Islands

Raja Ampat, Indonesia — diving paradise: islands, reefs, and some of the richest marine life on Earth.

Caribbean islands with surf, snorkelling, and a backpacker vibe. Bocas is water and palm trees.

Subtropical islands at the far south of Japan, with mangroves, reefs, and slow island towns.

Indian Ocean islands with dunes, dugongs, and empty beaches. Bazaruto is remote paradise.

Stone old town on an island, ringed by vineyards and bays. Korčula is a quieter Adriatic gem.

Subtropical beaches, U.S. bases, and Ryukyuan culture. Okinawa is different from mainland Japan.

Spice islands, white sand, and Swahili culture. Zanzibar is beaches and history—Stone Town's alleys, dhow sails, and a blend of African, Arab, and Indian influences.

Limestone cliffs and turquoise bays best experienced from a small boat. Phi Phi is touristy but visually unreal.

Nassau & the Exuma Cays, Bahamas — colonial pastel streets give way to a 365-island chain of blinding turquoise water, swimming pigs, and sandbar cays reachable only by boat.

Jungle-covered island with no cars, beaches, and trails. Ilha Grande is Brazilian island time.

A pastel harbour of neoclassical houses on a small Dodecanese island. Symi is slow, sunny days and boats.

The main and most developed Cook Island — a lush, mountainous volcanic rim circled by one coastal road, with a lagoon calmer and less crowded than Aitutaki's.

Príncipe Island, São Tomé and Príncipe — a UNESCO biosphere reserve of jungle-draped volcanic spires and empty beaches in the Gulf of Guinea, among Africa's least-visited islands.

Grass‑roofed houses, a tiny harbour, and cliffs never far away. Tórshavn is a capital that feels like a village at the edge of the North Atlantic.

Bay Islands diving and beach time. Roatán is reef and relaxed Caribbean.

Evolution's laboratory: giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, and wildlife that has never learned to fear humans. The Galápagos are a once-in-a-lifetime trip—cruise or land-based.

Wooden churches, stilt houses, and rolling fields in a rainy corner of southern Chile.

Tobago Cays, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — five uninhabited islets ring a shallow turquoise lagoon protected as a marine park, reachable only by boat.

Street food, street art, and a mix of cultures. Penang is a small island with big flavour.

Island of white villages, beaches, and synagogues. Djerba is a mellow North African escape.

Helsinki, Finland — a Baltic capital of striking design, scattered islands, restorative saunas, and Art Nouveau facades in the sun-drenched Nordic summer.

Thousands of forested and rocky islands spreading into the Baltic from Stockholm.

Volcanic islands in the middle of the Atlantic, all green hills, crater lakes, and hydrangeas. The Azores feel like a mix of Europe and remote ocean.

Narrow atoll and one of the world's smallest nations.