Best...
The Islands of the World draw millions of visitors each year, and rightly so. Islands offer unique possibilities that the mainland can often never match. Knowing which islands to visit, and which have already been overdeveloped and seen their day is not always so easy. Here is my list of the World's most unspoilt islands .
The islands have been carefully considered and only those with a good balance of tourism and ecology have been included. So islands with incredible beautify and culture that have awful tourist resort developments, such as Bali or Phuket, have not made it to the list.
I have divided the list into 2 - Tropical and Green. Many people are looking for an island experience that offers sand, sea, sunshine and seafood, these are the Tropical islands. Not all of the islands in the tropical list lie in tropical regions, it's just easier to list them that way Whilst many other people are looking for lush green vegitation with endless walking possibilities, these are the Green islands. The green refers to the color of the landscape rather than ecological harmony, but the two often go hand-in-hand.
| Tropical | Green | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Azores, Portugal Green volcanic mountains and picturesque blank and white towns are best explored by driving tours, taking in handicrafts and local cuisine. Although off the coast of north Africa, the vibrant Portuguese culture is strong and sophisticated. |
Faroe Islands (Denmark) Lovely unspoiled islands that prove a delight to travelers. The Faroe islands and remote and cool, and have therefore escaped the overcrowding and overdevelpment of so many once beautiful islands. Situated northwest of the Shetlands, the islands offer wonderful nature, specatacular waterfalls & harbors, historic architercture and local pride. |
| 2 | Kangaroo Island, South Australia Agriculture, tourism and wildernesss meld with high environmental quality and local involvement. |
Lofoten,Norway |
| 3 | Dominica, Caribeean Rugged, green, friendly, with a few beaches, the Nature Island offers an authentic, unspoiled experience, with natural and cultural amenities. |
Shetland Islands, Scotland More Norse that Scottish, 'Shelties' keep up the Viking traditions and show extremely high integrity in all aspects off heritage and ecology despite North Sea oil development. |
| 4 | Grenadines,
Caribbean Unspoiled beauty, not too developed, and great yachting. One of the the last and best hopes of the Caribbean. |
Chiloe, Chile Gateway to Chilie's fjord country, rural and unspoiled Chiloe possesses a pristine seascape, enhanced by protected forests snd dozens of historic towns and wooden churches, 16 of which are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. |
| 5 | Tasmania, Australia Clean, green and pristine. An alternative glimpse of Australia. |
Isle of Syke, Scotland Wild landscape and a place of cultural resonance for Scots. With a renaissance of the Gaelic language, the largest of the Inner Hebrides still retains its romanticism. |
| 6 | Bora-Bora, French
Polynesia Outstanding natural and cultural beauty. The island gets praise for balancing beach tourism with enphasis on local culture, archaeological sites and native species. |
Mackinac Island, Michigan Cars have been banned since 1898, there are no high-rises and little development pressure. This is an iconic isle in Lake Huron. This island is a gem. |
| 7 | Fraser Island,
Australia Forested sandy island off Queesland. A World Heritage Site that gets good marks for park preservation, but busy with tourists. |
Iceland Dramatic landscapes, unique culture and high environmental awareness. Ecotour operators at odds with whalers. |
| 8 | Hydra (Idra), Greece Small island with no cars allowed and beautiful local architecture, authentic Greek food and Greek preservation. Gets busy with day trippers. |
Aran Islands, Ireland |
| 9 | Corsica, France Fantastic mix of mountains, beaches and strong cultural identity. The independant-minded Corsicans maintain one of the Mediterraneans last isles sheltered from the mass torusim. |
Texel, Netherlands Well cared for Dutch holiday island on the Waddenzee. Nice low-key destination for cyclists. |
| 10 | Santa Catalina Islad,
Califormnia Lots of visitors, but most stay in Avalon. Catalina Conservancy protects nature, although area must recover from the May 2007 fire. |
Bornholm, Denmark Homey rather than spectacular characterises the charming townscapes of this Danish outpost in the Baltic Sea. Crowded in summer. |
| 11 | Upolu and Savai'i, Samoa,
Polynesia Praised for cultural integrity the 'Samoan way'. Family tourism businesses give a taste of Samoan life to the traveler. |
Cape Breton Island, Nova
Scotia Vibrant Acadian and Celtic hertiage mix with coastal panoramas on the top notch Cabot Trail. Tourism helps combat high unemployment and out-migration. |
| 12 | Palawan, Phillippines Blessed with incredibly beautiful seascapes and landscapes. Richly diverse marine life threateaned by pollution, but conservation improving. Recoomended: El Nido and the Calamianes Group. |
Isle of Man (UK) Semi independant island with unique Nordic-Celtic character resonably preserved. Past-prime resort hotels need rejuvanation. Manx traditions retained, but shot through with immigratioin from England. |
| 13 | Moorea, French
Ploynesia Stunningly beautiful, lush flora, extensive reef systems, diverse sea life, and archarological sites. The experience lingers long after your tan. |
Block Island, Rhode
Island Low-key, good nature reserves, charming old New England culture of the sea, but poor zoning turns second-home influx into landscapes-altering large-lot subdivisions. |
| 14 | Ilha Grande, Brazil Richly forrested, marvelous beaches, charming communities near Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. No big internatinal hotels. |
Hvar, Croatia Authentic, attractive gen of the Dalmation coast under control except for the build-up of holiday homes. Jammed in summer. |
| 15 | Sardinia, Italy Coves, caves, long sandy beaches and a mountaineous interior preserves a rich cultural heritage. There are some coastal resorts. |
Jersey and Guernsey, Channel Islands
(U.K.) Scenic islands with strong idenity, rich cultural hertiage and high envionment qualities. Tax haven status has attracted the affluent and inflated real esate. Enjoy the nextwork of green lanes and cycle routes. |
One of the best things about traveling is trying and experiencing new, different and authentic foods. It's not always a good experience, everywhere in the world has some questionable foods. But normally, eating is one of the best parts of the day. Here are my favorite food experiences when travelling
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Indian food
Just about everything I ate in India was amazing. From fried bananas in the morning, washed down with chai, to palak paneer, malai kofta or samosas for lunch. For dinner I tried just about every chicken dish I could find, from Kadai chicken, Jaipur chicken and of course Butter chicken (from which Chicken Tikka Masala comes). In the south the endless (but surprsingly expensive) fish was fantastic. Street-side stalls, whilst of questionable hygiene standards, always served the finest snacks and drinks at incredibly low prices. Even on India's trains the food is great.
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Tapas, Spain
Standing at the bar, beer in one hand, cocktail stick in the other, picking away at little plates of high calorie, high fat and high taste foods. Tapas has got to be one of the best food experiences in the world. It's not just about the food, it's about the environment. Noisy, bustling bars, rammed with Spanish people, enjoying every moment and mouthful. I've spent a good deal of time travelling in Spain, and Tapas is still one of the highlights of Spanish life for me. My favorite is the well known bar in the lower Latin quarter of Barcelona. The name escapes me though...
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Pasta, Italy
If you live in Europe, you'll almost certainly have tried some form of pasta. But how authentic is it? For Italians, pasta is simple, with only a handful of ingredients. If like me, when you cook pasta you add all sorts of other things, most Italian mamas would scoff at. Pasta sauce in Italy, however, is pure, rich and truly fantastic. My favorite experience was a restaurant on a plaza in Florence.
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Just about anything, France
Ever heard people talk about how good French food is? Yeah, me too, but it wasn't until I spent time in France in 2006 that I got to try some real French food. And boy, was I pleased. Just about everything that passed my lips was excellent. From quiche, cheese, grapes, steak, potatoes, everything tasted like it was grown and cooked for me personally. Believe the hype!
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Steak, Australia
In a country so vast as Australia, raising beef cattle is not a problem. Australian steaks and think, tasty and cheap. My favorite steak was probably at the Coogge Bay Hotel, at the steak bar!
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Roast dinner, England
Ever heard how bad British food is? Well I think that's a bit unfair. Disclaimer: I am British. Now that's out of the way, Britain doesn't have the long line of classics like France or Italy. Fish and Chips are not our national dish, it's just something you might have when at the seaside. Britain is a massive cosmopolitan pot of people. It's home to more curries than anywhere outside of Indian. Moroccan, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Asian and many more ethnic foods are in abundance and of top quality in Britain. But for me, the humble old roast dinner cannot be beaten on a cold Sunday evening. Steaming up the windows, sat in front of the fire, perfect. Of course, I hate British winters, and run away when the temperatures get anywhere less than 15 degrees Celsius. But when I am in England, a roast dinner is a must.
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Belgian waffles, Belgium
When visiting Belgium in 2006 it never crossed my mind that I might stumble upon a waffle. But I did when wandering around Brussels. I waited in line like a good tourist, and watched them make my fresh warm waffle. Topped with jam, oh boy, truly fantastic. I didn't try the chips/fries though.
Best European cities
- London
- Paris
- Barcelona
- Madrid
- Lisbon
Best cities for nightlife
- Barcelona
Best cities for museums
- London
- Paris
- Madrid
Cheapest cities
- Lisbon
- Madrid
