WHITEHAVEN: BEST BEACH IN THE WORLD?

Surely, many people will contest this claim.:) True story: I've actually gotten shade from my countrymen whenever I disagree that the Philippines isn’t my number one choice! Don't get me wrong: I love all the beaches in the Philippines, and maybe you can ask me again after I've visited Palawan, Bora Bora, Zanzibar or Seychelles if this claim still holds true ... but WhiteHaven for me, is so far the ultimate postcard-perfect beach destination. The first time I saw it, I was like: OHMYGOODNESSTHISISSOBEAUTIFULICANNOTDEAL. The pictures don't do it justice.

Picture-perfect: white-silica sand swirls against turquoise waters

that change patterns depending on the tide

IT’S (RELATIVELY) REMOTE

Have you seen Boracay during the Labor Day weekend? Or Koh Phangan during full moon parties? Or Copacabana during New Year's Eve? There’s barely enough sand for people to walk on! Massive commercialism has sadly seen a lot of beach destinations reduced to boisterous, jam-packed, booze and cruise, seen-and-be-seen places that can disillusion even the most optimistic traveler.

Marking my territory!​

WhiteHaven Beach is part of Whitsunday Islands, the largest in the Whitsunday National Park system, and is pristine due to its relatively remote location. Since it’s not as easily accessible as other beaches, it can also be expensive to get to, which isn’t such a bad thing when you want the place (almost) all to yourself.

View from Hill Inlet after a short hike: one of the most beautiful sceneries in the world IMHO!

When our speedboat with only 12 passengers docked on shore, we were the only travelers there, save for a Hamilton Island seaplane with a honeymooning couple, that landed several kilometers away from us, but left after their picnic lunch. Only twelve people in a 7-kilometer stretch of paradise – that’s more than half a kilometer slice of white sand and aqua waters for each person! You can even walk to the end of the island to tan, swim, and gaze at the endless aquamarine ocean if you’re feeling particularly anti-social. It’s just you, the white-sand beach, nature’s sounds, the warm waters in front, the occasional monitor lizard scuttling about, and the forest cover at the back …. Now, that’s my kind of a blissful beach experience! :)

The only thing wild about this island is its residents!

Honeymooners in a seaplane! So chi-chi.

THE SAND IS 98% SILICA

Blindingly-white, almost luminescent sand is what makes WhiteHaven Beach pop out against the turquoise waters of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Due to its silica composition, the sand doesn’t retain heat so even in the hottest Australian summer, it’s comfortable to walk around barefoot. The sand is also so fine, it doesn’t stick to your skin at all and squeaks when you walk on it! I'M ON SILICA HEAVEN!

Dig your toes into pure silica, or play a game of squeaky volley!

It’s so pure, it was even used as one of the materials for the Hubble Space telescope’s lenses – thankfully, the area is protected by the Australian government so mining the sand is strictly prohibited nowadays. I’ve never seen and felt sand like WhiteHaven’s before! My five hours on this beach is one of the best experiences of my entire traveling life and definitely the highlight of my third visit to 'Straya.

I always bring my Lagu beach blanket with me. Bring home memories, not sand. Save our beaches!

IT’S A PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT

There are no accommodations on WhiteHaven Beach itself and the nearest resort is 30 minutes away by high-speed catamaran or 15 minutes by seaplane / helicopter on Hamilton Island, where standard rooms start at AUD300++ and usually has a mandatory minimum number of nights for each stay.

No-impact zone. Look at those COLORS!

Camping is not allowed on WhiteHaven Beach so all visitors have to bid goodbye to paradise at the end of each day. There are however, 31 camping sites scattered around the national park, but not on the beach itself. The entire Whitsundays is protected by the Queensland Government, and this extends to the Great Barrier Reef as well. Being a no-impact zone, smoking is not allowed on the beach, tour operators are mandated by law to clean up after each BBQ session, tourism is tightly-controlled, and it’s prohibited to disturb the wildlife roaming the forest fringes. Rules are a wonderful thing, if only to preserve habitats and maintain the pristine nature of this beach.

Pure shores: blindingly-white sand, awe-inspiring water clarity

Image: Swain Destinations

Whitehaven isn’t as popular outside of Australia nor as globally-lauded yet like Bora Bora or Seychelles, but it's starting to get attention especially after Oprah dug her toes into its white sands back in 2010 (I visited in 2013). I think this relatively works to its advantage: keep this beautiful beach relatively low-key to the rest of the world so as to keep it as much a Robinson Crusoe experience as it is now and for future travelers.

SFT alert: bissing out on WhiteHaven Beach

HOW TO GET THERE: Fly to Airlie Beach from major Australian cities via Virgin Australia and take a 1-hour speedboat to the national park. I sailed with Cruise WhitSundays as their crew are passionate about maintaining the pristineness of the national park and they try to time arrivals when other tour operators aren't there.

WHERE I STAYED IN AIRLIE BEACH: Global Backpackers, formerly Beaches. Accessible location to the airport bus stop, restaurants, grocery store, and pharmacies.

HAPPY TRAVELS! x

#Australia