Haunted Island
By Islomaniac | November 1, 2008
Well it looks like I missed Halloween again! Although it is to be expected, when you live on an island you don’t get a lot of trick-or-treateres!
Even though I am a day late I thought I would feature a spooky haunted island in England. Known as the Isle of Wight, the island has a reputation for being one of the most haunted islands in the world. The diamond shaped island is located off hte south coast of England. The island which is about 147 square miles in 
size has about 130,000 “living” residents as well as hundreds of ghosts.
The island has a rich history with some of the best dinosaur fossils in Europe, together with Neolithic and Bronze Age remainsas well as historic forts, cottages and pubs.
However, this magical island has a darker side. Ghosts and spirits are abound on the island of Wight. it is believed that the island is a magnet for supernatural energy given that it has very strong energy or “ley lines” running under the island.
Unquiet and restless souls have been spotted everywhere from hotels to hospitals, manor houses, pubs churches and shops. The spirits of smugglers and shipwrecked seamen walk lonely beaches and undead soliders haunt old fortresses.
For more information on this spooky island visit Ghost Island
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Topics: Island Vacations, Island Cultures, Weird and Wacky | No Comments »
Islands of Wind
By Islomaniac | October 31, 2008
When people first move to their island one of the first things they realize is they have no way of knowing what the weather is immediately on and around their island. Therefore many people invest in expensive equipment in order to monitor the weather.
Recently an inventor named Bjørn Aadnøy contacted me with his invention that is perfect for many islanders. Bjørn’s company Wood Winds Art and Technology construct unique wind monitors that are designed to fuse art and technology. These woodwind devices display wind speed and direction.
What I love about these deivces is they combine form and function, meaning they look good but they also serve a purpose particularly for people who are sailing and need to know the wind speed and direction.
For more information on this product visit Bjorn’s website
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Topics: Island Technology | No Comments »
New Island in Greece on the Market
By Islomaniac | October 30, 2008
Greece has some of the most attractive island destinations in the world. The warm mediterranean weather combined with the rich and vibrant culture of Greece, make the region an ideal place to own an island. Recently St. Thomas Island came on the market for 15M Euros.
The 300 acre island is Diapori Chain in the Saronicos Gulf, an area mythologized for the lush emerald beauty of its picturesque islands. The island is accessible from Corinth by water taxi and is just 40 minutes from Athens. There are two charming villages immediately nearby and the surrounding coast is surrounded by luxury villas. Therefore given the location of the island it would be ideal for use as a private retreat or as a boutique luxury resort.
For more information visit Private Islands Online.
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Topics: Islands for Sale | No Comments »
Island Illumination: Wind up Flashlight
By Islomaniac | October 29, 2008
Much like on the mainland, living on an island means that you need to be prepared for emergencies. One necessity is having a durable flashlight that can help you navigate around your island when the power is out. One of my favorite new products is The Freeplay Kito Flashlight.
This simple, rugged and reliable light can be used any where. The Kito features a single ultra-bright LED light that uses self-charge technology. Since you recharge the light by hand you never have to worry about changing batteries or lightbulbs again as LED lights are rated for up to 100,000 hours of use.
I have actually used a similar device in the past and I have to say they really work well. A few minutes of charging results in a good couple of hours of illumination. I would recommend the hand crank flashlight to everyone, not just island owners.
Source: Freeplay Energy
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Topics: Island Technology, Environmental | No Comments »
Sheraton to Open Resort in Maldives
By Islomaniac | October 28, 2008
Starwood Hotels & Resorts announced last week a joint venture agreement with Full Moon Private Limited to rebrand the Full Moon Resort to Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa. Starwood plans on extensively refurbishing the 156-room resort, which is located on its own private island in the Maldives.
The plan is to have the island resort refurbished and reopend by December 1st. The resort is situated on on Furana Fushi, which is located in the North Male Atoll about a 20 minute boat ride from Male International Airport. In addition to the 156 rooms, the new resort will feature 7 restaurants and bars, a spa, and various indoor and outdoor recreational activities.
Source: HotelsMag
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Topics: Island Luxury, Island Vacations | No Comments »
High Tech Island Home
By Islomaniac | October 27, 2008
I truly feel that the future of island living will involve high tech, eco-friendly modular homes. Advances in these areas will allow for more people to live autonomously on their private islands. One of the new “concept homes” that is turning heads is itHouse by Taalman Koch.
The itHouse a modular home that can run completely off the grid using photovoltaic and solarthermal technology. The 1600 square foot home is primarily constructed of glass panels that fit into aluminum frames. The goal of this design is to bring nature indoors, which of course is ideal for island lovers.
To learn more about this eco-friendly modular home visit Inhabitat.
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Topics: Island Technology, Environmental | No Comments »
Melody Key: An Ideal Florida Opportunity
By Islomaniac | October 26, 2008
The other day I featured an article that discussed how the ‘credit crunch’ in the US is currently driving down island prices. This downward trend is providing many oppoprtunities for those who are interested in purchasing a private island. One of the islands that was noted in the article was Melody Key, which was previously listed for US $10M and is now on the market for $4.9M.
This 50% price reduction presents a tremendous opportunity for someone looking to pick up a highly developed, highly inhabitable Floridian Private Island. The purchase price includes a fully redecorated and furnished luxury home, two boats, and a sea walled canal lot on the mainland. In addition, the island also functions as a rental property meaning the island could actually generate revenue for the future owner. The only catch is the owner is not accepting any offers below the asking price, which I think is fair considering the property has already been drastically reduced in price.
For more information on this property visit Private Islands Online.
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Topics: Island Luxury, Island Vacations, Celebrity Islands, Islands for Sale | No Comments »
Picnic Island
By Islomaniac | October 25, 2008
Michigan may not be the Caribbean, but I absolutly love it and wouldn’t want to live on an island anywhere else. If you feel the same way a beautiful 5.5 acre property, known as picnic island recently came on the market in Michigan. The island which is on the market for $600,000US features a newly remodeled chalet style cabin which has an open loft looking over the kitchen and bath, and one bedroom on the main floor.
The wraparound deckwith built in seating provides expansive views of the islands in the surrounding area. A new septic system was put in this last summer and water comes from the lake and is run through a water filtration system. This island is a fantastic opportunity since it is fully developed all you have to do is move in and you are all set.
For more information on this property visit Private Islands Online.
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Topics: Islands for Sale | No Comments »
Folding Bamboo Houses
By Islomaniac | October 24, 2008
Bamboo is an incredible material, it grows quickly, it’s renewable, it’s relatively light weight, it’s durable and it looks good. Therefore it is no surprise that architects and engineers are continually looking for new ways to use this product.
One interesting new use for bamboo that may have implications for island owners is the foldable bamboo house. The foldable bamboo house is a modular structure designed for use after disasters and in remote locations. The geometric folding homes are beautiful, dynamic and can be adapted to respond to different needs and different situations.
The concept uses a system of bamboo poles that are pre-assembled into rigid geometric shapes. The geometry of these forms providews each structures integrity, allowing for a range of lightweight modular structures to be quickly assembled and transported to their destination.
For more info on this product visit Inhabitat.
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Topics: Miscellaneous | No Comments »
US Credit Crisis Now Hitting Luxury Real Estate Market
By Islomaniac | October 23, 2008
It appears that the financial troubles of the US and other industrialized nations is now beginning to have an influence on the luxury property market which includes Private Islands. According to Private Islands Inc., the market is seeing drastic reductions in private island prices with affluent owners attempting to liquidate their assets.
Private Islands Inc., CEO Chris Krolow says that “while the extreme rarity of islands and the high net worth the average owner usually sheltered his industry from market fluctuations, the current credit crunch is causing many hard-hit sellers to drop prices in hopes of a quick sale.”
Of course although the credit crunch isn’t ideal for island owners right now the market is full of deals for those looking to purchase an island. One of Mr. Krolow’s top picks for a newly reduced bargain is the 5.5-acre Melody Key (pictured), a unique Florida island with a rare grandfathered clause that will give the new owner the ability to generate income by renting out the property. Once priced at US $10M, it could now be yours for just $4.9M.
To read more about how the credit crisis is affecting the private island market visit Relistr.
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Topics: Island Advice, Islands in the News, Private Island Experts, Celebrity Islands, Islands for Sale | No Comments »
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