Our Top-10 List: Favourite Islands of the World

[ more Top-10 Lists ]

Who doesn’t love an island? You always feel like you are on holiday when you visit an island, maybe because you usually travel across the water to get there. This list is our own personal top-ten based on what we have seen and experienced in our travels. There is literally thousands more island that are great, but these are ones that we have visited and have had an impact on us some way or another. [updated 2020]

1. Corsica, France

Having a beer in Corsica

Corsica is a large island in the Mediterranean Sea, officially part of France but not at all like mainland France. There are historic coastal towns, but towards the less populated centre are forests and mountains popular with hikers.

2. Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Isla Mujeres Mexico

Isla Mujeres is a small island off the coast of Cancun in Mexico.

3. Venice, Italy

Quiet Venice "street"

Venice is made up of many islands, which becomes obvious as you cross so many bridges as you walk around. Getting away from the crowds to the outer islands of Meno and Burano in Venice Lagoon is a fantastic day trip.

4. Gili Islands, Lombok, Indonesia

gili horse

There are three islands to the north of the big island of Lombok in Indonesia, collectively names the Gili Islands (gili means island). We stayed on the (more) laid back Gili Meno, in a bungalow on the beach.

5. Lord Howe Island, Australia

Mountains

Lord Howe Island is a pacific island, but still part of Australia, and is surrounded by the world’s southern-most coral reef.

6. Rottnest Island, Western Australia

Rottnest Island Sunset

Rottnest Island is off the coast of our home town Perth, Western Australia. It is well known as home to the small marsupial quokka.

7. Caye Caulker, Belize

Caye Caulker, Belize

With no cars, sandy paths, warm weather and water, Caye Caulker in Belize is a tropical paradise.

8. Alcatraz, San Francisco

Alcatraz San Francisco

This ex-prison in San Francisco bay makes a very interesting destination for a tour. Don’t try swimming there, the prisoners did not have much luck trying to swim off the island.

9. Miyajima Island, Japan

Miyajima Deer Island

Jumping because we loved this island. Miyajima island is a popular tourist destination near Hiroshima, Japan. This low key island is a welcome break from the busier mainland cities. You can easily wander around the main town area, among the deer that live there. We visited in May 2011.

10. Lake Bled Island, Slovenia

Bled Island

There is an island in the middle of Lake Bled, which adjoins the town of Bled in northwestern Slovenia. You can row out to the island, and explore the church that makes up most of the island.


* Islands missing out on the top-10 are: Elephanta Island (Mumbai, India), Si Phan Don in Laos, Ometepe in Nicaragua, New York Manhattan Island, Singapore, Tasmania, Bathurst Island in the NT Australia.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *