Experience coastal gems at their most spectacular, most relaxing – sometimes even most affordable – with a beach holiday for every month of the year.
Start the year with a bang(kok) – or better yet, bypass the Thai capital and make a beeline for one of the country’s islands. Less touristy than Phuket or Koh Samui, Koh Chang is known for its natural beauty and stunning dive sites. January is the “cool season” when humidity drops, although high temperatures still sit around 30C and lows above 20C. Check in to the new Dinso Resort & Villas Koh Chang on Klong Prao Beach for seaside bliss.
Yes, it’s the wet season in the north of Queensland, and monsoonal rain, cyclones and stingers probably aren’t on your holiday wishlist – but hear us out. February tends to mean fewer tourists, cheaper prices and baby turtles on the beach during hatching season at Mon Repos on the Southern Great Barrier Reef, near Bundaberg. Go this year to take advantage of NRMA Turtle Sands’ opening specials on beach villas, glamping tents and campsites.
Tropical flowers are flourishing, humpbacks passing by and waterfalls rushing. The water is warm, and winter’s big swells are subsiding. March is an ideal time to visit Hawaii’s Big Island. Choose Kona for its white and black beaches, the annual Kona Brewers Festival (March 8), and the recently renovated Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa. From Hilo, join the Big Island Marathon (March 16) for breathtaking coastal views and options including shorter runs and a walk.
With minimal rainfall, warm water, fewer tourists and shoulder-season prices, Okinawa’s beaches are extra alluring in April. And this year, there’s a new reason to head to Miyako Island, with 55 luxury oceanfront pool villas opening at Rosewood’s first Japanese property. Score opening special rates at Rosewood Miyakojima for about half the price you’ll pay in the July peak season.
It’s known for epic surf, but the tropical beaches of Siargao Island offer much more. May is the driest month, inviting island-hopping adventures and bringing waves suitable for beginners. Pick of the beaches when it comes to barefoot luxury is at Nay Palad Hideaway, a beachfront resort that’s been completely rebuilt since it was destroyed by a typhoon in 2021. Set near the island’s hidden gem Secret Beach, it has watersports, kids’ play areas, and movies on the sand.
Turquoise lagoons, relaxed vibes and, more recently, cheap Jetstar flights make the Cook Islands the ultimate beach getaway. Muri Beach is considered the best on the main island of Rarotonga. Its calm lagoon is popular for snorkelling, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, or kick back at a beach bar. Go in June for idyllic weather and to check out the freshly renovated Muri Beach Club Hotel.
The school-holiday crowds have gone, cyclone season is long past, the weather’s warm and dry, and snorkelling visibility is at its best. August is prime time to pull up a patch of pristine sand on one of Fiji’s 333 islands, and few spots compare with Malamala – the world’s first beach club with an entire private island to itself. With a new adults-only infinity pool and expanded beach massage area added last year, the island is a daytrip from major resorts.
It’s always beautiful, but come September, Cable Beach’s allure steps up a notch. The weather’s practically perfect, sunsets are extra special, and the fishing’s fabulous. The Shinju Matsuri festival brings cocktail and dinner events to the beach in early September, and it’s the season for the remarkable Staircase to the Moon phenomenon (stay at the Mangrove Hotel to ensure a prime viewing position). This September is even more astronomically appealing thanks to a total lunar eclipse.
Kalo Livadi is one of Mykonos’s longest and liveliest beaches, home to several beach clubs and a 2019 Lindsay Lohan reality show. This year, a luxury resort joins the line-up, with the addition of Four Seasons Mykonos. Touted as a “destination in its own right”, it is slated to open in summer, but to enjoy a quieter, less-crowded beach scene, hold off until the shoulder season. In early October the water is still warm and the prices are cheaper.
This beautiful beach village comes with super-sized benefits – the biggest creatures on Earth. Blue whales frequent the Indian Ocean off Mirissa, with November the start of prime whale-watching season. When you’ve finished spotting the giants of the ocean, it’s time to kick back at The Beach House, an elegant, six-bedroom Reveal Collection villa. Meanwhile, Intrepid Travel’s 15-day Best of Sri Lanka tour includes a Mirissa beach break plus more island highlights.
With its white beaches, and a reputation for affordability, the pearl island of Phu Quoc is a destination on the rise. Visa-free entry for international travellers, coupled with newly launched bargain Scoot flights from Singapore, make it extra accessible. Then there are the gorgeous new resorts. The stunning Regent Phu Quoc is set on picturesque Long Beach and has rooms that make the most of the lush gardens and tropical sunset views, while the waterfront Park Hyatt Phu Quoc, styled on a Vietnamese village, is coming later this year.
See also:
Australia's best beaches according to actual Australians
8 Aussie beaches that are better than Hawaii, Italy and the Maldives
Why Aussies should never go to the beach with a Brit
Thailand is well known for its beautiful beaches, but this gem - with its brilliant mix of adventure, relaxation and excellent eateries - could be the pick of the bunch.
Mission: Impossible star Tom Cruise is one of the very discerning high-end clients of this Queensland company. WELCOME TO HIGH STEAKS