EDITOR'S LETTER:

Water babies, thalassophiles, palm-fringed beach lovers – we have you covered in this issue dedicated to islands. Whether it’s a new spa in the British Virgin Islands, a private-island glamping experience in Fiji or something more unusual, such as a stay at the Belmond Hotel Cipriani, the luxury Venetian hotel offering guests an experiential journey to a “lost island” this summer, the August issue has plenty to inspire, and not one but two features dedicated to the ultimate island destination of the Maldives. The first sees takes us south of the Equator to the inimitable Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, and the second to Coco Bodu Hithi, a family-owned resort in the North Malé Atoll that’s a postcard-perfect impression of an island paradise. There’s more island dreaming in the Gulf, where we review the Royal Suite at island-based hotel, Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island. In the Caribbean, chef José Santaella shares his tips on where to dine for authentic Puerto Rican gastronomy, and in Europe, we travel to the island of Malta for silver screen landscape and ancient cities such as Mdina and Valletta, the 2018 European Capital of Culture.