Looking for a romantic spot that’s (almost) all yours?
Here’s a list from our brand new Best in Travel 2013 guide to reignite your love affair
with desert islands, with picks from across the globe.
As
far as you can go in Oz without falling off the map, the Torres Strait Islands
are Australia as it might have been if Europeans had never arrived. Spilling
north from the tip of Cape York, the 274 islands in the Torres Strait preserve
a unique tribal culture that bridges the divide between Aboriginal Australia
and Papua New Guinea. The Great Barrier Reef is right on the doorstop and there
are airstrips and hotels on Thursday Island and Horn Island, but access to
other islands is at the discretion of local tribal councils.
The
idyllic Yaeyama Islands are tucked away at the very southern tip of the
Japanese archipelago. Looking more like the Caribbean, the islands of Iriomote,
Taketomi and Ishigaki serve up generous portions of sun, sea, sand and sushi.
Ishigaki has the best of the beaches, while Taketomi is famous for its
traditional Ryukyuan houses and Iriomote is a jungle playground with an
open-air onsen.
Most
people have heard of Devil’s Island, but few would be able to stick a pin on a
map. The smallest of the three Îles du Salut, this infamous former penal colony
is separated from the coast of French Guiana by 11km of treacherous,
shark-infested waters. Steve McQueen tried to escape the islands repeatedly in
Papillon, but most modern visitors are willing castaways, lured here by waving
palms, chattering macaws and spooky ruins from the penal colony days.
It’s
easy to see the appeal of tiny Ulleungdo. Midway between South Korea and Japan,
this rugged volcanic island is said to have no pollution, no thieves and no
snakes – in other words, this is perfect hiking country. Ferries run daily from
the mainland to the tiny port at Dodong-ri, where trails climb to the rocky
summit of Seonginbong Peak (984m). If you want to really push the boat out,
continue to the Dokdo islands – a tiny collection of outcrops that are hotly
disputed between Japan and South Korea.
Panama
probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of the
Caribbean, but this Central American nation has coral cays to rival anything in
the Caymans or the Virgin Islands. Run as an autonomous province by the Kuna
people, the San Blás Archipelago is a crescent of 365 tiny islands basking in
the warm waters of the southern Caribbean. Forget luxury resorts – the only
hotels are homestays in village houses and dinner is whatever the fishermen
bring home in their canoes each evening.
If
Taiwan is the other China, then the Penghu islands are the other Taiwan.
Administered from Taipei, the 90 islands of the Penghu archipelago are – within
Taiwan at least – for their glorious scenery and ‘touching nostalgia’, which
translates to unspoiled traditional Taiwanese culture. Away from the capital,
Makung, this is a land of ox-carts, fish-traps, stone-walled fields, basalt
cliffs and ancient temples dedicated to the sea goddess Matsu. If sun and sand
are more your cup of shochu, the beaches and windsurfing are pretty impressive
too.
Forget
Pirates of the Caribbean – the sand-dusted islands that float off the coast of
Honduras are the real deal. In their heyday, the islands of Roatán, Utila and
Guanaja were home to 5000 cutthroats, brigands and buccaneers, including the
infamous Henry Morgan (aka Blackbeard). These days, the Bay Islands are better
known for their beaches, diving and laid-back tropical vibe. You can turn the
volume down ever further at the nearby Cayos Cochinos (Hog Islands) – 13
languorous coral cays and one secluded resort in a sea of brilliant blue.
Another prison-turned-paradise, the Con Dao islands
were home to the most notorious penal colony in Indochina, and continued its
grim work until the end of the Vietnam War. Now preserved as Con Dao National
Park, the 16 islands are a natural wonderland of dense jungles, jade-coloured
waters and white-sand beaches, home to dugongs, dolphins, turtles and
spectacular coral reefs. For now, tourist developments on the islands are
limited to a single dive shop and a handful of resorts in Con Son township.
Why
would a landlocked African nation appear on a list of desert islands? Thank
Lake Victoria. The Ssese Islands tick all the right boxes for an island
paradise – golden beaches, whispering palm trees, exotic flora and fauna – they
just happen to be in the middle of Africa’s largest lake. Most of the 84
islands in the Ssese group are undeveloped, but a handful of resorts and beach
camps grace the sands of Buggala, Bukasa and Banda. Aside from basking in the
sun, the main activities are combing the jungle for exotic creatures and
canoeing across the lake.
