Beaches

The Brazilian coast in the south of Brazil offers some amazing views, great beaches and overall incredible nature. The sand is almost always perfect and the weather rarely disappoints. I left Rio for Paraty, four hours down the coast. This little colonial town is a very popular tourist destination and it's easy to understand why I soon as you take a few steps in town. The whole village w... read more »

Visited: January 2014 Posted: 21/02/2014 Brazil

When I left a year ago, Rio was supposed to be the end of my trip. According to my plan, I should be writing this from Europe, getting ready to go back to a less nomadic life. [Things have changed](/2013/09/why-iam-in-montreal-right-now) a lot since then and Rio ended up to be the end of an amazing year but also the start of a great new one. My brother joined me for ten days in the most ... read more »

Visited: January 2014 Posted: 13/01/2014 Brazil

Byron Bay is the backpacker town *par excellence*. Laid back and turned toward alternative lifestyles, Byron is also a good surf spot. I signed up for a four hours lesson with Mojosurf. Starting early we were dropped off a beach near town. Luckily we were a small group so the instructor had more time for each of us. The lesson starts on the beach with some basic knowledge about waves and... read more »

Visited: August 2013 Posted: 21/08/2013 Australia

I came to Fraser Island without knowing much about it. Like most of places I go I don't know much about them before actually being there. I didn't know it was World Heritage listed or that it was the biggest sand island in the world for example. Fraser was one of the top places to visit (and everyone will tell you to go) so I booked a 2 days/1 night tour. What a pleasant surprise I got... read more »

Visited: August 2013 Posted: 14/08/2013 Australia

The Whitsunday Islands is a group of islands of the coast of Queensland which are best explored via sailing trips. The most common starting point is Airlie Beach, a really nice seaside town. From there, every shop and hostel will be happy to sell you a sailing tour. I chose a reconverted racing boat on a two days, one night trip. Named Siska, the boat had a very interesting history and i... read more »

Visited: August 2013 Posted: 11/08/2013 Australia

Short stop in Nha Trang between two night buses to try out diving in Vietnam. The place is famous for its beaches and is a very big touristic location. I had heard good things about the diving there and after more than 2 months without going underwater, I wanted to do some dives. I booked a 3 dives trip with Rainbow Divers for 90$. I would happily recommend them as the equipment was new... read more »

Visited: May 2013 Posted: 07/06/2013 Vietnam

Some sunshine after this depressing last post! Cambodia's coast has some long white beaches and a few not-yet-developed islands. While not as beautiful as the islands in Thailand, the beaches of Cambodia are much cheaper! Sihanoukville is surrounded by a few beaches and has a large choice of accommodations and restaurants. ![Independence Beach](http://travelingcoder.com/media/taking-th... read more »

Visited: May 2013 Posted: 20/05/2013 Cambodia

I ended my tour of South Thailand in Ko Tao, the smallest of the famous three islands in the Bay of Thailand. I avoided Ko Phangan as outside of the Full Moon Party there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference with Samui where I stayed a couple of nights. I really loved Ko Tao and if I had listen to myself I would have stayed far too long. A few people I met there came "for 3 days, 3 months ... read more »

Visited: March 2013 Posted: 18/03/2013 Thailand

Ko Samui is a big island with many beaches and the main accommodation is your standard big resort. Nothing fancy there and you can safely skip it if you're on a schedule. I can't say I was very motivated to do much visiting either. The hostel I stayed in, called The Lounge in Bo Phut, was a great place to socialize. The Fisherman's Village, not far from there, makes for a nice evening out w... read more »

Visited: March 2013 Posted: 16/03/2013 Thailand

Unlike most tourists, I arrived in Thailand by boat! It's a short (but expensive: 1200B) ride from [Langkawi](http://travelingcoder.com/2013/03/penang-and-langkawi) to Ko Lipe, the first island in my 10 days island hopping trip in the Andaman Sea. Ko Lipe is small with two main beaches where resorts line up. None of them are the classical tourist factory but rather small, ranging from very ba... read more »

Visited: Mars 2013 Posted: 08/03/2013 Thailand

The north west of Malaysia has two well known islands, usually on the route of most backpackers: Penang and Langkawi. Each has its own style. I arrived in Penang via Butterworth after a 7h train ride. It's longer than taking the bus but I usually prefer the train, the ride is smoother and there's more space for the legs. It gives me time to work a little bit ;) Georgetown is much more develo... read more »

Visited: Febuary 2013 Posted: 01/03/2013 Malaysia

After a few nights in North Goa, we sought that it would be nice to try out South Goa, even if it's for one night only. I'm glad we did because I liked it much more than the North. We stopped in Palolem in a nice hotel not far from the beach (very good quality/price ratio). The best would have been to find a hut along the beach which is the main kind of accommodation but we'd decided to come ... read more »

Visited: January 2013 Posted: 15/01/2013 India

Goa is famous around the world for its beaches and party vibe. Hippies have also made it their home but apart from the laid back atmosphere, I haven't seen what I would called "real hippies". It seems they are further north. We stayed in Vagator, right beside Anjuna, where party people enjoy trance music on the beach during the day and go clubbing at night. Loads of (younger) travelers and Rus... read more »

Visited: January 2013 Posted: 14/01/2013 India

For christmas, I traveled for the first time to the Maldives, a country made of islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean, south of India. The Maldives are extraordinarily beautiful. There are hundreds of islands grouped in atolls. Most islands are quite small, the average size being a few hundred meters in diameter. The vegetation can be luxuriant and the water is crystal clear at around 30... read more »

Visited: 23/12/2011 Posted: 04/07/2012 Maldives