what’s your favourite beach? here’s ours (and it’s not bondi)
Summer is approaching in Sydney but when we look out the window, it doesn’t look the case at all! The sky is overcast and the temperature is still relatively cool. Considering that we live only 20 minutes or so from the beach, we hardly ever visit the beaches in Sydney. Maybe once or twice during the summer… And beautiful beaches we certainly have.
To put it plainly, we are just not beach people.
But if we were asked what our favourite beach was
…we would have to say that it isn’t here in Sydney. Back in 2006, we went to Mauritius for a week and found what we consider to this day: paradise. We think it is the best beach that we have ever been to.
Ile aux Cerfs is a privately owned island off the east coast of Mauritius. To get there, we were picked up from our hotel in Port Louis (on the west coast), driven across country to the port, before jumping on a boat transfer to the island.
And when we arrive, all we see is beautiful turquoise water and soft yellow sand, water so calm; this was our kind of beach.
We throw down our beach towel by the lagoon under some shade, and just head into the water! It doesn’t matter how far we go in this lagoon, the water is merely ankle deep and then slowly becomes knee deep. We can sit in the water and just soak up the sun and atmosphere. No fear of being slammed by waves or snuck up upon by sharks. Here is the place to be lazy and relax!
Our day trip also included lunch – all set up and served under these open huts!
And then to sticky beak around the island afterwards, we walked along some of the walking tracks and caught glimpses of the golf course.
This beach day for us definitely set the standard for our image of a “day at the beach” and since then nothing really has compared (possibly our day at the Bahamas, but that will be for another post). Writing this post takes us right back to that experience…. *sigh*
What is your favourite beach?
Share yours to inspire us!
wise monkeys abroad 
January 10, 2017 at 6:13 pm
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June 7, 2016 at 4:04 pm
[…] Soak up the sun at Bondi Beach | Image credit: wisemonkeysabroad […]
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February 19, 2015 at 4:18 pm
A beach with few people is a wonderful place to be.
February 19, 2015 at 9:06 pm
Ahh… yes it is! Peaceful, still water and warm sunshine – what more could we ask for!
December 13, 2014 at 10:41 am
[…] far as beaches go, Ile aux cerfs has to be one of the nicest we’ve ever seen. It was a lagoon in fact but that doesn’t […]
November 18, 2014 at 11:58 pm
Reblogged this on Hendricus Widiantoro.
November 18, 2014 at 11:57 am
I was reading about a giveaway and it said something like “to the people already following” and I thought, yeah, but then i saw I was…not? 😕
That surprised me, i thought I followed wise monkeys 🙂
Nevertheless, I wanted to say how amazingly amazing these photos are and how jealous I ( I am a beach person) and how, oh those huts and the sand…And the waves… You are killing me, it looks like a screensaver… 😉
November 18, 2014 at 12:20 pm
Glad to have you following – we are so excited to have you on board!
Thanks for your lovely comment on our posts 🙂
November 18, 2014 at 12:49 pm
You’re welcome, it is beautiful and the photos are just stunning… 🙂
November 18, 2014 at 9:24 am
I admit I cannot narrow my favorite beach down to one……the world is just so beautiful……too many beautiful places……lucky to be alive to experience as much as I can. 🙂 Loved your photos…hope to go there one day!
November 18, 2014 at 9:27 am
There is just too many beautiful places in the world. Guess we chose this one as it stood out as amazing even after all these years 🙂 It says something when we can remember things so vividly, right? Hope you had a lovely weekend, Diana 🙂
November 15, 2014 at 2:12 pm
There are no beaches that compare with those in Jervis Bay, NSW …. This one is on Callala Beach at dawn. IMHO 😳
November 16, 2014 at 1:51 am
Thank you for sharing! We do know the South of NSW have some lovely beaches. In due course, we will get the opportunity to explore more of what’s in our own backyard! 🙂
November 14, 2014 at 5:28 am
How can you live in Sydney and not be beach people?! If Home and Away is anything to go by you should be taking walks and spending time on the beach every day haha! 😉 Mauritius has been my dream destination for so many years and your gorgeous pics just make me want to go even more! I really wanted to go there for our honeymoon but we decided on a round the world trip instead…not that I’m complaining but I still haven’t got to Mauritius yet. One day I hope!
November 14, 2014 at 7:52 am
Hmmm…. we think a round-the-world trip blows Mauritius out of the water for a honeymoon 🙂 Unfortunately we don’t live as close to the beach as they do in Home and Away…. speaking of which, we are thinking we will have to pay Palm Beach another visit 🙂 Refresh our memory of it!
November 14, 2014 at 7:54 am
Well I’ve been hinting to Alex to take me to Mauritius for a second honeymoon but no such luck yet! 😉 Ahh so jealous! I do love tvr beach there regardless of whether any cast members are there or not!
November 14, 2014 at 8:32 am
Hehehe – you are so funny! Every time we see Home and Away now, we will think of you 🙂 Well, maybe one day you will get to Mauritius when you need some “downtime” – while we can, we should do the more active travel, right? And plus Cuban beaches may be so amazing you won’t even have wanderlust for Mauritius anymore 😉
November 14, 2014 at 3:12 am
It’s so hard to narrow it down, but Lumaha’i Beach on Kauai is still fresh in my memoriy, even though it’s a year since we were there!
http://jaspasjourney.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/hawaiian-paradise/
November 14, 2014 at 7:55 am
Ahhh… Hawaii is another place where the beaches are lovely… or so we hear 🙂 We will just have to go and be the judge for ourselves! Thanks for sharing your favourite beach with us.
November 14, 2014 at 2:17 am
Not beach people!? I’m shocked!!! 😉 For us, our favourites (so far) have to be Nungwi in Zanzibar, and Agios Prokopios on Naxos, Greece. Haven’t made it to Maldives yet though…and I predict that it might take the top spot… 😀
November 14, 2014 at 8:23 am
Yes, we have friends honeymooning in the Maldives at the moment and the photos they are sharing of the water, makes it looks stunning!Thank you for sharing your favs 🙂
November 14, 2014 at 12:58 am
https://backpackerlee.wordpress.com/2014/06/04/top-5-beaches-in-south-east-asia/
November 14, 2014 at 12:58 am
Nowadays, I would nominate White Beach in Boracay! But also Bamboo Island in Krabi is sensational! 😀
November 14, 2014 at 8:30 am
Ooh – definitely will be checking out your post on that! Can’t remember if we have seen it already! Thanks for sharing it.
And you say, “nowadays”… what did it use to be, just out of curiosity?
November 14, 2014 at 9:50 am
I have always loved Ngapali Beach in Myanmar. So amazing, yet so untroubled by tourism – so far. 😉
November 14, 2014 at 10:08 am
Ahhh… the ones that are not overrun with tourism tend to have a different feel to it 🙂
November 14, 2014 at 12:24 am
Gorgeous pictures! I love the beaches of the Outer Banks of North Carolina here in the US. 🙂
November 14, 2014 at 8:29 am
We’ve just looked online at images of this beach, and it is rather unique looking. The “wispy” coastline has so much character. Definitely one we would like to see ourselves 🙂 Thank you for sharing! We might duck on over to your blog now to play some catch up and see what you have been up to.
November 14, 2014 at 3:09 pm
So good to hear from you both! You would definitely enjoy the beaches of the Outer Banks. The people there are so friendly and easy going! You should visit! 🙂
November 14, 2014 at 5:05 pm
There is much of the USA we still want to see, so expect to see us there sometime 😉
November 13, 2014 at 11:43 pm
Great post and equally great responses :)) My favorite are the beaches is Riviera Maya, Mexico for the sand which is like soft white power and pebble free, and turquoise, calm waters 🙂 The beach in Dominican Republic in the Caribbean come a close second…. Hope these destinations are on your list 🙂
November 14, 2014 at 8:27 am
Yes, Central America and Caribbean is sure to have some sensational beaches. We went to a few beaches on our Caribbean cruise but the Bahamas was our favourite there. Calm beaches are definitely our thing and with the soft sand and crystal clear water. Magical!!
Yet to explore Mexico and Dominican Republic so looks like we will have to head there some day to see for ourselves 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing your beaches!
November 13, 2014 at 10:35 pm
Ersfjorden Norway!
November 14, 2014 at 8:25 am
Wow!! We’ve just checked out some pictures of this online. Now this spot looks like it offers Norther Lights in winter and a gorgeous beach during summer – sounds like it could be our ideal place to visit 🙂 Thank you for sharing it!
November 14, 2014 at 8:50 am
No problem at all. It’s all about spreading the word and sharing the world you know 🙂 I’m glad you found it!
November 13, 2014 at 9:58 pm
This looks so wonderful, definitely a great beach! On our trip to Rhodes we had more of a pebble beach than a sandy beach, meaning it hurt like hell to walk around their without shoes.
November 13, 2014 at 10:07 pm
Yes, we found the Greek Island beaches we visited a little grainy and not the soft sand we were familiar with 🙂
Hope you have fabulous plans for the weekend ahead!
November 14, 2014 at 6:50 pm
Thanks, you just can’t even imagine how I look forward to this weekend and the upcoming week! Anyways, I have an interesting post planned for this year as this year was just amazing for me and my family so far
November 14, 2014 at 7:14 pm
Amazing good? Or amazing crazy?? Actually don’t tell us.. We will wait for the post 🙂 Enjoy your much anticipated weekend!!
November 13, 2014 at 9:37 pm
You could maybe be charged as traitors for this! Not really a beach person either, but I have to support the local tourist industry. So, I nominate Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays. Sheer magic as long as you avoid the cyclone season! BTW, on a purely parochial vein, how many global cities can claim a string of beaches like Cronulla to Palm Beach in their metropolitan area?
November 13, 2014 at 9:45 pm
Oh dear! Didn’t think we would be put on trial for this post 😉 Creating a bit of waves with this one…*blush/wink*
And we are not saying that the beaches are not gorgeous here. We are just saying we found a spot, we found more pleasant. It possibly could be due to other factors such as parking, crowds, sharks, wild waves – that adds to our overall final choice. And in our “defence”, we haven’t been to many of the great Oz beaches to truly say that our choice is the best in the world… we are just saying it is the best we have been to 🙂
One of these days, maybe we can crown one of the Aussie beaches if we go to enough of them 🙂
November 15, 2014 at 9:55 pm
Good response. All is forgiven. 🙂
November 16, 2014 at 1:44 am
Phew and YAY! 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 9:34 pm
These waters are gorgeous for sure. I was just planning a trip to Mauritius, but ended up going to Thailand instead. My favourite beaches are from a cold country–Scotland, and I have seen nothing as mystical, sparse and wild as the beaches of the Outer Hebrides.
November 13, 2014 at 9:47 pm
Oooh – that is an intriguing choice, we shall look that one up now on the internet to see some photos of it 🙂 Not that we need more inspiration to travel to Scotland! “Mystical, sparse and wild” sounds very inviting! Thank you for sharing.
We hope you do get to Mauritius one day and to this beach and then you can tell us whether you agree or disagree 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 9:48 pm
Okay, we’ve just checked out Outer Hebrides & it looks pretty spectacular 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 9:55 pm
Glad you think so! But after a cold summer up on those isles, I could use some sunbathing and am giving Mauritius a thought again. Will be sure to exchange notes.
For now, this is a photo essay I posted on the Hebrides, to add to your temptation. 🙂
http://paperboats.net/photo-essays/far-out-a-photo-essay-on-scotlands-outer-hebrides/
November 13, 2014 at 10:08 pm
Great! Thanks, we will duck on over now and check it out 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 9:19 pm
But there are some really pretty beaches here in SA,,in the Western Cape..like Wilderness and George. During off-peak seasons, these beaches are lovely. Come visit 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 9:25 pm
Yes! We have to get to SA sometime…. our list is never-ending. When we get there, you will have to show us around 😉 Is that a deal, Namz??
November 13, 2014 at 9:41 pm
Deal!! Would love to show you this pretty country. .so come quick!
November 13, 2014 at 9:49 pm
Awwww… thank you! Oh how we wish to go soon… Give us some time and we will be there 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 9:17 pm
Oh yeah…Ile aux Cerfs is truly a paradise. When we went in August this year, although it was raining and overcast, the beach was the prettiest one Ive ever been to. Can just spend the enture day just doing nothing and gazing at the turquoise waters.
November 13, 2014 at 9:24 pm
YAY – so glad that someone else likes Ile aux Cerfs too 🙂 Glad that it is still pretty after all these years! We pretty much spent the entire day there doing nothing. Very very relaxing and perfect.
November 13, 2014 at 9:05 pm
What a beautiful beach! I wouldn’t consider myself a beach person, but I do feel the need to spend a few days a year on a beach with the sun and the sea/ocean. My favorites were the ones in Portugal, that I’ve wrote about here, the Algarve region has some stunning beaches. 😉
November 13, 2014 at 9:20 pm
Ahhh… yes, we remember that post with amazing photos 🙂 Thanks Vlad for sharing and reminding us of all the incredibly beautiful beaches in the world 🙂 Hope you are well. Happy Friday tomorrow!
November 13, 2014 at 8:37 pm
Western Australia for good selection of beaches but Palolem Beach in Goa will always be our favourite as we got engaged there!
November 13, 2014 at 8:58 pm
WA certainly does have some pretty impressive beaches 🙂 Thanks for sharing your favourite beach – it makes perfect sense to have a beach with so much sentimental significance as well 🙂 Whereabouts are you now??
November 13, 2014 at 9:02 pm
We are based in Sydney for the next few months. Our favourite beach here is a tie between Shelly Beach and Balmoral Beach.
November 13, 2014 at 9:22 pm
Man, we really need to visit more of Sydney beaches again. It has been a LONG time since we have been to Balmoral. We think this summer that will be our goal: to visit more Sydney beaches 🙂
That’s awesome you are in Sydney! Hope you are enjoying our home city 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 8:35 pm
We are not beach people either! My favourite, if I had to choose, would be one of many in Zanzibar. Ipanema was gorgeous, but way too crowded. Loved the people watching there though 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 8:59 pm
People watching is amazing when there are crowds 🙂 We never got to Ipanema when we were in Brazil earlier this year. We only managed to see Copacabana… And we have heard great things about Zanzibar! Although, we are not beach people, everyone sharing their favourite beaches is perking our interest. Maybe we will visit more of Sydney beaches this summer 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 6:20 pm
Mauritius looks beautiful. I would love to go there someday! If I had to pick my favorite beach it would be Boracay, Philippines. Some say that it’s too touristy but I loved it. It was literally the most flawless beach I’ve ever laid eyes on. The water was crystal clear and amazingly warm. I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful beach…although Mauritius might give Boracay a run for its money!!
November 13, 2014 at 8:56 pm
Ahhh…. we have heard Boracay was beautiful! Philippines is yet another on our to-visit list! Isn’t it just gorgeous when the water is crystal clear and you can see down to your feet in the water?? Something special and surreal about being able to do that. Thanks for sharing your favourite beach!
November 13, 2014 at 5:12 pm
Mine is in Adelaide, at Henley Beach. But, Aldinga Beach runs a close second.
November 13, 2014 at 5:15 pm
Oooh – we haven’t heard of those. Will look them up now for photos! Sure that will mean more to add to our ever-growing list. We only did really get to see Glenelg when we briefly visited Adelaide a few years ago. Plenty more beaches to explore in the world for us 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 5:09 pm
Paradise is Diani in Mombasa, Kenya. Paradise I am telling you 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 5:13 pm
Seems like there are plenty of spectacular beaches around the world 😉 We would probably need several lifetimes to visit it all! Thanks for sharing your favourite 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 4:47 pm
There are so many but I love the one on Jibei, one of the islands that comprise Penghu off the coast of Taiwan. It is just picture perfect and the island is so awesome! I wrote a little about it in this post and contains some pictures as well. Feel free to check it out! http://foreignsanctuary.com/2013/12/17/discovering-taiwan-through-photos-info-on-my-contest-submission/
November 13, 2014 at 5:12 pm
Thank you for sharing 🙂 Some very lovely photos you took of it! We have never heard of it before so will be sure to remember it when we make it to Taiwan!
November 13, 2014 at 4:05 pm
No way, Freshie on the Northern Beaches – love it, it’s the best! 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 5:06 pm
Well, admittedly we haven’t visited every beach in Sydney (including Freshwater), so our opinion might change 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 4:00 pm
The place looks so amazing, I hope to visit that one day. I love the beaches on North coast of NSW like Forster and surrounding. Also Lifou in New Caledoina was amazing. 🙂
November 13, 2014 at 5:11 pm
Yes, there are places around Australia that have beautiful beaches definitely 🙂 Mauritius is very spectacular but we are positive there are others around the world that are too. New Caledonia would be a lovely place to visit. It’s on our list!