Travel

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

Andalucía’s 10 best budget beach hotels

April 11, 2013

Hotel California, Malaga This old gem is just east of Malaga’s town centre, beyond the bullring, in an avenue of once-grand villas. Playa Caleta, the main city beach, swings around the bay, a block in front, though modern high-rises cause you to play hide and seek with sea views. Behind the bottle-green facade of the […]

Jamaica’s best beach hotels and accommodation on a budget

March 20, 2013

The Rockhouse, West End, Negril If you’re after the cliff-edge drama of the West End, but don’t fancy slumming it, the Rockhouse is probably for you. Some of the West End’s most upmarket hotels are so antiseptic and uptight you’d hardly know you were in Jamaica, but the Rockhouse has managed to combine modern boutique […]

Eastern Caribbean’s top 10 beach accommodation on a budget: from Antigua to the British Virgin Islands

March 1, 2013

Galley Bay Cottages, Antigua Tucked away on a hillside in a quiet area of north-west Antigua – and a stone’s throw from Giorgio Armani’s cliffside estate – Galley Bay Cottages are a rare find on an island where pricey all-inclusives and super-high-end resorts seem to dominate. These four one- and two-bedroom cottages have great sea […]

Florida’s best beach hotels and places to stay on a budget

February 13, 2013

The Sunshine State has more than 600 miles of beaches, some of them regarded among the best in the world. Whether you’re catching Atlantic Ocean waves on Florida’s East Coast or slipping your toes into the powdery white sand of one of the Gulf Coast barrier islands along the west, here’s our pick of the […]