islands

Reach the Beach: Luxury Resort Style in the Turks & Caicos Islands {Exclusive Feature}

Filed under: Apparel, Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos, Books, Men's Style, The Classicist

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The Turks and Caicos islands in the British West Indies is well known for having the world's most beautiful beaches. It also has some of the world's most stylish and luxurious beach resorts, which are remarkable for their amazingly private settings and lush natural landscapes, far removed from the over-development that plagues some other Caribbean hotspots. The perfect setting for our latest style feature, we're sure you'll agree.

Parrot Cay, located on a pristine 1,000-acre private island, including a mile-long powdered beach, is an elegant combination of glorious nature, understated luxury and unparalleled privacy complete with an award-winning holistic spa, healthy gourmet cuisine and beach villas with private pools (above).

The villas are a favorite with celebrities including Donna Karan, Bruce Willis, Keith Richards and Sir Paul McCartney. Some like Willis and Karan were so entranced they decided to build their own beach houses on the island. Want to own one? So do we. Parrot Cay is currently offering a small selection of villas for private ownership, starting at $10 million.

Tags: Aman resorts, Amanyara, architecture, Bagatelle, beach, beach resorts, books, Caribbean, celebrity vacations, Donna Karan, Gansevoort, Girard-Perregaux, Helly-Hansen, islands, JetBlue, Land Rover, luxury resorts, Parrot Cay, private island, R A E N Optics, resorts, Rizzoli, Royal Elastics, shoes, spa, Tods, Turks and Caicos, Vineyard Vines, watches

Continue reading “Reach the Beach: Luxury Resort Style in the Turks & Caicos Islands {Exclusive Feature}”

Luxe Travel Tip: JetBlue's New Direct Service to Turks & Caicos

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wings

Thanks to JetBlue, it's now a whole lot easier to get to one of our favorite luxe travel destinations, the Turks & Caicos islands. The eco-friendly airline known for its style and value just introduced direct service to the Caribbean hotspot's Providenciales island from New York's JFK and Boston's Logan airports. The flights leave JFK daily.

Tags: airlines, beach, Boston, Caribbean, islands, JetBlue, jetblue+service+to+turks+and+caicos, jetblueservicetoturksandcaicos, JFK airport, Logan airport, luxury resorts, luxury travel, resorts, travel, Turks Caicos

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Luxist Giveaway: Atlas of Remote Islands Book

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Books

Many of the books that are offered to Luxist for giveaway are big lavish coffee table books with rich photography. We love those but there's also a lot to love about today's more modest tome too. Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky (Penguin Books) is magic in its own way, a fascinating compendium of 50 remote islands far from the mainland, from people, from airports and from the public eye. Schalansky gives each of these little treasures individual attention on a single page with an accompanying map. The result is a cross between a history lesson and a short story, full of spare poetry and fascinating historical details.

Some of the islands from Pitcairn Island (the place the Mutiny on the Bounty settlers chose to inhabit) to Easter Island are familiar, others, like Russia's Lonely Island or Mexico's Socorro Island are less known but no less worthy of exploration.

Schalansky's opening chapter is titled "Paradise Is An Island, So Is Hell" and the islands that the book covers range from tropical atolls to frozen, rocky spits of land. The author is a writer and designer who lives in Berlin and lectures on the fundamentals of typography. She not only wrote the text but designed and typeset the book, an act perhaps as solitary as a life lived on a remote island.

We are giving away one copy of this book. The book sells for $28 and we are giving away one copy to a reader chosen at random.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before January 18, 2011 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive a copy of Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky, which has a retail price of $28.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete giveaway rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Tags: atlas of remote islands, islands, luxist giveaway, private islands, travel, travel books

The Best of the British West Indies

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Books

From Antigua, Jamaica, Nevis, Barbados, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Mustique to the less-traveled islands of Bequia and Dominica, a beautiful new book by Michael Connors captures the best of British West Indies Style. Many of the English island great houses showcased in the volume are hidden to most visitors. Close to fifty private residences are featured in over 200 full-color photographs taken especially for the book, such as the entrancing view of an estate on Nevis (above). The English country house meets the southern plantation in design details such as mahogany writing tables, tropical wood settees, linens and terraced gardens, offering inspiration for the use of local materials, painting techniques, and elements of outdoor living. Connors also includes entertaining historical vignettes putting the beautiful residences in context.

Tags: Barbados, books, British West Indies, coffee table books, decor, estates, furniture, island, islands, Jamaica, mahogany, Mustique, Nevis, UK, West Indies

Caribbean Houses: History, Style & Architecture

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Books

West Indian decorative arts scholar Michael Connors presents a lavishly illustrated and comprehensive history of architecturally significant dwellings and estates in the West Indies in his beautiful new book Caribbean Houses from Rizzoli. The book is divided into five chapters, one for each European heritage that brought their own influences and designs to the region: the Spanish, Dutch, English, French, and Danish. In addition to the gorgeous photographs done exclusively for the book, Connors discourses on the area's rich architecture and interior design history, and gives the reader a "unique view of houses that combine the tradition of European styles with the vernacular island forms and decorative motifs." The featured islands include: The Spanish Antilles – Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic; The Dutch Leewards – Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao; The English Islands – Barbados, Turks & Caicos, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts; The French Lesser Antilles – Martinique; and The U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly Danish) – St. Thomas and St. Croix.

Tags: architecture, Aruba, Barbados, Caribbean, Cuba, dominican republic, DominicanRepublic, interior design, InteriorDesign, islands, Jamaica, Michael Connors, MichaelConnors, Rizzoli, tropics, U.S. Virgin Islands, U.s.VirginIslands, West Indies, WestIndies

Luxury Homeowners Dream Of An Island Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Recently Lisa mentioned the long list of celebrities who own private islands. It turns out that having a home on an island is the popular dream of those who have already invested $1 million on their primary residence. The 2008 Coldwell Banker Previews International Luxury Survey polled 305 U.S. homeowners whose primary residence is valued at more than $1 million and found that 27% of the respondents said their dream home would be on an island, followed by 22% who dream of a rural setting and 18% who chose suburbs or an international destination. The survey also revealed that the majority of homeowners already have designer kitchens (60%), 47% have custom home entertainment systems, 33% have indoor gyms and 31% have wine cellars. An overwhelming majority (95%) say landscapers are a must and 62% said housekeepers are essential. Those services might be harder to get on an island, depending of course, on the size of the island. For a look at an island home, check out our estate of the day later today on Tybee Island in Georgia.

Source

Tags: islands, real estate

Celebrities Who Own Private Islands

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

While reading my morning guilty-pleasure blog, Celebritology, I came across a post that referred readers to All Property Management, which recently listed, in its blog section, a number of celebs who own islands, along with a few details about each island. With the way the press hounds celebs, no wonder they want to get away from it all. According to the post, private islands really cost (um, we knew that), with the owner buying the land, supplying their own water and electricity, creating a waste disposal system and building a dock or an airstrip. Also, don't forget security -- if you're off filming or do-gooding or having twins in France, you can't leave the island unattended.

Here's the list of celebs the post cited as island-owners: John Lennon, Marlon Brando, Mel Gibson, Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Gene Hackman, Robin Williams, Tony Curtis, Richard Branson, David Copperfield, Leonardo DiCaprio and Athena Onassis. See the gallery for a few of these retreat spots.

Gallery: Celebrity Private Islands

Tags: celebrities, celebrity, celebrity couples, CelebrityCouples, islands, private island, PrivateIsland, real estate, RealEstate

The Best Island Getaways: Vote for Your Favorite!

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

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!

Source

Tags: concierge, concierge.com, favorite, favorites, getaway, hot, island, islands, sink, spots, top, travel, vacation, vote

Buy a Private Island

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

When you're in the market for a private island, there is more to consider than just location. The expense and availability of transportation, supplies and housing all can impact where you ultimate decide to go. But with what might just we the world's smallest private island, you can bring the island to you. In fact, you can put it in your yard or even your office. The island is equipped with two realistic, 2-meter high palm trees, and is just the right size for a double hammock (included). It can withstand all weather conditions, though you might want to secure it during hurricane season if the storms impact your area. The trees have an integrated misting mechanism concealed amongst the coconuts that will help to keep you cool on hot days, too. The only downside is, of course, that a private beach is not included. Price: $8,280.

Source

Tags: gadget, hammock, island, islands, mini vacation, private island, relaxation, summer, toy, vacation, vacation ideas

The Best Islands in the World and When to Go

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Conde Nast Traveler has a brilliant piece this month for those who love to - or want to - island hop. As they point out, at any given moment, some island, somewhere in the world, is at its peak. The trick to having a great island experience is knowing when it is and getting there at that time. To facilitate this, the article lists 72 gorgeous islands and, sorting by month, identifies the best times to hit their shores based on criteria that include weather, water conditions and local festivals, in addition to gorgeous wildlife and scenery. There are too many to list them all here, so do check out the full list, but these are our favorites for each month:

January: Cebu, Philippines; Djenné, Mali
February: Langkawi, Malaysia
March: Benguerra, Mozambique; the Maldives
April: Corfu, Greece; Fiji
May: Java, Indonesia; Mauritius
June: Capri; Galápagos, Ecuador
July: Bornholm, Denmark
August: Île Sainte Marie, Madagascar
September: Cook Islands
October: Cristalino Island, Brazil; Seychelles
November: Big Island of Hawaii; Gozo, Malta
December: Cyprus; Phuket, Thailand

Source

Tags: best islands, island, islands, journeys, list, seasons, travel, traveling

The Rania Experience

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Rania Experience is one of the most exclusive, luxury vacations you can take, set around a private resort that only accommodates nine guests at a time. Rania is the name of and 86-foot yacht that carries guests smoothly through the waters of the Maldives to the 7-acre Water Garden Island. It is also used to provide cruises to nearby islands, taking guests through some of the most pristine waters and beautiful beaches in the world. Vacationers can divide their time between land and sea and there is plenty to occupy the time, and though complete relaxation is an option, there are myriad activities offered.

Tags: exclusive, island, islands, luxury, maldives, private, rania, rania experience, RaniaExperience, resort

Continue reading “The Rania Experience”

Thatch Cay U.S.V.I. Update

by Amey Stone (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Our readers are the most astute people out there. Apparently, my previous article was slightly inaccurate. Vladi Private islands is not an authorized agent selling my little paradise in the Virgin Islands. The island is still for sale, but at a small price increase and from only 3 official agents.. There is even a fantastic website promoting the island from one of the principals. Check it out and you should be totally convinced that you need this island.

Source

Tags: islands, Thatch Cay, ThatchCay, usvi

Thatch Cay U.S.V.I.

by Amey Stone (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

While recently in the Virgin Islands, I came across a delightful piece of real estate just north of the island of St. Thomas. Thatch Cay is a 230 acre island between St. Thomas and St. John that is completely undeveloped and waiting for the right buyer to come and snatch her up. With 5 miles of shoreline and elevations up to 500ft, the island would make a lovely vacation getaway. Right now, there are no docks or landing areas on the island so, development would be entirely at your discretion. Personally, I envision a James Bond villain-type compound complete with shark tank and inept henchman.

Source

Tags: islands, thatch cay, ThatchCay, virgin islands, VirginIslands

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