Talk about exotic. Each of these unique islands offers something that cannot be
found anywhere else, from the largest man-made archipelago to hot springs so
therapeutic they’ve been popular since Roman times. Here's a list of islands
you must see before you die, according to Budget Travel.
#1. BALI - It is one of 17,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago - and the
only one on which Hindus form the majority (93 per cent). According the Budget
Travel, a spiritual celebration takes place almost every day on the island. So
spiritual is the island, it has become known as "Island of the Gods".
#2. VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO - Experience the world's clearest bioluminescent bay.
When the U.S. Navy packed up and left Vieques in 2003, it left something
behind: unspoiled nature.
#2. VIEQUES , PEURTO RICO - Out of the seven bioluminescent bays on the planet,
Puerto Mosquito (pictured here) is the most impressive due to the clarity and
brightness of its waters. Schedule a moonless night for a swim or kayak tour
and you'll be greeted by billions of micro-organisms called dinoflagellates
that ignite the water with a magical blue-green marine glow.
#3. EASTER ISLAND - The island, which lies 2,200 miles away from mainland
Chile, is as remote as it is mysterious. No one knows exactly why nearly 900
gargantuan stone monoliths are sprinkled across the isolated land in the middle
of the South Pacific.
#3. EASTER ISLAND - The island's only town Hanga Roa, where you can check into
Vai Moana, an understated hotel with 18 rooms set in bungalows. From the town,
wander from the volcanic coastline across grassy hills and you might not even
stand a chance of bumping into another human being - it is that serene.
#4. ISCHIA - This volcanic island in the Bay of Naples has hot springs so
therapeutic that they have drawn admirers for 2,000 years. Greeks, Romans, and
Turks quickly discovered that Ischia's fumaroles, hot springs, and heated mud
hold the power to ease sore muscles—or simply provide a degree of
self-indulgence.
#4. ISCHIA - Today's travelers are likewise pampered by massages and mud wraps
courtesy of the island's geothermal characteristic, which helps fill the
thermo-mineral pools of the island's beachfront spas.
#5. CHILOE - This archipelago may lie off the western coast of Chile but its
history, customs, and language bear little resemblance to those of the
mainland, or anywhere else in the world,
because of its isolation, according to Budget Travel.
#5. CHILOE - Residents still live in traditional palafitos (stilt houses).
Jesuit missionaries, who first arrived in the 1600s, used local materials and
construction techniques to build exquisite chapels but their work is still
evident in more than 50 wooden churches across the island. The appearance of
the homes reflects a hybrid of European and indigenous styles that you won't
find anywhere else on earth.
