My top island holiday destinations

I thought I'd create a bit of a different post today, focusing more on the travel/lifestyle side of the blog, rather than a food post.

I've been lucky enough to travel to some amazing places and so thought I'd create a post of my favourite island holiday destinations, focusing on my top three spots.

1. Lord Howe Island, Australia

Lord Howe Island is located off the east coast of Australia, about 2 hours from Sydney. It is an absolutely beautiful, unspoiled gem. With a maximum allowance of only 400 guests at one time, there is so much space to relax and explore the island.

It is not uncommon to find yourself being the only person on one of the magnificent beaches on the island - an impossible situation in a city like Sydney.  Not only are there many gorgeous beaches on which to relax, there are also many hiking trails and mountains to climb, as well as organised tours such as scuba diving, bird watching and fishing tours.

 

2. The Isle of Pines, New Caledonia

Like Lord Howe Island, the Isle of Pines is a very unspoiled and gorgeous island. It is about a 30 minute flight from Noumea, and has some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. The Piscine Naturelle (pictured above) is definitely a must.

The French influence is very strong, with little English spoken on the island, however along with this comes an abundance of delicious French food and wine, available at the resorts and the corner stores located in the centre of town.

It is easy to make your way around the island by car or bicycle, enabling you to experience both the history of the island as well as the many beaches with their crystal clear waters and abundance of pine trees in the background.

3. Kauai, Hawaii

Kauai is one of the eight islands of Hawaii, and combines wonderful beaches, lush rainforests and stunning cliffs and mountains. It is the home of many world-class surfers due to the vast number of surf beaches around the island, and has been the location of movies such as Jurassic Park, The Descendants and Soul Surfer.

The locals of Kauai are extremely friendly and relaxed (it would be hard not to be, living in a place like this) and the island caters to everyone, with activities such as swimming, snorkelling, surfing and hiking available year round. You could spend all day lazing in a cabana on the beach, trekking for 8 hours along the Na Pali Coast, or driving around the island trying macadamias, coffee and coconuts and exploring the landscape at your own pace, so there really is something for everyone.