Top 5 Islands to Visit Before You Die

Escape to this island paradise with me! 

5. Bora Bora 

The small island of Bora Bora (just 6 miles long and more than 2 miles wide) overflows with beauty. Dormant volcanoes rise up at its center and fan out into lush jungle before spilling into an aquamarine lagoon. In fact, author James Michener, who wrote "Tales of the South Pacific," called Bora Bora "the most beautiful island in the world." The 18th-century British explorer James Cook even coined it as the "pearl of the Pacific." The very definition of a tropical getaway, blissful Bora Bora abounds with luxurious resorts, sunny skies, warm waters and friendly locals. Many of Bora Bora's beaches are manmade and not much to write home about. The pristine lagoons are another story.

4. St. Martin - St. Maarten

If you associate the Caribbean with a laid-back atmosphere, a tranquil beach and a quiet sunset, then you haven't been to feisty St. Martin and St. Maarten. What's the best part of visiting this dual-governed island? You can get a taste of two distinct, lively cultures all for the price of one vacation. This 37-square-mile dot is increasingly popular with travelers who like to eat well, party hard and duty-free shop in between trips to the beach. The north side, St. Martin, is controlled by the French government. It's the home of the island's tastiest restaurants and party beaches. Whereas cosmopolitan St. Maarten shelters the most animated casinos, bars and clubs. A territory of the Netherlands Antilles, St. Maarten takes up the southern 16 square miles.

But for all the excitement, St. Martin and St. Maarten still foster a stress-free vibe -- starting out with how easily you can pass between both sides of the island. So catch a few morning rays on a quiet Dutch-side beach; later, take a leisurely afternoon stroll through a French-side mountain. You'll be more than primed to sneak back over the border for a night in the casinos.

3. Maldives 

If you don't want that cliché Caribbean beach getaway (The Bahamas) or that trendy South Pacific retreat (Bora Bora), you should venture to the Maldives. However, getting to and staying in this tropical paradise requires patience (i.e. no direct flights from the states) and plentiful cash. Located between the Arabian and Laccadive seas, roughly 500 miles southwest of Sri Lanka, the Maldives is about as isolated as you can get (or would ever want, anyway). And while the country's government and economy has recently been in flux, the sublime nature of this paradise has stayed constant in the dreams of travelers.

The Maldives is a conservative Muslim nation, where you'll find plenty of mosques and very little alcohol beyond the resorts' borders. 

2. Mykonos 

The cube-shaped buildings and whitewashed exterior facades of Mykonos scream Mediterranean. Winding roads twist through the main city of Chora, past expensive storefronts and beautiful churches that give the island a grounded sense of Greek tradition. But Mykonos is far from conservative, as it's known for its rowdy beach parties and crazy nightlife. In the "Ibiza of Greece," you're never far from a party at any point in the day.

Mykonos' silky sand beaches are the biggest draw. Vacationers come to them to see and be seen - often in the nude. This laissez-faire attitude particularly appeals to those who love a ruckus; Psarou and Paradise beaches start jumping early in the day and don't clear out until sunrise. Don't worry early birds, there are also plenty daytime sights like the Cycladic-style buildings of Chora, the windmills of Kato Myli, and the ornate temples of Delos. Here, you'll discover the perfect Greek mix of sophistication, relaxation and jubilation.

1. Seychelles

When the going gets tough, the tough get going — and the rest of us conjure our ideal escape, dreaming of a remote island with crowd-free sands, bright blue waters and a tranquil aura. But when you're ready to turn that dream into a reality, set your sights on Seychelles, a cluster of 115 islands peppering the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Africa.

You may have caught sight of the scenery here before: The seemingly endless white beaches, giant boulders and swaying palms are the stuff of postcards, television commercials and desktop backgrounds. And while you're lounging along these famous shorelines, it's likely that the only other life forms you'll encounter will be the islands' colorful birds and humongous tortoises.