In the dreary days of winter, it’s the most natural thing to dream of inspiring beach destinations where you could travel. With rolling waves onto golden sands framed by towering cliffs cloaked in lush vegetation, it’s easy to see in your mind’s eye what paradise looks like. If you’re keen for small group travel to a stunning coastal destination, we can recommend a few beaches that will truly take your breath away.

No matter which continent you seek adventure on, Luxury Gold can help you plan exclusive beach vacations in the most amazing places, so you won’t have to worry about a single thing. Read on to help decide your next beach getaway.

HAWAII

Kauna’oa Bay, Kohala Coast

The immaculate white sands of this beach are unusual in this part of the island, as they are formed of silica, instead of coral or lava like the other beaches on the Kohala coast. It’s a perfect place to take a refreshing swim in the morning, as the water is still and calm. The bay curves around providing shelter, but sometimes it’s possible to partake in the island’s favorite water sport – surfing.

On Luxury Gold’s Luxurious Hawaiian Escape, you stay directly on this private beach, so it’s possible to have it all to yourself. Swim with the manta rays or simply stroll on the white sand as the sun goes down over the island.

Wailea Beach, Maui

This glorious stretch of sand is named after the Lea, goddess of canoe makers. The calm waters are ideal for swimming or snorkeling, as the visibility is superb. If you just want to relax and top up your tan, there’s plenty of space on this wide beach, so you can get a prime spot in the sun. You can also admire the views of volcanic islands Kaho’olawe, Lana’i and Molokini in the distance.

Many Hollywood celebrities have been spotted on these sands, but nature lovers will prefer visiting in winter when humpback whales can be seen breaching just off the coast. Luxury Gold guests can enjoy a gentle walk from their splendid accommodation at Fairmont Kea Lani along the Wailea Beach Hear the sounds of the whales in season as your feet sink into the silky sand.

BRAZIL

Praia de Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro

Surely the most famous beach on earth, Praia de Copacabana is a perfectly scalloped slice of coastline, framed by green forested hills. With Luxury Gold, you can enjoy the view from the grand Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana, which sits right on the beach.  Spot the enormous waves in the middle section, grab a cool drink from one of the hawkers and watch people weave in and out on the monochrome boardwalk with the recognizable wave motif.

If you’re feeling active, you can take a paddleboard out on the ocean, or maybe join one of the beach volleyball games taking place all along the 5-kilometer stretch? It’s also one of the most incredible places on earth to ring in a New Year, with revelers from all over the world and one of the biggest fireworks displays on the planet.

AUSTRALIA

Cape Tribulation, Queensland

Photo by David Clode

There is something remarkable about stepping from one the world’s oldest rainforests onto the beach at Cape Tribulation. Located in the Daintree National Park, this small coastal town feels totally off the beaten track and doesn’t welcome as many tourists as the beaches around Sydney or the Gold Coast.

Luxury Gold guests begin their Inspiring Australia tour staying right by the Coral Sea, so it’s a great opportunity to get some tranquil beach time in an extraordinary environment.

The crystal waters of Coral Sea are home to the Great Barrier Reef, one of the planet’s most amazing natural wonders and a giant living organism that can actually be seen from space. This means that Cape Tribulation contains an abundance of marine life, so it’s a superb place for a diving trip. If not, take a walk along the pristine sands and enjoy the peace of this stunningly beautiful place.

Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Queensland

Perhaps you’d like some remote beach time as an addition to your Luxury Gold Inspiring Australia tour? If so, the award-winning Whitehaven Beach is a strong recommendation. Here you’ll find some of the purest sand in the world and the pleasingly warm waters are an inviting place any time of day.

If you fancy stretching your legs, head to the northern end of the beach, where you’ll discover Hill Inlet. This is where the tide shifts, creating a natural swirl of colors that is a beautiful sight to behold. As it’s located in the center of the Great Barrier Reef, you are sure to witness some amazing sea life in the clear turquoise waters. You can also take a seaplane or helicopter ride to appreciate the magnificent natural beauty of the area.

NEW ZEALAND

Mount Maunganui Beach, Auckland

Photo by Andre Knight

You are never too far from a beach in New Zealand, and the staggering beauty of each means that you’ll never have a wasted trip. However, Mount Maunganui beach is consistently voted as one of the best beaches in the country and even makes the top 25 in the world. Surfers flock here due to the awesome surf breaks, but as the coastline stretches for hundreds of miles, plenty of people visit purely for the gorgeous views.

Mount Maunganui is overlooked by its namesake mountain and it’s great for swimming, as well as surfing. Paddle boarding is another popular water sport at this spot. A gentle uphill walk will take you to the top of the Mount, an extinct volcano carpeted in foliage, where you have a spectacular vantage point over the Bay of Plenty. Many native birds frequent the mount, so you’ll easily catch a glimpse of a fanned tail as it swoops towards the Pacific Ocean.

Luxury Gold brings small travel groups to experience The Long White Cloud, which ends in Auckland. From there, Mount Maunganui is easily reached by car in under three hours, or you can take a short flight to nearby Tauranga.

CROATIA

Petrcane beach, Dalmation

Croatia’s mainland coastline stretches for over 1,300 kilometers, so travelers are spoilt for choice when it comes for picturesque picnic spots by the sea. However, much of the rugged coastline is rocky, with only a handful of beaches being sandy. Petrcane beach has both rocks and sand, which is convenient for travelers who don’t like sand sticking to their feet or clothing after being in the water.

Luxury Gold guests can easily access Petrcane Beach when staying at the Falkensteiner Hotel & Spa Iadera. The temperate waters of the Adriatic Sea and the shallow depths at this beach mean that it’s safe and pleasant for an afternoon dip. It is situated between two peninsulas, which provides shelter and it never gets too busy; the vibe of this ancient fishing village is completely relaxed. There are friendly cafés and restaurants nearby and a pretty promenade to walk along, while enjoying the fresh ocean breeze.

FRANCE

Plage Paloma, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

When you think of the most exclusive beach vacations in the world, the Cote d’Azur is sure to spring to mind. This beach sits right by some of the most expensive real estate on the planet and part of it is sealed off as an exclusive club that has played host to huge stars such as Sean Connery and Tom Cruise. This exquisite spot was named for Pablo Picasso’s daughter, so it has long been a favorite among artists too.

However, you can access the beach for free, and it’s worth it simply to marvel at the unobstructed views across the cliffs of Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Eze. Either book your spot under one of the beach umbrellas, or you can even join the jet set for some water skiing or paddle boarding around the little cove. Experience more sweeping Mediterranean vistas on Luxury Gold’s French Vogue tour.

PORTUGAL

Praia Do Carvalho, Benagil

It can be hard to find a beach on the Algarve that isn’t crowded, but enter a cliffside tunnel in Benagil, navigate the sandstone steps and you’ll emerge onto the small but perfectly performed Praia Do Carvalho. There is no lifeguard on this beach, but the soft golden sands and inviting sapphire sea between the large cliffs make it an absolute paradise.

If you like your beach days to be high on adrenalin, you can partake in some cliff diving, which is safe due to the depth of the water here. Snorkeling is also a rewarding experience, as the water is clear and the V-shape of the cove makes it a welcoming place for a multitude of marine life.

If you’ve joined one of the luxury group tours enjoying Spain & Portugal in Style, then you might like to add on a few days in the Algarve to explore the region in more depth.

SOUTH AFRICA

Bloubergstrand, Cape Town

Photo by Brent Ninaber

Although it’s a city, Cape Town has some incredible beaches. It’s difficult to choose which one is best, because it depends what you want from your beach trip. Certainly, the one with the most striking scenery is Bloubergstrand. The startling white sands lead to sparkling blue water with Table Mountain as a remarkable backdrop. It is truly inspiring.

The beach also feels quite untouched by tourism, mostly because it’s so expansive that it never gets crowded. You can find a great spot to catch some rays without anyone nearby. The winds can pick up down here, so it’s popular for kitesurfing and wind-surfing, and the crashing waves are a photo op in themselves.

Visitors who embark on the Spectacular South Africa tour with Luxury Gold spend five days in Cape Town, so there is time to really appreciate what the city has to offer, and see more than one of its astounding beaches.

MONTENEGRO

Plavi Horizonti, Dalmation

Although Montenegro is a tiny nation, with 295 kilometers of coastline it offers plenty for beach lovers to adore. The warm Mediterranean climate means that there is an abundance of sunny days, and the calm waters are great for a refreshing swim.

Luxury Gold guests enjoy a full day of leisure in Tivat, so it’s ideal for a relaxing day on the sand. Plavi horizonti, a Blue Flag beach, is situated in the southern part of the bay of Tivat, and is popular with families. The clear waters here are naturally sheltered from the wind by the pine and olive trees that line the cove. The beach is a mixture of fine sand and pebbles and warm rocky pools provide safe places to explore. This is one of the best beaches in Montenegro to snorkel, as you’ll catch sight of plenty of sea life beneath the surface.

Small Group Travel With Luxury Gold

As we consider getting back to travel, Luxury Gold have introduced small group departures, which can make your journey even more magical. Guests enjoy more space and time to explore a destination with less waiting around and more access to selected experiences that aren’t available to larger groups.

If you’re seeking smaller travel groups to the world’s best beach destinations, Luxury Gold affords you the opportunity with an average of 15 guests on our small group departures to Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and more. For as long as physical distancing is the norm, you can do so with Luxury Gold.

Choose your next sun break on one of the world’s finest beaches with Luxury Gold.

*Photo by Kiwihug on Unsplash

As you pack your bags for a vacation (hopefully in the near future), it’s usual to throw in a phrase book to navigate your way through a new country, or even just order a beer. However, many people have at least a few words of English, so it can be helpful to fall back on, even in countries where it’s not the official language. After all, it’s the most widely spoken language in the world. But what happens when you’re in an English-speaking country but you still don’t understand what they’re saying?

English isn’t the most straightforward language, as it happens. Many countries have put their own stamp on it, after having adapted it over the years. Different cultures have changed it to suit their accent, their customs or even melded it slightly with another lesser-spoken language. So, if you’d like a tasty snack for your luxury journey in South Africa, you’d ask for padkos (travel food), whereas in Australia, you’d ask if there was something for tea (a meal, not a drink). One reason for the variances is that there is no centralized governing body for English, unlike French, which has the Académie Française and Spanish, which is standardized by Real Academia Española. 

When you embark on a luxury journey such as Castles and Kingdoms in the UK, you may raise your eyebrows when you hear certain phrases or struggle to understand what you are being asked to do. We’ve decided to gather some frequently used words and phrases from across the English-speaking world that will give you a deeper understanding for more fun travel experiences.

The United Kingdom

Once the largest empire on earth, the United Kingdom is responsible for bringing the English language to most of the world. However, even here you will hear massive disparities in how things are referred to, causing some funny misunderstandings. Discover the country with the British Royale tour and you may need to use some of the following words or phrases.

Barm / tea cake / cob / bap / scuffler – meaning – bread roll

The humble bread roll has many names across the country. If you’re in London, bread roll will suffice, but if you fancy one with your soup in Leicestershire, Derbyshire or Nottingham, then you need to ask for a cob. In Manchester, they say “barm”, over the Pennines in Leeds, they eat tea cakes, whereas further north in Durham and Northumberland, they call them buns. In some parts of Yorkshire, they are still referred to as scufflers. Perhaps keep a handy checklist in your pocket when choosing somewhere for lunch.

I’ll give it a gander – meaning – I’ll have a look at it

Gander is the proper name for a male goose, so if someone says this, you’d be forgiven for thinking that they were about to present some poultry. However, what this actually means is to take a look at something. So, you could bring your car to a garage to have something checked and a British mechanic might say, “I’ll give it a gander and come back to you.”

That’s mint – meaning – very good, cool

When referring to something good, people in the midlands and North of the U.K. often say “mint”. So, if you’d like to fit in with the locals, you can tell them that the VIP tours to York Minister are “mint” and they’ll know exactly what you mean.

Knackered / Cream-crackered – meaning – tired

Although many English words can be traced back to Shakespeare, most people don’t speak in the manner that much of his work is written. Words like tired seem pretty straightforward, but across England, you’ll hear people exclaim about being knackered or cream-crackered, when actually they mean they are tired. Some people also say “shattered” when they need a good night’s sleep.

Wind your neck in – meaning – be quiet or stop complaining

If you’re being told to wind your neck in, you may have said something to upset the other person! This is a phrase that is often used by parents to quiet the complaints of children, or you may overhear it said by one man to another when arguing over soccer in the pub. If you want to stop someone from saying anything else on the matter, a simple “wind your neck in,” should do the trick!

A few sandwiches short of a picnic / not the full shilling – meaning – not right in the head

When someone is described as a few sandwiches short of a picnic, don’t despair, it doesn’t mean that lunch will be sparse. Rather, the person in question likely doesn’t fully grasp everything going on around them. Sometimes they are referred to as “not the full shilling” too.

Ireland

Just across the water and once a part of the British empire, Ireland has long had English as its first language. However, the Irish have got particularly creative with certain words and phrases and even if you can understand the accent, you may not fully comprehend what they mean. However, with their congeniality and genuine helpfulness, Irish people will usually clear it up for you if you ask. If you’re planning to join our Ultimate Ireland journey, you can brush up on some of the following to make your vacation easier.

Pass that yoke – meaning – give me that item, thing, anything you can’t remember

Yoke refers to anything you can’t find the word for right now. So, it may be a screwdriver or a hat, but somehow Irish people always know what the other is looking for when they hear “pass me that yoke there”.

Now we’re sucking diesel – meaning – things are going very well

This is a funny one that always brings a smile to foreign visitors. While on your extraordinary travels around this green isle, you might hear someone say “Now we’re sucking diesel”. This could be in reference to anything at all, from a sports team doing well to making headway on a new project, but what the speaker means is that things are going very well.

 Stall the ball – meaning – wait up, or wait a moment

If an Irish person is trying to catch up to you in the street, they may call out to “stall the ball”. This is a gentle request to hang on or wait a moment. It can be used in a variety of circumstances, from waiting to see the outcome of a situation to taking pause in the conversation.

 Press – meaning – cupboard

Always a source of confusion, particularly to visitors from just across the water, is the fact that Irish people refer to cupboards as presses. This arises from the cupboard where the boiler/water heater is kept being called “the hot press” in Ireland, so all other cupboards became presses too.

Having the craic – meaning – fun, a laugh

Some travelers might think that Irish people are particularly fond of class A substances, but in fact craic comes from the Gaelic language, and it means fun or a laugh. So, when Irish people are having the craic, it’s a much cleaner and more responsible sort of diversion.

South Africa 

Long a melting pot of cultures and abundant natural resources, South Africa offers exceptional travel opportunities for those who venture there. Spectacular South Africa brings guests on unique vacations through astonishing landscapes and nature reserves alive with magnificent wildlife. English is widely spoken throughout the country although there may be words that even native speakers struggle with! The locals have melded words from English and Afrikaans, which is perfectly clear to anyone living there but incomprehensible to visitors. Here are some examples:

Ja, Nee – meaning – Yes, No

Here’s a phrase that can mean a number of things. Sometimes it’s used to agree “Ja, nee, you’re right”, and other times it can indicate hesitancy. Often, when someone doesn’t want to upset you but also doesn’t want to commit to an answer, they’ll simply say “Ja, nee”. So, it all depends on who you’re with and what you’re talking about!

Bra / Bru – meaning – friend or pal

South African’s often greet each other by saying “Hey bra!” or “Hey bru!” Much like the Aussies’ “G’day mate”, it’s a friendly term to people they know. However, they are just as likely to use it with someone they’ve just met to show they’re friendly.

Lekker – meaning – brilliant, fantastic

“Last night was lekker,” is a phrase you might hear after having dinner with some new friends in South Africa. They mean that they had a good time, that it was a great night. It can really be applied to anything to signify that something was good, whether that is a person, place or event.

Shame – meaning – what a pity, or to express disappointment / annoyance

South African’s use the word “shame” probably as frequently as they use “lekker”. It’s often used in response to someone to sympathise if something goes wrong, or to mean “cute”. Honestly, if you don’t know what to say, just say “shame” and your new friends will nod in agreement.

Jol – meaning – a good time, a party

Perhaps your Traveling Concierge may suggest a “jol” or tell you about a journey that was “jol”. This means that some fun is about to happen or has happened. “It was such a jol” means that a great time was had.

Australia

Long part of the Commonwealth, Australia has been using English customs and language for over 200 years. However, the Aussies made the mother tongue their own with brilliant colloquialisms and phrases that set them apart from other English-speaking countries. Add these to your repertoire when enjoying some of the extraordinary travel experiences this continent has to offer.

She’ll be apples – meaning – She’ll be alright, it will be ok

When someone says to you “she’ll be apples”, they aren’t referring to fruit or a nearby orchard. Aussies use this term to denote that something will work out ok. Even the “she” is not meant to be taken literally, as it could just apply to the situation at hand.

Bloody oath – meaning – that’s the truth

Certainly a phrase that makes people think twice is bloody oath. This is something that Australians use to attest that they are telling the truth, or to agree with someone. So, they may be agreeing with you when they say “bloody oath”, even though it sounds like an insult!

Cactus or Cark it – meaning – it’s broken or it’s died

While on your travels, if you take your phone out and it’s had a reaction to the hot sun of Australia, your friend may ask “Is it cactus?” Many people would react that no, it’s certainly not a prickly plant, actually the correct answer would be “yes, I think it’s carked it.”

On ya – meaning – well done

In response to a job well done, or something performed well, an Aussie mate might say “On ya”. This is a word of positive encouragement and should be received with thanks.

Other Quirky Anomalies

Luxury Trips to other destinations will introduce you to other strange words that you may not get immediately. For instance, in Canada you may be offered a “scoff” (meal) when you’re hungry and in Singapore if someone says “catch no ball” that means they don’t understand you. Even across America, there are words and phrases that will baffle those who’ve spoken English all their lives – from roundabouts being called “rotaries” in New England to directing you to the “catty corner” (diagonally opposite) in the south of the country. What strange words have you picked up on your world travels?

Famed for winning an impressive 2479 races, including the record breaking 1989 Japan Cup, meet former champion jockey and sustainable farmer, Lance O’ Sullivan, on our Inspiring New Zealand trip.