From Arctic archipelagos to tropical hideaways, Expedia’s 2026 Island Hot List reveals where travelers are searching for their next luxury island vacation.
See the full list:
Photo: Getty Images
THIS IS WHAT THE ARCTIC LOOKS LIKE FROM A NUCLEAR ICEBREAKER
−35°C. 2 meters of solid ice underfoot. 60 meters of seawater below.
The ice cracks and explodes beneath the ship as a massive nuclear-powered icebreaker pushes forward, crushing the frozen sea and opening a passage for ships behind it.
This isn’t a simulation. No effects. Just the raw sound of a nuclear icebreaker cutting through the Arctic.
Exclusive: Deep in Arctic waters near the remote Svalbard archipelago this spring, NATO allies caught Russian subs training to unleash a secret weapon designed to disable critical undersea cables without leaving any fingerprints