The Best Private Islands Available to Charter

Thinking about where to escape to once lockdown lifts? Take a look at our wanderlust-inducing round up of luxury private islands for charter that we'd love to retreat to.

The Nautilus, Maldives

If you're hoping to celebrate a special birthday or destination wedding in complete privacy, head to The Nautilus resort on the totally isolated Maldivian island of Thiladhoo. Located in an eastern corner of the pristine Baa Atoll, The Nautilus is fringed by swaying palms and white-sand beaches, and has a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve on its doorstep. Expect rustic-style over-water bungalows, four indulgent restaurants providing a diverse range of cuisines, and days spent swimming with whale sharks and manta rays during diving trips with the on-site marine biologist. The spa can organise bespoke wellness programmes for each guest and a private butler will ensure that your every need is met.

The Nautilus offers two exclusive buyout options: a group of up to 62 can book all 26 houses and residences, while smaller groups of up to 30 can chose to take over just 14 houses - but the island and all of its facilities will still be exclusively available to your party.

Buyout price: POA

How to get there: Just a 30-minute flight by sea plane will bring you from Malé International Airport to The Nautilus.

Intrepid travellers hoping to get off the grid should head to the idyllic isle of Nosy Ankao, situated just off the coast of Madagascar. Home to the remotely located hotel Time + Tide Miavana, up to 40 guests can enjoy the islet and its 14 luxury villas (each one complete with a private plunge pool) all to themselves.

An eco resort that seamlessly blends into its surroundings, each villa at Time + Tide Miavana features semi-open architecture to welcome in the ocean breeze while rattan and seashell finishes fully embrace the island aesthetic. Guests will wake up to the sights and sounds of the Indian Ocean from their beach-facing accommodations, complemented by the calls of native lemurs which roam the island at will. From sunrise yoga to dolphin and whale watching, there's plenty of activities for guests to enjoy during their exclusive stay, and it's worth noting that the retreat is also an ideal base for those hoping to experience an African safari by land, air or sea - just ask for an itinerary to be put together for you.

Buyout price: A group of up to 40 guests can buy out the island in its entirety for a minimum stay of 7 nights at a price of £534,900, when booked through carrier.co.uk.

How to get there: Just a 30 minute helicopter ride will transport guests from Antsiranana Airport to the island of Nosy Ankao.

If you want to go one better than Leonardo DiCaprio, Pippa Middleton and President Barack Obama then take over the whole of this world-famous paradisiacal retreat for 60 of your closest family or pals (you might suddenly find you have more friends than you think). The best part is that you can lounge guilt-free by your sparkling pool overlooking the spectacular lagoon, because the resort prides itself on being the most environmentally friendly in the world (the air-conditioning is created by a pioneering deep seawater system, solar heating provides all hot water and the resort is fully biofuel capable). Set in the Tetiaroa Atoll, once a favoured holiday retreat for Tahitian royalty, the resort was the passion project of the late Marlon Brando, who discovered the islands in 1960 while filming Mutiny on the Bounty.

Bikes are the best way to navigate your way through its palm-tree-lined sandy tracks and days can slip by paddleboarding to one of the neighbouring motus (small islands) or kayaking above the rainbow-coloured coral gardens. Adding a touch of French flair, the island’s restaurants are overseen by Guy Martin, the chef behind two-Michelin-starred Le Grand Véfour in Paris. The Brando’s fine-dining Les Mutinés restaurant – which is surrounded by a moat and shaped to resemble the upturned hull of a boat – features Martin’s classic dishes with an emphasis on local ingredients such as papaya and reef fish. And, in case you get peckish on your tipsy cycle back to your villa, you leave armed with a patisserie gift.

Buyout Price: Rates start from €79,200 per night to takeover the 30 one bedroom villas, for a minimum stay of three nights.

How to get there: Just a 20 minute flight will bring you from Faa’a International Airport in Papeete, Tahiti to Tetiaroa.