South Africa: From Cape Town To Coffee Bay - It maybe the road-trippers favourite, but travel into the wild coast that lies beyond to discover rugged beach beauty at its best.
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Start your road trip off in the boho-beach town of Muizenberg, with a delicious breakfast, complete with a jaw-dropping beach view. With a slightly edgier vibe than expected, this quirky little town lies picturesque, scattered with an array of rainbow-coloured Victorian beach huts, by the sea. Let your sense guide you to the next stop on the Garden Route, Nature's Valley, where the jagged mountains are softened by the luscious green jungle and the sounds of serenity can be heard rolling on by. Oh nature's valley where have you been all our lives? Beyond Port Elizabeth and into the wild coast lies little coffee bay, whose gold sands unfold onto the Mpako River, in the last leg of its journey into the south Indian sea. With spectacular views of tumbling hills, Coffee Bay is a definite road trip high light.
California: From LA to San Francisco - In true American-movie road trip style begin in the heart of LA, Santa Barbara, before meandering down the coastline, in your vintage Chevrolet, to San Fran.
Boasting scattered palm trees, swaying ferns and a wharf gilded with yachts, the East beach in Santa Monica oozes beauty. Your next stop falls into the somewhat secret and pretty hard to find beach category, the Big Sur. Breaking the usual Cali mould, this rugged coastline is home to Pfeiffer Beach, with its purple sand and peppered with rock pools it boasts eye watering views out across the ocean. Next on the list, 17-Mile Drive, a visual treat of panoramic views and magnificent surroundings, accessed only via a private stretch called Pebble Beach. Again this is not your typical Californian beach for sunbathing, but then again, as we always insist, that's not what all beaches are for. Most, but not all.
Vietnam: From Hanoi to Phu Quoc - From the spicy street on Hanoi to Pho Quoc island, explore Vietnams stunning stretch of coastline both by car and bicycle.
Nestled in the surround Cat Ba national park, just half an hours boat ride from Halong Bay, lies little Lan Ha Bay. With over 130 bijou beaches, most too small to even weigh down a name, paddle out, kayak-style and explore these nameless specks of paradise and the slithers of sand they call their own. After this continue on to the 20 miles of sweet sprawling, silky sand, sweeping the breadth of Cua Dai. Here personal space come as part of the package, with Cua Dai literally translating as 'Big Sea Mouth', a spot physically unable to disappoint, with miles of, what seems like, never ending coastline at your disposal. It starts at the ancient romantic town of Hoi An and weaves along the coast to the city of Da Nang. Kick back and soak in the panorama, before setting off to Phu Quoc, in the gulf of Thailand, were you will be greeted with some of Southeast Asia’s most beautiful beaches. Bai Sao beach may be a little tricky to get to, but with helpful local willing to lend a hand it is well worth the effort to visit this isolated tropical treat. Here you can enjoy some of the sumptuous seafood and have yourself a seriously scrumptious beach break.
