These island girls insta feeds are so dreamy they will stop you scrolling and make you want to pack your bags and jet off to a tropical destination in a heartbeat!
Picking out my Top 10 Island Girls was more difficult than I first thought because there are so many that I love and admire. This list includes some of my all time favourites who inspire me and who totally align with the Dushi Designs brand ethos. Each one is accomplished in their own right and deserves a shout out.
In no particular order....
1. GLENDELINE MADURO | ARUBA
This true island girl is an absolute babe. Not only is she beautiful, she's got brains too!
Glendeline is a huge fan of the holistic wellness movement and strives to empower and encourage other women to live healthier more sustainable lives. She knows all the healthy eating hot spots when it comes to dining out on the island of Aruba and is always sharing useful tips, motivating messages and tasty recipe ideas with her loyal community. Whilst promoting the holistic lifestyle she also runs a successful business... A premier proposal planning service in paradise! Offering clients, both locals and tourists, a professional photography & videography service and romantic date night planning in Aruba. This island girl is your new plant-based, proposal planning bestie!
• INSTA: @glendelinem
• FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/proposalaruba/
2. SHADEE LAMPE | ARUBA | HOLLAND
The first time I met Shadee I was completely smitten! She is the cutest little pocket rocket and her creativity bowled me over. Her dreamy edits on her Instagram feed are so swoon-worthy. She is such a perfectionist and it totally shows in her photos. She is a true island girl who loves to explore and is always finding new hidden gems on the island to photograph.
Shadee was the first person I reached out to, to collaborate with in Aruba. Back then I only had a few hundred followers and was nervous about asking her because I thought she would say no.... Luckily all those fears and insecurities washed away when she replied and told me she was a huge fan of Dushi Designs and would love to collab! Phew! I feel so blessed she said yes because that led to a great friendship. We have talked about all kinds of things... The island way of life, studying abroad, traveling the world and long distance love...
Shadee has a bright future and she is most definitely worth a follow on the 'gram!
• INSTA: @shadeelampe
3. RISELLE | ST. MAARTEN | ST. MARTIN
Riselle... aka The Traveling Island Girl.... Curaçao born and raised, now living on the beautiful Caribbean island of St. Maarten. This island girl sure knows how to turn a passion in to a living. She is an accomplished travel blogger, hotel connoisseur and expert on all things Caribbean.
She specialises in female solo travel destinations, girls getaways and everything you need to know about island life. If you want travel advice, top tips or perhaps just some inspiration on where to explore next, Riselle's your girl!
For me, Riselle embodies female empowerment, she knows how to have fun in the sun and she is someone who I sincerely hope I can meet in person one day soon. Check out her website, it's jam packed with useful information that's brought to you in an honest, fun and transparent way.
• INSTA: @thetravelingislandgirl
• WEBSITE: https://thetravelingislandgirl.com/
4. GABY LIEUW | CURAÇAO
When I hear the phrase, "Girls Support Girls" I immediately think of Gaby. To say I am obsessed with her might be a slight understatement... I have been girl crushing on her ever since I started stalking her on the 'gram (and by stalking I mean this in a non-creepy, super nice kinda way! 😂)
Gaby continues to inspire me with every carefully curated post she creates. I admire her thirst for travel, her work ethic and genius creativity.
Gaby is the island girl behind Sand and Stilettos. What originally started out as a personal online blog, showcasing the best that Curaçao has to offer, has now expanded to offer bespoke travel curation, online content creation and event planning. This girl knows her stuff!
Gaby also hosts a social media strategy and branding workshop with FemiMeaux called Let The Story Be Sold which I am praying makes a debut in Aruba in the near future. She also has a cool podcast diving deeper in to the world of female entrepreneurs on the islands.
I am totally overdue a trip to CURADISE and I think Gaby's famous Instagram Tour is worth the visit for sure!
• INSTA: @sandandstilettos
• WEBSITE: https://sand-and-stilettos.com/
5. RACHEL SAWDEN | BERMUDA
This island girl is based on the subtropical island of Bermuda, known for it's famous pink sand beaches. Rachel's insta feed is jam-packed with hot bikini snapshots on a backdrop of the most beautiful scenery Bermuda has to offer... But she is so much more than that!
Not only is she a freelance model and accomplished TV presenter, she is also an award-winning author who published her debut fictional novel Runaways last year. This book follows the adventures of three best friends on a trip of a lifetime and one woman's journey of self-discovery... It's the perfect book to read on the beach during your summer vacation.
• INSTA: @rachelsawden
• WEBSITE: https://www.rachelsawden.com/
6. MONICA WALTON | CAYMAN ISLANDS
Monica describes herself as a visual storyteller in the Caribbean... And girl, she is so right! She takes content creation to another level.
Based out of the Cayman Islands this award-winning TV presenter, filmmaker, journalist and drone pilot will make you want to live out your island life fantasy in two seconds flat!
I first discovered Monica's Instagram account a couple of years ago when she visited Aruba to shoot an original video for Jeep... Yes, JEEP! This island girl has bagged herself some dream jobs with big brands and rightfully so.
Her stats are pretty impressive: She has collaborated with Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor. Created a viral video showcasing the resort experience in Tulum, Mexico, using her dreamy cinematography skills, that reached over 2 MILLION people. Successfully managed Cayman Islands Tourism Channel. Official ambassador for @womenwhodrone and blazing her own trail whilst inspiring others in a male dominated industry.
Monica has now gone independent and started her own media/production company, Vagabond Media Group, producing epic content for boutique travel companies and lifestyle brands around the globe.
It would be an absolute DREAM COME TRUE to collaborate with Monica... It's on my vision board and I am sending it out to the Universe, so you never know right?!...
I am hoping she island hops back over to Aruba one day soon and we can turn my dream into a reality... #prayforme 😜
• INSTA: @beachboxtv
• WEBSITE: http://beachboxtv.com/
7. VIKI MALDIVES | MALDIVES
When you think of a dream destination island getaway, the Maldives probably pops in to your head. This tropical nation in the Indian Ocean is made up of over 1000 coral islands and island girl Viki captures the island way of life beautifully on her insta account.
Originally from the Ukraine, Viki has called the Maldives her home for over 7 years now and has become somewhat of an expert when it comes to Maldivian life.
She blogs about the islands for her English, Russian and Spanish speaking audience, is a professional photographer and specialises in organising group trips to this breathtaking bucket list destination.
Her photographs have deep, rich tones that make the sunsets seem even more dramatic and entice you even more into taking an island adventure.
So, who wants to island hop around the Maldives with her?.... 🙋
• INSTA: @viki_maldives
8. LISA SHAKESPEARE | JAMAICA | MIAMI
What a smile! That was my first thought when I discovered Lisa on the 'gram.
Seriously, this island girls warm welcoming smile is so infectious that you can't help feeling happy after scrolling through her feed. The bright vibrant colours in her travel photos convey pure joy and make me want to join her wherever she is in the world. She collects passport stamps like they are going out of fashion!
By combining her childhood dream of becoming a flight attendant and her college education in journalism, her dream job is to be a Travel Host... And that's exactly why she has created her own show, "Shakespeare Travels". Follow along on her adventures and explore the world with her... She will take you on an unforgettable journey.
• INSTA: @shakespearetravels
• YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/shakespearetravels
9. CHRISTEN CHANTALLE | BONAIRE
Fashionista or Island Sista?... This girl is both!
Christen is a lifestyle blogger from Bonaire who has one of the most stylish curated feeds on the 'gram. I was already in love with her fashion sense but when I found out that Christen was the brainchild behind the colourful buildings in Bonaire it just made me swoon after her ever even more. Christen and her husband created "La Terraza" project to make Kralendijk more colourful than ever by giving the historical buildings a makeover... Painting them in a rainbow of bold bright colours that instantly make them come to life. A girl who appreciates her islands culture, history, heritage and architecture is a girl after my own heart! She certainly deserves a lot of praise for achieving this goal and turning her dream in to a reality.
• INSTA: @christenchantalle
• WEBSITE: https://christenchantalle.blogspot.com/
10. MELISSA COSTER | ARUBA | HOLLAND
This cute island girl is one of the most beautiful humans ever. Not only is she a natural beauty, she also has a sweet kind soul like no other. Melissa went off to study in The Netherlands just like thousands of other students from Aruba... But she has embraced European life and taken full advantage of living abroad. Jetting off on last minute trips and venturing to other countries, she constantly has me hooked seeing where she will head to next. Italy, Greece, Spain... She is living her best life and it makes me feel so proud to see her do this and not waste her time overseas. She is truly grabbing every opportunity with both hands and running with it!
Melissa just recently launched her own bikini brand Padavine... Taking her passion for the universe to another level and creating a swimwear range dedicated to galactic girls around the globe. I truly admire her for working hard behind the scenes to make this happen and wish her all the success in the world.
• INSTA: @melissacoster
• PADAVINE: https://www.instagram.com/padavine/
*all images are taken from each island girls official social media and/or website
Every single one of these girls has inspired us in some way, shape or form and even though our paths may have only crossed in the online world, they are the kind of girls that I would be honoured to have in my squad in real life...
Who knows, maybe one day the stars will align and we will make it happen....
Until then, I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog and these amazing ladies inspire you like they have inspired me.
'Til next time....
xoxo
Future blogs coming soon include:
• The Dushi Guide To Aruba
• Boss Babes We Love
• Inspirational Island Bloggers
• Our Top 10 Travel Accounts
• Beach Brands That Inspire Us
• Best Local Photographers In Aruba
If you would like to see a topic covered or have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch.
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P.S the brand new "MI ISLA" collection is coming real soon so stay tuned....
