Why Some People Are Paying to Be Left on a Desert Island—Alone
August 14, 2024 at 11:27PMHave you watched enough Naked and Afraid and Survivor to think you have what it takes to survive on a remote island? Do you actively seek out and thrive in isolation? If your answers to both these questions are yes, Docastaway’s custom, curated desert-island adventures might be for you. For AFAR, Jen Rose Smith describes what to expect if you book a trip from the company, which has sent more than 1,000 people to uninhabited islands across Asia, the Caribbean, and Oceania.
In 2008, Cerezo began trial runs for the company he hoped to found. He sent his friends to islands he’d found while exploring, which didn’t always go smoothly: Fishermen showed up repeatedly, and, in one case, day-tripping tourists interrupted his idyll. Cerezo adapted, seeking new destinations and building relationships with local fixers. Traveling from island to island with a backpack, laptop, and camera, Cerezo created the Docastaway website in 2009—but it wasn’t until October of 2010 that he found a paying customer willing to book with the brand-new company. Since then, he’s sent more than 1,000 people to experience desert islands of their own, in Asia, the Caribbean, and Oceania. Indonesia, which is both vast and accessible, is by far the most popular.
They’re not all die-hard survivalists. Docastaway offers “comfort mode” trips ($103-210 USD/night) featuring a private villa, kitchen, and provided food. Even travelers who choose “survival mode” ($98–414 USD/night) can dial down discomfort by requesting additional supplies such as bottled water and snacks. While some castaways come prepared with survival skills, Cerezo doesn’t encourage it. “I advise them to go with no training at all, because this is the real castaway experience,” he says. Only after paying a deposit do travelers learn the precise location of “their” islands, and sign a waiver acknowledging the panoply of risks desert islands present, from falling coconuts to rogue waves. To mitigate that risk, everyone gets an “emergency button” to call for assistance from Docastaway staff, usually the only point of contact with the outside world—often the point.
from Longreads https://longreads.com/2024/08/14/why-some-people-are-paying-to-be-left-on-a-desert-island-alone/
via IFTTT
Watch