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- I’ve been to 30 tropical islands. From Bora Bora to Barbados, here are the 5 I’d definitely visit again.
I’ve been to more than 30 tropical islands around the world. Kelly Magyarics
- I’ve visited more than 30 tropical islands around the world, but five stand out from the rest.
- Bora Bora and Curaçao’s beautiful beaches make them the perfect places for a relaxing vacation.
- Barbados has many activities, like touring a rum distillery and visiting Rihanna’s childhood home.
As a travel writer specializing in tropical destinations, I’ve been lucky enough to have visited 30 islands around the world. Because of my extensive travels, people often ask me which islands I’d return to.
Each island I’ve been to has been idyllic and unique, but a few lingered in my salt-spray-tinged memories long after my tan faded.
Here are the five islands I always recommend to other travelers.
I couldn’t get enough of Bora Bora’s beauty and great cuisine.I loved the idyllic shoreline and bungalows in Bora Bora. Kelly Magyarics
This South Pacific haven screams “paradise.” Though getting there was a long journey — I had to take a 16-hour flight from New York to Tahiti, followed by an hourlong flight to Bora Bora — the island was absolutely otherworldly.
Formed by an extinct volcano, Bora Bora is surrounded by a calm turquoise lagoon that’s basically a huge wading pool. I remember marveling at rows of romantic bungalows with glass floors and thatched roofs overlooking the water.
The local cuisine combines French and Polynesian cultures. I enjoyed meals like poisson cru, a ceviche-like dish made with coconut milk, tomatoes, and cucumber. It was truly heaven on earth.
I loved the luxurious vibes in St. Barts.When I wasn’t window shopping or out on the water, I was lounging on the beach in St. Barts. Kelly Magyarics
Glittering St. Barts is full of fancy spots, with a yacht-filled harbor, designer shops along the pristine streets of Gustavia (the island’s capital), and luxurious hotels.
I found a lively day-drinking scene at Nikki Beach, a destination that’s attracted celebrity guests like Mariah Carey, and restaurants with menus and wine lists to rival any Parisian hot spot.
However, you don’t have to be a multimillionaire to soak in the island’s beguiling swankiness. During my visit, I spent an afternoon on a catamaran ride and did some window shopping.
Visitors can also find elevated cuisine at various price points — I had tuna poke and chilled rosé from Ti’ Corail on a laid-back beach, and it was one of my favorite meals.
I was blown away by the many local beaches, such as the sandy Gouverneur Beach and the secluded Colombier Beach, a spot accessible only after a steep (but worth it) hike.
If you’re a Francophile who adores fabulous food and an upscale feel, I highly recommend St. Barts.
St. Martin is the perfect destination for plane and food enthusiasts.St. Martin had plenty of things to do, like visiting Maho Beach. Kelly Magyarics
St. Martin is split into two distinct French and Dutch sides. I thought the French side had a quiet, relaxed vibe during my visit.
I laid on the beach at Orient Bay (referred to as the Saint-Tropez of the Caribbean) and shopped at the luxury boutiques in Marigot, the capital of the French collectivity on St. Martin.
I found the Dutch side much livelier as I clubbed at the Soggy Dollar Bar in Simpson Bay and sipped rum cocktails while watching the sunset at The Rusty Parrot.
The island is also the ultimate destination for aviation geeks, as the Princess Juliana International Airport is steps away from Maho Beach. I spent hours watching planes fly directly above me.
Visitors can also island hop to nearby St. Barts and Anguilla, easily accessible by ferry or plane.
I was blown away by Curaçao’s beautiful beaches and scenery.Colorful buildings line the waterfront in Willemstad, Curaçao. Kelly Magyarics
Curaçao is known for having more than 35 beaches, so every sun-worshipper can find their perfect spot.
During my visit, it seemed like some beaches, like Playa Piskadó, were mainly frequented by locals, so they were uncrowded and relaxed. Others, such as Grote Knip and Playa Kalki, in quiet coves, were very tranquil.
During my stay, I sipped my way through the gin and tonic menu at Zest Restaurant & Beach Cafe on the lively Jan Thiel Beach and, of course, tried the island’s namesake bright blue liqueur.
Handelskade, a row of brightly colored Dutch colonial buildings lining the water in Willemstad (the island’s capital), was the perfect photo op.
As an added bonus, Curaçao is part of the ABC islands (the other two being Aruba and Bonaire), which are unlikely to be severely impacted by hurricanes.
I enjoyed Barbados’ lively events and rum distillery.Barbados offers beautiful beaches. Ina Meer Sommer/Shutterstock
The Caribbean is synonymous with rum, but in my opinion, no island offers as authentic an experience as this destination.
Based in Barbados, the iconic rum producer Mount Gay has been selling the spirit since 1703. Touring and tasting at the company’s distillery is a must-do for any fan of the sugarcane-based spirit.
Visitors can also make their way through Barbados’ flavorful cocktails (and cuisine) at lively bars and restaurants. I loved the potent rum punch and local fish cakes at Oasis Beach Bar, as well as the seared jerk tuna and butter beans at Calma Beach Club.
The island was perpetually vibrant — it seemed like a party, festival, or concert was always happening. The snorkeling in Carlisle Bay was also amazing, as I saw parrotfish, hawksbill turtles, and seahorses.
Plus, Rihanna fans can snap a selfie in front of the Barbadian native’s colorful childhood home, where her name adorns the doormat.
This story was originally published on August 9, 2024, and most recently updated on March 17, 2025.
Read the original article on Business Insider - We bought 2.5 acres of land in rural Virginia for $37,000. Here’s why we think the investment will pay off.
Rajan Chidambaram and Renzo Sanio bought undeveloped land in Virginia for $37,000. Courtesy of Rajan Chidambaram.
- Two college students bought undeveloped land in rural Virginia, hoping to build a luxury retreat.
- The two friends from high school reconnected in college and decided to start the venture together.
- Graduating in May, they plan to open their first cabin in July.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rajan Chidambaram and Renzo Sanio, two college students at the University of Virginia (UVA) and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The two 22-year-old friends who met in high school are set to graduate in May. In July, they plan to open Royal Oak Retreat, a luxury cabin in Front Royal, Virginia, a rural town about 70 miles outside Washington, DC. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Renzo: I’ve always been told when you’re young, it’s the best time to take risks. I was just waiting for the right opportunity to find a development deal that I could partake in.
I went to college, studying physics, and eventually added Building Construction as my second major — but it didn’t seem creative enough. So, I added Real Estate as a second major in my sophomore year. I was excited because you can see the whole development process from the start.
Rajan: Renzo and I actually reconnected in Texas. I was working in Dallas and visiting another friend in Austin. Renzo just happened to be there. That’s where I first got introduced to real-estate development. Now, I’m majoring in IT and Real Estate.
Renzo: I was working in a commercial-development internship in Austin. I shared the idea to buy investment land with Rajan while he was working at JP Morgan in Dallas, and that was, in a way, the start of our partnership.
We wanted to diversify our investments with real estate
Rajan: I’ve been selling shoes for a very long time, and I saved up a lot of money over the last five years. I wanted to park some of it in real estate. The inspiration to get into real estate came from my dad who suggested I look into it. I already had a lot of money in the stock market, so I wanted to diversify a little bit.
A drone shot of Chidambaram and Sanio. Courtesy of Rajan Chidambaram.
I bought a property on my 21st birthday. It was a single-family townhouse for $295,000, about five minutes away from UVA, so it’s holding its value very well. I rented it out to a family that lives there.
Renzo: There was a 24-year-old in Texas who built a retreat for $2.5 million and then sold it two years later for $7 million. And I thought that if I could do a very similar thing, just in a market closer to where my home was, we would exceed.
Rajan: Renzo brought me this deal. He’s the one who found it, he’s the one who sourced it, he’s the one who did the research, and he just brought me along.
My dad started his own company, and before I even explained it, he was like, “Just go do it.” I’m very grateful that he had full faith in me to do my own thing.
We think we can make $100,000 per cabin a year
Renzo: Our property is 2.5 acres in Front Royal, Virginia. We got it under contract for $37,000 right after Thanksgiving 2024. We bought it free and clear.
Rajan: We closed on January 10. We’ve started clearing the land but have not started putting the foundation in yet.
Renzo: The 2.5 acres are subdivided into four parcels, and the end goal is to have four luxury cabins.
I bought the plans for the cabins for $2,000, probably six months before we bought the land. I had to buy them to know how much it would cost to build them, which would be used in our financial model.
Chidambaram and Sanio expect to make $100,000 in annual revenue per cabin. Courtesy of Rajan Chidambaram.
We’re using a $300,000 construction loan to build the first cabin, which kind of maxes out our financial capacity. Our finances are limiting us in that sense, so we’re going to build the remaining three in phases.
We definitely needed cosigners for the loans — some conversations with parents and easing their concerns opened up the possibility for us to see this through.
Once we get full-time roles, our capacity for debt should increase. So, we might consider building all three at the same time.
Our financial model projects $100,000 in revenue per cabin annually. While $100,000 looks sexy, hospitality is expensive to operate.
We discovered Front Royal is one of Virginia’s strongest short-term rental markets because it’s so close to DC — it’s only one hour away.
As for the market side, the downturns aren’t really a concern. If the market dips and people find themselves in unfavorable financial situations, we expect that in-state travel will increase, which will benefit us.
Rajan: We expect to be fully hands-on. This is not an investment; this is a business that we’re starting.
And I think it starts with the marketing. That’s why I’m really pushing content out on my page. We also have a branded page for Royal Oak Retreat, and the whole point behind that is by the time we open, I want to build up our personal brand so big that when we open, we have a direct bookings funnel.
We don’t want to rely on Airbnb or Vrbo because they take a percentage of what we would charge. We want to have our own direct booking site.
I think by the time we open, people are going to be so bought into our story. If you want to book out for a whole year, that’s only 365 people, and right now, we have 47,000 people following our journey.
Read the original article on Business Insider