
Sipping cocktails by the seashore, diving on a perfect reef or basking in midnight sun above the Arctic Circle – whatever your dream, somewhere out there is the right island for you. Jill Crawshaw reveals the world’s most fabulous castaway experiences
1 Mnemba Island, Zanzibar
Barefoot luxury is the theme at Mnemba, the heart-shaped coral atoll which has been voted one of the most romantic islands in the world. You’ll kick off your sandals when you wade ashore from the boat bringing you from Zanzibar.
Your HQ will be a banda, or cottage, made from handwoven palm, thatch and driftwood, with a verandah and your own patch of shell-strewn sand. There are only 10 of them hidden among the casuarina trees, so you are more likely to meet a turtle or flock of waders than your nearest neighbour as you stroll around the island.