Some people pay to live like a castaway

A type of tourism that is increasingly in demand is one that involves living as castaways on a deserted island, for several days or even a few weeks. After covering accommodation expenses and signing a specific contract assuming all relevant responsibilities, participants are left with some provisions on one of the many islands rented and managed by agencies that organize these kinds of “vacations.” The type of experience varies widely according to individual client requests, but participants generally prefer to have very few comforts, often limited to provided food supplies and some equipment to fish or, for instance, gather coconuts — the main source of water and food available on site. Nonetheless, this is a form of “castaway-lite”, as defined by the travel magazine Afar, because at any moment it’s possible to request assistance and additional provisions, including bottled drinking water. Moreover, operators ensure they take all necessary measures to prevent their clients from facing real life-threatening situations. Despite the fact that no serious incidents have occurred, the small islands where these experiences take place are among the locations most exposed to extreme weather events.

One of the first agencies specializing in organizing castaway vacations was Docastaway, founded in 2010, whose offerings include expeditions to uninhabited islands in Indonesia, the Caribbean, the Philippines, or Africa. The company’s name — which over the years has sold experiences to more than a thousand people — comes from the fusion of the terms “do” and “castaway.” In 2015, former French entrepreneur Gauthier Toulemonde recounted his stay of more than a month on an Indonesian island, organized by Docastaway, in a book titled Robinson Volontaire. Since Docastaway, other agencies have entered this sector over the years, drawn by the growth of extreme tourism. One of these is Untold Story Travel, which organizes stays on deserted islands and individual survival tests, along with traditional luxury travel. Some companies also offer preparation courses beforehand, while others focus on making the castaway experience as realistic as possible, providing only limited food supplies and equipment. Another agency active in the field is Desert Island Survival, founded by the winner of the first season of the reality show Alone UK, in which contestants had to survive on their own in uninhabited and inhospitable places. «We cast you away to a stunning tropical island» — reads the company’s website — «allowing you to step away from your routine and immerse yourself in nature. [...] It turns out that when you live once more in a tribe as a hunter-gatherer like, as we did for 99.9% of our existence, it feels good; better than good, it feels incredible.»

Inside the Castaway Tourism Business

Castaway vacations are generally aimed at a high-end clientele: the cost for stays on uninhabited islands can reach up to $400 per night, depending on the location and type of package chosen. However, the largest part of the budget usually goes to air and sea travel to reach the remote locations where the “castaway” experience takes place. Clients typically discover the exact location of the island only after making the initial payment, and they sign a contract agreeing not to disclose videos, photos, or other information that could reveal the location of the faux castaway spot, even after the stay — except in rare cases agreed upon with the agency. This is done to prevent other people from being drawn to these selected islands, which would likely compromise the experience of clients and help maintain the environmental ecosystem of each location as untouched as possible. Managing the islands rented by travel agencies that organize faux castaway experiences is more complex than it may seem. In some cases, the maintenance needed for their use requires years of preparatory work. Additionally, once an island is chosen, several bureaucratic steps and lengthy negotiations — more or less formal — with respective local and national authorities are necessary to use it for this type of experience. Furthermore, before hosting clients, it’s often necessary to clean the island from large amounts of debris carried by the ocean to the shores, to simulate castaway experiences as seen in movies.