There’s nothing more romantic than looking up at the stars with somebody you love. Cuddle up around a fire, wrap blankets around your shoulders, share a bottle of bubbly, and admire the majesty of the universe. You simply can’t beat it.
Whether you’re planning a honeymoon, anniversary trip or just taking some quality time out together, try adding a quiet stint under the stars to your itinerary. It’s a brilliant way to build a romantic breather into a busy trip.
Sleep in a glass pod in rural New Zealand, escape to an eco-dome hidden in the mountains of Patagonia, stay in an airstream camper on the Bolivian salt flats or snuggle up in a swag in the Australian outback.
Here’s a handful of our favourite stargazing holidays all over the world. Each one is guaranteed to leave you starry-eyed.
Packed with remote romance, PurePods offer the perfect way to immerse yourself in New Zealand’s natural beauty. Made purely of heavy glass, these five-star Pods are each in the middle of nowhere, with uninterrupted views of the surrounding landscape on a 24-hour basis. Starry nights, sunrises and sunsets will never feel the same again.
The Pods have all been designed for maximum privacy in a gorgeous panoramic setting. In fact, the location of each PurePod is so secret that you’ll only receive driving directions just before you travel. If you’re looking for splendid isolation, you’ve found it.
Our one-of-a-kind New Zealand and New Caledonia honeymoon mixes a road trip across New Zealand’s South Island with a week in the turquoise paradise of Oro Bay. Including an enchanting stay in a PurePod, it’s a romantic adventure that will take you to glaciers, beaches, lakes, mountains and waterfalls.
Sleep under star-studded African skies at Loisaba Star Bed Camp, a safari lodge with a unique romantic twist. Overlooking a sweeping valley in Kenya, Loisaba features four-poster beds with wheels, which are rolled out onto raised wooden platforms. By night, you can spot twinkly constellations, and by day, you can watch the wildlife roam free from your al fresco bed. It’s a place full of magic and romance.
Our luxurious honeymoon to Kenya and Mauritius combines a stargazing safari experience at Loisaba with the dreamy beaches of Mauritius. On top of that, you’ll spend one romantic night in a luxury glass bubble next to a tropical lake in the heart of a Mauritian tea plantation. Safe to say, it’s a honeymoon that you won’t forget in a hurry.
Scattered across a hilltop in Torres del Paine, EcoCamp Patagonia is the world’s first dome hotel, modelled on the ancient shelters of the Kawaskar people. Tucked between glacial lakes, dense forests and snow-capped peaks, its setting is spectacular. Here, you can stargaze through the skylight of your dome, snuggled in a nest of fleece blankets.
Our extraordinary Chile and the Falkland Islands holiday features three nights at EcoCamp Patagonia, giving you plenty of time to feel the romance of the wilderness. Afterwards, you’ll fly to the remote Falkland Islands, packed with history and wildlife.
For an authentic Outback experience, spend a night in a swag under star-spangled skies at Uluru. By day, you can explore the Red Centre, hiking around the base of Uluru and learning about aboriginal culture. By night, you can share stories around the blazing campfire and fall asleep al fresco under a canopy of stars.
Our classic Sydney to Uluru and Darwin holiday includes a three-night journey into the heart of the Red Centre, complete with swags and stars.
If a swag sounds a little too rough and ready for you, try a more luxurious experience at Longitude 131, where you can stargaze through floor to ceiling windows or relax in a swag on your private outdoor deck complete with its own cosy fire. In the morning, you’ll wake up to views of Uluru right at the end of your bed.
Our Luxury Sydney, Uluru and Whitsundays holiday features an unforgettable stay at Longitude 131, allowing you to experience the Outback in style.
Tucked away in the remote Elqui Valley between Santiago and the Atacama Desert, Elqui Domos is an astro hotel designed solely around stargazing. Here, the seven geodesic domes have removable roofs, allowing you to practically reach out and touch the stars. There’s a total absence of light pollution in the valley, so the night skies are out of this world. Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep.
Our Northern Chile Explorer and Elqui Valley stargazing trip will highlight the incredible contrasts of Chile, from beaches to deserts and glaciers to vineyards. The itinerary includes two nights in a stargazing dome at Elqui Domos, so prepare to be starstruck.
Namibia is famous its night skies and lack of light pollution, making it one of the top stargazing destinations in the world. Nestled at the foot of the Sossusvlei Dunes, Kulala Desert Lodge is a spellbinding place of sand and stars. Each tent is built on a wooden platform with a flat rooftop for sleep-outs under the stars, allowing you to gaze at galaxies galore.
Our luxurious Namibia and Cape Town honeymoon will take you from the rippling sand dunes and star-studded skies of Sossusvlei to the vast expanse of the Etosha Desert, where you'll search for wild elephants on safari. The honeymoon ends with a few nights in Cape Town, easily one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
For something beautiful and ever-so-slightly bizarre, try booking a deluxe airstream camper on Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni. It’s a wonderfully off-the-wall way to experience the world’s largest salt flats. On the flats, the sky is brilliantly reflected on the salt, so the stars seem endlessly multiplied.
The quirky campers are fully equipped with hot showers, heating and electricity. What’s more, you’ll be served delicious meals by your own gourmet chef, prepared in his kitchen on the wheels. At night, you’ll feel like you have the whole sky to yourselves and the sunsets are sure to blow your mind.
We can add a stay in a Deluxe Airstream camper to any of our Bolivia itineraries. All you need to do is ask.
We’re experts in putting together complex multi-destination holidays, round the world flights and tailor-made trips. We’ll build you an imaginative and unique holiday, tailored to your own personal requirements. To get started, give us a call on +44 1273320580 or request a quote by email.
Bryony is an explorer in every sense of the meaning. In 2013 she took the plunge, quit her marketing job and decided to face down her lifelong panic disorder to begin life as a freelance digital nomad. Journeying all over Asia, for years she earned her keep writing for travel brands. Almost by accident, she ended up in Cali, Colombia where she discovered a remarkable (as yet latent) talent for Salsa dancing. After spending a year in sequins shimmying from dance show to dance show, she returned to the UK, tanned, toned and ready to settle down. Bryony joined Travel Nation as a round the world specialist in 2016 and is currently working as a marketing specialist, with a little salsa on the side.
