France is looking for people willing to live on the island. Otherwise it will become uninhabitable

Vacation on a desert island? Is that possible? Nowadays, everywhere is full of tourists, and the opportunity to relax on tropical island with a personal chef and your own piece of white sand beach is available only to very wealthy people. However, there are still hidden corners in the world where there will be no one on the island except you, the length of your own white beach measured in kilometers, and a bungalow with a personal chef and all amenities costs less per day than a cup of coffee in a Moscow cafe.

I wrote more about how to get to this island in previous posts (you can find their table of contents at the end of the post). Let me just say that getting to Palambak is not easy, and some time ago it was simply impossible due to civil war in the province of Aceh in northern Sumatra, from which a small, always crowded boat goes to these parts. However, for those who have always dreamed of visiting a real desert island, all obstacles are surmountable.

Palambak Island is located in the Banyak archipelago and has a circumference of about 20 km, and there is only one hotel on it, guaranteeing a real VIP holiday for a few dollars a night. The hotel includes 4 double bungalows built at the end of 2010, as well as a restaurant with a chef. The hotel is called Banyak Island Bungalows, and it even has its own website.

This is what the bungalow looks like from the outside. The house is built on stilts - like all buildings on similar islands. This was done in case the water level rises during high tides or floods.

This is what the bungalow looks like inside. A mosquito net on the bed is a must-have addition to any tropical home. The shower and toilet are located in a special house behind the bungalow. Inside you can see electrical wiring and lamps - from 6 to 10 pm the hotel owner starts a powerful generator, and at this time you can charge your laptop or camera. Telephone connection there is almost none on the island, or rather, only one operator works, with which Beeline does not have a roaming agreement; MTS, in theory, should work. Fresh water for showers is generated using a desalination plant.

The window offers a wonderful view of the Indian Ocean, located just a few meters from the threshold.

The bungalow has a cozy outdoor terrace with comfortable wicker chairs.

View from the terrace. The small sprouts are coconut palms planted by the hotel owner, which within 5 years will reach a height of five meters.

The restaurant offers a varied selection of dishes (some, however, must be ordered in advance), where you can also borrow any book for free, rent a surf, fins, a mask for a modest amount, or book an excursion to any point in the Banyak archipelago. There is also always a supply of Bintang beer in a special refrigerator container. Food, drink and services can be ordered without money - everything ordered is written down in a special notebook, from which a receipt is written during checkout. The average cost of meals is about two dollars per serving. A can of beer - two and a half. You can go crazy and order king lobsters - but it’s very expensive, almost 20 dollars per kilo.

We are here! Note the unusual location of the continents on the map.

Coconut palm trees grow everywhere around the hotel and on its territory; you can pick up coconuts, open them and drink coconut milk until you get tired of it)

The endless beach stretches along the entire circumference of the island, occasionally interrupted by coral reefs or fallen palm tree trunks.

You can admire the ocean endlessly. Or you can take fins, a mask and a snorkel, and swim right next to the hotel, looking at the fish scurrying around the coral reefs.

If you can’t sit on the beach, you can go explore the island. Here the wreck of a boat washed ashore.

Around the skeleton of the boat and through it, these cute flowers grow - exactly the same as those that enveloped the old cars on the outskirts of Berastagi. Mystic!

In this reservoir, connected to the sea by a small river at high tide, there are very strange creatures (but more on that in the next post)

Here the waves threw a giant log onto the beach, reminiscent of the one from which Robinson unsuccessfully hollowed out a pirogue in Daniel Dafoe's novel.

The intertwined roots of an unknown tree resemble a three-dimensional web

Some palm trees are devoid of vegetation - this is a consequence of the 2004 tsunami

fallen palm trees

The beach is so deserted and endless that you can even walk naked, the main thing is not to forget about sunscreen,

and also about the fact that sometimes fishing boats float by, from which the locals look at the white strangers with interest.

In some places on the island there are traces of life - bungalows destroyed many years ago, decayed pier walkways.

Sometimes fishermen spend the night at the far end of the island

One evening, fishing enthusiasts from the capital of Sumatra, Medan, sailed to our island.

The fishermen turned out to be Chinese - representatives of the local wealthy class. They came from Medan by car (the journey takes 9 hours) and rented a local boat for fishing, and when they saw our fire, they decided to dock and chat. To start the dialogue, they gave us several huge fish, very expensive by local standards. The fish was immediately skinned with a huge machete. We ate this fish for several more days all over the island :)

We burned a giant fire and talked peacefully.

Boats at sunset.

A bit more.

Another sunset on our beach

Dawn on the ocean

Sunset in the same place. At these latitudes, the sun sets at approximately 5:30 pm.

Is there such a person who, as a child, did not dream of going to desert island? They dream of going to the island even as adults, especially after reading the book "". All these adventures, relaxed and measured life in a tropical paradise, an abundance of sweet fruits, luxurious ocean fishing, spearfishing, amazing corals, snow-white sand, and banana palms... The sun, bright birds nesting on the island, sea turtles and coral fish...

Many people, especially residents northern countries, dream of their own uninhabited island in the ocean with all its features mentioned above, where the main thing is the absence of this fed-up civilization!

Coming home from a cold street, lying in a warm bath, people imagine how they ended up on a desert island and bask in the turquoise water of the lagoon. But a lot of worries and problems prevent them from realizing their dream, primarily money. This is a pipe dream for many: “Well, where am I, and where is the island?” - they think. In the modern world, it is really difficult to find and select such an uninhabited island suitable for further life. This is either an already inhabited island, or there are not enough resources for life on it. Or it is located very far away. But it's actually not all that bad. Uninhabited islands suitable for life can still be found in nature.

All islands are divided into two types: volcanic islands and atolls. There is another type - raised atolls, or makatea, but there are not many islands of this type, and almost all of them are inhabited. When choosing an island, I recommend paying attention to its appearance. Let's take a closer look:

Volcanic island

Volcanic island- this is the earliest stage of shaping the future of your potential desert island. It is formed due to active volcanic activity on the ocean floor. Simply put, this is the top of a volcano - active or already extinct. Such an island is the best option for a robinsonade (island hermitage).

Pros and cons of a volcanic island.

The disadvantages are that other people, for example, local residents, often have their eyes on such an island. Also, the volcano may still be active and attract a large number of tourists, scientists and other undesirable elements into your quiet, secluded life on the island. Also, on such islands there are often no beaches at all, and a Robinsonade without a beach will turn out to be somewhat unfinished. And there are also black sand beaches.

Availability fresh water . This is extremely important for you. In hot climates you will need a lot of water. The high cliffs of the island catch the clouds, retaining water; numerous fresh streams and rivulets come from here. Volcanic Islands usually covered, the vegetation of which is always very diverse.
Very fertile soil. Possibility to implement. The volcanic soil is rich in minerals and trace elements. Possibility to grow many types of vegetables and fruits.
Height above sea level. Extremely important factor, since low-lying islands are often simply washed away during high tides and rainy seasons, but on a hilly island there is always somewhere to hide.

This is a coral island, the second stage of the formation of your future island. It happens like this: a volcanic island begins to grow a coral reef around it, and the rocks are washed away by rain, and it gradually sinks into the ocean. Those. the process of replacing rocks with a reef occurs. As a result, a lagoon is formed in place of the former rocks, which is filled sea water(as a rule), and small low-lying islands (motu) of coral sand form along the edges. Paradise holiday and a gorgeous view are the only advantages of such islands.

And here are the disadvantages:

The first and most important disadvantage of atolls is lack of fresh water. A lagoon, as a rule, is always connected to the ocean by small channels, and if not, then the water in it is still brackish and undrinkable. Residents of the atolls dig wells that produce clean, but slightly brackish water and collect rainwater, which is not expected in other seasons.
The next important disadvantage is low soil fertility. Since the soil consists primarily of coral sand, little can grow from it. It turns out that you should forget about planting completely and be content with only edible wild plants. As a rule, this is , etc. In principle, with the abundance of these wild plants, plus, if you go fishing, you can live, but you will quickly get tired of such a life.
The next minus is lowland. Atolls reach an average of 2.5 meters above sea level. They are well drowned by water from the tide.

Atolls are good (just great) for recreation, but bad for settled life. Many people think that, having gone as a hermit to the atoll, they will constantly relax there, meditate, and rest. But soon their life turns into constant survival of fresh water. I may be wrong, but I personally adhere to the policy that will provide me with stability. Volcanic islands provide stability for life due to the presence of permanent and highly fertile soil, and for survival and life on a desert island in the hot tropics - this is the most important thing!

How to get to a desert island?

Suppose we looked through everything and chose a suitable island, now the task is: how to get to this island? Do I need a visa to enter this country? It is better to choose countries with visa-free entry - this is understandable: why bother with obtaining these visas when you can simply enter with a foreign passport. Standard entry conditions are:

a foreign passport valid for at least 6 months from the end of the trip;
return ticket or ticket to a third country;
evidence of sufficient financial resources for the entire period of stay in the country.

You can also usually extend your official stay by contacting the migration service. You may be unhappy with the second paragraph of these terms and conditions. How is this possible, I’m going there permanently and I can’t afford a return ticket at all, especially if one way is expensive. No one wants to throw away their money, earned through sweat and blood, to achieve their dreams. But it’s not all bad, my dears! Many tourists are familiar with a way to bypass this rule quite painlessly.

That's all, this is what many tourists do who do not want to fly back or do not know when they will fly. Well, you will have to have money; in some countries they require that you have at least $50 for each day of your stay. But you can say that you are leaving in a week, for example, and fake the printout for that date. In general, this is not a problem, and besides, you will still need money. You can simply not take tickets, in many cases they are not asked for them at all, so you can do so at your own peril and risk. In any case, it’s up to you to decide: either buy a return ticket and just throw it away, or make a fake printout, or simply don’t buy it.

You and I have reached the treasured place, but now we need to get to the treasured island. And how to do it? You will need to negotiate with the locals about transportation by sea, or buy a boat, always with a motor, because the currents are very strong and can easily carry you to the ocean or back to this island. To communicate with locals you will have to study (at least a little) English language. It is now a second language in many countries, and even in French Polynesia many speak it. Of course, there are people who do not speak English, for example, villagers or tribal people - they have their own languages, but, as a rule, you can still find someone who speaks English among them.

It is not at all necessary that delivery to the treasured island will cost mere pennies - the locals can quite easily charge high price, and then you will have to bargain or look for someone else. The best thing, of course, is to buy a boat and not depend on anyone. Also, being dropped off with the help of locals can cost you deportation, and all because the local may have a very long tongue - and he will simply babble about you to others, and rumors spread quickly. To avoid this, you can simply live with the locals for a while as a tourist.

Most ordinary village aborigines treat tourists well, not only because they are a source of money, but also because for them it is exotic (just as for us they are) and they are simply interested, especially children. If you are a kind, polite person, then in most cases your request to live among them will not be refused. If you don’t have enough money to pamper the locals with it, then you can try to work with them, i.e. help in various matters, be it farming, fishing, gardening, etc. In short, you need to make friends with the locals and then, when your visa expires, declare that you liked it here and would like to go to a desert island (or stay with them further).

This will be the most ideal option for you. Firstly, the locals will always have your back as a friend and just a good person, secondly, they will always come to your aid and thirdly, you won’t have to worry about getting to the island and that someone will talk, because that friends are not betrayed! You will live on your own island and know that if anything happens, you have friends who will help you in difficult times. The ability to get along with people in such situations is very good quality! Well, if you really are a bad person, then the locals will still understand this over time, but you are unlikely to be a bad person, because as soon as good man may decide to take such a step as Robinsonade!

We reached the island. Hurray!!! Finally the long-awaited island! So what exactly are we going to do? And there are a lot of things to do. So ours has begun new life on the island!

The first thing you need to do is take care of shelter, getting food, finding fresh water, etc. In order for us to enjoy life on the island, we will need some things and objects, without which our life will not turn into life on the island, but into survival on it. And ask yourself: “Am I going to a desert island to live or to survive?” For survival, what you have now will be enough, and everything else can be obtained on the island itself. But for life you will need some necessary items. And remember that even Robinson Crusoe had his things. So, let's begin:

The most important tool on any tropical island is machete(parang). This is an indispensable tool in any jungle, and most of the islands in their depths are covered with damp tropical forests(jungle).
Ordinary knife, which you will use to do all the other work where the machete is too big.
Axe well suited for large chopping and also as a hammer.
Saw. In principle, you can do without it, but it’s better with it!
Set of dishes, which includes pots, plates, mugs, spoons. Over time you will make plates from coconuts and spoons from wood, but at first you will need them.
Water flask. You will carry water with you everywhere in it, I recommend taking at least 2 liters and with a strap so you can hang it on your shoulder.
Lanterns. It would be nice to have dynamo lights, as well as a headlamp.
First aid kit with necessary medications + mosquito repellents.
Change of shoes, clothes. Take cotton clothes (T-shirts, shorts, a hat, long sleeve shirt), shoes, preferably two pairs of good (not Chinese) sandals. I don’t recommend taking thick Bologna clothes, as they will cook you in the heat.
Fishing set. Spinning rods, spinners, fishing lines (the more, the better), reels, hooks.
Rope thick, thin.
Seeds. But keep in mind that in some countries the import of seeds is allowed only with a special permit, since some governments are afraid of importing GMO seeds into the territory of their states.
Compass
Solar panels or mini windmill would be very useful, you could charge various batteries, including for your smartphone, as well as a GPS navigator, which would make your life on the island much more fun!
You also need to take a lot containers for water. Various canisters, buckets, containers. First of all, they are useful for collecting rainwater.
Well tent or an awning for the first time.
Backpack, I think from 50 liters. Better 70-90.
I also recommend taking a lot plastic bags various ones in order to pack things in them, such as documents, a camera, money, etc.
Mask, fins, snorkel.

Hurry! The desert island is not rubber! Perhaps your island has already been occupied by potential Robinsons like you! Good luck in finding your treasured desert island!

The brave Scottish boatswain, who spent 4 years and 4 months on a desert island, managed not only to survive, but also to become the prototype of the legendary Robinson Crusoe.

In April 1703, Alexander Selkirk became a member of the British expedition to the coast South America. In just one year, the Scot, who had an extremely scandalous character, managed to infuriate the entire crew of the Cinque Ports vessel. That is why, when Selkirk, during another quarrel, demanded to be dropped off, Captain Charles Pickering breathed a sigh of relief and immediately granted this desire. Of course, realizing his prospects, Selkirk still tried to take back his words, but it was too late: the team left him in Pacific Ocean on the uninhabited island of Mas a Tierra (it is now called - long live recursion! - Robinson Crusoe Island).

Before Selkirk, settlers had already lived on the island, leaving behind goats and cats, which, however, had become wild over the years. The Scot had plenty of free time, so he managed to tame goats and get a constant source of fresh meat and milk, as well as skins from which he could make some kind of clothing. Selkirk used cats as protection from rats (and probably for mental relaxation). Among other things, thickets of wild turnips and edible berries were found on the island.

At the beginning of 1709, the British ship Duke anchored off the coast of Mas a Tierra, whose crew discovered and rescued Selkirk, who had already settled on the island. Returning to his homeland, the Scot became a celebrity: articles were written about him in newspapers, and people lined up in pubs to buy him a drink and listen to stories from the hermit’s life. A few years later, Alexander Selkirk joined royal navy and went to the shores West Africa, where he died during the yellow fever epidemic.

Pavel Vavilov, 34 days

Icebreaker "Alexander Sibiryakov"

On August 25, 1942, the crew of the famous icebreaker Alexander Sibiryakov entered into an unequal battle with the fascist cruiser Admiral Scheer in the area of Domashny Island in the Kara Sea. Almost all crew members and passengers died during a fire on board or were captured. Only the fireman Pavel Vavilov managed to avoid the same fate, who ended up in the water and later managed to climb onto the surviving rescue whaleboat. Having found an emergency supply in the boat, consisting of matches, biscuits and a barrel of water, and also having caught a bag of bran and a set of warm clothes from the water, Vavilov went towards the lighthouse that was sending signals and found himself on the uninhabited island of Belukha.

For 34 days, the fireman survived on an island inhabited exclusively by polar bears. Having settled down on the upper platform of the lighthouse, in relative safety, he ate bran stew and drank melt water, fortunately in September it had already snowed in those parts.

By the time the food supplies were almost gone, Vavilova was noticed by the crew of the Sacco steamship sailing past. A seaplane was sent to pick up the survivors, flown by the famous polar pilot Ivan Cherevichny.

After being rescued, Pavel Vavilov, as befits a Soviet man, did not rest on his laurels, but quickly returned to ordinary life. Until the end of his life, he managed to work on the icebreakers Georgy Sedov and Lenin.

Ada Blackjack, 2 years old

Expedition before departure

The life of a simple Inuit girl, Ada Blackjack (nee Dalutuk), was not very joyful: two of her three children died in infancy, and her young husband also died a little later. Due to the difficult financial situation, Ada had to temporarily give her only son to an orphanage and go to work. Work was found quickly: Canadian Alan Crawford invited Ada to join the Arctic expedition as a cook and seamstress.

On September 16, 1921, five people - Ada, Alan and American polar explorers Milton Halle, Fred Maurer and Lorne Knight - set off towards Wrangel Island in order to get ahead of the Japanese expedition, who were going to claim ownership of the island. The first winter was too difficult for the team: food supplies quickly depleted, and the hunt, on which great hopes were pinned, did not bring results. In January, Halle, Crawford and Maurer decided to head back home. Ada refused to return and remained on the island with Knight, who was seriously ill and could not move, and an expedition cat named Vitz.

Since the polar explorers heading back disappeared on the way, and Knight died suddenly, Ada and the cat were left alone for a whole year and a half. In August 1923, the girl, who had learned to hunt and survive in extreme cold, was taken from the island by Harold Noyce's rescue expedition. Returning home with the money she earned, Ada took her son from the orphanage and moved with him to Seattle.

Lucy Irvine and Gerald Kingsland, 1 year old

Still from the film "Shipwreck Survivors" based on the novel by Lucy Irvine

People don’t always end up on a desert island by chance; sometimes they do it deliberately.

In the early 1980s, a middle-aged British journalist, Gerald Kingsland, decided to conduct a social experiment and live for a year on a tropical island far from civilization. In an attempt to find a companion, he placed an ad in Time Out magazine, to which young Lucy Irwin responded. In 1982, adventurers went to Tain Island, located between New Guinea and Australia, after getting married to simplify the visa process.

Once on Taina, the couple realized that they had nothing in common, but since there were not only people on the island, but also a registry office where they could file a divorce, they had to learn to get along and endure the hardships of tropical life together. According to Irwin and Kingsland, the lack of mutual understanding was more difficult for them than everyday discomfort.

In 1983, the island was struck by drought, leaving the couple without fresh water supplies. They were rescued by aborigines from the nearby Badu Island. Returning to Britain, Gerald and Lucy finally divorced and wrote books that became bestsellers: Cast Away (the novel was made into a film in 1986) and The Islander.

People have different desires. Some people want to go to the Himalayas. For some, ride an elephant. And someone dreams of getting to a desert island. But even omitting the question of why to get there, there remains one more, no less interesting one - how to get there? Don't worry, there are plenty of options.

Option 1. Get into a shipwreck

It so happened that all victims of shipwrecks and airliners that fell into the ocean automatically end up on uninhabited islands (if they remain alive). This method is not the most pleasant and does not provide a 100% guarantee, but if you really care about the question of how to get to a desert island, it’s worth a try.

Option 2. Go on a trip across the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean

Most of the islands belong to one or another country or island state, but there are also those that do not belong to anyone. These are all sorts of coral atolls and reefs, the tops of underwater volcanoes and similar formations. There is almost no vegetation on them, and they themselves can go under water at any moment. But did you want to get to a desert island in the ocean? Then such a little thing won't stop you.

Option 3. Buy a desert island

The choice is not that great, but there is. You can buy a desert island in the Bahamas. This island state is located near Cuba and is washed by the waters Caribbean Sea. Of the 700 islands are permanently inhabited local residents only 30. The rest are used for tourism purposes. There are also those for sale. It is clear that the pleasure of having your own island is not cheap. So, Johnny Depp bought one of the small Bahamas islands for $3.6 million.

Before purchasing, it would be a good idea to research what you are about to purchase. Because the Bahamas composed mainly of corals, there is little vegetation and living creatures here. Palm trees and evergreen thorns grow, birds and bats fly. But in the sea the flora and fauna are very diverse and simply magical. The climate in the Bahamas is tropical, from this point of view the purchase will be quite successful. True, hurricanes are likely from June to October, so it is better to build a hut from bricks.

Buy an uninhabited island in the Seychelles - too a good choice. Washed Seychelles waters Indian Ocean, are located in the equatorial zone. The climate, accordingly, is also equatorial. The sun shines on the islands all year round, and the temperature does not drop below +30 degrees. So you can save on housing and get by with a regular tent or a hammock stretched between two palm trees. It's a long way to fly here, though. The flight takes about 14 hours.

The islands of Croatia are far from ideal in terms of climate, but they are the most affordable. A small uninhabited island can be bought for just a few tens of thousands of dollars. I don’t know whether EU citizenship is given in this case; if so, then the acquisition can be considered doubly profitable. The islands of Croatia are washed by waters Mediterranean Sea, so you can live comfortably here (without fear of freezing in a hut) from May to November. We will be happy to host you at other times of the year.

Option 4. Go on vacation

Many island states, which consists of just a ton of tiny uninhabited islands, willingly provide them for the use of tourists. Exotic bungalows, equipped with everything necessary, or luxurious villas are being built there. And although the nearest island is usually just a stone's throw away, on this particular island you will be completely alone, unless, of course, you go there with a cheerful group or with your significant other.

Desert island is beautiful romantic place, which is located in the middle of blue, deep, ocean waters. Oh, how much seduction, mystery and hidden danger are contained in these two words. And what beauty, unknown to human eyes, is found in the green jungle, filled with the sounds of the wild forest and the singing of exotic birds. Probably every resident of a huge metropolis dreams of being there and staying in this boundless silence for some time, taking a break from the loud city sounds and enjoying to his heart’s content the gifts of this paradise. But one question arises: how to get to a desert island, while eliminating the possibility of a shipwreck and plane crash. You can get to a desert island in a safer and more reliable way. First, you need to decide on the direction where you would like to go. In fact, there are not so many uninhabited islands in the south of our planet, thanks to the development tourism business. However, you can find a secluded island by first studying it on the map, learning about the residential areas adjacent to it and deciding how to get to your destination from these points. ;

Basically, near the islands there are many settlements, residents who will be happy to tell you how to get to the island and provide transport for this, which you can use to fly or swim. In the Pacific space of our planet there are more than twenty-five thousand islands and small islets. Many of them were formed from underwater volcanic rocks, coral reefs, and also arose as a result of earthquakes. Alone standing islands, absolutely deserted, but this does not mean that they are uninhabited, there in coral reefs And the rocks are home to a real, living world of mollusks, fish and various mammals. This is the dream of every person who wants to know how to get to the island with such heavenly description and the complete personification of peace and tranquility. Today, due to the development of the tourism business, going to any of these islands will not be difficult. The travel agency will help you develop desired route, purchase air tickets and make a list of things necessary for living on the island.

In order to visit the island, you do not always need to travel outside your homeland. For example, in the city environs of St. Petersburg, for many years there has been the most real island, called Elagin. And on that island, a stone palace of unprecedented beauty with pavilions, greenhouses and gazebos was built. The grandeur and grace of the Elagin Palace enchants every visitor and does not leave anyone indifferent to its beauty and splendor. Guests of St. Petersburg are uncontrollably attracted by Elagin Island, how to get to it by metro does this question torment them? It is best to get to the glorious island from the Krestovy Ostrov station, and then walk along Ryukhin Street to the Yelaginsky Bridge. And in the summer, you can get to this place by aquabus - a minibus water taxi, which departs from the very center of St. Petersburg opposite the Findlyandsky station. This method of travel is quite economical and allows you to fully enjoy the beauty of St. Petersburg and the Neva River.