And after Perhentian and the Maldives it's time for the next stop: St Barths and, a bit closer to home, the Italian Castiglione Della Pescaia.

St. Barths

Almost as legendary as the Maldives but thanks to its location on the globe, a lot more celebrity-sensitive. Everyone who is a bit of a star goes or went to St Barths. If I ever get the chance (and the money) to go there, it will mainly be to visit the places where Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl have been, he even proposed to her there. And what is good enough for Johannes and Olivia is good enough for me.

Castiglione della Pescaia

Beaches in Italy are often crowded, messy, and filled with screaming Italian children and overheated Italian parents. But not in Castiglione della Pescaia. Here too you have pieces of public beach, but the beach tents with paid sunbeds offer peace and happiness, with La Valletta being the absolute favorite. This place serves a simple but delicious lunch (especially the seafood is masterful) and has been run by the same old couple for years. The water in front of the beach gently laps at the shore, there are mainly many calm Italians lying around, and the couple's sons and nephews serve as lifeguards and they do that quite attractively – eh, I mean well, they do that quite well.