As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep many of us isolated at home, remote getaways provide a much-needed chance to safely step outside. “We call it ‘together, alone,’” says Jack Ezon, founder and managing partner of luxury travel advisory EMBARK Beyond, which curates travel experiences in various properties throughout the world. “People want to be together with their group, not with others.” Travelers seeking to escape crowds and urban confines can find a respite in one of the luxurious canvas tents, thatched roof chalets, or cabins popping up worldwide. Ezon says his clients, who typically take short, frequent international trips, are now booking extended stays at desert ranches, prairie lodges, and—starting in December—glass cube atriums at the Ambiente, a Landscape Hotel, in Sedona, Arizona.

The forthcoming Ambiente, a Landscape Hotel, in Sedona, Arizona

Here, we look at five properties that bring inspiring designs to far-flung locales, blending luxury and comfort with the healing appeal of the natural world.

Tungestølen Cabins

With plans to build nine cabins to accommodate 50 visitors altogether, the Norwegian National Trekking Association’s Tungestølen tourist cabins are an architectural answer to the harsh conditions and breathtaking vistas of western Norway. Perched atop a plateau and surrounded by the Jostedal Glacier, the wooden cabins are shaped to break wind speeds, invite in natural light, and occupy as little of the pristine environment as possible. “The heart of the project is actually placed outside,” says Snøhetta senior architect Anne Cecilie Haug. After a cyclone destroyed the site’s century-old accommodations in 2011, the Oslo- and New York-based firm designed the pentagonal and oblique cabins in the spot where hikers pass through to rest, relax, cook meals, and seek shelter from the rain and cold. Made from Norwegian timber, glulam frames are covered by sheets of solid engineered wood and left exposed. Windows cut into the angular walls and abundant skylights offer endless views, while the pitched rooftops mirror those of small farmhouses in nearby Luster. Further, the refuge includes a spacious main cabin with a cozy stone-clad fireplace, along with a dormitory and smaller private unit.

Mond Hotel

Tucked between throngs of palm trees is a breezy, minimalist take on Swiss and Sri Lankan architectural traditions. Exposed concrete and teak dominate the design of Mond, a new four-room hotel on Sri Lanka’s southern coast. Guests control privacy, airflow, and light with pivoting wooden shutters and accordion doors. Open bathrooms with rain showers further blur the line between inside and out. Two outdoor staircases lead to a shared roof terrace, while a raised platform offers sweeping views of the Indian Ocean. Zürich-based architects Daniel Abraha and Stephan Achermann created the concrete sculpture, which Abraha says promotes “a symbiotic relationship between nature and architecture.” The duo designed the flooring at different levels to accommodate massive rainfall during monsoon season; water flows through terraces and across natural stone floors. Rooms are sparse, with precise accents and subtle colors that further accentuate the in-situ construction—a technique known well in Europe but new to local tradespeople. Abraha says architecture reduced “to the very bare elements” represents a “new and uncompromising attitude toward a sustainable building culture.”

Habitas Namibia

The newest lodge from hospitality management group Habitas sits on a 124,000-acre nature preserve in central Namibia. Built high on a verdant hilltop, a private villa and safari suites offer expansive views of the surrounding savannah. Walls made of canvas and netting roll up to reveal a panoramic sunset, and guests can catch glimpses of rhinos and giraffes from private outdoor decks or a communal firepit. “Our design philosophy is simple: We let nature speak for itself,” Habitas says The 15-room property runs on solar energy and recycled water, while wastewater is treated by an artificial wetland system. The lodge operates without plastic products and sources local and seasonal food. Each 700-square-foot room uses sustainable materials, including wood from younger trees, allowing mature forests to flourish. Crafts, textiles, and custom furniture are procured from local artisans and markets. The design draws inspiration from Namibia’s desert landscape, with tan canvas, brown wood, and the red ochre used by the indigenous Himba people. The lodge’s design complements its natural surroundings, “creating an environment where guests are fully immersed in nature,” Habitas says.

Bushcamp

The Mfuwe Lodge comprises 18 air-conditioned chalets

The Bushcamp Company offers a variety of ways to experience South Luangwa National Park, an area of abundant wildlife in eastern Zambia. Mfuwe Lodge, which is undergoing a renovation courtesy of Cape Town, South Africa firm Newman Architecture and Design, sits near the main gates beside a river crowded with hippos. Around November, herds of elephants might traipse through the reception area, bringing the safari to guestroom doors. Composed of 18 air-conditioned chalets, the lodge serves as the main base for exploring the park. Six scattered bushcamps can accommodate between six to 12 guests apiece. Andy Hogg, founder of the Bushcamp Company, says each property incorporates elements of nature in its design, such as the wild mango tree in the courtyard at Mfuwe Lodge, or the wispy green winterthorn tree in the lounge of the Bilimungwe bushcamp. Rooms incorporate wood, stone, and textiles, which are sourced locally when they can. Each site features its own color scheme, inspired by the shades found in surrounding scenery and the colorful textiles common to southern Africa. “Everyone comes on safari for different reasons, and we hope they all find what they are hoping to find,” Hogg says.

andBeyond Ngala Treehouse

Entrenched in the lush South African bush, the Ngala Treehouse from andBeyond comprises four levels that rise more than 50 feet above the ground. The dynamic, 215-square-foot accommodation in andBeyond’s Ngala Private Game Reserve is outfitted with amenities like a king bed and sweeping views of the 36,000-acre Kruger National Park. “We want guests to feel that they are in touching distance of the spectacular diversity of wildlife that moves through the surrounding wilderness and allows you to reconnect with nature in pure, uncomplicated, and natural luxury,” says Deborah Fox, cofounder of design firm Fox Browne Creative. “It’s a totally off-the-grid experience with romance specifically in mind.” The prefabricated, self-sustained treehouse is covered and weatherproofed to ensure comfort, with Escher-style stairs linking all five vertical integrated platforms. Interiors mirror the foliage outside, with forest green tones that accentuate notes of copper and black steel. The Treehouse is also equipped with an elevated sleep-out platform on each level that allows guests to slumber alfresco beneath a retractable screen.