Seychelles

When British General Charles Gordon’s expedition landed on Praslin Island in the late 1800s, he claimed to have found the Biblical Garden of Eden. In the decades since, many more have likened the Seychelles to paradise, and it’s easy to see why. These islands reward visitors with year-round sunshine, refreshing trade winds, and a consistently pleasant climate. Outsized granite boulders are strewn along stunning white sand beaches. Shores are washed by cerulean waters and framed by emerald palm groves and lush tropical vegetation. Yet despite these charms, the Seychelles remained uninhabited until the 1770s and much of its landscapes remain pristine.

Fewer than 20 of the archipelago’s 115 islands are inhabited, and the forests are a bird watcher’s dream, home to more than 275 species of birds, including a large number of rare and endemic varieties. And though it is a trending destination with a world-class collection of luxury beach resorts, annual tourist visits remain around 300,000 per year, which is about 5 percent of the vacationers the Hawaiian Islands receive. This means there’s still plenty of paradise to go around.