- I recently had the chance to visit Richard Branson 's Necker Island .
- The 74-acre Caribbean island was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and had to undergo more than a year of renovations.
- It was the first time I had ever been on a private island , and I must say it'll be hard for any other island to compete.
- Here's what it's like to visit the billionaire entrepreneur's island, from a seemingly endless flow of Champagne to a sushi lunch that was delivered to me via wooden kayak.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
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I spent a day on Richard Branson's private island in the Caribbean. It was as spectacular as you can imagine.
Meagan Drillinger for Business Insider
Necker Island is the privately owned island where Sir Richard Branson (of Virgin Group fame) has built an ultra luxurious, idyllic playground for the most exclusive of travelers.
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I've traveled a lot, but I've never traveled to a private island owned by a British billionaire. In fact, come to think of it, I've never traveled to a private island at all.
So when I heard that I'd be part of the first group of media since 2016 to set foot on Richard Branson's Necker Island, I honestly had no idea what to expect.
Some background: Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson, who founded the Virgin Group and has a $4 billion net worth , bought the 74-acre island for $180,000 back in 1978 . In September 2017, the Caribbean island suffered extensive damage in the path of Hurricane Irma. Several buildings on site were destroyed, and the resort was closed for months . Repairs started in December 2017, Travel + Leisure reported at the time, and have been ongoing.
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About a year later, in October 2018 , it was officially back in business. And this past November, I got to spend a day on the island.
Spoiler alert: It was one of the top experiences of my entire life.
See Also:
- A new lawsuit says Jeffrey Epstein trafficked and sexually abused dozens of young girls on one of his private islands in the Caribbean. Here's an inside look at the islands.
- A high school teacher bought a 'trashed' home in Detroit for $2,600 and got it into livable condition in less than 2 years. Here's how she did it.
- The most expensive watches worn by the British royal family
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