#island-travel

#island-travel

Island escapes have long been associated with tranquillity, crystalline waters lapping powder-soft sands on which palm trees rustle and hammocks sway in the breeze. Brits feel particularly drawn to island adventures, as the many thousands of votes in Condé Nast Traveller's Readers' Choice Awards display. 2025's frontrunners included the Isles of Scilly in the UK, the Greek island of Naxos, and the Brazilian Fernando de Noronha, while the Turks and Caicos claimed the title of the best islands in the Caribbean and the Atlantic.

As the final hours of 2024 crept up, I sat on my parents' hardwood floor with a giant whiteboard, a box of colorful markers, magazine cutouts and a Don Fulano Margarita. It's become a New Year's Eve tradition to make a vision board, my creative outlet to manifest what's to come, along with picking a color and a word to live by for the upcoming year.

You likely don't need to be convinced that Hawaii is one of the most extraordinary places on the planet. The dramatic canyons and coastlines, tropical beaches and forests, world-famous waves, make-your-heart-melt wildlife, and make-your-heart-stop sunsets all provide plenty of evidence. But with around 200 hotels (plus additional bed and breakfasts and vacation rentals) across the islands, you might need some help choosing the best place to stay.

One of the most well-known spots is Sarakiniko Beach, which is famous for its lunar landscape - a series of smooth, white, volcanic rock formations that resemble the surface of the moon. I recommend renting a car to explore Milos by land, but don't skip a boat trip around the island as well - some of the best swim spots are only accessible from the water. Several tiny fishing villages also add a unique factor to this island.