Looking for the ultimate beach this summer? Who better to guide you than some of the world’s most frequent flyers. From Antigua to Zanzibar, wild and rugged or palm-fringed white sand, we have it covered…
ASIA
MALDIVES
Cocoa Island
‘The talcum-powder beaches of Cocoa Island in the Maldives are a favourite. It’s an atoll only 50 paces wide with thatched villas on walkways over water the colour of angel’s eyes. Baby sharks and rainbow-coloured fish with names like oriental sweetlips scull around under your balcony.’
Best for reluctant beach-goers.
Get there British Airways flies to Malé from London Gatwick. BA offers seven nights at the five-star Cocoa Island hotel, from £2,299 per person including flights, seaplane transfers and B&B. Visit ba.com/maldives or call +44 (0)844 483 0758.
Soneva Fushi
‘A beautiful fine white-sand beach surrounds the entire island, which you can walk around in just over an hour. The horizon stretches forever and most of the villas are set back discreetly in the forest so it feels distinctly deserted. And the crystal-clear waters of the shallow lagoon are divine.’
Best for honeymooners and snorkellers.
Get there BA flies to Malé from London Gatwick.
BA offers seven nights at the five-star Soneva Fushi by Six Senses from £1,795 per person including return flights, seaplane transfers and accommodation. Visit ba.com/maldives or call +44 (0)844 493 0758.
The Sandbank at Soneva Fushi
‘Seclusion and privacy on a tiny spit of pure white sand off the shore of Soneva Fushi must be one of the world’s most dreamy beach experiences. Reached by boat from Kunfunadhoo Island on Baa Atoll, it’s surrounded by its own natural aquarium. Swim with multicoloured parrot fish, manta rays and turtles.’
Best for Robinson Crusoes who don’t wish to dispense with comfort.
Get there BA flies to Malé from London Gatwick.
MAURITIUS
Le Prince Maurice
‘My favourite beach surrounds the lagoon at Hotel Le Prince Maurice. It’s perfect – small, sparsely populated, quiet and lapped by crystal water. Tropical fish dart round your ankles as you paddle.’
Best for honeymooners and lazy writers.
Get there BA flies to Mauritius from London Heathrow. BA offers seven nights at the five-star One&Only Le Saint Géran from £1,729 per person including flights and B&B. Visit ba.com/mauritius or call +44 (0)844 493 0758.
Grand Baie
‘Grand Baie is absolutely stunning. It’s incredibly relaxed and the people are wonderful. The beach itself is white sand and looks out over an emerald ocean stretching as far as the eye can see. It was an old fishing town and there are still some fishermen working from the beach. Paradise.’
Best for those who like their fish fresh.
Get there BA flies to Mauritius from London Heathrow. BA offers seven nights at the four-star 20 Degrees Sud, Mauritius, from £1,039 per person (including return flights and half-board). Visit ba.com/mauritius or call +44 (0)844 493 0758.
THAILAND
Railay Beach West, Krabi Province
‘Railay Beach is only accessible by boat, due to the impenetrable limestone cliffs that divide it from the nearby bay of Ao Nang, making it the perfect hideaway. Crystal-clear waters, fine white sand and a scattering of laid-back beach bars oozing chilled tunes mean Railay is the ultimate in beach cool.’
Best for those willing to go with the flow.
Get there BA flies to Bangkok from London Heathrow.
BALI
Jimbaran Bay, Bali
‘I’ve never experienced a sunset quite like the nightly spectacle from this half-moon of golden sand beside Jimbaran fishing village. It would inspire the romantic in us all.’
Best for romantics.
Get there BA flies to Hong Kong from London Heathrow and from Hong Kong to Denpasar as a codeshare with Cathay Pacific.
CHINA
Big Wave Bay, Sai Kung, Hong Kong
‘Long white-sand beaches surrounded by hills and headlands, Dai Long Wan beach is truly one of the most majestic and tranquil stretches of coastlines.’
Best for hikers and yacht lovers.
Get there BA flies to Hong Kong from Heathrow.
INDIA
Kovalam Beach, Kerala
‘Situated on South India’s Malabar coast, this delightful palm-fringed beach is used as much by the local fishermen as it is by tourists. The place to stay? The Surya Samudra hotel.’
Best for total relaxation and Ayurvedic pampering.
Get there BA flies to Bangalore from Heathrow.
Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai
‘One of my favourite places in India is Chowpatty Beach in the heart of Mumbai, where you can eat ice cream and puris, get a massage or hear your fortune. In the evenings, just hang out and watch the buzz – you wouldn’t want to go in the water, but you wouldn’t want to do that during the day either.’
Best for night owls.
Get there BA flies to Mumbai from London Heathrow.
We present to you the 10 best beaches in the world. At least, according to National Geografic.
1) Seychelles (second pic)
The Seychelles is an island country in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar. The Seychelles are one of the most photographed beaches in the world.
2) Maldives
The Maldives are also an island nation, consisting of 1192 islands. Around 200 are inhabited. The Maldives are around 400 kilometres south-west of India.
3) Bora Bora, Tahiti (first pic)
Bora Bora is one of the islands of the French Polynesia, in the Pacific Ocean.
4) The Hamptons, New York
The place to be for the ‘rich and famous’ from New York.
5) Lanikai Beach, Hawaii
Lanikai Beach is a small beach (only 0.8 km) on Oahu island, Hawaii.
6) Nantucket Island, Massachusetts
Nantucket, an island in the Atlantic Ocean, is around 48 kilometres south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The island is approximately 50 square miles large.
7) Fraser Island, Australia
Fraser Island is an island located along the south coast of Queensland, Australia, about 200 kilometres north of Brisbane.
St. Bart’s
St. Bart’s is one of the many islands in the Caribbean Sea. The 13 kilometres long island is edged by 20 beaches and small coves.
9) Langkawi, Malaysia (third pic)
Langkawi is an archipelago in the Andaman Sea, consisting of 104 islands. The name ‘Langkawi’ translates into ‘the island of one’s wishes’.
10) Kauna’oa, Hawaii
This beach is only 0.4 kilometres long. Kauna’oa is located on the Kohala Coast of the Aloha State Big Island.
Caribbean islands
Aruba’s most famous strip, the idyllic Eagle Beach and Palm Beach, has just climbed to No2 in the annual ‘Top Beach Destinations In The World’ as voted by TripAdvisor’s users, the world’s largest travel review site. Aruba enjoys one of the highest repeat visitor rates in the Caribbean (60 per cent), who keep coming back attracted by the island’s pristine white powder sandy beaches, the idyllic turquoise sea waters and the exotic palm trees. From wide shaded huts and quiet retreats to busy sunbathing and buzzing beach bars, the seven-mile strip of Palm and Eagle Beach includes a little something for everyone.
Calm waters make the beaches a comfortable haven for swimmers and snorkellers, while those seeking a wet ‘n’ wild adventure can choose between kitesurfing, waterskiing, tubing, parasailing or banana-boating. At the end of the day, beachgoers can take in the magnificent Caribbean sunset or enjoy candle-lit, barefoot dining on the sand.
Accommodation standards at Palm and Eagle beaches are high, with a number of luxury four and five star hotels dotted along the white sand. These include both independent properties – such as the adults-only Bucuti Beach Resort, the recently renovated Amsterdam Manor, the intimate Manchebo Beach Resort and the family friendly Divi Aruba All Inclusive – as well as some of the world’s most well trusted hotel chains, such as Hyatt, The Westin, Radisson and Marriott. Most hotels provide cabanas and lounges for their guests, however, as with all beaches in Aruba, both Palm and Eagle Beach are open to the public.
Only 15 miles from South America’s coast, the island is just outside the hurricane belt and receives year-round sunshine and cooling trade winds, making it one of the most temperate of the Caribbean islands – the average temperature is 28°C!
