In his 1933 novel Lost
Horizon, James Hilton immortalizes Shangri
La, an earthly paradise where humans and nature live in perfect harmony – a
utopia one never expects to find in the real life. But it exists.
Lord Howe, a
tiny island in the vast Pacific about 600 km northeast of Sydney Australia is
just such a place. I was there recently with my husband, daughter and two nieces.
And here’s the thing. From the moment we stepped off the plane, we never
uttered a cross word nor did we hear one. We never made or received a phone
call because there is no mobile reception. We never needed a car because
everyone rides bikes. Remarkably, in the 5 days we were there, we never had an
unpleasant moment.
Every inch of the island is gorgeous and much of it
spectacular. The wildlife seem to know they are protected - like the large turtle
who spent a lazy morning swimming with my girls in the lagoon. And even though
Lord Howe is idyllic, it is hardly precious. Instead, the vibe is super relaxed
and friendly. Everyone knows everyone and after a day or so, they know you too.
Everyone on the island, whether walking, biking or in a car, waves. Snorkel equipment lies around in a hut
at Ned’s beach and is based on an honesty system. The fish swim right up to you
in the hopes of being fed and are way too smart to get caught by young girls
with fishing poles.
The harmony that is Lord Howe owes much to the fact that it
was one of the last islands on earth to be discovered. Uninhabited until 1834
(so no displaced humans), the real natives of Lord Howe are birds, fish and
plants, many of which are found nowhere else on the planet. With a limit of 400
licensed tourist beds and an airstrip that restricts flights to 36 seat
aircraft there is little humans can do to destroy this earthly paradise. But there is still tons of stuff for
humans to do and everything seemed easy to organize. You can swim, surf, dive,
hike, climb, bike, fish, golf, lawn bowl and play tennis. (There is not a
decent tennis ball on the island so be sure to bring your own.) Or you can
happily do nothing.
As for food and accommodation, there are three main resorts:
Capella, Arajilla and Pinetrees and an assortment of
apartments and guest houses. We stayed at Arajilla and recommend it highly. We
loved the location nestled in a banyan tree grove steps from the beach. The staff is some of the nicest and
most accommodating people I have encountered. The food was consistently excellent
and I loved the fact that the owners were present and engaged in our having the
best possible time.
Down the road from Arajilla is Pinetrees, operated by the
same family since 1848 and the original place to stay for generations of
Australians coming to Lord Howe. Capella Lodge at the other end of the island
looked very smart but our girls enjoyed being closer to the “action” at Arajilla.
But no place is perfect, right? If there is a fly in the
ointment on Lord Howe, it is the question of price. No Crowds does not often
endorse really expensive travel experiences because the folks who tend to go to
terribly expensive places are often not much fun. Well, that’s not the case on Lord
Howe plus some things are worth the expense and I would argue that it is far
better to save up for Lord Howe than to go somewhere else. Never has the notion
of no crowds been more delightfully delivered than on this happy, harmonious
island.
