Coronavirus: for crazy rich Asians, private islands offer the ultimate quarantine (and they’re cheaper than you think)

For the discerning super-rich Asian, there’s only one option when it comes to choosing a coronavirus bolt-hole: a private island

Prices range from the US$55,000 Round Island in Canada to the US$95 million Pumpkin Key in Florida

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Gladden Private Island in Belize. Photo: Handout

Published: 10:00am, 30 Mar 2020Updated: 10:07am, 30 Mar 2020

While the coronavirus outbreak has left many people self-quarantining in flats of just a few hundred square feet, super-rich Asians have a more appealing option for refuge: their own private island.

Sales agents say they have been flooded with enquiries from Asia’s wealthiest seeking an investment that can serve as both a bolt-hole from the raging pandemic and a long-term investment.

What is more, while some of these private idylls sell for up to US$100 million, some go for as little as US$55,000, a fraction of the cost of the average Hong Kong apartment.

Edward de Mallet Morgan, a Partner with Knight Frank’s International Super-Prime Sales Team in London who specialises in private-island sales, said there had been a clear uptick in interest since the first reported coronavirus cases emerged in Wuhan, China, last year.

“For many who are already interested, the current world situation has meant that their resolve, intention and motivation to find a safe and protected haven for themselves and their families has only increased,” he said.