Islands in a Dream
What guy has
not fantasized about owning his own island? Here are some men who
made that dream a reality. . . and invite you to share in the
reverie.
MAAFUSHI ISLANDThe Maldives
3 degrees north, 70 degrees east
The island of Maafushi, in the Maldives’ Faafu Atoll, has the reliably balmy climate and requisite tropical features of a pleasant island getaway. But it wasn’t until January 2007 that a Maldivian businessman transformed it into his experiment in grand luxury: the Rania Experience. Now a team of butlers, massage therapists, PADI dive masters, and international chefs makes virtually anything possible for up to 12 guests. A midnight feast or a moonlight dive? No problem. A Thai yoga massage on the beach before lunch and another by the pool after? Of course. Handcrafted wooden furniture, local-hardwood floors, and contemporary art adorn the three rooms and three thatched beach villas, and days can be filled with windsurfing, sailing, deep-sea fishing, or visiting a local village for tea on a neighboring isle. If you tire of all that, push the concept of “beck and call” on the 86-foot yacht, which is ready at a moment’s notice for diving excursions or simply deck-top cloud gazing. From $13,000 per night for two, plus $750 for each additional person; raniaexperience.com
MUSHA CAYThe Bahamas
23 degrees north, 76 degrees west
Illusionist David Copperfield recently claimed to have pinpointed the fountain of youth on Musha Cay, the Bahamian paradise he purchased in 2006. It seems a preposterous claim—until you consider the restorative effect of his no-expense-spared resort. A forgotten Out Island in the Exumas, Musha’s 150 acres encompass seven beaches with squeaky-fine sand, from which it’s nearly impossible to spot signs of civilization. Five breezy English-colonial houses, appointed with mahogany decks and four-poster beds, accommodate up to 24 friends. Some dozen watercraft are on hand for snorkeling, diving, windsurfing, bonefishing, and sailing—take a trip to one of the ten deserted isles nearby, also owned by Copperfield—and the 35-person staff also arranges concerts, fireworks, and movies screened beside the sea. But the key to setting the clock back is simpler: sessions in the steam room, massages in the spa, and some meditation on the property’s most secluded stretches of sand. From $32,250 for up to 12 people per day, plus $1,500 per additional person (up to 24); mushacay.com
NORTH ISLANDThe Seychelles
4 degrees south, 55 degrees east
It’s nearly impossible to consider private islands without the Seychelles coming to mind. The cluster of 115 islands off the southeast coast of Africa virtually defines the category—a white-sand, azure-water archetype. In the last ten years, Wilderness Safaris, southern Africa’s largest outfitter, transformed North Island from a prime piece of real estate into perhaps the planet’s most astonishing getaway. The island’s original habitat was restored by introducing indigenous plants displaced by plantation crops, as well as native fauna like Seychelles white-eyes. The architects lived on the island for a full two years before commencing plans for the ecolodge, ensuring that each of the 11 villas would complement the landscape. The result is a play of textures like mother-of-pearl chandeliers, teak-and-rosewood floors, and ylang-ylang roofs. Amenities include a full-service spa and a library stocked with unusual games and historic maps. And the dive center provides trips to reefs swimming with sweetlips, spotted eagle rays, and whitetip reef sharks. From $2,486 per person, per night; north-island.com; book through Discover Africa; discoverafrica.net
LITTLE EDEN CAY
Nicaragua
12 degrees north, 84 degrees west
In 2002, when Martin Thomas purchased Little Eden Cay, off the coast of Bluefields, Nicaragua, he was determined to match the island’s outward appeals—beckoning seas and sandy beaches—with an Italian-inspired villa. With high ceilings, an abundance of natural light, and more than a dozen French doors that can be swung wide open, the bungalow is a magnet for clement ocean breezes. The four bedrooms are immaculately decorated with thoughtful furnishings, like a 1920s-style couch in ivory damask, vintage chandeliers, an antique harp, and beds handcrafted of local hardwoods and decked with 800-thread-count Egyptian cotton. A series of spring-fed ponds with Japanese koi, bridges, pristine lawns, and gardens of fruit trees and vegetables surround the home. Guests have the option to kayak, snorkel, dive, or fish, but many never even make it off this 26-acre enclave, home to a mangrove forest with ghost crabs and migratory birds and a cradle-shaped beach where endangered hawksbill turtles nest. From $3,000 per night for two; little-eden-cay.com
WADIGI ISLAND
Fiji
18 degrees south, 177 degrees east
Fiji’s Wadigi Island has what many tiny islands can only dream of: vertical relief. The three airy, whitewashed rooms and breezy lunch house, all connected by decks, command the island’s 100-foot peak, with expansive views over the reef and archipelago. There’s no schedule, except the one chosen by guests—meals are cooked fresh by two chefs any time of the day; the boatman, Tia, is always ready for a snorkeling trip to neighboring islands or a surf excursion at nearby world-renowned Cloudbreak; and massages can be had day or night, delivered on a deck above the island’s turquoise waters. There’s parasailing and deep-sea fishing too, but considering the topography (many nearby islands barely scratch ten feet above sea level) perhaps the best diversion is searching out the finest vantage for taking in the 360-degree ocean views. From $1,920 per night for two; wadigi.com
FORSYTH ISLANDNew Zealand
40 degrees south, 174 degrees east
Take the helicopter instead of the boat when traveling from Wellington, New Zealand, to Forsyth Island, in Marlborough Sound. The magnificent views of the city, the Cook Strait, and the uninhabited islands are the best possible introduction to the dramatic topographical context of the 2,100-acre kingdom of Forsyth. Rising to 1,100 feet, Forsyth is covered in craggy cliffs and native forest, ringed by 20 miles of coastline, and etched with 30 miles of walking trails. A historic farmhouse and old sheep shacks testify to the region’s ranching heritage, but guests stay in a new three-bedroom home with a wraparound deck, cathedral ceilings, and a wall of windows overlooking the sound. Over a glass of local Blenheim wine at the dining-room table, you can sometimes spot a pod of bottlenose dolphins surfacing 400 feet below. From $1,333 per night for up to eight people; forsyth.co.nz
GUANA ISLANDBritish Virgin Islands
18 degrees north, 65 degrees west
With some of the most bountiful biodiversity of any privately owned island in the region, Guana Island fancies itself the Galápagos of the BVI. It’s a tall claim, but Guana, a private nature reserve, just might live up to it, with 850 acres of lush tropical forests and unusual species like the stout, rock iguana, red-legged tortoise, and masked booby. Take it all in on a hike along the island’s spiny ridge out to Long Man’s Point, with picture-book views over the Atlantic and Caribbean, or in an afternoon of paddling a glass-bottom kayak over the house reefs. And if you tire of the open-air attractions, the comforts of civilization, like a massage in the beach spa and a quiet spot to read in one of two new villas, are only a few steps away. From $19,500 per night for up to 32 people; guana.com
ILE DES DEUX COCOS
Mauritius
20 degrees south, 57 degrees east
A century ago, when the Brits still controlled Mauritius, a beachy Indian Ocean island east of Madagascar, a flamboyant hedonist named Sir Hesketh Bell brought an extreme sort of government to the protectorate. When he set about developing Ile des Deux Cocos, a 14-acre islet off the southeast coast of Mauritius, he turned it into the ultimate holiday enclave, where he held lavish parties, completed eccentric art projects, and staged numerous affairs with married women. Recently renovated, the two-bedroom villa is as extravagant as ever, with a rooftop terrace reached by an elaborate wrought-iron staircase, a courtyard with pink tile and palm trees, and a blue-tile whirlpool in the master bedroom. Guests unwind among the palms and beaches, snorkel in the adjacent marine reserve, and watch the scant civilization of mainland Mauritius slowly light up around dusk. It’s decidedly quieter than in the Bell years, though with so much isolation, your foursome could easily opt to relive the revelry. From $4,592 per night for four people; naiade.com
ISLA DE SA FERRADURASpain
39 degrees north, 1.5 degrees east
If Spain's ibiza is Europe's bacchanalian capital, its tiny northerly neighbor, Isla de sa Ferradura, could be the continent’s best party house. The staff of this island can arrange cabarets on the rooftop terrace, films in the cinema room, fireworks displays, and flamenco dancers—among other diversions. Four bars, an outdoor fireplace, and a pool with a waterfall complete the seven-suite villa, a model of modern Mediterranean architecture with sweeping lines and clean white walls. The setting: 14 acres of craggy coastline topped with a lush green crown and surrounded by the effervescent Mediterranean. From $28,650 per night for up to 14 people; islaferradura.com
ISLA KINIWCuraçao
12 degrees north, 68 degrees west
Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao, is a colorful colonial city in the southern Caribbean tradition that’s well worth exploration, but it can be a bit bustling for a relaxing holiday. Tiny Isla Kiniw, a three-acre private island accessible by a 15-minute boat ride, provides a more serene base from which to explore the city, the countryside, and the surrounding sea, where bumper populations of blue marlin, white marlin, and sailfish make for legendary big-game angling. From a four-bedroom villa on Isla Kiniw, you have access to the capital’s thriving markets. But you can also retreat to the quiet of the island’s tropical gardens filled with iguanas and exotic birds or the hammock hung in the shady remote Indian hut. From $4,950 per person per week; islakiniw.com
LITTLE ST. SIMONS ISLANDGeorgia, USA
31 degrees north, 81 degrees west
The Berolzheimer family has owned the Lodge at Little St. Simons for exactly 100 years, and they pride themselves on rich southern hospitality. On this pristine island off the coast of Georgia, chefs toil over a menu of lavish comfort food like chipotle-and-brown-sugar-grilled pork with apple risotto, and full-time naturalists tailor the day’s activities, including wildlife hikes, birding excursions, and fly-fishing outings, to guests’ desires. Each evening, hosts greet patrons (no more than 30 at a time) at the main lodge for a Tom Collins or two before showing the visitors to one of four cozy cottages, which started out as a hunting retreat. The most important part of the hospitality, however, is providing solitude: With seven miles of empty beach and 10,000 acres of marshlands and coastal forest, there’s no shortage of that. From $7,700 per night for up to 30 people; littlestsimonsisland.com
QUILÁLEA Mozambique
12 degrees south, 40 degrees east
The Quilálea Marine Sanctuary, in Mozambique’s Quirimbas Archipelago, is an outstanding dive site and well-kept secret, not least because of its remote location. The waters, with visibility reliably around 100 feet, harbor hawksbill and loggerhead turtles, humpbacks, several species of shark and dolphin, and billowing schools of kingfish and billfish. Access the sanctuary from the eponymous Quilálea, an 84-acre island that’s home to only one rustic resort. Its nine villas are made exclusively with indigenous materials, like coral rock and traditional macuti thatch roofs, and outfitted with handcrafted teak and mahogany furniture and expansive mosquito-netted beds. The resort lives up to its Arabic-African flavor with open-fire seafood barbecues and traditional sailing dhows, the absolute best way to take in the sunset over the gleaming Indian Ocean. $10,700 per night for up to 18 people; quilalea.com
Want to see more? Find three more private islands in our Web Exclusive.
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