The world’s best beaches

Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos

The Turks and Caicos islands are popular with the world's rich and famous. "Parrot Cay [pictured], a private island resort, is the jewel in the archipelago's crown," says Stylist. "If you want to relax [and] unwind there is no better place on earth."

The tiny island is just a few miles square, "absolutely secluded and utterly unspoiled. And because only residents... have access to the beach, you can be sure... your patch of paradise is private and unpopulated. You might not see another soul."

From £300 per night(comohotels.com).

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Walvis Bay, Namibia

The sand dunes at Walvis Bay, Namibia, are striking, but it's the wildlife that is the real attraction, says Harper's Bazaar. The beach is located close to Sandwich Harbour on Namibia's Skeleton Coast, where you can watch seals, flamingos, whales and even hyenas "disport themselves on the unspoilt shore". Stay at the Olive Grove Guesthouse.

Eight days in Namibia costs from£5,495 per person (steppestravel.co.uk).

Myrtos beach, Kefalonia, Greece

"Odysseus, Byron, Napoleon and, of course, Captain Corelli and his mandolin, have all lost their heart to Kefalonia," says Stylist. You'll understand why "when you glimpse Myrtos beach from the clifftop road, a perfect half-mile crescent of white sand, and sea so bright blue it almost hurts" the eyes.

Stay at Villa Zeus, with its "marble columns, a jaw-dropping atrium, an infinity pool and a yoga platform". There are four double bedrooms, a barbecue and pizza oven "but why bother when you can book your own in-villa chef"?

From £1,700 per week for eight people (uniquevillaskefalonia.co.uk).

Havelock, Andaman Islands

Not long ago you needed a permit from the Madras forestry department to visit the Andaman Islands, says The Sunday Times. And getting there wasn't easy either it took a five-day ferry crossing, and the accommodation was basic. But now Havelock Island has its first boutique hotel Jalakara. It is a ten-minute walk uphill from the beach and has just seven luxury suites.

The beaches are "as crisp and clean as a starched tablecloth", while the sea shimmers "from milky jade to crystal blue, washing over kaleidoscopic coral reefs". Better still, not many people have been which makes this the ideal dinner party boast.

A week starts from £1,400pp, B&B (ampersandtravel.com).

La Digue, Seychelles

The Seychelles are a classic honeymoon destination. But one island, La Digue, makes you feel like you really have just stepped into a postcard, says Stylist. The breathtaking beach Anse Source D'Argent comprises three kilometres of white sand backed by lush jungle and palm trees. The nearby island of Praslin has a new Raffles with 86 villas, each with "plunge pool, chill-out area and I-can't-believe-it's-mine' views".

From £475 per villa per night(raffles.com/praslin).

Batteaux Bay, Tobago

Tobago is one of the Caribbean's "most charming islands", says The Sunday Times. Blue Waters Inn, at Batteaux Bay, sits in 46 acres of tropical gardens. A refurbishment has added a saltwater pool, a sun deck and two new dive boats "the drift diving here is as good as anywhere on the planet".

However, "the old attractions are still the best: the soft curve of deserted beach, the hummingbirds crowding the feeder outside your room and rum-punch sundowners in the Shipwreck Bar".

From £972pp for a week, B&B (fleewinter.com).