Beach holidays

Top 10 budget beach hotels and bungalows in Cambodia

January 31, 2014

Koh Thmei Resort, Koh Thmei Part of Ream national park, which is a favourite with twitchers due its 150 different kinds of birds, Koh Thmei island is a 50-minute boat ride (often accompanied by dolphin sightings) from Koh Kchhang fishing village. It feels world’s away from the rampant development of Sihanoukville on the mainland. The […]

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Top 10 budget beach hotels and hostels in Bahia, Brazil

December 4, 2013

Porto da Barra, Salvador’s favourite city beach. Photograph: Alamy Pousada Estrela do Mar, Salvador Porto da Barra beach sits at the entrance to the magnificent Baía de Todos os Santos, one of the largest bays in the world, dotted with 50 tropical islands. This is one of the great city beaches, Salvador’s equivalent of Ipanema […]

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Top 10 budget beach hotels in the Dominican Republic

November 6, 2013

The Dominican Republic is not just about merengue music and package holidays. It’s a big island (more than twice the size of Wales, and second only to Cuba in the Caribbean) so there’s plenty of room for variety and genuine Dominican life, unlike on smaller islands that are monopolised by tourism. With the all-inclusive resorts […]

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Kerala’s top 10 budget beach hotels, homestays and guesthouses

October 2, 2013

Bohemian Masala, Varkala beach Budget accommodation doesn’t get much better than this. Bohemian Masala offers an imaginative alternative to the somewhat homogenised options on Varkala beach, a backpacker colony teetering on the edge of a cliff that has spectacular ocean views. Brush the banana leaves aside in its lush tropical garden and pass under the […]

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Top 10 budget beach hotels in Malaysia

September 26, 2013

Colourful Motel, Pantai Cenang, Langkawi It is difficult to imagine a more idyllic escape than Langkawi, 104 tiny islands that shoot up out of the deep blue Andaman Sea, offering divine beaches, coral-reef diving, jungle walks and accommodation that caters for every budget, from total luxury to funky backpacker hostels like Colourful Motel. The motel […]

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Greece: top 10 budget beach hotels in the Peloponnese

August 27, 2013

Simos Camping, Elafonisos The small island of Elafonisos, just off the south-east corner of the Peloponnese, used to be a well-guarded secret. It’s two beaches of perfect white sand, said to rival those of the South Seas, were only mentioned in hushed whispers. The secret is now out, but it is still mainly Greeks who […]

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Turkey: top 10 budget beach hotels on the Aegean coast

August 14, 2013

Paradise Garden, Fethiye Located at the meeting point of the Aegean and the Mediterranean, Fethiye is home to plenty of sandy beaches and the celebrated Ölüdeniz lagoon, (meaning "dead sea" due to its calm turquoise waters). Up a steep hill, Paradise Garden is massive property set on 30 acres of land with a panoramic view […]

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Spain: best budget beach hotels on the Costa Brava and Costa Dorada

August 8, 2013

Hotel Casamar, Llafranc The hugely friendly, family-run Casamar does simple extremely well, and does sophisticated right where it counts – in the Michelin-starred kitchen. The lobby, sitting area and dining room are nattily designed, but the modest bedrooms are all about the view. Painted white and free of adornment, they are bright and peaceful, with […]

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Portugal’s Alentejo coast: 10 best budget beach hotels and campsites

August 2, 2013

The beaches of Portugal’s Alentejo region are mostly part of the south-west Alentejo and Vicentina Coast natural park, making this one of Europe’s best-preserved coastlines. But while strict planning laws have restricted the building of high rises, you can still find lovely places to stay on the beach for well under €100 for two B&B. […]

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South Italy’s best budget beach hotels

June 19, 2013

Although destinations such as Capri and the Amalfi coast have long been on the tourist map, other stretches of southern Italian coastline still have an insider’s cachet. Even Puglia, which has become a popular low-cost flight destination for off-season sun-seekers, has its secret bays and deserted strands. The challenge, in a country which despite the […]

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