When the everyday life becomes a little too heavy, there’s little more appealing than throwing everything to the wayside and heading out to explore the world, better yet, the open seas.
The world is filled with unimaginable sights and endless destinations worthy of lowering your sails and exploring on foot with turquoise waters and white sands in abundance. The hardest part can be deciding where to begin when narrowing down your ideal destination to ensure that you get everything you desire out of your sailing adventure.
As the region where you can expect to find most of the world’s islands, the Asia Pacific is guaranteed to provide plenty of opportunities to enjoy an island-hopping adventure. And with plenty of yachts in the Asia Pacific, you should have no issue finding a vessel that perfectly suits your sailing style and skipper skills.
Before you decide on a multihull vs. monohull or any of those other yacht comparison points, however, it pays to know where you may want to go – just to ensure that you’re fully equipped to navigate the waters that surround each idyllic island destination.
To help, here are our top six destinations to go island hopping in the Asia Pacific region.
Langkawi
Langkawi in Malaysia is an archipelago off the country’s northwest coast. Here, you will find immaculate beaches along with gorgeous waterfalls and forest areas. Explore Gunung Mat Cincang, a mountain famed for the Sky Bridge and Sky Cab which are facilities that will give you an unparalleled view of the canopy of trees below and the entire island along the horizon. At over three thousand feet above the ground and four hundred feet in length, the Langkawi Sky Bridge is a marvel of engineering.
If all that sounds too high up for your liking, you can instead visit Eagle Square, marked by its stunning forty-foot statue of an eagle at its centre. The eagle itself is a representation of Langkawi’s namesake, with it meaning reddish-brown eagle in Malay.
French Polynesia
The islands of French Polynesia are famous as the birthplace of the overwater bungalow, specifically on the island of Moorea, where they were invented by three American expats in 1967. Stay in one of these luxurious bungalows yourself, which are nowadays available to book across the islands.
You can also head to the largest island of Tahiti where you can visit the Robert Wan Pearl Museum, founded by the French-Chinese Robert Wan. This museum is the world’s only museum dedicated entirely to pearls and is an absolute must-see, with many beautiful pearls on display.
The Maldives
The Maldives is famous for its crystal-clear waters, making it an excellent destination for snorkelling and diving alike. Alongside this, tourists have the option to lounge around in one of the many islands’ world-class resorts, bathe in the sun, and enjoy the many facilities on offer while being cared for by attentive staff, including the opportunity to hire your own private butlers. If a little more excitement is what you’re after, however, then there are plenty of locations that will offer a great surf as well as other outdoor activities like paragliding or even skydiving.
After a day of sun, sand, surf, or yes even skydiving, we strongly recommend that you wind down for the evening at the Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, the world’s first undersea restaurant. Or if you haven’t got your fill of heart-pumping pursuits, then keep the night going by transitioning to Subsix, an underwater bar and nightclub that is only accessible by boat.
Okinawa
Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture sits in the south-west of the country and is a cluster of islands that has been dubbed the ‘Hawaii of Japan’. Be sure to try the delectable Okinawan cuisine with its Chinese, Southeast Asian and American influences, making it distinct from the cuisine of the mainland. Some highlights include taco rice and the pork dish, Minudaru.
Travel to the city of Nago and visit the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, one of the biggest aquariums in the world with over 680 species of marine life. There you will be able to witness feeding time for the whale sharks or spot one of their manta rays, with the aquarium being the first in the world to successfully breed them in captivity.
The Whitsundays
With some of the most picturesque beaches in Australia, the Whitsundays is a perfect island-hopping destination. On the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system, it’s an excellent location to get up close and personal with this marvel of the natural world. You can even take to the skies and enjoy views of the reef from above by taking a scenic helicopter or plane flight.
Travel to Hamilton island to meet some friendly koalas at Wildlife Park or experience the stunning surroundings at the One Tree Hill lookout. There are also many walking tracks along the islands to travel along and experience the natural beauty at your own pace.
Thailand
Thailand is another great island-hopping destination and boasts 1,430 islands to explore. We’ve highlighted it as an island-hopping destination before and it’s definitely a destination you’d want to travel to if you own your own yacht rather than renting or chartering one. That way, you can island hop to your heart’s content.
Be sure to visit Phuket, the country’s biggest and most well-known island but also take in the more laid-back spots like Koh Khai Nok, which is ideal for diving among coral reefs; Kho Similan, to spot exotic marine life between October and May; Koh Hong Krabi; and Ao Thalin.
