Four Seasons Resort Seychelles

Maybe you were expecting a Belle Epoque palace in white marble. Suffice it to say that this is like nothing we’ve seen from Four Seasons. Villas are perched like treehouses on a lush, wild hillside a few hundred feet above a baby-powder white sand beach. Interiors are as elegant as you’d expect, but in a style that’s (sensibly enough) French colonial, rather than Versailles royal.

This place is all about the backdrop anyway. Apply the famed faultless consistency of the Four Seasons group to a setting as spectacular as this one and it would be hard not to end up with something special. The accommodations, tucked into dense forest, are largely open to the air, with views looking out over the waters of the Indian Ocean from the expansive hardwood decks and private plunge pools. And discreetly tucked into each villa are all the accoutrements of the modern luxury hotel room, from massive flat screens and wi-fi to rain showers and deep soaking tubs.

Water sports, land tours, spa days, nothing at all — the recreational options are plentiful enough, and a special point is made of ensuring that children are well cared for. It’s a fairly atypical resort from a group that’s not exactly known for breaking the mold — and if this is where they’re headed, many of us will be only too happy to follow.

How to get there:
The Four Seasons Resort Seychelles is approximately a 30-minute drive from Seychelles International Airport (SEZ).