I've long said that my favorite authentic island experience to date has been the small island of Lanai, which some may be surprised is actually a Hawaiian island, just off the coast of Maui. With no stoplights, only a couple franchises, and many more miles of unpaved roads than paved roads, Lanai was a welcome experience for this off-the-beaten-path traveler. However, it now moves into my favorite authentic island experience in America, as its rank worldwide has now been supplanted by most recent island experience, Cayman Brac, one of the sister islands of Grand Cayman.

Though familiar with the Caribbean, I didn't even know that Cayman Brac was a destination until I was invited to be hosted by the Cayman Islands. And that term, "destination," may be subjective being there's only one hotel on the entire island, which can be driven from one end to the other in 30 minutes. There are no stoplights, no franchises, no high-rises, and no nightlife. But it's for these reasons that it is a destination. Most of the island is undeveloped since a bluff covers a majority of it. Local food menus change daily based on local seafood availability. And yet the waters around it are considered some of the best diving waters in the world according to the Cousteau family (and many others). 

But while you can read more about its food, history, and culture in my article for Travel Mindset, below I feature some of my favorite photos from my recent trip to Cayman Brac.