Jetsetter: Bahia

South America offers something for everyone, at a fraction of the cost.
By Viia Beaumanis

If you really want to get away from it all, you’d be hard pressed to find a more stunning hideaway than Txai Resort. A two-hour flight and 50-minute drive from São Paolo, the 40-villa compound in Brazil’s eastern province of Bahia is nestled in the rainforest and flanked by five kilometres of private white-sand beach. Just five years old, its carefully developed 96 acres offer a self-sustaining, eco-friendly ultraluxury escape. Unpublicized, too-chic-to-advertise Txai is frequented by wealthy Brazilians and Europeans and offers a library, two restaurants, a hilltop spa and an art-filled main house. Its bungalows are strewn along a beachfront equipped with two wonderfully glam pools. From horseback riding and surfing classes to sailing and river tours, an array of excursions can be arranged. After dinner, visit the vibrant town of Itacaré, where the festive, dance-happy vibe is fuelled by capetas, a cocktail of chocolate, ground peanuts, condensed milk and energy-boosting guarana, as well as vodka or cachaça.