Search results for

If you’re on your honeymoon or traveling with one other couple, Acacia Villa is a great choice. Priced at around the same rate as a four-star hotel room, but you get the privacy of staying in a home. The villa has an open and airy feel and is built facing east so you get the cooling trade winds the islands are famous for. The only downer is it is on the leeward side of Provo -- on the waterfront -- and not on the beach side. That said, Grace Bay Beach is just a short drive away and you do have your own private swimming pool.

What better way to rejuvenate than a yoga class and massage on the beach? Lorena at ReFLEXion Yoga Tamarindo is a gifted and soothing yoga instructor and healer. Besides the yoga classes (for all levels), she also offers an array of other healing therapies for the body and mind, including massage and reiki sessions. Sometimes being on vacation can start to get... well, stressful. This is the perfect solution.

This sprawling badi on the left side of the lake bears the distinct honor of being the only one in town with a sandy beach. Other draws include a 5-meter tall diving tower, barbecue areas, an expansive green lawn and phenomenal mountain views. While it’s a slight jaunt from the tourist attractions of the Old Town, it’s well situated for other pursuits; the Rietberg Museum and Belvoir Park are just a short stroll away.

Since first reading about Capri as a teenager, I had dreamed about a shop like this. Crammed with hundreds of colorful tunics and beach coverups, Antica Sartoria makes it easy to leave with a bag stuffed full of gifts for oneself and friends back home. The inexpensive resort wear makes liberal use of polka-dots, paisleys, and ornate designs. Not a shop for wallflowers. There’s another outlet in Positano.

If you’re looking for a great snorkel experience accessible to Waikiki, I found Hanauma Bay a great spot. Turtles and fish galore.

Located along the bluffs on Cliff Drive, Heisler Park is a walker’s paradise. Visitors looking to get some exercise can start at the lifeguard tower on Main Street and follow a one-mile loop through the park, passing more than a dozen art installations—not to mention six Laguna landmarks and sweeping ocean views–along the way. For those seeking something more relaxing, Heisler Park is also home to beautifully landscaped gardens, a marine refuge with tide pools, barbecues, picnic tables, and grassy lawns for lounging in the sun.

Dining in a beach chair—or at least a chair by the beach—is an essential part of the experience at Spice Mill Restaurant, which looks directly across the water to St. Kitts’ sister island of Nevis. The menu here journeys across the global culinary landscape, but the fish and produce are sourced as locally as possible—including from the restaurant’s own gardens. Expect fine dining with your toes in the sand.

If anything’s endemic to Orange County it’s surfing—there are 40 miles of coastline here, after all. It’s not hard to find passionate practitioners of the sport, but doing is one thing and teaching is very much another. For newbies or even intermediate surfers looking to get back on a board, La Vida Laguna’s approachable, confidence-boosting instructors are the surest way to success. In private and semi-private lessons, their goal is to ensure that their surf pupils—starting from age eight—stand up on a wave, of course, but they also want to create more ocean advocates in the process. Wave safety and selection plus etiquette training are part of the lessons, along with pop-up drills, positioning, and gentle pushes at Thalia Beach, which has consistently calm waves for beginners. Guides also lead stand-up paddleboard lessons, hikes, and kayak adventures (expect frequent sea life sightings), tailoring and combining experiences upon request. Appointments are necessary and can be made on the phone, online, or at the company’s historic Craftsman bungalow in downtown Laguna. Local tip: For fewer surfers in the water, book a couple lessons on weekdays during the winter season.

A stunning combination of rock formations, pristine beaches, sloping mountains, and the glittering East Vietnam Sea surround this dreamy resort—so it’s no surprise that many of its key activities revolve around nature. Depending on the season, scuba diving, mountain hiking, and sailing are big draws, but you can enjoy sunset cruises, kayaking, beach yoga, and early-morning fishing excursions with the chef any time of year. Excursions to Nha Trang, the countryside, the Cai River mud baths, and more can also be arranged, but there’s plenty on property to keep guests occupied—not least the spacious villas, many of which are set along the cliff tops or beach and feature private pools. The Six Senses brand (which also oversees a sister Vietnamese property in the Con Dao marine park) highlights wellness, holistic living, and sustainability, and you’ll find plenty of evidence of that here, from the local organic produce used in the restaurants and bars to the traditional therapies and integrated wellness programming offered at the spa. Other can’t-miss activities include a private dinner in the mountain-set wine cave and an aerial yoga session—but maybe not in that order.

Families that would rather not be in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the main section of Grace Bay Beach will dig the condos at The Tuscany Resort. Ranging in size from one bedroom to three, each is condo includes a full kitchen, laundry room, spacious living area and a screened in balcony. There is no restaurant on site, but there is a pool with loungers and access to the quiet side of Grace Bay Beach from a tree-lined catwalk. Unlike the middle portion of the beach, development here is still pretty void, so you can expect to have much of the white sand expanse to yourself (meaning your kids can run and play without issues). On the downside, if you want to get to most of the eating and activities, you’ll need a car as it isn’t really walking distance. And while there isn’t a restaurant here, you can arrange to have your kitchen pre-stocked before arrival meaning you can eat in and save a lot of cash in the process. Each condo is slightly different from a decor perspective as they are all privately owned and decoration is at the owners discretion.

Maupiti, the smallest and most isolated of the Society Islands, feels like an unblemished tropical playground, where tranquility trumps everything else and romantic love stories of deserted sparkling white-sand beaches surrounded by shimmering aqua lagoons are realized. The best beaches are on the five motus, or small sandbars that also house pensions, ringing the main island. Of the five motus, Motu Tiapaa has the best beaches by far. For surfing and decent kite-boarding, you’ll want to head to Motu Tuanai, which also houses the airport.


Serving up a Robinson Crusoe version of paradise, Maupiti seduces lovers and adventurers on a quest for the heavenly Polynesia of lore, but it is not for everyone. Time moves slowly on this island, and the resort focus here is on small family run “pensions” (guesthouses), not luxury five-star resorts with multiple restaurants and Wi-Fi. If you’re the kind of traveler who’s craving a temporary separation from your Facebook account, and love watching the sun set over the lagoon while reading a book or chowing on fresh caught seafood with the family that owns the pension where you’re sleeping, Maupiti may be the perfect island for you. Oh, and if you stay at any of the guesthouses here, sign up for full-board, as it isn’t really the kind of place where many restaurants exist.

Accessible only by boat, and with a daily rhythm determined by the tides, this beach resort co-founded by Scottish fashion and costume designer Ellis Flyte sits on the southwest part of Pemba Island, a 30-minute flight from Unguja, the main, more touristy island of the Zanzibar archipelago. The 18 thatched-roofed, canvas-walled rooms and suites are set directly on the white-sand beach, shaded by the surrounding mangrove forest, or perched on the hillside above, providing panoramic Indian Ocean views. A wooden jetty extends over a long, shallow drop-off, enabling guests to swim in front of the hotel at low tide. But the best beaches and snorkeling are 15 minutes away by speedboat off Misali Island, a conservation zone with more than 300 fish species, giant sponges, sea fans, and fields of old-growth cabbage corals. More sites reachable by boat offer a variety of reefs and drop-offs for experienced divers. Other activities include sunset dhow cruises, kayak trips through the mangroves to the ruins of an Omani fort, windsurfing, water skiing, wake- and knee-boarding, dolphin watching, and deep sea fishing. The resort’s informal vibe encourages guests to go barefoot even at the dinner table, but bring wading shoes to protect your feet against sharp coral and sea urchins.

Stylish, secluded Likya Gardens is a hideaway amid the cliffs of Kalkan, a humble old fishing town on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast. Each of the seven suites has its own pool and a patio set on stilts, offering views of a crystal-blue bay and brightly colored fishing boats. Guests can sun on nearby beaches such as Patara or Kaputaş, or enjoy the privacy of the hotel’s beach club, where Moroccan-style cabanas are tricked out with minibars, laptops, and Wi-Fi. Personal butlers can deliver breakfast and book tables at the town’s rooftop restaurants; they’ll even arrange day trips to the Hidden Canyon, with its Indiana Jones–style swinging bridge. From $450. This appeared in the June/July 2014 issue.

Nearby reefs and big boulders keep Bermuda’s beaches calm and colorful for snorkelers and swimmers. Both Tobacco Bay & Church Bay offer great snorkeling conditions along beautiful shorelines. With one in the east and the other in the west, you could combine a day of snorkeling and sunrise/sunset viewing. Tobacco Bay is located on the northeastern side of the island near St. George. This small cove of calm water protects a variety of parrot, clown, and other tropical fish. Tobacco Bay has a snack bar and equipment rentals, restrooms, showers, and changing rooms. When you tire of swimming with the fishes, dry off with a short walk to the historic site of Fort St. Catherine. Its eastern location makes Tobacco Bay a prime sunrise spot. Located along the island’s western side in Southampton, Church Bay is a local favorite for snorkeling. Tucked into a small cove within cliffs of coral, the reefs are close to shore and offer lots of small hiding spaces in which to discover tropical sea life. Just watch out for the jellyfish. Youngsters will enjoy exploring the tidal pools formed by the many rocks. Forget to pack your snorkeling gear? No problem. You can rent equipment from Church Bay Beach Rentals during the summer months. Sunset seekers should not miss this beach.

Off the coast of Port Antonio is a small, uninhabited plot called “Pellew Island,” otherwise known as “Monkey Island"--there used to be a colony of imported monkeys here. To get here, you could first head to San San Beach, a beautiful and private stretch open daily (10 a.m.4 p.m daily, US$5). Rent a kayak and snorkel gear and make your way over to the small plot, within clear view ahead. The island is completely covered in vegetation, there’s a small white sand beach, and the waters are shallow. Rest your kayak on shore and snorkel around the island for as long as you please. Visibility is incredible and this is one of the best snorkeling spots in the area. Just watch your step if you’re barefoot, as there can be sea urchins on the seabed.