Beach and island trips work a little differently on this site. Rather than a country guide, this is a short list of hotels we would send friends to, spread across the Indian Ocean, Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and Brazil. Some are on islands of their own, some are small family places, and a few are long-established resorts that have kept their standards for decades.
What they share is simple. Each one has a strong setting, whether that is a reef-fringed island, a quiet cove or a beach below green hills. The water is the point, so we look closely at the snorkeling, the beach and the boats. And each feels like the place it is in, with food, design and staff rooted in the island or coast around it.
Many of our beach trips start with a safari. A few nights in Zanzibar, Mozambique, the Seychelles or Mauritius after a week in the bush is one of the easiest ways to finish a trip to Africa. Use the list below as a starting point and we can build the route around it.
At beach hotels, the villa matters as much as the hotel. Beachfront or over the water, the sunrise or sunset side, near the kids' club or at the quiet end of the island: each choice changes the stay. Seaplane, boat and light-aircraft transfers also have to line up with international flights, and the best villas for school holidays go many months ahead. We help you choose hotels, villas and seasons, pair them with a safari or a city, book the hotels and transfers, and are your point of contact before and during the trip.
As Fora advisors, we can often add perks through Fora Reserve and hotel brands' own advisor programs, such as daily breakfast, a hotel credit or an upgrade when one is free, at many properties where available.
Beach and island travel depends on healthy reefs, seagrass and nesting beaches. A few habits make a real difference.
Somewhere on this list is in season every month of the year. Here is how the main regions fall.
The Maldives is best from December to April, in the dry northeast monsoon. Zanzibar is best from June to October and again from December to February, with the long rains in April and May. Mozambique's Bazaruto Archipelago is best in the dry months from May to November. The Seychelles is good all year. Mauritius is best from April to June and September to December, while January to March is hot, humid and the main cyclone risk.
Good all year. December to April is humpback whale season off Maui and the Big Island, and the north-facing shores get big winter surf. Summer brings calmer seas and dry days on the leeward coasts where most resorts are.
December to April is the dry season and the peak. Humpback whales winter off Los Cabos and Punta Mita from about December to March. The hurricane season runs from June to November. On Mexico's Caribbean coast, seaweed called sargassum can wash up on the beaches, mostly from spring through summer.
May to October, with June and September the best months. The sea is warmest from July to September, and most resort hotels close from November to April.
On Thailand's Andaman coast, including Phuket and Phang Nga Bay, the dry season runs from about November to April. The southwest monsoon brings rain and rougher seas from about May to October.
Rio is warm all year. December to March is hot and humid, with New Year and Carnival the busiest weeks. April to October is milder and drier, and lines up with jaguar season in the Pantanal from about July to October.
Southeast Asia on this list means Thailand's Andaman coast: the quieter west-facing bays of Phuket and the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay. The sea is warm all year, and the food is a reason to go on its own.
Go from November to April, outside the southwest monsoon.
The Mediterranean is our summer beach choice: the Amalfi Coast, Portofino, the Riviera, the Greek islands and the Balearics. Here the towns, the food and the boats matter as much as the beach.
The sea is warm from June to October, and most hotels close over the winter.
Mexico and the Caribbean are the short-haul beach trips from the US. Los Cabos and Punta Mita face the Pacific, the Riviera Maya the Caribbean, and St Barths, Antigua and Virgin Gorda are the classic island stays.
December to April is the season, well outside hurricane months.
The Indian Ocean is where most of our safaris end. Zanzibar and Mozambique's Bazaruto Archipelago are a short flight from the bush, and the Seychelles, Mauritius and the Maldives are a longer hop.
We match the island to your safari month and to how many nights you have.
Every itinerary begins with a conversation. Tell us what you have in mind and you’ll hear back from Mark within one business day.
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