Best adults-only resorts
Sure, holidays with the family can be great. But if you’re looking for a resort where you won’t be interrupted by children shrieking in the pool, then try one of these. But be warned – this kind of adults-only solitude doesn’t come cheap.
Qualia, Hamilton Island
Built by the Oatley family (they of the yachting and wine dynasty), qualia is arguably Australia’s best resort and one of only a handful that has ever been awarded a perfect score of 100 by Conde Nast Traveler. The resort occupies a private, bushy headland on Queensland’s Hamilton Island and each of the private pavilions feels completely secluded. They are incredibly spacious, with plunge pools, sun decks and vast bathrooms with indoor and outdoor showers. Each pavilion evens comes with its own golf cart for zipping around the island. There’s a fantastic restaurant, spa, two swimming pools, private beach and a staff to guest ratio of one to one.
Tokoriki Island Resort, Fiji
Fiji is one of the top family destinations for Australian travellers, but there are also some top of the line retreats just for the grown ups. Tokoriki is a romantic haven for couples of all ages in the Mamanuca Islands group (and you can choose to arrive by helicopter, sea plane or luxury boat). The staff is one of the highlights, giving you the best of that famed Fijian hospitality. The freestanding bures (villas) dot the beachfront, just steps from the soft white sand. Included in the price is unlimited spa treatments – if you ever thought it was possible to get tired of massages, this is the place to find out.
The Caves, Jamaica
Jamaica is ground zero for adults-only resorts, and The Caves is one of the best. Just a handful of cottages are scattered around the jungle and cliffs of Negril on the west coast of Jamaica. The cottages are bright and breezy, but you’ll really want to spend most of your time outside. Choose from snorkelling, scuba diving, horseriding along the private beach, dolphin watching or – if you’re feeling brave – an early morning jump off the cliff into the ocean. You can even have a romantic candlelit dinner set up in one of the honeycomb of caves under the resort, overlooking the ocean.
Jade Mountain Resort, St Lucia
If a Bond film could be imagined as a resort it would be Jade Mountain. It’s an unashamedly opulent, over the top masterpiece that clings to the side of a hill in this Caribbean paradise. Each of the 29 villas has only three walls, with the fourth left open for even better views over the ocean and the volcanic peaks of Piton. You can dine on organic cuisine then retire to your private plunge pool, whirlpool tub and canopied four poster bed for a well deserved rest. There’s also no TV or radios, so you can feel completely shut off from the noise of the world.
Aitutaki Lagoon Resort, Cook Islands
The Cook Islands have long been synonymous with the perfect South Seas idyll, and Aitutaki is the most beautiful lagoon in the country (and possibly the world), a perfect horseshoe of pristine white sand and can’t-believe-your-eyes turquoise water. Aitutaki Lagoon Resort is the only private island resort in the Cooks, and the only one that has ultra romantic overwater bungalows. It’s just completed a $2 million refurbishment, so you can expect the very best of everything in this remote corner of the Pacific.
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