Best beaches to swing a hammock

Apr 8, 2010 5:17:54 AM

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Ahh, your own place in the sun. In this excerpt from Lonely Planet’s 1000 Ultimate Experiences, we show how to make like a beach bum and head for the world’s 10 most idyllic, sun-kissed refuges.

1. Dahab, Egypt

Dahab means ‘gold’ in Arabic – a name given to the area because of its golden sands. With a unique location on the edge of the Sinai desert, Dahab certainly remains an untapped treasure; budget accommodation almost on the beach means you can virtually roll out of your sleeping bag and into the water. Backed by mountain ranges, Dahab’s Bedouin settlement, Assalah, is a favoured beach-bum haunt, with unspoilt charm and chilled beachside
cafes, while up the coast are favoured and famous diving spots. Expensive resort-style hotels are at El Kura, where the bus stops; Assalah village in Mashraba Bay is much more chilled.

2. Curonian Spit, Lithuania

This 98km lick of sand is a wondrous mixture of dunes (some as high as 200m) and forest – the smell of pine will impart an otherworldly quality to your hammock time. Wilhelm von Humboldt believed that a trip to the Curonian Spit was essential nourishment for the soul, and Thomas Mann was also drawn to this timeless wonderland. It’s said that around 14 villages are buried under the endless, shifting dunes, making the Spit a kind of
Baltic Sahara. The towering 52m ‘Great Dune’ is in Nida; to get there take the ferry from Klaipeda to Neringa (costs around €10 per car), then drive or cycle 50km.

3. Jambiani, Tanzania

This the Beach that Time Forgot, where men in fishing dhows set sail at sunset for the reefs, women gather seaweed daily, and people like you are constantly boiling to a crisp under the baking sun. There’s not much to do here (certainly not swimming; tides are low) except loll about and crack open a few coconuts. Remember: you’re in Zanzibar, Mythical Africa, so just kick back and drink it (or your coconut milk) in. Rent a bike from the fishing village to explore the beach’s limits; ask a local fisherman to take you for a boat ride at dusk so you can see the beach in all its sun-dappled glory.

4. Kerala Coast, India

Beachy types generally don’t hop up and down with glee when India is mentioned, but those in the know are enraptured. Tucked in along India’s 600km-long Kerala coast is a string of coconut-palm-fringed beaches adjoining lulling surf and bluest-of-blue waters. There are the larger resorts, such as Kovalam, but also many more unspoilt delights where your hammock will be overworked as you gaze at rub-your-eyes-raw semicircular bays, or expanses of sand so long you’ll think they’re a mirage. Thrillingly, there’ll be no one else around to pinch you and tell you you’re dreaming. The spa at Varkala Papanasam Beach is the best spot to watch the sunset;
follow the pilgrim trail 42km from Thiruvanathapuram.

5. Pulau Perhentian, Malaysia

The palm-fringed beaches of the Perhentian Islands, covered in tropical rainforest, are about as natural as they come: calm, hassle-free and with virtually no signs of commercialisation. Except for snorkelling, diving, frolicking, swimming, sunning your body or pretending you’re either Brooke Shields or Christopher Atkins inThe Blue Lagoon (1980), there’s nothing to do. Depart from either the Tok Bali or the nearer Kuala Besut jetty; speed boats take about half as long as regular ferries, which make the trip in about 1½ to two hours.

6. Kai Islands, Indonesia

There’s a growing chorus that says these remote white-sand beaches are the finest the world has to offer. Development has been slow around the Kai archipelago, so the beaches remain unspoilt and as nature intended. If you’re not big on pristine powdery sands, azure seas, rare and varicoloured birds, arresting fish and wondrous coral reefs, then stay away. Everyone else: enjoy. Upon arrival at Pasir Panjang or Kei Kecil, you’ll find locals ready to organise accommodation for you in a basic beach cottage; ensure that the agreed price includes the daily delivery of fresh water and meals.

7. Isla Mujeres, Mexico

This unpretentious island off shore from Cancún, just 7km long and barely 1km wide, is light years away from the glitzy mainland scene. Its tropical beaches make it a cult fave, with those on the south side known for calm turquoise waters. For get-on-down Caribbean fun, visit Playa Norte, a popular beach with waiters who’ll bring drinks to your spot on the sand. More secluded options include Playa Paraiso and Playa Indios. Boat tours run by fishing cooperatives disembark along Rueda Medina; hire mopeds, bikes, or golf carts once on the island. For more see www.isla-mujeres .com.mx.

8. North Stradbroke Island, Australia

Straddie is among the world’s largest sand islands – and ’sand’ equals ‘beach’, right? The Queensland island’s 30km white sand Main Beach is backed by an expanse of dunes, making it popular with 4WDs. There are a number
of more secluded spots around Point Lookout. Here, the only thing to do is surf, sun yourself, and perhaps paddle in rock pools teeming with marine life, or watch whales or some unique Aussie animals. From the mainland, the Big Red Cat ferry runs up to 16 trips a day, seven days a week; for details see www.seastradbroke.com.

9. Ko Pha-Ngan, Thailand

A lovely island, with mostly deserted beaches that are perfect for solitude lovers and infatuated couples… except
for Hat Rin, which holds its famous full-moon parties every month, perfect for hedonists and pleasure seekers.
Surrounded by coconut trees and mountains, the twin beaches of Thong Nai Pan are a favourite of the Thai royals,
which probably explains why development has been kept at bay. The bliss is so overwhelming as to be almost (almost) unbearable. Tha Laem Nai is the lagoon depicted in The Beach by Alex Garland; for information about the marine park visit www.phangan.info.

10. Punalu’u, USA

Hawai’i’s black-sand wonderland has won a few ‘best beach’ awards in recent times, and it’s truly an astonishing sight: Punalu’u’s startling blue waters lap up against the jetblack beach, which is backed by rows of deep-green coconut palms. This is one place where your hammock will really come in handy – it’s scenery that demands your constant, supine contemplation – and you might even spot a hawksbill turtle wandering onto the sand to lay its eggs. Don’t touch them, though – they’re an endangered species. Hawksbill turtles (known locally as Honu’ea) nest here from May to September but remember - hands off. Human bacteria can prove deadly.

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Comments

14 April 2010 7:12PM iamsteph Report this comment
Unfortunately things have changed dramatically on Pulau Perhentian, Malaysia (#5 on this list)!
They really managed to destroy these once so beautiful beaches in the past two years. There are signs of commercialisation everywhere now - and they are ugly! The nice little wooden beach huts are replaced by quite unattractive concrete buildings there are crowds of people, noise and to top it off they built monsterous concrete jettys onto the once so picturesque beaches. We couldn't believe it when we got there in july 2009. The once so charming long beach had become so ugly and unromantic that we jumped back into the boat immediately and decided to travel to the MUCH nicer southern Thai islands...
14 April 2010 8:11PM pilgrimjmp Report this comment
I totally agree with the above comment I was there last month (March) There are no ordinary ferries anymore. You are forced to catch the very loud speedboats to the islands which are uncomfortable and polluting. The longboat taxi services around and to and fro the 2 islands are so expensive we never did go to the smaller island but went back to the mainland and down the East coast further on
14 April 2010 8:30PM castaways Report this comment
Maybe someone should have taken a look at Otres beach Sihanouk ville Cambodia , it's pretty unspoilt and has a great community atmosphere surley one for the top ten list !!!
14 April 2010 9:39PM yaksox Report this comment
Given the first two comments, it kind of makes me wonder how many more of LPs recommendations are two years out of date.
14 April 2010 10:29PM markbek Report this comment
Dear LP - who writes this kind of list? Probably not the relevant authors from your books or else you'd be using the name Kei Islands (as in your Indonesia book) rather than Kai Islands (the misleadingly Wikipedia version) and you might notice that Pasir Panjang is on Kei Kecil (so the sentence "Upon arrival at Pasir Panjang or Kei Kecil..." is confusing/meaningless).
And while I heartily agree that Pasir Panjang has powdery white sands and azure seas and is thus a brilliant place to hang a hammock (the point of this article), the Kei/Kai islands are not so well known for 'wonderous coral reefs'.
14 April 2010 10:53PM jonnylipshut Report this comment
Some of these places are definitely great places to while away the hours in a hammock (Perhentians, Phangan, Isla Mujerres), but the best place in the world for this is not on the list. The beach at Parque Tayrona on the northern coast of Colombia is amazing and the only accomodation there is ..... sleeping in hammocks! Unspoilt beach, no development, just you ..... the water ..... the beach ..... and your hammock. An essential member of this list.
14 April 2010 11:30PM mazzystardust Report this comment
Has anyone been to Lonnoc Beach on the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu? Just superb!!! Run by locals, for locals. Its the archetypal island beach....overhanging palms, white sand, ridiculously blue water, islands in the immediate foreground, huts on the beach, and very, very friendly locals. Power is only for 2 hours in the morning and two/three hours at night. Running water needs to be turned on and off, and its only cold. If you want raw and real,this is it. Only drawback for me was the spiders. Large but not big,black and hairy. Go there!! Its worth it!!
15 April 2010 12:31AM mrsmarrows Report this comment
If I'd gone to Jambiani in Zanzibar on this recommendation i'd be pretty miffed! Zanzibar is great, but for Stonetown, not the beaches. The best beach in the world does in fact happen to be in Tanzania, but on the mainland. It's called Kim's beach and you can sleep in your own tent or mozzie net tied to the bamboo shelters, have a bucket shower and use the pit toilets. After that you can eat fresh lobster bought from a man walking down the beach, cooked on a fire with wood the askaris (guards) will bring you when you stay there. The swimming is fantastic, the mangroves strange and beautiful.
15 April 2010 1:26AM chavo Report this comment
Surprisingly, no beaches in S.A. are mentioned and none are more fun and user-friendly than Montanita, Ecuador. A great surf spot, a spectacularly welcoming village and a super and very accessible beach.
15 April 2010 2:05AM focstay Report this comment
Black sand beach??? You're kidding, right? It's only nice from a distance. You'll need a hammock and thick flip flops because it's like walking on hot tar and one continually brushes off the sand which seems like dirt. The most deserted black sand beach used to be south of Yogyakarta at the old king's temple on the Java Sea. Haven't been there in a long time. Anyhow, I'd like to see the best freshwater beaches--no sand flies or no see'ums. The Great Lakes, particularly Wasaga Beach on Georgian Bay, Lake Huron is my winner. It's miles long and warms up nicely in June.
15 April 2010 2:08AM judoxca Report this comment
You totally missed this beach and I'm glad, sort of. Because I like it the way it is and this may bring too many persons there, although I know that there is enough space for a lot of "beachers." It is one of the many beaches in the Province of Guantanamo in Cuba. To reach it you have to go to the very East end of Cuba, to a small town named Baracoa. The beach is about a 30-45 minute drive east and is called "Playa Maguana" One of the last truly earthly paradises left on the planet - really unspoiled. Christopher Columbus laid eyes on it in 1492 and noted in his log. He himself called it a paradise before beginning the slaughter of its inhabitants, the Taino and Arawak nation, in the Spanish search for gold..........
15 April 2010 2:09AM rachelbrown33 Report this comment
Completely agree with Ko Pha-Ngan, although I think a couple excellent ones got forgotten. Probably my favorite hammock beach would have to be Montezuma... aka MonteFuma Costa Rica. And for a great off the beaten track beach I would have to vote Nosy Komba, Madagascar... simply stunning.
For a similar but related list check out the top 10 hippie backpacker destinations on http://BohemianBackpacer.com
http://budurl.com/10BestHippieSpotsLP
15 April 2010 2:20AM judoxca Report this comment
p.s. Re: Baracoa, Cuba: The Spaniards missed quite a few of them. Every New Years they come into the area from all over, in and out of Cuba, to meet and celebrate. In Canada, it is called a Pow-Wow!! Traits are quite noticeable in the people of the area. DNA tests would give surprising revelations.
15 April 2010 2:26AM syzygy2 Report this comment
It's interesting that a few people here have had different experiences than what the lonely planet is suggesting. I found that with Dahab in Egypt. My husband and I were there while we were backpacking around the Middle East last year and while there are beachside bars, there really isn't a beach as the cafes are built right on the beach. The diving is great (the coral colours are amazing) but if you aren't a diver I wouldn't call this a relaxing beach vacation. I certainly didn't feel comfortable swimming with a regular swimsuit as I found I was starred at constantly by the local men (and met other women who had the same experience as well) so I always wore long shorts and a baggy t-shirt. So if you're looking for a relaxing beach vacation I wouldn't suggest it -- go somewhere else -- if you're looking for an adventure (hiking Mt. Sinai, trekking in to the desert, diving etc. which is what we did) then that's a more appropriate title for Dahab.
15 April 2010 5:55AM softseattraveler Report this comment
Mexico's San Blas, Miles of deserted beach, hammocks, fish, shrimp, surfing http://www.softseattravel.com/San-Blas-Lodging-Nayarit-Mexico-Pacific-Coast-Tenting-RV-Hotel.html
15 April 2010 6:47AM clairelawrence Report this comment
Tokeh beach, Sierra Leone - white sand, palm trees, fresh lobster, and the whole beach to yourself.
15 April 2010 7:02AM turou Report this comment
The Cook Islands beaches would be pretty hard to beat - not just one beach, but all of them! Still, in the interests of locals and the appreciation of the few visitors these idyllic tropical islands receive each year, perhaps it's just as well they aren't in the top ten!
15 April 2010 9:43AM lyn11 Report this comment
There are so many wonderful beaches in Australia, given that it is the largest island really, you would have to be a genius to make a decision about the one. How was the choice made I wonder?
15 April 2010 10:40AM redvers2000 Report this comment
Always wanted to get back to Alang Beach in India. Found it more interesting than most!
16 April 2010 6:35AM sabinewessels Report this comment
Sinai has much better places than Dahab. When you go to Sinai visit Beer Sweer. For example www.altarek-sinai.com
16 April 2010 11:36AM davelliot Report this comment
QUOTE about Perhentian Islands - "hassle-free and with virtually no signs of commercialisation."
The author must have visited the islands in the 1980's . Long Beach has been trashed by development and even Flora Bay on the big island has concrete resorts.
As for the notion that Thong Nai Pan on Ko Phangan has been spared development - Thong Nai Pan Yai is a mish- mash of unslightly development from one end to the other , and has the over-the-top Havana Beach resort at the end of the beach (its so big you can see it from Noi beach. Noi beach has a continuous labyrinth of development behind the beach and the setting has been degraded by Santhiya resort dominating the north headland . All these things have been detailed many times in ThornTree postings . The author doesn't seem to have read them.
17 April 2010 10:23PM kiwitraveller1t Report this comment
Choosing 10 best beaches even to hang a hammock is pretty difficult.....there are just so many beautiful beaches around the world. It is surprising that of those 10 listed 2 or 3 have question marks from other people.Not even mentioned....New Zealand has far too many gorgeous beaches to pick just one, Samoa has some stunning tropical beaches, Australia, as someone else says also has dozens of stunning beaches.I can think of dozens more....in many different countries.
Is anyone else getting a little tired of seeing lists of "the best" when it is really a list of one person's suggestions. I would prefer to see it listed as My Top Ten Beaches or My Suggested Top Ten what ever....because unless you have been to many of the places not listed you are not in a position to put them on your list....yet they may well qualify!
Having been to around 80 countries I would not try to make a list of just 10 and say they were the best! There are far too many other candidates I have yet to visit!
19 April 2010 6:19AM mavis75 Report this comment
Koh Rong Saloem is an island off Cambodia, and it has beautiful beaches. If you stay at the Lazy Beach Bungalows you can spend your entire day hammock-swinging on the verandah of your beachfront cabin (in between swims in the deliciously warm waters of the South China Sea).
20 April 2010 12:26AM madscience54 Report this comment
Well since most of this native huts and romantic getaways, had been replaced and destroyed by corporate monguls. have you ever considered PALAWAN philippines? theres alot of undevelop and undiscovered beaches around. you will have many choices from Black sand beach to powdery white sand beaches.El Nido is the favorite choice of mine and Coron is the best spot for WW II wreck diving.I had been to Bluecove Island resort in San Vicente and it was a perfect place for hammocks-swing right on the beach.the only thing is, theres is no night life out there its pretty much quite and its not a party beach resort.
21 April 2010 7:19PM cowboybrowne Report this comment
Having just stayed in Varkala, Kerala, the beach and the sunset are indeed wonderful, if you can close your eyes to mountains of garbage down to the beach, down the cliffs, all supplied by tacky stalls and restaurants. Only the homestay Arabian Soul has the true spirit of the place. As for hammocks on the beach - if you are not quick to get under your (pricey) parasol, at least three feral dogs will take your place. It must have been lovely once, but to avoid now.
1 May 2010 3:32AM roguehill Report this comment
LP has become the new Frommers Guide. What used to be a handy resource to keep in your pack is now useful only as toilet paper.
After my most recent trip to the Balkans, I have found LP's recommendations synonymous with "over-priced," "trite," and "tourist-ridden." The comments above appear to support this. I go elsewhere for my travel recommendations which, thankfully, has become easier with the popularity of the internet and other cool services geared toward the budget adventurer looking for an authentic experience.
13 December 2010 6:59PM rikhav Report this comment
Love to visit which are isolated or less crowded and this one sounds beautiful. Also it is hard to get both beautiful and isolation as always beautiful are always on the top list of all the crowd. Will prove helpful in planning the destination for this vacation. Thanks
<a href ="http://www.beachtraveller.net/bestbeaches-in-the-world.html">http://www.beachtraveller.net/bestbeaches-in-the-world.html</a>