10 FREE THINGS TO DO ON TROPICAL ISLANDS AND BEACHES

My idea of ‘Paradise on Earth’ = tropical islands and beaches. My answer to any “Where’s the best…?” is without hesitation, “Tropical islands and beaches.” Qs: The world’s most romantic place? Top travel destination? Best place to retire? Same answer every time.

Therefore, I’m always astounded to meet travelers who get bored after a mere few days at a beach. How is that possible? More surprisingly, I meet such travelers frequently. Finally it dawned on me that perhaps it’s not so obvious to people just how many fun and interesting activities are available at beaches and islands.

 

My solution: ’10 Free Things to do on Tropical Islands and Beaches,’ written for anyone suffering beach boredom or seeking more tropical activities. In a nutshell, simply by making yourself aware of the beautiful nature and local culture surrounding you, you’ll find unbounded adventures to fill days or weeks on end, whether you prefer chilling out, expending energy or trying out new experiences. All for FREE!

 

Starting off with the most obvious, you can:

Laying on soft powdery sand, relaxing, soaking up the nourishing sun’s rays, getting your dose of important Vit. D, coaxing a golden tan, and enjoying a gentle breeze are tropical luxuries not to be missed! You will need sunscreen (your one tanning expense) to prevent burning, but if you’re in the tropics you’ll need that anyhow.

And if you think suntanning is dull, consider this. You definitely want to have a lovely tan to some degree of brown or other if you’re romping around the tropics. Nobody looks more out of place than a westerner strolling a tropical beach with lily-white skin. While milky skin looks marvelous in cold climes like UK and Scandinavia, it’s simply shocking in tropical destinations where nearly everyone, including locals and travelers alike, have a healthy sun-tanned glow.

So go out an enjoy some beach tanning. Just one hour per day will soon turn you a lovely golden tan.

Regardless of whether your tropical island is a flat sandbar or a mountainous volcanic protrusion, tropical sunrises and sunsets are stunning natural color displays. If 6am sunrises are a bit painful for ‘morning challenged’ travelers, evenings are a perfect time to sit down and appreciate nature’s amazing free shows.

Naturally, people equate beaches with relaxing, sitting around and chilling out. But beaches are also perfect places to exercise and stay fit. Walk, jog, hike the jungle, swim or snorkel. Choose your favorite activity and take care of your physical fitness while inhaling fresh unpolluted air and viewing splendid scenery.

swimming– Tropical locales generally have warm seas, perfect for simultaneously cooling off and keeping fit. Swimming is considered the no. 1 whole-body workout. If the tropical heat gets a bit too much for comfort dashing into the sea is a luxurious means of cooling off.  ** Always be sure to check sea conditions before jumping in. While many tropical seas present calm friendly waters, others have dangerous currents or waves.

snorkeling– A majority of tropical beaches are fringed by beautiful coral reefs. It’s worthwhile carrying your own mask and snorkel set when you’re traveling to the tropics so you can enjoy the astounding natural under water ‘technicolor movies’ called coral reefs. Fantastic for hours of free entertainment and wonder.

hiking– Most tropical destinations, whether they’re islands or mainland beaches, have more vigorous hiking/ trekking opportunities- in jungles, rice fields, or mountains. Check with locals, other travelers or guidebooks for hikes in your area.

Nowadays most tropical destinations in the world have long-standing, well-developed tourist facilities. Whether they’re bungalow resorts, home stays, or guesthouses, most have books, magazines, guidebooks and newspapers left behind by other travelers. Just about anywhere you can find something to read for free. Another option is to do book-swapping with fellow travelers. Some places also offer free internet to guests, where you can keep in touch with the world and/or download thousands of free eBooks.

Camping is free on many beaches in SE Asia. If you’re traveling with a tent, beach camping allows you to fall asleep to the sounds of gently lapping seas, breezes blowing through palm fronds and insects chirping in dense vegetation. Wake to soft sunrises over the sea, chirping morning birds and the ever-present waves on sand.

I’ve camped solo on beaches all over SE Asia in complete safety, without threat, theft or harassment. Many of my campsites were in national marine parks, which charge a minimal fee, but I’ve also camped free at numerous beaches and islands. Singapore city even offers free beach camping!

Boats are found at all beaches and islands. Along with them are local boatmen and fishermen. Go have a chat! They’ll be excited and honored to tell you about their boats, fishing techniques and their lives. If they don’t speak English, you can still understand a tremendous amount by looking over their boats, pointing, using hand gestures, and watching them work. Talking with local boatmen is a great way to connect with locals, learn about other cultures, make new friends and investigate fishing / boating techniques around the world.

Nature offers so much to learn and discover. You’ll never finish investigating if you take it upon yourself to explore. Go on ‘identification’ missions: trees, plants, flowers, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles, spiders, cloud formations, rocks, seedpods, leaves, butterflies, shells, crabs, tropical fish, corals. Pick a topic and see how many different ones you can find. With one topic per day you can spend a month discovering the nature surrounding you. If you’ve got a curious mind try it out. You’ll quickly be amazed.

In evenings on beaches all over the world locals gather to play their favorite ball games: volleyball, soccer, takrow, hacky sack, frisbee, badmitton, paddleball. Most times they’re very happy to have travelers join their games. It’s another fantastic way to become part of the local community, make new friends, have fun and also stay fit.

In addition, many travelers play beach games throughout the day. Everyone’s on vacation, so they’re usually in a happy, open and friendly state of mind. Most likely they’ll be delighted to let you join.

Staying at a resort or guesthouse owned by locals? Eating at locally-owned restaurants? Drinking at local bars? Perfect opportunities to befriend people of other cultures, to learn their habits, ideas, outlooks on life, worries and concerns, aspirations, views on westerners, all sorts of intriguing information. Generally, they love conversing with travelers. It makes them feel you care about them and their country.

Another favorite past time of both locals and travelers to tropical beaches is playing music. Nearly everywhere you can find someone with a guitar, harmonica or singing voice strumming out tunes. Travel with a musical instrument and you’ll make instant friends and fans as well as brighten up peoples’ days. If you’re not musically talented, don’t fret. You can still join in as part of an appreciative audience. Musicians need viewers and love dancers!

So to all the beach skeptics out there I hope this list will help you enjoy your next tropical destination more thoroughly.  See you on an island!    cheers, Lash

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If you found this post useful, you’ll love my FREE eBook:

100 Free Things to do in Asia. It describes 10 free things to do in 10 different Asian cities and destinations.

Check out my Free eBook here
 
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Guide to Scuba Diving in Thailand
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Guide to Scuba Diving in Malaysia
Scuba Diving at Tioman Island, Malaysia
Sanur: South Bali Beach Town Extraordinaire

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