South China Morning Post

September 17, 2002

Shore Things - Travel Section, p. 5

IT MUST BE one of the most subjective topics a traveller could broach: what is the best beach in Asia? One person's favourite might be declared "the most romantic spot in the world". Another could gush over the "great parties" and "high energy nightlife", while for someone else, it's the nitty gritty that counts. ("I can still tell if I have dirt under my toenails through three feet of water", enthuses one beach fan, when describing the water clarity at Boracay, in the Philippines.)

What became obvious from more than 12,400 replies to an online poll by travel service www.asiahotels.com is that everyone has their own idea of paradise. And most seemed convinced they found it in either the Philippines (which finished in pole position), Malaysia (with five of the top 10 beaches), Thailand (two), the Maldives or Australia, which scored one each. Whether or not this represents a definitive result will no doubt be open to debate. The fact that 23 per cent of the voters came from Singapore could have influenced the Malaysian factor, while a few punters, with replies like "I am instantly struck breathless by the mere sight…of its photo" clearly had not set foot on the sand they were voting for.

Armchair surfers and near neighbours aside, Boracay, in the Philippines, won hands down with 2,398 votes - 19.3 per cent of the total. Its appeal ranged from the food ("deadly platters of calorie bursting delicacies"), to value for money ("reasonable price for a paradise adventure"), to the friendly people ("all those pretty human beings really made my stay worthwhile.") Jon Stonham, chief executive of asia-hotels.com, is not surprised at this result, saying Boracay is a well-known destination appealing to the mass market. "It has all sorts of things for all sorts of people; is great for families with its gently sloping beach, and a good drop-off for diving." He says.

If there were any surprises, it was revelations of "sleepers"- little-known beaches in out-of-the-way spots that, while not making it anywhere near the top 10, receive a significant number of votes. These include Phan Thiet and Nha Trang in Vietnam, Ngapali Beach, Myanmar, and remote Sokha Beach, Sihanoukville in Cambodia - the only place on the list where the much-travelled Stonham "has had to look up a map to see where it was".

The survey identified two types of people: those who seek action on their beach, and those who prefer total seclusion. "Some want the romance, to feel they are the only people on the beach, while others want fantastic restaurants, to click their fingers and a drink appears," said Stonham.

Romance was abundant. "I'll never forget her charming smile the first time I met my wife-to-be on the beach at the Gold Coast", writes one voter for Surfers Paradise. Several lovers write fondly of private barbecues on the beach at Tanjung Rhu in Malaysia, and another their "romantic, sunset dinner on the rocks" at Pangkor Laut in the same country.

At Koh Samui, "there is no better place to be and be loved," said one. And another: "My wife and I have spent numerous weekends on Chaweng [beach on the island] and every time is like a new honeymoon. Not bad for 50 years old!" And at Tioman Beach, Malaysia: "You can be alone with your partner and eat great food, for example crab, and make love on the beach." Those wanting to get away from it all prefer Redang Island, Malaysia ("less commercialised than the rest"), Datai, where "you are on island time", or Tioman Island, "where mobile phones are useless". Another describes Pangkor Laut as: "the only beach in Malaysia where anyone can sunbathe in the nude".

Hot spots for action include Koh Samui ("There is everything around this beach [Chaweng] - nice restaurants, Internet cafe, massage etc), and Boracay the "party place while on the beach". Redang Island makes one visitor "feel as if I am king", while on Datai "you feel as if you were Robinson Crusoe (but a very privileged one), living in the rainforest and swimming in the Andaman Sea …space and time are suspended. Some are succinct in their praise: "Cheap!" - Redang; "Paradise!" - Maldives; "Orgasmic diving!" - Boracay; "A dream!" - Datai; while others want to say much more. "The beach inspired me to write a book about it," said a voter for Boracay. "But someone else nicked that title so I need to go back and get inspiration for a new name."

Others go for the sights. "The most beautiful women in the world sunbathe there", breathes one fan of Tanjung Rhu, while Surfers Paradise, on Australia's Gold Coast, seemed to attract people-watchers of both sexes. "Gorgeous, rustic men on surfboards - need I say more?" says one. Another says: "Lots of naked women there". One points out Surfers as "a great place to chill and people watch - that is, for me to admire the hunks and check out the swimwear fashion, and for the guys to watch me."

Perennial favourites include Datai, where the rainforest meets the sea (or, as one convert puts it "the virgin jungle seems to hug the ocean like a mystical lover"), and the superlatives are seemingly endless for the Maldives - among them, "mesmerising", "beautiful men" and "heaven on earth" (several times). Others had their own reasons for picking personal favourites. "The beach stretches for miles with soft white sand, and the waves are good for surfing," says one Surfers Paradise fan. Another's highlight of Phi Phi is: "Made love on my honeymoon on an ironing board borrowed from the attendants' room. Aaaaahhh... memories!''

And this endorsement for Tioman Beach: "Waking up, pulling the curtain across the hut's windows, seeing glorious white sand, glorious blue sea, blue sky and nobody else on the beach. Well, that and the monkeys." It seems beach diehards remain unfazed, even through adversity. "That's the place where I saw crystal clear sea," recalled one voter for Malaysia's Emerald Bay. "I loved it so much until my spectacles fell in the water. After that, I couldn't see clearly for two days till I went back to Penang to get a new pair. Though this happened, I still love the sea."

Not all fairy tales have a happy ending. One respondent explains, in voting for Tioman: "Because it was the first and last time my group of four best friends and I went on a vacation. It turned out to be my most memorable one as all four of us have now parted and gone our own ways." And this from a rejected suitor at Surfers Paradise: "I spent the most memorable moment of my life there three years ago when I proposed to my then girlfriend. The sad truth was that she changed her mind soon after we left that beautiful beach."

But even in paradise, it seems people are never far away from their work. Can you guess the occupation of the fellow who sums up his Pangkor Laut vacation in these three words: "location, location, location"?