Guide III — Folio III — Private Islands & Atolls
Private Island and Atoll Rentals: Mustique, North Island, Soneva Jani, Bora Bora, Canouan and Pamalican
Buy-outs, villa rentals and seaplane windows. What the six islands in Folio III cost, how transfer logistics dictate the itinerary, and where the whole-island option is genuinely available.
Six islands, three different products
Private villa on a private island — Mustique, Canouan
You rent a house owned by a household, with staff attached to the house rather than a resort. Mustique's villas come with a cook, butler and housekeeper as standard; Canouan mixes villa estates with resort inventory.
Resort villa on an exclusive island — Soneva Jani, Bora Bora, Pamalican
Overwater or beachfront villas within a single-resort island. The rate carries the resort operation: multiple restaurants, dive centre, spa and kids' programme. Privacy is bought by villa category, not by isolation.
Whole-island buy-out — North Island, Pamalican
The entire island for one party. Priced as a nightly island rate with a minimum stay, usually four to seven nights, and quoted against the season. It is the only way to guarantee no other guests.
What it costs
Transfers are the line most often underestimated. Seaplanes in the Maldives fly in daylight only, which means a late long-haul arrival costs a night in Malé; a helicopter to North Island is priced per aircraft, not per guest.
| Island | Villa, per night | Buy-out | Transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mustique | USD 2,500 – 25,000 | Villa only | Barbados / St Lucia + short hop |
| North Island, Seychelles | USD 5,000 – 12,000 | From ~USD 100,000/night | Helicopter from Mahé, ~25 min |
| Soneva Jani, Maldives | USD 2,000 – 20,000 | Not offered | Seaplane from Malé, ~45 min, daylight |
| Bora Bora | USD 1,500 – 10,000 | Not offered | Air Tahiti + boat |
| Canouan | USD 1,500 – 12,000 | Estate only | Direct jet-capable runway |
| Pamalican, Palawan | USD 2,000 – 8,000 | Available on request | Private charter from Manila, ~75 min |
Choosing the month
Indian Ocean — Seychelles and Maldives
December to April is the dry, calm window and carries peak pricing over Christmas and New Year. May to September brings the southwest monsoon, lower rates and better diving on the western atolls.
Caribbean — Mustique and Canouan
December to April, with Christmas and New Year sold a year ahead on the best Mustique houses. Hurricane season runs June to November and pricing drops accordingly.
Pacific and Southeast Asia — Bora Bora and Pamalican
May to October in French Polynesia; November to May at Pamalican, which closes in the low season. Both reward booking around the shoulder edges.
Before you commit
- Confirm whether the rate is per villa or per person, and how many guests it covers.
- Get the transfer quoted as a separate line, per aircraft, with the daylight cut-off in writing.
- For buy-outs, confirm the guest cap, the minimum stay and what happens to the resort's staffing level.
- Ask which restaurants and experiences are inclusive and which are charged.
- Check the tax and service stack — in the Maldives it materially changes the total.
- Confirm the cancellation ladder against the storm season if travelling in shoulder months.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to rent a private island?
- Whole-island buy-outs in this folio start from roughly USD 100,000 per night at North Island in the Seychelles, with minimum stays typically of four to seven nights. Individual villas on exclusive islands run from about USD 1,500 to 25,000 per night depending on island and season.
- What does an overwater villa in the Maldives cost per night?
- Indicatively USD 2,000 to 20,000 per night at the top of the market, before the Maldives green tax, GST and service charge, and before the seaplane transfer, which is quoted per person and flies in daylight only.
- Which private islands can be booked exclusively?
- In Folio III, North Island in the Seychelles and Pamalican in Palawan offer full-island exclusivity. Mustique and Canouan are rented villa by villa rather than as whole islands.
- When is the best time to visit the Maldives and Seychelles?
- December to April is the dry season and the calmest water, with peak rates over Christmas and New Year. May to September is wetter, meaningfully cheaper, and often better for diving.
Editorial note & limitations
Figures are indicative planning ranges assembled from partner inventory and published resort tariffs in August 2026, not quotations. Transfers, taxes and service charges are excluded throughout.