Many top drawer people in the Northeast spend summers in Maine's preppy enclaves. Photographer Sarah C. Butler's new book Portrait of a Maine Island is a love letter to one such locale, Northeast Harbor.

In this never-before-seen collection, Butler showcases her extraordinary art portraits of Northeast Harbor's local inhabitants, architecture and stunning land and seascape, as viewed from properties like this 2006 Estate of the Day.

60 people and places are brought to life through original photographs that "convey and identify what it is that makes Maine culture so distinctive." Martha Stewart, who has an estate on nearby Mount Desert Island, often uses it as inspiration.

Butler doesn't just focus on the well-heeled summer residents however. A post-mistress, mechanic, carpenter, lobsterman, librarian and artists are all included, as well as a visual journey through the area's coves and rocky necks.

Luxury linens company Frette is offering the chance to win a luxurious escape to Italy for a break from recessionary ennui. Frette chose the ultra-luxe Mezzatorre Resort & Spa (above), perched on a bluff above the sea on the island of Ischia off the Amalfi Coast for the getaway (of course they use Frette linens). Grand Prize is a trip for two to Ischia including seven days complimentary stay at the Mezzatorre Resort, including business class airfare for two. Second Prize is a free bedroom makeover by Frette Creative Director Scott Formby, including a complete set of Frette linens. Third Prize is a Frette Essentials bed set and duvet cover.

Anyone in the U.S. can enter via www.frette.com or at the Frette stores located in New York, Beverly Hills, Boston, Manhasset, Chicago, Aspen, South Coast Plaza, and Palo Alto. No purchase is necessary and there are no tricky questions. Deadline for entries is July 15th. The winners will be chosen through a drawing at Frette's U.S. headquarters in New York. Founded in 1860 and based in Milan, Frette blends Italian craftsmanship and contemporary design to create elegant and luxurious collections for the home, bath and body. Frette has provided linens to royalty, the Vatican and the world's most prestigious trains and ocean liners including the Orient Express and the Titanic.

Known for its azure blue waters, famous grottos, and dramatic vistas, the island of Capri has long been one of Italy's most visited and treasured destinations, especially among the jet set. Diplomat, journalist, and avid diver Patrick Howlett-Martin's new book Capri by the Sea, due out from Skira in May, offers readers a intimate look at the island he's been exploring for more than 15 years. Howlett features 14 seagoing itineraries around the island, giving readers a meticulously detailed guide to exploring Capri's grottos, beaches, and hiking destinations.

Each of the entries are carefully documented with detailed information about getting to the destination, diving notes, what to see and do, touring the grottos, and the paths that you can explore once there. This is a yachtsman's must-have to be sure. Every page is also embellished with fascinating trivia, including present day and historical photographs, documents, works of art, curiosities, and quotes from famous writers and poets inspired by this idyllic island. The book is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.

Tennis star Boris Becker has been busy making big plans over on the luxurious Al Marjan Island: he's building a mega-resort that's being touted as one of the area's most ambitious ever. The Boris Becker Beach Resort and Tennis Academy will offer two ocean front exposures and 2.5 million square feet of luxury holiday homes, high end resort and spa facilities, a five star hotel, and of course a world-class tennis academy 50% owned by Becker himself.

A couple of interesting facts: the academy and resort will be partially solar powered, the design is meant to represent a sea turtle when viewed from the air, and it's all scheduled to be finished by 2010.

It's hard to have a bad vacation in a place like Bermuda. The island is lovely, the people are friendly, and it's unlike any other place on earth. When traveling internationally, it's always a plus to stay somewhere with a warm, accessible staff. I've never been better accommodated than when I stayed at the Pompano Beach Club in Southampton, Bermuda.

The resort itself is made up of a few dozen oceanfront cottages along the most sparkling blue water you'll ever see. The Pompano has all the standard resort amenities, including a private beach, pools, game and fitness center, spa, and water excursions, but by far the greatest amenity is its dining room. Your breakfast and dinner each day are included in the price of your stay, and the food easily competes with most of the finest restaurants in America. The dress code is "smart-casual," meaning collared shirts for men and no jeans, t-shirts, or sandals. You will have your choice of three or four different items per course each evening on the resort's rotating five-course dinner menu. There are plenty of restaurants nearby if you choose to dine out, but why would you?

The staff is the friendliest I've ever encountered on any of my travels. Merv, the bartender, makes the best rum swizzle on the island -- it's a Bermudian staple.

Even though Bermuda is due east of the Carolinas, its climate is much nicer, tempered by the gulf stream. It can get uncomfortably hot and humid in the summer months, but spring and fall are lovely. Even in winter, temperatures rarely dip below the mid-50's, and the water is usually warm enough for a swim.

It's a tiny island -- only a few miles long -- but there's so much to do. Don't let Bermuda just be a short stop on your next cruise, like so many tourists do. This island is ideal for a nice long vacation, and the Pompano is the perfect place to spend that time.

Another manmade island project in Dubai is being launched during the Cityscape Dubai event this week. Al Marjan Island is a cluster of four coral-shaped islands, that will be home to homes, floating villas, hotels and retail space. The $1.8 billion project developed by Rakeen promises to use a more eco-friendly approach in creating the islands using underwater sand pumping, and deep-sea sand quarry outsourcing to avoid dredging and help maintain the clear waters around the islands and preserve the marine life. Hard to imagine that you can create islands out of nothing without destroying the surrounding ecosystem but we'll see what happens when the project is completed. Land reclamation should be done by the end of the year and the project is expected to be completed in June 2009.

Perhaps taking a cue from the developers of the World in Dubai, Russian developers have announced that they are creating an artificial island in the shape of Russia in the Black Sea. Federation Island will be located off the coast of the future Olympic venue Sochi. The island, which will have marinas, artificial rivers and apartments and villas to house 25,000 is planned to be completed in time for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Dutch architect Erick van Egeraat is designing the project and it is expected to cast around $6.2 billion.

For your Friday fantasy we are whisking you off to the Terres Basses area of St. Martin in the West French Indies. This four-bedroom villa set amidst lush grounds, has been for rent for rates starting at $3,500 (a week). Of course, for a vacation villa one of the most important areas is the pool. Villa Alexandra has an infinity edge pool overlooking the lagoon that is surrounded by a large terrace with shady and sunny lounging spots. Inside, the decor is classic island villa, high-pitched white ceilings, French doors to let in the afternoon breezes and low maintenance tile floors. The grounds also include a four-story building that has four apartments which can be rented out. It is listed at 2.95 million euros. After the jump, step one, ditch the rental furniture.

For some, reading about the latest island vacation hot spots and hearing other people's opinions about how it does or doesn't meet their expectations and stack up to the competition is where it ends, but for others that's just the first step -- after reading they actually head out and go there to see for themselves. If that's you, then here's the perfect way to weigh in your own opinions on something someone else will read before they book a flight: Concierge.com's "Vote for your favorite" island getaways. You can vote for your favorites, "sink" the ones you hated, and even submit a location or two of your own. It's fast, anonymous, and free, so there's no reason you shouldn't pop over and see what's topping the list!

Fancy a trip to Aruba? Hate commercial flying and been frustrated in the past with lack of accommodations for your private jet? I'm more of a wannabe than an expert when it comes to globetrotting and travel, so in this case I'm not sure if I'm surprised that Aruba has lacked a terminal just for private jets or not. Being the romantic island getaway that it is I would have thought it would be a priority, but then it is a tropical island and they don't generally follow the normal rules and expectations ever anyway.

But none of that really matters now, as Aruba has finally opened a terminal for private jets -- apparently in a specific effort to attract more upscale patrons. It even has separate customs and immigration so travelers can get through faster and bypass the main terminal altogether.

Here comes another chance to get your own island. Welcome to Fanny Key, a private island located in the Florida keys. This island is located a scant 750 feet from the mainland and is home to a three-bedroom home. The coral-based island has three docks and has its own running water, electric and phone service from the mainland. The home also has a pool. The lower level has one bedroom and a living room/kitchen area. The upper level has two bedrooms, a large living room and a kitchen and dining area. The decor is extremely dated but the location is delightful. $8 million also gets you your own dock on the mainland, complete with parking and boat storage.

Never heard of Moorea? That just might be a good thing. After all, by the time an idyllic island paradise becomes a household name it is often overrun with resorts and tourists. Moorea is a sister island to the French Polynesian island of Bora Bora. The island was the setting for the Mel Gibson movie The Bounty and boasts calm turquoise seas, white sand beaches and lush mountain scenery. The Sofitel Moorea Beach Resort opened last November and just finished their spa. The hotel is composed of 114 bungalows including 19 over water bungalows with indoor/outdoor rainfall showers, dive off decks, and in-floor viewing windows to the sea below. The resort is also home to a sandy floor, open air restaurant called "K" which has Tahitian dancers performing nightly. The spa has seven treatment rooms with two VIP suites that have hydrotherapy rooms and separate showers. The spa uses local ingredients such as monoi oil, tamanu oil, coconut, papaya and Moorea sand in the treatments. Prices for paradise start at 271 euros. After the jump, an interior shot of one of the bungalows that shows the infloor viewing platform (it's like sleeping in your own glass bottom boat).

Having your very own country seems like a rather unattainable goal for most of us - especially if you want the country to be somewhere habitable and not at, for example, the South Pole. If you have some spare cash on hand however, you dream of having a country could be only a phone call away. The Principality of Sealand, a "self-proclaimed mini-state" off of Essex, became a state in 1967 when the British government ruled that because it was three miles off the coast, it "was outside government control."

Due to the fact that the "island" is manmade, it is no tropical getaway. It measures only 550 sq m (5,920 sq ft) and is primarily made of steel. Sealand was built on what was once an artillery platform in World War II and boasts its own constitution, flag, coat of arms, stamps, passports and currency (one Sealand dollar is equal to one US dollar).

Initial reports listed the price as $126 million.

We've seen plenty of gorgeous private islands before but rarely one with such a unique topography as Vatu Vara in Fiji. Known as "Hat Island" for its distinctive flat summit, the island has limestone cliffs, tropical jungle and a beautiful lagoon. The summit of the mountain is 1,300 feet. The volcanic and limestone island is nearly 2 miles in diameter at its base and the peak is visible from nearby islands. The island is surrounded by several beaches and the reefs provide ample opportunities for fishing and scuba diving. The property is a rare freehold island with a rare price to match, a hefty $75 million. The remote location and odd natural beauty of this island make is seem both beautiful and a bit sinister, like somewhere that a remake of Island of Dr. Moreau or Jurassic Park could be filmed.

[via Spluch]