With the COVID-19 pandemic in its fifth wave, precarious stock markets, the ongoing US-China trade war and the prospect of conflict on the borders of Europe, you might feel in need of a change of scene.

Holidays are difficult, requiring tests and certificates and a great deal of bother simply to get away and, in those places with quarantine rules, getting home is even worse than getting away. Perhaps you just need to relocate somewhere quieter? As the British philosopher Bertrand Russell said: “A happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life, for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet that true joy dare live.” With this in mind, Prospects brings you a selection of locations and homes where you might be able to set aside the cares of the world. Just don’t turn your phone on…

Australia: Cape York Peninsula

The northernmost point in Australia, this peninsula (pictured above) is also its largest unspoiled wilderness, offering intrepid visitors and a small number of residents tropical monsoon weather and opportunities for hiking, fishing and birdwatching.

The cape has a population of only 18,000, which is also unusual in being 60% indigenous. Cooktown (population 2,631) is perhaps the best option for house hunters, with a number of rural and off-grid properties on the market. Residents seeking the bright lights of the city need only drive just over 300km to Cairns.

New Zealand: Off-grid home in Hapuku

If you want to get away from it all, New Zealand is a good starting point, being far away from everywhere else before you even seek its wilder places. Hapuku, on the eastern coast of New Zealand’s dramatically scenic South Island, is 190km north of Christchurch. It is a small town with some more isolated properties, such as this off-grid homestead on 1.8ha, on the market with Savills. There’s enough space for your own livestock and vegetable garden, with the ocean only a stone’s throw away. Buying residential property in New Zealand is not straightforward, however once you’re there, the world can be ignored.

India: retreat with Himalayan views

Is it possible to find quiet in the bustle of India? Nearly 2,000m above sea level, this idyllic plot of land near Bhowli, Uttarakhand, might be the place. It is close to the Himalayas, south of Nepal and Tibet and on the market with Savills. There are four properties on the 5,000m2 site, with unobstructed views of the Himalayas from the main, four-bedroom house. If you need reminding why you escaped urban life, New Delhi and its 30 million inhabitants are only a 300km drive away.

Myanmar: Chin State

The Chin State is a mountainous and isolated part of Myanmar, noted for its lush and grand scenery and the warm hospitality of its inhabitants, most of whom are Christians, unusual in Southeast Asia. Despite being the same size as Taiwan, Chin State has a population of less than 500,000, ensuring plenty of opportunities for quiet walks and minimal tourism. Residential real estate can be acquired in its nine townships, however Myanmar does not allow foreigners to own freehold property, although condominium ownership is allowed. Isolation-hungry buyers might also look at Myanmar’s Shan State, which is similarly isolated and sparsely populated.

Hong Kong: New Territories

If you are worried about going cold turkey on city living, there’s plenty of rural land in Hong Kong, in fact only a quarter of the territory is built on, yet the city is never far. There are plenty of options for the quiet life in the New Territories or the Outlying Islands and homes are large and reasonably priced compared with Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Savills is marketing this village house in Ko Tong, near Sai Kung in the New Territories, which offers something as close to the quiet life as you will find in Hong Kong and wonderful hillside views. With other avenues for escape limited, this might be a prime spot to sit out the madness.

Further reading:
Savills – find a property

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Simon Smith