Now that international travel is back, and even travelling to far flung places is becoming feasible again, beach lovers are back in droves looking for seaside holidays. Of course, if you and your family are true beach worshippers and looking for the very best holiday spots out there, you might want to go a little further than the good old Med.

Families looking to get their fix of Vitamin Sea over the summer are, of course, strongly encouraged to look up entry requirements for the country they wish to visit, in respect of passport, visa, and COVID requirements, as well as local protocols or guidelines. You don’t want to travel halfway around the world, only to find the best beaches closed and events restricted. Thankfully, this type of information can usually be accessed online quite easily nowadays. In fact, whether you are a single parent looking for a holiday with teenagers, a solo traveller looking for a singles holiday  for the over 50s or  a Muslim traveller wanting to observe Muslim traditions such as halal food and daily prayers on holiday – there is a website and an app for everyone, just take Muslim Pro app. If you are curious about the app’s features, you can find more information on the Muslim Pro app Facebook page.

Bucket list destinations for beach lovers

So, without further ado, here are some of the best beaches in the world with something for everyone – from stunning scenery and fun waterside activities, to relaxed island vibes. With such spectacular and diverse beaches they certainly all have a place on any self-proclaimed sea lover’s dream holiday wish list :

Whitehaven Beach, Queensland, Australia

Located on an island that sits right at the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, Whitehaven Beach is only accessible by helicopter, boat, or seaplane. What you’ll find at the end of that journey is one of the best beaches in the world: a seven-kilometre stretch of white sand surrounded by crystal-clear blue water, which is known to shift and change colour as the tides rise and fall. This is just one of many stunning sights that have earned Whitehaven recognition as one of Australia’s best beaches.

Whitsunday Island, where Whitehaven Beach can be found, is the largest of 74 islands in the area. The beauty of its waters can best be appreciated from Hill Inlet, located on the beach’s northern edge, or the nearby Tongue Point, another well-loved lookout area.

Most visitors take day trips to Whitehaven from Airlie Beach, an established beach town on Australia’s mainland. Besides sightseeing, these trips may include activities like snorkelling in and around the Great Barrier Reef. Many multi-day sailing trips around the region may also include Whitehaven as a stop in their itinerary.

Camps Bay Beach, Cape Town, South Africa

If you go for a swim at Camps Bay, a must-see beach located a mere ten-minute drive from downtown Cape Town, you’ll find the waiting sea surprisingly cold. These waters are fed by currents coming straight from Antarctica and remain chilly even throughout the hottest months of the year. This doesn’t stop locals and visitors alike from flocking to the public beach every summer, however, and many will gladly take a dip in the dark blue waters to cool off even for just a few moments.

Some might argue that the water at Camps Bay is more for looking at than swimming, but there’s no denying that the scenery it offers is some of the most breathtaking in the world. The stretch of pure white sand you’ll see along the coastline is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and majestic, rocky mountains on the other. As the beach faces west across the ocean, Camps Bay is also an ideal sunset spot.

Tulum, Mexico

To reach Tulum, you’ll have to drive about two hours out from Cancun to the Riviera Maya. Besides a gorgeous white-sand beach and sparkling turquoise waters, you won’t want to miss the ancient ruins that sets this coastal town apart from other Mexican must-see beaches. These well-preserved ruins are the remains of a pre-Columbian Mayan port city and have earned Tulum recognition as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Numerous resorts and hotels dot Tulum’s coastline, so travellers to the area won’t lack comfortable accommodation options. Nature lovers may be especially interested in visiting Sian Ka’an, a rich biosphere reserve spanning half a million acres. The reserve is home to lush tropical forests, mangrove marshes, reefs, caves, and sand dunes.

Haad Rin Beach, Koh Phangan, Thailand

The verdant isle of Koh Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand is home to nearly three dozen must-see beaches, of which Haad Rin Beach is undoubtedly the most famous. This island, along with its neighbours Koh Samui and Koh Tao, has long been hailed as one of Thailand’s premier island-hopping destinations.

Visitors to Haad Rin Beach will find a plethora of dining establishments located right on the sand, as well as a wide array of accommodations ranging from the budget-friendly to the high-end. The overall feel of the place is upbeat and youthful, perfect both for the most adventurous backpackers and more leisurely travellers who don’t want to do much more than relax on the beach. The water surrounding the beach is warm year-round, and activities like beach volleyball, water sports, and snorkelling are plentiful.

By far the best thing about beach holidays is that no two beaches on Earth are quite the same. Take advantage of the opportunity to be able to travel again and check a few of these premier seaside destinations off your bucket list. Dive into the sparkling water and don’t be surprised if you find yourself already planning your next summer getaway as soon as you come up for air.

The above are surely dream destinations for any beach lover! With such spectacular and diverse beaches they certainly all have a place on any self-proclaimed sea lover’s dream holiday wish list. I will be very surprised if you haven’t caught the travel bug, having read about our 4 must-see beaches in the world!

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How to read your date’s body language to find out if he or she likes you…

Navigating the dating scene can be a nightmare, especially if you are a single parent dating. It’s hard enough dating in your 20s or 30s. But when you have just come out of a long-term relationship and have children, it can be even more difficult and quite confusing, too. Suddenly you have a history, are less flexible, and have little time – and worst of all, find the whole dating malarkey rather unnerving and confusing. You are so out of practice, that you are struggling to figure out if your neighbour/work colleague/friend’s friend is just being polite or actually seriously interested in you. So, how do you read the signs?

As a newly single parent, you might lack dating practice, but you have age and experience on your side – and the internet.  You no longer have to go out to countless events trying to scan venues for your potential soulmate. Instead you have dating websites to help you gain some valuable experience chatting, meeting, and dating men or women looking for love. And you have the internet to teach you all about gender differences and behaviours. Understanding yourself and others better can become your secret weapon in your search for your soulmate! And to help you get started on this journey, we would like to help you read your date’s body language, so that you can tell if he or she is interested in you – the signs are unmistakable, you just need to know what to look for:

Reading his body language

How good are you really at interpreting your date’s body language? You might think you are a natural, but I bet you can still learn some tricks from us. Reading someone’s body language takes practice, and there can be false positives in some cases. You need to use that skill in combination with other factors.  Is he leaning away from you because he is not interested, or is it his bad back? One sign alone, could be a false alarm. The key is looking for consistency and reading the signs in context.

Although there are actions universal to both genders, there are differences in the way men and women use body language. Here are a few body language signs that can indicate that a man is into you:

• he raises his eyebrows for a fraction of a second. Easy to miss but a definite clue that he likes you (this is called “eyebrow flashing”)
• he grooms himself running his hand through his hair, smoothes his tie or lapel or straightens his shirt (“preening”)
• his eyebrows remain raised as he talks to you – he is showing interest in what you have to say
• his lips part momentarily when you lock eyes
• his posture is erect when he stands
• his legs are parted when he is sitting
• he changes his stance leaning forward to show that he is listening, possibly perching on the edge of the chair
• his facial expression changes: he smiles or laughs when you tell a joke, he looks miserable when you tell a sad anecdote. It shows he is engaged in the conversation and listening intently.
• he fidgets – maybe he plays with his watch, or the buttons on his shirt. It is a sign that he is either nervous or has excess energy – in either case, this is a positive sign.
• his pupils are dilated – you might have to look closely but this is a sure sign that he likes you. If the room is dark, it might be the lighting, so read this cue in combination with other signs.

Reading her body language

Of course, there are some overlaps with male body language, and not every woman displays the same behaviours. Talking about differences, take this example: Whilst fidgeting on a date shows a man might be nervous and most likely has a thing for you, fidgeting in women more often shows that she is uncomfortable or annoyed.

And whilst not every woman acts the same in any given situation, there are some behaviours that most women have in common. Here are some of those unmistakable signs that a woman is interested in you:

• her posture is ‘open’ i.e., no legs crossing or arms folding, instead she faces you
• her back is arched
• she leans forward as she listens and moves closer
• she smiles and laughs often, even at your worst jokes
• she plays with her hair curling or twirling it or flipping or tucking it behind her ears or shoulders in an unconscious attempt to draw more attention to her face
• she initiates body contact – women are more inclined to touching than men
• her fingers touch or rub the rim or stem of her glass of wine or another random object, she massages neck, she plays with her jewellery
• she seeks eye contact and might looks at you often and even intensely
• she has animated facial expressions
• she uses a lot of gestures to emphasize her point
• she mirrors your movements

If you notice a woman displays several of the above behaviours not just once but repeatedly, then she is probably attracted to you. As sure as these signs might be, if she spent the whole evening talking about herself, never asking you any questions about your life, then she is probably not sincerely interested in you as a person. So, all actions have to be read in conjunction.

Practice makes perfect

Don’t forget to use your common sense. If you are unsure whether someone is into you, he or she probably isn’t. If you click on that first date, and feel easy around each other, then it’s a very good sign and you don’t need to worry about body language. But women, in particular, tend to overthink things, and analyse every word and movement of their date. This is where it is incredibly helpful to observe your date’s non-verbal communication. It will give you some really useful clues.

You could even test him or her by flirting and checking their reaction. If you don’t get a positive response from the first attempt, he or she might just be shy. If 2 or 3 attempts don’t yield any results, you might want to leave it there and walk away.

Practice makes perfect. The best way to pick up on these body language signals is by going on a lot of dates. Reading your date’s body language will become second nature before long. So, get a few dates lined up, whether it’s through friends or an online dating site, and start having fun reading your date. I often observe couples in restaurants, and it can be really fascinating. Whatever you do, have fun, and enjoy the process!

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe to our blog or check out  some of our other posts?

• Single parent dating – where do you start?
• How to create a 5-star dating profile
• 8 Dating mistakes single parents make
• Is online dating safe for single parents?

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