Tropical Island holidays

Those who dream of holidaying or honeymooning on a tropical island paradise will be captivated by the beauty and tranquillity of the many exotic islands dotted around the world's seas and oceans. Here, we round up the best of these islands with easy access on flights from the UK.

The Indian Ocean is home to some of the most exquisite islands on the planet and the stuff that paradise is made of...

Mauritius has a wealth of attractions including white sand beaches, luxury spas, golf courses, the world's third largest coral reef and a variety of luxury hotels. The landscape and history of the island is defined by the sugar cane plantations that still provide a major source of income. Charter flights from Gatwick add to the existing non-stop flights from London.

Sri Lanka, just south of India, is a small island that is big on historical attractions, holy sites and natural beauty, including exotic birds, animals and marine life. Visitors to Sri Lanka will find white sandy beaches, more than 100 waterfalls, and a contrast between busy, bustling cities and pretty, peaceful towns. And don't forget the famous elephants, tea plantations and temples.

Also located in the Indian Ocean are the 115 islands of the Seychelles. Renowned for beautiful beaches and crystal-clear turquoise seas, the Seychelles has a wealth of fauna and flora including rare plants. This really is a bird watching paradise due to the huge colonies of nesting seabirds.

The Maldives, located south of India, comprises a network of more than 1,100 tiny islands. They are some the most easily accessible islands in the Indian Ocean, with direct charter flights from the UK, as well as both direct scheduled flights and connecting flights via the Middle East. Although 200 of the islands are inhabited, only around 90 have been developed as exclusive holiday resorts that are ideal for rest and relaxation, with visitors enjoying aquatic activities such as diving, snorkelling and surfing. You will really feel you have escaped to your own island paradise if you pick your island carefully.

This Pacific Ocean gem is in fact a group of islands lying at around five and a half flying hours west of California, and is known for its stunning scenery...

The island group of Hawaii has a huge variety of white sand and volcanic beaches, majestic mountain ranges, and a wealth of plant and marine life. Visitors can enjoy the excellent facilities, tropical climate and array of excursions and activities. And, of course, you'll find some of the best surfing beaches in the world, world-class diving and also cliffs that soar into the sky straight from the warm ocean.

Whether you want the full on fun of Oahu, home to Pearl Harbour, Honolulu and Waikiki Beach, or the peace and quiet of Kauai, renowned for its landscape and romance, there is lots of choice. Maui has the best beaches overall and also some of the best spots for whale watching.

Molokai has the most indigenous people of the Hawaiian islands, Lanai offers a complete respite from modern life, and finally, Hawaii, or Big Island, is home to such a diverse set of climatic zones that you will be able to see everything from tropical rainforests to mountains, coffee plantations to volcanic beaches.

For many, the tropical islands of the Caribbean are their first taste of paradise. And it's not all Pirates of the Caribbean and Bounty adverts...

The Caribbean is split into several areas.

Starting in the south you'll find Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, the original spice islands of the West Indies and famous today for carnival. Heading north, the next stop is Barbados, one of the most exclusive and accessible of the Caribbean islands with daily flights from the UK. Nearby St Vincent and the Grenadines offer a real slice of beach paradise if you want to get away from it all.

The island chain continues with St Lucia before hitting the French Caribbean gems of Martinique, Dominica and Guadeloupe. Passing tiny Montserrat you'll find Antigua, St Kitts and Nevis, St Croix, St Maarten, Anguilla and VIP hotspot St Barts, before reaching the US and UK Virgin Islands.

Having reached the most northerly of the islands, you now head west to the big islands of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), Jamaica, and the largest island of all, Cuba. A shade north of here are the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos, with mile after mile of deserted beaches.

The Caymans are the final island grouping south of Cuba, and let us not also forget the group of islands called the Dutch Antilles, comprising Aruba Curacao and Bonaire.

There are enough islands there for you to keep finding a new tropical island holiday location for many years.

This most British of islands sits alone in the mid Atlantic Ocean. Non-stop flights from London will take you to unique pink sand beaches...

Bermuda, in the North Atlantic Ocean east of the United States, is famed for its 'pink' sand, eight golf courses and almost year-round sunshine. There are a variety of luxury hotels on the island and cruise ships often dock at Hamilton, the tiny capital city. The many coral reefs mean scuba diving and snorkelling are popular, but other activities include horse riding and tennis.

There is minimal traffic, standards are exceptionally high, and there is a feel of refined luxury to the place. However, it is the beaches that really make this island - soft pink golden sands that are quiet, unspoilt and a world away from anywhere you will have visited before.