There is no such thing as all work and no play in real estate, and when the time comes to take a break, why not make like Robinson Crusoe and really get away from it all? If you can’t justify buying your own secluded paradise outright, fear not, there are rental options around the world ripe for a retreat. Emily Wright rounds up six of the best private islands for hire
1. North Island, Seychelles
Size: 2 sq km
Cost to hire: £43,850 a night
Maximum capacity: 22 people staying in 11 villas
Secluded? Very. William and Kate spent their honeymoon here
Time by helicopter from nearest mainland: 20 minutes
Number of beaches: 4
Bottles of wine in the cellar: 3,000
Bottles of Cristal Champagne on the island at any one time: 100
Ratio of staff to guests? 6:1
Included: A personal assistant for every guest
Private chef? Of course
Most unusual guest request: To have a basketball court built on the island for the duration of their stay
2. Tagomago Island, Ibiza
Size: 600,000 sq m
Cost to hire: £86,000 a week in July and August; £70,000 for the rest of the year
Maximum capacity: 10 guests staying in a five-bedroom luxury villa
Shotgun: The Red Room. It is the only one which gets sunset views over Ibiza
Time by boat to Ibiza mainland? 10 minutes
Ratio of staff to guests? 2:1
Plus: Beauticians who will travel by speedboat to the island to carry out treatments
Toys available: A Mangusta 108 yacht, a helicopter, two Jetski Sea-Doos and a Boston Whaler 320 fishing vessel
Which includes: Three in-floor fishboxes, an in-deck cooler and on-board electric grill
Celebrity guests: Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronnie Wood and Jade Jagger
3. Laucala Island, Fiji
Size: 12,2 sq km
Cost to hire: £100,000 a night
Maximum capacity: 70 people staying in 24 villas
Owned by: Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz
How secluded? Very. It is a 45-minute, six-seater plane journey from the nearest mainland
Ratio of staff to guests? 5:1
Each villa has: A private pool and an outdoor shower room
Private chef? Yes
Who specialises in: Tailored poolside BBQs
Coolest added extra: The island’s own DeepFlight submarine
Most unusual guest request? For a bottle of Grand Marnier Cuvee du Cent Cinquantenaire to be flown in from Brisbane
4. Dunbar Rock, Honduras
Size: 2 acres
Cost to hire: £50,000 per week
Maximum capacity: 24 people sharing eight rooms
Time by helicopter from nearest mainland: 15 minutes
Which lands: On a rooftop helipad next to the infinity pool
Best views? A tiny island just big enough for the house and a jetty – there is a 360-degree uninterrupted panorama
Staff include: Chef, housekeepers and scuba diving instructors
Number of dive boats: 3
To take divers to: The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef
Which is: Second only to the Great Barrier Reef for the best diving in the world
The ultimate oceanic sight? Migrating whale sharks in the summer
5. Ariara Island, Philippines
Size: 125 acres
Cost to hire: £36,000 a week
Which includes: Use of all watersports equipment as well as a fully staffed, 100ft four-cabin yacht
Maximum capacity? 18 people staying in eight villas
Designed by: Filipino architect Jorge Yulo
And include: Wooden baths crafted using traditional boatbuilding techniques
Time by seaplane from nearest mainland: 80 minutes
Ratio of staff to guests: 15:1
Don’t miss: Some of the island’s one-off dive sites
Such as? Untouched Second World War Japanese and US wrecks
6. Dry Island, Up-state New York
Size: 12 acres
Cost to hire: £16,000 a week
Which includes: All food, sports equipment, water sports, use of 14 boats and unlimited alcohol
Maximum capacity: 10 people in a main lodge and three-bedroom log cabin
Time by plane from Lake Placid Airport: 30 minutes
Plus: A 10-minute boat ride from the north shore of Upper Saranac Lake
How are guests welcomed onto the island? With champagne and homemade canapés
Island staff include: A boatman, private chef, housekeeper and caretaker who will chop fresh wood
But: Guests can request for all staff to leave the island at any point for full privacy
Coolest facility: A sunken hot tub on the lodge deck
