Sky Above, Sand Below, Peace Within: My 10 Favorite Beaches (Part 1)

Feeling stressed? There’s a beach for that. And in my case, there have been quite a lot so far! It was in 2017 when I went to a beach for the first time in my life and after that, there’s no stopping me. The experience has been absolutely mesmerising. I have always managed to steer away from the topic of “Are you a mountain person or a beach person?” as it’s humanly impossible for me to pick anyone. But yeah, beaches have held a special place in my heart as the rhythm of the waves always sets my soul free in this chaotic world.

First things first, let me tell you that it was extremely tough for me to select my 10 favourite beaches out of nearly 40 that I have seen to date. It is probably the most difficult task that I did today. And in no way I could put them in a sequence. I like these 10 the most and all of them are ranked equally. So I have just put them in chronological order.

In the first part of my blog, I will be covering my 5 favourite beaches (otherwise, the blog will be too long and I understand you have other things to do as well!)

Let’s get ready to feel the beachy breeze!

My 5 Favorite Beaches

1. Mirissa Beach, Sri Lanka

It was in Sri Lanka where I ticked off ‘spending a day at an exotic beach flaunting my curves in a super hot bikini’ from my bucket list (it’s a big deal for Indian girls. Ask us!!). Mirissa Beach was my escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life. This lively beach is dotted with quirky restaurants serving refreshing beverages and scrumptious food. While looking at people surfing on high waves, I also determined to learn this skill someday in my life (that someday is yet to come!).

Nightlife is equally exciting here. I saw beautiful lights all around the restaurants that were playing catchy English songs (except Chittiyan Kalaiyaan because of Jacqueline Fernandez :D). Parties till late at night were going on at the seashore and being a part of that madness is needed at least once every year.

2. Paradise Beach, Puducherry

Wanting to spend a quiet afternoon away from the crowd, I went to this secluded beach. It is an island beach and I took a short ferry ride to reach there. The wide stretch of white sand and azure water at this beach is stunning. Lifeguards ensure that nobody goes beyond the knee-deep water as the currents are very strong here. Shacks are also available where I relaxed and had all kinds of philosophical thoughts (that’s mandatory at a beach, I guess).

3. Ashwem Beach, Goa

Goa beaches need no introduction. We all are aware of the Goan magic. But I feel that the tiniest state of India is more of a party place rather than a beach destination. So I had to find out and spend a day at a serene beach. Going against the popular notion of sticking around the well-known party hub—Baga-Calangute, I was in search of a secluded beach, and my hunt ended at Ashwem Beach. The dancing waves successfully tempted me to get inside the water and I experienced immense tranquillity along with a sense of emotional contentment when I was engulfed in the vastness from head to toe.

4. Maribago Beach, Philippines

This archipelagic country has been a game-changer in my life due to 2 reasons—firstly, it was my first solo international trip, and secondly, it was here only where I decided to pursue travel writing as a profession after working happily for 8 years in the media domain.

At this feel-good beach of the island country, I saw turquoise water, white sandy shore, kids making sandcastles (or whatever), girls basking in the sun to get that perfect tan, and lovebirds holding hands. It was a bright sunny day and to beat the heat, I gulped down the 2 best beers in the Philippines—Red Horse and San Miguel. I entered the water until my knees were soaked and looked at the horizon where the sky and ocean blended. I met a starfish in its natural habitat for the first time and patted it with love. In the evening, I saw an incredible sunset, alone, and it was the most beautiful one I had seen in a long, long time!

5. Elephant Beach, Andaman Islands

The Andamans is home to the most gorgeous beaches in India. Elephant Beach is a dazzling beach here but it is among my favourites due to some other reason.

I left in a beachy dress and flip-flop, and headed towards the beach, not knowing that there is no road network to reach there. One has to take either ferry or trek for an hour to get there. I chose the latter and decided to do it on my own. My confidence (probably overconfidence) didn’t let me hire a guide. The 1.8-kilometre-long trek to Elephant Beach has resulted in permanently ending my fear of crabs, lizards, seashell insects, and other creepy crawlies that used to make me scream before. The muddy trekking path was full of them. I had to just move ahead ignoring all of them. When I finally reached the beach, oh God, it was heaven! The best part was there was nobody else at that time and so, the whole beach was mine. It was like a huge, endless blanket of different shades of blue. The grandeur of bright green trees grown on white sand, below white clouds that looked like cotton candy tucked in a clear blue sky, was indescribable. A diverse variety of lovely shells were spread all over the place like jewels.

Definitely not only a place but also a feeling, it is at beaches only where I realise that if I choose simple things and find joy in nature’s simple treasures, then my life and living won’t be so hard.

With this thought, I will see you soon with the second part of my blog covering the next set of my 5 favourite beaches.

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