North Island isn't just one of the world's most exclusive private island retreats. It's also a 'Noah's Ark', the perfect example of conservation meets high-end tourism. The accommodation - 11 breezy, well-spaced villas'"displays a respect for context and style, combining driftwood with shells, rock and palm thatch. Yet there's nothing Flintstone about the finished look; the architects, also responsible for Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, are too fashion-forward to fall for that one. Cuisine is organic and locally sourced, reflecting the region's mixed heritage (from Southern Indian to African). There's scuba diving, snorkelling, sea kayaking, cycling, fly-fishing and island hopping, and a stunningly dramatic spa and rim-flow pool built into the rocks. The piece de resistance is the sand - white, powder-soft cliches of Eden.

Quintessentially Insider
Villa 11 is built into the incline of the island's principal Anse d'Est Beach. Book it and you will get a bird's eye view of the sand, water and palms. Not that much goes on in these far-out waters. The point is the solitude.