Why do we choose islands? Why, when asked to relax into an imaginary holiday,
do so many of us find comfort in wrapping the water right around us? It
can’t just be because we relish heading in any direction, and eventually
getting our toes wet.
Surely our love of continuous coastline is as much to do with protection as
scenery — a guarantee that the stresses we leave behind will have to work
that much harder to intrude on the peace and the rest we’ve found. There’s
another attraction, too — of specific character and discreet size. Islands
are distinctly knowable, and much more easy to befriend than whole nations.
The delicious routines of a good holiday — breakfast from the same baker’s,
sundowner in the same bar — can feel unambitious with a country to conquer,
but on an island, they’re facts of life.
There is, however, a catch. The very characteristics that make islands so easy
to love also make them far too easy to love to death. Unique, isolated
cultures are far from resilient when foreign money arrives; space is at a
premium; developments that might elsewhere count as nibbles from pristine
landscapes take great chunks out of an island’s ecosystem; natural resources
are scarce, and when they run out, there’s nowhere to turn. From the Bahamas
to the Balearics, from the Keys to
the Cyclades, thoughtless cashing-in on the allure of island life has left
scars of almost laughable idiocy, empires of concrete and chlorine, asphalt
and alcohol, which could take generations to clean up.
The good news is that wisdom and forethought can affect an island community
just as much as greed and short-sightedness. And there are archipelagos and
outcrops we can visit safe in the knowledge that an island culture is being
fought for, a natural inheritance is being protected, and the local people
are doing their damnedest to ensure that our visit is a contribution, not a
curse.
You can never go anywhere without changing it a little, but you can make sure
you’re there on the locals’ terms. These 10 destinations mix the joys of an
island escape with the confidence of a future well planned.
VANUATU
Prepare for envy — this picturesque Pacific republic of 83 islands is
currently the number-one nation on the Happy Planet Index, which multiplies
life satisfaction by life expectancy, then divides it by ecological impact
(since you ask, we’re 108th out of 178, between Libya and Laos). And with
white-sand beaches, dense tropical interiors, bountiful marine life and a
climate as reliably cheery as the people, you, too, would be happy here.
Culturally vital, with scores of native languages still in use, and with much
of its ecology still intact, Vanuatu is carefully sharing its treasures with
the outside world, mixing local-run lodges with high-end resorts and keeping
the inevitable cruise passengers corralled in a few honeypots. Conservation
areas keep development out of the finest ecosystems, and cultural protection
is unwavering — you can pay a fortune to watch a fake “land-jumping”
ceremony if you so desire, but be aware that you are not invited to the real
rite.
To make the best contribution, fly to Vanuatu (Trailfinders can fix return
flights on Qantas, via Sydney, from £1,130; 0845 058 5858, www.trailfinders.co.uk)
and stay in the network of family-run “bungalows” (from £7.50 a night) — all
you need to know is on www.positiveearth.org.
If that sounds a bit cheap, Turquoise (01494 678400, www.turquoiseholidays.co.uk)
can organise a two-week holiday, with flights via Australia and luxury stays
on two islands, from £2,295pp.
CORSICA
They take their environment seriously in Corsica — frankly, they take
everything pretty seriously on this famously proud Mediterranean mountain.
The island’s grand plan is to focus on two types of visitors: high-spenders,
to keep the cultural and architectural delights of Calvi, Bonifacio and
elsewhere in good nick; and sports and nature fans, to take low-impact
delight in the fiercely protected wilderness. Whether you’re a hiker, a
mountain-biker, a sea-kayaker or a scuba-diver, there’s a protected space
for you — the island is almost 40% national park. With tight controls on
development, this is never going to be the cheapest holiday in the Med — but
you get the island you pay for.
Simply Travel (0870 166 4979, www.simplytravel.com)
has a comprehensive collection of Corsican hotels, as well as villas from
£718 for two people for a week, including flights.
If you are into outdoor sports, Explore (0844 499 0901, www.explore.co.uk)
has an all-action eight-day family adventure from £1,069pp, including
flights.
TORY, Donegal
Or Oilean Thorai, for this rugged and weather-blown beauty off Ireland’s
northwest coast is a hothouse of Gaelic identity. More than once, the
mainland authorities have offered to evacuate Tory permanently — it can be
cut off by storms that last a month in winter — but the locals have chosen
to battle for their personal, often eccentric lifestyle. Tourism is the key
to that survival now, with a carefully controlled stock of hotel and hostel
beds bringing pedestrian-only guests to join the ceilidhs, visit the artists
who’ve made their home here, sink plenty of pints and shake off the
hangovers on stunning clifftop walks. Progressing carefully, Tory’s future
looks calm. But beware — the ferry crossing is notoriously rough.
Track down accommodation at www.oileanthorai.com
or book at the Tory Hotel (00 353 74 91 35920, www.toryhotel.com;
doubles from £78).
The ferry (£18 return; www.toryislandferry.com)
runs three times a day in summer from Magheroarty, and daily all year from
Bunbeg.
BRIJUNI, Croatia
There are several candidates for the plaudits in Croatia, where the
development of the coastline and islands is subject to a feisty national
debate (never tell a Croat you’re there on a property hunt). But Brijuni is
quite remarkable: an island park that showcases both preservation and
inspired natural preening — a sort of Capability Brown garden in the middle
of the Adriatic.
Marshal Tito fell for Brijuni’s climate and coastline, and set about both
protecting its assets, which include reefs, dinosaur footprints and Roman
villas, and supplementing them with oddities such as sculpted gardens, wild
deer and a pair of elephants, a gift from Indira Gandhi.
Tourism is well controlled — guest numbers are limited, there are no cars, and
swimming is in designated spots only — but nobody minds, as the beauty and
idiosyncrasy of the place seem secure.
Accommodation is at one of the two hotels (from £46), or five villas (from
£367 a night for four people); call 00 385 52 525807 or visit www.brijuni.hr.
There are up to 12 boat transfers a day. Try to avoid July and August.
EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) flies to
Rijeka from Luton and Bristol.
DOMINICA
Sometimes it can feel as if the countries of the Caribbean have signed a
binding suicide pact, by cruise ship and sprawling all-inclusive, but
Dominica is doing its best to forge another path. The island — blessed,
perhaps, by rugged terrain, the odd damp day and precious few brochure-ready
beaches — has two forest reserves and three national parks, protecting some
of the most vibrant tropical habitat in the Atlantic. It also has no
mega-resorts,
and has set aside the only reservation for indigenous peoples in the
Caribbean, allowing 3,000 Carib Indians to keep their culture alive. Billed
as the only place Columbus would still recognise, Dominica is under
increasing pressure from cruise arrivals, but only enthusiasts for nature
and culture stay for long.
Tailormade (0117 311 4400, www.tripsworldwide.co.uk)
has a 14-day Naturally Dominica tour, staying in small hotels, from
£1,595pp, including flights from Heathrow.
JURA, Scotland
Some call Jura “the last Scottish island”, a tribute to its success in staying
populated, but not colonised. George Orwell was a fan, as is David Cameron
(though he is, inevitably, related to the local laird). The resilient
community of about 200 inhabitants has an impressively packed calendar
of festivals, sports events and parties, to which guests are made welcome —
but if you’re after a bit more isolation, the beaches are spotless, the
water is astonishingly clear (if brisk), and there’s always the Paps to
tackle. These three mountains dominate the 30-mile island, and offer some of
the most adventurous walking, the least predictable weather and, if you’re
lucky, the most stunning views in the British Isles.
From Oban, via Islay, the ferry costs £108 for a car and £21.90pp, return
(0800 066 5000, www.calmac.co.uk).
Find accommodation at www. juradevelopment.co.uk. If you must, Cameron’s
cottage, Tabert Lodge, sleeping up to 14, is available from £850 a week
(01738 451610, www.
cottages-and-castles.co.uk).
FERNANDO DE NORONHA, Brazil
One inhabited island and 20 people-free ones, more than 200 miles off
northeast Brazil, this archipelago rivals the Galapagos for biodiversity,
particularly beneath the waves. But limits on visitors are fierce — just 420
guests are permitted at a time, and they’re carefully restrained, leaving
the fauna, particularly the countless dolphins, undisturbed. Tourists are
housed in locally run hostels and homestays, keeping the 200-year-old
settlements afloat. More than 70% of the archipelago is national park,
consisting of empty beaches, vicious rock formations and some of the best
scuba-diving territory in South America. Those who wait their turn — and pay
the steep eco-taxes — to get here never regret it.
Last Frontiers (01296 653000, www.lastfrontiers.com)
can set up four nights on Fernando de Noronha as part of a two-week tour of
the natural wonders and colonial towns of northeast Brazil from £2,060pp,
including flights from Heathrow to Recife and transfers. Or try Exsus (020
7292 5060, www.exsus.com).
TASMANIA
There are plenty of Tasmanians who’ll tell you their island is too well
protected on behalf of us visitors — particularly those who’d rather be
working as lumberjacks than tour guides. But the fierce, often fractious
battles to protect this time-warp southern outcrop have kept some remarkable
landscapes in wonderful health. Twenty national parks, two World Heritage
areas, 420 nature reserves and seven marine reserves — no wonder this is
considered a hiker’s and diver’s paradise.
The jewels in the crown are a pair of low-impact hiking trails, Bay of Fires
and the Cradle Mountain Huts (check out www.bayoffires.com.au),
which could serve as models for every wilderness tourism project from the
Rift Valley to the Norfolk Wash.
Bridge & Wickers (020 7483 6555, www.bridgeandwickers.co.uk)
has 10 nights of outdoor action on Tasmania for £916pp, including
accommodation and car hire. It can arrange Qantas flights from Heathrow to
Tassie, via Melbourne, for £1,066pp. The two hikes mentioned above can be
included — but not until 2009.
CHOLE, Tanzania
This tiny verdant island off the coast of Tanzania faced two stark
possibilities as the 21st century came into view. Either it would steadily
depopulate, as the young people left to look for work, or the developers
would spot its placid Indian Ocean location and slap millionaires’ villas
all over the shop.
Jean and Anne de Villiers arrived with another plan.
Now, Chole Mjini Lodge offers charming rustic accommodation while funding the
island’s school, healthcare clinic, adult-learning centre and, believe it or
not, fruit-bat sanctuary. You can snorkel, spot whale sharks, sail dhows
and, best of all, be part of something special. Expert Africa (020 8232
9777, www.expertafrica.com) has
seven nights on Chole from £1,409pp, based on two sharing and including
flights from Heathrow to Dar es Salaam and transfers.
UTO, Sweden
The Stockholm archipelago has its own equivalent of the National Trust to
purchase and protect fragile beauty spots.
The largest landholding is on Uto, a substantial chunk of forests, pastures,
inlets and ragged rocks, a three-hour ferry ride from Stockholm.
A popular anchoring spot for this nation’s armada of yachts, Uto is a much
quieter affair on land, where cyclists and horse-riders tour the dirt roads
and small fishing and farming communities, keeping an eye off shore for
seals and rare sea birds.
With all manner of water- conservation and composting projects keeping
everything low-impact, this is a hale and hearty — and family-friendly —
island escape.
Doubles at the island’s one hotel cost £152 (00 46 8504 20 300, www.uto-vardshus.se);
summer cottages can be rented through the island’s tourist board (00 46 8501
57410, www.utoturistbyra.se).
SAS (0870 6072 7727, www.flysas.com )
flies to Stockholm from Heathrow and Manchester. Or try British Airways
(0870 850 9850, www.ba.com) or Sterling
(0870 787 8038, www.sterling.dk).
Ferries from Stockholm start at £9.25 (www.
waxholmsbolaget.se).
