8 of the most beautiful airports

(CNN) -- It's about making an entrance.

Dramatic entries are a given with air travel, and airports should convey a sense of welcome and arrival to travelers landing in a new city, like the great train stations of yesteryear, says architecture critic Paul Goldberger.

That doesn't usually happen.

"An inspiring grand welcome to a place is not something you get in most of them," says Goldberger, contributor to Vanity Fair, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his architecture criticism at The New York Times and author of "Why Architecture Matters." "Most only aspire to a sense of efficiency and most don't even achieve that."

Where they exist at airports, the more impressive spaces are usually located in the airports' departure halls. Those passengers are rushing to clear security and catch flights and don't have time to appreciate their space. The arrivals hall usually doesn't inspire much.

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"When you arrive, you're shunted to a lower level to baggage claim and go through what feels like a service (exit)," says Goldberger, who regularly flies through New York and New Jersey's bustling but not very beautiful airports.

Although most airports don't meet his wish for a "grand welcome" -- even the ones he likes -- some architects are designing lovely airports that are worth admiring. Here are some of the airport designs Goldberger has appreciated or is hankering to see for himself.

Madrid-Barajas Airport (Spain)

The design by architect Richard Rogers for Barajas' Terminal 4, completed in 2006, is one of Goldberger's favorites.

"He took what is really a conventional plan, and he did a traditional airport beautifully," he says. Rogers' elegant architecture includes "magnificent steel tresses and columns, and a very long concourse that gradually changes colors," says Goldberger. "The colors fade over the course of what must be half a mile. It's quite breathtaking."

Beijing Capital International Airport (China)

Sir Norman Foster has been "more successful than anyone else at rethinking the airport and designing it in a new way that pretty much works," says Goldberger. Foster's international terminal design in Beijing was completed in 2008 in time for that summer's Olympic Games.

Instead of a stretched-out layout or satellite terminals, Terminal 3 "is essentially two huge triangular shapes, where the points face each other and are connected by a train," he says. "That works quite well and is attractive."

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Kansai International Airport (Osaka, Japan)

Architect Renzo Piano's most remarkable achievement in this case may have been winning a design competition in 1988 for an airport that would sit on a man-made island that did not yet exist.

Located 25 miles away from Osaka, Japan (and three miles off the coast), Kansai airport was completed in 1994 and can handle air traffic 24 hours per day. The island is now connected to the mainland by a 2.5 mile-long, two-level bridge. The airport is lovely, but "it's more the achievement than the architecture itself," says Goldberger.

King Abdulaziz International Airport (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)

Completed in 1981, Skidmore, Owing and Merrill's design of the Hajj Terminal in Jeddah seems to capture the essence of Saudi Arabia's nomadic tradition.

The firm developed tent-like structures using little energy to keep the space cool in the desert. Pictures of the terminal impressed Goldberger, which is why it's on his bucket list as an airport to visit.

"Jeddah seems like a fascinating attempt to marry the nomadic tradition of desert tents with monumental modern architecture," says Goldberger. "A seeming impossibility, but I think they pulled it off."

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Raleigh-Durham International Airport (North Carolina)

Often overlooked as an example of good airport architecture, Raleigh-Durham International Airport's Terminal 2 was designed by Fentress Architects of Denver and completed in 2011.

Inspired by its Southern roots and its service to the Research Triangle hub of companies and universities, "it's a terminal that has a lot of wood and glass inside, a nice alternative to steel and glass," says Goldberger.

Aeropuerto de Carrasco (Montevideo, Uruguay)

Seeking to modernize and expand the airport serving Uruguay's capital, airport operators turned to native son and world renowned architect Rafael Vinoly. Completed in 2009, the Carrasco airport's structure seems inspired by the rolling dunes along the country's coastline.

The design is intriguing to Goldberger, which is why the Carrasco airport is also on his list of airports to experience.

"I've wanted to see Uruguay because Vinoly's swooping shape looks wonderful in photographs," says Goldberger. "It looks like something inspired by Eero Saarinen's design" for Trans World Airlines at John F. Kennedy International Airport (then called Idlewild Airport).

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TWA Terminal (New York)

It's not in use anymore, but Goldberger says it still stands out as an architectural marvel. (Maybe if it was still open, Goldberger would like flying out of John F. Kennedy International Airport better.)

Designed by Eero Saarinen and opened in 1962, this gorgeous terminal had a significant flaw: It wasn't built to change and grow with the growth of travel and the enormous aircraft that would soon come to Idlewild Airport, now JFK International.

"It was one of the great airport designs of all time, and it was completely unworkable for security and the volume of traffic (to come)," says Goldberger. "It remains a beautiful and incredibly inspiring building."

Matteo Pericoli mural (John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York)

No, this doesn't mean Goldberger likes flying out of the American Airlines terminal where this mural is located.

Italian architect and artist Matteo Pericoli was commissioned to paint a mural of the great architecture of the world on a wall at the American terminal. So while Goldberger isn't crazy about the airport, the mural "is one of my favorite things at any airport."

A pleasant experience matters, too

When Goldberger is trying to get from one city to another, sometimes his requirements for a nice airport are the same as anyone else. At the last minute, that's why he also tacked on these "fairly ordinary terminals that are nevertheless pleasanter to be in than the norm": San Francisco International Airport's newly redone Terminal 2 and the JetBlue Airways terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

"Lots of light, nice places to eat, wide-open spaces, views of (the) field, places to work, rest, etc.," he wrote, via e-mail. "Great architecture isn't always necessary to raise an airport above mediocrity."

What's your favorite airport anywhere in the world? Please share in the comments section below.

Via: 8 of the most beautiful airports

Britain's 10 best fish and chip shops

(CNN) -- Finding superlative examples of Britain's national dish isn't as easy as tracking down great cheese in Paris or sublime sushi in Japan.

Serving originally as cheap and filling fodder for the country's burgeoning 19th-century working class, most of the 250 million portions of fish and chips sold today by Britain's 10,000 or so vendors of the dish -- "chippies" to locals -- remain unappetizing concoctions of gray-colored fish in soggy batter, accompanied by anemic chips and flaccid little sachets of ketchup.

Little wonder that so many first time visitors to the UK wonder what all the fuss is about -- never mind where to find mouthwash strong enough to remove the taste of stale cooking fat from their mouths.

That's a shame, because some establishments are great exceptions to the mediocre rule.

Many are family-run enterprises that use local produce and provide an experience that marries the aroma of the ocean with the warmth of the hearth inside one delicious paper-wrapped package.

Our 10 of the best fish and chip shops in Britain list culminates with the latest winner of a prestigious national award.

10. Chez Fred (Bournemouth)

Commitment to quality shows at every stage at this legendary South Coast chippy, from the chunky chips cooked in rapeseed oil to the house-made mushy peas, a traditional fish and chip accompaniment in Britain.

The cod and haddock are certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.

Ethical but supremely tasty, these are PC fish and chips par excellence.

We recommend: plaice fillet with large chips and mushy peas.

Chez Fred, 10 Seamoor Road, Westbourne, Bournemouth; +44 1202 761023

9. The Company Shed (West Mersea, Essex)

It's smart to keep an eye on your watch if you make the journey to this ramshackle but welcoming little seafood shack near the ancient Roman town of Colchester; if your timing is off, you risk being stranded when the tide surrounds the miniscule island where the chippy perches.

Not that this would be such a bad thing, with the fabulous array of seafood to be consumed at the basic picnic tables here, from native oysters at 80p each to crab-and-lobster rolls, cockles, prawns and locally smoked salmon.

Prices are a fraction of what you'd pay in London, and you can bring your own wine.

We recommend: the cold seafood platter.

The Company Shed, 129 Coast Road, West Mersea, Essex; +44 1206 382 700

8. The Big Fish (Stratford-upon-Avon)

Owner Marina Angelides continued the fishy theme in her career (she used to sing in a band called The Big Catch) when she opened this restaurant and takeaway.

Dispensing with the retro (or just shabby) look many chippies favor, the Big Fish is all sweeping windows and smooth design curves.

The menu caters to gluten and wheat-intolerant diners, but less picky piscine fans might set their sights on the Big Fish Combo of cod, whitebait, calamari, scampi, haddock goujons (bread-crumbed mini-fillets), chips, coleslaw and salad.

We recommend: wholetail scampi with chips and salad.

The Big Fish, Unit 3, Maybird Shopping Park, Stratford upon Avon; +44 1789 204 202

7. Rock and Sole Plaice (London)

With high prices matched by low quality, the West End of London is something of a fish and chip tourist trap.

The venerable Rock and Sole Plaice is a local exception -- this Cypriot-run chippy near Covent Garden Piazza has been serving portions of perfectly flaky battered cod, crunchy chips and mushy peas since 1875.

The West End theater posters lining the walls hint at the odd big name thesp who drops in: both Peter O'Toole and Anthony Hopkins eat here when they're in town.

We recommend: cod and chips with mushy peas.

Rock and Sole Plaice 47 Endell St., London; +44 207 836 3785

6. Latimer's Fish Deli (Sunderland)

A former fisherman, owner Rob Latimer presides over the unusual combination of fishmonger and chippy on this site.

Spanking fresh squid, lobster, crab and langoustines are available alongside the usual fried things.

We recommend: the catch of the day.

Latimer's Fish Deli, Shell Hill, Whitburn, Sunderland; +44 191 529 2200

5. Burton Road Chippy (Lincoln)

This prosaically named chippy in genteel Lincoln is almost as much of a local legend as the devilish imps that supposedly escaped from the city's spectacular cathedral in medieval times.

The preferred fish here is battered haddock -- cod typically rules in the south of Britain and haddock in the north.

Everything is fried to order and almost all the menu items are prepared on the premises from scratch.

We recommend: haddock, chips and scraps (bits of batter from the bottom of the fryer).

Burton Road Chippy, 169 Burton Road, Lincoln; +44 1522 575 201

4. Whetstone Fish Bar (Leicester)

Buried deep in the Midlands, far from the coastline, it's the commitment to quality ingredients that makes this chippy run by the parents of UK TV presenter Gok Wan stand out -- fish are delivered daily from the port of Grimsby.

The fish cakes are tire-sized, and this is just the place to try a chippy custom peculiar to the region: pouring thick gravy over the chips before consuming with the fish. (It's nicer than it sounds.)

We recommend: haddock, chips and gravy.

Whetstone Fish Bar (no website), 63 Victoria Road, Whetstone, Leicester; +44 116 286 6866

3. Magpie Cafe (Whitby)

Queues form long before opening at this handsome sandstone old-timer on the harborfront of this sleepy Yorkshire fishing town.

The variety of fish stands out here, with sustainable and rarely seen specimens including gurnard, pollock and hake served alongside cod and haddock classics in an oak-beamed dining rooms upstairs.

If the restaurant is full, you can sit on the harbor wall with a takeaway.

We recommend: fried pollock, chips and mushy peas.

Magpie Cafe, 14 Pier Road, Whitby; +44 1947 602058

2. Seniors Fish and Chips (Thornton, Lancashire)

In classic fish and chip territory -- a small northwestern town of narrow Victorian terraced streets -- Seniors has been attracting queues around the block from its car park location since 2006.

Haddock and cod are supplemented by sea bass and plaice.

Servers will bake rather than fry for you if the thought of an entire deep-fried fish is going to break your vow to finally lose some weight this year.

We recommend: fish goujons, steak pudding and chips.

Seniors Fish and Chips, 91 Fleetwood Road North, Thornton; +44 1253 858585

1. The Bay (Stonehaven)

And officially the Best Fish and Chip Shop in Britain?

For 2013, the winner of this hotly contested competition -- in which everything from customer service to sustainability and hygiene is inspected and marked -- is located in a fishing town on the far northeast coast of Scotland.

The Bay's challenging-sounding specialities include deep-fried black pudding -- a compacted tube of congealed pig's blood cooked with oatmeal, suet, bread and potato.
From its harborside location, the Bay restaurant also serves haddock straight from the North Sea and mackerel caught by a family member.

We recommend: haddock and chips with black pudding on the side.

The Bay, Beach Road, Stonehaven; +44 1569 762000

Via: Britain's 10 best fish and chip shops

World's priciest city to be an expat is...?

Hong Kong (CNN) -- Oslo, Norway ranks as the world's most expensive city for expatriates, according to a new survey by ECA International, a global human resources consultancy firm. In the top 10, seven of the planet's priciest cities lie in Europe, two are found in Africa, while just one rests in Asia.

The rise of Norway's capital to the top spot knocks Tokyo, Japan off the position it has claimed since 2010. This year, Japan's capital ranks as the world's sixth priciest city for overseas workers.

"Prices in Oslo tend to be more expensive compared to other parts of the world (because of) the cost of production and labor," says Lee Quane, Regional Director, Asia for ECA International. "Services include dry cleaning, shoe repair, hair dressing - items which are more labor intensive - meals eaten out at restaurants as well. We also see the impact of taxes. For example alcohol and tobacco is relatively expensive."

According to ECA International data for Oslo, a movie ticket costs the equivalent of $18.76, a beer at a bar costs $14.10, while a soda will set you back $3.43.

Tokyo's fall from the top of the charts follows weakness in Japan's currency over the past several months, adds Quane.

The yen has fallen by as much as 20% since Shinzo Abe became prime minister in December 2012. Abe has laid out a plan for a return to inflation -- with an official 2% target -- after two decades of deflation, a stagnating economy and Japan's exporters like Sony and Panasonic recording billions of dollars in annual losses.

A weaker yen gives more buying power to foreigners visiting and exchanging their money.

Still Tokyo remains the most expensive city in Asia for expats, in the survey by ECA International, beating Seoul, Beijing, Singapore and Hong Kong.

A ticket to a Tokyo movie will take $19.09 out of your wallet, a soft drink is a more affordable $1.61 compared to Oslo, while a kilo of rice costs $10.00 -- the highest price in the entire ECA International survey.

Overall, Asia's city rankings have recently seen "a lot of stability," adds Quane. The global position rankings of Hong Kong and Singapore have only "moved one or two points", which he considers "a good thing" and a signal towards a longer-term economic recovery after the 2008 global financial crisis.

One surprise, says Quane, is the Philippine capital of Manila which jumped 19 points since the 2012 survey.

"The main reason was due to the strength of the currency. What we have seen is that the Philippines has been one of the strongest economies in Asia in the last 12 months as we've seen more foreign direct investment go there. Because of that, we've seen the currency strengthen and that pushed the Philippines up in ranking."

Via: World's priciest city to be an expat is...?

5 reasons to barge cruise in France

(CNN) -- Even the most jaded and cosmopolitan travel writers tend to rave when it comes to canal barging cruises in France.

It's no wonder, given the beautiful scenery, gourmet feasts and faultless service.

A completely different beast from a river cruise, which can cover several rivers and countries in one sailing with more than 100 passengers, the canal barge cruise is slower, smaller and more expensive ($350-$1,000 per day).

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Approximately eight to 12 guests and six English-speaking crew are the usual number of passengers on a French canal barge, which navigates through centuries-old waterways through the French countryside.

Stops range from castles and cathedrals to villages and vineyards, where passengers can step off on guided tours.

Although canal barge cruises are possible in a number of European countries, these are the reasons why France is by far the most popular destination.

1. The wine

The average varieties of wines offered on board a week-long French barge cruise? More than two dozen -- all French and all selected after judicious testing and tastings by the staff.

A variety of canal routes wind through vineyards where passengers can step off and try Sancerre from the Loire Valley, Reislings from the Alsace-Lorraine in the north-east and Bordeaux wines, as well as those from the warm climates of Languedoc-Rousillon and Provence.

Some of Burgundy's best vintages can be sampled at the Grand Cru vineyard of Chambertin-Clos de Bze in the northern part of the Cte de Nuits in Burgundy, Clos de Vougeot, the headquarters of the esteemed Chevaliers du Tastevin and the Chteau-Hotel Andr Ziltener.

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2. Elaborate cuisine

Several barge cruises offer the option to dine ashore, to eat in the restored Abbaye de la Bussiere in La Bussire-sur-Ouche, for example. What was once a pilgrimage retreat in 1131 is now a Relais & Chateaux hotel and Michelin-starred restaurant.

Onboard the barge, thematic regional French fine dining is the standard. The chefs create their inspired from tiny galley quarters.

One divine sample menu dreamed up by Selbey, the chef on the European Waterways' L'Impressionniste barge: French onion soup, lamb with minted peas, and poached pear with mascarpone ice cream paired with a white Pernand Vergelles and red Meursault, Ecrevisse salad, Coq au Vin and fresh fruits paired with a white Ladoix and red Moulin -- a vent and escargot, tender scallops and mousse au chocolat paired with Rose Marsannay.

A stop at the gastronomic markets in the culinary towns of Dijon and Beaune is also a must.

Passengers can shadow barge chefs as they go scouring for rich foie gras, briney crevettes, baguettes with a crunch like no other and hundreds of fresh cheeses.

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3. Quaint lock keepers

Many old locks on the waterways are tended by lock keepers, and passing through them on the barge cruise becomes a fun experience in itself.

When barges pull up, beefy men race out to turn the wheels, raising the rushing water level high enough to let the barge cruise through.

At midday there may be a bit of a wait, as the cruise captains won't even consider disturbing a lock keeper's lunch.

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4. Interesting history

Dating back to the 16th century, barging had a different meaning from the luxury travel experience that it's become today. The French countryside's elaborate canal system was developed as a means to transport coal and other goods that were difficult to move on land.

History buffs will love the fact that their airy, luxurious barges were once working ships carrying cargo along the same winding waterways.

5. Leisurely day excursions

The canals in France are surrounded by historical towns and in addition to vineyard visits, day excursions include stopping by the old towns and meeting the locals.

Guided tours of old architecture are some of the top highlights of a barge trip. Recommended: a visit to the Hospice de Beaune in the town of Beaune, which was built in 1443 and is one of the finest examples of French 15th-century architecture.

But for those who prefer to just relax instead of embarking on busy historical excursions, it's wonderful to just sit on the deck and watch the scenery pass by, too.

European Waterways, +1 877 879 8808; rates start at $4,750 per person

French Country Waterways, +1 800 222 1236; rates start at $5,095 per person

Via: 5 reasons to barge cruise in France

Urban surfing: Riding waves on city rivers

Editor's note: Art of Movement is CNN's monthly show exploring the latest innovations in art, culture, science and technology.

(CNN) -- It's 10pm when the young men dressed in wetsuits rock up at Munich's hippest hangout.

There's already a line of people waiting to get in. But it's not a cutting-edge bar or restaurant drawing the huge crowds -- it's a river.

Welcome to the surreal world of urban surfing, where innovative thrill-seekers ride the waves of inner-city rivers.

Munich's Eisbach River -- located in the heart of the German city -- is one of a growing number of urban surfing spots around the world. From China's industrial ports to land-locked Switzerland's stunning waterways, CNN takes a look at this mesmerizing -- and often dangerous -- extreme sport.

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Munich may be 500 kilometers from the coast, but that hasn't stopped a thriving surfing community springing up around its legendary Eisbach River.

For more than four decades, surfers have been riding the one-meter waves gushing beneath a six-lane highway rumbling with traffic.

Even late at night, surfers can be found queuing up to jump in, with onlookers lining the bridge to catch a glimpse of the action below.

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The river, which runs through the city's picturesque English Gardens, is just 12-meters wide. But despite the small space, Eisbach is no easy ride, with only experienced surfers allowed to dive in.

"I'd surfed the ocean for five years, but river surfing is a totally different sport with a different movement," said Quirin Stamminger, editor of Eisbach River surfing zine.

"It's flowing so fast -- around 25 square meters of water per second. The wave is formed by fast water crashing into slow water. This creates the undercurrent which forms the tube."

Taming the Silver Dragon

Think "surfing hotspot" and it's unlikely China's Qiantang River springs to mind.

But not only is the 460-kilometer river home to an annual festival attracting the best surfers from around the world, it's also the site of a rare wave phenomenon that has been mesmerizing tourists for centuries.

Each autumn, a massive tidal bore -- a wave that travels against the current -- surges up the river. At nine-meters high and traveling at 40 kilometers per hour, the "Silver Dragon," as it is known, is the largest tidal bore in the world and so powerful that only a small number of hefty commercial boats are allowed on the river at the same time.

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Now a group of American surfers has launched an annual festival on the river, using jet skis to reach the bore which pounds through the city of Hangzhou.

Towering skyscrapers can be seen looming behind the daring surfers as they ride the murky Silver Dragon.

"Hundreds of thousands of people flock to Hangzhou during the Fall Equinox -- known as the Moon Festival -- every year to stand on the banks and watch this natural phenomenon barrel past," said Glenn Brumage, business director Wabsono International, a company promoting boardsports in China.

"The cityscape, the hundreds of thousands of people lining the banks, the exclusivity and just the fact that it's China all adds to the drama, excitement and allure of surfing the Qiantang."

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No ocean? No problem

A small European country with no coastline hardly sounds like the destination of choice for surfing enthusiasts.

But landlocked Switzerland -- with its snow-capped Alps -- is proving to be the ideal training ground for a new generation of surfers.

"We don't have any beaches, but we do have a culture of board riding," said Tino Stheli, president of the Swiss Surfing Association.

"We have snowboarding in winter, with many riders wanting to do a similar sport in summer."

Read: Europe's top surf spots

Many villages in the country sit by a river flowing with icy water from the dramatic mountain range.

An increasing number of surfers are now taking the plunge, with festivals held on the Reuss River flowing through the picturesque village of Bremgarten in the north of the country.

Waves reach around one-meter in the pretty river. But be prepared to wait your turn -- on a nice day up to 40 people can be seen queuing for more than 30 minutes to ride the deep blue water.

Via: Urban surfing: Riding waves on city rivers

World's 50 best beach bars

(CNN) -- Anyone can stick up a shack on the sand, stock it with beers and call it a beach bar.

But what makes a great beach bar?

It could be the sand-in-your-toes factor or the washing and hissing of the waves nearby or the sunsets or the people you meet.

The truth is there's no formula, no magic ingredients that guarantee a place in a list of the world's best beach bars.

We've included spots that range from the chic and the elite with smooth lines and mesmerizing cocktail waiters, to the haphazard, thrown-together shacks constructed from scavenged driftwood.

The only thing these places have in common is that once you've been, you inevitably start planning to get back there someday, somehow.

We know this list won't hit all the great beach bars around the world, so let us know -- which beach bars did we miss? Leave a comment.

And vote on our Facebook poll here.

50. La Plancha (Bali, Indonesia)

How did a simple beach shack beat out ultra-luxe Bali bars such as KU D TA and Potatohead? By keeping it real.

La Plancha's laid-back reggae, ice-cold beers, oversized bean bags and jugs of potent sangria have made it the spot to be from 4 p.m. onward every day.

Surfers use the place as a strip-down, wax-on spot before catching the last waves of the day.

But La Plancha's biggest draw is the sunset.

An uninterrupted view of the changing pink-to-red-to-orange sky will have you seriously considering retiring here.

La Plancha Bali, Double Six Beach, Bali; +62 0361 890 0000

49. Nikki Beach (Miami)

This cool club with a rep for its strict door policy -- be irresistibly beautiful or don't turn up without a reservation --- didn't invent the beach bar, but it did reinvent the genre for a generation who may never have felt the sand between their manicured toes.

St. Tropez-style chill joint by day, with raised "opium beds" and linen-covered loungers, it turns into an al fresco nightclub after dark, when international DJs man the decks on weekends.

There are now Nikkis from Koh Samui in Thailand to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico -- not to mention the desert resorts of Las Vegas and Marrakech, where Nikki has created a modern-day mirage.

We still love the original.

Nikki Beach Miami, 1 Ocean Dr., South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida; +305 538 1111

48. Tortilla Flats (Dominical, Costa Rica)

This long-standing beach hut is a surfer hotel, seaside restaurant and happening night spot all rolled into one.

The two-story establishment is located right on the sand in the laid-back surf town of Dominical.

During the day, the crowds (mostly dripping wet surfers) flock to Tortilla Flats for the surprisingly good food.

As the day winds down, you can grab a drink from the well-stocked bar and watch the waves roll in against the sunset.

Tortilla Flats, Playa Dominical, Dominical, Costa Rica; +506 2787 0033

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47. Pelican Bar (Jakes Treasure Beach, Jamaica)

When a place claims to have "the best cocktails in the sea" it's easy to be cynical. But Pelican Bar really could have the best, because it really is in the sea.

Part of the Jakes Treasure Beach resort, the Pelican is built out on a shoal requiring a short boat ride for a visit.

No Internet, no TVs, no pool tables -- just thatched roof, seats and booze.

No wonder it's considered by fans to be the single best beach bar in the Caribbean.

Pelican Bar, Calabash Bay, Jakes Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, W.I.

46. Purobeach, Mallorca, Spain

If upon setting foot in Mallorca's Purobeach you feel as if you've stepped into a design magazine, you're exactly right.

Run by Swedish entrepreneur Mats Wahlstrm, the gorgeous beachfront property has been featured in countless fashionable glossies.

This no doubt accounts for its popularity among the international jet set.

At Purobeach, beautiful bodies lie on white loungers, sipping passionfruit mojitos under the shade of white beach umbrellas and potted palms.

During the day, Purobeach offers spa and yoga sessions to its designer swimwear-clad patrons.

Come nightfall, clubbers gather around the large pool to dance to tunes from Wahlstrm's music label.

Puro Beach, Montenegro, 12 Palma, Mallorca, Spain; +34 971 425 450

45. Tamboo Tavern, Rincon, Puerto Rico

Imagine a bar where you spend lunchtime bathing on the sands and drinking pina coladas, afternoons watching old black and white movies in a cozy corner and evenings listening to live Latin music while humpback whales break the ocean surface in front of the glowing sun.

It's not a dream -- this place exists on the idyllic coastline of Puerto Rico.

It's relaxed, but lively, it's popular but roomy.

Tamboo Tavern, Sandy Beach Road, 413 Interior, Puntas, Rincon, Puerto Rico; +787 823 8550

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44. Ben's Back Beach Bar (Shek O, Hong Kong)

Glamorous it ain't but well positioned it is.

In a city defined by skyscrapers, pollution and dense urban areas the chilled out calm of this low key bar provides remarkable respite and feels so un-Hong Kong.

Its remote location keeps it relatively uncrowded, and even those that make it to Shek O's main beach seem unaware of what's on offer barely a few hundred meters away.

Perched on a concrete rise overlooking the town's back beach, Ben and his small team serve HK$25 ($3.20) beers, basic cocktails and wine.

Other than crisps, there's no food but BYO from nearby restaurants is decent.

Shek O Back Beach, A one-minute walk north along the road/driveway next to the main No. 9 bus terminal, Hong Kong

43. Catch Beach Club (Phuket, Thailand)

The Thai resort's most fashionable beach bar is particularly popular on Friday night, when lamb and tuna hit the spit along with oysters and other seafood.

There's more barbecue action on Tuesdays, and drinks are a draw every night of the week, with signature cocktails including a Sly Thai and My Thai.

While reviews of the cuisine are mixed, the beachfront ambiance and live music are universally acclaimed; best get there early to bag one of the day beds close to the water's edge.

Catch Beach Club, Twin Palms Hotel, Surin Beach Road, Cherng Talay, Surin Beach, Phuket, Thailand

42. Nammos Beach Club (Bali, Indonesia)

Kudos for effort -- this lively watering hole aims to recreate the ambiance of a Greek island, despite being based on a bamboo platform with a roof of indigenous grass.

The only access to its home on a tranquil turquoise lagoon fringed with white sand is via a private inclinator, which transports guests up and down 100 meters of sheer limestone cliff.

While the beach is the star by day (not to mention the waiters who dive into the lagoon to collect a lunch of locally farmed seafood to order), by night the bar turns on the romance with champagne and cold beer to lubricate the prawns and lobster.

Karma Kandara, Jalan Wijaya Kusuma, Bali, Indonesia

41. Tanjong Beach Club (Singapore)

This hideout on the sands does its best to recreate a relaxed beach attitude on the outskirts of the uptight city-state.

It came into existence thanks to a pair of not-so-uptight Aussie brothers who saw the sands of Sentosa as the perfect environment for seafood platters, tropical cocktails and good healthy fun like beach volleyball.

Tanjong Beach Club, 120 Tanjong Beach Walk, Sentosa, Singapore

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40. Coconuts (Rimini, Italy)

Inspired by Miami's Ocean Drive, this Adriatic hotspot is furnished with eccentric sofas, bars and palm trees a short distance from Rimini's beach and harbor.

Open every evening from June to September, it specializes in Latin-American sounds.

Coconuts, Via Cristoforo Colombo, 5, 47900 Rimini Italy

39. Ju-Ju's (St. James, Barbados)

Near Holetown on the island's west coast, this is one of the best-kept secrets in Barbados.

Small but perfectly formed, it offers great food and a rustic, simple beach bar vibe.

It's hard to find, so look for the Fairmont Pavilion and the chic Lone Star Inn -- it's between the two, behind a lime-green house with a "Dive Barbados" sign.

Appropriately, the bar specializes in fresh fish, including the flying variety.

Ju-Ju's, Mount Steadfast, St. James, Barbados

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38. Hula Hula Beach Bar (Hvar, Croatia)

If it's good enough for JAY-Z and Beyonc, who have stopped by for drinks, it's good enough for a top 50.

At Hula Hula, deck chairs rest against the Adriatic Sea offering views of the stunning Croatian sunset.

Come 5 p.m. the bar turns into a massive dance party featuring live DJs, dance parties, table dancing and Grand Prix-style champagne showers.

The town of Hvar, where Hula Hula is located, has an Ibiza-like party feel, but is considerably more low-key and friendly.

Located in West Hvar, a 15-minute walk from Hvar city center, open from June to September, Praia do Rei Costa da Caparica, Croatia; +351 967 777 424

37. Basil's Bar (Mustique, The Grenadines)

Perhaps Mick Jagger comes for the lobster, perhaps he comes to get down with regular Joes -- Basil's prides itself on being a place where "sailors party with business moguls, fashion models, gardeners, rock stars and schoolteachers."

It opens at 8 a.m. for banana pancake breakfasts and the place is still hopping late at night, when DJs and house bands join the party.

Basil's Bar, Kingstown, Mustique, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; +784 488 8350

36. Moomba Beach Bar and Restaurant (Aruba)

This big, open-air restaurant and bar jumps from breakfast till 11 p.m.; not a late, late place despite the efforts of its happy DJs.

Sunday nights are popular for $25 all-you-can-eat barbecues, as well as more rarefied dishes like Tuscan chicken pate with spiced cranberry sauce.

Moomba Beach Bar, JE Irausquin Boulevard 230, Aruba; +297 586 5365

35. Lagoon Bar (Bora Bora, French Polynesia)

Guests of the St. Regis hotel have to climb out of their over-water villas and take a golf cart to the over-water Lagoon Bar. Non-guests are also welcome.

The restaurant and bar is suspended on stilts over the turquoise water so look down and you may catch a glimpse of dinner darting beneath your feet.

World renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongetrichen offers a menu of local seafood with European influence.

It's one of the most extravagant beach stays on this list, with a hotel room running to $1,000 a night.

Lagoon Bar, Motu Ome'e BP 506, Bora Bora, French Polynesia; +689 607898

34. Sunset Beach Bar (St. Martin, Dutch West Indies)

St. Martin's Princess Juliana International Airport is consistently ranked by pilots as one of the world's most challenging landings, given the low approach that has planes coming in right over the famed Maho Beach.

The best way to take in all those incredibly close landings? Beer in hand, at St. Martin's Sunset Beach Bar.

Right at the end of the runway but still perched on the island's glaringly white sand, Sunset Beach Bar isn't just for plane spotters. The food is top notch and the place regularly hosts live musical acts, making it one of the world's top places to kill a few hours before your flight.

Sunset Beach Bar, 2 Beacon Hill Road, Maho Beach, St. Martin, Dutch West Indies

33. Little Ochie (Alligator Pond, Jamaica)

Seafood and Red Stripe are the twin raisons d'tres of this colorful and gloriously ramshackle operation on Jamaica's south coast.

City dwellers drive for miles to eat jerked crab and other crustaceans in thatched boats on stilts as well as tables and chairs set out on the beach.

Reggae and dance hall blast from the jukebox, attracting the odd beachcombing mutt and roaming pig.

There's beer aplenty, but you won't find any alcohol in the signature Fish Tea -- it's a fiery warmup broth to precede the likes of snapper simmered over pimento wood.

Little Ochie, Alligator Pond, Manchester, Jamaica, W.I.; +1 876 852 6430

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32. Wreck Bar (Cayman Kai, Grand Cayman)

This local hangout is a good hour from the tourist strip of Seven Mile Beach, whose visitors rarely make it out here.

Weekends are abuzz with regulars arriving by private boat, but on weekdays it regains a sense of placid nonchalance.

The thatched bar is a replica of one that first went up some 60 years ago, when bartender "Old Judd" invented the frozen mudslide, which became the national drink.

This heady mix of Kahlua, vodka, Baileys and ice is best sipped in a hammock strung between casuarina trees, though you'll want to get up eventually to taste the fine conch fritter, served with jerk mayo made to a secret recipe.

Rum Point, Cayman Kai, Grand Cayman

31. The Star of Greece (Port Willunga, Australia)

For lunch on a sunny day, few places match this colorful beach shack named for a nearby shipwreck in 1888.

It's attracted celebs from Kylie Minogue to Sting, yet displays no attitude and serves delicious food and drink at good prices.

Best of all it's on a beautiful broad stretch of clean, white sand that seems largely deserted, in spite of being fewer than 15 minutes from the vineyards of Maclaren Vale.

Visitors can expect gourmet dishes strewn with edible flowers as well as good fish and chips, top local wines and cold beer and cocktails.

Star of Greece Cafe, 1 The Esplanade, Port Willunga 5173, South Australia; +61 8 8557 7420

30. Bar de la Plage (Juan-les-Pins, France)

In a happening little resort where every private beach has a bar, this relatively new entry has injected a little chic into the genre.

Even better than the sand within a toe's reach are the private cabanas set out for spa treatments along the jetty.

Built on the site of the legendary but long gone Maison des Pecheurs disco, cool sounds now emanate from a decent sound system.

Bar de la Plage, 10 Boulevard Marechal Juin, Cap d'Antibes, France; +33 4 92 93 13 30

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29. Da Conch Shack (Provo, Turks and Caicos, B.W.I.)

With more seafood than you can stare at and more rum than you can throw down, Da Conch Shack in Provo, Turks and Caicos stakes a solid claim for the greatest beach bar in the British West Indies.

They'll pull conch right out of the sea and slice it up for you there and then. They'll keep pouring you rums till you beg them to stop. And they'll even serve a great grilled jerk chicken dish, if you overload on fresh seafood.

It's unpretentious, fun and casual, and for an island that's not overrun with places to choose from, the prices aren't too steep.

Conch Shack, Blue Hills Road, Provo, Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies; +649 946 8877

28. Badeschiff (Berlin, Germany)

The German capital may be landlocked, but tell that to the locals, who turn the urban River Spree into a full-blown beach resort come summer.

Deck chairs line the banks, "beach bars" put out huge rafts so imbibers can float over the water and the world's most unusual pool becomes the city's coolest venue.

Swimming goes on in a vast ship's hull, surrounded by real sand and a huge open-air bar. Unplugged concerts, open air cinema and spa treatments provide diversions.

Arena Berlin, Eichenstrasse 4, Berlin, Germany

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27. Midnight Rambler (Barrio Baretto, Philippines)

A former haunt of U.S. Navy personnel, this laid-back beach bar across the road from Subic Bay has survived on good pool tables, classic rock and an easygoing attitude.

Expect to see inebriated expats clumsily try to chat up attractive local women -- euphemistically named Guest Relations Officers -- near the pool tables.

Midnight Rambler is open around the clock, but to experience it at its best, visit during the weekend, when there's live rock and beachside barbecues.

Those who have had a few too many can just walk off the back deck and dive into the ocean for a refreshing late-night swim.

Midnight Rambler, National Highway, Olongapo City, Philippines; +6347 223 4142

26. Ushuaia Beach Hotel (Ibiza, Spain)

The Ushuaia Beach Hotel has taken the beach bar residential.

A combination of beach club, dance venue and stylish hotel, it aims to celebrate the heyday of outdoor Ibiza, where style, sunshine and dance created Europe's disco-era party scene.

Ushuaia lives up to the tradition by hosting some of the best parties on the island, with club nights both on the beach and around the pool.

Ushuaia Beach Hotel, Playa d'En Bossa 10, Sant Jordi de ses Salines, Ibiza, Spain

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25. Sundara (Bali, Indonesia)

Sundara adds a sophisticated but casual drinking spot to a beach more renowned for its on-the-sand seafood restaurants.

The Cincecitta (170,000 rupiah) of gin, cucumber and spring mint is recommended.

The food menu is international, with dinner aimed at the surf and turf crowd. The salt-encrusted whole snapper is terrific.

Food and drink, though, aren't the main attraction. Sunset views, great beach location, infinity swimming pool and tree-filled open bar area would make even an off beer taste amazing.

Restaurant bookings are recommended.

Sundara, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay; +62 361 701 010

24. Margaritaville (Pensacola Beach, Florida)

Love it or hate it, there's no denying that this familiar chain bar is close to the heart of millions in America.

We like Land Shark Landing, a pavilion that's part of the Margaritaville Beach Hotel on Pensacola Beach.

A rotating menu of activities including beach-blanket movie nights, beach ping pong and volleyball on the sand.

A giant, fin-shaped fire pit, hammocks under palm trees and live band performances all contribute to the bar's kitschy charm.

Margaritaville, 165 Fort Pickens Road, Pensacola Beach, Florida, +1 850 916 9755

23. Tabon Te Keekee (North Tarawa, Kiribat)i

Whatever you thought you knew about beach bars, you better forget it if you make the trip through the poverty stricken South Tarawa (an island in Kiribati) up to North Tarawa, cross the water in a traditional canoe (for $1) and find yourself in Tabon Te Keekee.

Yes, it has the usual amazing ultra-blue water, traditional Pacific kiakia stilt huts in the sea and more sun than you can lube up for.

But you don't know it's even a bar till you've fallen into a hammock and Karea, the half-English, half-I-Kiribati businessman saunters up and asks what you're having.

If you're drinking like the locals you'll order the XXXX, but we recommend the sour toddy made from coconut sap. It tastes awful, but packs a punch and if you ask Karea nicely he'll probably give you some for free.

North of Tarawa island, cross the water and it's the first stop in North Tarawa

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22. UMbar @ Huvafen Fushi (North Male Atoll, Maldives)

On the water's edge looking over the breathtaking infinity pool, this bar has a floor made entirely of super-soft Maldivian sand.

Guests can relax in oversized chairs and take in the magnificent shoreline while sipping champagne cocktails, martinis or fruit juice and fresh coconut concoctions.

There's a cigar menu and daily "dreamers," the local version of Happy Hour, with half-price drinks.

UMBar, Havafen Fushi, North Male Atoll, Republic of Maldives

21. The Beach Club @ ME (Cancun, Mexico)

This South Beach-style high energy spot features a sensual infinity pool that connects to the beach via an amphitheater of Bali-style day beds.

DJs mash it up on Fridays and Saturdays, while Chilled Strawberry Sundays provide a more soothing drop-in.

There's a swim-up bar, poolside bar and a lounge open for drinks.

The Beach Club, Boulevard Kukulcn, Km. 12 Zona Hotelera Cancn, Mexico

20. 'C' Beach Club (Mauritius)

On the unspoiled south coast in Domaine de Bel Ombre, this is the first beach club on Mauritius. Taking some inspiration from Miami's Nikki Beach and Bali's KU D TA with cozy "love nests" and day beds, it also has a distinctively Mauritian feel.

A laid-back beach hangout by day with petanque and beach volleyball on offer, 'C' Beach Club springs to life by night.

Atmospheric blue lighting and a floodlit pool are the backdrop for parties featuring international and local DJs.

Live music weekly, with other events to stimulate the party mood.

'C' Beach Club, Domaine de Bel Ombre, Mauritius

19. Bomba's Shack (Tortola-Beach, British Virgin Islands)

It'd be easy for some to get turned off Bomba's Shack, with its signs imploring "Girls with big boops [sic] get naked for Bomba" and women's underwear swinging from the ceiling.

But from its humble origins as a homey surf-side shack, Bomba's has become a renowned bar and party spot.

Made of driftwood, telephone poles and other mangled pieces of junk, this characterful bar is notorious for hosting epic full moon parties and reeling in travelers from around the world.

The crowd here is an eclectic mix of surfers, yachting tourists and locals who might be sipping hallucinogenic tea, so Bomba's is only for the open-minded.

Cappoons Bay, Tortola-Beach, British Virgin Islands; +1 284 495 4148

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18. O'Grille Beach Bar & Restaurant (Ilha de Sal, Cape Verde)

With an al fresco terrace and easy access to a sandy beach, this is the place to watch a glorious Cape Verde sunset.

Whiskey, wine, cocktails and barbecue appear limitless, and the bar hosts themed entertainment nights and beach parties featuring live bands and traditional Cape Verde dancers.

Urbanizao da Cabocam, ZDTI de Ponta Preta, Ilha de Sal, Cape Verde Islands

17. Flora-Bama Lounge (Florida and Alabama)

Flora-Bama might be a semi-dive, but it has everything a beach bar needs. Live music. Wet T-shirt contests. Cold cheap beer, much loved by the solid mix of locals and out-of-towners.

If you're feeling more refined, the crew will shuck fresh oysters for you, right on the beach.

What makes Flora-Bama truly legendary, however, is the fact that it hosts the annual Interstate Mullet Toss. Flora-Bama straddles the state line of Florida and Alabama, and each April, thousands gather at the bar to party and watch intoxicated competitors throw slippery fish like a discus back and forth across the state line.

Flora Bama, 17401 Perdido Key Dr., Pensacola, Florida. Located right on the Florida and Alabama Line on Highway 292 & 182

16. Cafe Sofia Beach Bar (Cape Town, South Africa)

Wedged between the hooting, honking city and the sweeping, sparkling ocean, Cafe Sofia Beach Bar in Cape Town manages to straddle the line between hectic party place and after-work chill spot.

The decor is warm and lounge-like; the happy hour is generous; the drinks are strong and plentiful; the mezze and tapas platters are communal -- sit at the table, grab a fistful of calamari and discuss the best wave you ever rode with complete strangers.

This is a one of a chain -- there are eight Cafe Sofia's dotted around South Africa -- but this, the flagship store, is staffed by the kind of people you wish you knew in "real life," and therefore feels like one of a kind.

Cafe Sofia Beach Bar, Shop 17 Eden on the Bay, Otto du Plesis Drive, Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa; +27 21 554 0296

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15. Shalvata (Tel Aviv, Israel)

Dubbed Manhattan-by-the-Med, Tel Aviv is lined with miles of white sandy beaches where locals and visitors party from April till October.

The hub of nightlife is the regentrified Port area, and here there's nowhere better than Shalvata to while the night away with sand between your toes.

Cocktails, cool sounds and low-slung sofas on the sands have made this the summer nightspot of choice for Israel's beautiful people, but it's also open for breakfast and doesn't close till the last customer leaves.

Shalvata, Tel Aviv Port, Tel Aviv, Israel

14. Bayside Beach Bar (Jalousie Plantation, St. Lucia)

The specialties here are mojitos and Creole-style tapas, served up either on a deck overlooking the Caribbean or right on the white sands of Sugar Beach.

Some visitors never get further than the hammocks.

Jalousie Plantation, Val des Pitons, Forbidden Beach, La Baie de Silence, Soufriere, St Lucia, W.I.

13. Cerritos Beach Club (Baja California, Mexico)

Family fun overlooking giant waves is what this laid-back club in a surfing town outside Cabo has to offer. A great indoor-outdoor bar serves classic cocktails and sipping tequilas with live jazz on Sundays.

There's fresh seafood, an outdoor pool table, and no attempt to shut out 21st-century life -- plasma screens show the biggest matches simultaneously and management lends guests laptops to check their email.

Cerritos Beach Club, Playa Los Cerritos, Pescadero, Baja California Sur, Mexico

12. Z-Plage (Cannes, France)

An outdoor gourmet restaurant, cabana lounge and redesigned pier stretch along the famous Croisette, creating a glamorous scene for lunch and dinner.

Hundreds of angular white umbrellas punctuate a decor heavy on teak tables, glass paneling and drapes.

The crowd veers from well-financed Russian women to ultra-bronze French playboys stopping off between St. Tropez and Monaco in their vintage sports cars.

During the summer months, the Givenchy Spa sets up treatment cabanas on the beach for private massages and signature facials within splashing sound of the Med.

Z-Plage, Hotel Martinez, 73 La Croisette, Cannes, France

11. Moonshadows (Malibu, California)

Ahough it now has a lot more competition than when it opened its doors some 40 years ago, Moonshadows continues to score because no one else has quite such a dramatic outdoor bar perched right over the rocks and crashing surf along this stretch of Pacific Coast Highway.

Once a steakhouse renowned for its awesome salad bar, it now pushes seafood, though carnivores will find Kobe burgers on the menu.

The Blue Lounge Bar is open seven days a week from before lunch to the small hours, though it may no longer serve the pina colada-ish Moonglow old hippies used to rock up for.

Moon Shadows, 20356 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California

10. Doyles on the Beach (Watsons Bay, Australia)

Reportedly the world's oldest beach bar, this family-owned operation first opened in 1885. A boat brings visitors to a strip of sandy foreshore where they can crack a frostie and grab fish and chips while enjoying the fabulous panorama of Sydney Harbour.

Not a late place, it's much more about wine, beer, seafood and sandy vibes than cool sounds or cocktails.

Doyles on the Beach, 11 Marine Parade, Watsons Bay, NSW, Australia

9. The Fish and Rhum Shack (Mauritius)

Despite its home on a posh resort,this is a satisfyingly rustic hangout illuminated by lanterns.

The sound of waves breaking on the coral reef competes only with the pulsing beats of Mauritian Sega dancers who arrive by night.

The rum is locally distilled, the beer hails from the village brewery and the menu for the daily barbecue depends on the previous night's catch and morning market. This is as authentically Mauritian as it gets.

The Fish and Rhum Shack, Shanti Maurice, Mauritius

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8. Soggy Dollar Bar (Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands)

A much-loved beach bar in the British Virgin Islands, Soggy Dollar Bar is the perfect reminder that sometimes it's best to let the surroundings be the star.

Nothing fancy here, and that's why it's so popular.

Visitors can park their beach chairs right in the blue-green waters of White Bay, letting the tide rise in sync with their blood-alcohol levels.

But that's not the only way to get soggy. Because there's no dock, many boaters anchor off the beach and swim to shore.

Their money of course gets wet, so they have to pay with "soggy dollars." Get it?

Soggy Dollar Bar, White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands; +1 284 495 9888

7. Uxua Praia (Bahia, Brazil)

Set on Bahia's Barra do Rio Trancoso, Uxua Praia attracts a laid back, music-loving, athletic crowd keen to sample one of the world's most beautiful beaches.

Featuring vast, cushioned sofas and flat-roofed pergolas, this resort bar was built with reclaimed fishing boats that for years had languished on the site unused.

As well as partaking in the fresh seafood and caipirinha, you can try your hand at beach volleyball and sea kayaking, as well as capoeira.

Uxua Praia, Uxua Casa Hotel, Quadrado, Trancoso, Bahia, Brazil

6. The Rock Bar, Ayana Resort (Bali, Indonesia)

Named world's best hotel bar by CNN Travel a couple years ago, the Rock lures visitors who defected to Seminyak a decade ago back to Jimbaran Bay.

Fisherfolk shacks make this southern cove a popular al fresco dining scene, with seafood lovers able to get their fixes while gazing at the ocean from 15 meters above the rocks.

Martinis, tapas and live music Thursday through Sunday -- at The Rock Bar there's no such thing as just popping in for one.

The Rock Bar, Jalan Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia

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5. Babis Bar (Kalymnos, Greece)

Babis' lively local hive of activity is a well kept secret on the unsung Greek island of Kalymnos. This rocky outcropping is perched between the Turkish coast and the crowded party island of Kos.

Babis and his family field everything a beachcomber could want.

Once you're done with your hearty Greek breakfast, logging on to the free Internet, trying out all the various beers and wines and sleeping it all off by the free swimming pool or sun loungers, you can hop on a boat and take a ride over to its own sub-island of Telendos for one of the most spectacular sunsets in the Med.

Babis Bar, Myrties Square, Myrties, Kalymnos, Greece

4. Ponta dos Ganchos (Brazil)

Brazil's most exclusive resort, Ponta dos Ganchos features a gorgeous beach bar with great views, daybeds and signature cocktails like The Hook -- cachaca blended with physalis fruit and sugar.

Located on a private peninsula on Brazil's Emerald coast, this is where the local elite -- and foreign guests like Beyonc -- come to get away from it all.

Ponta dos Ganchos, Rua Eupdio Alves do Nascimento, 104, Governador Celso Ramos SC, Brazil

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3. Shipwreck Hut (Cook Islands)

Hammocks, sunsets, barbecues, tropical fruit breakfasts, gospel sing-a-longs and a special "magic" cocktail that's served in a recycled jam jar --- Shipwreck Hut is the bar you dream of owning when you retire.

On Arorangi beach on the west coast of Rarotonga, the barbecues are a favorite with travelers, not least because of the corny jokes and barely believable tales spun by and about affable owner Jim.

On Sundays after an omelet breakfast customers can join a trip to the local church to listen to the locals singing gospel in traditional colorful muumuus and woven hats.

Or you can stay at the bar, swing in the hammocks and keep an eye out for whales (depending on the season).

Shipwreck Hut, Aroa Beachside Inn, Arorangi, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

2. Baba Nest (Phuket, Thailand)

This stylish rooftop venue on the highest pinnacle of the southeastern peninsula enjoys 360-degree views across Phuket, the surrounding islands and Andaman Sea.

A deck scattered with beanbags and low tables is surrounded by an infinity pool that gives bathers the illusion of being afloat between sea and sky.

Tranquil tracks and light Japanese bites punctuate the action, and signature cocktails include a lemongrass and vodka sri-jito and a lychee martini, as well as sake-based concoctions.

Below deck, ocean-front restrooms open to the elements are bound to become a talking point.

Baba Nest, 88 Moo 8 Sakdidej Road, Tambon Vichit, Amphur Muang, Phuket, Thailand

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1. Dune Preserve Beach Bar (Anguilla, B.W.I.)

Pieced together from driftwood, wrecked racing boats and seashells and owned by a gray-bearded, grizzly reggae singer, the Dune Preserve Beach Bar is the kind of place you dream of discovering on your first trip to the Caribbean.

And once you have, you dream of staying there forever, to revel in your addiction to reggae tracks and dripping ribs, and to argue politics, philosophy and the ingredients for the perfect rum punch with Bankie, the owner, who can often be found at the bar.

It counts ex-presidents, former pirates and Wall Street bigwigs among its fans, but don't let them distract you from the real reason this place is the best beach bar in the world -- the amazingly affable Bankie Banx and his cohort, who seem to talk in musical lyrics and will teach you not just how to build a boat, but how to build a lifestyle few would turn down.

It's a daytime place open 11 a.m. till sunset.

The Dune Preserve, The Valley, Anguilla, BWI, Anguilla B.W.I

Originally published in March 2012, updated June 7, 2013.

Via: World's 50 best beach bars

The town where Superman lives

(CNN) -- Editor's note: Watch CNN's TV theme week Comic Book Heroes from June 10-17 on World Report, CNN Newstream and I-desk.

Last year I failed to become Superman. Not a super man, the Superman.

The search for the official Metropolis Superperson is an annual and international event.

Organizers receive hundreds of photos from people who aspire to be a muscular, bullet-proof fictional character with no visible genital definition.

But before I could hand in my resume and lie -- "I've traveled 20 million light years from my home. I look upon my powers as a gift. Not mine but to anyone who needs them" -- I was told I had to be over six foot, have black hair rather than no hair, be around 30 years old and have a 12-13 American shoe size.

"Buff and with no accent," said the lady from the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce, knowing that she was no Miss Teschmacher.

"Our first Superman was the local Baptist preacher. Everyone wants to be Superman. We get applications from everywhere. Even Japan."

Just a regular nuclear reactor-supplying town

For most of the year the Illinois town of Metropolis in the American Midwest is a quiet place, with a population of 7,000, a riverboat casino and a mill churning out material for nuclear reactors.

No one bench-presses any cars. No one freezes anything with their breath. Although the local burritos can help you exert the propulsive force of very high winds.

And some of the keg beer is similar to Kryptonite, immobilizing you with pain and nausea, and robbing you of your powers of taste.

But for a few days in summer (June 6-9, 2013), the town becomes soop central, putting on the "Superman Celebration."

This year is a big one: the Diamond Jubilee.

Remarkably, though the great man is 75, his adventures continue.

Not with hair re-seeding or knee replacement surgery, but with a new movie.

Zack Synder's "Man of Steel," starring Brit Henry Cavell, Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner, is released on June 14.

The big party in Metropolis will have superhero-related celebrity autograph sessions from the likes of Margot Kidder and Michael Rosenbaum, a Smallville prom, a Superman mastermind quiz (everyone knows Clark Kent parts his hair the different side to Superman), a fans' film festival and, of course, a $1,000 First Prize lookalike pageant ($25 entry).

Town mayor, Billy McDaniel, will be on hand to swear in visitors as "honorary citizens" of his friendly community on the Ohio River near the Kentucky border.

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There's also a chance to become a Guinness World Record holder by being part of the world's largest-ever gathering of people dressed as Superman.

The record is currently held by 437 Canadians.

Says Mayor McDaniel: "The annual Superman Celebration brings so much more than just tourism to our small community. It brings out the superhero in all of us."

You can also buy a personalized brick ($75) to be placed around the pedestal or walkway to the Lois Lane statue on the corner of West Eighth and Market, between the chiropractor and "the home of super financial services" -- the bank.

Or you can have your photograph taken standing between Superman's legs underneath the 22-foot, $120,000, vandal-resistant bronze Superman statue in Superman Square in the "Home of Superman."

It's meant to bring good luck. President Obama posed there and he got re-elected.

Beneath the sculpture is the inscription "Truth, Justice -- the American Way."

"It's our second statue," the lady from the Chamber of Commerce says. "The first one was fiberglass and he was short, fat and ugly. People thought he had big feet and looked like Prince Charles.

"He also seemed to suffer from an ocular condition."

The Super Museum will be open.

It's curated by former Californian housewares salesman and self-professed "Superman nut," Jim Hambrick, whose 100,000-plus item collection includes the suit worn by George Reeves in the first color television episodes of "Adventures of Superman."

The town and the world can't wait.

Gift shops will stock anti-thrombotic support tights. Sponsors of Metropolis's 35th Superman Celebration include Thor's Gym.

Superman speaks

Joshua Boultinghouse is the resident Superman.

"I enjoy portraying Superman because for four days out of the year I get to be the man I always try to be," he says. "I don't mean being invulnerable. I mean I get to represent all that is good, honest and pure about humanity.

"I think we all (for the most part) aspire to be like that, but for four days especially I have to be like that in front of the fans and especially for the children.

"And it gives me hope that maybe one day we all can be like that."

D.C. Comics' Superman first appeared in June 1938. Three quarters of a century, 2,000 comic appearances and six movies later, the Man of Steel hasn't changed a great deal.

Except he's no longer bald.

Superman was created in June 1933 by an Ohio writer named Jerry Siegel and Canadian illustrator Joe Schuster as a follicularly challenged baddie who read minds.

Then came the makeover modeled on Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

Alter ego Clark Kent was named after matinee idols Clark Gable and Kent Taylor, with his looks based on comedian Harold Lloyd.

DC Comics' Metropolis was named after the title of a Fritz Lang movie.

Metropolis, Illinois, has been Metropolis since 1889. Its only factual claim to fame is that The Birdman of Alcatraz is buried there.

Metropolis was Robert Stroud's hometown.

The local newspaper is called "The Metropolis Planet." It's not called "The Daily Planet." It's a weekly.

The town's chief other attraction is a telephone box. In it, rather than undress, I looked through the local directory. But couldn't find one Clark Kent.

Only a Stanley and a Wendell.

The Superman Celebration takes place in Metropolis, Illinois, from June 6-9; www.supermancelebration.net

Via: The town where Superman lives

Most luxurious U.S. hotel suites

(CNN) -- Indoor basketball courts, island-sized balconies and bathrooms that belong in museums -- America's got some crazy indulgent hotel suites with price tags to match.

Ty Warner Penthouse, Four Seasons Hotel, New York

This 4,300-square-foot suite dreamed up by architects I.M Pei and Peter Marino spans the entire 52nd floor of the Four Seasons Hotel, offering an incomparable 360-degree Manhattan skyline view from four glass balconies and practically every room.

America's most amazing hotel pools

There's an extraordinary four-foot chandelier, mother-of-pearl inlaid walls, 22k gold fabrics, indoor-outdoor Zen garden with a floor-to-ceiling waterfall, Chinese Onyx-clad master bath, tiger's eye jeweled guest bath, spa room with top of the line exercise equipment and a bronze-adorned library with grand piano.

A personal trainer, butler, art concierge and Rolls Royce chauffeur are always on call.

Four Seasons Hotel, 57 East 57th St., New York; +1 212 758 5700; from $40,000 per night

Casa Five, Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, Paradise Valley, Arizona

Guests who book this luxury desert pad get their own outdoor pool and private tennis court.

They also get panoramic views of Camelback Mountain and Paradise Valley, five bedrooms, 5 baths and a sprawling multilevel outdoor patio with a hot tub, plush seating and cozy fire pit.

18 wacky hotels in the United States

A chauffeur will drive you to the local farmer's market. With ingredients you pick up there, a personal chef will customize and whip up a feast in the gourmet kitchen, complete with wine pairings.

Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, 5700 E. McDonald Dr., Paradise Valley, Arizona; +1 800 245 2051; from $3,500 per night

Presidential Suite, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia

The Greenbrier's Presidential Suite accommodates more than 200 people.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Princess Grace of Monaco are just a few guests who've booked this swank suite that comes with seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms and 5,100 total square feet for entertaining your minions.

At the foothills of West Virginia's Allegheny Mountains, this two-story, excessively floral-patterned duplex includes three fireplaces, living room with grand piano, library, den, private patio, reception foyer and formal dining room that has hosted countless state dinners.

The Greenbrier, 300 W. Main St., White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia; +1 855 453 4858; from $25,000 per night

Penthouse, The Fairmont San Francisco Hotel, San Francisco

Looking like something out of a fairytale movie set, this 6,000-square-foot penthouse spans the eighth floor of this historic hotel and comes dripping with Cinderella-esque features.

The billiards lounge is covered from floor to stained-glass ceiling in Persian tiles, while the two-story circular library has a secret passageway and sky-like dome with every constellation painted in gold leaf.

There's also a 24/7 butler, chef, masseuse, personal trainer and chauffeur.

The formal dining room seats 60 people, marble baths have 24k gold fixtures and a massive terrace provides stellar city and bay views.

The Fairmont San Francisco Hotel, 950 Mason St., San Francisco; +1 866 540 4491; from $15,000 per night

Provocateur Suite, Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas

There's luxury, and then there's true living.

Catering to the latter, Hard Rock's Provocateur Suite is a palace for those looking to play out bedroom fantasies.

Highlights include two master suites with mirrored ceilings, one of which holds an enormous bed equivalent to three queens and an interactive video wall that, with the flip of a switch, lowers the shades, dims the lights and projects figures "writhing wantonly" on the bed while erotic themes rotate behind the headboard.

Along with a private balcony and plunge pool, the room has a secret vault filled with various toys, gear and outfits, a steel cage large enough for two and a shower with naked silhouettes that react and sway with your every movement.

Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas; +1 702 693 5000; from $5,000 per night

Brisa Villa, The Grand Del Mar, San Diego

This Mediterranean-inspired bungalow has a dedicated elevator, two-car garage, personal luxury golf cart, landscaped yard, climate-controlled patio and built-in outdoor stainless steel grill and refrigerator.

The SoCal sun floods the retractable floor-to-ceiling windows accented by hand-stenciled ceilings and European marble columns.

Another amazing feature: The state of the art media room with custom leather recliners has padded and insulated walls for mind-blowing sound.

The Grand Del Mar, 5300 Grand Del Mar Court, San Diego; +1 858 314 2000; from $6,000 per night

Kamehameha Suite, Honua Kai Resort & Spa, Maui, Hawaii

This six-room, oceanfront suite has the usual big-suite perks -- fully equipped gourmet kitchen with Viking appliances, flat screen TVs, three lavish bathrooms and huge beds in every room.

But the highlight is the 3,200-square-foot lanai -- touted as the largest on Maui -- with whale watching views of Moloka'i and Lana'i islands, the West Maui Mountains and the Pacific.

Honua Kai Resort & Spa, 130 Kai Malina Parkway, Maui, Hawaii; +1 855 718 5789; from $2,999 per night

Royal Plaza Suite, The Plaza Hotel, New York City

This 4,490-square-foot suite was inspired by Louis XV's royal court.

It comes with coveted Fifth Avenue views, three marble fireplaces, 24k gold-plated fixtures in its four bathrooms, an in-suite gymnasium with fitness equipment, library lined with hand-selected books and the Plaza's chefs at your disposal to make use of its magnificent kitchen.

Or for just less than $3,000 a night, the hotel's new Great Gatsby-themed suite is a relative steal.

The Plaza Hotel, Fifth Avenue at Central Park South; +1 866 940 9361; from $30,000 per night

Presidential Suite, Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles

This glamorous Hollywood Hills suite has a chef's kitchen with a private entrance for your "personal staff," dining for 10, a beautiful living room with a grand piano, fully stocked bar, his-and-hers showers and deep-soak tubs with built-in TVs.

French doors lead to a 4,500-square-foot Spanish courtyard, with a full-size swimming pool, Jacuzzi and outdoor fireplace.

Hotel Bel-Air, 701 Stone Canyon Road, Los Angeles; +1 310 472 1211; from $15,750 per night

Hardwood Suite, Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas

Extending 10,000 square feet across two floors, the Palm's Hardwood Suite is an over-the-top hoopster's dream, with an indoor basketball court, locker room, scoreboard and gigantic Murphy beds that unfold right onto the hardwood.

The hotel's Kingpin Bowling Suite is another fun option, with a two-lane bowling alley built into the room.

Palms Casino Resort, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas; +1 866 942 7770; from $25,000 per night

Via: Most luxurious U.S. hotel suites

Food flies as plane hits turbulence

(CNN) -- Images taken on a recent Singapore Airlines flight might suggest passengers had become unusually ferocious in their disdain for the onboard meal.

But this was no "Bugsy Malone"-esque food-flinging fiesta.

The plane hit turbulence shortly after breakfast was served, and the result was culinary carnage.

"Singapore Airlines flight SQ308 experienced moderate to severe turbulence en route from Singapore to London on 26 May," said airline spokesman Nicholas Ionides.

"Eleven passengers and one crew member sustained minor injuries when the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude and were attended to by medical personnel on arrival at Heathrow Airport."

Passengers reported coffee cups, cutlery and even a few people were thrown about the cabin as the plane lost altitude.

Alan Cross, one of the passengers who took the images you see here, told CNN: "Everything violently rocketed off all the tray tables into the ceiling. You literally felt your stomach going into your throat."

The mess was cleaned up soon after and passengers were given chocolate gifts on landing in London.

Via: Food flies as plane hits turbulence

Holidays in Somalia, anyone?

CNN Marketplace Africa is a weekly show offering a unique window into African business on and off the continent.

Mogadishu, Somalia (CNN) -- Bashir Osman moves hurriedly along a white sandy beachfront, giving instructions to a driver operating a bulldozer. Near them, a large truck is ferrying away piles of rocks, clearing a sun-soaked beach lapped by the azure blue waters of the Indian Ocean.

Work here is well underway as Osman presses ahead with his new multi-million dollar project: to build a luxury beach resort in Mogadishu, the capital of war-torn Somalia.

"I knew one day that Mogadishu will become peace and we'll get stability," says Osman, who already owns two hotels in the city. "That is why I started to buy that land."

After more than 20 years of violence, Somalia moved a step closer to stability last September after picking its first president elected on home soil in decades.

And now, hope is gradually returning to parts of the East African country.

Read this: Peace concert rocks Mogadishu

Although security is still an issue, Mogadishu has been experiencing an economic renaissance in recent months, boosted by members of the diaspora returning home to rebuild the country, as well as the efforts of local businessmen who never left.

Osman, who stayed in Somalia throughout its conflict, hopes his new development will attract holidaymakers from abroad. He says that he's already had American and British visitors staying in his hotels.

"More than 20 tourists they came," he says. "Some of them they came with their family to show Somalia, especially Mogadishu," adds Osman. "And really when they went back, they were so excited when they saw how Mogadishu looks like, how beautiful city we have, how beautiful beach we have and that is what we want to show them again and again."

Osman's ambitious new projects are part of a growing building activity that is reshaping many of the neighborhoods of bullet-ridden Mogadishu.

"If you go to Mogadishu the construction is very, very booming," says Osman. "That is the sign of peace," he adds. "Especially the people who came back from America and Europe, they start to open the new businesses."

Mogadishu's growing economy is manifested not just in real estate and the hotel sector. Telecommunications is also on the rise, while the aviation industry is spreading its wings too, with about 15 daily domestic and international flights.

"We have six different routes and basically next we'll be eight," says Osman Abdullahi, a young Somali entrepreneur who set up the ODAY express airline. "There is a lot of airlines that are planning to (come to) this country and hoping to (have) a hub over here."

Abdullahi admits that leaving the United States in 2010 to return home and start his business was a "100% huge risk."

He says that when moved back back to Somalia, it was too dangerous to even drive in Mogadishu. "That picture is already gone. It's a different picture today," he says.

This new picture can also be witnessed at Mogadishu's seaport -- Somalia's key national asset -- where creaking cranes lift goods from the commercial ships and boats lining the harbor. The wide array of imported construction materials, household goods and food are then loaded onto rows of waiting trucks.

Read this: Somali women defy danger to write history

The customs revenue collected from here has increased exponentially in recent times. And while the system is far from perfect, the income is crucial to the newly formed government in rebuilding the city, whose basic infrastructure has been shattered by war.

Currently, Somalia's economy is largely supported by aid from donor governments, while the relatively peaceful business environment is propped up by the African Union Mission in Somalia African (AMISOM).

The security forces squeezed the al Qaeda-linked Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab out of Mogadishu, but the insurgents still lurk and periodically launch terror attacks.

Read this: The global cost of Somali piracy

Brigadier Michael Ondoga, of AMISOM, told CNN recently that although Al-Shabaab was "largely defeated" in Mogadishu, there were still issues with its members "melting into the population" and taking advantage of the city's large size to hide.

But Somali security forces have succeeded in pre-empting many suicide attacks and have arrested some of the Al-Shabaab operatives hiding among the capital's population.

"The situation is generally good at the moment -- the security forces are controlling it very well," Ondoga said. "Here in the city now, the big guns are quiet, the streets are lit, many (in the) diaspora are coming back, new construction is going on, business is booming," he said.

And despite the long list of challenges, Mogadishu businessmen like Osman are hopeful of a brighter future.

"For me I was here (during the conflict) and the situation I see now is a situation I have never seen before. So the situation now is getting better," he says.

Via: Holidays in Somalia, anyone?

Timelapse: Land of the midnight sun

Editor's note: MainSail is CNN's monthly sailing show, exploring the sport of sailing, luxury travel and the latest in design and technology.

(CNN) -- Can you imagine a world where the sun never sets?

For scientists cruising Antarctica in a mammoth 94-meter ship, that's exactly the surreal realm they encountered.

Now their remarkable two-month expedition has been condensed into a haunting time-lapse video, following the floating laboratory as it plowed its way through some of the most brutal conditions on the planet.

"We arrived in summer, mid-February, when there was 24-hour sunlight," Stanford University Ph.D student, Cassandra Brooks, told CNN.

"The sun would move from high in the sky to very low, but would never completely disappear. I didn't get tired until 1.am -- it was very energizing."

'Touching infinity'

Brooks, who is studying international ocean policy, was one of 30 U.S. scientists monitoring Antarctica's unique eco-system, as part of a National Science Foundation research cruise.

The ship wound its way along the stunning Ross Sea -- believed to be the last untouched marine eco-system on the planet -- providing scientists with an important insight into one of our few remaining healthy waterways.

During the summer months, Antarctica -- the southern most tip of the globe -- is transformed into a bewitching "Land of the Midnight Sun," where the sun never dips below the horizon, instead continuously moving in circles.

After more than a week of this extraordinary phenomenon, the team finally saw their first sunset at 1.am -- an experience Brooks described as "like touching infinity."

"Brilliant orange light streamed through the portholes on the starboard side of the ship. I peeled myself away from my microscope, dashed across the room and peered outside to catch the sun blazing down on the horizon," the 33-year-old said.

"The sight took my breath away -- the sky was on fire, turning the ocean a deep purple red. Gusts of wind collided with the wide rolling swells, driving an arc of brilliant pink spray 10 feet into the air."

Life and death

Despite the breathtaking beauty of this icy underworld, conditions could also be brutal with winds of 110 kilometers per hour and temperatures plunging to -40C.

On these extreme days, scientists weren't allowed outside on the deck covered in a slippery -- and dangerous --layer of ice.

"If you fell overboard you'd be dead within minutes because the water is below freezing," said Brooks.

"Yet it's an environment that's also teeming with animals such as emperor penguins and Weddell seals."

Read: Arctic vagabonds -- Family living on polar yacht

Sometimes tightly packed ice up to 10 ft deep threatened to trap the ship -- Brooks admitted on previous expeditions it had been stuck for weeks -- and it was forced to spend hours reversing and ramming its way through.

The adventure was caught on film after Brooks attached a video camera to the bow of the boat -- capturing everything from blazing sunshine to fierce storms.

'Forget Friday night'

For more than two months, the team cruised Antarctica's wild Ross Sea -- more than 5,000 kilometers from the closest country; New Zealand.

Their ship, the Nathaniel B Palmer, became a floating island in itself, equipped with a helicopter hanger, gym, industrial kitchen, library, conference room and laboratory.

Brooks was part of a team measuring plankton in the water and would usually start her experiments at 7.am, working until 8.pm.

Read: Luxury superyacht doubles as science lab

During the summer months, Antarctica's green plankton bloom grows so large it can be seen from outer space.

"We were there to test what happens to all that phytoplankton, which provides a vital source of carbon -- or food -- to the system," Brooks explained.

"Does it sink out to the bottom? Get eaten over the summer? Does it get transported out of the system? Many think that this large source of phytoplankton is the reason why the Ross Sea has such large populations of predators.

"Some people would still be up sampling water until 4.am," she added. "The idea of weekends and normal Friday nights completely disappears."

Spiritual science

For Brooks, the journey was more than just a science expedition -- it was a spiritual experience which gave her a renewed appreciation for mighty mother nature.

"It just grabbed me in a very visceral way," said Brooks.

"It's such an obviously beautiful place but also surreal -- the conditions are so extreme so you're seeing a whole other world you've never seen before."

Many scientists now believe the Ross Sea is the last untouched marine ecosystem in the world.

If Brooks' stunning video is anything to go by, it's also one worth protecting.

Via: Timelapse: Land of the midnight sun

Naked, wet, free: 22 sexy skinny dips

(CNN) -- Bathing naked isn't just for babies.

While the brave might whip off their underwear for an impromptu dip whenever the chance arises, some of us need more reassurance.

That's why we've collated these 22 spots where you can swim the way nature intended, confident that you won't attract too much attention.

Anantara Phuket Villas, Thailand

These luxurious villas -- 83 in total -- come equipped with a private courtyard featuring a sunken pool and complete seclusion, which means you can swim naked without fear of offending guests or staff.

While this kind of skinny dipping lacks the excitement and back-to-nature feel of taking a dip in the wild, there are benefits -- including a hot tub for two, an outdoor shower and a fully stocked mini-bar within arm's reach.

Anantara Phuket Villas, 888 Moo 3 ,Tumbon Mai Khao, Amphur Thalang, Phuket, Thailand; +66 (0) 7633 6100; pool villas start from 13,500 baht ($429) per night, but the website often offers discounts.

Banyan Tree Lijiang, China

High tiled walls mean you can undress with confidence in the pool villas at Banyan Tree Lijiang, 7,900 feet above sea level.

Outside of May to August, when seasonal fields of rhododendrons reach full bloom, expect to raise a few goosebumps while streaking into these heated pools in the shadow of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and a Himalayan panorama.

Banyan Tree Lijiang, Yuerong Road, Shuhe Gucheng District, Lijiang City Yunnan Province, China; +86 888 533 1111; $618 per night

Black's Beach, La Jolla, California

Black's Beach is reckoned to be the best by the American Association for Nude Recreation. It's a spectacular location below Torrey Pines Golf Course, with a long stretch of sand protected by steep cliffs.

The beach attracts naturists and surfers and is a well-established haven where San Diego's anti-nudity law isn't enforced. The beach has a regular group of fans, known as Black's Beach Bares; their website has useful tips on how to enjoy a day on the beach.

Park for free at the glider port on Torrey Pines Scenic Drive and then walk down a steep trail to the beach.

Black's Beach, 2800 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla, California

Capella Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Skinny dipping in nature can be laden with unexpected mishaps: Someone could steal your clothes, or you could get leaves and dirt -- even leeches -- stuck in places they don't belong.

Worse, your friends might photograph you and post the evidence on Facebook.

Most of these problems can be avoided with a private plunge pool.

At the southern tip of the Baja California, the Capella Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas has 66 rooms with an ocean view and a pool just for you.

The luxury factor is high, and the privacy makes it perfect.

Capella Pedregal, Camino Del Mar 1, Cabo San Lucas BCS, Mexico; ocean-view room from $375 per night

Carpe Diem, Santorini, Greece

On the slopes of Pyrgos village overlooking Fira, capital of Santorini, this boutique hotel prides itself on the privacy of its 10 suites.

With a private terrace and pool in each apartment, guests can feel free to let their hair down and abandon their swimsuits for an uninhibited swim in the solitude of their own pool.

The hotel has a Turkish bath, which can be booked for private use.

Carpe Diem, Pyrgos 84701 Santorini, Greece; +30 22860 34090; junior suite with private pool from 240 ($333) per night

Seoul's crazy party motels

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan

With every rattle of a palm frond, it's hard not to wonder what other creatures are taking pleasure in this dense bamboo jungle.

That and the occasional screams of rafters coasting along the Ayung River are the only sounds to intrude upon the privacy of each villa at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan.

All 42 thatched maxi-huts come with an outdoor shower that overlooks the river valley and a plunge pool that releases itself into the jungle's steamy abyss.

Nudists notwithstanding, no one need fear overexposure. Farmers on the opposite bank are nearly naked themselves and too far away to make out the state of play.

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Sayan, Ubud, Bali 80571, Indonesia; +62 (361) 97 7577; $680-850 per night

Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives

Had Robinson set sail with Mrs. Crusoe in tow, he might have gotten lucky and washed up at Gili Lankanfushi in the Maldives.

Balanced on stilts above a shallow lagoon, the Robinson Crusoe Residences are the most photogenic over-water villas ever to take the character's name.

With the closest neighbor at least a thousand feet away and no sign of the butler (unless requested), couples are left entirely alone.

You can splash around the Indian Ocean or even snorkel naked.

Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives, Lankanfushi Island, North Mal Atoll, Republic of Maldives, +960 664 0304; $1,635 per night

Golden Beach, Northern Cyprus

If you want to feel the sand between your toes and clear blue Med lapping around your face, Golden Beach on Cyprus has some of the best skinny dipping you'll ever encounter.

Clothed beach-goers gravitate to the area around the beach cafe, leaving a good stretch of sand free for anyone who wants to strip down and soak up the sunshine.

Note: This isn't an official nudist beach, so it's best to check who's around first.

Karpaz; take the Karpaz-Anayolu road going northeast to the tip of the peninsula. Golden Beach is on the right

Jerolim Beach, Croatia

Croatia is famed for its FKK (freikrperkultur, or "free body culture") beaches, and the island of Jerolim, the closest of the Pakleni islands to the town of Hvar, is renowned for its unspoiled, rocky shoreline and crystal waters.

It's popular with naturists (as well as non-naturists), who can be found sunning themselves on white rocky outcrops.

For more privacy, get away from the main tourist area, hike through the forest and find a secluded cove. You can also explore the island's coast by boat.

Jerolim Beach; ferries travel regularly from Hvar town on Hvar island

Lady Falls, Brecon Beacons, Powys, Wales

You have to be brave to go skinny dipping in Wales, no matter what time of year it is. Nonetheless, author of "Wild Swim" and skinny dipping connoisseur Kate Rew recommends a remote waterfall in the Brecon Beacons as one of the must-dip places in all of Britain.

Lady Falls (known locally as Sgwd Gwladys) has a mystical feel and is a popular walk for hikers, which means that if you want to feel that cool mountain water on your bare backside, you'll need to be quick and circumspect about it.

Sgwd Gwladys, Brecon Beacons National Park; set off from the Angel Pub in Pontneddfechan, on the road between Neath and Merthyr Tydfil. It's a 4-mile round-trip walk from the pub to the waterfalls.

Little Beach, Maui, Hawaii

Although nude sunbathing isn't permitted in Hawaii, there are some clothing-optional, nude and topless beaches where it's accepted and tolerated -- if not officially.

Little Beach on Maui is a popular, out-of-the-way cove in Makena State Park where visitors often swim, snorkel and lounge like lizards in nothing but their sun-protection cream.

The beach is recommended by the American Association for Nude Recreation.

Little Beach is west of Makena Point in Makena State Park. Travel on the Makena Alanui road and then park inside the state park and walk to Little Beach.

Phuket's best pool villas and suites

Marina di Camerota, Campania, Italy

When it comes to nudity, the Italians aren't as liberal as their French neighbors. Naturist beaches are thin on the ground compared with the Cte d'Azur, but that's not to say there isn't a thriving nudist culture.

Although Rome's Capocotta (just south of Ostia) has been a haven for naked bathers (and posers) for several decades, a 300-yard strip of shingle beach near Marina di Camerota, in the Campania region, has been designated naturist-friendly.

On the southern side of the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park, the clear waters of this quiet coast feel like a stream of fresh air, just where it's needed.

Marina di Camerota is 55 miles south of Salerno and the naturist-designated beach (known as "del Troncone") is south of Cala Finocchiaro; Italian Naturist Federation

Maslin Beach, Adelaide, South Australia

South of Adelaide, Maslin Beach was declared Australia's first legal nudist beach in February 1975. But that's not its only claim to fame.

The beach was also the subject and location of an eponymous film in 1997, telling the story of a group of friends on the beach.

Like other nudist beaches in Australia, Maslin Beach holds an annual Nude Olympics. Events include "best bum" and a three-legged race.

The beach also attracts visitors for its surf and sunsets.

Maslin Beach, City of Onkaparinga, 21 miles southwest of Adelaide

Naked cruising, Cte d'Azur

You can take naked swims in the Mediterranean any time of day or night on a naturist cruise along the Cte d'Azur.

Cruises set off from Marseille and can be planned to suit your interests: If you've always wanted to sail around the Calanques au naturel, this is the holiday for you. All you need to do is persuade a group of family or friends to share the experience.

Croisiere-med; +33 6 81 98 91 13; cruises cost 110 ($152) per person per day and usually last one week

Orient Bay, St. Martin, Caribbean

On the east coast of the island, on the French side, a broad sweep of yellow sand attracts a variety of visitors.

If you walk along the beach from north to southeast, you'll notice people wearing fewer and fewer clothes.

By the time you arrive at the Club Orient resort, even the Speedos and thongs will have disappeared. A naked swim in the Atlantic Ocean is the cure for anyone feeling awkward at disrobing.

Orient Bay is a little less than 4 miles directly east of Marigot, St. Martin, Caribbean

The Pavilions, Thailand

You can roll straight from bed into a deep, 40-foot-by-13-foot infinity pool outside each Andaman Sea-facing villa at Phuket Pavilions.

The motto, "no tan lines, no interruptions," means exactly that for couples yearning for none other than each other.

Stealthy staff deliver service without a sound. That includes poolside massages.

The mini-bar is stocked with Veuve Clicquot champagne and Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

The Pavillions, Phuket, 31/1 Moo 6, Cherngtalay Thalang, Phuket, Thailand; +66 (0) 7631 7600; $629 per night

Praia de Galheta, Santa Catarina, Brazil

About 12 miles south of Florianopolis in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, this white sand beach attracts die-hard naturists and the nude-curious alike.

It's fine to turn up for a skinny dip even if you don't want to spend all day getting your pale bits burned.

Praia de Galheta is a naturally preserved area, with no restaurants or other buildings nearby, so bring lunch.

There's also an archaeological site, and the surf is good. The Association of the Friends of Galheta lobbies and looks out for the interests of nature and naturism on the beach.

Praia de Galheta, Santa Catarina, 12 miles south of Florianopolis, north of Praia Mole

Racquet and Tennis Club, New York, United States

This private members club in the heart of New York is a strange mix of pro-establishment-conservatism with near-Nordic enlightenment.

While its male-only members (women are allowed entry only for special events if accompanied by a male member) include the city's great and ambitious (bankers, lawyers, senior execs), its after-work men-only naked swimming sessions have become legendary.

Much has been conjectured over what really happens during the bare swims. They certainly provide New York's businessmen with an opportunity to think outside the box.

Racquet and Tennis Club, 370 Park Ave., New York

River House, Sri Lanka

Wake up in a pillow-strewn four-poster bed in the River House's east-facing Menik Suite, and you'll be looking at a private plunge pool as the sun rises over coconut palms.

The inland retreat on the Madhu River is three hours' drive south of Colombo's international airport.

From November to March, you and yours can play Adam and Eve around this seven-acre slice of tropical paradise.

The River House, No. 70, Uthamanyana Mawatha, Welagedara, Balapitiya Sri Lanka, +94 11 576 9500-2; $373-485 per night

50 experiences to try before you die

Taj Exotica Resort and Spa Maldives

Before exposing delicate skin to sun, guests at Taj Exotica can build up to swimming in the buff with four hot and cold experience showers, and seaside sun beds with Maldivian herbal mud-loving therapists plying their trade.

After being slathered in mud and loosened up on cocktails and exotic fruit snacks, its time to drop the pretense (and bikinis and trunks) and swim with the lion fish and wrasse.

The couple's treatment in the Alepa Suite at the end of a private jetty is as the name of this Taj property suggests: exotic.

Taj Exotica Resort and Spa Maldives, South Male Atoll, Maldives; +960 664 2200; $800 per night

New swimming stroke invented in China

Traditional onsen, Japan

Despite being a massive concrete city, Tokyo has plenty of natural thermal springs.

Among the best is Toshimaen Garden Spa. It has a tranquil setting inside a garden designed by Kenzo Kosugi.

If you want to get even more back to nature, there's Seta Onsen Sanga-no-Yu, where you can contemplate views of Mount Fuji while soaking in the buff.

Toshimaen Garden Spa, 3-25-1 Koyama, Nerima,Tokyo; +81 03 3990 4126

Seta Onsen Sanga-no-Yu, 4-15-30 Seta, Setagaya,Tokyo; +81 03 3707 8228

Trisara, Thailand

At Trisara on Phuket's northwest shore, all 39 villas are well endowed for maximum pleasure.

All-glass French doors open onto a 32-foot-long cerulean plunge pool that appears to drip into the Andaman Sea.

No swimsuits are required, thanks to a profusion of jungle foliage expertly tended by Thai gardeners who turn each of these outdoor playpens into secret sanctuaries.

Piles of plush towels are scattered about the area.

Between diving in and winding down, you can feed your companion from the villa's trays of aphrodisiac chocolate truffles and Thai mangoes.

Trisara, 60/1 Moo 6, Srisoonthorn Road, Cherngtalay, Thalang, Phuket; +66 76 310100; $600-1,230 per night

10 cities, 100 fantastic free attractions

Via: Naked, wet, free: 22 sexy skinny dips