From: etobhag@etn.ericsson.se (Boerge Haga 2634)
Subject: Re: What's your favorite beach?
Organization: Ericsson Telecom AS, Oslo, Norway
Date: 8 Jan 93 18:58:20

In article <1993Jan8.155214.3103@sbcs.sunysb.edu> vernick@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Michael Vernick) writes:

   I love the beach!  I'd like to compile a list of the worlds best
   beaches.  Send me a list of your favorite beaches and the reasons
   why.  Some criteria include sand, water, waves, food and drink, hotels,
   people, etc... Also include a list of cons, if any. I'll post a summary.

MY SUGGESTIONS:

Beachcomber Island, Fiji: 
   Beautiful Island of the Pacific kind. The island is very small, and one
   can circle the island by foot in 15 minutes. The island is on the west
   side of the main island. The island has only one accomodation, and it's
   possible to have a budget accomodation here if wanted, or one can rent
   a private 'bure' (bungalow) with all the necessary facilities. Great
   place for scuba-diving. All meals are included in the accomodation
   rates. The island is frequently visited by backpackers (around-the-
   world travellers) because of the possibility to stay there cheap.
   This also makes this island kind of a party place. With party I don't
   mean disco, but everyone are meeting in the bar in the evening to
   have the last meal, listen to live music from the local band, joining
   line-dances(?), betting on crab-races, watching cultural shows, win
   the mister Beachcomber competition etc. Go there, I recommend it!

Magic Island, Fiji:
   A very small island with no accomodation not far from Beachcomber Island.
   The island is so small that there are nearly no trees there if any.
   The island is only visited by day-tourists. the island has a small
   restaurant and a souvenir shop. The sand is extremely white, and the
   water is clear blue. Doplhins are swimming a few hundred meters from
   the shore there because they use the corals around the islands as 
   protection against sharks etc. The island is excellent for scuba-diving.

Ponda Island, outside Krabi - Thailand:
   An island about 10 minutes boat trip from the shore. The island has no
   buildings at all. All you want to eat except coconuts and other wild
   fruits should be brought along from the mainland. The sand and water
   is probably the nicest I have seen in Thailand (I have been to Koh Samui
   and Phi-Phi island as well). It's an excellent place for scuba-diving.
   The time I was there I got thirsty, so I asked the guide if it was
   possible to buy something to drink somewhere. He laughed at me, climbed
   up a coconut tree, fetched a coconut, opened it and gave it to me to
   drink. I really got the feeling of being Robinson Crusoe on this
   island.

Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui - Thailand:
   Very long and nice beach, but more touristy than the other places I
   mentioned since lot of accomodations are lying on the beach.

Phi Phi Islands (Phi Phi Don) - Thailand
   This is two small islands between Phuket and the mainland. Phi Phi Don
   has nice beaches while Phi Phi Ley is more rocky. The sand and water
   is excellent, and the place is not too crowded. The place is excellent
   for scuba-diving.

A coral island outside Pattaya:
   I think this island went by the name of just Coral Island, but I'm not
   sure. This Island compares to Phi Phi Island.

Maegans bay - St. Thomas:
   This is something completely different than the beaches I have listed
   over of course. It's more crowded because of cruise passengers. But 
   the sand and water is excellent. The beach is very long. I have heard
   that this beach has been listed in National Geographic as one of the
   top ten in the world.

Labadee - Haithi:
   Private beach for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. This place was very nice
   with excellent sand and water. The vegetation and the shelter from other
   places except coming the seaway, made this a very nice beach.

Makronissos beach, Ayia Napa - Cyprus:
   Very blue water with yellow/white sand. Unfortunately the beach is rather
   crowded. When I was there the weather was very hot, the water temperature
   was too high and there were very few showers there except on the hotels.

Some beach (forgot the name), Eastside of Rhodes - Greece:
   The beach is on the way to Lindos from Rhodes town (It's not Faliraki).
   The beach is lying colse to a golf-court as far as I remember. Maybe
   someone can help me. The water is crystal clear, but the sand is rather
   dark. The beach is extremely long, and at least when I was there the last
   time (1988) it was not many people or tourists there.

Tioman Island Resort, tioman Island - Malaysia: 
   The island is on the eastcoast of the main part of Malaysia (East of
   Mersing). The water is very nice and the sand is nice. It doesn't have
   the Pacific look, but the vegetation gives the place a very exotic and
   jungle-like look. The Island has been named as one of the ten most 
   beautiful places in the world, and this was the place where South
   Pacific was filmed some time in the 50s.
--
Boerge Haga
Ericsson AS, Norway
e-mail:etobhag@etnxb.eua.ericsson.se