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Travelinds Top 10: Beaches of Africa and Asia

Travelinds Top 10
Beaches of Africa and Asia

We are certainly beach people, ever happy with sand between our toes.  From Travelinds personal experiences, the following beaches are definitely in our top ten choices from around the world:

10. Blue Lagoon (Bali, Indonesia)

One of the little known Balinese beaches, this secret beach lies over the hill and around the corner from Padang Bai Harbour.  Blue Lagoon boasts a fascinating reef just a few steps into the water.  Walk to the beach from the harbour by heading up and over the steep hill on the eastern side of Padang Bai Beach Road, then grab a snorkel for a day of underwater relaxation.  We even saw eels and turtles in the little reef.  Be sure to support the local restaurants (there are two) as these owners keep the beach clean out of their own pockets.

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9. Gili Meno (Lombok, Indonesia)

One of our Indonesian favourites, the Gili Meno beach actually runs around the whole island (which is only about 1 x 1.5 kilometres).  At almost any point, you can swim out about 10 to 20 metres and hit the reef, so be sure to bring a snorkel and some fins and make the most of it.  We swam with turtles, lion fish and schools of fluorescent beauties every single day. Wish we could have stayed longer!

Gili Meno Cowries

8. Diani Beach (Mombasa, Kenya)

A ten kilometre stretch of fine white sand,  gorgeous Diani Beach was definitely our favourite beach in Kenya, with neighbouring Tiwi Beach a close second.

Camels Diani Beach

7. Linapacan Islands (Linapacan, Palawan Province, The Philippines)

A whole archipelago of tiny islands somewhere between Coron and Palawan mainland,  each island with wondrous beaches and its own reef right off the shore.  How could we choose just one beach? Check out some of the names and descriptions from our fantastic four-day island hopping tour on the Brinze Kylene Expedition.

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6. Barra Bay (Barra Peninsular, Mozambique)

A Northern beach of Mozambique, there is little about it we did not adore. Warm, flat ocean and stretches of Barra sand with smiling locals and coconuts for sale.

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Photo credit: Barra Resorts

5. Anbang Beach (Hoi An, Vietnam)

In Central Vietnam, Anbang is a distinctive beach, which is perfect for lazy swimming days and scrumptious lunches at the local chain of restaurants.  We cycled over from Hoi An. Buy drinks from the restaurants and have access to lovely thatched umbrellas or wooden booths, especially helpful to escape the midday heat.

An Bang Beach

4. White Beach (Moalboal, Cebu, The Philippines)

On the western peninsular of Cebu, parallel to a long, beautiful reef, white beach is another gem in central Philippines.  Truly, one of the most superb coral reefs in the Philippines, the Moalboal reef (stretching all the way off White Beach  to Panagsama) is well worth taking your own snorkel to to swim out whenever you want.

Malapascua Island
Malapascua Island

3. Mawun Beach (Lombok, Indonesia)

The long stretch of Mawun white sand that lines a peacock-blue bay, perfect for long morning swims.  A fleet of tiny fishing boats floats upon sparkling, clear water sits to one side of the bay. Take a motorbike to get there from Kuta and be sure to take some cash to support the local vendors and family restaurants.

Mawun Beach

2. Sempang Mengayau – Tip of Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia Borneo)

Soft white sand borders the Sulu Sea of the Sabah Dog’s left ear. A secluded stretch of paradise all to ourselves is only one of the beautiful beaches in this area.  It was 7 days of bliss.

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1. Mabibi (Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa)

The place where Travelinds began their journey together on the Elephant Coast, part of the rugged Kwazulu-Natal coastline in South Africa. Look out for turtles laying their eggs along the dunes and whales passing by the north coast beaches.  Walk for kilometres and breathe in pure African air.  The Mabibi campsite is rustic, no electricity (except in the cabins) and hot water for showers in the communal ablution block.  Nearby, Lake Sibaya is absolutely breathtaking. This is our number one favourite beach in the world – by far!

 

Photo credit: Mabibi Campsite
Photo credit: Mabibi Campsite

 

Where is your favourite beach?

Travelinds, Travelinds Top 10

Travelinds Top 10: Beach Travel Items

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Travelinds Top 10

Beach Travel Items

Travelinds has experienced a range of different beach trips and the following are items that we really cannot go without aside from swimsuits and suncream (*cue drum roll…*):

1. Sarong

It’s versatile, light-weight and easy to pack into a small space.  Sarongs are good as a towel, a sun cover, a beach blanket, clothing and a cover against mosquitoes in the evenings.

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2 Hat

Hats are an obvious item, but also one that saves a face from a world of pain and long-term sun damage.  Hats can generally be easily replaced if forgotten or lost, except on isolated tropical islands like we visited in the Philippines.  Hats protect your face against the sun and rain (and cover a bad hair day, too!).

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3. Sunglasses

Light-coloured eyes will thank you for some extra protection from the harsh glare of the sun.  They are also quite stylish, if you’re into that sort of thing, and, without sunglasses, you wouldn’t be able to take an amazing sunset photo like this one in Gili Air…

Sunglasses sunset

4. Rash vest

This is one of the best investments we’ve made for any water activities – good sun protection, as well as an extra guard against stinging water creatures and plants.

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5. Hammock

You can sit down, lie down, swing, sleep, read and daydream.  It keeps your feet clean, your books out of the sand and a breeze through your hair. You can string it up in the shade, anywhere, anytime. Also, your swimsuit can dry on both sides. What’s not to love?

Hammock

6. Snorkel and Mask

Having our own snorkel and mask with us has been a great idea.  It allows a lot more freedom to explore the underwater surroundings at each beach without having to rent it (or miss out completely).  It is also helpful to have some goggles (like the kind you’d use in a pool) as a backup for long swims.

Snorkel

7. Dry Bag

Whether for a boat tour, a water transfer, a ski trip or a dive, the dry bag is usually a good idea to avoid general spray and the odd freak wave soak.  Cameras, cellphones, wallets and books will thank you later.

Dry Bag

8. Refill water

The amount of plastic in our precious oceans is shocking and disgusting, and we can make a difference every single day. Take your muggy along rather than buying plastic bottles along the way. Being environmentally responsible tourists is a daily choice and one of these decisions is to use water refill stations (or decant from large recyclable refills for the duration of your trip) rather than buying more plastic waste.  Incidentally, it will also save you money. For example, on Gili Meno (Indonesia), the price of a 1.5-litre plastic water bottle was 5,000 IRP and the price of a 19-litre (5 gallon) refill water tank was 22,000 IRP (excluding a deposit). That’s a 65% saving on the price per litre if you ditch the 1.5-litre bottles and choose the 19-litre refill instead (about 4 days worth for the two of us).

Water

9. E-reader

This little device has truly changed the way that I read both at home and abroad.  Travelling with it is easy and this means I read more wherever I am, at any time of the day or night.  Books are still amazing, but an e-reader allows me to carry around my whole library, use it at night in places without electricity and read more than one book at a time without taking up more precious space in my small backpack.  The world needs to read more – do your part!

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10. Camera

Obviously, a camera is an essential item to capture the beauty of all your travel destinations, like this sunset at the Tip of Borneo.  You can share it with others, and refresh your memories as the years go by.  Together with a dry bag or sand-friendly cover, keep some extra batteries and a universal adapter so you can recharge it easily.

camera

Armed with Travelinds Top 10: Beach Travel Items you are ready for any beach in the world – and there are some breathtaking beaches out there, no matter where on God’s beautiful green earth you go!  Check you on the flip side.

What are you favourite beach travel items? Travelinds would love if you left us a comment below!

If you liked this post, check out Travelinds’ post

Tips for Travelling in South East Asia

Travelinds, Travelinds Top 10

Tips for Travelling in South East Asia – Part One

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South East Asia has given us so many fantastic experiences and an abundance of special memories that we will always cherish.  The travelling is not always easy, but it is always worth it; especially when the rewards are life-changing realisations about the world in which we live. Here are our first 10 tips for travelling in South East Asia (Part One):

  1. Prepare for rain all year round. Always take a small fold-up poncho wherever you go,
  2. Prepare for sun, even when it’s cloudy. Wear sunscreen all the time, even on cloudy, rainy or cool days.
  3. Hydrate. Stick with bottled water or refill your bottles at a local filter machine (usually coin-operated).  Hydration also helps to keep you healthy and energetic during your vacation; this is especially important on long-haul flights.
  4. Everybody loves American money. Take some US dollars with you for emergencies.
  5. Put on your poker face. NEVER take the first price. BARGAIN EVERYTHING to at least half, or even a third of the starting price (except for restaurants).
  6. Yes doesn’t mean yes. Don’t assume that you have been understood if people say ‘yes’ – check the details and insist on written agreements for financial transactions (unless you don’t care).
  7. Understand the cultural differences between east and west. Don’t get upset if things don’t turn out exactly as you requested, due to some miscommunication. Asian culture often dictates that problems (like missing ingredients from the menu, or the room cannot be cleaned because nobody is on duty) are to be avoided or denied, but never confronted .  The end result often being that things just aren’t done or delivered as ‘agreed’ (you WILL have an omelette, because there are only eggs in and there is no bread today in the kitchen; and the room will not be cleaned today) and the tourist is left confused, angry or irritated. Let it go. There are more important things in life.
  8. Remember – you are the foreigner. Watch where you put your feet in the ocean (or better, just don’t put them down), there are urchins and jellyfish and other things in the sand (I usually wear a rash vest if I’m going to be swimming a while).
  9. Learn from previous experience. Use the TripAdvisor app (with WiFi) to check for reputable restaurants, hotels and attractions in the area. Contribute honest reviews to TripAdvisor when you’re done. More reviews = more information = better decisions for future travellers too!  NOTE: On the rare occasion, the reviews don’t do a place justice but, for the most part, the overall consensus of 98+ reviewers for a particular setting can’t be that far off the mark. It’s still only a guideline.
  10. Fly AirAsia – a low-cost Malaysian airline that has some great deals on flights all over South East Asia.  Use the app for easy reference. For most budget airlines, do remember to pay for the checked luggage when you complete your booking online (not when you arrive at the airport, as this works out to be way more expensive). Cebu Pacific has also been a great airline for us around the Philippines.