Tsarabanjina, Madagascar

For Robinson Crusoe vibes with a luxurious lilt, look no further than this tiny privately owned island 30km off the north-west coast of Madagascar.

Run by Constance resorts, Tsarabanjina is home to 25 villas plonked right on the powder-soft sands and azure waters of the Indian Ocean.

Dive, snorkel, indulge in a spa treatment or just enjoy the feeling of being barefoot for days on end. When you're at Tsarabanjina, that agonising choice is pretty much the only thing you'll have to worry about.

Stay: Constance Tsarabanjina from £568pn. constancehotels.com

Getting there: Ethiopian Airlines flies to Nosy Be, Madagascar from £754 return. The resort will organise your transfers from the airport to the island. ethiopianairlines.com

Iriomote Island, Japan

Despite being the second largest island in Japan's Okinawa prefecture, just 3,000 people call the heavily forested island of Iriomote home. The beaches look pretty much tropical, but it's even better when you're in the water, diving, kayaking by waterfalls and exploring the mangroves.

Stay: Airbnb is the way to go, with a good selection on offer. airbnb.com

Getting there: All Nippon Airways offers flights from London to Ishigaki from £654 return, with an overnight stopover in Osaka. ana.co.jp; ferry to Iriomote from £32. directferries.com

Petit St Vincent, St Vincent & Grenadines

Petit St Vincent is, well, petite. An 115-acre speck of sandy beaches and lush vegetation that sits in the lapis-coloured waters of the Caribbean, PSV has 22 ultra-private villas, a beach bar, a restaurant and a hilltop spa. There's minimal WiFi, and, aside from watersports, there's not much to do other than kick back on the beach. Bliss.

Getting there: Caribtours offers seven nights at Petit St Vincent from £4,169pp full board including flights, transfers and airport lounge access.
caribtours.co.uk

Lanai, Hawaii

Oahu's famous for its surf, Maui's famous for its beaches, Lanai's famous for its, er… OK, only about 52,000 people visit this small Hawaiian island each year, but that's the charm: this is a rugged island that oozes old-school Hawaiian charm from reef to rainforest, with a few frills (and Jeep rentals) added by the two lavishly luxurious Four Seasons resorts on the island.

Stay: Rooms at Four Seasons Lanai cost from £642pn. fourseasons.com

Getting there: Westjet flies to Maui from £767 return via various airports in Canada. westjet.com; ferry from Maui to Lanai £47 return. go-lanai.com

Mou Waho, New Zealand

We've cheated a bit with this one: you can't actually stay on Mou Waho, but an island in a lake within an island in a lake is worth breaking the rules for. Nestled in Lake Wanaka, one of the most gorgeous parts of NZ's Southern Alps, Mou Waho is home to a curious flightless bird called the buff weka, as well as hundreds of baffled tourists trying to get their brains around the concept of island-in-a-lake-ception. Head up from the nearby resort of Wanaka, or head out hiking the gorgeous mountain scenery that surrounds the (outermost) lake.

Stay: Rooms at Wanaka Haven B&B from £168pn. wanakahaven.co.nz

Getting there: Emirates flies to Queenstown, NZ from £727 return. emirates.com