Beaches by value

ON THE coast of central Vietnam, a few minutes from the small town of Hoi An, Cua Dai Beach offers beach-bound vacationers the best value for money. Here, a day at the beach costs US$13.18 (RM56.77), according to the annual TravelBird global Beach Price Index.

The Beach Price Index takes into account the cost of a tube of sunscreen, a beer, a bottle of water, an ice cream and lunch at beaches in over 70 countries. Note that the ranking doesn't include the price of hiring a sun lounger, although this doesn't always come with a cost in certain countries.

Such is the case in Vietnam, where simply ordering a drink will secure you a place on the shores of the South China Sea. The three beaches offering the best value for money are, in fact, in Vietnam: Cua Dai (US$13.18 – RM56.77) in Hoi An, City Beach in Nha Trang (US$13.90 – RM59.87) and Long Beach on the island of Phu Quoc (US$14.42 – RM62.11).

Northern Europe has a strong presence at the other end of the scale. Kristiansand Beach, in Vest-Agder county, Norway, is the most expensive beach, notably due to the price of lunch (US$27.37 – RM117.90). In total, the cost comes in at US$64.61 (RM278.31) for a day on the shore of the North Sea, looking out to Denmark. The top three most expensive beaches are all in Norway, followed by Mareto Plage Publique on the island of Moorea in French Polynesia in fourth.

Vacationers will need a wellfilled wallet for a day at the beach in Scandinavia. Sweden's Ribersborg Beach and Denmark's Dueodde Beach, among others, are some of the other Scandi beach destinations where a day at the coast costs at least US$50 (RM215). – AFP Relaxnews