“They don’t do ordinary on Moskito Island, so your stay will be unlike any other.

There’s plenty to do and explore: take to the waters, play a spot of tennis or simply sit back and soak up the views. Sitting two miles across the Caribbean Sea from its famous sister island, Necker (10 minutes by boat – or just a swim away when the water is calm!), Richard Branson’s latest private- island getaway couldn’t be any more different if it tried.

Being in the BVI’s, getting there is fairly straightforward. The easiest way is via Antigua and, depending on the time of your international flight, you can either fly to Tortola with Inter Caribbean or take a private charter. The good news is that Tortola has landing lights, so there’s no need to worry about arriving into Antigua mega early, but I would definitely recommend booking VIP fast-tracking for your arrival.

Once you arrive, you’ll see it’s a small, hilly 125-acre island with lots of pristine, pocket-sized beaches to be discovered. Unlike Necker – which, for the most part, is available only for exclusive use, where all 20 rooms must be rented by one group of up to 40 guests for an entire week – those at The Branson Estate on Moskito Island are also available individually for a minimum of four nights. This means guests can bask in the privacy of their own exclusive Estate (the hilly terrain and enveloping natural landscape allows complete and utter privacy) or get together with fellow guests at the communal parts of the island.

The Branson Estate was Richard Branson’s own home – the first villa built on Moskito Island and where he lived during the first lockdown.

It’s much more traditional in style and is the only beachfront villa on the island. However, the beach here is not swimmable – guests need to walk over to the Beach House – but it’s only a minute away. Made up of three individual villas – Beach, Headland and Mangrove – each is connected by treehouse-style walkways. Headland – Richard Branson’s residence – is the biggest, and the other two – built for each of his children and their families – means there’s a much more personal feel to this Estate. And, even though it’s now part of the rental pool, the family do come back and stay from time to time.

You could also tell that the Branson Estate’s staff had a vast amount of experience in taking care of celebrities and high net worth individuals. Apparently, they all go through a very rigorous hiring process, and all have outstanding personalities – you can totally see how happy they are and how much they love their jobs, which makes everything feel even more relaxed (if that’s even possible!).

An immense shared space close to The Branson Estate that houses an infinity pool, tennis courts, a gym, bars, restaurants and multiple dining locations, plus the biggest TV and the biggest day bed I have ever seen – I’d say it was at least five metres in length.

Guests can head down here for a pre-arranged meal… your villa host helps you plan what you want to eat and where you want to eat it each day and, with no menus, all you have to do is chat with your host, explain your likes and dislikes, and they take care of the rest!

The Moskito Island experience is such a slick operation. Estate staff coordinate every detail of guests’ stays, including watersports, meal-planning and preferences, spa treatments and activities like tennis, game nights and beach Olympics. All the staff are kept in the loop of what each villa resident is doing, so they are so on top of absolutely everything. It’s unreal – and perfect for multi-generational families or those who want to holiday in complete and utter privacy.