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Ever since having read Alex Garlands ‘The Beach’ in a bamboo beach hut on Honduras’ Roatan island in Latin America, I was possessed with the idea that there must be a ‘Perfect Beach’ for everyone of us on this our beautiful planet.
So I began to look out for nice getaways in white sandy bays with crystal clear waters on my travels.
I thought the Caribbean, Egypt, Australia or the West Coast of the US would be great places to settle down one day.
That was of course before Asia took my heart by storm and where else than in Asia with its thousands and thousands of islands would I be able to find it?
Robinsonade or Civilization in full gear?
Maybe we have to acknowledge first, that a perfect beach might be a complete different thing for whomever you ask. As good as ‘Living like Robinson Crusoe’ sounds; do you really want to live from coconuts and fish alone aka ‘Survivor’; or might you miss at least some amenities of modern life after just a few days?
Or maybe not?!
Do you need electricity at your perfect place or not? Air-con or Fan? Restaurants, PC or TV? Or even internet access? Other man-made infrastructure?
Hm.
So, as there are countless varieties of opinions, there are surely countless of criteria to consider for ‘The Beach’.
Here are mine:
- White, powdery, sandy beach
- Light blue clear water
- Must have waves, as I don’t like Lagoon or calm, standing water
- Clean surrounding in tropical region
- Hot, all-year-round sunny weather
- Easily reachable from major flight hubs
- Electricity and internet available
- Variety of food available
- Affordable for mere human beings
Mainly the last point knocks out a whole bunch of world-class beaches in the Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, Bermudas, Bahamas, Hawaii, Australia and so on.
Location versus Cost
In Real Estate it’s all about location, location, location. Not here! After all I want to live there for a longer time, without ransacking my life savings, plundering my retirement money or working my *ss off in the tourist industry. We are talking Nomadic Lifestyle, here. Streams of income in hard currency, expenses in weak ones, right? 
This brings me back to the many islands of Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia or Philippines.
Especially the Philippines, as partially reviewed here, are a strong candidate for my sweet spot; with Thailand coming in a very close second.
So far there is always something missing – Boracay (Philippines), Bantayan (Philippines) and Koh Phi Phi (Thailand) have no waves, Phuket (Thailand) is over-commercialized, North Palawan (Philippines) or Gangga/Manado (Indonesia) too quiet, Pulau Rawa (Malaysia) too small and Australia’s east coast too far off and too expensive.
But how about the beaches of Krabi, Koh Tao or others? Perhentian Islands anyone? Hm. For me the search for the ‘Perfect Beach’ goes on as I haven’t found the right place yet.
How about you? Do you share the dream of the Perfect Beach – somewhere, somehow, someday?
Have you found your perfect Beach yet?
And which criteria do you have to find that perfect spot? Please share and let us know!
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April 3rd, 2007 at 3:35 pm
[…] One thing I’ll be doing this summer when in SE Asia is finding my perfect beach. […]
April 3rd, 2007 at 9:16 pm
My perfect beach…I like big expansive beaches you can walk along. Best yet is Koh Tarutao in Thailand.
It’s nice to share your beach with monkeys too.
Also, with it being a National Park there is very little development there.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ourmanwhere/sets/72157594581914583/
April 3rd, 2007 at 10:04 pm
I loved Bolders beach just outside Cape Town, swim with the penguins, really cool stuff.
Enjoy the search for ur perfect beach.
Isabel
x
April 4th, 2007 at 8:06 am
My perfect beach is close to home. Pawleys Island 15 miles north of Georgetown, South Carolina. I was raised there and so far it has resisted the relentless push to build overpriced condos and it still has some old beach charm.
April 4th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
My favourite beach is Mudeford Sandbank in Dorset, England.
If you check out my website you will see why.
It adjoins Hengistbury Head, an Iron Age sea enclosed promontory and
Christchurch Harbour, a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
It all fits in a square mile and is only 5 miles from the facilities
of Bournemouth. 100 miles from London. No cars allowed.
Trouble is, a beach hut can be £120,000 and it is
only 15 feet by 10 feet in size! Sleeping in one is OK though 7 or 8
months of the year.
Sold our hut 3 years ago and still missing it as it is expensive for good
reasons. Bought a cheap day hut 4 miles away down the coast. No contest!
April 4th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
I got a bit sick of beaches after a while, I had a nice quiet spot on Koh Tao though….Phi Phi was a bit too busy for me.
April 5th, 2007 at 3:06 am
Well I am always looking for my perfect beach. I think perhaps some greek Island somewhere is for me….too bad they are on the Euro now….
April 5th, 2007 at 6:07 am
i’m with ourman on this one. go to one of the many islands around koh tarutao and you can find a beach that comes close to the perfect beach.
April 5th, 2007 at 10:45 am
Yep, I found it once. Ao Kiu Na Nok at the foot of Koh Samet in Thailand. It was perfect. Clean white sands, crystal clear warm waters, quiet, and cheap huts on the beach. It really was paradise, despite the awful food. But now they dug it all up and built a 5* luxury resort on it. Back to the drawing board.
April 12th, 2007 at 8:44 am
Just got back from – maybe not 100% perfect given the grueling 12 hour ordeal – 2 planes, a bus, 2 tuk tuk rides, and a speedboat – it took to get there from KL, Malaysia (physically only about 4 hours away by plane), but it comes pretty close (I don’t mind the lack of waves, myself)… Malaysia’s got some great beaches as well – my favorite is Redang.
April 14th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Hi, I come from Taipei, Taiwan. I think the most beautiful beaches in Taiwan is in Penghu. Hope you could take a trip to Taiwan someday, and you’ll the excellent scenery.
April 18th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Interesting list. Tough decision to make for the “perfect beach”.
I would say that Philippines has the best undiscovered white sandy beaches.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:11 am
Hi
I spent a year between Koh Tao, Koh Samui, Perhentians, Similans and Koh Lanta (passing through Koh Phi Phi, Phuket).
I fell in love with Lanta… beautiful beaches, lots of open space, plenty of life if you want it, plenty of space and quiet if you don’t… Lovely diving too – can’t wait to get back there.
All of the others were great too…. and worth checking out
http://www.escapengland.blogspot.com
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:16 am
Mine is Nai Thon in Phuket. Surrounded by National parkland, very quiet and unspoilt. It just feels like home to me.
Rob
April 28th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Nice beaches i had been to, Greece has very beaches ,idyllic quiet sceneries,,I love greece,Then thailand too,I like Kho Pangan …fullmoon parties?
But the best beach,exotic, can find pure sugary white sand ,maybe undiscovered beaches,with lime stone cropping up little islands, with crystal clear turqoueise waters ,unspoilt underwater marine life ,I should say my winning No1 beach/es is in north Palawan Philippines
May 3rd, 2007 at 11:29 am
Thanks for your wonderful review of the Philippines pristine beaches….. Yup I can say that we have the worlds best unexploited beaches…. Hope to see you here in the Islands…
May 3rd, 2007 at 11:38 am
[…] I wish I can have my chance this summer to visit my perfect beach. […]
May 3rd, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Nice post. I’m glad the Philippines made it to your list… for me, I’ve found the perfect beach in El Nido, Palawan.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
[…] Why work your back off to buy a Porsche, 2 houses and tailor-made suits; when you can drive an old used Motor-Scooter in a beautiful surrounding, rent a small but cozy flat and sit in flip-flops and shorts at the Perfect Beach, thus avoiding Monday Morning Blues forever? If you tend more to the latter, you can have it. If you want to own all the riches – you can have it as well. It’s all up to you! But make your choice early! […]
May 28th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Got to make money to sustain comfy living ,pay my mortgage only 2OK left to pay,just bought properties nr the beach and city to retire someday…hopefully still be alive n kicking with all the marbles intact at 55 …damn still long way to live dream life on the beach.
June 19th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
[…] Why work your behind off to buy a Porsche, 2 houses and tailor-made suits when you can drive an old used motor-scooter in beautiful surroundings, rent a small but cozy flat and sit in flip-flops and shorts at the Perfect Beach, thus avoiding Monday Morning Blues forever? The choice is yours! But make your choice early! […]
September 5th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
I just got back from Lalomanu in Western Samoa. It is truly paradise. We stayed in cheap comfortable beach shacks (Taufua Beach Fales). It is totally unspoilt, cheap, hardly commercialised but with the basic necessities (phones, clean toilets & showers etc), the people are gorgeous and friendly, it is VERY clean, and the food at Taufua is excellent. And the beach is something else – white sand, perfect clear water, palm trees, lush mountanous landscape. I wonder how long till someone spoils it by erecting some filthy high rise resort there? Get there before it happens!!
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:01 pm
A very interesting subject! I have been to a few very nice beaches in Malaysia, Thailand, China, and I would say my favorites so far are in the Philippines. With 7,200 islands there are so ny possibilities. You can find many islands where a small bamboo hut is already built and there are no people there at all. Cebu is very nice including the shores on the east of the province. Boracay is lovely but way too touristy and expensive. Bohol has great beaches and resorts for less than $40 US per day. Hmmm, my next trip I will be exploring Palawan, I will report back here if I find that perfect beach. Keep searching.
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:15 pm
You might want to check out as well my other post about gorgeous beaches in the Philippines. It includes Honday Bay and Nagtoban around Puerta Princesa on Palawan. If you are looking for tranquility and unspoiled realxation – this might be just the spot for you. :D
December 27th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
[…] far and wide for ‘our’ perfect beach. So it was about time popping the question: Have you found that perfect beach yet? which includes some examples in Asia as well as over 20 comments by readers who added their own […]
January 18th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
for me it is boracay and the beaches in palawan philippines. the best pure white powdery sugar sand, unexploit beaches in the world no other can beat it.
January 29th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
For 5 months out of the year, I would put Crystel Beach in Onterio, Canada on Lake Erie up against any beach in the world.
The fresh water is makes for a refreshing dip, with no salt film, and the bay is full of boats. There is a gentle grade, with no drop offs, making it ideal for young children. The beach is about 2 miles long. Not much of a night life in the immediate vacinity, but it is only 20 minutes to Niagra Falls or Buffalo, NY and only about 2 hours to Toronto.
February 6th, 2008 at 2:35 am
Our best beach must include powdery white sand, clear water for diving, variety of food, not overcommercialized, cheap and with sweet mango. Been all over asia, but closest came Koh Lipe and around El Nido Palawan. Philippines stand out as a country that can take the title one day.
February 11th, 2008 at 8:09 am
My favorite beach so far is the red sand beach hidden away near Hana, Maui. It takes a while to get there, it isn’t totally discovered yet, and it looks freaking cool because of the red sand and lava tide pool. Here’s a photo!
February 14th, 2008 at 12:20 am
Well that is what is causing all the prices of other countries to go up so much.
Americans try to go and live in someone else’s paradise and then instead of just being happy there… they start selling land like if it was theirs … to other Americans
They start charching a ton of money, and then the locals can’t even enjoy their beaches anymore..
Sad
February 14th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
enzo, it may look like it – but I have another theory.
First, in most countries it’s not even allowed for foreigners to own land. So it’s mainly lease property or land in the name of a local stakeholder. The thing with that model is that most locals have a high interest in selling/leasing out their own land and making money from it.
Of course land prices go up in areas with high development. But that is how it works around the world. Most countries want to develop their ‘gem areas’ as mass tourism places to get a fair share of the tourism cake. So it’s basically about the country which allows those models and it’s policies.
I don’t think it has a lot to do with Americans. Don’t you think that’s a bit over exaggerated?
February 18th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Boracay Island Philippines simply breath taking! try going there around December..
May 6th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Hello
Unfortunately, you will be searching forever… Your idealistic beach will not exist…You have too many criteria and I think you may be spoiled and misaligned by too many travel programmes, glossy, photo-shopped brochures and over enthusiastic travel agents.
I think what happens is too many people from the Northern Hemisphere where winters are long, cold and dark are fed so much misinformation on the “perfect getaway” and “paradise beach” that they buy into fantasy that does not exist.
One has to accept a lovely beach is going to be shared by thousands of others because hundreds of thousands of people have EXACTLY the same idea as you do. There is NO such thing as perfection…
Good luck with that search….
May 6th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Antonio, you got a good point there. The Perfect Beach is almost likely fiction and can never be found. And yes, we might be spoiled by our cold weather and romantic movies and what else. But the search for it is still fun. :D
So much so actually, that for me it’s really interesting to find out, what other people dream of, what kind of beach they’d love if they could choose to live at one. Of course sooner than later this one will be spoiled as well by hordes of tourists, but then – being lonely at a dream beach is maybe not so pleasant either.
I want to drive the whole topic a bit further:
That’s why I’m planning a new site, where people can submit their own perfect beach and vote on other submissions, simply to find out what are the best beaches in the world. If you are interested in taking part in that experiment, this will be the link for the site and here you can submit your own perfect beach, with a picture and description and voting capabilities for the submitted beaches.
It’s all still under heavy construction, so the layout will surely improve and more features will be added over the next couple of weeks, but maybe it’s a start.
I know, if you are into a Robinson feeling at a secluded lonely beach, it might be counterproductive to publish more information about it, but then – maybe not. A nice beach without any infrastructure or electricity is only half *that* nice – not!?
It’s really a mixed bag, but why not let’s find out together? :-/
May 12th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
June 4th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
the first photo is a game photo
June 5th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
sonic – yep, glad you noticed. I was always amazed about the picture-perfect beaches in Far Cry, so I took a screenshot out of it. With new and more detailed Computer Games (e.g. Crysis), there should be even better artificial beach pictures available. Didn’t mean to fool anyone, though. >:)
August 8th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
[…] basically about an American traveling to Thailand. He has some strange adventures but learns about the perfect beach and tries to find it. On arrival there, things will change […]
September 10th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
I have to say I loved Guam. It has great beaches, diving, snorkeling, hiking, they use the dollar so for Americans there is not a currency issue and pretty affordable.
And I loved so many of the Beaches!!!
My vote so far is Guam…
great website!
October 31st, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Lara, Guam is nice but it cant hold a candle to the beaches in the Philippines. Besides, Guam has the highest population of snakes per capita.
November 5th, 2008 at 2:38 am
Corcovado in Costa Rica. Absolutely beautiful, remote, surrounded by good jungle and nature, and that laid back Costa Rica feel (even though it is the Pacific and not the Caribbean). Some locals around so not too secluded. One day…I’ll live there.
November 5th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Oooh I would love to visit Costa Rica too, I have a very good friend from San Jose, a VP for Intel in the States now..
November 5th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
I’m going to look up Corcovado. I visited Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica and it was pretty great …. but pretty touristy. It was damn near perfect though. Lanikai beach in Hawaii ( island of Oahu ) is fantastic also. Given that I’m in Utah right now ….. either one or any of the others mentioned sound amazing! From the sounds of some other commenters …. I might have to add Guam onto my list of “must see places”.
November 6th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Any beach on Karpathos Island in Greece. They have some of the most azure waters I have ever seen.
December 22nd, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Palolem in Goa was pretty nice 10 years ago!
December 28th, 2008 at 6:43 am
You should all try ITACOATIARA beach, in Niteroi, Brazil, just outside Rio de Janeiro. Google its images or fly there with Google Earth. Absolutely gorgeous!
April 25th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
try El Nido Palawan… and secluded Anawangin Cove in Zambales Philippines..you can also hop to its neighboring Islands(Camara and Capones) Inexpensive and breathtaking….)
April 29th, 2009 at 3:38 am
Great additions, thanks! Keep it coming guys!
April 29th, 2009 at 11:40 am
The Turtle Islands of the Southwest Philippines! (Note, there are about 10 islands in the Turtle Islands – 7 of which is in the Philippines under the administration of Tawi-tawi Province; the other 3 are under Malaysia.).
April 30th, 2009 at 7:57 am
if youre into scuba diving and wants to experience the wonders of underwater world. try Tubbataha Reef in Palawan, Philippines
http://www.scubadivephilippines.com/images/tubbataha.jpg
May 26th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Sound all very good! Thanks! =D>
June 10th, 2009 at 10:06 am
If you haven’t heard of Siesta Key, Ft. Desoto and/or Clearwater beach, you should check them out. Beautiful white sandy beach for yards… ;;)
June 10th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Going to Pagudpud in Ilocos this weekend .
Will let you know on my site what I think of it. So far this past four weeks I had been in at least 7 different beaches in the Philippines. 
June 10th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
# Rebecca PHILIPPINES –
I went to Anawangin, Capones and Camara – not very secluded as one might think, the beaches are filled with people and tents in Anawangin and all three had garbage problems. Nagsasa Cove further south, two coves away from Anawangin is better, cleaner though the sand is not fine as one might think in photos.
June 10th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Good discussion, keep it up and coming guys!
July 4th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
[…] with waterfalls (check out beautiful Tamaraw Falls!), thick jungle and countless small bays with your very own private beach just waiting to be […]
July 7th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Too commercialized? Too Quiet? Your waaay too picky if you eliminate on both of these criteria. One maybe. But if your preference for ‘perfect’ lies between these two and includes all the other criteria, then your beach does not exist. Any environmentally perfect beach will either always be too quiet, because it is relatively inaccessible, or too crowded because its awesome.
July 7th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
chris, exactly – that makes it soooo difficult to find the perfect beach!
It’s probably a perfect blend of many criteria and being just a little mixed up can ruin the best experience. One example: infrastructure – I would love to have stable and fast internet at my perfect beach, but will that correspond with natural and not over-developed? Also people: completely quiet and lonely is not for me, but where do you draw the line to the crowds of locals and international tourists? :D
July 14th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Try Bolinao, Pangasinan. I was there last year. It has the big waves you are looking for, among other things. I’ll try to make an article about my trip in my blog soon and post some photos too.
July 14th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Mixxy, I just found the Wiki article about Bolinao here with some great pictures. Definitely looks like a nice place to be! Let us know, when your trip report is ready, so I can link back to it!
July 14th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Going to Bolinao’s Patar Beach and Hundred Islands next month!
And then the Camarines Provinces after Bolinao. 
And then Cagayan de Oro, Camiguin and Iligan in September. whohoo!
July 14th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
woooooohooooo Ryan, that sounds like a nice plan. So are you vacationing or researching?
July 14th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
More like vacationing…
but also to research for my articles on the travel guide site I write for.
August 3rd, 2009 at 10:44 pm
I must agree on Philippines having the best beaches. I love the scenes in northern Palawan, El Nido and the Bacuti archepelago. And also Pulao Kapas In Malaysia is a favorite. Then it shall be said that I am yet to explore the beaches of Indonesia in Sumatra and Sulawesi this winter so I might be back with changes about the best beach..
Love the site by the way!
lin
August 4th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Linda, if you’re going to North Sulawesi, check out the island Pulau Gangga. Very nice and quiet getaway away from the tourist trail. Bunaken near Manado is also very nice, although more for snorkelling and diving. The beaches there are very slim. And I hope that I can make it to El Nido later this year…..time will tell.
August 4th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Will be spending my Christmas in El Nido! yay!!! Really can’t wait. Of course you guys know that The Beach (the book and film) was based on El Nido and Boracay- the author of the book said so.
August 5th, 2009 at 12:40 am
Ryan…i thought it was filmed in Phuket, Thailand? Anyway…ill explore the beaches of Bali, Indonesia this Christmas and ill be in El Nido next year(summer). i heard of a package 3N & 4D (from one of the tourist guides in Puerto Princesa, Palawan), Island hopping in El Nido with food and accommodation for only 9K(pesos). not that bad.. of course not including airfare.
August 5th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Hi Rebecca,
The author of The Beach, set the book in Thailand because Thailand attracts “those kind of travelers” – the backpacking type – but the inspiration was Palawan and Boracay where the author lived and traveled extensively for at least 6 months. Some of the characters and the scenes were actual descriptions of beaches and people in Palawan and Boracay.
“Garland spent six months living in the Philippines. Much of that experience was incorporated into “The Beach,” which he purposefully set in Thailand. “That’s because Thailand is more of a Mecca for a certain kind of travel, the kind of backpackers in the book,” he explains. “And I wanted to write a certain kind of book about travel.””
Check this out –
http://www.gluckman.com/BeachGarland.html
http://www.spikemagazine.com/0599alexgarland.php
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2006/feb/04/philippines.guardiansaturdaytravelsection
August 6th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Ryan and Rebecca, I also heard that it was filmed at Maya Bay near Koh Phi Phi and Krabi in Thailand. They even show off the beach to tourists. But that Alex Garland wrote the book during a holiday in the Philippines. Nice read by the way and the film with L. di Caprio is surprisingly watchable also. Leonardo is also getting better and better with his movies, just watched ‘Body of Lies’ which I thought was terrific, ‘Revolutionary Road’ with Kate Winslet was also cool, interesting topic for early retirees and nomads. :D
October 15th, 2009 at 10:21 am
For all of you who think you have seen the best beaches, you need to check out Exuma, Bahamas and you will instantly change your minds. Shroud Cay beach, Moriah Cay beach, Saddleback Cay beach are my favorites so far, there are about 1000 beaches in Exuma.
October 15th, 2009 at 10:57 am
@Ray – will check that out – although the Caribbean sounds like a big cliche, When you have been to a Philippine beach, all other beaches will look boring and having one of the longest coastlines in the world (longer than the United States), the Philippines has tens of thousands of beaches.
June 18th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
i went padang padang bali in march its got soft white sand and calm water for about 25 meters then you have got an amazing reef break to surf. there is cheap accomadation and food near by and its about 45 mins on a scooter from the airport and night life of kuta. and within a 10 mins scooter ride you have got some real balinese culture. it was really cheap and easy to find. the beach was not to quite or to busy it was the perfect balence. i think i have found my perfect beach but i have only seen so little of the world so im still on the hunt to find better!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 29th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
@JennDZ
I have a favorite beach in a greek island. The island’s name in Kefalonia and it has so many beaches to choose from. My favorite is Antisamos and Myrtos comes next. Myrtos is known for its big waves (the biggest I have ever seen – 5-6 meters), for the watter and sand color..I had the greatest time in my life there and I didn’t even spend much – something like 800 Euro together with my boyfriend.
July 29th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
According to Dr. Ricarte Javelosa of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the DENR, the sand at Boracay is unlike those in other beaches. The others have sand composed largely of silica, which explains why they get very hot under the midday sun. The powdery sand at Boracay, on the other hand, comes from finely polished crushed coral from the bedrocks of Caticlan.
August 1st, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Definately, Benidorm!