There are 12 beaches for you to lounge on while you build your nine-hole golf course and cinema multiplex.How do you get there?Your ship is attacked by pirates and you drift ashore on an emptied treasure chest. Or, you take a boat the three nautical miles from the popular tourist destination of Isla del Rey.Who would it suit?Anyone comfortable with ravaging the perfect and delicately poised eco-system. A senior McDonald's executive perhaps.Hog Cay, Bahamas How much? $19.3m (£10m) fromprivateislandsonline .What do you get for your money?A 681-acre tropical paradise, with secluded bays and pure white beaches. If you fancy going a bit Shipping News, this would seem to be the spot for you.How do you get there?You can fly first-class to Halifax from New York, Montreal or London, but then you have to hike to get to the islands themselves. Bald eagles, seals, ospreys, and blue herons are the main inhabitants on this barren stretch of property, which is whipped in the winter by Atlantic winds and snow flurries.

The hoarding instinct must come from my gran who used to keep packets of sugar in the bedroom drawers because she had heard that there was going to be a shortage. But I also can't resist visiting unusual food shops at home or abroad and buying attractive and intriguing packets. My mate Jason Lowe, who takes the lovely photographs for these pages, is just the same, giving in to his addiction to collect weird and wonderful types of food from his travels. We should probably set up a stall together at a car-boot sale to clear our cupboards every now and then.My stash of small grains and pulses includes pearl barley, tiny white risina beans the size of grains of rice and only grown by Lake Trasemino in Italy, and several of those miniature pasta shapes from alphabetti to rice-shaped orzo that I can't resist buying when I'm in I Camisa in Soho. Any of these can give a clear soup a bit of substance or form the basis of a salad Just mix with some chopped vegetables, herbs and olive oil Grains are good. Ain't that the truth.Spring vegetable and bulgar salad with fried halloumiServes 4-6This is rather a good vegetarian main or starter dish, and can be served as part of a spring or summer buffet.

You can add pretty much any spring vegetable you like that's available. I've added some Italian monk's beard, but you could easily use samphire, shredded runner beans and asparagus tips when they are in season.Halloumi, a sheep's milk cheese originally from Cyprus, seems to be readily available in most delis and supermarkets these days. The 250 acres are untouched by human hand, but the estate agents are keen to flag up its "eco-tourism" potential. Perhaps Gordon Ramsay.Isla de Puercos, Gulf of Panama How much? $1.8m (£950,000) fromprivateislandsonline What do you get for your money?The ultimate castaway experience. Or head for the "Arabian tent area", which has cushions and a large campfire.

There is a six- bedroom main house; a manager's cottage; extra cottages for your ice waiter and sun-cream assistant; a fishing guide camp; heated pool (it can get chilly in the Bahamas); a marina and a waterslide.How do you get there?Fly to Nassau and then sail your yacht the remaining 35 miles.Who would it suit?Anyone who likes to be let alone to revel in their very own paradise, while occasionally taking time out to berate their staff. There's also a beach.How do you get there?This "island" is actually connected to Ibiza by a thin private road, so you can reach it by car. But why bother? The island has its own water taxi, as well as a helipad.Who would it suit?The perfect choice for the footballer's wife.Frozen and Alder Cays, Berry Islands, Bahamas How much? $8.5m (£4.49m) from Coldwell Banker.What do you get for your money?Complete tropical seclusion and a waterslide. The 83 acres of white sand beaches and lush woodland are all very nice, but where this island really comes into its own is in its accommodation. But with a little taste and vision, it could be a most desirable home. The island's new owner could park the yacht in Manhattan, and stroll to work.How do you get there?Columbia Island is just off Westchester County, in the Long Island shipping lanes, so unless you turn up by yacht, you'll be a laughing stock.Who would it suit?Moneyed Manhattanite with an eye for a bargain. Get in there before Donald Trumps you.Isla de sa Ferradura, Ibiza How much? €33m (£22m) fromprivateislandsonline What do you get for your money?Ferradura comes with golf buggies, speed and sailing boats, a hacienda, private cinema, and a beauty salon.