Top 30 Islands in the World – Condé Nast Traveler´s Readers’ Choice Poll.
I am a big fan of the magazine Condé Nast Traveler and I simply love their lists, polls and their consumer advocate “Ombudsman”. During autumn 2015 Condé Nast Traveler did a poll about the “Top 30 Islands in the World”. You find the results below together with my comments.
Top 30 Islands in the World – The List.
| Place | Island | Country | Score |
| 1 | Palawan | Philippines | 88,750 |
| 2 | Kiawah Island | South Carolina, USA | 86,574 |
| 3 | Maui | Hawaii, USA | 86,471 |
| 4 | Kauai | Hawaii, USA | 85,269 |
| 5 | Bazaruto Archipelago | Mozambique | 85,119 |
| 6 | Great Barrier Reef & Whitsunday Islands | Australia | 84,467 |
| 7 | Santorini & Cyclades | Greece | 84,080 |
| 8 | St. John | US Virgin Islands | 83,359 |
| 9 | Kangaroo Island | Australia | 82,803 |
| 10 | Big Island | Hawaii, USA | 82,761 |
| 11 | Tasmania | Australia | 82,691 |
| 12 | Boracay | Philippines | 82,663 |
| 13 | Menorca | Spain | 82,643 |
| 14 | Bermuda | Bermuda | 82,519 |
| 15 | Sea Island | Georgia, USA | 82,514 |
| 16 | Oahu | Hawaii, USA | 82,457 |
| 17 | Bali | Indonesia | 82,423 |
| 18 | Moorea | French Polynesia | 82,417 |
| 19 | Maldives | Maldives | 82,319 |
| 20 | Öland | Sweden | 82,143 |
| 21 | Skiathos & Sporades | Greece | 82,056 |
| 22 | Prince Edward Island | Canada | 82,006 |
| 23 | Frisian Islands | Germany | 81,868 |
| 24 | British Virgin Islands | British Virgin Islands | 81,494 |
| 25 | Bora Bora | French Polynesia | 81,432 |
| 26 | Anna Maria Island | Florida, USA | 81,373 |
| 27 | Hilton Head | South Carolina, USA | 81,333 |
| 28 | Isle of Palms | South Carolina, USA | 81,285 |
| 29 | Vancouver Island | Canada | 81,122 |
| 30 | Aquidneck Island (Newport) | Rhode Island,, USA | 81,011 |
You will find the original list on: Top 30 Islands in the World – Readers Choice.
Several North American Islands on the List.
There are several North American islands on the list and this is most likely explained by the magazine has their majority of readers in USA and Canada. Those readers probably have experienced more islands closer to home than far away and therefore cast their vote on these.
If it was a German magazine with a majority of German-speaking reader the list would have been considerably different.
Most Surprising Islands on the List.
Bazaruto Archipelago is beautiful and really deserves being on the list. Considering it is not a mass destination, I am surprised that it ended up on 5th place. If someone has information on how it happened, please get in touch!
Equally surprising but still nice to see are Öland in Sweden and Frisian Islands in Germany.
Bali has been a little out of fashion but it is nice to see that is up, coming and climbing. I guess that the movie “Eat, Pray, Love” with Julia Roberts has helped putting the island of gods on 17th place.
Most Predictable Islands on the List.
Santorini & Cyclades are beautiful and well-known as destinations. A list without these would be incomplete. Same goes for the islands in French Polynesia.
Islands I Would Like to Have Seen on the List.
I am a bit surprised that Thailand did not get a spot on the list. Thailand has several beautiful islands that would qualify.
Malaysia has several islands, i.e. Langkawi, Pangkor Laut or the islands on the East Coast, that would be great on the list.
Many people tend to forget that Singapore is an island with lots to offer and it would have been really cool to see a metropolis among the paradise islands.
If you enjoyed reading about this list, I think you will enjoy the articles about Condé Nast Traveler´s lists: Top 10 Cities in Europe and Top 100 Hotels & Resorts.
Which islands are your top islands in the world? Please share in the comments below, on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.