Romantic Getaways: Editors' Resort Reviews
"Let's get away from it all." Imagine the possibilities in that simple request. The following eight trips make the most of that potential, speaking to the promise of islands to transport us to states of mind far removed from the everyday. Here ISLANDS editors and writers report on those destinations firsthand — and with a loved one. Because so many travelers set out in pairs, we strove to discover fresh escapes for two, whether our couples wanted to share the same things or do nothing at all. Find the one getaway — or eight — worth the indulgence to you, and then turn to your traveling partner with that simple request.
**Bahamas: Fowl Cay **Why are we resisting the butler? It's cocktail hour, and my wife and I are looking out from the hilltop restaurant to the six villas that dot Fowl Cay, a private island deep in the Exuma islands. We're eager to sit for our five-course dinner from the island's chef, but our butler has a question. Read more.
**Fiji: Vatulele Island Resort **I've hedged my bet with this trip to Vatulele, an island that's drenched in romance and dotted with romantic bures, from the white, two-story The Point house to the ultra-private — and pink — Grand Honeymoon bure. This theme even goes back to how this South Pacific island got its name. Read more.
**Grenada: LaSource **Note: LaSource announced it was closing in October 2012. We're on our way back from rum tasting and we may miss our daily spa treatment at LaSource, a luxury all-inclusive resort on the southern tip of Grenada. Three days ago, this situation would have been comical to my wife and me. But that was before we had experienced LaSource's "float on air" foot massage. Read more.
**Grenadines: Petit St. Vincent Resort **Privacy here extends well beyond the path and our discreetly shielded patio to the interior of this stunning guest house, with its soaring ceilings and open archways cut through interior stone walls. There is no television and no phone. In the silence of our cottage, a travel requirement for visiting Petit St. Vincent becomes clear: Come here only with someone you want to know better. Read more.
**Ireland: Royal Marine Hotel **Within minutes, we are ensconced in the comfort of our spacious room, pulling the curtains back to reveal an expansive view of the Irish Sea, broken only by the soaring, picturesque local churches. Some say the mark of a truly great hotel is the quality of its bathrooms. If so, this is hotel paradise — a shower stall and a bathtub large enough for two, with bubble bath ready at tubside. Read more.
Maui: Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua Maybe my idea of the perfect day is a little less active. But in the interest of marital harmony, I nod and smile. After all, he's indulging mine as we stay at the Ritz-Carlton in the Kapalua Resort area. Set on a working pineapple plantation amid nature preserves, the resort provides a perfect base on Maui for our relaxation and exploration. Read more.
**New Zealand: Azur Lodge **We're celebrating our anniversary with this scenic flight through the mountains surrounding Queenstown, South Island's Aspen. Based there in a stone-and-beechwood villa at the luxurious Azur Lodge, we're finding an exciting rush in every direction. Read more.
**Salt Spring Island: Hastings House **When we'd seen Hastings House on Salt Spring promoted as a "country house hotel," we felt the top billing of "house" before "hotel" was just what we were looking for. Now as we walk down the narrow gravel lane to reception, it feels like we've come home to an 18th-century farmstead. Read more.