World's Best Beaches
January

Whitehaven beach, Whitsunday Islands, NE Australia

Indian Ocean

- India: Goa beaches. A tourist magnet but still fun. The least crowded stretches are north of the Chapora River.

- Maldives Islands: Endless spectacular silky sand beaches on coral atolls with equally spectacular resorts and astronomical prices. Most visitors come on packages, staying at one of the 90 otherwise uninhabited resort islands. Resorts are well set up with beautiful beaches and clear azure seas, great for snorkeling and diving. There are no cultural experience at all, just luxury and escapism with no hassle. Photos.

- Ngapali, Chaung Tha and Ngwe Saung beaches, Burma. Little developed, low prices, good local people, bad military junta.

- Oman: Muscat beaches. A massive coastline with infinite unspoilt sand, a sensible government, guaranteed sun and very few tourists.

- Seychelles: Anse Lazio, Praslin island, Anse Source d'Argent, La Digue Island, Ile Souris, east coast of Mahé island. Costly but stunning islands hosting some of the world's best beaches.

- Unawatuna, Sri Lanka. An superb destination for a beach and culture holiday.

- South Africa's east coast is a great value, no jet-lag, sea-food and wine nirvana, with lively city beaches such as Durban and totally tranquil, natural beaches like Nature's Valley. January is the height of summer but not so busy as main holidays have finished.

Thailand

January is a great time for all Thailand's beaches. Low prices, lovely people, fascinating culture, exquisite food and of course magnificent beaches to suit all budgets; see Thai beaches map and beach pictures.

Myanmar (aka Burma)

Beaches along the Bay of Bengal such as Ngapali Beach, Chaung Tha Beach and Ngwe Saung along the Bay of Bengal.

The Caribbean encompasses hundreds of dazzling white beaches and comfortable beach resorts; the weather should be superb in January and there is more space now that the Christmas/New Year rush has subsided, but it's still high season.
If you're on a tight leash check our Best Budget Islands page which features the Dominican Republic as number one for good deals, mostly all-inclusive, and lots of things to do, Jamaica at number two and Puerto Rico at three - with all the comforts of home for Americans! Probably the best beach in the Caribbean is Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman, the best diving in Bonaire, though Cayman diving is also superb.

Australia (South-East Coast)

- Bondi or Manly, near Sydney for convenience, style and surf.

- Byron Bay, between Sydney and Brisbane, for a neo-hippie 'alternative' beach scene.

- North Stradbroke Island, near Brisbane, for wildlife walks, quiet beaches and good surf.

- Noosa Heads, Sunshine Coast, a tranquil, dispersed town with great, soft beaches, parks and surf.

- Fraser Island's Lake McKenzie, with clear freshwater surrounded by tropical rainforest and the purest white sand. See also Beach Hazards.

Mexico

- Fine beaches on both Pacific and Caribbean coasts and fairly quiet in January; also fascinating sights and sites nearby, delicious cuisine, potent drinks and all at rock-bottom prices.

Atlantic Ocean

- South Africa: Camps Bay has great views and is conveniently located near attractive, cheap Cape Town but the water is always cool.

- Spain's Canary Islands, enjoy a climate of perpetual summer with sunshine as standard and temperatures between 18C (64F) and the upper 30Cs; there are beaches of all types available, activities, nudist, family, surfing, wild town sand, back-to-nature coves.
The southern sections of islands tend to be the warmest and Fuerteventura and Lanzarote the sunniest. La Palma is the wettest island. Water temperatures are not very high, ranging from 18C in winter to 22ºC in summer.

Malaysia

- Datai Beach, Langkawi Island. One of the world's most secluded and picture-perfect hideaways.

- Pantai Teluk Belanga (Emerald Bay), Pangkor Laut. A luxury resort on a perfect crescent bay of a tiny private island.

Philippines

- Honda Bay, Palawan, Philippines. An area of outstanding natural beauty.

- Muelle Bay, Puerto Galera, Mindoro Island. An ideal place to do island-hopping on to pristine beaches.

- White Beach, Boracay Island. The sand is exceptionally white, soft and never gets hot, with a huge variety of small, friendly accommodation.

Vietnam

- Mui Ne, Mui Ne, near Phan Thiet. A resort area in south Vietnam known for its spectacular sand dunes and reasonable costs.

- Hon Chong Beach, Ha Tien; a seductive beach near the Cambodian border.

- Bai Tam (Long Beach), Phu Quoc Island. The secret jewel of Southeast Asia.

Red Sea beaches

Egypt's Red Sea beach resorts as well as Israel's rather tired Eilat are low priced, the sun is ever-present, the coral is brilliant, the sea's tepid and brief trips to Luxor or Abu Simbel are an option.
The Red Sea's air temperature is down to a still pleasant 18°C in January (15°C at night) and water temperature is an acceptable 21°C with low humidity and little chance of rain.

Beach holiday destinations that are probably not a good idea in January

Pacific Ocean:
Not a good time for much of the Pacific but there are bright spots. e.g. SE Australia, Mexico (for both, see above); the Rock Islands, Palau are good in December but south Pacific such as the Cook Islands, Fiji and Samoas are going through a wet patch.

Indonesia: Generally south Bali is where the best beaches are, including the huge stretches of Kuta and Legian and the newer, classy resorts on the Bukit Peninsula, though from December to Feburary is not an ieal time to go due to heavy rain.

Mediterranean:
No way! The weather's cold and the sea is colder.