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Indian Ocean:
- South Africa's east coast is a low-cost, low jet-lag, sea-food and wine paradise, with action-packed city beaches such as Durban and totally peaceful, undeveloped beaches like Nature's Valley. In December beach business is brisk so book ahead for your space on the sand.
- Palolem Beach, Goa, India. A major tourist destination but still laid-back
and appealing.
- Banyan Tree, Cocoa Island, Nika, Soneva Fushi etc, Maldives [islands].
Perfect for luxury and pricey escapism.
- Mauritius: Flic en Flac, Trou aux Biches and Paradis beach. Less pricey than the Seychelles
but excellent beach resorts and more inner-island activities available.
- Ngapali Beach, Chaung Tha Beach beach, Ngwe Saung Beach, Myanmar.
Very little developed, very reasonable prices, very nice locals,
very unpleasant military junta.
- Oman: Muscat beaches [Arabian Sea]. Over 1,000 miles of coastline with
endless unspoilt sand and very few tourists.
- The north & east coast of Zanzibar. Perfect for relaxing
after wildlife safaris.
- Seychelles: Anse Lazio, Praslin island, Anse Source d'Argent, La Digue Island,
Ile Souris, east coast of Mahé island. Pricey but incredible
'paradise' island resorts including one of the world's most photographed
beaches.
- Unawatuna, Sri Lanka. An ideal destination for a beach and
culture holiday.
The Caribbean is home to hundreds of striking beaches and magnificent beach
resorts and the climate is superb in December, but beware the Christmas rush and book well ahead.
Mexico:
- Some excellent beaches though they will be crowded in December, but there are also amazing sights nearby [such as Chichen Itza], fantastic food, exotic drinks and all at the right price.
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.
Vietnam:
- Mui
Ne, Mui Ne, near Phan Thiet. An upcoming resort area known
for its rolling dunes.
- Hon Chong, Ha Tien; a tempting beach near the Cambodian
border.
- Bai Tam [Long Beach], Phu Quoc Island. An Asian gem.
Malaysia:
- Datai Beach, Langkawi Island. One of Asia's best stretches of secluded sand.
- Pantai Teluk Belanga [Emerald Bay], Pangkor Laut. A luxury resort
on a perfect crescent of a private island.
Thailand:
The best season for both east and west coast beaches; it's a long hike there for most travellers but once you're there it's magic...low prices, lovely people, fascinating culture, exquisite food and of course magnificent stretches of sand to suit all tastes from Phuket to Pattaya and Phi Phi; see Thai beaches map and beach pictures.
Philippines:
- Honda Bay, Palawan, Philippines. An area of outstanding
beauty.
- Muelle Bay, Puerto Galera, Mindoro Island. A terrific place to go
island-hopping on to perfect, isolated beaches.
- White Beach, Boracay Island. Exceptionally white,
soft sand that never gets hot, with a large number of small, friendly
hotels.
Red Sea beaches: Egypt's Red Sea beach resorts as well as Israel's rather tired Eilat are reasonably priced, the sun is constant, the coral is kaleidoscopic, the sea's still warm and day trips to Luxor or Abu Simbel are a mass-tourism must-do. Ahem.
The Red Sea's air temperature is generally about 20°C in December [18°C at night] and water temperature is 23°C with low humidity and little chance of rain, so book ahead if you fancy swimming on Christmas day!
Atlantic
Ocean:
- Camps Bay, South
Africa, with great views and conveniently located near magnificent Cape Town but the water is always chilly.
- Spain's Canary Islands, enjoy endless sunshine and beaches of all types - 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.
Beaches that are probably not a good idea in December:
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 the Samoas are going through a wet patch.
Mediterranean:
You jest sire! The wind's brisk and the water's brassy!
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