Maldives

A divine boutique resort located on a miniscule islet amid a lagoon of warm, knee-deep turquoise water. Modelled on Keralan kettuvallam houseboats, the villas are the epitome of understated chic, with white-washed walls and floaty white muslin and linen drapes set against rich, teak-wood floors – low-key but exquisite.

The swimming is no less inspiring: Cocoa Island has its own house reef, patrolled by parrot-fish, eagle rays and Napoleon wrasse. For sunset, take a stroll to the soft spits of sand at either end of the island for views of a kind one imagines Robinson Crusoe must have enjoyed, followed by a relaxing massage at the Shambhala spa, which sits at the heart of the resort, around a courtyard of tree-shaded white sand.