6 Islands You Can Consider Paradise

Don't you just love island hopping? My family and I went on a cruise a couple of weeks ago. We had a blast during our trip to three different islands in South America. We went to Roatan, Bannister, and Cozumel. We really had a great time.

Photo was taken at Bannister Island, Belize

There's something about an island with sprawling and undeveloped vistas and bright sunshine that captures people's imaginations. While one should be sparing about using words as powerful as "paradise," some islands definitely qualify. The following are a few of the best there are.

Kauai, Hawaii, USA

Kauai is the oldest of the Hawaiian islands, at around six million years old. With a laid back culture and a lot of nice environments to explore, this island offers lots of fun activities that you don't even need. The easiest way to feel like you're in paradise around this island is to simply explore the gorgeous, unique scenery carved by erosion and marvel at how something as violent as volcanic eruptions can create a place so beautiful.

Ihuru Island, Maldives

On the surface, Ihuru has the typical components of an island paradise. There are the beaches of white sand, the palm trees and even a shallow lagoon or two. But Ihuru Island is also an interesting take on the concept of paradise because it's very environmentally friendly. Snorkeling is one of the major activities to do around the island because of the abundant coral reefs, and the local population works hard to use biodegradeable materials and renewable sources of power to avoid damaging the local ecosystem. The people there are even working to help grow the reefs to make them more amazing.

Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Bora Bora is a very popular island, and for good reason. With a lagoon rich with life forms to snorkel around and possibly the world's loveliest beaches, this is a great place to visit. Staying in French Polynesia hotels gives you the chance to take on a lot of fun activities, like horseback riding, kiteboarding and anything you can do in the water.

Caprera Island, Sardinia, Italy

Possibly derived from capra, which means "goats" in Italian, Caprera Island is actually a natural preserve. So while frolicking on the beach is great, this island also gives you plenty of animals to check out. Peregrine falcons, cormorants and royal seagulls are very popular sights on Caprera Island, and are a protected part of the area's natural heritage.

Cousine Island, Seychelles

Cousine Island is perhaps the least spoiled of the islands on this list because no one lives there. Since the island is a preserve and there are no overnight accommodations, the natural beauty of this turtle and bird watching paradise is that much more pristine. Not only are there plenty of land birds on this island, but there is also a large population of sea birds because this is a prime breeding ground for them.

Koh Samui, Thailand

Koh Samui is a great place to be if the modern world isn't your thing. With the gorgeous waters and soft sands you'd expect from an island and Thai hospitality to boot, this is a great place to spend time. Much of the island is still unspoiled jungle, and you can fly to Bangkok in an hour if you want something more "big city."
There are tons of great islands all around the world. Any one of them can be your personal paradise.