When the rich and famous want to get away from it all, the place they head is the Caribbean island of Mustique. Prince William and Kate Middleton were spotted there this May, Princess Margaret used to escape to her home there with lover Roddy Llewellyn and Mick Jagger has reportedly snapped up the property next to Stargroves, his beachfront home, so that ex-wife Jerry Hall can continue to holiday on the island without upsetting his new love L'Wren Scott.
With just 85 fully staffed, luxurious homes - plus one hotel, The Cotton House, and a handful of relaxed bars and restaurants - the pace is slow and unhurried and privacy and seclusion are both assured. But what few people realise is that you don't have to know someone with a home there to holiday in Mustique, as many of the houses are available to rent.
If you're planning a Caribbean wedding and are looking for a private villa to accommodate friends and family then Stargroves sleeps 10 and costs from about £5,500 per week and Les Jolies Eaux, the home once owned by Princess Margaret, also sleeps 10 and costs from about £9000 per week.
The two-bedroom homes are perfect for honeymooners and much more affordable, with prices from just over £2000 per week. One of the most attractive is Serenity Bay, overlooking the Britannia Bay yacht anchorage. Peaceful and tranquil, the only sound to shatter the silence is the noise of the waves crashing on the rocky shoreline. Both bedrooms have shady balconies and one has a four-poster bed. There is also a sundeck with a covered terrace for romantic dining al fresco and a pool built into the rocks.
If you have the budget then for sheer movie-star elegance, Toucan Hill (pictured) is Mustique's newest property and is built on the island's second highest peak with 360-degree views over the surrounding islands of the Grenadines. This whitewashed four-bedroom villa looks more like a Moroccan palace and is so large that you can see it from the air as you descend to the tiny airstrip on board the twin-propeller six-seat plane on route from Barbados. Furnishings are plush and opulent with open-sided rooms that make the most of the cooling breeze and there is a breathtakingly beautiful infinity pool for refreshing dips. Hire prices per week start from about £14,000.
Life on Mustique is lazy and sleepy with the harbour-side "town" just a handful of brightly coloured clapboard buildings set amid gently swaying palm trees where you'll find a grocery store, bakery, a couple of boutiques selling beachwear and the world-famous Basil's Bar. Perched on stilts over the turquoise water, it's the place to go for strong rum punches and live music that will get you dancing under the dark, starry skies. The other bar on the island is the romantic Firefly, where incense burns in the still air and photography is frowned upon so as not to upset the famous faces who are often spotted there.
Mustique's ultra-glam reputation is certainly justified, but this is not a place where people go to be seen. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Most visitors to Mustique tend to spend their time enjoying the luxury of their villas, only appearing for lunch at the beach bar of The Cotton House or to take a stroll along the powdery-white sands of the deserted beaches. Dressing down is most definitely the order of the day, so follow the ethos of the locals who will tell you that "All you need to wear is a smile". Let us let you this - a smile won't be difficult to conjure up.
Getting there: For further information about the villas of Mustique and for reservations log on to visit www.mustique-island.com. Flying time: 9 hours from the UK to Barbados and 50 minutes from Barbados to Mustique. Climate: The average year-round temperature is 24°C with a short rainy season in September and October.
