Lewis and Harris beat tropical islands

Contact newsdesk on: info@hebridesnews.co.uk

Lewis and Harris beats tropical rivals in tourist vote 19/2/14

Lewis and Harris have beat tropical rivals in Thailand, Chile and Madagascar to be included in the top five islands in the world.

The islands are also named number one island destination in Europe and the UK, based on the reviews and opinions of millions of travellers on TripAdvisor.

The Travellers' Choice Island awards winners are determined based on the quality and quantity of the most highly-rated hotels, restaurants, and attractions listed for each island the travel guide website gathered during a 12-month period.

"An island holiday usually conjures images of faraway palm-lined beaches, white sand and crystal clear water but the results of this year's awards reveal that the ideal island getaway might be closer to home than you think," commented James Kay, TripAdvisor spokesperson.

Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland said, "With hundreds of islands, each with their own unique character, diverse landscape and rich wildlife, it's no surprise that these islands have been recognised in the TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Islands awards. It's always great to get this kind of recognition and I'm sure it will help encourage even more people to visit these incredible islands in 2014, the year Scotland Welcomes the World."

Ambergris Caye in Belize has been crowned the number one island in the world for the second year running. The largest island in Belize, Ambergris Caye boasts spectacular caves, winding waterfalls, tropical rainforest and hundreds of limestone caves. The island also claims the second largest coral reef system in the world.

Top 10 Islands in the World:

1. Ambergris Caye, Belize

2. Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

3. Bora Bora, French Polynesia

4. Marco Island, Florida

5. Lewis and Harris, Scotland, United Kingdom

6. Naxos, Greece

7. Aitutaki, Cook Islands

8. Nosy Be, Madagascar

9. Easter Island, Chile

10. Ko Tao, Thailand