Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands are dotted with deal-cutting characters with briefcases and cellphones, scuba divers in electric wetsuits and English folk checking the cricket scores over a g&t. The islands are colourful: coral reefs, bright orange frogfish, sociable stingrays and reggae beats on the street.

As a result of the island's mellow charms, resorts and condos have sprung up all over, and you can count on air-con, cold beer and ESPN. But if you want to get away from it all there are lots of places to escape satellite dishes and slickness, not least of them underwater.