NEW: Find your new home with our exclusive Best Island to Live On mobile app.
In the August 2010 issue of ISLANDS magazine, the editors rank the top 20 Best Islands to Live On, considering real estate values, ease of immigration, expat community, quality of island life and more. Select an island above to see more information about how to move there, as well as an interactive map of the island. You can also consult the Best Islands to Live On archive for the 2009, 2008 and 2007 lists for more ideas, plus calculate your perfect move with the the Best Islands to Live On finder.
Related Content
His island business sank, literally. And that's when this expat's life began.
Trinidadian cacao is used to produce some of the best-tasting chocolate you can buy—it's revered by many as "the best chocolate in the world." For years finished Trinidadian chocolate was only available from European chocolatiers, but many local artisans are beginning to pick up the trade, and even sell their chocolate internationally.
These six island spaces are designed with couples in mind — a table on the beach in the Turks & Caicos, a table by the fire on Sardinia or one at the end of a wooden walkway over the water and under the stars in Maui. Read how each place combines intimate atmosphere with innovative cuisine for amazing meals and unforgettable moments.
Comments
Best Island To Live On: Kauai. It is less commercial, quieter and most of the residents live there permanently. My number two vote would be the Big Island. I've been to both islands twice and used the Trailblazer books to guide me around. Big Island's air was not as clean and clear (vog) as Kauai's but there was more land to explore and more diversity. Hilo was rainy and Kona, hot, more arid with pockets of beautiful beaches (needed the Big Island Trailblazer book to find them).
Absolutely - Hands Down, the Big Island is the best.
I moved to Hawaii 26 years ago, called many places home, the last 10 years it has been Kailua Kona. I decided to move, buy a home, and raise my family here, BEST move I've ever made, don’t know why it took me so long, but it was worth the wait.
Not many people realize how big - the big island is, but it has 11 of the 13 climates in the world - yes we have snow, ice, waves, deserts, rain forest, volcano, everything you could ask for - and more.
Did you know you can take Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Lanai - double all of them in size, then put them on the big island - and still have room left over.
Sorry I get a little passionate about the place I love - all the islands are beautiful, but none can compare to Hawaii - the Big Island
*sigh*
It's sad that a magazine on Islands (called "Islands") apparently has difficulty in knowing the difference between an island, a group of islands, and a city that is on an island.
This article makes a clear point in attempting to name which island (singular) is best to live on... and then completely submarines the integrity of its endeavor. Look no further than #3 on the list.
With the lengths this article went to distinguish between the Big Island of Hawai'i and Kauai, it's pretty shocking to see them not take note of the distinct differences between life on New Zealand's North and South islands. The former serves as home to Auckland, a million-plus metropolis, while the South Island is called home by over 40 million sheep. Just the tip of the iceberg, but the point is a simple one.
The article then makes a similar mistake with the US Virgin Islands before getting back on track with Great Exuma of the Bahamas. (Apparently, you shouldn't check out the rest of the country?) And then... Tokyo?
Tokyo.
Really?
Suddenly, we've found ourselves not only unable to distinguish between one and many islands, but utterly in favor of telling the world that "Tokyo is great, but whatever you do, stay the heck out of the rest of Honshu."
Come on, guys. Get your act together. I love the magazine, but have a little bit of integrity about lists like this. Each classification of where to live (best island, best islands, best island nation, best city on on island) is worthy of its own article, so don't waste your time with one that lazily mashes them all together... especially when the very name of your magazine begs to assure us of your expertise on the subject!
For the person who thinks Kauai tops Big Island, I can see your point. However, you should try living somewhere and not just VISITING it. I think Kauai is better for visits, but the cost of living and less diversity may make you understand the editors' decision.
Either way, my wife and visited all over the world and recently moved to the Big Island. I congratulate the writers for seeing what we saw........the best place for a US citizen to reside. I would have included Santorini in the Greek Isles among the top 20 and Moorea could be higher on the list if the primary language was English.
There is always a trade off. I think Kauai may be more beautiful, but more expensive than the Big Island. The Big Island has some wonderful neighborhoods and perhaps more affordable land. You win though on either island with a catchment system. Much better than getting your water through a pipe. Of course, both islands are rather remote to some extent so perhaps one should consider some remote piece of land on Oahu. look at some of the homes: Hawaii real estate
You can say the word oyunlar and watch me flinch... There's no reason to go looking for kız oyunları and them.