Best Luxury Beach Holiday Ideas

What’s your idea of the perfect holiday? Riding across the majestic savannah in Kenya? Enjoying exclusive access to a Buddhist ceremony in a remote Bhutanese monastery? Or just sitting on a beach having a well-earned rest from the rigours of daily life back home?

Let's face it, scratching beneath the surface of a foreign culture or pushing your body to its physical limits is all well and good, but some old fashioned R&R on a white sand and palm-fringed beach, pina colada and Kindle in hand is hard to beat. Well, maybe not the pina colada bit.

Below are our favourite peachy beachy destinations, in countries around the world so you could - in theory, and bank balance/holiday entitlement allowing - enjoy some beach action in every month of the year.

Where to go

Maldives

Paradise islands don’t come much better than the Maldives.

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Seychelles

An ideal choice for anybody looking for lower-key beach time than is provided by the glitzier Maldives or Mauritius.

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Mauritius

This tiny Indian Ocean island has long set the standard for tropical luxury holidays.

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St Barths

A tiny eight square mile corner of France in the Caribbean, St Barths is pretty idyllic and a firm Original Travel favourite.

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Anguilla

Possibly Original Travel’s favourite hangout in the whole Caribbean, Anguilla oozes laidback charm.

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Antigua

With 365 beaches to choose from, you'll need expert advice to seek out Antigua's best spots on your luxury holiday.

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Barbados

Barbados. The name alone summons up images of palm-fringed beaches, cricket, polo and rum punches. Not a bad little combo.

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Mancora

Mention Peru and most people will visualise dramatic Andean scenery, the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu or the mysterious Nazca lines. What they almost certainly won’t be thinking about is hip and happening beach resorts and a surfing and social scene to rival that in other Latin American hotspots such as Buzios or Jose Ignacio.

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Where to stay

Vamizi Island

Vamizi is an eight-mile long finger of jungle covered island, fringed by idyllic sandy beaches and pristine coral reefs. It also happens to be about the most idyllic barefoot luxury destination on the planet.

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Six Senses Zighy Bay

Zighy Bay has a dramatic setting on the Musandam Peninsula, an exclave of the Sultanate of Oman, separated from the rest of Oman by the United Arab Emirates.

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Soneva Fushi

A luxury hideaway on the island of Kunfunadhoo in the Baa Atoll. Reaching the resort involves a half-hour scenic flight by seaplane from the Maldives’ capital of Malé.

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Hotel Esencia

Hotel Esencia is a chic beach retreat set on a two-mile stretch of white-sand beach along the ‘Riviera Maya’ of Mexico’s Yucatán coast.

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Viceroy Anguilla, luxury hotel in Mexico

Four Seasons Anguilla

The Four Seasons Anguilla is among the best of the Caribbean luxury hotels, and on one of our favourite islands, too.

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Nihi Sumba Island (Nihiwatu)

In 2016 and 2017, luxury hotel Nihi Sumba Island was declared the number one hotel in the world by Travel + Leisure Magazine. With a mile long beach exclusive to hotel guests, a private surf break, and a sustainable tourism project that sees a portion of the resorts profits repatriated into the local community we can easily see why.

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Cheval Blanc St-Barth Isle de France

Situated on one of the island’s most breathtaking beaches is this luxurious intimate property, which combines tropical beachfront luxury with French sophistication.

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Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel

Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel has set itself a modest goal - to be the finest luxury family resort in Europe. We like what we see so far.

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Skiing Holidays

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City Breaks

Think of a holiday destination and it's likely that a palm-fringed beach springs to mind, but don't rule out the good old fashioned city break. By definition we're talking short transfers and a perfect distillation of the country in question's cultural highlights in one conveniently accessible destination. Then there are more than likely some seriously slick hotels (both big and boutique), excellent restaurants and top shopping to boot.