Beach Holidays

If the thought of clean white sand between your toes - with sighing palms to the one side and a shimmering sapphire sea to the other - is your kind of holiday, then look no further than Go2Africa's selection of top African beach holidays.

Africa's warm Indian Ocean East Coast boasts the sort of beaches dreams are made out of: deserted swathes of blindingly white sand, world-class tropical reef dive sites and lazy afternoons in sagging hammocks.

Whether you relax on the laidback mainland beaches of Mozambique, Kenya or Tanzania, head for the more remote and less-populated islands of Mozambique's Quirimbas Archipelago or explore the cultural gem of Zanzibar; our destinations have something for everyone.

For fairy tale tropical islands, the Indian Ocean islands of the Seychelles and Mauritius are hard to beat.

These island destinations are where the concept of the luxury beach holiday has been perfected: start your day with a swim and decadent breakfast, ease yourself into a hammock, dive or snorkel for a while, rev things up with a spot of water-skiing, and then head for dinner - set up for two at the water's edge with a setting sun as your backdrop

South Africa has over 2 500km of coastline - so choose your beach type. The wild, cold waters of the West Coast, extending up into Namibia, are great for splendid isolation, fishing and exploring.

The famous Garden Route boasts superb beaches on the South Coast - equally renowned for their spectacular wildlife and scenery. The warm waters of KwaZulu Natal and the sandy beaches make the province the place for a family beach holiday. Plus you'll be able to enjoy good fishing, diving and other holiday activities.

Our top beach vacation destinations

For East Africa try Manda Bay on Kenya's Lamu Island whose miles of beaches are ideal for honeymooners or families alike. The mainland boasts superb resorts like Mombasa Serena Beach Hotel with great diving and water sports.

Tanzania is also a fantastic beach destination - the Spice Island of Zanzibar has many beach hotels and resorts and we suggest Matemwe Retreat for the last word in romantic beach escapism.

The less well-known island of Pemba offers the superb Fundu Lagoon, one of the world's top five dive spots.

Further south, Mozambique has mile after mile of mainland beaches - Tofo and Barra in particular have a laidback party atmosphere.

Mozambique's sublime archipelagos are ideal for a more discreet kind of beach holiday. The Quirimbas Archipelago offers superb, away-from-it-all diving - try Medjumbe Private Island and the Bazaruto Archipelago boasts the award-winning Benguerra Lodge.

It's hard to single out extra-special places in the Seychelles - they are all pretty special. At Lemuria on Praslin you can get 18 holes of golf in, in addition to all your beach activities. For the idyllic beach holiday, Denis Island Hotel will make you feel like a rather spoilt Robinson Crusoe.

For Mauritius it's equally hard to recommend one over the other but the romantic setting and ambience of The Oberoi is hard to beat. For those who want to combine lazing on the beach with as many water sports as possible, head for the Shandrani with its particular emphasis on sailing.

South African beaches are often enjoyed as part of a bigger vacation; a chance to wash the dust off after a safari or mountain trek. Cape Town offers superb beaches in and around the city: swim with penguins at Boulders Beach or mix with the rich and relatively famous at Camps Bay. Being Cape Town, there's a vast range of accommodation to match.

The KwaZulu Natal coast offers The Boathouse at Ballito, right on the beach or Rocktail Bay on the far north tropical coast.

If you want to combine the beach with dramatic scenery, then head for the Garden Route and Plettenberg Bay's five-star luxury at the eponymous The Plettenberg or a more modest slice of comfort at Periwinkle Guest Lodge.