Vacation Amongst the Stars

Setting up camp amongst the stars might seem like an impossible dream, but these remote destinations specialize in making this fantasy a reality.

With their dark skies and telescopes, it's easy to marvel at the stars and planets above; with added adventure and comfort back here on Earth.

This joint venture between local communities and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation immerses you in the wilds of the desert. The lack of light pollution offers the perfect backdrop for a spot of stargazing.

Choose between refractor and Cassegrain telescopes at the nearby Tivoli farm, or rent one of the eight observatories on the grounds to search the skies for nebulae, galaxies, and planets.

Afterward, you can gather around the fireplace, for a star-lit dinner and to share stories of a day filled with tracking rhinos, elephants, and giraffe, before retiring to your cozy tent-like room.

Nayara Alto Atacama is a heavenly escape from the heat of the Atacama Desert. It's also the only property in the area with its own astronomical observation deck. It offers a unique opportunity to connect the Andean cosmovision of the Aboriginal people with modern scientific astronomy. You can get close to the stars with their 16” Dobsonian telescope, or observe the skies with the naked eye, watching the world turn from one of the eight rotating lounge chairs.

For those seeking scientific observation, there's the opportunity to observe the southern hemisphere at the largest radio telescope in the world: the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array, known as the ALMA Observatory.

At Alentejo, it feels like the universe is putting on a show exclusively for you, especially in the Sky View Suite at L'And Vineyard. Here, guests can recline in comfort and watch the stars through the vast bedroom skylight. Each visit also starts with a personalized welcome wine, best enjoyed in the private outdoor hot tub.

This architectural delight also offers design finesse and a Michelin star restaurant, along with experiences such as astro-walks, hot air balloon flights, horseback riding, and air sailing, all starting from the vineyard grounds.

Want to team your astro experience with an Alentejo vineyard tour, island hopping the Azores, or a surf camp on the Silver Coast? Keen to add a safari to your stay in the desert, or is there a culinary highlight tour of Chile that has really got you dreaming? Reach out to our travel curators and discover the incredible kinds of adventures we can create for you.