Kiwi Curated
Great Summer Escapes: 9 Mountaintop Experiences
by Joy PecknoldHead for the hills, as they say, with a holiday at one of these nine properties set on or in amongst magnificent mountains.
Great Summer Escapes: 9 Mountaintop Experiences
Canada: Echo Valley Ranch & Spa
In British Columbia’s Cariboo Country, Echo Valley overlooks the foothills of Mount Bowman. The idyllic all-inclusive ranch offers horseback riding and, in a unique twist, an authentic Thai spa. Plus, playing fetch with the resident pack of border collies is endlessly entertaining.
Great Summer Escapes: 9 Mountaintop Experiences
United States: Blackberry Farm
Take to Tennessee’s Great Smokey Mountains for some country hospitality at this much-lauded property. Here, it’s farm to table to bed, and in between you can fly fish, hike, spa or spend a few hours in the garden with their Master Gardener.
Great Summer Escapes: 9 Mountaintop Experiences
Argentina: Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa
Tucked within the protected Reserva Natural Cerro Alarkén on a sky-high promontory overlooking the seaside city of Ushuaia sits this astounding property. It’s a plush perch from which to explore Southern Argentina’s wine and landscape.
Great Summer Escapes: 9 Mountaintop Experiences
Italy: Castel Fragsburg
High above the spa town of Merano, enveloped by the Dolomites, this property provides staggering views, Michelin star cuisine, and, naturally, stress-relieving spa treatments.
Great Summer Escapes: 9 Mountaintop Experiences
Turkey: argos in Cappadocia
Being in the mountains plays out quite literally here, the monastery-turned-hotel incorporates its ancient caves and tunnels into its accommodations. Surrounded by the region’s unique rock formations, it’s unlike anything else.
Great Summer Escapes: 9 Mountaintop Experiences
Armenia: Avan Dzoraget Hotel
Magical and medieval are a couple of words that capture the atmosphere of Avan Dzoraget. Overlooking the river and backed by mountains, it’s a great getaway that combines rich culture with picturesque scenery.
Great Summer Escapes: 9 Mountaintop Experiences
India: Ananda – in the Himalayas
In stark contrast to the drama that unfolds on the Himalayas’ highest peaks, this property in the foothills offers guests peace and tranquility. A day may consist of outdoor yoga, an Ayurvedic treatment or a class with a Master of healing.
Great Summer Escapes: 9 Mountaintop Experiences
Indonesia: Amanjiwo
Looking out onto Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist sanctuary, and cradled by the Menoreh Hills, Amanjiwo is a slice of heaven in Central Java. Astounding in its own right, the suites are framed in limestone slabs—this building isn’t ancient and revered, but it feels it.
Great Summer Escapes: 9 Mountaintop Experiences
Australia: Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa
In New South Wales’ Blue Mountains, 90 minutes from Sydney, Lilianfels sets guests in the trees and within 500 meters of the famous Three Sisters rock formation. Feast on modern cuisine within the original 1889 homestead or have a cliff-top picnic at sunset arranged. Golf and guided bushwalks are also on the menu.