Australia · Australia
Whitehaven Beach alone would make the Whitsundays worth the trip. The silica sand is so fine and so white it squeaks underfoot, and the swirling turquoise patterns at Hill Inlet look like something Photoshopped into existence. But there are 74 islands here, most of them uninhabited, all of them fringed by the Great Barrier Reef. Sailing is the classic way to experience the Whitsundays, with multi-day catamaran trips running from Airlie Beach for around $500-800 AUD. Hamilton Island offers the resort experience, complete with a golf course and cocktail bars, while the outer reef delivers some of the best snorkeling and diving in the Southern Hemisphere. The water temperature rarely dips below 24 degrees, which means stinger suits are a bigger concern than wetsuits.
Ten Caribbean beaches that still feel the way Negril and Aruba did before the cruise-ship era — uninhabited cays in the Grenadines, black sand below the Pitons, four-mile stretches with a single beach bar. With access notes, costs, and how to chain them into a two-week loop.
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Western Australia's Margaret River region delivers heavy reef breaks at Surfers Point, sheltered swimming at Gnarabup and Yallingup, 200 cellar doors pouring premium wine, and the 135-kilometer Cape to Cape coastal walk.
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Box jellyfish in Australia, man-of-war in the Atlantic, mauve stingers in the Mediterranean -- here's how to identify the jellyfish in your water, what actually treats a sting (hot water, not urine), and when to get to a hospital.
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Krabi zone by zone: Railay's world-class climbing and photogenic caves, Ao Nang's restaurant scene and tour departures, island-hopping to sandbar formations and Hong Lagoon, Phi Phi's restored Maya Bay, plus the Emerald Pool and hot springs. Includes THB prices, longtail boat costs, and dry vs. wet season comparison.
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Los Roques sits 160 kilometers north of Caracas — 350 islands and cays with some of the healthiest coral reefs and emptiest beaches left in the Caribbean. This guide covers the cays, the diving, the bonefishing, and how to navigate a trip to Venezuela.
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Noosa's north-facing beaches deliver year-round calm swimming, a national park with koalas and hidden coves, point break surfing, and kayaking through the only everglades system outside Florida.
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