My Top 5 Favourite Beaches

I decided to finally take the time to reflect on my travel past and document some of my absolute favourite finds over the past twenty-something years.

This is the first post in a new series on my travel Favourites (yes – I am Canadian, and this is how we spell favourite!)

Since it is summer, I thought it would be apropos to begin with the best beaches I’ve been blessed to sink my toes into.

 

Top 5 Favourite Beaches

 

Bai Dai Beach, Nha Trang, Vietnam

This gorgeous beach on the South China Sea had everything: White Sand, Warm Waters, and No one around. Touted as the best beach in a country with over 3000 km of coastline… it is easy to see why people love Southeast Asia.

Bai Dai Beach

Muchavista Beach, El Campello, Spain

I was incredibly lucky to spend 3 months living just a mere 5 minutes from this expansive beach north of Alicante. The entire length of the beach is lined with a boardwalk and a tram so that even getting groceries became an exciting event.

El Campello

Lanikai Beach, Kailua, Oahu

On my second trip to Oahu, I decided to do my research and find a beach, ANY BEACH, other than Waikiki. My search landed me on lovely Lanikai in the sleepy town of Kailua where public access is restricted to pedestrians only, making it the perfect island escape. It’s also made quite a few top 10 lists so this one is a no-brainer.

lanikai

Coronado Beach, San Diego, California

Whenever I go to San Diego (which is fortunately quite often) I always look forward to spending time on the island of Coronado. I can’t believe that people actually live there all the time because it is almost too lovely to be real.

IMG_2350

Kitsilano Beach, Vancouver, BC

No top 5 list would be complete without the place that makes me happier than any other. I live about 1 minute from the Pacific Ocean and it is a frequent stomping ground for me all year long. Vancouver has a lot of great beaches that I could include on this list (English Bay, Jericho Beach, Spanish Banks, Wreck Beach) but Kits beach is home. With breathtaking views of the North Shore mountains, Stanley Park, and the Vancouver skyline, it’s my favourite walk in the city! Our version of Venice Beach is also great for people watching, dog walking, bike riding, or playing some beach volleyball all year long.

Kits

 

What is your favourite beach?

Advertisement

Beach Paradise in Nha Trang

My two days in Nha Trang were not nearly long enough to soak up all of the fabulous activities available. But, I did manage to squeeze in a lovely boat trip to snorkel in the South China Sea, an all day beach party with new friends, and some delicious Vietnamese cuisine.

This city had a completely different vibe than Ho Chi Minh City. I still feared for my life when crossing the street (crazy mopeds) but the atmosphere was way more laid back. I was fortunate to be able to enjoy the sunrise at the main beach one morning and it was there that I witnessed a jam packed beach at 6am. Apparently, the locals like to rise early to swim before the sun and the heat come out. That left a mostly quiet beach for us tourists to enjoy. Private cabanas could be rented for about $3 for the whole day and miles of white sand beaches were left for the taking. It’s no wonder the Russians have made Nha Trang their new go to vacation spot. I was certainly sad to leave but my skin needed a break from all that hot hot heat.

20140627-153340-56020568.jpg

20140627-153341-56021412.jpg

20140627-153840-56320163.jpg

20140627-153841-56321010.jpg

20140627-153841-56321244.jpg