5 Tropical Islands With Only One Resort Each
From Raja Ampat to the Sulu Sea, five islands where a single resort is the only sign anyone lives there at all.
A private island with a single resort is a different kind of quiet: no other guests arriving by a different route, no second jetty, nowhere else on the island to be. Here are five where that's exactly what you get, along with the diving that usually comes with it.
Batbitim Island: Misool Eco Resort
Misool Eco Resort pairs diving with conservation directly: the resort operates as both a dive centre and a conservation base within a protected marine park spanning 1,220 square kilometres. Sitting almost on the equator, it has wide sandy beaches and reefs that have benefited directly from the no-take zone the resort helped establish. With capacity for around 40 guests, it stays well short of crowded. Eight water cottages on stilts sit close to the North Lagoon and house reef, while North Lagoon Villas and South Beach Villas offer more private, Balinese-style accommodation for anyone wanting their own space after a day of diving.
Location: south of Misool Island, within the Raja Ampat Marine Protected Area, West Papua, Indonesia.
Best time to visit: October to April.
Kapalai Island: Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort
Close to Sipadan and Mabul sits Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort, built in the style of a traditional Malay kampung air, or water village, on stilts just above the Ligitan Reefs. From your own deck, there's no land in any direction, just open sea. A sandbank stretching roughly a mile is visible at low tide, and several dive sites sit within swimming distance or a short boat ride, with turtles and large fish a regular sighting alongside the resort's muck diving.
Location: Celebes Sea, part of the Ligitan Reef, near Sipadan Island, Malaysia.
Best time to visit: March to October.
Lankayan Island: Lankayan Island Dive Resort
Lankayan Island Dive Resort is only about ninety minutes by boat from Sandakan, but feels far removed from it. The island sits within a marine protected area, and much of it remains untouched tropical forest. Just 23 wooden rooms keep the resort intimate, all facing the beachfront, with turquoise water, white sand, wrecks to explore, and the occasional passing whale shark.
Location: Sulu Sea, within the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area, Sandakan, Malaysia.
Best time to visit: March to October.
Pef Island: Raja4Divers
Raja4Divers opened in 2011, built in local Papuan architectural style along a palm-lined beach. With only 10 bungalows and a maximum of 18 guests, it stays quiet by design. Each wooden bungalow sits over the water with its own west-facing deck for the sunset, and diving runs in small groups of up to four divers per guide, alongside snorkelling, kayaking, trekking, and the occasional afternoon spent doing nothing at all.
Location: southwest of Waigeo Island, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.
Best time to visit: year-round.
Wai Island: Wai Eco Resort
Wai Eco Resort sits on Pulau Wai, a small coral atoll ringed entirely by white sand, next to reefs that make for an easy sunset walk. Just six cottages keep things quiet, built in traditional Papuan style from local materials like shell and timber, each with its own stretch of private beach, a canopy bed, a hammock, and a terrace facing the ocean.
Location: Wai Island, Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
Best time to visit: October to April.