villas with private infinity pools tucked into 75 acres between the sacred bushlands and extremely private beaches of Bay of Islands, New Zealand.

A three-and-a-half-hour drive from Auckland … and a million miles away, this sexy, sensuous destination languishes just a stroll from the tiny historic town of Russell, where New Zealand was born.

The private four-bedroom house, Sacred Space, is the heart of the resort. The best room in the house is the top-floor, glass-ceilinged Kingfisher Suite: all antiques, designer linens and original art, an outdoor shower, decks and superb 360-degree views. Simple elegance is the byword here in one of the world’s great big-game fishing spots, where healing spirits are believed to live.

Spend your time walking in the bush, whale and dolphin watching, SCUBA and sky diving, and luxuriating in holistic body therapies while your personal chef and butler (priced extra) do the work. The house, including transfers, arrival champagne, maid service and more: just under $4,000 per night. www.eaglesnest.co.nz.

A Palatial Stay in Bali

Called the Land of 10,000 Temples, Bali is a lush, tropical Eden of lotus flowers and kapok trees, misty jungles and smoldering volcanoes, floating eight degrees south of the equator in the Indian Ocean. A prayerful country, with a gentle blend of Buddhism and Hinduism, its days begin and end with offerings to the gods. At night, Bali is a mystical blending of dance, exotic Asian cuisine and dance-theater that illustrates epic tales of good and evil, accompanied by the song of the nightingale under black, starry skies.

Your dollars stretch forever, as you dine on some of the world’s finest culinary offerings for well under $20, and a half-day taxi ride into the countryside, through rice paddies and quaint villages, costs barely the price of an American lunch. And, of course, you can get best-suite-in-the-house luxury at budget room prices.

Tiny Bali supports several quintessential havens of exclusivity, including a Ritz-Carlton, two Four Seasons and the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel (ask for the royal-to-the-max Palace Club Room), resembling a traditional Balinese palace.

The newest tribute to Balinese luxury is the just-opened beachfront Anantara Seminyak Resort & Spa on the southern coast. Unabashedly decadent and hip, it is attracting young gazillionaires, supermodels and film stars. Presidential suite: $2,900 to $4,900 per night, depending on season. The luxe Anantara ocean suite is practically a giveaway at $430 to $530 per night. bali.anantara.com.

Experience The Other Italy

While everyone else flocks to trendy Tuscany, fabulous though it is, savvy travelers to Italy are seeking out the luxe hideaways away from the tourist crowds. One of those secret places is Rosa Alpina Hotel and Spa, 5,080 feet in the clouds in the small Northern Italian alpine village of San Cassiano in the Dolomites. Three generations of the Pizzinini family have welcomed guests to their warmly sophisticated hotel, with its lush green lawns, peaceful Daniela Steiner spa, world-class dining (including the Michelin two-star St. Hubertis) and sumptuously appointed rooms with fine art and creamy linens. Daniela Steiner, wife of the owner, provides spa services for some of Europe’s finest spas, including The Ritz in Paris. Besides the electrifying views of the Alps, there is summer hiking, horseback riding, helicopter tours and golf. In winter, of course, there’s skiing, snowshoeing and sleigh rides. Best suites in the house: La Tor and Sonnwend, about $1,126 per night this winter. www.rosaalpina.it.

Escape to a Romantic Wine Lodge in Argentina

Mendoza, just west of Buenos Aires, is the center of Argentina’s wine country, with more than 900 vineyards. The one you will want to sleep in … and never, ever leave … is the Cavas Wine Lodge, a Relais & Châteaux retreat in a 35-acre vineyard at the foot of the snow-capped Andes Mountains.

Not stuffy but extravagantly chic, the interiors are infused with natural light playing on creamy adobe walls and bright textiles. The architecture is pure romance, with grand-scale arches and stunning use of stonework on the floors, hearths and baths.

The price of all this romance? About $1,500 per night, including tax, gets a luxurious corner room with private pool, outdoor shower and terrace with fireplace. It also includes the two-and-a-half hour signature wine therapy spa treatment for the two of you.

Your wine therapy experience includes a crushed grape seed scrub, a bubbling red wine soak, a wine-yeast body wrap and a grape seed oil massage.

If you can tear your eyes away from the stunning peaks of the Andes, you’ll find the Mendoza area rich with artists’ ateliers and scores of picturesque vineyards, most gloriously enjoyed from the seat of a bicycle or on horseback. The Web site alone is intoxicating: www.cavaswinelodge.com.

Got $248,000? Book the Safari Explorer

When Bill Gates and Chuck Norris wish to charter a private yacht cruise (not together, of course), where do they turn? Easy: American Safari Cruises. The company’s six sumptuous mega-yachts take extremely discriminating patrons sailing around Mexico’s Sea of Cortes, Columbia and Snake Rivers; Washington State’s San Juan Islands and British Columbia’s Gulf Islands. This year they’ve added the luxe-to-the-max, 145-foot Safari Explorer for an eight-day dream Alaskan or Hawaiian itinerary. Bill and Chuck—and you, if you have a $248,000 check in hand—can expect world-class cuisine and premium wines, massages on call, all necessities from SCUBA equipment to sailboats, and a two-to-one ratio of uniformed crew, including a full-time baker and a naturalist/expedition leader. The tariff covers up to 35 of your closest friends. www.amsafari.com.