#1: Song Saa Private Island, Cambodia
Billed as the only private island resort in Cambodia, the three-year-old resort is spread over two islands – one is 3.5ha wide and the other 5ha wide – in the Koh Rong Archipelago and has received several accolades (it was named one of the best hotels in the world by travel guide Fodor’s last year). To get there from Phnom Penh Airport, take a 3 1/2-hour car transfer provided by the island to Sihanoukville Port. From there, a speedboat will take guests to the island in 30 minutes.
Accommodation: 27 villas, with designs inspired by Cambodian fishing villages, can accommodate up to 70 guests. As an example, a one-bedroom jungle villa with a pool is fully air- conditioned and comes with high-speed Internet, TV and hot water. It also has an outdoor shower and a sundeck.
Facilities: A restaurant and lounge bar that offer views of the sunset, seascapes and starry nights; a swimming pool, spa and wellness sanctuaries; and a yoga and meditation centre on the shoreline.
Activities: Kayaking, scuba-diving, snorkelling, hiking, Khmer cooking lessons and visits to local fishing villages.
Rates: From US$1,440 (S$2,050) a night for a one-bedroom villa for two adults in low season.
#2: Laucala Island, Fiji
Laucala Island is a 12 sq km resort where talk-show host Oprah Winfrey reportedly stayed at in 2010 with her partner Stedman Graham. Supermodel Elle Macpherson also reportedly got married to billionaire Jeffrey Soffer on the island in 2013. In October last year, it became the first resort in the world to include a ride in its own two-man submarine called DeepFlight Super Falcon.
Accommodation: 25 villas, which can accommodate up to 72 people. Each villa is a glamorous version of traditional Fijian dwelling, with a private garden, an infinity-edge pool and a yoga deck. Villas have air-conditioning, hot water, TV and Internet and come with a buggy so guests are free to explore the resort at their leisure.
Facilities: An 18-hole golf course, bars and a jetty.
Activities: Rainforest walking tours, golf, farm visits, horseback riding and sailing.
Rates: From US$4,600 (S$6,550) a night for a one-bedroom villa for two adults.
#3: Telunas Private Island, Indonesia
Opened last July, Telunas Private Island is located within the Karimun region of the Riau Islands and is three hours from Singapore by boat. To reach the island, take a ferry from HarbourFront Centre to Sekupang International Ferry Terminal in Batam. There, resorts staff will meet you and guide you to a domestic transfer in a traditional wooden longboat to the island.
Accommodation: 15 sea villas, each with an area of 90 sq m, with a maximum occupancy of five people. Each villa includes a sitting room, a private balcony, a king-size bed and a children’s loft.
Facilities: A freshwater infinity pool, private beaches and a telescope which islandgoers can use to gaze at the night sky.
Activities: Hikes around the island, stand-up paddle boarding, sea kayaking, fishing, mangrove river tour and visits to the local village.
Rates: From 2,000,000 rupiah (S$195) a night for a sea villa for two adults.
#4: Musha Cay, The Bahamas
Here’s your chance to rub shoulders with Hollywood celebrities like Beyonce and Johnny Depp at Musha Cay, owned by illusionist David Copperfield and available for rent. Mr Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, was said to have married biotech analyst and entrepreneur Anne Wojcicki on the island in 2007. Actress Penelope Cruz also reportedly married actor Javier Bardem there in 2010.
Accommodation: Five guesthouses – each with its own private beach – can comfortably accommodate up to 24 guests. For example, one of the guesthouses, Highview, has a private sauna, two full kitchens, air-conditioning, hot water, TV and high-speed Internet. There is also a 360-degree view of Musha Cay and its 10 uninhabited neighbouring islands.
Facilities: Tennis court, a beachfront gazebo, a heated pool, a billiards room with Houdini’s pool table and memorabilia and an outdoor movie theatre with a two-storey screen.
Activities: Swimming, jetboating and picnicking.
Rates: From US$39,000 (S$55,570) a day for up to 12 people, with a minimum of four nights.
#5: Ariara Island, The Phillippines
Ariara Island lies 260km south-west of Manila and features 50.5ha of tropical paradise, with 600m of white sandy beaches. A staff of more than 35 will tend to your needs and a yacht, with air-conditioned cabins and manned by a crew, is at your disposal for island-hopping and expeditions.
Accommodation: Eight villas, cottages and suites that can accommodate up to 18 guests in total. Each of the four beach cottages has a large bedroom with a vaulted ceiling, a four poster-style bed, a walk-in wardrobe, an open-air shower and bathrooms with marble floors. Each also has air-conditioning, hot water, TV and Internet. It is surrounded on two sides by wide verandahs with ceiling fans, as well as a private terrace with a secluded pocket garden.
Facilities: A lodge consisting of a dining hall, a lounge, a shaded terrace and a games area. There is also an infinity pool surrounded by sundecks.
Activities: Water sports such as windsurfing, snorkelling, scuba- diving, water-skiing, wakeboarding and jet-skiing. You can also fish and go island-hopping.
Rates: From US$475 (S$676) a person a night (based on a week- long stay with 15 to 18 guests).
#6: Velaa Private Island, The Maldives
The 20ha Velaa Private Island opened in 2013 and is north of the capital Male. Its calling cards include a golf academy designed by Spanish professional golfer Jose Maria Olazabal and a restaurant featuring menus created by Michelin-star chef Adeline Grattard from France.
Accommodation: 47 villas, houses and residences, which can accommodate up to 130 people altogether. A beach pool villa, for example, has two bathrooms – one indoor and one outdoor – an outdoor terrace, a gazebo-covered daybed, a swimming pool and an alfresco dining area. It also has air- conditioning, hot water, TV and high-speed Internet.
Facilities: A golf academy, a spa with six treatment rooms and a cloud-shaped reclining treatment pod.
Activities: Snorkelling, windsurfing, kayaking, sailing, wakeboarding, water-skiing, kitesurfing, fishing, sunset cruises, dolphin- watching and private boat excursions.
Rates: From US$1,500 (S$2,140) a night for a one-bedroom beach pool villa for two adults.
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