Sri Lanka among top 50 islands to visit in 2023
Big 7 Travel in the US, annually compiles a list ranking 50 of the world’s best islands to visit each year. The islands to visit in 2023 range from Sommarøy, which means ‘Summer Island’, a Northern Lights hotspot in Norway, where the sun doesn’t set for 69 days of sunshine every summer to Bled Island in Slovenia, ranked as one of the greenest destinations in the world attracting thousands of tourists who are hot-footing there for hiking, biking and more to Sri Lanka.
The company uses aggregated scores from its wide social audience and editorial contributions, whilst also considering major 2023 events, hot new hotel and restaurant openings and special initiatives that make it a compelling reason for travelers to make a trip to each destination even more special in 2023.
Sri Lanka which comes in at number thirteen on this year’s list is described in Big 7’s as follows;
“Sri Lanka has been off the tourism radar for a few years now due to protests, economic crises and the pandemic, but its doors are now wide open. There are a thousand reasons to visit the beguiling island, not least its friendly people, flavourful food, endless beaches and timeless ruins. Loop around the island and you’ll tick off tea plantations, elephant-filled wildlife parks, thousand-year-old ruins and endless strips of golden sand.”
Topping the list was the Bahamas, which is known for its coral-fringed beaches, colourful historic towns and sprawling forests. 2023 is set to be an extra-special year, when the West Indies nation will celebrate 50 years of independence and it’s going to be quite a party leading up to and beyond the big day. Exciting events include regattas, street festivals, carnivals and plenty of opportunities to celebrate Bahamian music, dance and food.
The top 50 list features 13 islands from Asia. Along with Sri Lanka, they include two from the Philippines - Cebu (one of the best places in the world to swim with whale sharks), and Siago (for that really remote getaway), islands. Indonesia likewise has two that made it to the list - Bali (considered one of the best islands in the world for everyone from honeymooners to surfers) and Raja Ampat Islands, (described as “the last paradise on earth).
Australia has three making the list; Moreton Island, (made entirely of sand – the third largest of its kind in the world – from snorkeling the Tangalooma wrecks to tobogganing down sand dunes at 40 km/ph), Kangaroo Island, (where nature is king here and where no trip would be complete without a handful of just-caught oysters washed down with a zesty sauvignon blanc) and Tasmania, (billed as the ultimate ‘far-cation destination’).
Manitoulin Island (Also known as “Spirit Island”, the world’s largest freshwater island, encompassing more than 100 inland lakes in northeastern Ontario) and Prince Edward Island (attracting tourists thanks to its farm-to-table dining, funky vintage stores and artisanal studios and shops plus a 435-mile trail that winds across farmlands, forests, beaches and charming small towns) are two islands from Canada on the list.
Greece which isn’t short of good-looking islands has Spetses (a longtime playground for the Athenian elite, offering horse-drawn carriages, miles of sandy stretches and some of the country’s best restaurants) and Santorini (the country’s most well-known island, popular with honeymooners).
From the USA, Key West, (with its candy-coloured houses and world-class diving) and Channel Islands, (home to a spectacular variety of wildlife, including 150 species found nowhere else on Earth and where there are no restaurants, hotels or even cars to preserve the natural character of the island), made it to the list.
In Europe, Spain’s Formentera Island (described as bare-foot living at its best) and La Palma Canary island (the calmest of all the Canary Islands and locally known as “La Isla Bonita” (the pretty island) was included. Portugal had two islands featured as well - Madeira (home to a colony of Mediterranean monk seals, which can reach 3 metres long and 300 kg in weight and for its 9-km golden stretch of sand, famous for its rolling sand dunes and therapeutic hot sand therapy) and São Jorge, the Azores Islands, (a collection of 9 islands floating halfway between Portugal and New York. São Jorge is one of the islands’ 4 UNESCO biosphere reserves, crammed with wildlife and a haven for 28 whale and dolphin species too).
Source: Big 7 Travel
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