Plan a Beach Holiday with 2015 ‘TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards for Best Beaches Across the World

-- Baia do Sancho in Brazil is #1 beach in the World

-- India shines on the Asia list – secures 1st spot with 8 winning beaches 

Radhanagar Beach, Andaman (#2); Agonda Beach, Goa (#6); Palolem Beach, Goa (#11); Varkala Beach, Kerala(#12); Mandrem Beach, Goa(#14); Cavelossim Beach, Goa (#17); Dhanushkodi Beach, Tamil Nadu (#22); Benaulim Beach, Goa (#25)

-- Goa trumps other states and leads the way with 11 winning beaches followed by Kerala (4); Andaman and Nicobar Islands (3); Orissa and Karnataka (2 each); Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Pondicherry (1 each)

TripAdvisor® the world’s largest travel site*, today announced the winners of its 2015 Travellers’ Choice™ awards for Beaches. In its third year, the awards recognize the best beaches globally, including top lists for Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Europe, South America, the South Pacific, the U.K., and the U.S.

Speaking on the announcement Mr. Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager, TripAdvisor India said, “For the lovers of sun, sea and sand this is a perfect time to plan a beach holiday.  And TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Beaches offer a perfect recipe to escape to the lazy environs of some of the most scenic beaches not just globally but in India as well.

It is also great to see India moving up the ladder in the World and Asia lists. This no doubt reiterates the fact that Indian beaches match up to the best in the world”

The Power Play in India:

• Goa retains the title of the official ‘beach state’ albeit with a lower margin - 11 beaches have won awards this year as compared to 15 last year

• Beaches from Kerala bag 4 awards in 2015 vs 3 in 2014

• 3 beaches from Andaman and Nicobar win this year vs 2 last year

• Orissa impresses by bagging 2 awards this year vs 1 last year

• Andhra Pradesh strikes nil with none of the beaches from the state qualifying this year  

Top 10 Travelers’ Choice Beaches in India:

Radhanagar Beach

Situated in Havelock Island, this breath taking beach avoided much of the devastation caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and its resultant tsunami.

“best beach in India” - A huge beach, very clean and extremely beautiful.we stayed in Sea Shell Beach Resort, Havelock Island. The resort is also extremely beautiful.it will take 20 minutes from the resort to beach. Review by TripAdvisor traveler from Kolkata, India

Agonda Beach

A great spot for sunbathing, relaxing and swimming, with still relatively few tourists, Agonda beach also has a turtle centre in the middle protecting precious Olive Ridley eggs.

“amazing.. best day ever”- I had an amazing day on this beach. The sea is lovely to swim in, the staff in the restaurants are lovely. There were about 20 people maximum on this beach the whole day. It was like pure heaven. Clean and lovely sand and sea. We ate and drank beer all day for about £20 for two. Was brilliant!! Review by TripAdvisor traveler from London, UK

Palolem Beach

This beach is largely unspoiled and is inhabited by both local fishermen and by foreign tourists. Interestingly, it is featured as the Goan residence of Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) in the film The Bourne Supremacy (2004).

“Best beach in Goa!!”- Beautiful beach!! White sand, calm & blue water, ideal for swimming! And the road from Colva to Palolem is just awesome. To enjoy the beauty you have to take a scooty!! Review by TripAdvisor traveler from Kolkata, India

Varkala Beach

It is also known as Papanasam beach which means ‘wash away sins’. It is believed that a dip in the waters of Papanasam Beach washes away all the sins in one's life.

“Good beach strong surf”- This is a good stretch of beach, but care must be taken when swimming. There are lifeguards but the surf can be strong and there is a rip tide. This is tourist India, lots of backpackers and Europeans. We came here for a few days out of R and R away from the bustle of 'real India' and for some continental food. Prices are a bit higher for everything, but the shop/pitch rents are higher than elsewhere so it's understandable. It's a lovely place to socialize with other Europeans but there are a lot of beaches in Kerala where you can be alone with an odd local fisherman casting his nets and a little shack nearby selling good Keralan food. It's all a matter of choice. Try both! Review by TripAdvisor traveler from Beziers, France

Mandrem Beach

This beautiful deserted beach does not offer restaurants or food means but the beach and sea are worth every bit.

“Lovely peaceful beach”- We visit this beach every year we come to Goa. It's about a 45 minute drive from where we stay but well worth the trip. We always use the Sea Paradise shack and find the staff there very helpful and friendly. You don't get any hassle from beach sellers and it's a peaceful and relaxing day, the sunset is amazing too if you stay there long enough. Review by TripAdvisor traveler from Liverpool, UK

Cavelossim Beach

This town was the original abode of goddess Shri Shantadurga located at Kawlem, which is one of the largest temples in the state. This beach offers miles of golden sands and lovely warm water.

“Relatively more private and clean beach with good beach shacks / restaurants”- A relatively more private beach. Could see a beautiful sunset here. Lot of water sports - parasailing water scooter rides are available. The beach shacks serve excellent food. Review by TripAdvisor traveler from Pune, India

Dhanushkodi Beach

Dhanushkodi, meaning 'end of the bow' is a ghost town at the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island of the Tamil Nadu and has high historical and religious significance for followers of Hinduism.

“Drive over sea... a life time experience”- If you happen to visit Rameswaram.. then Dhanushkodi Beach is a must see. It’s around 18 kms from the city center... the first 13 kms can be traveled through your own transport and the remaining 5 kms have to traveled through local jeeps/mini bus. The locals will charge around Rs 150/- per person for a round trip. The local jeep/mini bus will travel over the beach with most of it over water which is a life time experience. The beach is serene and really calm. Also, a part of Sri lanka (Jaffna) is visible from the tip of Dhanushkodi beach. Review by TripAdvisor traveler from Bengaluru, India

Benaulim Beach

It is a beautiful stretch of beach with countless choices for great food and drinks.

“Calm beach, great for dolphin sighting”- Benaulim is one of Goa's popular beaches and a great one for some clean fun. Not many shacks or eateries here, but the beach is clean, there are water sports available and if you are lucky you can spot dolphins up close...We saw two very near the fringes of the beach. The sand is firm and you can drive cycles here but I would recommend a long walk or run. Review by TripAdvisor traveler from Chennai, India

Arambol Beach

The beach attracts many international tourists, due to its distinct bohemian feel which is no longer found in other areas, such as Calangute and this inevitably attracts many alternative travellers.

“Very few people and great beach”- It’s not overcrowded as most of the other beaches in Goa, has a very good market, nice restaurants with international cuisines, you can find German Bakery, Russian deserts and food. There are lot of options for yoga and meditation. Review by TripAdvisor traveler from Meerut, India

Varca Beach

With its clean, white sands, Varca is a great beach for morning walks and meditation.

“Quite and peaceful beach”- Varca is a clean, white sand, pristine beach. Morning walks are divine experience. Extremely good for early morning meditations too. The new shack and dog sometimes intimidate you; better carry a small stick to keep dog’s way and a pen torch to find your way. The sand is too soft and shoes may not be advisable. Bare foot walking or flip-flops is excellent. Review by TripAdvisor traveler from Mumbai, India

For the complete list of winners from the 2015 Travelers’ Choice Beaches, as well as reviews and candid traveler photos, go to: www.tripadvisor.in/TravelersChoice-Beaches

To see the best hotels for luxury, bargain, romance and more, as honored in the 2015 Travelers’ Choice awards for Hotels announced in January, go to: www.tripadvisor.in/TravelersChoice-Hotels   

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor^® is the world's largest travel site*, enabling travelers to plan and book the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find the best hotel prices. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 315 million unique monthly visitors**, and more than 200 million reviews and opinions covering more than 4.4 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 45 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to millions of monthly TripAdvisor visitors.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 24 other travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com and www.iens.nl), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, www.virtualtourist.com, and www.kuxun.cn.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, December 2014

 **Source: Google Analytics, average monthly unique users, Q3 2014; does not include traffic to daodao.com