18 best-kept island secrets

13. LOYALTY ISLANDS
New Caledonia may already be known to South Seas aficionados. It has the largest lagoon in the world and a cosmopolitan capital, Noumea, often called the “Paris of the South Pacific.” Its real secrets, however, are 60 miles off the mainland’s east coast. The Loyalty Islands of Lifou, Maré and Ouvea are studded with limestone caves and emerald waters and have an intact Melanesian culture. On the capital of Lifou, visit Joking Cliffs, home to a Kanak tribe. On Ouvea, head to the west coast to stroll its uninterrupted 14 miles of beach, see its endemic parakeets and cross the bridge to the paradise of Mouli Island. On Maré, which is divided into 29 tribal villages, attend the festival of the avocado and visit one of the largest underwater lakes in the world. Stay in a gite, accommodations that range from grass huts to bungalows and are hosted by Melanesian families. www.newcaledoniatourism-south.com. More about New Caledonia on ISLANDS.com.

14. KIRIBATI
Not only is the island nation of Kiribati (pronounced Ki-ri-bas) a secret South Pacific gem north of Fiji, but it’s also a place that keeps its secrets well. Almost too well. The three island groups of Kiribati — Phoenix, Line and Gilbert Islands — are swirled in a thick broth of legend and mystery. Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Phoenix Islands, and all kinds of weird anomalies exist throughout the area, especially off the small island of Nikumaroro. At night here, unexplained lights dance and weave through the palm thickets, even though no one has lived on the island for decades. If you come ashore on Nikumaroro you need to “wash” your face with sand to disguise your appearance from the mercurial island spirits. No one is allowed on the island at night. The last person to spend the night there, an Earhart researcher stranded by bad weather, allegedly refused to speak about what happened to him in the dark, alone on the island. But every island in this nation is not an Outer Limits episode in the making. Spread over 313 square miles of ocean, Kiribati, which straddles the equator, includes such enchanting islands as Christmas, Millennium, Tarawa (with its many World War II artifacts) and perhaps the most pristine island in the Pacific, Palmyra, which is now wholly owned by the Nature Conservancy. www.trussel.com/f_kir.htm.

INDIAN OCEAN

15. COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS
About 2,000 miles off the west coast of Australia, the virtually unknown Cocos (Keeling) Islands are the perfect archetype for paradise ruled by the hammock, palm, sand and sea. The closest neighbor, Christmas Island, is nearly 650 miles distant. As a result of this isolation, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands have become a waypost for just about everything that travels great distances under, on or over the ocean. The travelers who usually make this pilgrimage have one of three things in mind: birding, scuba diving and total island relaxation. The numerous red-footed boobies, terns, noddies, herons and frigates were probably the original inhabitants. In 1826 the first settlers arrived, and Home Island and West Island are now where the majority of the local populace of 800 lives. Water-minded explorers quickly find their way to the underwater haven of Direction Island to experience the world-renowned Rip, a site that swells with gray and whitetip reef sharks, giant manta rays, dolphins and fearless Napoleon wrasse. www.cocos-trourism.cc..

16. LAKSHADWEEP
Lakshadweep, which means “thousand islands,” is an archipelago of 12 coral atolls and 10 inhabited and 17 uninhabited islands spread across 8,000 miles of crystalline Indian Ocean. With a history steeped in oceanic isolation, the people developed unique social quirks that frequently occur on remote island outposts. Women on some islands inherit ancestral land, and husbands are obliged to make yearly “upkeep” payments to their wives. If they fail to do so, the wife can demand a divorce. On the island of Minicoy, the husband takes the wife’s family name and the wife rules the family.  Lakshadweep’s greatest appeal, though, centers on the pale blue waters of the lagoon, the reef, the soft, creamy beaches, the utter friendliness of the people and its total lack of tourism pretense. www.lakshadweep.nic.in.

17. MAFIA ISLAND
While travelers often make plans to visit Zanzibar, many miss seductive Mafia Island, located in an archipelago made up of nine islands 100 miles to the south. It’s an African safari with hippos, ibises, antelopes and hawksbill and green turtles, with half the coastline — some 511 miles — designated a Tanzanian marine park. Its approximately 40,000 people, mostly Muslims, fish the waters and farm cassava, pigeon peas and papaw. They commute by jahazis (dhows) to points on the mainland and also to nearby islands such as Jibondo and Chole. How Mafia got its name is a secret (but it may be derived from the Arabic word morfiyeh, which means “archipelago”). Kinasi Lodge arranges island excursions. Drive into African villages like Kirongwe, famous for its clay pots, and Jimbo, famous for its ukili mats. On Chole are old Arabic buildings once used as a German prison in World War I. On Jibondo, famous for its boatbuilding, is a shipyard as well as octopus fisheries. www.mafiaisland.com. More about Zanzibar on ISLANDS.com.

18. TIWI ISLANDS
In the far north of Australia, about 45 miles off the coast of the city of Darwin, the Tiwi Islands of Bathurst and Melville are steeped in aboriginal history, spirituality and traditional culture. In fact, the islands are a last enclave of Australia’s Aboriginal community. Tiwi traditions are completely oral, and the people live off the land much as they have since the Aboriginal beginning of time, called “The Dreaming,” when the Tiwis’ world came to be. Most travelers visit these islands on day trips from Darwin, but there are a couple of wilderness lodges on Melville. The islands are world-famous for their expressive dot and line art, totem-like Pukumani burial poles and some of the most picturesque waterfalls — Pickertaramoor and Taracumbie Falls on Melville, and Tumwarripi Falls on Bathurst — in all of Australia. The Tiwi language is unique and has no written form. One part of modern life that the Tiwi people have embraced, though, is “footie” (what we call rugby), and this small island enclave produces some of Australia’s top players. www.australia.com More about Australia on ISLANDS.com.

Each issue of ISLANDS Magazine explores the most beautiful island destinations in the world, from tropical island outposts to the sophisticated gems of the Mediterranean. Our top-rate photographers and writers discover the quiet beaches, boutique hotels, and unique cultural experiences that make island travel unique.

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