World's Best Beaches
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This is the best season for beaches on both Thailand's coasts. Who can refuse low prices, lovely people, fascinating culture, exquisite food and of course magnificent sand to suit all budgets from Phuket to Pattaya and Phi Phi; see Thai beaches map and beach pictures.
Egypt's Red Sea beach resorts as well as Israel's unattractive Eilat are low-cost holiday destinations with plenty of sun, luscious coral growth, warm seas and day trips to Luxor for a spot of ancient site-seeing.
- India: Goa beaches. A tourist magnet but still fun. The least crowded stretches are north of the Chapora River. - Kenya: Diani or Serena beaches are good for families and great value for money. - Maldives Islands: A chain of superb silky sand beaches on coral islands serviced by equally spectacular resorts and astronomical prices. Most visitors come on all-inclusive packages. Resorts are well set up with perfect beaches and clear azure seas, great for snorkeling and diving. There are no cultural experience, just luxury and escapism. Photos. - Myanmar: Ngapali Beach, Chaung Tha Beach beach, Ngwe Saung Beach. Very little developed, very reasonable prices, very nice locals, very vile military junta. -Oman: Muscat beaches (Arabian Sea). Over 1,000 miles of coastline with endless unspoilt nature and very few tourists. - The north & east coast of Zanzibar. Perfect for relaxing after wildlife safaris. - Unawatuna, Sri Lanka. An ideal destination for a beach and culture holiday.
Mexico beaches are excellent and sizzling but uncrowded in March, both on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, with wonderful sights, tasty food and low prices.
Caribbean beaches are perfect in March, but it's still high season so check our Best Budget Islands page which features the Dominican Republic as number one for good deals, mostly all-inclusive and lots of activities, Jamaica at number two with a culture-rich environment and Puerto Rico at three with all the comforts of home for Americans!
- 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; clear freshwater surrounded by rainforest and the purest white sand.
- 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 the brilliant crescent bay of a tiny private island. - Berjaya Tioman Beach Resort, a secluded, palm-fringed beach, or Kampung Juara for total serenity. Both on Tioman Island. - Long Beach, Kecil Island, Perhentian Islands. A popular destination for budget travelers. - Puraran Beach, Catanduanes Island, one of the Philippines' major surf venues with with white sand that demands a hug. - Redang Island, Redang archipelago, with a superb marine park, is excellent for scuba/snorkel addicts. - Turtle Beach and Golden Beach, Similajau National Park, Sarawak. Well worth the hassle to get there for some of Malaysia's finest beaches.
- Honda Bay, Palawan, Philippines. An area of outstanding natural beauty. - Malapascua Island, Cebu. Relatively unknown but highly rated as one of the world's best beach/dives. - Bantayan Island, Cebu. A low-key, laid-back resort with friendly locals. - Muelle Bay, Puerto Galera, Mindoro Island. An ideal place to go island-hopping on to pristine beaches. - Alona Beach, Panglao Island, Bohol. A picturesque beach near the famous Chocolate Hills landscape. - White Beach, Boracay Island. Exceptionally white, soft sand that never gets hot, a long palm fringe and with a huge variety of small, friendly accommodations.
- Mui Ne Beach, Mui Ne, near Phan Thiet. An upcoming resort area known for its spectacular sand dunes. - Hon Chong Beach, Ha Tien; a seductive beach near the Cambodian border. - Bai Tam (Long Beach), Phu Quoc Island. A secret jewel of Southeast Asia.
- USA: the state of Florida is southerly enough to be warm by April, but keep on going south to the Florida Keys for smaller beaches but more heat. - Canary Islands (Spain), a grand variety of beaches on offer from action-packed, to big and placid, to secluded and natural. - South Africa, Camps Bay, with stunning views and easy access from beautiful Capetown, but chilly water. - Brazil is blessed with many massive, fine beaches, such as Rio's magnificent Copacabana- perhaps the world's best city beach- though the seas are usually rough and cold. (December-February is Brazil's summer holiday season so a busy time and extremely hot, 40C+).
- Rock Islands, Palau, known for their curious and beautiful coral rock formations and great beaches, but the most of south Pacific islands are in the wet season.
Beaches that are not a good idea in MarchMadagascar: Ile Sainte Marie. An idyllic island resort fringed by peaceful beaches, though the cyclone season is from February to March. South Pacific such as the Cook Islands, Fiji and Samoas are still in a wet patch. |
