A scenic island getaway at Lord Howe Island, Australia

Lord Howe Island packs a lot of epicness into its fourteen square kilometres ... photo by CC user Fanny Schertzer on wikimedia

Tired of sitting on your desk everyday, going home and cooking your food and spending weekends on a somewhat predictable basis? Why not set a plan for an entire week and find an island to explore instead? Whilst you do that, be sure to secure your ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) Visa for a smooth travel experience. I know just about the right place right in Australia! Yes, you can practically fly to Sydney if you want but youre here simply to relax, unwind and detoxify by breathing fresh sea air and get pampered, no need to worry about cooking your food, theres no planning to go to the market to find fresh produce and look for the best bargain stuff. For an entire week, you can simply forget all your troubles and live like a king or a queen or perhaps a prince or a princess, you set the mood yourself.

Lord Howe Island is a volcanic island sitting on top of the Tasman Sea sandwiched by Australia and New Zealand. Think about breathtaking scenery, thats what youre going to see right when the blue and green island slowly appears on the window of your plane as you fly in towards the island. Its small, 10 km long and 23 km wide, but what it lacks in size, it fills with its splendid scenery. Believe it or not, there are only about 800 people on the island at any given time; hence the serenity of the place is just superb. No unwarranted noise whatsoever, and the tourist just love the ambiance unless youre the kind of tourist looking for ear deafening music thats quite the trance for partygoers.

The island is also a UNESCO world heritage site, thanks to its pristine waters and spectacular topography which has been home to numerous endemic species, especially birds. Think about sheer mountain slopes and rolling hills surrounded by blue lagoons. Particular to the island is the Balls Pyramid rising abruptly from the ocean, its an awesome sight to behold.

There are not so many amenities on the island; everything is pretty much simple allowing you to forget about your iPhone beeping every second when a mail comes. Its time to unwind so no more Wi-Fi; its just you and printed newspaper if you want to know whats happening with the world, yes no more cable TVs.

You can simply find a lodge like the popular Pinetrees Lodge for your island stay. If youve dreamt of living a simple life on an island, this is your chance. Rent a bike for an entire week to explore the islands, mind you, the people are warm so perhaps you can get used to being greeted by strangers along the way.

You can also surf on the island although the waves arent always that good. However, if youre lucky you just might be able to catch a wave strong enough to give you an exhilarating ride.

What you can do that will simply make you crave for more, is scuba diving. Most visitors are scuba divers, attracted by the UNESCO label which basically means, you get to see plenty of marine life on every dive. Theres the 1965 shipwreck of The Favorite in the North Bay which is perfect for snorkelers. Most of the dive sites are shore dives so diving is never that complicated.

If you simply want to relax and forget about your job for an entire week, Lord Howe Island is the perfect getaway.