A field journal from the quieter corners of the world
There is something about an island. It begins with the crossing: that slip of sea which separates here from there. Once you arrive, the light changes, the edges soften, and life unfolds on a different rhythm. You notice this not in the postcard views, but in the small details. The pause between waves. The hush beneath the canopy. The stories that travel by tide.
Yet even in a company where travel is our craft, some islands have surprised us more than others. We asked our team which places caught them off guard and found that the answers were as varied as the islands themselves.
Nick Van Gruisen, our Managing Director, captured it best.
“The best trips are the ones that change how you think about a place. Islands do that brilliantly. They give you space to look outward, and inward.”
This is a journal of such places. Not the usual suspects, but islands that unfolded slowly or unexpectedly, and which have lingered in the imagination long after the sand was shaken from our bags.
SPEAK TO OUR EXPERTSPlaces where arrival feels like exhale
“I think we underestimate how powerful it is to feel remote without making a mission of it,” says Sophie Levey, our Africa & Beyond specialists. “That is why I love Pemba. You land there, a short hop from Zanzibar, and the rhythm changes instantly.”
On Pemba Island, Zanzibar, the beaches remain empty and the reefs shimmer with life. At Fundu Lagoon, life slows to the pull of the tide and the mood of the sky.
Thousands of kilometres away in Chiloé Island, Chile, works a quieter kind of magic. Fog hangs in the trees and tides dictate your days. Wooden churches lean into the wind and folklore weaves through local stories.
“Chiloé is not a place for checklists,” says Jonny Livingstone, our Central America, South America and Polar specialist. “You go to feel the story of it.” Refugia Chiloé is a good place to begin.
Between these and the edges of many continents, there are islands that slip quietly beneath the radar. Sindabezi Island, a private river island in the Zambezi, is reached by boat from Livingstone. Naoshima, Japan’s Art Island, offers a sculptural dreamscape where architecture and landscape co-exist. On Benguerra Island, Mozambique, barefoot luxury is matched by the timeless cadence of dhow sails drifting along the horizon.
Where life swarms and sings
Of course, stillness is not the only island luxury. Some islands pulse with life, in ways that awaken the senses and recalibrate your place within the natural world.
Few places embody this more vividly than South Georgia.
“Nothing prepared me for South Georgia,” says Claire Betts, our Central America, South America and Polar specialist. “You think you have seen wildlife, then you land on a beach with four hundred thousand king penguins. It is surreal.”
Here, nature is not just present but in full voice. Glaciers calve, seals bellow, and albatrosses sweep across the sky. The voyage there, part of our Antarctica, Falklands and South Georgia itinerary, is an experience in its own right.
There are quieter moments too. The Ballestas Islands of Peru provide a marine spectacle within the span of a morning boat ride, while Svalbard, far to the north, offers a world of ice where silence itself is a presence.
“³Ò²¹±ôá±è²¹²µ´Ç²õ gets all the headlines, and rightly so,” says Jacob Jewitt-Jalland, our Central & South America specialist. “But these quieter wildlife islands stay with you differently. They feel more elemental.”
Islands where the pulse slows
Not every island calls for adventure. Some invite you to surrender, to let go of lists and clocks, and to remember the value of simply being.
Nosy Komba, off Madagascar, is such a place. There are no cars, no clubs, and no schedules. Just lemurs in the canopy and the hush of the sea.“You forget what a clock is,” says Cassie Tucker, our Africa specialists. “It is the kind of place where time moves like the tide.” At Tsara Komba Lodge, the biggest decisions involve a hammock or a paddleboard.
Further north, Manda Island in Kenya works a similar kind of alchemy.
“It is amazing how quickly you re-centre there,” says Tania Bulhmann, our Africa & Beyond specialist. “It is where I would send someone who needs to remember what a day can feel like.”Manda Bay Lodge is the perfect base.
In Asia, Koh Yao Noi remains a quietly kept secret.
“Much calmer than its neighbours,” says Rob Kent, our Asia specialist. “It is an island for slow mornings and long sea views.”
For those who prefer to dive in
Some islands reveal their beauty below the surface. To travel here is to immerse not only in landscape but in seascape.
Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, is one such place. “Brazil’s best diving, without question,” says Jacob. “Reef sharks, sea turtles, dolphins. The waters here feel untouched.” Stay at Pousada Maravilha for an unspoilt view of both land and sea.
Other underwater wonders include Ambergris Caye in Belize, gateway to the Great Blue Hole and the Mesoamerican Reef, and Mexico’s Espirito Santo, where sea lions and whale sharks roam the clear waters of the Sea of Cortez.
Islands that give you everything
Some islands refuse to be categorised. They do not ask you to choose between peace and adventure. They offer both, often in the space of a single day.
Sri Lanka is one of them. “Few places tick as many boxes,” says Rob. “Wildlife safaris, tea plantations, surf breaks, colonial towns, and beaches. You can do it all on one trip.” Explore the possibilities here.
Others in this spirit include NIHI Sumba, Indonesia, where wild horses race along empty beaches, and Islas Secas, Panama, a private island archipelago where adventure and luxury go hand in hand.
Islands as a state of mind
Every island is a crossing, both outward and inward. The ones that stay with us shift our sense of space, of time, of self. They offer a vantage point from which to reframe what matters and a rhythm to remind us how to be present.
As Nick reflected, they give us space to look outward and inward. And in a world that often feels noisy and fast, that may be the greatest luxury of all. Whether you are seeking wild encounters, deep calm, or the unexpected in between, there is an island that will surprise you. Our experts know where to find it.
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