Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Travel

Win a Private Island Getaway for You and 7 of Your Closest Friends

By
Image used with permission by copyright holder

According to this year’s top travel trends, 2019 is shaping up to be the year of spontaneous travel and the digital nomad. However, it’s also looking to be the year of big group travel — nearly half of Americans planning a getaway with four or more people. Vacation home rental provider VRBO is kicking off the trend with their Win the Island Sweepstakes, an over-the-top, all-expenses-paid vacation for you and your entire squad.

Just one lucky winner will score the opportunity to bring seven of their closest friends to Kanu Island. The stunning private retreat is located off the coast of Placencia in Belize. The ultra-luxurious accommodations include a weeklong stay in the island’s five exclusive beach homes; an on-call gourmet chef; a massage therapist; a personal concierge; unlimited use of kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkeling gear; and 360-degree views of the Caribbean Sea from the island’s acres of pristine beaches. The grand prize package also affords the winner a $5,000 travel stipend to get you and your closest friends to and from the island. Should you wish to escape “back to reality,” the mainland is just a few minutes away by private ferry.

For the unlucky among us who don’t win the Win the Island Sweepstakes, The Enclave on Placencia Caye will be available for rent for $2,925 per night. If that sounds a little too rich for your blood, consider that, with a maximum capacity of 28, that breaks down to just $105 per guest nightly. That’s less than a three-star hotel in most medium-sized U.S. cities.

Recommended Videos

VRBO’s Group Getaway Collection includes other group-friendly properties to cater to every type of dream vacation for you and at least a dozen friends. Nashville’s The Gallery Loft, for example, is a designer artist studio perfectly situated in the Historic Printer’s Alley district amid the city’s famed nightlife scene. Chateau de la Paix is a stunning 19th-century French chateau located near Omaha Beach in Normandy. For a true ultra-luxe Mediterranean getaway, Villa Elena offers up to 17 guests a private pool and lush gardens with panoramic sea views overlooking the Amalfi Coast.

Related: 
Upgrade your daily routine with the best smartwatches for men

Even amid the stunning tropical destinations of Central America and the Caribbean, Belize stands out. The tiny coastal country is home to almost every imaginable form of outdoor adventure from diving with whale sharks near the iconic Blue Hole to trekking with jaguars in the jungle to hiking centuries-old Mayan ruins.

Entering the contest is simple: visit VRBO’s official Win the Island Sweepstakes page by the end of this month, fill out a few basic contact details, and you’re in. Winners will be announced sometime after March 1, 2019.

Mike Richard
Mike Richard
Contributor
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…

Editors’ Recommendations

This California city was just named the friendliest in the U.S.
San Diego came out on top
A scene from San Diego Pride 2016

If you’re looking for good vibes, helpful neighbors, and plenty of friendly smiles, you might want to book a trip to San Diego, California, as it’s just been crowned the friendliest city in the U.S.

The ranking comes from Match Group’s Yuzu app, which surveyed users across the country to find out where locals are the most welcoming. The app asked people to rate their own cities on things like how often locals smile, help strangers, and offer positive interactions. Users gave each city a friendliness score from 1 to 10, combining both quantifiable data and real-life experiences.

Read more
Inside Hawaii’s iconic pink palace: A stay at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel
Royal Hawaiian Hotel

Although there are 22 Marriott Luxury Collection resorts in the United States, only one is located in the beautiful state of Hawaii: The Royal Hawaiian Hotel Waikiki. This stunning "pink palace" holds significant importance both to travelers and residents of the island of O'ahu, symbolizing both Hawaiian elegance and architectural beauty. You can read about the fantastic history of this resort online, but experiencing it in person is an entirely different experience. The resort immerses you in not just the history of the building, but also teaches you essential lessons about Hawaiian history and culture.

As one of the first luxury hotels in Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian has earned a hefty reputation due to its stunning pink architecture and elegant feel. Here's what you can expect during a stay at this luxury resort and what you don't want to miss.

Read more
Survey reveals the dirty truth about how Americans behave at the beach
Which of these bad beach habits have you seen?
Waikiki Beach

Looking forward to heading down the shore this summer? A new survey revealed that most Americans (93%) claim to practice good beach etiquette, yet almost 92% admitted to practicing at least one bad beach habit. In a survey of over 1,000 American adults, 93% believed they had good beach etiquette, but later contradicted themselves by admitting to some strange beach habits. The most confessed offenses include peeing in the water (70%), sneaking alcohol where it's banned (49%), and pocketing sand or shells (38%). Meanwhile, when asked, Americans reported the most annoying destructive beach behaviors as littering, not picking up after pets, playing music too loudly, and sitting too close to other people.

Per the survey, 70% of respondents said that poor beach behaviors can negatively impact their time at the beach. While 82% said littering is the worst behavior they've seen, nearly one in four respondents also admitted to participating in this bad habit themselves. When examining destructive beach behaviors, there is a generational gap in behaviors. Older Americans reported fewer destructive behaviors throughout their lives, even during their younger years. This response suggests the decline in beach etiquette isn't just associated with youth; each generation is slipping further from the standard.

Read more