Why are tropical islands often pictured as paradise?

They want you to go there to visit and spend your money!

Well, with kind of luck I have sometimes, I would be on the tropical island paradise and a massive tsunami would hit or a volcano would erupt.

I used to think living on a tropical island would be paradise. Then I went and saw how fat and ugly all the locals are. Now, you couldn’t pay me to live in the Caribbean.

For me it is paradise. Laid back life style, friendly people, great food, great environment, the coldest it gets is in the high 60’s. Yea there are bugs but honestly they aren’t that bad especially if you make bug spray.

In September I went to Costa Rica, currently I’m in Guatemala and tomorrow I’ll be traveling to Belize where I will be moving permanently.

Ok fine none of these countries are islands but I’ve spent a good bit of time on the islands off these countries. I prefer living at the coast rather than on the islands though. If I had a private island on the other hand that’d be another story :P

So, tropical islands have the same drawbacks as every place else on Earth, but with the added benefits of steady temperatures, the lull of the ocean, and abundant, easy to harvest food sources. Ready hygiene.

How does it get much better than that?

I guess we could ask Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan.

Because, @Symbeline, due to their isolation they don’t have all those things you listed.

The Hawaiian Islands, and many others, don’t have diseases, don’t have hordes of venomous insects, don’t have cannibals.

The Bounty crew mutinied after having to leave Tahiti, where they had found fresh fruit on the trees, comfortable weather, beautiful seas with plenty of fish, and women without all the British hangups on sex.

Gaugin found many of the same things.

I go to Hawaii and am able to check out of the day to day crap of living, disconnect and enjoy the moment, just relax on a beach and when I get overheated snorkel around looking at the fish.

Because Hawaii would be paradise if it weren’t for all the people.

Because most people feel better in the sun and warm. When you live in a cold place and escape to the tropics for a vacation it can feel like an injection of health serum for some people. Tropical islands tend to have a breeze so it’s rarely crazy hot. Islands are perceived as a little isolated, but assuming you still have the basics that gives you comfort then you have it all. Islands can still have places to go out at night and be entertained. It’s more carefree to throw on shorts a t-shirt and sandals than to put on thermal underwear, a sweater, slacks, socks, boots, overcoat, hat, and gloves. Oh, and the static! And, dryness. Dry hair, dry skin.

Some people love winter sports so I guess their paradise looks like Aspen or somewhere in Switzerland.

I live in FL again, it’s Dec 6, and I am sitting by the pool, sun shining, perfect blue skies, cool breeze, 73 degrees (feels cooler in the shade).

I’d rather be on a tropical island than rainy old England right now. Just spent an hour in the freezing cold waiting for a bus. Brrrr.

It’s the fantasy of having nothing to do but lay on the beach, rest in the sun, swim etc. not having to bust your ass at work, deal with jerks, snow, ice, etc. Hey where do I sign up? But it is a fantasy. I’ve been to places like that, and all the money comes from outside the islands or from corruption.

The first time I went to st. Martin and the Bahamas I was kind of guilt tripped by all the poor people. You have people with money partying next to slums and it just put me off. Still had some fun though lol.

White beach sand no leeches. No car’s, no pollution no work.

@talljasperman Sadly still lots of pollution, in some cases worse than what you’d find in your country. The method of trash removal in a lot of these places is fire. Nothin like driving down the road looking at all the beautiful scenery when all of a sudden your nose is assaulted by the smell of a field of burning plastic.

I hate snow, and I hate the cold. I do so much better in the heat. I love how pretty the ocean is, I love the beach, I love tropical rain forests. I love all the different animals, it’s just beautiful in my opinion.

Those damned cannibals do take the fun out of it.

@gailcalled Depends on whether you are invited to dinner or for dinner. :-)

somebody had to make a dinner joke XD

It is only a paradise because it is a change from the routine of most Westerners, and it offers a pretty illusion. Ask a person fishing those waters daily for their dinner, trying to withstand the typhoons, and see those sandy beaches and sailing vessels anchoring out all day long how much paradise they are having in paradise?

I don’t fish, and I have been through 6 hurricanes, Wilma damaged my house. I have lived in Florida over 15 years total three different times and the palm trees, sun, blue skies, and warm weather is paradise. Living here every day doesn’t change it. Most people I know who live down here never stop appreciating it, it’s why they stay.

I had a friend in Missouri that was a native Hawaiian. It just killed him that he’d been lured away from paradise and he couldn’t get a job that paid enough for him to return. I went ‘home’ with him once, and got the tourist free tour. It was still in the top 5 of the most beautiful places I’ve seen.

^^When I lived in TN people would say how great it is to live in a place with a relatively low cost of living and my response was, “no! If I ever want to go back to the higher cost of living places the longer I live in a low cost of living place the harder it is to go back.” You can easily lose step with the inflation in the more desirable place if you stay out of it too long.

When I have to pay to go to Florida or somewhere tropical when I live more north it bothers me to pay out the money when I know I can live in paradise every day. You can live where you vacation.