What’s the tribe vibe?
Want to embrace the great outdoors but not, like, too much? See the jungle without straying all that far from your lounger? Tivoli Ecoresort, in the eastern state of Bahia, has you covered. Nestled on the edge of the rainforest, facing out onto a vast stretch of unspoilt beach, this laidback eco escape revels in its prime natural location, while slam-dunking all the creature comforts of a luxe resort: sparkling pools, comfy beds, restaurants, bars, tropical gardens and a blissful spa.
Sharing your quality downtime is a menagerie of local wildlife. Try a spot of birdwatching as you sip a frozen mojito in your private hammock, or challenge a portly iguana to a stare-off from behind your shades. And guard your bread basket vigilantly at lunch as sharp-eyed monkeys spy on it jealously from the roof beams. (Tivoli employs a biologist to ensure minimal impact on these wild residents.)
The subtle-yet-chic accommodation echoes its environment, with dark wood, bamboo and ocean-blue-washed walls. And as all the communal spaces are open-sided, you feel a constant connection to the hum of nature outside. As you eat dinner by candlelight (it’s an inclusive buffet – dessert-table klaxon! – with lunch a more sophisticated à la carte affair) to a live soundtrack of murmured bossa-nova songs inside and gently rolling waves outside, peak relaxation is yours.
This area of Brazil is fairly undiscovered by foreign sunseekers, so you’ll likely be lounging next to Brazilian families. And with the eminently explorable village of Praia do Forte a five-minute stroll along the lagoon – find bars, restaurants, shops and the excellent Tamar Project, which works to protect turtles from extinction – you feel you’re engaging with the locals far more than on most resort holidays, with pleasingly little exertion.
Why go in winter?
Come on: is there ever a bad time to be hanging out on a beach in Brazil? But during our winter, the average temperature remains in the high 20s, and the area’s usual rainfall and Monica- Geller-baiting levels of humidity are at their lowest.
Don’t leave without…
Sampling the signature treatments at the Anantara Spa (tucked away in a secluded corner of the resort), which use local ingredients to deliver the kind of dewy, satin-skinned version of yourself that usually demands six pints of water a day and a hot yoga regime (not a diet of buffet breakfasts and caipirinhas).