Medjumbe Private Island, Mozambique – Situated on one of the secluded islands which compose the Quirimbas Archipelago, the Medjumbe Island is host to excellent accommodation and displays nothing but stark beauty in all directions. Renowned for their succulent seafood dishes and coral reefs this private island has a great deal to offer.

Baobab Beach Resort, Diani Beach, Kenya – Fed by the warm Indian Ocean the Baobab Beach Resort is home to 80 acres of tropical gardens. Known for its restive atmosphere, it offers excellent accommodation and over 500 meters of golden beach.

Mnemba Island, Zanzibar – Just off the eastern coast of Zanzibar this beautiful private island is 4.5 kilometres of perfection. Bounded by coral reefs and romantic backdrops this is one exclusive location no one should miss out on.

Zimbali, KwaZulu-Natal – This is a 700 hectare stretch of prime coastal land which features some of the most stunning indigenous fauna and flora available. Its name translates from the Zulu as ‘Valley of Flowers’ and it’s apt indeed.

Camps Bay Beach, Cape Town – The Mother City’s foremost beach is a long sandy stretch surrounded by staggering views and a great deal of energetic water sports. The beach is host to restaurants and celebrities, beach vendors and sun bathers, and is a finer point of a holiday in South Africa.

LeMuria Resort, Seychelles – Also known as the ‘Lost Paradise’ Lemuria is a big part of the reason that Seychelles is as celebrated as it is. The white sandy beaches of Anse Kerlan and the one of a kind level of tranquillity found here make this one of the most important beaches to visit when you decide to travel Africa.

Capital of the gorgeous and stylish

Cape Town is the beauty capital of South Africa. The ratio of models sashaying down the streets, nibbling morsels of sushi in restaurants and frolicking in their natural habitats (shopping malls),far outnumbers the amount of us mere mortals, dawdling by to work, dragging our feet and squeezing past each other at the mall or vegetating on the beach, as was the case during the last public holiday.

In general, Camps Bay is the playground of the beautiful. It holds the highest concentration of designer label clad, dark glowing skins and suspiciously perfect bodies. It’s as if the “aesthetically disadvantaged” are either denied access or allowed onto the beach, only to serve as fine examples of what could go wrong, it’s like a sweet shop that specialises only in eye-candy.

Once you’ve secured a prime spot on the beach, hired your umbrella plus deck chair and have lathered up a copious amount of sun screen, sit back and take in the 360° view of magnificence. Take a peek or if you’re more brazen, gawk at the faultlessly shaped bottom of the person lying spread eagled alongside you, marvel at the constructive invention that is the Speedo- a choice preference adorned by the European tourist male who is a member of the “flaunt what your momma gave you” brigade. Be captivated at the team of bikini clad ladies and topless guys battling over what could very well be the title of “Who’s hotter than whom” in a round of beach volley ball. For the guys, a round of “spot the faux boobs” will have you captivated. Cape Town is also the home of plastic surgery and foreigners arrive in droves to capitalize on the Rand and the affordable cosmetic surgery it affords them.

Then there’s of course the view of Table Mountain lining the sky, the breathtaking blue sky and the gleaming view of the ocean that stretches for miles as the backdrop to the scene of perfection. Cape Town sunsets are world renowned because the sun can set as late as 8:30pm and so beaches such as Camps Bay, understandably become paradigms of fun in the sun.

Just one word of caution, knee- deep is about as far as to dip into the ocean. Unlike most beaches, Camps Bay is not ideal for swimming, well not unless you’re an Eskimo.

sand, sun and cold winds

I’m on my way now, out of Mykonos and on the road again to my Cape Town home. Judis mother surprised us both with an impromptu holiday during friday afternoon. This was no mere cheap Cape Town accomodation either er. Mykonos is roughly 110 kms outside of the city center and prides itself on being a tiny, untouched seaside village. These days however, the modern touch of housing development has obviously turned it into a tiny toursit trap.

After the long ride, we unpacked our clothes onto our comfy double bed (Judis mom had kindly taken the two single beds) andprepared our clothes for dinner. the first meal of our vacation would be a delicious buffet which had the duel effect of being very tasty and very damaging to our digestives systems.

The rest of the trip comprised of swimming, tanning and meeting up with Judi’s cousins. It was a most fantastic time. Much alcohol was consumed and I even managed to squeeze some gym time in. Mykonos is a dinosaur, but an entertaining diversion from the woes of everyday life. If only the swimming pool had been cleaner…

Relax, take it easy.

Today is the perfect day for a cape town tour. The sun is shining brightly and the clouds have all but vanished. This fact makes work a real chore, as I would prefer to be outside, catching up on my winter tan. I can see all the people outside who are improving their displays to fully maximize the new sunny weather. I have said this many times already but I am seriously looking forward to summer this year and I would love to take a helicopter trip around Cape Town with my girlfriend. I have been boarded up all winter and now it is time to break free.

My scooter was made for weather like this. I also need a few more new summer items to get this party started. New Havaianas, board shorts, sunblock for my vampire level tan and a keen new towel with a superhero graphic. My girlfriend is also an avid party queen and I will most likely be dragged into the craziest of times with her.

The Good and Bad points of Summer

Good:

• Suntan
• Woman wear next to nothing
• No more rain to murder my scooter
• Frozen Yogurt tastes better
• I can wear shorts to the office
• a Fresh breeze on a warm day
• Swimming
• Countless Braai’s with friends

Bad:

• Fat Woman who wear next to nothing
• 40 degree heat waves and being too tired to do anything
• Sand in my shoes from the beach
• having to exercise as my body has wilted in the winter months

I invite all readers of this blog to add more good and bad points of summer to my list. Goodbye for now dear reader.

My weekend involved sleeping, keeping a close eye on the changing weather patterns, sleeping, online bingo games and more resting. I also caught Don’t Mess with the Zohan, an incomprehensible mess which deserves a negative rating. The best part about it is this:

The best part

Other then that, a travesty.

While the live band may not consist of household names, their excellent renditions of golden oldies from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s were performed with class and energy this past Saturday night. The temperatures soared to the high-30s on the day and the South Easter which had been fanning veld-fires across the Peninsular for the past 2 weeks dropped, creating a balmy evening on the soft sandy beach.

Young and old, black and white, locals and foreigners all congregated en masse from late afternoon to find themselves a space on the sand, enjoy a sunset picnic and cool off in the icy water. Meanwhile, the band got themselves together and ran through a few practice numbers, giving a melodic hint of what was to follow.

The yachts and catamarans of a local marine club dropped anchor in the bay, creating an off-shore event of their own as their lights reflected on the darkening waves below and echoed the emerging stars above.

The event, sponsored by BP Garages, is in aid of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI). One of their helicopters did a fly-by before the entertainment kicked off at 18h00, with the crowd standing to salute the work of the men and women who save numerous lives in Cape Town each year.

The MC for the night, Aiden Thomas, introduced a marimba band to start the night’s entertainment. The group warmed up the crowds with some traditional African tunes before the main band got many dancing on the sand under the stars with hit after hit, beautifully performed and accompanied by stringed, wind, brass and percussion instruments.

The spectacular sunset stole the crowd’s attention for a few breath-taking minutes, then candles and glow sticks (sold by the NSRI) took on the job of lighting up the relaxed revelers. As no alcohol was allowed, the event was extremely mellow, with no unpleasant incidents to mar the family-friendly fun.

The night drew to a close on schedule at 20h30. We left the beach with happy memories, vowing to return to next year’s Moonstruck.

For a relaxed, free evening with fantastic music and a great Cape Town vibe, look out for Moonstruck 2009 which will be, as always, in the month of February, a perfect way to get into the mood for Valentine’s Day.

From Ibiza to Miami, there are as many types of beach parties as there are party-people looking for a good time. From down and dirty dancing to celebrity-spotting socializing, read on for the 5 best party beaches in the world!

IBIZA, SPAIN

The name Ibiza has been synonymous with the phrase ‘beach party’ ever since the late ‘80’s when the former hangout of hippies and flower-children, metamorphosized into the party capital of the world. Stars, celebs and models all love to get down at the clubs dotted around this picturesque Spanish isle. The Playa d’en Bossa Beach is the longest stretch of beach on the island with its bars and cafés. The far end of the beach (away from Ibiza Town) is calmer, with less people and house music. But for the definitive Ibiza beach party, head to Bora Bora, half way along d’en Bossa beach. Ibiza is also known as a gay-friendly beach party destination.

MYKONOS, GREECE

With its welcoming locals and trendy beach bars oceanside, Mykonos is another great place to party on the sands. Head to Paradise Beach Bar, located right on the beach between the palm trees. Here the partying starts early – from 2 pm – and goes on till sunrise the following day. This breathtakingly beautiful island is another favourite destination of the world’s fashionable party-set, so expect to enjoy celebrity-spotting while you dance the night away. Lots of places of historical and cultural interest, plus great tanning opportunities, mean you’ll never be bored while waiting for the fun to begin.

SOUTH BEACH, MIAMI

Where the beautiful people hang out – South Beach offers all the partying you’ll ever need. Although not strictly speaking ON the beach, the numerous fabulous clubs sprinkled along this expensive coastline are so hot that they bring the beach atmosphere right inside. This is where the posh people party, but the good times only get under way from 11 pm, so strolling along the beach, dining out or having a drink in the earlier part of the evening is recommended to avoid arriving too early. Many top model agencies send scouts to South Beach – you never know who might spot you on one of the awesome dance floors. The beach itself is stunning, with white, baby-powder sands caressed by the Atlantic. Not only can you dine here during the day but when the sun goes down you can have fun at the beds on stilts at Nikki Beach.

BLOOMINGDALE AAN ZEE, HOLLAND

This event-venue opened nearly 7 years ago as a beach party for Amsterdam locals. The club has grown to accommodate 2 400 revelers with both in- and out-of-door areas. The setting is one of the most aesthetic on the Netherlands coast. Bloomingdales is renowned for its all-day Sunday parties held regularly throughout the year. The music tends towards chilled, laid-back tunes, perfect for the beach-setting. Top DJ’s are hosted regularly here.

CAMPS BAY, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

The white sands of this beautiful beach are popular throughout summer with both locals and international visitors to the Mother City of Cape Town, South Africa. With bars, cafes and restaurants right along the Camps Bay strip there are always trendy and beautiful people spilling out of these venues on to the beach. While volley ball and tanning are popular by day, sundowners and impromptu beach parties are on from early evening to well past midnight. Enjoy music, fire-jugglers and drumming around the huge bonfires which are lit during the summer holiday season.

So if sun, sand and sea make put you in the mood for some sexy partying – why leave the beach? Head for one of these 5 hot spots and the party need never end!

Webcam Image of Camps Bay