It is hard to go wrong with a beach vacation. The sea, sand and sunshine = sublime!
Islands tend to be even lovelier. Away from the mainland, they are usually cleaner, more laid back and simply have that je ne sais quoi island vibe.
But have you ever thought about staying on a private island? Take all the wonderfulness of an island vacation and multiply it by a factor of 100.
We have two private islands to recommend to you, one in Malaysia and one in French Polynesia.
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The island of Penang has been known at least since the 15th century, when Chinese visitors named the uninhibited island Pulo Pinang, meaning Betelnut Island. Ever since, its history has been multicultural, which makes it and its capital city of George Town fascinating city to explore.
How multicultural? The first westerner here was Captain James Lancaster, in 1593. Sumatra was the origin of Penang’s first immigrants, who arrived in the early 1700s. On behalf of the British East India Company, Captain Francis Light took possession of Penang in 1786. People from all over Asia — particularly China, India, and Indonesia — were attracted to Penang because of the availability of land (if they cleared the jungle), its duty-free port, and for the tolerant, open-minded way of life.
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Taking your kids to learn some history and culture in Southeast Asia is a wonderful thing. But, you can’t forget that they’re still kids.
Penang, Malaysia is a great place to start an educational trip to this amazing region. But most kids will last only a few hours on the muggy streets of George Town looking at the UNESCO buildings (but entice an extended stay out of them with a tri-shaw ride and by tallying up all the street art they can find). And you’ll need a break from making sure they keep out of the path of motorbikes and don’t fall into gutters in this city with few sidewalks.
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Langkawi, on Malaysia’s west coast, is an archipelago of 99 beautiful islands, although almost everyone stays on the main island of Langkawi. Now is the time to visit, as it is not yet so overrun like Phuket Thailand.
Whether you want to just relax or fill your days with activities, Langkawi caters to you. Here’s an overview of what to see and do, eat, and how to choose the ideal luxury or boutique hotel for you.
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