If you could design your own island...
 

If you could design the <font color="purple">per</font><font color="blue">fe</font><font color="green">ct</font> <font color="orange">isl</font><font color="green">and</font>...<i><u><font color="fuchsia">anywhere </font></u></i>in the world...what would it look like and where would it be?

:D

Well..... It would be in the warm and balmy tropics thats for certain! ( I'm Canadian, brrrr) It would be mountainous( think St.Lucia and Dominica) It would be incredibly green and lush, overflowing with foilage and vegetation(think Portie in Jamaica). The beaches would be small, curved, Robinson Crusoe cove beaches. The waters would be clear, safe , and calm for swimming and the of course amazing snorkelling! There would be no AI's or mega resorts or casinos, no huge cruise ship ports, only tiny intimate Boutique hotels that accept kids and don't cost anything! There is no crime or poverty! It's Utopia!! It would be easy to get to , but only for me because I dont want very many others there.... Oh! Wildlife for the kids to oooo and ahhhh at, but non-dangerous of course on this island! And food, gourmet quisine bien sur, mais ... free of course!!! LOL. Faith.

Faithie,

Sounds perfect!:)

Christie

I'm afraid I couldn't possibly tell you -- otherwise, it wouldn't be
perfect. ;)

My island would be in the Caribbean sea.It would be mountainous with tons of waterfalls and rivers (like Kaua'i) with lots of birds,lizards and other neat creatures that are harmless.It would have a side to it like the Napali Coast of Kauai but it would have a road to access the beach from it.

No large chain resorts,friendly to all types of people,great snorkeling,cove like beaches.

The restaurants would be reasonable priced with Authentic Caribbean food,with maybe 1 or 2 fast food chains for the quick dining options during the day (Subway and Zaxby's).

Oh...Paradise!:))

Christie

JAGIRL is baaaaaaaaack :-D

The island would be in the Caribbean of course.
It would be my own PRIVATE island (I'm really a friendly person :-D )
The water would be crystal clear, calm, with incredible shades of blue, and great snorkeling.
It would definitely have to be lush with a mountain or 2 (don't want a huge island though).
I'd have my own chef who cooks a mean french/creole cuisine because I sure won't be cooking!
Hey, wonder how much mega millions lotto is these days. :-D

I love the descriptions that have been given so far. ((h))
JAGIRL....you're making me wish for an island vacation and all I have to look forward to is 179 more days with 2nd graders! :(( But who's counting? ;)
Guess I need to start working on the next trip!

JAGIRL,

If I remember correctly, you are an attorney ? With respect for the profession and to MAH and my own daughter ;-) I really enjoy the way you think !

You must have some artistic pursuits that keep you balanced :-)

I'd also like something private and lottery winnings to fly friends in by private plane ;-) The airport hassles are affecting my love of travel.

Marion

Marion, my DH called from Florida this am, very early, mind you, to say that travelling wasn't so bad, but he did have all checked luggage vs. carry-on.

I forgot to add the wink!

It would be an easy flight...and we could choose all our favorite things to do. Listen to good music, discover streams, waterfalls, villages, people that are warm and friendly, and a great climate. And at the end of the day, wonderful local foods. When it was time to leave, we could zoom home in two hours or less (This IS a fantasy, after all).

So how come you guys don't like AI's? They seem to be doing much better than the boutique hotels.

Heya Marion!Yup I'm an attorney. Most of the time I hate it...Problem is I still need to decide what I really want to be when I grow up! ;)

Caribtraveler : Don't we all wish we had our own private island?! :D

iw : When you're stuck in that classroom just remember this thread and these great descriptions...then it won't be so bad :D

For all of you interested in private island ownership...or even rental :

http://www.privateislandsonline.com/

Just remember, if you decide to take the plunge and purchase...<b>I</b> was the one <font color="fuchsia">fr</font><font color="green">ie</font><font color="orange">nd</font> who planted the idea firmly in your head :D :D :D

My island would be reached by a direct flight from Ottawa (absolutely hate having to connect with flights from Toronto or Montreal). It would be about the same size as Tortola and would have views of other islands (think the view of Sir Francis Drake Channel while sitting at the Westend on Tortola). The populice would be as friendly and accommodating as that of Grenada. It would have similar topography, flora and fauna. The beaches would be a cross between Grace Bay (TCI) and Grande Anse (Grenada). The island would be encircled with clear, tranquil water the colour of that found on Provo. Reggae and Jazz floating on a quiet, constant cooling breeze. The school children would be dressed in their 'parish' uniforms, would all carry full lunch bags and be somewhat weighted down by their complete supply of school supplies. On weekends they would attend church with their parents and sing aloud their songs of joy so we vacationers listen to the service as we sit on our lounge chairs awaiting sunset. Food items would only be prepared from local produce. Recylcing boxes would be everywhere. Plenty of museums and preserved historical sites. The number of motorized vehicles would be limited.

Hmmm, my husband and I frequently dissect what would make our fantasy island. We'd take pieces of most of the islands we've visited and put them all together. We'd start with the setting of the Jalousie between the Pitons--a lush and stunningly gorgeous landscape. The place we stay would have to be set on a peninsula, so that we could have large waves crashing on the beach on one side and a long stretch of sand with calm water on the other side, with plenty of natural shade at all times of day. We'd want our place to be staffed by the folks at Long Bay on Antigua and the chef to be Axel from Mar Blue in Jamaica. Great snorkeling off the beach would be great, and having nice hikes featuring rivers &amp; waterfalls nearby would be necessary as well. We'd want the island overall to look somewhat like Grenada, Nevis, Bequia, and the south coast of Jamaica, and while we're at it, we'd like the people who live on our island year round to be most like those folks we met in those places, too. I'd want to make sure there were plenty of really good and affordable restaurants, specializing in local cuisines--like the old Cla-Cha-Del on Nevis or the wonderful Boots Cuisine on Grenada. But I'd also want 2-3 choices for when I want to go on an all-out splurge, like Montpelier on Nevis or The Cliff on Barbados.

I'd like to add a nature preserve like on Guana Island so that all kinds of indigenous (and formerly endangered) animals would have a place to thrive. And while I'm at it, I might as well dictate that the weather never be colder than 70 and never warmer than 90 (in degrees Fahrenheit), with plenty of rain but only at night.

I guess that's a good start on the perfect island for me!

My Perfect Island:

First, beaches &amp; water. The beaches don't need to be giant, but powder white sand, and water that has 15 different shades of turquoise. The entry into the water should be sandy, but a short swim offshore would bring you to colorful reef filled with healthy coral, and teaming with sea-life. The beach itself would have swaying palms, and lined with sea-grape trees for a little shelter from the sun if needed.

The island would be quite small, maybe 5 miles long or so. There would be about a dozen of these type beaches, all within an easy drive.

The roads would be unpaved, and there would be no cars, just golf carts like in Belize(Ambergris). The island terrain would be lush &amp; hilly, with of course several waterfalls. The waterfalls would be pristine clear water, that had oasis-like swimming holes below them.

The people would be all native to the island, and those who worked at the resorts would be paid VERY well. If they are anything like the locals of Belize or Grand Cayman, I'd be happy.

The resorts would be small, with no high-rises. Condos &amp; villas are fine by me. There would be a very small down town area boasting local businesses &amp; restaurants. Again, no cars, just golf carts to get you around. The restaurants would have a nice mix of casual &amp; a few fine dining experiences. There would also be a few beach bars that had live reggae every night, and maybe a few weekend beach parties mixed in.

No cruise ships, no airports, accessible by boat only.

I'd like the water surrounding the island to have deep drops, with amazing walls of coral for diving. They would also be loaded with big gamefish for fishing a few times during my stay.

Okay....time to wake up now.......

I wonder what island in the Caribbean most &quot;closely&quot; fits our descriptions which seem to be all in a similar vein?

faithie,

I was just about to ask that! :)) But was going to extend it to &quot;which island in the world...&quot; ;)

I wonder if that 'Palm Island' in Dubai meets all these fantasies! :))

It would be Jamaica :)