Dhoni Mighili really is an offbeat paradise. As far as I’m aware, it’s not widely known about and yet it’s certainly a hidden treasure, worthy of the description “luxury holiday retreat”.
The island is accessed via boat or seaplane from the Maldives capital of Male. If you really want some super luxury moments take the boats or dhonis as they are known. These come with a butler and your very own birth at one of the opulent beach bungalows.
The really dangerous thing is that it’s an all inclusive deal so you can really let your hair down and indulge.
Here’s the real bonus. If you’re a stickler for privacy and peace - this island is the only one in the Maldives that can be hired exclusively for up to 24 people.
The only problem - it’s not cheap. A bungalow can be up to $1,700 per night!
Situated 350 miles north of Cairns - Haggerstone Island is some 100 miles away from civilisation. Great for trips to Great Barrier Reef, snorkelling, diving, fishing and just plain getting away from it.
Haggerstone.com say:
“Even amid the magnificent island resorts of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Haggerstone is an extraordinary island experience offering the ultimate in intimacy and privacy. Accessible only by air to a neighbouring island, it is an incredibly remote and unspoilt Robinson Crusoe retreat approximately 600 kilometres north from Cairns, and a few miles from a wild stretch of the northern Great Barrier Reef mainland coast.
Haggerstone is a truly unique and wonderful place - a small complex of tropical timber buildings, gardens, orchard and dams; set amidst true wilderness country, teeming with fish and bird life and surrounded by some of the most magnificent pristine coral gardens in the world. Catering for a small numbers of guests (6-8) you will live well, eat well and as one guest put it “survive in style”, Haggerstone provides a unique base from which to ramble or explore, or… just to be.
Haggerstone Island GuestHouseThe marine life on Haggerstone is simply unbelievable.... shipwrecks, beach combing for WW2 artefacts, snorkelling, and the fishing… and complemented by a superb yet simple mouth watering cuisine featuring all fresh natural foods. The incredible remoteness of Haggerstone ensures an experience very rare on this planet. If you value absolute simplicity above all else - no maids, TV, mobile phones, computers, mirrors or egos, this is it.
Anna and Roy Turner came to Haggerstone in April 1985 with a 70ton barge loaded with poles, timber, fruit trees, chickens and an old tractor. The island was jungle covered, uninhabited and hundreds of miles from what we know as civilisation. They were not to know they were to spend nearly six years alone on the island, as they set out to create a Robinson Crusoe style abode in the wild. Haggerstone Island is their home and an Island Guesthouse, and they welcome you to their home and hope you enjoy your stay.”
From personal experience you’ll find no better place to get away from it!
Posted by Peter Brady on Thu 10th August 2006 at 07:44 PM, Filed in Desert Islands
The Cook Islands are simply a wonderful place to visit but don’t just take my word for it. Here’s how Lonley Planet describes this part of the world:
“Wafer-thin cays and farflung atolls, white-sand beaches and lush green volcanic mountains, a slow pace, friendly people, dancing - what’s not to like about the Cook Islands? If that’s not enough, they also have excellent hiking, snorkelling, caving and lazing.
This region of the southwest Pacific is typically tropical. You could almost be guaranteed that the temperature will be between 20°C (68°F) and 30°C (86°F) at any time of the day, any day of the year. Humidity is always high but the even temperature and fresh sea breezes mean conditions are never too stuffy. Heavy rainfall occurs between October and April, easing off a bit around the middle of the year. The hurricane/cyclone season is from November to March.”
This description is apt and probably under cooks the true beauty of these islands. If you want romance, adventure or just something completely different from your average holiday this is the place to visit.
Key Cook Island facts:
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