The East Coast, already struggling to shake off the effects of Hurricane Sandy, is set to be lashed by another storm this week, bringing rain—and possibly some slushy snow—to the very same region. As a break from this spell of horrible weather, here are five spellbinding tropical getaways that offer sun and solace. Up first is a brand new hilltop villa on St. Barth's, the celebrity-laden French isle that wooed Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich into spending $90M on a beachfront spread. Listed for an unknown sum (believed to be more than $30M), the four-bedroom, five-bath compound was designed by local architect Francois Pécard and consists of individual cottages for each of the bedrooms, with a pair of entertaining buildings linked by an open-air pavilion. The current temperature on the island? 84°F.
? This Asian-influenced beachfront estate might look like something out of Indonesia, but it actually sits on the west coast of Barbados. With five bedrooms and five bathrooms arranged around a central courtyard (complete with koi pond), the villa has plenty of space for visitors, who would assuredly take advantage of the 80-foot infinity pool facing the beach. Owned by an anonymous "hotelier," this getaway is currently listed for $18M.
? For something with an even more, er, exuberant design, head to Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, where this huge hillside manor boasts seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, infinity pool, and 12-person hot tub. The goofy name, Mango Manor, is a bit of a turn off, but not as much as the $10M price. Still, the views are breathtaking, encompassing the turquoise waters of the Caribbean and nearby islands.
? Halfway around the world from any weather in the U.S., this Vietnamese beach escape in Hoi An, just south of Da Nang, offers all the white sand and palm trees of its Caribbean cousins, for $2.5M. That price includes four bedrooms, four bathrooms, private infinity pool, room for the butler, and all the resort amenities, like "three beachfront infinity swimming pools, two gourmet restaurants and a lounge bar, a world class spa positioned within a peaceful lagoon, a fitness center and tennis, basketball and badminton courts" and the ability to rent the villa out through the resort to recoup maintenance costs.
? The coast of Thailand, which was itself ravaged by a natural disaster in 2004, is home to this stunning villa, nestled in the trees on a hilltop and listed for $7.14M. The four-bedroom house isn't nearly as secluded as it might look, as several others are crowded together on the hillside, but it does includes two private pools and near 360° views. The interiors are refreshingly simple and modern, and the beach is just a short walk away.
· Villa Naturelle [Sotheby's International Realty]
· Alang Alang [Sotheby's International Realty]
· Mango Manor [Sotheby's International Realty]
· The Nam Hai [Sotheby's International Realty]
· Spectacular Ocean View Villa [Sotheby's International Realty]
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