Asia
Remote coral atolls with no tourism and tightly restricted access.
The British Indian Ocean Territory is the Chagos Archipelago, a scattering of low coral atolls in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Its reefs are among the least disturbed anywhere and are protected as a marine reserve. Diego Garcia, the largest island, hosts a joint UK–US military base. In 2025 the UK agreed to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius while keeping the base on a long lease. The other islands have had no permanent population since the Chagossians were removed around 1970.
There is no tourism in the usual sense. Diego Garcia is open only to military personnel and contractors, and there are no commercial flights or hotels. The uninhabited outer atolls, such as Peros Banhos and Salomon, have historically been reachable only by private yacht with a permit. Sea conditions are calmest in the south-east trade-wind months; the rest of the year is wetter and more unsettled.