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Australian original ... Bondi beach. Photograph: Getty
Bondi Beach, Australia
Even now, after the best part of a decade living in Bondi, it is still the
dawn I love. By 9am, the beach will be deserted again, but at first light it
will be busy, the last revellers of the night before scattered amid the
many who come here, day in, day out, to surf or swim or walk.
It's impossible in the early morning light not to be awed by the place. Or
to glimpse something of the private world that is often obscured in the
press of the afternoon crowds, some sense of why for so many
Sydneysiders, Bondi is more than just a place to live, it is a way of life, a
way of being. It's an idea, that half-mythical, half-remembered place of
adolescent escape, of the long summer day, with its rolling surf and
glaring sand, their peculiarly potent association of heat and salt and
sexual possibility.
The name Bondi is Aboriginal in origin, a derivation of "Boondi", which is
traditionally assumed to have meant "the sound of falling water" in the
local language. But like much about the Aboriginal tribes that once
populated Sydney even this is uncertain, and other sources suggest it
might also have meant "a place where a fight with nullas (Aboriginal
clubs) took place".
Today's Bondi owes more to the real estate boom that began in the
1990s. Before that, while still a popular destination, the suburb itself was
decidedly down at heel, a mish-mash of rundown flats and rambling
houses occupied by the area's traditional working class population,
students, surfies and the various layers of migration that have
transformed the area since the second world war, in particular the influx
of Jewish refugees after the war (Bondi still has one of Sydney's largest
Jewish communities, including a sizable Orthodox community, as its
many kosher establishments and synagogues attest). Through the 1990s
and into the 21st century the influx of money has changed the area, both
for the better and the worse, driving the development of some of
Sydney's best restaurants and cafes.
file:///E|/Designs%20etc/Website/Media/Top%2010%20Beaches%20for%20Partying%20Guardian.htm[28/06/2009 01:43:00 p.m.]
3. 10 top beaches for partying | Travel | The Guardian
It's possible this aspect of Bondi is largely lost on tourists, most of whom
rarely venture further than the fairly grim takeaways of Campbell Parade,
which is a pity, because Bondi offers some of Sydney's best restaurants,
not least Robert Marchetti's Mediterranean-inspired menu at Icebergs
Dining Room and Bar (1 Notts Avenue, idrb.com), situated at the
bay's southern end. Taking its name from the winter swimming club
which meets in the pool downstairs, whose members swim every Sunday
morning from May to September, Icebergs is blessed with one of best
views in Sydney (if the restaurant seems a little pricey it's always
possible to adjourn downstairs to the bistro, which has the same view for
half the price, or for a different perspective entirely, to relocate to
Icebergs' more garrulous outpost, North Bondi Italian (120
Ramsgate Avenue) at the beach's northern end.
Less formal options include the woodfired pizza and home-made gelati
of Pompei (126 Roscoe Street) or its neighbour, a perennial favourite of
the area's growing South African community, Hurricane's Grill and
Bar (130 Roscoe Street, hurricanesgrill.com.au), while locals in search
of coffee congregate at Jed's Food Store (60 Warners Avenue) or
Luigi's Delicatessen (154 Glenayr Street), or, at the beach's
northern end at Aqua Bar (266 Campbell Parade) or the Bondi
Kiosk right next door. Organic and vegetarian options are available in
the excellent cafe attached to Earth Food Store (81a Gould Street,
earthfoodstore.com.au).
The last year or two has seen the beginning of what may be the end for
Bondi's current renaissance. Rapidly rising rents are placing increasing
pressure on many of the younger generation who call Bondi home,
driving the sort of demographic shift that has already altered the
character of inner-city areas such as Surry Hills and Darlinghurst. Yet it
seems hard to believe that even if Bondi were to become another suburb
filled with lawyers and stockbrokers it would entirely lose its character.
For in the end it is the beach that makes it what it is, and no matter how
the suburb changes, the beach will stay the same.
James Bradley
· Ravesis (0061 2 9365 4422, ravesis.com.au), a hotel/restaurant/bar/has
12 rooms overlooking the beach from £120. The Resurrectionist by
James Bradley is available from Faber, £12.99.
Los Lances Beach, Spain
Ten minutes from Tarifa on the southern tip of Spain's Costa de la Luz,
Playa de Los Lances is a 3km stretch of beach stretching west from the
town's outskirts. As the beach reaches the sand dunes at Punta Paloma,
the Hotel Arte Vida's terrace and chill-out bar emerges beyond the
camber. Restaurant favourites include fresh tuna carpaccio and grilled
daily catch, but the bar is the big attraction, coaxing scores of
sunbathers and kiteboarders from the beach as the sun sets. And once
the party is over, each of the hotel's simple but stylish rooms opens on
to a veranda facing the sea - an ideal spot for a nightcap.
· hotelartevidatarifa.com, doubles from €100pn over the summer. Fly to
Cadiz or Malaga.
Bloemendaal, Holland
On hot summer days in Amsterdam, flocks of beautiful monied types flee
file:///E|/Designs%20etc/Website/Media/Top%2010%20Beaches%20for%20Partying%20Guardian.htm[28/06/2009 01:43:00 p.m.]
4. 10 top beaches for partying | Travel | The Guardian
the city centre for their retreats in Bloemendaal aan Zee, the wealthiest
town in Holland, 30km from the capital. The savvy clubber will follow
them, even if this means having to catch the bus. By night, a handful of
discerning bars and clubs on Bloemendaal beach ratchet up the music
from daytime chill-out to thumping house and disco, completing a
money-plus-music scene that has been dubbed the "Ibiza of the
Netherlands". Favourites include the wooden terrace at Bloomingdale
(bloomingdaleaanzee.com) and the bohemian, south-east Asian vibe at
Republiek (republiekbloemendaal.nl).
· Bloemendaal has no hotels, but De Lakens campsite (kdc.nu) is a few
metres from the beach. There are plenty of hotels in Zandvoort
(hotels.nl/zandvoort), 3km to the south. Train to Amsterdam.
Bacoli, Italy
Fifteen minutes from the bustle of Naples, the beach at Bacoli
undertakes a yearly transformation at the beginning of May when it
becomes destination of choice for the Italian clubberati. The exact date is
dependent on when Nabilah (nabilah.it), the beachfront club, decides to
open for the season. This year, the party started three weeks ago, when
their trademark white decking was rolled out on to the large wooden
terrace on the sand, overlooking the Gulf of Pozzuoli. The grill is fired up
as the sun sets and the cocktail waiters crank into action. As the evening
progresses, DJs set up on booths constructed on the sand, beckoning
guests on to the beach.
· Portalba 33 (portalba33.it) in Naples has doubles from €150. Fly to
Naples.
Baltic Beach Party, Latvia
The Baltic Beach Party at Liepaja on the Latvian coast is something of a
monster. More than 40,000 revellers from across the Baltic states
descend on the beach for two days of dancing in the sand, with
hundreds of acts stretched across five stages and interspersed with
football tournaments, fashion shows and, ahem, bikini contests. While
beach parties conjure images of Ibiza-style electro and house, this
beach fest has a distinctively guitar-driven vibe, meaning the average
punter is more likely to be a beach bum/surfer dude than part of the
immaculately coiffured, super-sized sunnies crew.
· July 25-6, beachparty.lv, camping available on site. Fly to Riga with
ryanair.com.
Cascais, Portugal
With a sizeable Brazilian population, it is unsurprising that Cascais, an
hour from Lisbon on the Portuguese coast, knows how to party. Guincho
beach is one of the more lively night-time options, where the action is
focused on the Guincho Bar, where parties spill on to the sand. For
those on a budget, there are two superb hostels nearby, both with private
options. The apartment in the Sintra National Park belonging to the
brand new Guincho Surf Beachostel sleeps up to eight for €850 per
week during peak season, and is minutes from the beach.
· guinchosurfbeachostel.com. Fly to Lisbon.
file:///E|/Designs%20etc/Website/Media/Top%2010%20Beaches%20for%20Partying%20Guardian.htm[28/06/2009 01:43:00 p.m.]
5. 10 top beaches for partying | Travel | The Guardian
Praia Mole, Brazil
There are 42 beaches on Florianópolis, a beautiful island an hour's flight
from São Paulo or Rio. Among their number, Praia Mole - a 20-minute
cycle from the lakeside town of Lagoa de Conceição - is the most
excitable, lined with dozens of caipirinha-soaked beach bars and
restaurants that hum with samba and reggae. Flanked by two superb
left-handers the beach is something of a mecca for local surfers, but the
flirting on the sand can be just as active - Praia Mole has a reputation for
attracting the most beautiful boys and girls in Brazil.
· The Praia Mole Eco Village (praiamole.com.br) has doubles from £70.
Flights with Tam from Heathrow to Florianópolis via São Paulo, booked
with Journey Latin America (journeylatinamerica.com), from £669 rtn.
Water Taxi Beach, New York
Harry's restaurant and bar, neighbouring the Hunters Point ferry stop on
Long Island, is surely one of the world's most obscure destinations for a
beach. But 400 tonnes of New Jersey sand has been transplanted on to
a wharf overlooking the East River with spectacular views of midtown
Manhattan across the water. OK, you can't actually swim here, but the
crowd is game for the illusion, playing volleyball in their swimwear as the
barstaff churn out cocktails and cold beers. Over the weekends, top DJs
turn up after the kids have been whisked home, pushing the
entertainment into the wee hours.
· watertaxibeach.com. The Ravel (ravelhotel.com) is Long Island's first
boutique hotel, with doubles from £92pn.
Taganga, Colombia
Backpackers have been flocking to the remote village of Taganga, on
Colombia's stunning Caribbean coast, for years, drawn by its reputation
for excitable nocturnal activity and some of the cheapest diving courses
in the world. Until recently, accommodation has been a little rough
around the edges, but with the arrival of the Ballena Azul, a gorgeous
French/Colombian-owned guesthouse with 33 open-plan rooms with
ocean views, things are beginning to change. Getting to Taganga is half
the fun; taking a scenic, winding coastal road from the bustling city of
Santa Marta, through the rainforest ans awsome beaches of Tayrona
national park, you pass some of the country's most idyllic, lesser-visited
coastline.
· Book the Ballena Azul through Journey Latin America
(journeylatinamerica.com). Three-night packages from £162pp inc
breakfast.
Big Beach Boutique, Brighton
The BBB Party has so far confirmed only one act for the September 26-
27 event on the Brighton seafront. But it's a good one - the Brighton
beach party spiritual leader himself, Fatboy Slim. Previous summer
events hosted by Mr Slim in his home town have been out of control,
attracting crowds of more than 200,000, but strict measures are being
put in place by the local council to ensure that numbers are limited to
22,000 per night. Little information has been released so far, but the
event is likely to be hugely popular. To avoid the pre- and post-fest
crowds, stay at the George IV guesthouse on Regency Square, well
file:///E|/Designs%20etc/Website/Media/Top%2010%20Beaches%20for%20Partying%20Guardian.htm[28/06/2009 01:43:00 p.m.]
6. 10 top beaches for partying | Travel | The Guardian
away from the festival site, with sea-view doubles from £80pn.
· georgeivhotel.co.uk.
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Australian original ... Bondi beach. Photograph: Getty
Bondi Beach, Australia
Even now, after the best part of a decade living in Bondi, it is still the
dawn I love. By 9am, the beach will be deserted again, but at first light it
will be busy, the last revellers of the night before scattered amid the
many who come here, day in, day out, to surf or swim or walk.
It's impossible in the early morning light not to be awed by the place. Or
to glimpse something of the private world that is often obscured in the
press of the afternoon crowds, some sense of why for so many
Sydneysiders, Bondi is more than just a place to live, it is a way of life, a
way of being. It's an idea, that half-mythical, half-remembered place of
adolescent escape, of the long summer day, with its rolling surf and
glaring sand, their peculiarly potent association of heat and salt and
sexual possibility.
The name Bondi is Aboriginal in origin, a derivation of "Boondi", which is
traditionally assumed to have meant "the sound of falling water" in the
local language. But like much about the Aboriginal tribes that once
populated Sydney even this is uncertain, and other sources suggest it
might also have meant "a place where a fight with nullas (Aboriginal
clubs) took place".
Today's Bondi owes more to the real estate boom that began in the
1990s. Before that, while still a popular destination, the suburb itself was
decidedly down at heel, a mish-mash of rundown flats and rambling
houses occupied by the area's traditional working class population,
students, surfies and the various layers of migration that have
transformed the area since the second world war, in particular the influx
of Jewish refugees after the war (Bondi still has one of Sydney's largest
Jewish communities, including a sizable Orthodox community, as its
many kosher establishments and synagogues attest). Through the 1990s
and into the 21st century the influx of money has changed the area, both
for the better and the worse, driving the development of some of
Sydney's best restaurants and cafes.
file:///E|/Designs%20etc/Website/Media/Top%2010%20Beaches%20for%20Partying%20Guardian.htm[28/06/2009 01:43:00 p.m.]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)