Gan, Maldives

This airport-centric island is no tropical paradise. As one of only five international airports in the Maldives, Gan International Airport (GIA) sees a steady flow of air traffic, with SriLankan Airlines operating the sole foreign route as of April 2024. While the runway was extended to over 11,800 feet in the 1980s, the airport has faced its share of issues, including a 2019 incident where a plane's landing gear failed to fully retract. Beyond the tarmac, bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the airport has changed management hands multiple times since the British military departed in 1976. For those seeking an island outpost with an active airport and little else, Gan may fit the bill. But for most, the realities of life in this remote Maldivian atoll will be a tough sell.