I have an idea that I desperately need your feedback on.
It’s an idea I think we’re uniquely qualified to implement and one on which you, as an island enthusiast, are just as qualified to give your feedback. In fact it’s very important that I do hear from you on this one. The more ideas, the better so give me everything you’ve got and I’ll use the info to make the right decision.
I’ve always loved camping and fishing. I’ve also had this little fantasy of being stranded on a deserted island just to see if I could survive. Even if it were just for a weekend, I think it would be a blast… just me and maybe a few friends hanging out, fishing, eating coconuts, and enjoying the beauty of the island. No, KT wouldn’t participate. She thinks I’m crazy for even having the fantasy. The very idea of going a day without a shower makes her skin crawl.
But what if we could have it both ways? What if we kept an island as untouched as possible but had all the major components there for comfortable camping? By that I mean a top notch tent or palapa with a decent bed, a cooking area, maybe a fire pit for the evenings, a toilet (that doesn’t smell) and yes a shower! Consider it hi-end camping on a deserted island.
All of this could be accomplished with practically no impact on the island at all. The gray water and solids could be boated out weekly in small removable tanks for disposal at the mainland. We can add a rain water collection system that would easily cover all the needs and we can boat in jugs of purified water for consumption during the trip. Small solar panels could provide power for a few florescent lamps and to charge a ship-to-shore radio and a fixed cellular for safety. Everything else is just logistics.
Personally, I’d add a grocery shopping and fishing component to this and stock the island with snorkel gear and a kayak or two. I’d also have a trusted caretaker nearby to help out where needed during times when “castaways” are on the island.
So here is where you come in. I’d like the answers to a few questions.
As island enthusiasts, have you ever had this same fantasy? Or am I as weird as I think?
Would you come to a place like this?
If so, what is the MOST you would pay (per person, per night) for such an experience? I know everyone wants a deal but this is a business venture!
If you were interested, would you want to do it by yourself or with friends and/or family?Please leave a comment to give me your feedback. Positive or negative, it’s all valuable information. I think it’s a good idea and one worth pursuing. But then again, I like camping and getting dirty and salty and fishy, so maybe my ideas need a little tweaking.Thanks for the feedback!
We’ve always been fascinated by the interesting names that have been given to islands. Often times the name of the island is either a reflection of some notable feature on the island or its location, or even of a family name from way back when. Some are so odd that you don’t even question it. It’s just a collection of letters that formed the name in some native tongue from a long time ago. The name no doubt has a meaning but good luck finding it.
Katafanga Island? Beats me. But with views like this, who gives a rip? Besides, I like the sound of it.
For us, island names are an important topic and a constant source of frustration. After all, it’s the only real “address” the island has. So you can probably imagine how the name might change over time and the resulting confusion it causes for us AND you as potential island owners.
The islands of Belize are particularly confusing. At least 50% of the time, the island’s name on a map (if it even shows up on one) will be different than its official name. Plus the local fishermen and boat captains may know the island by an entirely different name. And if well meaning folks like us get involved to publicize an island, you know we won’t want to market an island called “Mud Caye” or “Mosquito Caye”! So the name changes again!
There are easily a thousand islands in Belize. Many of which have no name at all. So these and even the named islands are simply referred to by the name of the range they sit in rather than by the individual island name. There are several ranges of islands including Pelican, Sand Fly, Blue Ground, Cockney, Lark, Drowned, and many more.
Historically, Belizeans just didn’t have much of an imagination when it came to naming islands. I can’t tell you how many islands are named after bugs or birds, but there are a lot! But even though you’d think the selection of names those two categories might offer would be HUGE, they’re really not. So what happens when you run out of bug and bird names? Well you start over of course! As a result, there has to be at least 4 islands named Pelican plus the range name itself. Mosquito Caye? Yeah, there’s about 5 of those. Sand Fly? At least 3 that I know of.
One of several “Sand Fly” Cayes. This one I affectionately re-named Ugly Boat Caye after catching a glimpse of the presumed owner’s craft.
And then there is the “Long” Cayes. Long Caye, Middle Long, Southern Long, the Long at Lighthouse, the Long at Glover’s, Long Coco, North Long Coco, Little Long Coco, Long Loco…aaaah! See what I mean?
Then along come us well intentioned Island Brokers. It doesn’t make sense to have two islands of the same name, for sale on our site at the same time. You can probably imagine the time wasted just trying to carry on conversations where both islands may be discussed. With that and the risk of duplicate content from a search engine perspective, it simply makes sense to give the islands new names.
This by no means changes the official name of the island but it does tend to establish a new way of referring to the island locally. It also gives us a chance to give the islands more fun and romantic names that reflect the dream of owning a private island.
So before you pack your bags, it’s important to know that any island could have 3 or more names. Just because a local boat captain has navigated the waters their entire life, doesn’t mean they know an island by the same name as us. He may unintentionally take you to the wrong island simply because he thinks it is the correct property and he wants the income from the boat charter. This is one of the biggest reasons we choose to personally show our clients the islands.
We will have personal knowledge of every island we market and will have properly documented and verified the island by GPS points to ensure we’re selling the right island. Believe me, we learned this one the hard way!!
Yes you can officially change the name of an island if you wish. But that’s a whole different story. Give us a call and we’ll fill you in.
Well we’ve finally done it. We’ve made a visit to Honduras’s Bay Island of Roatan. What a cool area. We’ve come home with one of the most exciting Private Island listings we’ve ever had. Castaway Island is a private island estate with a home that could stand up against any home, in any high-end subdivision in the world. The location is incredible with all the diving, fishing, and sailing that Roatan is so known for. This is a fully furnished home featuring 3 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 2 half baths, 5 acre island, plus a 1/4 acre mainland lot with permits for another house and dock for $3.1 million. Take a look at Roatan Castaway Island!
I wish it wasn’t such bad weather. But, we made the best of it.
We really put ourselves behind with this trip. There are several new islands we’ll be listing in the coming days so please check back over the next 2 weeks. As we emerge from a huge to-do list that built up as we were gone, we’ll post more new islands for sale. If you haven’t signed up for the updates, please do so. We’ll let you know as new islands come available and anytime we have price changes. We hate spam and promise not to send you useless emails!
It’s hard to describe what it’s like shopping for islands. The days are long, the sun is hot, and the water can beat you up at times. Other times, you get drenched in rain squalls. But overall it’s a great experience! Here is a short video of a day in Belize.
Of course sometimes the day doesn’t go as planned! The locals just don’t seem to understand we’re on a schedule. A storm could roll in, the batteries are dead, the boat could break down, the captain could show up late, the marina takes their sweet time launching the boat, the taxi gets a flat, the gas station is out of gas, the toilet paper got wet, and on and on. So, we’ve learned to go with the flow. When you get to Belize, remember to just slow down and make the best of the time you have. If you don’t sweat the small stuff, you have a lot more fun.
We have a client in the South Pacific that is interested in doing a joint venture involving the trade of Condos in the Caribbean. These condos don’t actually need to be built as yet. If the project has been given all approvals and it’s well into the development process, the project will be given serious consideration. If you happen to be condo developer with the ability to do a $50-60 Million deal, and would be interested in partial trades, please give us a call or email.
