It is no surprise that I am obsessed with the tropics, I love warm weather and it is my life goal to travel to as many islands as possible all around the world! Anush keeps telling me that I must have been Moana or some long lost island girl in my past life haha and hence my undying love for all things tropical. So far I have been to countless islands in all 6 continents and still have a long ways to go and many more exotic isles on my never ending list. Being the island addict that I am, I do have my few absolute favorites, the ones that stood above the rest and that I will 100% go back to at the drop of a hat! So without further adieu, here are my top 10 islands around the world :
The Maldives is seriously a destination like none other and it is the ultimate island getaway – with never ending white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters , dreamy over watervillas and so much more. I have been twice and am already itching to plan a return visit star. Check out my travel guide to the Maldives HERE.
Bora Bora was a dream come true and everything I had imagined and more! It completely exceeded my expectations in every way. This idyllic South Pacific gem is an epitome of a luxurious island escape and is well known for it gorgeous views of the mountains, crystal clear lagoon, overwater villas and incredible marine life. Check out my full travel guide HERE.
While Santorini and Mykonos were utterly gorgeous, the Greek isle that unexpectedly won me over is Paros! I am listing it here over the other Greek islands we visited as it gave us a more intimate and authentic Greek island vibe! This white and blue Greek island is so unique and charming; my absolute fave on Paros is the quaint little fishing town of Naoussa. Check out my travel guide to Paros HERE.
The Philippines is such a stunning island nation and with 7000 islands to explore you are really spoilt for choice! This is a great budget destination as well. My favorite Philliipines island that we visited was Coron. It is absolutely spectacular with unspoilt white powdery sand beaches, azure lagoons and lakes , incredible marine life, towering limestone cliffs and so much more.
The Cook Islands is by far one of our favorite places we have ever visited! If you are looking for an untouched tropical paradise that is totally not commercialized, has very less tourists and still has its authentic traditional charm – the Cook Islands are for you! These South Pacific islands are some of the most pristine islands we have ever seen ; we are dying to return back asap! Check out my guides to the islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki.
Hawaii is probably the destination we re-visit the most since we live in California. I have been to all 4 Hawaiian islands but Maui is my fave, and is also dear to us since we honeymooned here years ago! Check out my travel guide HERE.
Fiji boasts of some gorgeous islands and we can vouch for that! The Yasawas are in the northwestern corner of the Fijian island archipelago and are home to some of the best remote unspoiled islands in all of Fiji. These islands represent the ultimate “island life” that you can imagine – no commercialization or modernization, just raw natural beauty that is simply breathtaking. Check out my guide to Fiji HERE.
The beaches in Turks and Caicos totally won us over instantly especially in terms of its pristine water and sand quality, cleanliness, lack of trash or seaweed, etc.These crystal clear turquoise waters and white sand beaches are trademarks to the over 40 islands and cays that make up the Turks and Caicos Islands. More in my travel guide HERE.
The Seychelles has been touted as one of the most beautiful islands in the world and it completely exceeded our expectations ! The Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 granite and coral islands in the Indian Ocean, just off of East Africa. It’s home to numerous pristine beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves, as well as rare animals such as giant Aldabra tortoises and rare plants such as the Coco de Mer. We island hopped across Mahe, La Digue, Praslin and Felicite, read more in my travel guide HERE.
Ok I’ll admit it straight off the bat – Anguilla is probably my favorite Caribbean island (very closely followed by Antigua) ! Its a little bit more special to me cos for me the no 1 thing I look for is the quality of beaches and man oh man – Anguilla is heaven on earth! Anguilla has been consistently voted best Caribbean island by several travel publications for years in a row and it totally deserves that title! Check out my travel guide to Anguilla HERE.
I have several other faves, but these are my all time top 10 for now! I am sure as and when we visit other islands my list will evolve and I will be sure to update this regularly. Do you have a favorite island you have been to? Or one that you are dying to visit?
Thanks for stopping by! xoxo
Jyo