10 of the best - exotic beaches

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1. Dinarobin Beach, Le Morne, Mauritius The wow factor: This crescent-shaped, white-sand beach is situated on the most scenically-beautiful shoreline of Mauritius, with the spectacular Le Morne mountain rising dramatically behind it. The beach is fronted by a tranquil aquamarine lagoon created by the coral reef that fringes most of the tropical Indian Ocean island and makes for safe bathing. It is part of the all-suite Dinarobin Hotel Golf & Spa which offers four restaurants, a spa and an 18-hole golf course shared with the neighbour- ing Paradis resort. Did you know? Le Morne mountain is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognised for its cultural history. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, runaway slaves escaping from the island’s sugar plantations used to hide there, protected by the mountain’s isolation and its sheer, wooded cliffs. Le Morne became a symbol of the slaves’ fight for freedom and a focal point to commemorate the abolition of slavery. Stay: Beachcomber Tours offers accommodation in a junior suite at the five-star Dinarobin hotel (www.dinarobin-hotel.com) for seven nights from £1,920 per person, sharing on a half-board basis. Price includes international flights and private hotel transfers. www.beachcombertours.co.uk 2. Kailua Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, USA The wow factor: A half-mile stretch of soft, white sand lapped by turquoise water and fanned by gentle breezes, Kailua Beach lies at the heart of a public park 30 minutes from Honolulu on Oahu’s Windward Coast. It is a previous winner of the prestigious America’s Best Beach title by Dr Beach, aka Dr Stephen Leather- man, the country’s leading authority on beach quality. Kailua is a water sports hub and you can rent kayaks, windsurfers and body boards. Kailua Town has a laid- back feel with lots of restaurants and shops, while Kalua Beach Park has picnic benches and large, grassy areas which are perfect for an al fresco lunch by the ocean. Did you know? Dr Beach has named 12 Hawaii beaches as America’s Best since he began picking his annual award winners in 1991 – twice as many as the next highest-ranked state, Florida. 64 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Spring 2012 Looking to find that perfect desert island beach for your next holiday? We’ve scoured the world and found 10 that will take some beating of the best: exotic beaches 10 10 of the best n exotic beaches Beach belles n Dreamy: Dinarobin Beach with Le Morne behind Beachcomber Tours

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Looking to find that perfect desert island beach for your next holiday? We’ve scoured the world and found 10 that will take some beating 1.Dinarobin Beach, Le Morne, Mauritius 10 of the bestn exotic beaches 2. Kailua Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, USA Spring 2012 (www.dinarobin-hotel.com) for seven nights from £1,920 per person, sharing on a half-board basis. Price includes international flights and private hotel transfers. www.beachcombertours.co.uk n Dreamy: Dinarobin Beach

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Page 1: 10 of the best - exotic beaches

1. Dinarobin Beach, Le Morne,Mauritius

The wow factor: This crescent-shaped, white-sandbeach is situated on the most scenically-beautifulshoreline of Mauritius, with the spectacular LeMorne mountain rising dramatically behind it.The beach is fronted by a tranquil aquamarinelagoon created by the coral reef that fringes mostof the tropical Indian Ocean island and makes forsafe bathing. It is part of the all-suite DinarobinHotel Golf & Spa which offers four restaurants, a spa

and an 18-hole golf course shared with the neighbour-ing Paradis resort. Did you know? Le Morne mountain is a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site, recognised for its cultural history.During the 18th and early 19th centuries, runawayslaves escaping from the island’s sugar plantations usedto hide there, protected by the mountain’s isolation andits sheer, wooded cliffs. Le Morne became a symbol ofthe slaves’ fight for freedom and a focal point tocommemorate the abolition of slavery. Stay: Beachcomber Tours offers accommodation in ajunior suite at the five-star Dinarobin hotel

(www.dinarobin-hotel.com) for seven nights from£1,920 per person, sharing on a half-board basis. Priceincludes international flights and private hotel transfers.www.beachcombertours.co.uk

2. Kailua Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, USAThe wow factor: A half-mile stretch of soft, whitesand lapped by turquoise water and fanned by gentlebreezes, Kailua Beach lies at the heart of a public park30 minutes from Honolulu on Oahu’s Windward Coast.It is a previous winner of the prestigious America’sBest Beach title by Dr Beach, aka Dr Stephen Leather-man, the country’s leading authority on beach quality.Kailua is a water sports hub and you can rent kayaks,windsurfers and body boards. Kailua Town has a laid-back feel with lots of restaurants and shops, whileKalua Beach Park has picnic benches and large, grassyareas which are perfect for an al fresco lunch by theocean.Did you know? Dr Beach has named 12 Hawaiibeaches as America’s Best since he began picking hisannual award winners in 1991 – twice as many as thenext highest-ranked state, Florida.

64 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Spring 2012

Looking to find that perfect desert island beach for your next holiday? We’ve scoured the worldand found 10 that will take some beating

of the best:exoticbeaches

10

10 of the best n exotic beaches

Beach belles

n Dreamy: Dinarobin Beachwith Le Morne behind

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10 of the best n exotic beaches

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Stay: Funway Holidays offers five nights staying at theOhana East on Oahu and five nights at the AstonIslander on the Beach, on Kauai, from £2,999. The priceincludes return international flights, inter-island flightsand is on a room-only basis.www.funwayholidays.co.uk

3. Velassaru, MaldivesThe wow factor: Velassaru is a 21-acre coral island ofglorious white sand, coconut groves and a luxuryresort set like a gleaming pearl in a crystal-clear,turquoise lagoon in the Maldives’ South Male Atoll.The island is a sophisticated, five-star resort compris-ing over-water bungalows and villas, with othersdotted among the trees. It has two bars and five restau-rants as well as offering private dining including on adeserted sandbank reached by traditional sailing boat.When not relaxing on the beach, you can enjoy watersports including diving and windsurfing, go big gamefishing or try traditional fishing methods and visitlocals on nearby islands.Did you know? The Maldives comprises almost 1,200islands in 26 coral atolls in the Indian Ocean. Thenation’s 350,000 population inhabits just 200 islandsand there are 99 resort islands.Stay: Seven nights with breakfast staying in a deluxebungalow on Velassaru (www.velassaru.com) start at£1,249 per person for departures between May 3 andJune 21, saving up to £513 per couple,with Kuoni. That includes return SriLankan Airlines flights and trans-fers. www.kuoni.co.uk

4. Eagle Beach, ArubaThe wow factor: Close toAruba’s westernmost tip, EagleBeach gets rave reviews and it iseasy to understand why. Gnarled,windswept divi-divi trees providewelcome shade over powder-fine, whitesands which, together with adjacent Palm Beach, form apristine, seven-mile strip that has just been voted thesecond best beach destination in the world by users oftravel review website TripAdvisor. The clear, calmCaribbean waters are perfect for swimming andsnorkelling, while there’s a plethora of water sports andactivities for beachgoers as well. Behind both beachesare a number of four and five-star hotels.Did you know? Tap water is safe to drink in Aruba; ithas been distilled by the world’s second-largest saltwa-ter desalination plant, as a by-product of oil refining atthe huge WEB plant on the south-west coast. Stay: Thomson Holidays has a seven-night package,including direct flights, hotel transfers and breakfast,staying at the five-star Westin Resort Aruba on PalmBeach from £1,026 per person, based on a May 5 depar-ture. A seven-night Kuoni package at the adults-onlyBucuti Beach Resort on Eagle Beach costs from £1,583per person, with flights, transfers and breakfast, depart-ing on May 8. www.thomson.co.uk,www.kuoni.co.uk

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n America's Best Beach winnerKailua Beach, on Oahu, Hawaii

n Coral sands on Velassaruisland, in the Maldives

n A dhoni onthe beach,Maldives

n Divi-divi trees onAruba's Eagle Beach

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5. Bottom Bay, BarbadosThe wow factor: A hidden gem tucked below coralcliffs, Bottom Bay lies on the Atlantic-facing south-eastcoast of Barbados away from the hotel and touristdevelopments facing the Caribbean Sea in the west.Few tourists go there. And with the mesmeric rhythmof the blue-tinged waves, luxuriant vegetation andstatuesque palm trees swaying in the warm trade

winds, you will want to keep it a secret yourself. Don’t

venture in for a dip, however; the waves on this coastcreate rip currents. But it is great for surfing.Did you know? Barbados has 60 beaches dotted allaround the island and encompassing 70 square miles ofsands. All Barbados beaches are open to the public. Stay: DialAFlight is offering 30% off a seven-night stayat the adults-only Almond Beach Club in Barbados thissummer, with prices from £1,299 per person – savingup to £315 per person. Valid for departures from June25-30 and August 14-31, it includes accommodation onan all-inclusive basis in a standard room and returnVirgin Atlantic flights. www.dialaflight.com

6. Bazaruto Island, MozambiqueThe wow factor: Mozambique, off the coast of Africa,has some of the most stunning and pristine beaches inthe world, little developed for tourism. Several are foundon Bazaruto Island, one of four unspoilt islandscomprising the Bazaruto Archipelago which lies 30kmoff the Mozambique coast in the Indian Ocean. Theluxury Indigo Island Resort and Spa on the island is aluxury tropical island retreat with 30 beach chalets andvillas offering a spa, diving and snorkelling, big gamefishing and horse rides on the beach. Did you know? The Bazaruto Archipelago is aprotected national park that boasts 180 species of birdsas well as butterflies, antelope and freshwater crocodiles.Its offshore waters and reefs support a myriad of marine

66 tlm n the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Spring 2012

10 of the best n exotic beaches

n Bottom Bay is on the quietsouth-east coast of Barbados

n Away from it all on Bazaruto Island, Mozambique

n Indigo Bay onBazaruto Island

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life including dolphins, dugongs, game fish and turtles.Stay: Five nights at Indigo Bay costs from £2,740 perperson with Africa Travel, full-board in a beach chaleton Bazaruto Island, including international and localflights, daily snorkelling trips and five spa treatments.www.africatravel.co.uk

7. Playa Juanillo, Punta Cana,Dominican RepublicThe wow factor: The Dominican Republic makes upthe eastern side of the island of Hispaniola, and itsbeaches are lauded as some of the best in the world.They don’t come any finer than Playa Juanillo, close toPunta Cana on Dom Rep’s eastern tip. Alluringly-angledpalm trees sprout from dazzling white sands gentlywashed by azure waters in a bay protected from thepounding Atlantic surf by an offshore reef. The beach isclose to exclusive golf resorts and communities, withcelebrities owning homes including Julio Iglesias.Did you know?The Dominican Republic is very popularwith film makers. Scenes from famous movies shot thereinclude the Godfather II, Apocalypse Now, and Rambo II. Stay: Thomas Cook offers seven nights at the all-inclu-sive Dreams Punta Cana Resort & Spa from £932 perperson, including flights. www.thomascook.comAir Europa (www.aireuropa.com) flights serve PuntaCana via Madrid.

8. Ariara Island, PhilippinesThe wow factor: Created by British couple Charles andCarrie McCulloch, Ariara is a 125-acre private island

retreat in the Calamian Islands in the Philippinesprovince of Palawan. Just 17 guests areaccommodated in eight villas and suites situated on a600-metre beach on this jungle-swathed island, edgedby pristine beaches and surrounded by coral reefs teem-ing with marine life. All bedrooms have private terracesand gardens. In short, it is a tropical island paradisewhere you are guaranteed to have the beach to yourself.It offers boating, including unlimited use of Ariara’s 33ftspeedboat, a 100ft trimaran and kayaks, diving trips withall equipment, massages and a cinema in the main lodge.

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10 of the best n exotic beaches

n Exotic allure at Punta Cana's PlayaJuanillo, in the Dominican Republic

n Beach atPunta Cana

n No crowds on thebeach at Ariara Island,in the Philippines

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Did you know? Ariara is one of more than 7,000islands in the Philippines, making it the world’s second-largest archipelago after Indonesia, which has 18,000. Stay: Original Diving offers seven nights at AriaraIsland from £2,100 per person on a fully-inclusive basis,including, activities and international/domestic flightsand boat transfers to the island, based on a party ofbetween 15 and 17 guests. Fuel and alcohol are extra.Ariara Island is also featured by Audley Travel.www.originaldiving.com, www.audleytravel.com

9. Warwick Long Bay Beach,BermudaThe wow factor: Bermuda is famed for its gorgeous

pink-sand beaches and Warwick Long Bay Beach is thepick of the lot. Not only is it Bermuda’s longest, stretch-ing half a mile, it is also one of its prettiest and itdoesn’t attract the cruise shop hordes as some otherbeaches do. Exotic grasses and vegetation form a back-drop to the pink sands. The beach is great forsnorkelling as there are numerous coves and rockoutcrops to explore in the gin-clear Atlantic waters. Did you know? Bermuda is not one landmass but achain of 181 islands, islets and rocks. Its pink beachesare a combination of crushed coral, calcium carbonateand the shells of tiny, single-celled animals.Stay: Classic Collection Holidays offers seven nights atElbow Beach, Bermuda, from £2,337 per person thisJune. The price is based on two sharing on a room-onlybasis in a premier garden view room and includes returnflights and private transfers. www.classic-collection.co.uk

10. Tanjung Rhu, Langkawi, MalaysiaThe wow factor: Located in the far north of Malaysia’sLangkawi Island, the resort of Tanjung Rhu is frontedby a 2.5km-wide, sandy beach that looks out on lime-stone outcrops rising up out of the Andaman Sea and islined by casuarina trees rather than palms. The resortspans 1,100 acres of rainforest and encompassesmangroves and limestone caves. Did you know? Eagles, which hunt in the mangroveswamps, can be seen on river boat trips. Stay: Best At Travel offers seven nights at Tanjung Rhufrom £1,839 per person on an all-inclusive basis andincluding return flights and airport transfers. It is validfor travel between May 1 and June 15. www.bestattravel.co.uk

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Do you know ofbetter exoticbeaches?Tell us on tlm’sFacebook page:http://bit.ly/tlm_facebook– and see oursuggestions for 10 ofthe rest.

n Pink sands at WarwickSouth Shore Beach, Bermuda

n Tanjung Rhu beach,on Langkawi

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