Private island
Southeast Asia has numerous islands, with Indonesia being an archipelago of 17,000 islands and the Philippines having around 7,100. Real estate laws restrict foreigners' ability to buy property in the geographical area, and many islands either have unclear ownership rights or are already settled. Private islands that are available in Southeast Asia's real estate market are also prohibitively costly due to being in high demand by hotel developers. Developments address these difficulties by selling private islands that have villas and neighbor islands that have high-end hotels; the proximity keeps costs of habitation down.
Nikoi Island (Indonesia)
Pulau Nikoi is a resort island located off the east coast of Bintan, Indonesia, approximately southeast of Singapore. The island was purchased by Andrew and Julia Dixon, an Australian couple visiting Bintan, in 2005 and developed, with the aid of a group of financiers, into a boutique private island resort named Nikoi Island. The resort opened in 2007, and as of 2010 consists of fifteen beach houses. The island has been ranked as one of the best private islands in the world by Condé Nast Traveller and reviewed extensively by the world's travel press.