Five island havens

Craving some splendid isolation? Head for these ideal isles, says Harriet O'Brien

Fox Island Wilderness Lodge, Alaska

An hour's boat ride from the town of Seward on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, Fox Island Wilderness Lodge has just eight cabin bedrooms, each presenting wonderful panoramas of sea and mountains. Wildlife on the tiny island is plentiful: bald eagles nest here, and on summer evenings sea lions play in the bay beyond the lodge.

Fox Island Wilderness Lodge, Resurrection Bay, Alaska (001 907 276 6249; www.kenaifjords.com). Open in summer only. Overnight excursions start at $359 (£189), including transport, half board accommodation and a boat tour.

Lupita Island Lodge, Tanzania

Fringed by dramatic rocks and beaches, and with a private airstrip, tiny Lupita lies on Lake Tanganyika. Last December a sublime lodge opened here, its 14 open-sided villas offering fabulous furnishings and views. Beyond the gardens is bush – home to otters and vast numbers of birds. Each villa has a plunge pool, and activities include kayaking and snorkelling.

Lupita Island Lodge, Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania (book through www.globalartichoke.co.uk; 01886 853 920). Double villas start at £830, full board.

Tibbets, Devon

Home to puffins, guillemots and seals, and with a resident human population of just 28, Lundy Island lies 16 miles off the Devon coast, in the Bristol Channel. Tibbets, a former signal station, was built in 1909. The accommodation for four is hardy: you sleep in bunks and pump your own water. It is the only property here with no electricity.

Tibbets, Lundy Island, North Devon (01628 825925; www.landmarktrust.org.uk). Tibbets starts at £65; minimum stay two nights.

Hotel Fabriken, Sweden

Furillen Island lies off the east coast of the island of Gotland. Just four square kilometres, it was formerly the site of a limestone quarry, and the old factory has been recreated as Hotel Fabriken. It has 17 rooms, minimalist yet subtly offering luxuries from sheepskin rugs to the softest of linen.

Hotel Fabriken, Furillen Island, Sweden (00 46 498 22 30 40; www.furillen.nu). Doubles start at SEK2,145 (£182) including breakfast.

Amanwana, Indonesia

Moyo Island is a tropical nature reserve east of Bali and 15km off the island of Sumbawa. Amanwana (meaning "peaceful forest") has 20 tents with hardwood flooring, air conditioning and dreamy cream furnishings. Sand paths lead to a spa under shady tamarind trees.

Amanwana, Moyo Island, Indonesia (00 800 2255 2626; www.amanresorts.com). Double tents start at £370. A charge of £52.50 per person per day covers all meals and non-motorised watersports.