Mere steps from the sandy beach, the nine driftwood palaces of Pulau Pangkil offer barefoot serenity. Some two to three hours trip from Singapore, this Indonesian idyll offers a fully staffed, yet pared-back island escape. Little to no reception or internet access focuses the mind onto more sybaritic pleasures – indulging in the freshwater pool, accessible via a hidden rock passage, hand-reel fishing in the turquoise waters and kicking back beside a roaring beach bonfire come nightfall, dying down to give stellar views of the stars and Milky Way sprawling above it all. Retreating for the night, King Size four-poster beds with mosquito netting provide peaceful slumber, the gentle breeze blowing in through open walls of these sand-floor shelters.

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