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10 Islands to Explore Before

You Die
We scoured the globe to find 10 islands that belong on your
must list. Each of these places offers something that you
can’t find anywhere else, from the largest man-made
archipelago to hot springs so therapeutic they’ve been
popular since Roman times.
By Gary McKechnie

If you're going to imagine yourself on an exotic island, dare

to dream big! Here are 10 one-of-a-kind islands where
you'll discover every item on your wish list, from overwater
bungalows and pristine wildlife to sublime street food and
mysterious cultural monuments.

1. Bali
Find your center on an island so spiritual it's become
known as "Island of the Gods." The warm, spiritual
essence that writer Elizabeth Gilbert discovered here and
celebrated in Eat, Pray, Love has been native to Bali for Tanah Lot, a Hindu temple on Bali
centuries. It's one of 17,000 islands in the Indonesian Photo: Romain Cintract/hemis.fr/laif

archipelago—and the only one on which Hindus form the

majority (93 percent). Even more striking is the fact that
there is a spiritual celebration here nearly every day. Three More from BudgetTravel.com
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survived a 1963 eruption that destroyed nearby villages Top 10 Beaches from the Movies
while missing by mere yards this terraced complex atop Secret Hotels of Paris
volcanic Mount Agung. The event is still considered a
miracle by locals, who arrive in regular procession; they
balance offerings on their head and climb the steps to the
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sound of mantras, jingling bells, and the sharp flutter of Check flight deals now!
umbul-umbuls (ceremonial Balinese flags). Anyone Tips for Wellness on the Road
interested in exploring the inner self might like the Nirarta
Centre, an 11-room hotel set amid rice terraces and
gardens that holds daily meditation sessions. After finding your center here, channel your energy into
jungle treks, scuba diving, and big-break surfing along beaches of fine white and volcanic black sand.
Exhale against a backdrop of rice paddies and Impressionist sunsets that illuminate the Indian Ocean.

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 2. Vieques
Experience the world's clearest bioluminescent bay.
When the U.S. Navy packed up and left Vieques in 2003,
after more than 60 years, it left something behind:
unspoiled nature. Land once used for bombing practice is
now designated as a national wildlife refuge. So far there
are only a few mega-resorts like those found on the Puerto
Rican mainland—instead, you'll find homey inns like the
aptly named Great Escape B&B, where breakfast is served
poolside (from $115). There are only two notable towns
(the population is less than 10,000): Isabel Segunda on the Sun Bay Beach, Vieques
Photo: parasola.net/Alamy
northern side of the island, and the far smaller Esperanza
on the south. The effect is that when you reach a beach at
the end of a dirt road here, your reward is having the sand
largely to yourself. Playa de la Chiva (Blue Beach) attracts daytime snorkelers and divers, but the real
reason Vieques belongs on your bucket list is Puerto Mosquito. Of the seven bioluminescent bays on the
planet, Puerto Mosquito is the most impressive, thanks to the clarity and brightness of its waters.
Schedule a moonless night for a swim or kayak tour and you'll be greeted by billions of micro-organisms
called dinoflagellates that ignite the water with a magical blue-green glow (Aqua Frenzy Kayaks, from
$30 per person). It's like swimming in a watercolor painting.

3. Easter Island
Ponder the handiwork of one of the most mysterious
civilizations in history. With the nearest major landmass,
Chile, lying 2,200 miles away, Easter Island is as remote
as it is mysterious. No one knows exactly why nearly 900
gargantuan stone monoliths are sprinkled across this
isolated, 60-square-mile scrap of land in the middle of the
South Pacific—and those long, stone faces aren't talking.
For several hundred years, the moai that are unique to this
island have maintained their silent sentinel even as the
civilization that created them collapsed and a trickle of Stone monoliths on Easter Island
tourists appeared in its wake. Intended to stand atop cut- Photo: Courtesy chobart/myBudgetTravel

stone altars (called ahu), the moai average 13 feet high

and weigh nearly 14 tons each; most lie prone, toppled by
civil wars in the 17th and 18th centuries. A particularly compelling spot is Rano Raraku, the collapsed
volcano where many moai were quarried and where nearly 400 figures remain, all frozen in various
states of completion. The island counts only one town, Hanga Roa, where you'll want to check in to Vai
Moana, a low-key hotel with 18 rooms set in bungalows (from $102, including breakfast and transport to
and from the airport). You can then wander from the volcanic coastline across grassy hills without
bumping into another human being who might break Easter Island's spell.

4. Ischia
Revive with therapeutic hot springs and mud wraps.
This volcanic island in the Bay of Naples has hot springs so
therapeutic that they have drawn admirers for 2,000 years.
Greeks, Romans, and Turks quickly discovered that
Ischia's fumaroles, hot springs, and heated mud hold the
power to ease sore muscles—or simply provide a degree
of self-indulgence. Today's travelers are likewise pampered
by massages and mud wraps courtesy of the island's
geothermal characteristic, which helps fill the 22 thermo-
mineral pools of the beachfront spa Giardini di Poseidon Thermo-mineral pools on the beachfront
Terme. After your treatment of choice, peel off the sandals Photo: Mirko Angeli/Alamy

for a walk on the beach or visit the 15th-century Castello

Aragonese. You can also get a taste of the glam, jet-setter
lifestyle associated with Italy and depicted in the film The Talented Mr. Ripley, shot here on location.

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 Retreat to the family-run Hotel Villa Angelica, whose garden naturally includes a thermal swimming pool
with a Jacuzzi (from $75, including breakfast).

5. Chiloé
Experience a culture and wildlife developed in
isolation. The lush, cloud-covered Chiloé archipelago may
lie off the western coast of Chile, but its history, customs,
and language bear little resemblance to those of the
mainland, or anywhere else in the world, because of its
isolation. Local farmers have passed down a mythology of
gnome- and witch-filled woodlands and ghost ships.
Valdivian temperate rain forests are protected within
Parque Nacional Chiloé. In the Pacific, dolphins, penguins,
otters, and the largest creatures in history—blue whales— The lush Chiloé archipelago
are studied and protected by the Cetacean Conservation Photo: Herve Hughes/hemis.fr/laif

Center. In the central city of Castro, order a steaming meal

of curanto (shellfish, meat, and potatoes) and peruse
handicrafts made of wood and colorful garments created from Chilean wool. Residents still live in
traditional palafitos (stilt houses). Jesuit missionaries, who first arrived in small numbers in the 1600s,
used local materials and construction techniques to build exquisite chapels. Their work survives in more
than 50 wooden churches found in communities such as Castro, Nercón, Chonchi, Dalcahue, and
Quinchao; their appearance reflects a hybrid of European and indigenous styles that you won't find
anywhere else on earth.

6. Bora Bora
Settle into your own overwater bungalow on the
world's most famous idyllic island. If you envision
yourself on an island in French Polynesia, Bora Bora is the
place to hang your hammock. Even novelist James
Michener, who penned sweeping epics set in the South
Pacific and beyond, dubbed it the world's most beautiful
island. Mingled in among the Society Islands northwest of
Tahiti, Bora Bora's lowland reefs and islets are lorded over
by Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, twin peaks forming
an extinct volcano in the island's interior. Super-expensive Iconic overwater bungalows of Bora Bora
upscale resorts along the western edge—and a fair share Photo: José Fuste Raga/Age

of inns and vacation rentals—feature overwater thatch-

roofed bungalows built on stilts above shallow, clear-as-gin
waters. (Maitai Resort is a comparatively affordable option, considering the $800-plus competition, with
rooms from $198 and bungalows from $408, including taxes.) Slip on a sarong and relax while savoring
the vision of endless miles of soft sand beaches and lagoons. Luxurious, certainly, but of even greater
value is the philosophy of Bora Bora's residents: Aita pea pea. In other words, "not to worry."

7. Key West
Embrace Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville" utopia. Laid-
back, beach-y living coupled with a flamboyant arts scene
lends a one-of-a-kind appeal to this lowland island (peak
elevation: 18 feet). Key West inspired Mississippi-born
balladeer Jimmy Buffett, and it remains hallowed ground
for his followers—the "parrotheads" that roost here
throughout the year and keep the mythical utopia of
Margaritaville alive. Tennessee Williams, Harry S. Truman,
and Ernest Hemingway were also seduced. Defying easy
categorization, Key West is capital of the Conch Republic, Laid-back beachy living in Key West
the tongue-in-cheek micro-nation created in 1982 by Photo: Ian Dagnall/Alamy

residents proud of their liberal lifestyle. Natural sand

beaches are surprisingly rare here, but with the chance to
snorkel above North America's only living coral reef and enjoy the company of a Technicolor collection

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 of 400 species of tropical fish, it would be a shame to spend your beach time on land, anyway. When
you've dried off, head to Mallory Square to catch street performers during the daily Sunset Celebration.
Follow it up with brews along the "Duval Crawl," a tour of watering holes in the early 20th-century
buildings that line Duval Street. From there, it's a pleasant, 15-minute walk to the Grand Guesthouse
(from $98, including breakfast).

8. Penang
Treat yourself to Malaysia's unique fusion of cultures
and flavors. Start your food crawl at stalls that crowd the
streets of Georgetown, Penang's largest city and
Malaysia's food capital. The delectable fare on offer
memorably mingles Malaysian, Chinese, Indian, and
European flavors. Foodies in search of supreme bliss
should head to the marketplace Ayer Itam—adjacent to
Kek Lok Si (the Temple of Supreme Bliss)—to dine on a
variety of dishes based on rice, noodles, fish, shellfish,
chicken, pork, vegetables, eggs, and coconut. Look for lor A fruit stall in Penang
Photo: Aurora
bak (deep-fried marinated minced pork served with a chili
sauce); lok-lok (skewered seafood, meats, and
vegetables); and ikan bakar (grilled or barbecued fish
marinated in spices and coconut milk, wrapped inside banana leaves, and grilled over hot coals). The
same fusion of cultures is evident in the local architecture, which ranges from modern high-rises to
buildings built by 19th-century British colonialists. Add to the mix beach resorts, preserved mangroves,
small fishing villages, and a share of temples, mosques, and churches. Kek Lok Si best exemplifies this
coexistence. At seven stories, it's the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia, and it reflects the
shared values of Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism—designed with a Chinese octagonal base, a
Thai-accented middle tier, and a Burmese-style peak.

9. Galápagos
Follow in the (r)evolutionary wake of Charles Darwin.
The namesake tortoise is only one reason to explore this
archipelago overrun with more than 500 spectacular native
species found nowhere else. Charles Darwin's 1835 visit
sparked his curiosity, leading to his landmark book and the
observation that these islands are the "laboratory of
evolution." Much of the biological kaleidoscope noted by
Darwin—such as penguins, sea lions, finches, blue-footed
boobies—is still visible on the Galápagos, which are
scattered more than 600 miles west of Ecuador. Look out A baby seal pup in the Galápagos
for the waved albatross, which has a 7- to 8-foot wingspan, Photo: Courtesy fungofan/myBudgetTravel

on Española. Tour operators navigate the islands on

everything from luxury catamarans to motor yachts, and
many employ naturalists to guide you through the archipelago's rocky coasts, lagoons, coral reefs, bays
and white sand beaches. Gap Adventures offers small-group itineraries that often include meals, airfare
from Quito, and a cabin aboard a 16-passenger ship. Life on the island is only half the equation, so pack
your mask, snorkel, and wet suit.

10. Palm Islands Dubai

Size up the world's largest man-made archipelago.
Nature creates and removes islands every day, but it took
a supernatural influx of cash and credit to create what
developers hope will be the permanent Palm Island
archipelago. Based on a sketch by a sheikh, the world's
largest man-made islands are being dredged up and put in
place as destination resorts: the Palm Jumeirah, Palm
Jebel Ali, and Palm Deira. Each work-in-progress is
designed to attract tourists, who (more than fossil fuels)
can provide a renewable source of income. If all goes well, Palm Islands archipelago in Dubai

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 the three islands will be the focal point of Dubai and Photo: Jochem Wijnands/Age

become a Middle East playground of spas, resorts, upscale

residences, villas, and superior shopping malls. Palm
Jumeriah is already in place with an Atlantis resort and its wild water park open and a Trump hotel slated
to open in 2011. (A more concrete, if off-island option, is the Arabian Courtyard, whose rooms have
hardwood floors and richly colored upholstery, with prices as low as $100 a night.) S ome islands might
be more exotic—and certainly less expensive—but none are more impossibly engineered and ambitious.

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