White sand, clear turquoise sea and lush trees swaying in the breeze. This might sound like a description of the Maldives — but it's actually what I experienced on a recent trip to Italy. The area was founded by Prince Karim Aga Khan IV in the 1960s and now attracts the jet set. Airfare obviously affects travel costs, but I spent $1,500 for a week on the island, including flights from London. We stopped for a lemon granita at the Shardana restaurant, set among the trees overlooking the white sand Baia Sant'Anna beach.

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Persons: Costa Smeralda, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, Emanuele Perrone, Belmond, Blanc, Rocco Forte, Neilson, Costa, I'd, Baia, Sinead, Lucy Handley's, Keener, Lucy Handley, Pedra Niedda, Paolo, Ristorante La Volpe, Enrico Spanu Organizations: Porto Cervo, Qatar Investment Authority, Getty, Schools, London Stansted Airport, Ristorante Locations: Maldives, Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Europe, Porto, Sardinia's Costa Smeralda, London, U.K, Greece, Baia dei, Olbia, Isola Tavolara, Tanaunella, Sardinian, Orosei