It’s a fitting location considering the resort’s philosophy is “The Edge of Wildness.” The resort nestles within a nature reserve, and more than 2.5 kilometers of white-sand beach beckons beneath the cliffs below, with fantastic surfing, fishing, and snorkeling. You won’t find TVs here, just cool ocean breezes, island adventures, warm and friendly staff, and glorious sea views.

The 33 air-conditioned villas perfectly capture the essence of this tropical hideaway, with soaring thatched ceilings that peek out among the palms and sweeping ocean views. Configurations range from one to five bedrooms, and they come with features like large living rooms, private plunge pools, outdoor showers, and impeccable butler service. Families can reserve a delightfully quirky three-story treehouse.

If you can tear yourself away from the villa and beach, with its fantastic surfing, diving, and fishing, you can go horseback riding on the beach (the resort has an equestrian center), sign up for visits to nearby villages, explore hidden waterfalls, mountain bike, take a Land Rover safari, tour a chocolate factory, or relax at the beach club and pool.

For the ultimate in pampering, embark on a day-long Spa Safari with multiple treatments and healthy meals. Free daily yoga in a sea-view pavilion is also offered.

Rates include all meals, snacks, and some beverages and activities. Children are welcome, and some of the profits from your stay support the Sumba Foundation’s community projects, providing fresh water, medical care, and communal farms for local villages, so you can live in the lap of luxury and feel good at the same time.

The resort was established by screen legend Marlon Brando to preserve the island’s beauty and biodiversity and serve as a model of sustainability —solar power, seawater air-conditioning systems, and other renewable energy technologies power the entire island.

Not surprisingly, nature lovers will be in heaven here. Flourishing coral reefs shimmer in the lagoon, birds flock to the shores, whales swim by on their annual migrations, and sea turtles nest on the bone-white beaches.

Set back from the beach, the thatched villas peek out unobtrusively from clusters of pandanus and palms. Modern furnishings and fixtures mix effortlessly with recycled and local building materials like thatch, stone, and wood.

Villas include private plunge pools, outdoor bathtubs, and media rooms with TV and Wi-Fi. Two-bedroom villas add kitchens and dining areas, and the spacious three-bedroom villa is perfect for large family gatherings. All the villas come with bicycles, so you can explore the island with pedal power.

Fusing French, Polynesian, and East-meets-West styles, the food is divine and incorporates fresh produce from the island’s organic gardens. Local seafood features prominently, and the fluffy, flaky breakfast croissants are a guest favorite. Vegan options are also offered.

As you would expect, activities revolve around the water, and the resort provides all the equipment you need to paddleboard, snorkel, dive, and kayak in the crystal-clear waters. If you’d like to learn more about the island’s ecology and conservation, you can visit the eco-station and chat with the researchers.

Perfectly positioned over the beach and sea, all 193 villas feature “beach house chic” decor, with sun-bleached woods and crisp white linens, and all offer the modern luxuries you might expect of a 5-star resort.

Families are also welcome here. The kids’ club will keep your little ones entertained throughout the day, and the eight restaurants will satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.

When it comes to things to do, the options are endless. Diving with whale sharks or sea turtles? No problem. Luxe South Ari Atoll presides over a marine protected area, with more than 50 fish-rich dive sites and superb snorkeling. Pop-up movies on the beach? Floating breakfast in your private plunge pool? Spa treatments? Tennis? You can sign up for all this and more.

Stylish and serene, LUX South Ari Atoll is the perfect escape for couples seeking romance — or anyone who just wants to relax at a private island paradise.

Jumby Bay is known for its doting staff, who provide impeccable service with a warm smile. World-class cuisine infused with tropical flavors stars at the fine-dining restaurant, but you can also dine by the pool and beach.

Despite the remote feel of the setting, you can still stay connected to the outside world. The 40 air-conditioned luxury guest rooms and villas come with all the modern conveniences, including large flat-screen TVs, Bose sound systems, Nespresso coffee makers, and Wi-Fi. But they also have timeless romantic features that couples love, including four-poster beds dressed in Italian linens, wraparound terraces, and private outdoor gardens with rain showers.

Red-roofed villas and houses add extra luxuries, like private chefs, personal butlers, and swimming pools. No wonder this is one of the best luxury resorts in the world.

When you’re not basking under rustling palms on the beach, you can work out at the gym, swim in the infinity pool, play tennis or golf, or succumb to a pampering session at the spa.

Eco-conscious guests will also appreciate the recycling program and conservation projects, such as the Hawksbill Turtle Preservation Program.

Children are welcome at this 5-star all-inclusive resort, and customized adventures keep them entertained.

If you think “tents” can’t be luxurious, think again. Peeking out from hillsides wrapped in lush jungle, these palatial safari-style tents evoke an elegant 19th-century feel with authentic Thai touches. Handcrafted furniture, clawfoot tubs, and sumptuous netted beds are typical features, and the outdoor showers and rustic textures, such as bamboo and local hardwoods, complement the stunning natural surroundings.

Dining is also an adventure. Pluck fresh produce from trees on the property on a foraging walk and let the chef conjure a mouthwatering meal, or take a Thai cooking class.

Animal-lovers will be in heaven here. You can walk through the wilderness with rescued elephants and their mahouts, or look for other wildlife as you cruise down the Ruak River.

You can soak up some culture, too. Hillside bicycle tours travel through rice paddies and pineapple plantations, and you can also take a day trip to sacred temples or to explore neighboring Burma, among other adventures.

Feel like some pampering? Relax with a mountain botanical treatment at the open-sided jungle spa, tucked within a tranquil bamboo forest.

Guests leave feeling as though they’ve taken a luxury safari, but they don’t have to travel to Africa.

Clinging to a cliffside, the resort encompasses a series of open-sided rooms and common areas that embrace these breathtaking vistas, so you always feel like a part of your surroundings. Despite their sweeping views, the suites offer total privacy, making this a favorite hideaway for honeymooners.

Called “sanctuaries,” the 24 open-sided guest rooms here feel spacious and airy, with 15-foot-high ceilings, large living rooms, and plenty of local stone and tropical hardwoods. Typical features include private infinity pools; four-poster beds; Frette bathrobes and towels; 24-hour butlers (“Major Domos”); and jalousie windows, so the tropical breezes can flow freely. SKY suites come with hot tubs instead of the private pools.

Wi-Fi is available at the resort, but you won’t find TVs and telephones here, just the sounds and sights of the sea.

Cuisine at the Jade Mountain Club captures fresh island flavors with plenty of produce from the resort’s organic farm, and you can also dine at Anse Mamin or Anse Chastanet, the 600-acre sister resort on a silver-sand beach below.

Free time can be as active or relaxed as you like. Swimming, sailing, kayaking, and diving, are all popular things to do along the shores of Anse Chastanet beach, a steep walk from the resort or a shuttle ride away.

You can also hike and bike on the resort’s 600-acre plantation; go bird-watching; practice yoga; swim in the resort’s infinity pool; or take tours of the botanical gardens, volcano, and sulphur springs. A fitness center and spa are also on-site.

The all-inclusive rates are an optional but great-value choice here — especially as the hotel lies in a remote location.

Old-world colonial elegance sets the tone here, and animals take center stage — especially the relatively large number of resident lions.

Eight impeccably decorated, air-conditioned suites recall the grand old days of Hemingway. Oriental rugs, antiques, thatched roofs, and four-poster beds draped in mosquito netting are typical features. Outdoor showers and plunge pools on expansive decks merge with the wilderness, where elephants and other wildlife are part of the views.

Two-bedroom Royal Suites are perfect for families, and for even more exclusivity, groups can reserve Africa House, a six-bedroom villa with a private chef.

Daily activities revolve around the morning and evening game drives, when expert trackers and guides deliver you to National Geographic-worthy wildlife action. You can also relax at the award-winning bush spa and tone at the gym in your spare time.

Children of all ages are welcome in the Royal Suites and Africa House, but they must be older than 10 to stay in the luxury suites.

Personal service is taken to a whole new level here, and the pampering spa treatments and exquisite culinary creations maintain the resort’s high standards.

Created by esteemed architects and designers, the 20 uniquely decorated accommodations range from cozy guest rooms to log cabins, multi-level Scandinavian-style cottages, and mid-century hideaways. Fireplaces, antiques, custom art, and stone hot tubs add to the homey feel in many, and all have beautiful views of the surrounding countryside.

All meals are included in the rates, and the culinary creations emphasize healthy, fresh flavors with customized personal menus and a farm-to-table focus. The lemon souffle pancakes with Vermont strawberries are breakfast favorites.

Activities change with the season here. In the warmer months, you can hike and bike among the forests and flower-flecked meadows, play tennis, fly fish, swim, or paddle upon tranquil ponds. The incredible display of fall colors in Vermont make it one of the best seasons to visit. In winter, you can skate, snowshoe, and ski on the resort’s private groomed trails and slopes.

If you can bear to leave the resort, you can tour a working farm, shop for antiques, visit nearby artisans and historical sites, or take one of the resort’s BMW sedans for a spin. A fully equipped gym is also on-site.

Guests must be 16 years or older, except during the resort’s two annual family weeks, and dogs are welcome in some of the cabins for a fee.

Local materials such as thatch, wood, and stone feature prominently in the bungalows (or bures), making the resort feel totally at one with its lush, tropical surroundings. Forget TVs and telephones. Instead, guests here tune into the relaxing pace of island life, snorkeling over kaleidoscopic reefs and chatting with the friendly staff.

Honeymooners love the 10 light-filled over-the-water bures, with large outdoor decks, separate bathing pavilions, air-conditioning, and lagoon views from egg-shaped soaking tubs. Many guests also like the beachfront bures, with their cheaper price point, plunge pools, large daybeds, and private outdoor showers. These bures also offer direct access to the ocean, which is sometimes not available from the over-the-water bures when the tide is low.

The food is fabulous here and spotlights fresh seafood, as well as luscious tropical fruits and produce from the island’s organic hydroponic farm. Daily canapes delivered to your room give you a hint of the delectable dinner dishes that await.

In your spare time, you can enjoy a Couples Indulgence package at the spa, trim and tone at the gym, learn how to weave palm fronds, or sign up for village visits and island-hopping cruises.

Rates include accommodation, non-motorized water sports, meals, filter coffee, tea, and water, but other beverages incur an extra fee.

Cottar’s is also one of only 10 accredited Global Ecosphere Retreats in the world, thanks to its commitment to sustainability and projects that help the local community.

Don’t be put off by the word “camp.” The luxury tents are a world away from those on your typical family camping trip, and the attentive staff make you feel like royalty. The expert Maasai guides and trackers are some of the best in the business, delivering you to classic African “big-five” wildlife action starring lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalo, and elephants. You can also witness the wildebeest migration from July through November.

Strategically flung far apart to maximize privacy, the 10 palatial tents allow you to feel at one with nature, without sacrificing any luxuries. While propped in your billowy four-poster bed, you can gaze out at zebras and giraffes, and fall asleep to the whoop of hyenas and the distant roar of lions echoing through the night.

Antique furnishings, oriental rugs, candelabras, and steamer trunks add to the nostalgic Hemingway feel, and the ensuite bathrooms come with flushing toilets and hot showers. But if you really want to get back to nature, you can opt for the unique experience of a safari bath or shower in the middle of the savannah.

Family tented suites come with two bathrooms, and living rooms with fireplaces. You can also reserve a honeymoon suite or the Cottar’s Bush Villa, which sleeps 10 and has its own 25-meter pool.

The chef crafts culinary creations from fresh food grown right in the camp. Meals are usually served communal style in the huge dining tent or at breathtaking wilderness locations.

In addition to the excellent game drives and walks, you can visit a Maasai village, swan around in the pool, or enjoy pampering spa treatments. Children of all ages are welcome.