Four desert island getaways
What better escape from the frantic pace of modern life than an island getaway? From Greece to the Pacific, we pick some of the calmest, remotest island escapes around.
When the phone's ringing, the BlackBerry's beeping and the frantic pace of daily life leaves you longing for peace and quiet, do you ever wish you could escape to a desert island? The good news is that, if you choose carefully, you can find yourself in locations so secluded and tranquil, you'll feel as though you had. Just remember to leave the BlackBerry at home.
Greece is, of course, famous for its islands and finding peace and quiet here is just a matter of timing, says Robin Gauldie in The Sunday Telegraph. To avoid the crowds, travel from May to mid-June, or in September. Of all the islands, Gauldie considers Karpathos, half-way between Rhodes and Crete, the "calmest". It boasts attractive beaches, quiet coves accessible only by boat and superb walking terrain all combined with boutique hotels and "surprisingly good restaurants".
A week in Karpathos costs from £695 with Cachet Travel. Alternatively, Travel A La Carte is this year expanding its network of upmarket villas onto the tiny and highly picturesque island of Symi, which is also highly recommended by Gauldie.
If you're willing to go longhaul, then the Caribbean island of Nevis is a great place to avoid the "cocktail sipping hordes", says Sally Shalam in The Times. Montpelier Plantation, just beneath the cone of the Mount Nevis volcano, is "unutterably lovely", says Vincent Crump in The Sunday Times. Hire a horse for a gallop through the surf, or relax on the four mile long "footprint-free" beach during the daytime and dine at the resort's candlelit windmill at night. ITC offers three nights at Montpelier from £1,265 per person.
For true would-be castaways, you can't get much more remote than Easter Island, set far out in the Pacific and a full 1,250 miles from its nearest neighbour. And now that Explora has opened the island's first luxury spa hotel, you can enjoy the island "in serious style", says Michelle Jana Chan in The Daily Telegraph.
Of course, you won't spend too much time by the pool when you could be exploring the island and marvelling at the famous Moai heads, those enigmatic figures carved from basalt and organic ash. Journey Latin America offers eight-night all-inclusive trips to Chile, with five nights at the Explora on Easter Island, from £2,983 per person.