10 Amazing Undiscovered Islands

Tobago, Caribbean

The tiny island of Tobago—unlike its boisterous cousin, Trinidad—is a Caribbean island made for travelers seeking peace, quiet, and time spent with pristine nature. Visitors can hire a guide and hike through the western hemisphere’s oldest protected rain forest, accompanied by song from some 58 different species of birds. The island is also ringed by shallow-water reefs, giving snorkelers, divers, or passengers in glass-bottomed boats the chance to spot some 300 types of coral, plus giant tube sponges, massive rays, graceful sea fans, and fish sporting more colors than Crayola.

Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

Tourism is developing in Vietnam so quickly that last year’s great island “find” swiftly becomes this year’s overcrowded destination. Pretty Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island, currently remains pristine and affordable. There’s a betting chance that that may last, since 70-80 percent of the mountainous island is protected as the Phu Quoc National Forest. The island‘s close proximity to Cambodia also means that there is an almost-invisible military presence on the north coast. 

Mnemba Island, Tanzania

It is so quiet on Mnemba Island, just off Tanzania’s larger island of Zanzibar, that you can hear the silence. This very private African island, managed by &Beyond Africa, consists of only 10 luxuriousbandas – cottages hand-woven from palm matting. Sit on your spacious front porch and watch adorable, dog-sized miniature deer amble by. Scuba dive, deep-sea fish, or snorkel to your heart’s delight, or simply enjoy a massage for two in the cool of your banda. Dinner is served on the beach by candlelight. 


 

Guernsey, Channel Islands

A few years back, it seemed like every second person was galloping through the pages of "The Guernsey Potato Peel and Literary Society," set on the Channel Island of Guernsey during World War II. Fans of that novel will find that Guernsey—far sunnier and warmer than England, and just two-and-a-half hours away by boat—has changed little since the 1940s. While the island remains “loyal to the British crown,” it is, in fact, much closer to France than England. It is also a major off-shore tax haven, which means that it is both prosperous and pretty (as in well kept). 

Molokai, Hawaii

Love the climate? Love the gentle breeze from the trade winds? Hate the high rises and freeways of Waikiki? Pack your camping gear, or book a room at the classic Hotel Molokai (now the island’s only hotel, though condo rentals are available). Book well in advance if you wish to visit Kalaupapa National Historical Park, where the Belgian priest Father Damien ministered to victims of Hansen’s disease (leprosy) and ultimately died from the disease. Choices to get to this sad but scenic site include riding a mule down and back up a 2.9-mile trail, with 26 switchbacks, along the world’s highest sea cliffs; hiking down; or flying in aboard a six-seat plane. 

Roatán, Honduras

The water surrounding the truly off-the-radar, 2-by-40-mile island of Roatán is so clear that as the plane circles over the Caribbean Sea before landing, it is possible to spot, and even to identify, dozens upon dozens of tropical fish in every color imaginable. Even many veteran Caribbean travelers couldn’t find Roatán, the largest of Honduras’ Bay Islands, on a map. Yet it abuts the second-largest barrier reef in the world, letting snorkelers see hundreds of different fish in rainbow colors, and offering divers the adventure of a lifetime, including tackling a couple of challenging wreck dives. 

Hvar, Croatia

Hvar, a beach-rich island off Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, has long been a favorite of the celebrity set, but was off most average Americans’ radar screens. Frequent sightings of the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Stephen Spielberg, and Gerard Depardieu – not to mention King Abdullah of Jordan, Princess Caroline of Monaco, and Bill Gates – add a certain allure to this very understated, very green island that shelters the rich and fabulous. Even England’s Prince Harry stopped by in the summer of 2011, venturing into an open-air nightclub called Veranda, where he famously dived backwards, fully clothed, into a swimming pool. 

Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia

Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island, is a mecca for the backpackers who roam Australia’s East Coast. Rent a 4x4 vehicle on the mainland, being sure to get a special permit to drive on Fraser. Stock up on groceries too, before boarding the ferry at Hervey Bay. It’s worth the trouble. This UNESCO World Heritage-listed island offers rich rewards. Dense rainforest trees tower over the sand dunes below, endless ocean beaches offer abundant privacy, and more than 100 freshwater lakes (some too murky for swimming) add to the mix.  

St.-Pierre and Miquelon, France

Dying for a perfect baguette? No need to book a flight to Paris. Just zip up to the tiny French islands of St.-Pierre and Miquelon—the last remaining bit of colonial New France—not far from Canada’s cod-rich Grand Banks. That location explains the islands’ abiding French-ness. Under the 1763 Treaty of Paris, France signed off on all North American possessions, except St.-Pierre and Miquelon, ensuring their fishing rights. During Prohibition in the United States, however, bootlegging actually beat out fishing, with nearly 2 million gallons of illegal booze passing through the tiny islands.

Kefalonia, Greece

Pretty little Kefalonia, in the Ionian Sea, was largely off tourist’s radar screens until the 2001 release of the ultra-romantic film "Captain Corelli’s Mandolin," based on Louis de Bernières novel, and starring Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz. The filmmakers chose their location well, since Kefalonia was, and actually still is, an old-fashioned, unspoiled Greek island – rich with romantic vistas.