Spicers Sangoma Retreat

You don’t have to go far from bustling, cosmopolitan Sydney to get well and truly away from it all. Spicers Sangoma Retreat is fifty miles from the city, a little over an hour by car, but far enough into the Blue Mountains that the urban sprawl is but a distant memory. That faraway feeling is accentuated by the forest views, and by the African-inspired interiors — Sangoma is the Zulu word for “healer,” and there’s more than a little bit of a safari-lodge accent to these eight lavish modernist suites.

The most photogenic space might be the infinity pool, perched over the edge of the forested valley. But all of the suites, from the two-level, top-of-the-line Chief’s Suite on down, have impressive views, either down into the gorge or straight out into the bush (or both). They’re also uniformly extravagant — even the Tent Suite, with its roll-up fabric walls, features a freestanding Philippe Starck bathtub.

Fresh, seasonal, organic ingredients are the order of the day in Sangoma’s small restaurant, and massages and spa treatments complete the luxury-hotel must-have package. And the retreat is a hiker’s paradise, with trails crisscrossing the forest and the nearby National Parks. They’ll arrange for more vigorous outdoor activities as well, if that’s what you’re after — though, remember, at Spicers Sangoma Retreat, the lounging is absolutely world-class.