Lakaz Chamarel Exclusive Lodge

You stay at Lakaz Chamarel on five hectares of land in Chamarel, away from the coast. The lodge is quiet, with rooms that have open-air showers — you wash under the sky. Some rooms have private pools; others share a common pool. Breakfast and dinner are included in the rate, served in a dining area where birdsong comes in with the morning light.

The lodge has a spa that uses local ingredients like Chamarel coffee and coconut in treatments. There are bicycles for exploring the area, and the staff can arrange laundry so you travel light. Rooms are spacious, with minibars and coffee makers, and the windows open to the greenery outside.

Chamarel is inland, so the lodge is a base for the hills rather than the beach. The land rises around it, and the air is cooler here than by the coast. At night, the trees rustle, and the showers let you rinse off under the stars.