Luxury Stays Pop Up In Unexpected Places

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
May 3rd 2009 at 1:51AM

Would you vacation in Sri Lanka? How about Rwanda? A recent Newsweek article rounds up some luxury resorts in countries where tourism has often been stymied by governmental instability. Some of these countries, such as Sri Lanka, the jewel of the Indian Ocean, offer some of the world's most beautiful vistas. But in Sri Lanka's case, governmental instability followed by a tsunami have kept tourists away.

For developing countries or countries seeking to regain a tourism business they have lost, it often makes sense to lure the luxury traveler. The new getaways in these countries are no bargain stays. A stay in a chalet at the Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, shown above, costs more than $400 per person. In Bolivia you can stay at the Hotel Luna Salada, where most everything, the pillars, walls, chairs, floors, tables are made of monumental blocks of salt.

There's an undeniable lure in visiting places that haven't been overrun with tourism yet. Because the hotel chains haven't taken over yet, each stay offers something a bit unique. And while the staycation is currently in vogue, there's nothing wrong with stimulating the economy in far-flung locales.

Tags: bolivia, rwanda, sri lanka, SriLanka, travel