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Ever dreamed of owning your own private island? At just under twelve million dollars, Saddleback Cay looks like a bargain for those who want to splash out on the dream of making their home in paradise. This private island for sale enjoys a spectacular location in the blissful Bahamas, capturing the best of the Caribbean. Saddleback Cay sits among the northernmost collection of the 365 islands which make up the idyllic Exuma chain.

In recent years, the luxury travel market has grown hugely throughout the world as increasing numbers of middle- and upper-class tourists are spending in the sector. This is no surprise to anyone that works in the industry. Rising service standards and emerging new destinations have opened the luxury market up to increasing numbers of travelers, making it more accessible for everybody. The Global Luxury Travel Market Report for 2019 valued the industry at $5.2bn in 2018 and predicted that it will soar in the next five years by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5 percent to achieve $8.46bn by 2024. The growth in the luxury travel market is thought to be due to the impact of social media on the tourism industry, with holidaymakers discovering more and more exotic destinations and unique experiences.

Owning your own private jet has long been a symbol of success for the wealthy elite. In reality, when it comes down to the actual facts and figures of plane ownership, it can be an expensive endeavor which isn’t cost effective. It’s no surprise that increasing numbers of people are opting to move away from jet ownership to make use of private charter companies to fulfill their international duties. One of the leading providers of market data for the aviation industry, Jetnet, recently released the sales figures for the first quarter of 2019. The data shows a significant decrease in the number of private aircraft being purchased, with a 25 percent drop in sales activity in Q1 of 2019 when compared to Q1 of 2018, totaling 620 fewer transactions.

One of the most interesting stories to come out in supercar news recently was Ferrari’s glitter-laden unveiling of their brand-new SF90 Stradale. The ceremony, held in the company’s world-famous Maranello Museum in Italy, had all the glamor associated with the Prancing Horse, yet here, they were showing us something we haven’t seen often from behind the factory doors. The Ferrari SF90 Stradale represents the company’s unique take on the ever-growing Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle market (PHEV). With an “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” kind of attitude (albeit, perhaps a little reluctantly), Ferrari presented the world with their take on hybrid technology while maintaining their flair for style and performance.

The final stage of our tour of luxury resorts in Greece saw us arrive at one of the most celebrated islands in the country. Santorini is everything one could dream of when inspired to take a European vacation - white-washed hillside towns, dramatic coastlines, and brilliant turquoise sea waters. While, technically speaking, Santorini overlooks the Aegean Sea, it still ticks all the boxes for those who yearn to experience the Mediterranean lifestyle. We had the opportunity to stay in an amazing luxury hotel in Santorini - Secrets Suites & Spa

At EliteLyfe, we represent a hand-selected collection of luxury villas, resorts, and hotels in the most exclusive locations on the globe. While we’ve offered Greece as a destination for many years, the majority of properties we recommend are in the more well-known areas, mainly on the islands. With that in mind, I recently took a trip to expand our range of properties in the country, inspecting a number of the luxury resorts in Greece which are perhaps not as obvious to the international community as the paradise islands.

After a whirlwind trip which took in many of the luxury resorts in Greece, it was nice to finally finish our tour of the country in a part that most of us can instantly recognize - the islands. We loved traveling around Greece’s mainland and exploring the ancient monuments and historic sites but when you come to this part of the world, the beach seems to call… Our first island stop-off was Mykonos and wow did it not disappoint. The island has all the elements which make up the perfect vacation experience: unbeatable natural beauty coupled with outstanding luxury accommodation.

On a recent trip to Greece, we had the opportunity to explore and vet a variety of the luxury resorts and hotels the country has to offer. While all the retreats we visited were of the standards required by our elite clientele, there was one which, for us, stood out among the others - The Met Hotel in Thessaloniki. This luxury hotel in Greece was unlike anything we had seen before. Sure, we’re well accustomed to the refinement of contemporary city hotels, but we’d never imagined a modern hotel in such a quaint, old-world setting like Thessaloniki.

As the CEO of EliteLyfe, I have the great fortune to personally vet a large percentage of the properties we have available to rent. This is one of the parts of the job I love the most: getting to experience first-hand some of the most impressive real estate on the planet. Not only that, this work allows me to visit the most ultra-exotic destinations and sample for myself the lifestyle which awaits our elite clientele. While the Caribbean will always be one of my favorites places in the world, I recently had the chance to take a tour of a vacation retreat which is a little closer to home.

There’s nowhere in the world quite like Grace Bay in the Turks & Caicos Islands. This precious stretch of soft white sand on the north coast of Providenciales has all the things that Caribbean dreams are made of. It’s pure paradise, in the most natural sense of the word. Grace Bay Beach has made regular appearances in top-ten lists of the “world’s best” beaches for years. There are few places which seem to exemplify the laid-back Caribbean beach life better. The vibrant-blue waters of Smith’s Reef are unlike anywhere else on the planet, and quite rightly make Grace Bay stand out as one of the world’s most picturesque places.

While the actual experience of renting a private island may be reserved solely for an elite few, the dream of having your own personal private paradise is one we can all get on board with. Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands is one of the most exclusive private island rentals in the world. Guests can immerse themselves in the abundant beauty of the Caribbean with barely any other souls around. This 74-acre private island resort offers accommodation for just 28 adults.

There are few luxury travel destinations that can even come close to the experience of having your own private paradise island. Strictly reserved for the elite traveler, private islands represent the height of exclusivity and offer a level of immersion into nature which is unmatched by any resort or hotel. Private islands often have picture-perfect white-sand beaches and the ever-present turquoise ocean. Their ultra low-density constructions allow their natural surroundings the opportunity to breathe.