7 Dreamy Uninhabited Islands

In a time when being isolated is something we can all relate to, we started wondering about all the deserted and uninhabited islands in this big beautiful world. So we've put together a list of our most dreamy uninhabited islands.

Mu Ko Ang Thong

Mu Ko Ang Thong is a beautiful archipelago of about 40 islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Ang Thong translates as a bowl of gold, while Mu Ko simply means a group of islands. Most of the limestone islands are covered with tropical forest and rise from the sea as dramatic rock cliffs and bizarre rock formations. Exploring the white sand beaches and snorkelling among the shallow coral gardens makes a popular day trip from Ko Samui. All of the islands are uninhabited and undeveloped except for Ko Paluay, an island inhabited by sea-gipsies who still earn a living from fishing.

Clipperton Island

Clipperton Island is actually a coral atoll south of Mexico and west of Guatemala in the Pacific. It was claimed first by the French, then Americans, who mined it for guano. Mexico took possession in 1897 and allowed a British company to mine guano there. In 1914, the Mexican civil war caused the island's 100 or so residents to be cut off from transportation and supplies. In 1917, the last surviving islanders, three women, were rescued and evacuated. Ownership reverted to France, which manned a lighthouse on Clipperton Island, but after World War II it was completely abandoned. There are occasional scientific expeditions to the atoll.

Mamanuca Islands

The Mamanuca Islands of Fiji are a volcanic archipelago of about 20 islands. The islands are one of the most popular Fiji vacation destinations with beautiful island resorts and white sand beaches. Several Mamanuca Islands are uninhabited, usually, because there is no natural source of water, The most famous uninhabited island in the group is tiny Monuriki which was the main location for the 2000 film Cast Away (and not ironically on Castaway Island).

Maldives Desert Islands

The Maldives is an archipelago of 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 coral atolls. Only 200 islands are inhabited by local Maldivian people while only 5 islands have a population of more than 3,000. The overcrowded capital island of Malé is home to 26 per cent of the Maldivians. Of the remaining islands, 88 have been developed as tourist resorts and the others are uninhabited. In fact, Maldives has so much small uninhabited islands that every resort island has its own ‘Desert Island’ and offers its own Desert Island trip.

Aldabra, Seychelles

Aldabra, is one of the Outer Islands of The Seychelles more than 1,100 kilometres (700 miles) from Mahé, the largest island of The Seychelles and is closer to the coast of Africa. It is the second-largest Atoll in the world after Kiritimati. Due to difficulties of access and the atoll’s isolation, Aldabra is virtually untouched by humans and thus retains some 152,000 giant tortoises, the world’s largest population of this reptile. They are one of the world’s longest-living animals, with an average lifespan of 100 years or more. The atoll is also known for the Coconut crab, the world’s largest land crab, and hammerhead sharks, manta rays, barracuda and as a breeding ground for green turtles and hawksbill turtles.

Rock Islands

Located in Palau’s Southern Lagoon, the Rock Islands are ancient remnants of coral reefs that surfaced to form the 250 to 300 islands. For the most part, the islands are uninhabited. The Rock Islands are famous for their beaches, blue lagoons and the peculiar shapes of many of the islands.

The famous Jellyfish Lake is located on the Rock Islands. The Jellyfish Lake contains jellyfish with very weak stingers where snorkelers can safely swim and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

ŌKUNOSHIMA ISLAND

Three kilometres off the coast of Japan, Ōkunoshima Island is overrun with rabbits, which are not a native species. But there are no human residents on Ōkunoshima Island. It was once the site of a chemical weapons plant, turning out poison gas for the Japanese Imperial Army from 1929 to 1945. The Allied Occupation Forces dismantled the plant and let laboratory animals go free (hence the rabbits). Japan did not speak of Ōkunoshima for many years. Then in 1988, the Ōkunoshima Poison Gas Museum was opened on the site. Tourists take the ferry to the island to interact with the friendly rabbits more than to see the museum.