Owning an island may not be a likely option for most of us. Luckily many private islands offer world-class resorts, privacy and incredible luxury. While living in SE Asia I’ve discovered so many fabulous private resorts that are off the beaten track (meaning sometimes difficult to get to) but definitely worth the effort. What my family and I have found is that quite often these private locales are “unplugged” and encourage guests to get back to basics (no internet/tv/phones often leads to refreshing conversations and time spent looking at clouds drift by). Think privacy, time to reflect and time to reconnect with yourself.
Here’s a brief, and I mean brief, roundup of some incredible-looking private resorts around the world. And we’d love to know: have you been to a private island and how was your experience?
Top row, left to right:
1. The Beach House, Maldives
2. Peter Island, British Virgin Islands
3. Cayo Espanto Resort, Belize
4. Eilean Shona House, Scotland
5. Maria Island, Tasmania
Bottom row, left to right:
6. Singer Castle Island, New York
7. Layang Layang Resort, Malaysia
8. Inish Turk Beg, Ireland
9. Bonefish Cay, Bahamas
10. Sindabezi Island, Africa
Images: As linked above.
Weekend DIYs: 10 Wood Molding Projects for the Home
Monica & Austin's Charming Bungalow
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Ercol Bar Stool
True Greek Recipe: Paximadi Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Feta and Capers
True Greek Recipe: Paximadi Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Feta and Capers
Stunning though all those islands may be, my favourite photo is the one of the fish "sheltering" under the coral. How appropriate for a "shelter-porn" site.
As it happens, my family does own an island with another family - not in the Maldives but in a big lake in the midwest. It's not high on luxury - appliances run on propane, the sink has a old fashioned hand pump, no hot water, and the toilet is a short hike from the cabin and has to be redug and moved every year.
On the other hand, it is The Best Thing ever. And there are still islands around for purchase in lakes in Northern states as well as Canada. If you can afford a second home, you could probably find an island in your price range.
I've actually been to sindabezi island -our Africa trip was the trip of a lifetime - and the island is as fabulous as it looks in the pictures. Open air cabanas, great food, bubble baths on the deck, hippos that come up and graze around your cabin at night. Definitely the most exotic place I've ever stayed. If you go, do the day trip to Victoria falls that involves the swim out to the devils pool at the edge of the falls. You won't find any excursion like it in the US. How I'd love to go back!
i've been to Cayo Espanto in Belize and it was quite magical. You never want to leave, they take excellent care of you and everything is beautiful.
OK I hate to be that person but this is a HUGE pet peeve of mine.
For all the islands, you list the country or state that the island is in or near...except Sindabezi Island. For that island you list Africa as it's location.
Africa is a continent not a country.
A huge continent.
It would have been quite easy to find that Sindabezi Island is in the country of Zambia near Victoria Falls.