Few things say luxury like a resort with an island all to itself, and few arrivals match landing there by private aircraft. These ten island resorts are among the most exclusive in the world. Each one offers privacy, nature and service on a level that is hard to find anywhere else, and each one starts with a memorable journey to get there.

10.InterContinental Hayman Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

In the Whitsundays, close to the Great Barrier Reef, Hayman Island is a private island resort run by InterContinental. Days are about the reef and the outdoors: snorkelling, walking trails and wildlife, followed by the spa and the island’s restaurants.

Getting there: by boat or seaplane from the nearby Whitsunday airports.

9.Calala Island, Nicaragua

A tiny island off Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast with only a handful of suites, Calala is one of the most intimate resorts in the region. The whole island can be booked for one group, and its beaches are a nesting site for sea turtles.

8.Amanpulo, Philippines

On Pamalican Island in the Sulu Sea, Amanpulo is the only resort on its island and one of the Philippines’ most famous hideaways. Casitas and villas sit along white coral sand, with a reef just offshore for snorkelling and diving.

Getting there: a private flight of about an hour from Manila.

7.COMO Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos

A long, quiet beach, a celebrated wellness spa and understated villas have made Parrot Cay one of the Caribbean’s best-known private islands. For complete privacy, guests can choose a residence away from the main resort.

Getting there: a short boat ride from Providenciales.

6.&Beyond Mnemba Island, Tanzania

Just off Zanzibar’s northeast coast, Mnemba is a small island with a few beach bandas set in the shade of the trees, surrounded by a coral atoll that is a favourite of divers and snorkellers. Barefoot luxury in its purest form.

Getting there: by boat from Zanzibar.

5.The Brando, French Polynesia

On the atoll of Tetiaroa, once the private retreat of actor Marlon Brando, this resort combines luxury villas with a strong focus on conservation. Lagoons, sea birds and turtles surround a small number of beachfront villas.

Getting there: a short private flight from Tahiti.

4.COMO Laucala Island, Fiji

A whole Fijian island of mountains, plantations and beaches, with only a small number of private villas spread across it. Much of what guests eat is grown on the island, and activities range from diving and sailing to golf.

Getting there: by private plane from Nadi.

3.Time + Tide Miavana, Madagascar

On a remote island off northeastern Madagascar, Miavana is one of the most secluded luxury resorts on earth. Large pool villas open straight onto the sand, and excursions to the mainland reveal lemurs, chameleons and empty coves.

Getting there: by helicopter.

2.Soneva Fushi, Maldives

In Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Soneva Fushi pioneered the barefoot “castaway” style in the Maldives. Villas hide among dense green forest, each with its own stretch of beach, and some are built like tree houses.

Getting there: by seaplane from Malé, flying low over the atolls.

1.North Island, Seychelles

With only a few hand-built villas on its own island, North Island is often called one of the most exclusive resorts in the world. Granite boulders, white beaches and a nature reserve frame villas that open straight onto the sand. It became famous worldwide as the honeymoon destination of Prince William and Catherine in 2011.

Getting there: by helicopter from Mahé.