Atzaro is a century old family finca converted into luxurious accommodations with a cutting edge gastronomical restaurant and a blissful spa. It is nestled secretly in its own orange grove stands with an oasis of rest, where the flavours of orange blossom, rosemary and lavender mix to indulge your senses. It’s a luxury getaway for anyone looking for the more natural side of Ibiza.

The Atzaro offers a wide range of facilities and services as well as it’s wonderful landscaped gardens, with many fountains and private chill-out corners which make this 10 hectare estate and grove an ideal venue for self indulgence and an outstanding setting for any event.

There are reatment temples, couples or individuals, feature beautifully hand crafted ceilings and decor exquisitely accented with rich tropical woods, reflecting an Asian design philosophy carefully blended with Arabian and Ibizencan influences. The Spa facilities features Sauna, Hamm am (Turkish bath), gym, and a 43-meter lap pool. In a separate temple guests may exercise open classes or private sessions offering fitness at its best.

The cuisine has great respect for using the finest and freshest ingredients and produce, a combination of vibrant, cutting edge flavours, great ambience, friendly but yet professional service, an extensive wine list and exquisite surroundings make the restaurant a truly memorable experience.

Their rooms are divided between the old finca with it’s classical Ibizencan architecture. Both mix a sanctuary of open spaces and beauty where one can enjoy peaceful moments. All rooms have their private terraces (some have romantic fireplaces and skylights) with private plunge pool, fountains and outside daybed.

Perfectly situated amid a beautiful turquoise lagoon, Komandoo Island with its superb sandy beaches is an immensely attractive tropical holiday destination. Spectacular sunsets, soft white beaches and an aquamarine lagoon with exciting diving combine to make Komandoo a popular island honeymoon destination. This is an intimately romantic getaway for two, where you can celebrate your love for each other…

Komandoo Island Resort offers excellent accommodation with beautiful 45 beach villas. Each villa has a private sun terrace that overlooks the soft powdery white sand and turquoise crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean. Amenities includes partly open air bathroom equipped with hair dryer, air conditioning, safe, telephone, beach towel, CD player and coffee/tea maker.
 

Water sports are extremely popular in this island resort. Komandoo boasts world class scuba diving and a Pro Divers PADI five star dive facility with resident multilingual instructors. Apart from this one can also go for snorkeling, Canoeing, Beach Volley, Fishing, Excursion, Windsurfing, Catamaran Sailing and swimming.

Capraia is a wild and hilly island, the only volcanic one in the Tuscan Archipelago, Italy. A 300 to 400 m ridge divides it into two unequal slopes. On the west, sheer walls of rock are cracked into ravines and riddled with caves, to the east the slopes are in a series of shallow valleys down to the sea. Photo by: Ravello1

One part of the island is covered in brush with a few small villas and old farm buildings used barely in the summer. A Roman fortress overlooks the town, crumbling watchtowers dot the landscape, and ruined villas recall the Romans’ long romance with the island. The network of trails that hikers used today are 2,000 year-old Etruscan logging trails. Photo by: wenzday01

Nature has largely reclaimed Capraia, and most of the island, and the sea for miles around it, is part of a huge National Park and Marine Reserve. There’s no nightlife, no neon and no marketing scam to exploit the pristine Mediterranean flora and fauna. For visitors, the symbiosis of land, sea and people is like stumbling on a blueprint of how you want the Mediterranean to be. Photo by: Boga85

When to go: April to October – but July to August are both the hottest months and the most crowded. Population: 366. Getting there: By ferry from Livorno, or by private yacht. You should know: If you come by boat, make sure you don’t land within the environmental reserve, or use a drag anchor. Photo by: Boga85

The Bulgari Resort in Bali is located near the village of Pecatu and the stunning clifftop site of the Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple, on the island’s far southwestern tip. Superbly situated at more than 150 metres above the sea shore, the resort offers unrivaled views across the Indian Ocean.  Nestled between the cliff and the ocean, a 1.5 kilometer long beach is accessible only through the resort’s inclined elevator.

The hotel has been constructed by using hand-cut volcanic stones, rich exotic woods and refined fabrics. Natural lava and palimanan stone are used for the garden and interior walls, refined bangkiray hardwood in the villas, natural green colored subakumi stone to clad outdoor showers, plunge and swimming pools. The furniture and accessories have been designed in Bali by a team of local artists and designers in collaboration with Bulgari and Antonio Citterio and Partners.

Each villa is decorated with Balinese antique pieces of art and features Bang and Olufsen audio and visual systems. All accommodations offer an extensive range of amenities and butler service to anticipate guest needs.

Reachable by a private access, the 1,300-sq.metre Bulgari Villa includes three bedrooms, a large living area with built-in bar, an oversized dining room, a home theatre and full service quarters with a state-of-the-art kitchen. A 20m lap pool surrounded by an extensive terrace and an outdoor meditation pavilion complete its unique layout.

Just to the north of the Gulf of Thailand is situated the small rocky island of Ko Si Chang. The island may be is not the best of the Thai islands, but it has two huge advantages. It is little known, even by Thais, and it is the closest place you can reach from Bangkok if you need sea and sand for a few days. A 45-minute ferry journey from the coastal town of Sri Racha brings you to the island’s one small town dominated by a brightly painted Chinese temple, reached by a long flight of steep steps. Photo by: spacehelmetboy

The best way to explore the island is to hire a motor bike called samlor. Your driver will tour the island with you, waiting while you visit the various sights, and even allow you a few hours at the island’s best beach. The main sight there is Rama V’s palace and grounds. The gardens are lovely, linked ponds are shaded by ancient frangipani trees, and stone steps lead to balustraded terraces. Four wooden villas, fronting the sea, house various displays and historic photographs. Photo by: stefangrudza

There are several places in which to spend your break, and plenty of places in which to eat scrumptious fresh seafood. The main beach is rather small, but the water is turquoise in colour, clear as glass and fabulous for swimming. Tourists are surprisingly few, most just come for the day, and the island is calm and quiet – just what you need if you’ve been in Bangkok for a while. Photo by: Gabypacu

When to go: November to April for the least rain. Population: 4,500. How to get there: By ferry from Sri Racha. You should know: Ko Si Chang and Sri Racha are close to a deep-sea port and you will see huge numbers of barges waiting to unload you as you sit on the ferry. Don’t be put off, they don’t affect the island or the water around. Photo by: araeoflight1410

Just north of Gothenburg on the west coast, Sweden’s sixth largest island covers an area of 167 sq km and is the gateway to the beautiful islands of the Bohuslan Archipelago. The coastline is extraordinary complex and varied – rocky shores, sandy stretches of beach, winding inlets and sheltered bays that are natural harbors for yachts and small boats. The island has a stark beauty and liberating space. At its highest point, 116 m above sea level, you feel like on the top of the world, gazing across ancient meadows full of wild flowers, with breathtaking view to open skies and the sea. Photo by: npr001

There are traces of human habitation on Tjorn from the Stone Age onwards and you can see Bronze Age pictures carved into the rocks and the remains of Iron Age burial cairns. For many hundreds of years islander have depended on the fishing and boat building industries for their livelihoods. There are pretty little villages and hamlets of red and white painted houses dotted around the coast. In recent years the island has also become famous for an artist’s colony. There are also private galleries and exhibitions all over the island. Photo by: Richard Beer

Although Tjorn is a popular resort among the Swedes, its economy is not reliant on tourists; it is mercifully free of the rampant commercialism that is often found at holiday destinations. Photo by: iapia

When to go: Mid-May to early September. Population: 15,022. How to get there: Fly ti Gothenburg. Tjorn is only 50 km away and since 1960, has has a bridge connection to the mainland. You should know: Tjorn is a great place for cycling, walking boating and nature holidays and an ideal base from which to explore the beautiful islands of Bohuslan Archipelago. Photo by: Tokyo Tanenhaus

Highlights: Rorestrands beach – watch the sunset over the water. Sandholmen – bathing island off the pretty fishing villages of Skarhamn reached by boat. Mjorn – a nearby island to the northwest with wild landscape and shell banks. Photo by: WorldIslandInfo.com

Photo by: StephaneR

Excellently located on the lush forest vegetation along the bay of Anse Louis in Mahe, the resort was recently featured in Condé Nast Traveler’s Hot List. The newly built Maia Luxury Resort & Spa is one of the most stunning resorts in the incredible Seychelles Archipelago. Isolated in the garden and surrounded by tropical nature, The Maia Resort provides the next step to losing yourself in luxury and indulgence. The resort has been designed by renowned architect Bill Bensley as a haven for pure relaxation in traditional Creole style. Each of the 30 exclusive villas sit atop the Maia hill offer an undisturbed 180 degrees sea view.

The Maia Spa offers a range of luxurious beauty treatments, using only the best with La Prairie products. Its well-known treatments are “Jari Menari” (Dancing Fingers) massage, caviar body therapy followed by a 90-minute massage. An infinity outdoor gazebo is perfect for dining on fresh caught fish, fragrant curries and lush fruits. Also there are professional Yoga and Self Shiatsu classes.

For more adventurous types, pick from a range of water activities such as scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, kayaking, snorkeling, canoeing and wind-surf . Customized excursions to other islands by scenic helicopter flights (in a private helicopter) or island boat cruises can be arranged by the Maia staff.

The island of Ciovo is an extension of the magnificent medieval UNESCO World Heritage coastal town of Trogir to which it is connected by a drawbridge. In the past Ciovo was known as the barn of ‘Trogir’ because so much of the town’s food was grown to the island’s fertile soil. Today, it has become a popular summer retreat for residents of the nearby city of Split. Photo by: premus

The island has hilly landscape, just less than 30 sq km in area, with lush and varied scenery. The northern coat is covered in a profusion of pine and cypress forest, and along the south there are cliffs up to 150 m high. There, near the church Prizidnice of there is a famous 460 year-old  hermit’s sanctuary built into the rocky cliffside. It is an extraordinarily atmospheric pilgrimage with wonderful views over the blue waters of Adriatic. The inland scenery is a picturesque cultivated landscape of olives, figs, almonds and vines. There are many coves along the coast, with sand or shingle beaches. Photo by: premus

There are signs of habitation on the island dating from prehistoric times. Ciovo is a rare combination of unspoilt seashore side by side with stunning historic urban architecture and with the bonus that the island has not been yet run by the tourism. Photo by: Hans Inge

When to go: early June to early September. Population: 6,071. How to get there: Fly to Split, then by a road to Trogir.You should know: Ciovo is a perfect place for families, with houses to rent, save sea shallows, a lot of activities and entertainments in the historic town of Trogir. Photo by: pietrosb1

Ko Samet in the Gulf of Thailand, some 200 km south east of Bangkok is a favorite holiday island for both Thais and foreigners alike. A mere 30-minute boat trip from the mainland, Ko Samet is quite easily reached from Bangkok, and its famous white powder sand beaches have made it popular with everyone – families, backpackers, package holiday, tourists, even working girls from Pattaya in need of a rest. Declared a National Park in 1981, the island should have been protected from development, but in reality all the accessible beaches around this 6 km long island have resorts, beach bungalow, operations, restaurants and bars lining the sand. Outside the park, the only village, Na Dan, where the boats arrive, is where most of the population live. Photo by: travellers_in_speedos

The island’s interior is quite different – mountainous and covered with dense rainforest, it shelters gibbon, long tailed macaques, monitor lizards, fruit bats, hornbills and many gorgeous butterflies. There are a few tracks cross the central ridge from east to west, but otherwise this at least is left in its natural state. It’s worth trekking across though, for great cliff-top views and of course, magnificent sunset. Photo by: Aung@

Hat Sai Kaew, or Diamond Beach, is the closest beach to the ferry pier, and at 780m long, is an amazing swathe of sand. Soft and white, its high silicon content makes it squeak underfoot and obviously, it is extremely popular. If you walk south you will find a mermaid statue, placed there in recognition of the 19th century epic poem written by one of Thailand’s greatest poets, Santhorn Phu, and partly set on Ko Samet. The island is perfect for swimming, snorkeling and fishing off. Watch a fire show at Ao Phai beach. Photo by: Chris Kuo

When to go: Pleasant at almost any time of year. September and October bring the most rain. Population: 1,000 (2005 estimate). How to get there: By road to Ban Phe, then boat to Ko Samet.

This is a perfectly rounded island offers luxury resort with 99 beautifully designed guest villas surrounded by a beautiful coral reef. The private island spans the length of the island and is only accessible by boat. The resort also provides a full-service health spa, good ranges of dinning options and an outdoor pool. With white sandy beaches, clear water, and first-class facilities, Cinnamon Island Alidhoo is a must stay.

All the villas are designed in harmoniously with the environment. With tasteful interior design in traditional Maldivian style it features overlooking the panoramic views of the ocean. They also feature a connecting lounge area and an open veranda. The guests can choose from a wide range of activities, from adventurous to romantic – diving, snorkeling trips and etc.

 Credit cards accepted – Amex, DC, EC, JCB, Master, and Visa.

It is a charming boutique hotel overlooking Lake Atitlan. Set against a backdrop of three magnificent volcanoes – Toliman, Atitlan and San Pedro, the terraced villa provides spectacular views of the lake. In 2001 “Conde Nast Travelers” add this property in the hot list of top new hotels. Located only three hours from Antigua, you can even arrive at the hotel by helicopter as they have their own private landing pad.

This villa is the height of exclusive luxury accommodation in Guatemala. The design is a brilliant mix of Guatemalan local culture and antique Spanish wooden furniture. The Guatemalan heritage is present in the bright colored walls, vintage mirrors, and the traditional musical instruments decorate on a wall. The hotel is the perfect place for honeymooners, relaxing and romantic getaways.

There is a 50ft swimming pool, private beach and restaurant offering an extravagant choice of European, Guatemalan and Mexican dishes. But there are a number of other activities: boat trip, lake excursions, horseback riding, hike on the volcanoes, kayaking and water-skiing in the lake, and you can visit to one of the 12 Mayan villages surrounding the lake.

Rooms rates: $125-$1099
No children under 15 are allowed.

Today Santorini, Greece gives a seemingly untouched backdrop of white hills, turquoise beaches and blue seas. The gem of Santorini is the Ikies Traditional Houses, sits high atop the archipelago of islands in the village of Oia. Ikies houses are divided into studios (one bedroom), maisonettes (loft bedroom), and suites.

Each house offers private patios, jacuzzi and own swimming pool, all of which are carefully crafted for viewing of Oia’s famous sunsets. Ikies has become famous for its obsession with service. One magazine review read,”Their staff lives for nothing more than to refill your cocktail.” Continental breakfast, light fare and cocktails are all served to your room (or terrace or pool area). For the romantically-inclined, Ikies also offers a full service honeymoon package, with champagne breakfasts, flowers, satin sheets and the works.

Ikies is a great example of what this region has to offer. Stay tuned to Wayfaring to learn the ins and outs of the best places to vacation in Santorini, Mykonos, and Athens.

Most of us in our childhoods yearn to climb trees growing in our gardens, parks or cities. Today we climb elevators up to our offices in the sky and look out across the cities. But we dream for a breath of fresh air. That’s why many architects strat to think globally and design treehouses.

In Germany, a company called Baumraun design modern natural and solidly constructed tree houses. Each tree house is assessed individually. Everything depends on both the condition of the environment and of the tree. Tree space can be moderate with sitting and sleeping benches, storage spaces, a mini-kitchen, heating, glass windows, lighting, as well as second system and WiFi.

Sounds great, isn’t it? You can enjoy your days off in a peaceful place with tree neighbors. Tree villas are mostly secured with ropes, thereby minimizing the impact of stress to the tree or trees on which the house is placed.

Casa no Geres is easy to love villa, located in Peneda-Geres National Park, along the Spanish border in northern Portugal, where the environment and its inviolability were crucial and the rules strict. The villa owns awesome beauty with its simple architecture, the openness of the views and the calm balance of the elements. The surrounding Nature has own way of being beautiful and this villa knows the secret.

At first glance the villa is quite unsuitable for its surroundings. From some angles the villa seems like an accident, some kind of disaster with transportation containers and building materials. One part of the villa is buried inside the hill, while another sticks out over the river.

Inside the villa is very spacious with huge windows, which makes 24/7 hours pure circulation of the air! The villa also has a cute kitchen overlooking the river, a stylish living room and two bedrooms, each with own suite bathroom. It’s prefect for families and friends vacations. The warmth and proper scale of the building become even clearer when the illuminated house is viewed at night. Casa no Geres is designed by Porto-based Correia/Ragazzi Aquitectos and it is a bold statement that hides nothing.