55 Photos Of Islands Of Dreams And Desire

Bali

Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island (strictly speaking, the province covers a few small neighbouring islands as well as the isle of Bali). With a population recorded as 3,891,000 in the 2010 census, the island is home to most of Indonesia's small Hindu minority. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking, and music. Bali, a tourist haven for decades, has seen a further surge in tourist numbers in recent years.

Santorini

Santorini, officially Thira, is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera. Santorini is essentially what remains after an enormous volcanic explosion that destroyed the earliest settlements, on a formerly single island, and created the current geological caldera. Santorini was ranked world's top island for 2011 in Travel+Leisure Magazine. Santorini was also named "the world's best island" by BBC in 2011.

Phuket

Phuket, which is approximately the size of Singapore, is Thailand’s largest island. The island is connected to mainland Thailand by two bridges. It is situated off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. Phuket formerly derived its wealth from tin and rubber, and enjoyed a rich and colorful history. The island was on one of the major trading routes between India and China, and was frequently mentioned in foreign ship logs of Portuguese, French, Dutch and English traders. The region now derives much of its income from tourism.Whether it's world class diving in the Andaman Sea, golf at world-standard championship courses or exciting eco-adventures in tropical forests, Phuket is a place to extend your horizons. Take an exhilarating speedboat trip to the surrounding islands, or enjoy a serene cruise around mystical Phang Nga Bay.

Santa Lucia

Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. The island nation has been the home of two Nobel laureates, Arthur Lewis and Derek Walcott. It is the nation with the second most such honorees per capita after the Faroe Islands. Because it switched so often between British and French control, Saint Lucia was also known as the "Helen of the West Indies". The volcanic island of Saint Lucia is more mountainous than many other Caribbean islands, with the highest point being Mount Gimie, at 950 metres. Saint Lucia is also one of the few islands in the world that boasts a drive-in volcano.