Song Saa, which is set to open on December 31 is the vision of Rory and Melita Hunter who have turned their island dreams into reality. The construction of the 27 one-bedroom villas are near completion and will cost upwards of $2,000 per night. Here is what CNN had to say about the project.

Rory is a former advertising executive and Melita is a former set designer. Originally from Australia, they came to Phnom Penh and set up a business renovating old French colonial apartments and leasing them to expats. They never planned to become developers until they stumbled upon two small islands in southern Cambodia while on an excursion. The islands are called Song Saa which means “Sweethearts” in Khmer.

They bought the local land rights to the islands for $15,000 from two families living there. The Hunters knew they didn’t really “own” the islands because in Cambodia, foreigners are not able to own land outright. They negotiated with the Cambodian government to lease the islands for 99 years.

The Hunters then started their plan of developing a high-end villa resort. They put in $370,000 of their own money as seed capital. They’ve since raised several rounds of financing from mainly European investors for this $21 million project.

To read more about this exciting Private Island Development visit CNN.

Check out the link below to sneek a peak at the islands of celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Faith Hill and Mel Gibson

http://travel.aol.co.uk/2011/09/23/sneak-peak-celebrity-owned-private-islands/

Necker island has reportedly reopened following a fire on August 22^nd which destroyed the eight bedroom Great House. It was reported that Kate Winslet was staying on the island at the time and actually assisted in the rescue of Branson’s elderly mother from the main residence.

Following the reopening, guests will have use of six newly refurbished Bali Houses. Temple House, Branson’s private home, will also be on offer alongside his 105-foot Necker Belle catamaran.

Branson plans to rebuild the Great House in the same Balinese style with views of the Caribbean, although he promised several “innovative twists.”

The fire was triggered by a lightning strike during Hurricane Irene.

Souce: Breaking Travel News

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer recently listed google co-founder and uber-billionaire Paul Allen’s Anacortes Washington island on the market for 13.5 million.  Allen purchased “Allan Island” in 1992 and reportedly to build a vacation home. However later he purchased up Spetty Peninsual site on nearby Lopez Island in 1996 and abandoned his original plans.

Allan Island, named for a Nacy hero, not the Billionaire (hence the name change), is an almost entirely undeveloped 292 acre island. The island boasts one modest house – a caretakers cabin fitted with water, septic and generator. There is also a grass airstrip and a boat dock. 

Source: Forbes.com

Chris Krolow, CEO Private Islands Inc.

It is an exciting time in the private island world. With a large number of new islands for sale coming onto the market and changes in foreign ownership laws in some island regions of the world, 2012 is sure to be a record breaking year for island sales.

Private Islands Inc. CEO, Chris Krolow recently reported that his company is marketing more than a dozen new European private islands for sale. Krolow said there are currently 3 islands under contract and the Private Island’s network of brokers have reported an increasing number of sales across the board.

Krolow confirmed that the private island market is improving using the example of a rare Italian private island that came off the market last week, “We attempted to sell the very same island a number of years ago and only received a few serious inquiries. We are proud to report that after only a few months of a more direct marketing approach, we have completed the sale of this unique European island.”

Krolow is especially excited about this exclusive sale, “not only because of the multi-million dollar price tag, but because it proves that our new and evolving marketing strategies are working.”

According to the paper last year a record 150 islands, from Croatia’s coast to the Caribbean and the South Seas, were bought by Italians.

Many VIPs who buy them like to keep quiet, but there were unconfirmed reports that Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani bought a small Greek island for more than £100 million (R1.1 billion).

Customers with £440 000 or more can start enquiring about the coast of Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, or the Maldives. Islands in the Caribbean went for £6.2m.

Islands off the coasts of Norway, Brazil and Greece have also proved a draw for Italian customers.

And according to newspaper La Repubblica, the Italian demand for islands looks set this year to outstrip that of last year.

The choice of islands has never been better, as governments seek to refill coffers emptied by recession. In 2009, Croatia said it was putting its Brioni Islands in the Adriatic on sale, in the hope of making more than £880m.

To read the article visit iol travel.

Four Seasons recently developed a Robinson Crusoe experience in purchasing a private island near their five star resort in Langkawi. Guests of Four Seasons Resort Langkawi can slip away to their very own secret island, where they will be “marooned” in Four Seasons style. For couples looking for a romantic retreat or groups of friends and family wanting a playground all to themselves, it’s a perfect day in paradise.

Dotting the horizon in the near distance directly across from the Resort’s tranquil beach are three emerald islands that provide the seclusion and privacy so rarely discovered. Pulau Pasir, or Sand Island, is a natural sanctuary with a soft sand beach that can be reached only by boat or kayak, a quiet haven to hide away and enjoy some unhurried, private couple or family time.
The Robinson Crusoe Experience

Before arrival, staff will prepare a picnic spot with shade umbrella and blanket, or chairs and table if preferred. For a truly luxe experience, guests may also book a server, photographer and musician at extra cost.

To get to one’s own desert island, guests may choose to do as traditional islanders do, and paddle 30 minutes by kayak. Alternately, guests can be piloted on the Resort’s speed boat, arriving a world away in just five minutes, for an additional charge. A mobile phone is provided so that guests may call for transportation when they are ready to return to the Resort.

Source

“We love to travel and we love Necker Island,” Lachey, 37, tells People. “We’ve vacationed there multiple times, and when we got engaged, we both immediately thought of the island as the perfect place to have our wedding.”

Adds Minnillo, 30: “We were on a boat, on vacation, passing the island and we both looked at each other and he said, ‘Yes!’ I was so glad he said what I was thinking. Nick saw it in my eyes.”

The 74-acre island was the picture perfect backdrop for their intimate nuptials, which were filmed for a TLC special.

“We used a lot of what the island had,” says Minnillo. “It was timeless, beautiful and romantic.”

 The island of Ireland is surrounded by hundreds of islands - from large inhabited islands to tiny uninhabitable ones. Private Irish islands don’t come up for sale too often but this year there’s a handful on the market, with asking prices much reduced since their peak.

Dominic Daly, a Cork estate agent, has been selling islands for over 40 years and currently has islands on his books in west Cork, the Shannon Estuary and in Donegal.

Daly says that some islands are owned by tradition, by farmers, others have been bought as a luxury item.

“The trend is for international businessmen to buy them. They have the funds,” he says. Enquiries are mainly from overseas - he even had an African chief looking at an island a few years ago.”

To read the full article visit the Irish Times