The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
Yes, you can afford your own private island
No one likes to share, says Steven King – and with our experts’ pick of paradise islands you can bag for less than £400 a night, you won’t
Psychologists insist that most children start to understand the concept of sharing between the ages of three and four, and that kiddie conflict during that preschool phase usually has to do with competition for toys, attention and space – none of which the little devils want to share. I agree strongly with the second part of the proposition but say phooey to the first. Hardly any of us have got the hang of sharing by the time we turn four. Or 40. Or ever.
Although we might not care to admit it, much of our behaviour – not least when we are travelling – expresses the taboo joy that our inner toddler continues to take in not having to share, or in sharing only on limited terms. And nothing expresses this deeply human tendency better than our seemingly irresistible attraction to exclusive-use private islands.
The charm of an exclusive-use private island is not that it is empty, of
PHILIPPINES FROM £251
As you drift closer to Miniloc on a paraw, a double-outrigger sailing boat, there’s a sense of the otherworldly. This small island on Bacuit Bay in the province of Palawan in the Philippines, is set on its own lagoon, surrounded by water the colour and clarity of gemstones. In the backdrop is a jungle-sheathed limestone mountain. And from a distance are hulking karsts that look like sleeping giants. The island has a coastal village vibe where everyone is resolutely down-toearth. Accommodation is all rustic charm: 50 thatched-roof cottages and rooms featuring woods, walnut floors and capiz panels. Following a refurb in December 2018, the island now has its own swimming pool as well as a restaurant, a beach bar and a private beach. It’s more Swiss Family Robinson than shiny and chic but boy, oh boy, is it beautiful. Granted, the beach is a small sliver of white sand, but the resort more than makes up for it: stays include complimentary excursions to other beaches in El Nido, as well as free trips to the gorgeous Big and Small Lagoons and Snake Island.
CASTAWAY RATING: 9/10
BEST FOR: The adventurer who delights in excursions, from trips to hidden beaches and kayaking in secret lagoons to swimming with giant jackfish in the house reef and exploring cathedral-like caves.
HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Manila with British Airways (britishairways.com) from £974 return (via Hong Kong), then take the 55-minute flight on to El Nido with AirSwift, which runs transfers daily. Miniloc Island at El Nido Resorts (00 63 27902 5934; elnidoresorts.com/ miniloc-island) offers rooms from £251 per night for two people, on a fullboard basis (except drinks), including boat transfers, standard tours and activities, use of non-motorised sports equipment and snorkelling gear.
WHEN TO GO: Visit during the dry season, between November and April.
Trish Andres course, or even far from anywhere else. We want to be vaguely castaway, not cast into oblivion. We also want the presence of others, just not too many of them. Why should a ring of glittering seawater beyond a pristine, palmfringed perimeter define that paradoxical ideal of distance, closeness, privacy and conviviality so perfectly? Perhaps that’s another one for the psychologists.
What is clear is that this delicate balance can be struck in a variety of ways to satisfy a variety of tastes and budgets. Some of us prefer our barefoot luxury with the emphasis on the bare feet, others with the emphasis on the luxury. Whatever your craving – whether it is whale sharks or reliable WiFi, butler service or a marine biologist’s wisdom, a kids’ club or a composting loo, rustling thatch and reclaimed floorboards or a disco ball and an over-water dance floor – whatever your predilection, there is an island out there, somewhere, to suit, as the following list makes clear.
SEYCHELLES FROM £360
In the far north of the Seychelles, where there is no other land in sight, lies the magical Bird Island. Surrounded by coral reefs and sublime turquoise water, ringed with a three-mile stretch of white beach, the island is lush with trees that drape themselves onto the sand. At times the sky erupts with life, and calls from more than 20 species of seabird fill the air. The island is a haven for white-tailed tropic birds, Seychelles sunbirds, frigate birds, noddies, blue pigeons and sooty terns – more than a million of which fly to the island to nest from May to October. It’s also an important breeding ground for hawksbill and green turtles.
Conservation and sustainability are at the heart of Bird Island Lodge, which comprises 24 simple chalets built mostly from locally sourced materials. This really is a back-to-basics sort of place, where the focus is on the experience of being in pristine natural surroundings.
CASTAWAY RATING: 8/10 BEST FOR: Modern-minded urbanites who have dreamed of escaping to their very own island paradise.
HOW TO DO IT: Fly to the Seychelles with Etihad (etihad.com) from £561 return (via Abu Dhabi), then take Bird Island’s daily charter flights onwards (£339). Bird Island (00 248 422 49 25; birdislandseychelles.com) offers bungalows from £360 per night, full board for two people (children of four and under stay for free).
WHEN TO GO: Visit in April, May, October or November to avoid the hottest and coolest periods.
Narina Exelby
BELIZE FROM £275
Ray Caye
Belize has many distinct faces, from the Mayan mountains in the west, with their ruins and dense jungle, to the laid-back beaches of the Caribbean coast. But for most travellers, this quirky little country really comes alive when they ride offshore to the cayes – the alluring chain of tiny tropical islands that run parallel to the seaboard and serve as stepping stones for the longest coral reef in the Americas. Ray Caye,
on the edge of the Silk Marine Reserve, is a classically Belizean dot of pure white sand and palm trees, lying 17 miles east of Placencia. With just 20 rooms spread over stylishly appointed cabañas, ideal for families or groups, and newly built villas, the vibe is private but social. Decor is warm woodwork, white walls, linen and ceiling fans; in short, Caribbean chic. The informal Lion Fish Bar & Grill serves superb seafood dishes, enlivened with Belizean fruits and Mexican heat. While not as flash as some of the hotels on San Pedro, Ray Caye is ultra-close to the reef and a dream base for dive excursions to get intimate with local nurse sharks, loggerhead turtles, stingrays and spotted eagle rays. Marlin fishing, outside the conservation zone, can also be arranged, as can catamaran rides to neighbouring cayes.
CASTAWAY RATING: 9/10
BEST FOR: Dive fiends who want private aprés-reef downtime.
HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Belize with
United (united.com) from £564 return (via Newark), then take the 45-minute flight on to Placencia with Maya Island Air, which costs (£180) per person return. Ray Caye Island
Resort (00 501 533 4446; raycaye. com) offers double rooms from £275, including use of Hobie catamarans, kayaks, paddleboards and snorkel gear, not including taxes. Alternatively, book the entire island, sleeping 40 people, from £27,800 for three nights with full board (not including drinks), a snorkel tour, transfer from Placencia to the island and use of all non-motorised water toys, island slide, private beach and all docks.
WHEN TO GO: Aim to visit during the dry season, which runs between late November and mid April.
THAILAND FROM £398
Koh Samui’s first private island resort is in a sweet spot, far enough from the main island to feel secluded yet paddling distance from the beach clubs, bars and boutiques of Choeng Mon Beach (a short distance separates the northeast coast and corner of Fahn, so you can actually walk over at low tide). Not that you’ll want to leave your gorgeous island hideaway – the beach dazzles, the calm sea teems with tropical fish, the spa can loosen up even the creakiest of bods and the Thai restaurant, Long Dtai, is helmed by one of the most lauded chefs in Asia, David Thompson (don’t miss the braised pork ribs with chamuang). And then there are the villas; just 22 of them in total, each ridiculously spacious with rambling terraces and private pools big enough to swim laps in. The views are sensational, particularly at sunrise when the starry skies switch from inky darkness to magenta, peach melba, lilac and soft blue.
CASTAWAY RATING: 7/10
BEST FOR: Happy honeymooners and Asian Instagrammers keen to show off as many outfits as possible.
HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Koh Samui with Thai Airways (thaiairways.com) from £622 return (via Bangkok). Cape Fahn (capefahnhotel.com) offers doubles from £398 per night, B&B, based on two sharing, including round-trip airport transfers.
WHEN TO GO: Koh Samui has a relatively short rainy season, from November to January, making March to August the optimum months, with temperatures peaking in May.
Lee Cobaj
Castaway rating: 8/10 Best for: Luxury-loving
couples looking for sophisticated service
off the grid.
How to do it: Fly to Jakarta with Etihad (etihad.com)
from £500 return (via Abu Dhabi), then onwards
to Bintan on Garuda Indonesia, Sriwijaya Air or Lion Air (all offer daily
flights). From the airport on Bintan, it is a half-hour car journey to Kawal and then a half-hour boat trip to Cempedak.
Cempedak Island (cempedak.com) offers one-bedroom beach villas for two from £298 per night (minimum two nights; no children
allowed).
When to go: February to
April provide the most reliable sunshine, while
March to June and September to November
are best for marine life.
NICARAGUA FROM £290 Jicaro Island Lodge, Lake Nicaragua
Central America’s great inland lake is beautiful from any angle, but the boat ride out of gorgeous Granada – Nicaragua’s most alluring colonial-era city – is special. As you leave behind the ochre and terracotta walls of the mainland, you wind through hundreds of small, tree-clad islands – some boast rustic homesteads, others have been left wild. The island on which Jicaro Lodge sits looks similar from a distance, but as you approach, you notice the nine elegant wood-and-glass two-storey casitas (villas), designed by British architect Matthew Falkiner – using materials recycled from Hurricane Felix in 2007 – ringing the edge of the tiny islet. With each one framed by native trees, they hit a sweet spot between rustic and industrial, chic and simple. There’s an al-fresco restaurant serving superlative Nicaraguan and Mediterranean cuisine and a gorgeous little retail space. Three days is plenty to enjoy the peace and explore, by kayak, the surrounding islets. The lake is calm and clean, ideal for lazy swims off the jetty, while yoga and massages are available on site.
CASTAWAY RATING: 6/10
BEST FOR: Nica nomads in search of laid-back, eco-conscious luxury. HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Managua International Airport with American Airlines (aa.com) from £870 (via Miami). Jicaro Island Lodge (00 502 2558, 7652; jicarolodge.com) offers a casita for two from £290, including all food and non-alcoholic drinks, daily yoga lessons, transfers, SUP and kayaking.
WHEN TO GO: Nicaragua is at its most verdant during the rainy season, between May and October.
Chris Moss
CANADA FROM £255 Quirpon Island, Newfoundland
This is a wondrous place of icebergs, whales, porpoises and cormorants. The island’s location off the tip of Newfoundland is remarkable; here icebergs float down from Greenland and humpbacks, minkes and orcas feed in summer. Open May to September, Quirpon (pronounced “karpoon”) Island is home to a working lighthouse, now automated, as well as the comfy 10-bedroom Quirpon Lighthouse Inn, created from former keepers’ residences. Meals are hearty and accommodation has retro furnishings, capturing a mood of the 1920s when the properties were built. There’s no internet, no mobile signal, no TV. Guests (mostly couples) take zodiac trips, hikes on boardwalks around the marshy island, or simply sit out gazing at the marine activity, or in the heated observation station on chilly days.
CASTAWAY RATING: 9/10.
BEST FOR: Sociable nature lovers – meals are taken around a communal table.
HOW TO DO IT: Fly to St John’s International Airport in Newfoundland and Labrador with Air Canada (aircanada.com) from £497 return
(via Montreal), then take the short hop onwards to tiny St Anthony Airport with
PAL Airlines (palairlines.com) from £210 return. From here, it’s a 45-minute drive north to Quirpon village, then a 45-minute boat ride to the Quirpon Lighthouse Inn’s dock (alternatively, there’s a helipad). Linkum Tours (00 1 709 634 2285; linkumtours.com) offers doubles from £255 per night, including boat transfers and meals.
WHEN TO GO: Iceberg sightings are optimum in May and June, while whales arrive June to September.
Harriet O’Brien
TANZANIA FROM £190 Chumbe Island Coral Park, Zanzibar
Sustainability might be one of the current buzzwords of travel, but when German expat Sibylle Riedmiller created a private marine park surrounding an island off Zanzibar nearly 30 years ago, she was a trailblazer. It’s not often that you encounter turtles on a snorkelling trip, but in the waters off Chumbe Island it’s almost guaranteed.
This is somewhere to immerse yourself in nature. The seven bandas, built from palm thatch, casuarina and coconut wood, embrace simple rusticity rather than polished luxury. In the twostorey huts, you can climb a ladder to bed and lower a giant, thatched flap to sleep in the open air. Chumbe’s eco credentials are impressive too, with solar power, rainwater catchment, zero sewage composting loos and grey-water filtration.
There’s a main lodge with a bar, restaurant and education centre, and the beach is of the dazzling white variety. Sharing the island with just 14 other guests, you can dine on local dishes with your toes in the sand. All profits are ploughed back into local and national education programmes, the stewardship of the island and its reef.
CASTAWAY RATING: 9/10
BEST FOR: Eco-warriors and closet marine biologists.
HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Zanzibar with KLM (klm.com) from £427 return (via Amsterdam). Chumbe Island Coral Park (00 255 777 413 232; chumbeisland.com) offers rooms from £190 per person per night, based on two sharing. The price includes return boat transfers from Zanzibar, full-board accommodation with soft drinks and all daily activities.
WHEN TO GO: Tanzania can be very wet, so visit between July and September to coincide with the dry season.
Aoife O’Riordain
MAURITIUS FROM £255 Villa L’ilot, just off the north-east
coast of Mauritius
Everything on Mauritius equates to a pleasant assault on the senses – from the tropical climate and warm Indian Ocean to the lush landscape, interspersed with volcanic mountain ranges and majestic waterfalls, and the incredible Creole cuisine. Although the island is well known for its extensive offering of luxury, allinclusive resorts, you’ll be hard pushed to top the indulgence of renting your very own island. L’ilot is just such a place, measuring just 33,368 sq ft and sitting only 328ft offshore from Roches Noires Lagoon. With access via a narrow bridge, L’ilot is a magical place to spend a holiday in a traditional wood-and-stone luxe affair that hunkers down on a bed of volcanic rock surrounded by natural pools and a fringe of palm and pine trees.
Daily routines revolve around regular dips in the sea, reading, lunch on the verandah and obligatory afternoon snoozes, or – if you feel a case of cabin fever coming on – a trip to the nearby village of Roche Noire with its quaint restaurants or to Blue Bay Marine Park, an Unesco-recognised park that’s great for diving and snorkelling.
CASTAWAY RATING: 9/10
BEST FOR: Families, reclusive types and anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to live on their very own island.
HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Port Louis with British Airways (britishairways. com) from £617 return. Villa L’ilot (lilot.biz/en) offers rooms from £255 per night for two, or £510 per night for eight.
WHEN TO GO: Mauritius is delightful all year round, but peak season is between November and May.
Kerryn Fischer
MALDIVES FROM £350
The Standard, Huruvalhi Maldives
Beyond tiny Huruvalhi Island’s palm trees, white-sand beach and overwater villas, The Standard elevates itself from a tropical cliché by introducing a far more upbeat ambiance than is typical for the region’s resorts, while at the same time celebrating the Maldives’ colourful culture.
The Standard’s first resort property (and its first foray into Asia) is a laidback island retreat combining barefoot luxury (even the staff are not obliged to wear shoes) with plenty of nods to the brand’s urban roots. In a departure from the sleepier, more honeymoon vibe one might expect in the Maldives, this is a livelier affair whose public spaces encourage socialising. Afternoons see DJs pump up the volume at the beach-club-style poolside hub, while evenings end beneath the disco ball on over-water Beru Bar’s glass dance floor.
CASTAWAY RATING: 9/10
BEST FOR: Families – beach villas open onto the sand, so there’s ample space for kids to play, plus the excellent Lil’ Shark Kids Club.
HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Velana International Airport with British Airways (britishairways.com) from £585 return, then take the 35-minute Trans Maldivian Airways seaplane onwards to Huruvalhi. The Standard, Huruvalhi Maldives (00 960 658 5555; standardhotels.com) offers Lagoon Overwater Villas from £350 per night (not including taxes or transfers), sleeping up to four people.
WHEN TO GO: Though the Maldives are warm and sunny year-round, it’s best to visit during the dry season (November to April).
The starry skies switch from inky darkness to magenta, peach, lilac and blue
Lee Cobaj
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