Tropical Beach Destinations We’re Dreaming of Right Now

The prospect of reopening the borders in the European Union looks good, but it’s way too early for intercontinental travel. That’s why in this month’s post-lockdown travel inspiration, we’re sharing the tropical beach destinations we’re currently dreaming of. Most of these destinations have been on our travel bucket list for a while and we can’t wait to finally tick them off. Who wouldn’t love to swim in crystal clear, turquoise waters right now?!

Perhentian Islands, Malaysia

The Perhentian Islands are a place we’ve been longing to visit for a while now, but timing was never right. The Perhentian Islands are located in the South Chinese Sea off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The archipelago consists of two main islands (Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecir) and five uninhabited islands. The Perhentian Islands are known for their pristine white-sand beaches, turquoise waters and palm trees. There are lots of snorkeling and diving spots around the islands and it’s one of the most budget-friendly destinations to get your diving certificates. here is a heavy monsoon period between November and February during which the islands are mostly closed off to tourists. This monsoon period is the reason why we haven’t visited the Perhentian Islands yet. We’d love to explore the islands and get our diving certificates at the Perhentian Islands!

Whitsunday Islands, Australia

The Whitsunday Islands is another place that has been on our bucket list for a while. We were actually thinking about going there by the end of this year, but we don’t think that will be possible. The Whitsundays are such a unique and stunning destination. There are 74 islands that are located off the northeast coast of Australia. The Whitsundays are located within the Great Barrier Reef which is the world’s largest coral reef system. Obviously, the Whitsundays are perfect for snorkeling and diving and we’d love to explore the underwater world in the Great Barrier Reef. And how about a helicopter tour after that to witness all that beauty from above?!

El Nido, the Philippines

El Nido is an area on the island of Palawan in the Bacuit Bay in the Philippines. El Nido is well-known for its white-sand beaches, limestone cliffs and coral reef which look absolutely stunning. The rainy season in Palawan is from June to November, so keep that in mind when planning a trip. Unlike the Perhentian Islands, El Nido and Palawan are still accessible during the rainy season. El Nido is the perfect base to explore the other islands in the Bacuit Bay as well, which we’d love to do. There are also multiple hiking trails up the limestone cliffs for beautiful viewpoints and waterfalls. We would love to explore the beaches in El Nido and of course the underwater world.

Komodo, Indonesia

Komodo is an island in Indonesia and is home to the world’s largest living legend: the aptly named Komodo dragon. More Komodo dragons (2500) than humans (2000) live on the island, so there’s nature in abundance. Besides dragon-spotting, the island also has a pink beach to offer. It’s Mika’s dream to visit a pink beach one day (or actually, to visit all pink beaches on Earth) so this would be perfect. Komodo Island is also a great spot for snorkeling and diving. The waters around the island are full of colorful fish and coral. Who doesn’t dream of laying down at a pink beach, swimming in crystal clear waters among the beautiful coral and fish and maybe even spotting a Komodo dragon too?!

Travel Inspiration Komodo Island, Indonesia

Ogasawara Islands, Japan

The Ogasawara Islands, also known as the Bonin Islands, are 30 (sub)tropical islands south of Tokyo. Only two islands are inhabited: Chichijima (around 2000 inhabitants) and Hahajima (around 440 inhabitants). The Ogasawara Islands are part of the Tokyo Metropolis Subprefecture, so they’re basically Tokyo’s (sub)tropical islands. There are a few reasons why we’d love to visit these islands. The first reason is because of the interesting flora and fauna on the islands. The Ogasawara Islands have never been connected to a continent which has resulted in unique evolutionary processes. The islands are therefore often referred to as the Galapagos of the Orient. We’d love to see this with our own eyes. Another reason why we’d love to visit this place is because it’s so remote. The only way to get to Chichijima or Hahajima is by a 25.5-hour boat ride from Tokyo. The boat only rides around 4 to 5 times a month. We’d love to explore this part of Japan and witness the beautiful and unique nature of the islands.

Tropical beaches we wouldn’t mind returning to

One of the things we love most about traveling is to revisit places we love. That’s why we’re also dreaming of these tropical beach destinations that we’d love to return to.

Koh Yao Yai, Thailand

Koh Yao Yai is a small island off the coast of Phuket that we visited in December 2017. Koh Yao Yai is one of the few non-touristy islands left in Thailand and we loved our time there. We simply drove around the island on a scooter and explored every part of it. Koh Yao Yai has beautiful white-sand beaches with stunning turquoise waters. Especially Laem Had Beach located on the most northern part on the island can’t be missed. During low tide, beautiful sand banks are formed just off the coast. There are endless palm trees for that real tropical feeling. We wouldn’t mind taking a dip in the water there!

Nusa Penida, Indonesia

Our favorite island in Indonesia is Nusa Penida. The stunning nature of the island completely blew us away. You have to visit Dinosaur Head and Kelingking Beach during your stay on the island, it’s breathtakingly stunning. We explored the island by scooter, which is a bit of a struggle as the roads aren’t the best everywhere. However, the have seen great improvements over the past few years so there’s a big chance that this is way better now. Besides the beautiful nature, the underwater world around Nusa Penida is amazing too. We loved to end the day at Crystal Bay for some afternoon snorkeling and to watch the sunset. Crystal Bay is a beautiful place for snorkeling without having to book a snorkel trip. Lots of snorkel and diving trips are organised too, in case you get bored of the colorful coral and fish in Crystal Bay. We’d love to explore the island in the morning and relax at Crystal Bay in the afternoon and early evening again!

Langkawi, Malaysia

Langkawi is located off the west coast of Malaysia and, unlike the Perhentian Islands, doesn’t have a heavy monsoon season. Langkawi is accessible all year round, but the best time to visit the island is from January to March. Langkawi Island is quite large and there’s lots to explore, from mangrove tours to hiking in the jungle and of course visiting the beaches. One of the island’s main attractions is the Langkawi Sky Bridge which is 660m high and offers a beautiful view over Langkawi and its surrounding islands. We would love to explore Langkawi once more, swimming in the crystal-clear turquoise sea and watching a stunning tropical island sunset to top it off.