10 Best Surf Vacations in the World

We've put together the 10 Best Surf Vacations in the World. These are the sort of surf holidays you could go on for a core surf trip combining hot weather and warm waters, and still take your wife or girlfriend along and they'll be happy! Bare in mind that staying in a purpose surf resort/camp set-up will always be more expensive than going it on your own and hooking up accommodation where you arrive. The price guide indicator is based on a rough estimate of expenses after you arrive and doesn't include the cost for your flights.

1. Tavarua, Fiji - Only 30 minutes on a boat from Viti Levu (Fiji's main island) and you reach Tavarua, 29 acres of tropical island surrounded by reefs that offer world class waves. Travel to Tavarua in the winter months of May to September to have the best chance of scoring epic waves. And you'll not be slumming it either, the resort has well decorated beachfront bures with their own private bathroom and verandah. Between surf you can use the excellent pool/spa and championship tennis court. The resort is very exclusive - only guests on the island are allowed to surf here. Price guideline = HIGH

2. Gold Coast, Australia - Australia is one of the world greatest surfing destinations for its vastness and sheer volume of surf spots. The Gold Coast really appeals to all Northern Hemisphere surfers in winter, because its summertime down under. The Goldie sits on the border of NSW and Brisbane city, and is a favorite holiday spot for Australians too. You've got the famous Snapper Rocks and Superbank, Kirra, Duranbah plus loads more spots on this stretch of coastline. Besides this, the Gold Coast has plenty of water parks, casino's, restaurants, shopping malls and cinemas to please most surfers in between surfs! Price guideline = MED - HIGH.

Mentawais 3. Mentawai Islands, Indonesia - Imagine having a whole tropical island in the Mentawai's all to yourself with only 11 other like minded surfers to share it with? I can imagine it. This is the part of the world where every surf film has footage from. You can stay comfortably in one the newly built surf resorts and choose to surf: rifles, ebay, bank vaults, hideaways, playgrounds, kandui, candys, corners, tikis, spankers, pit stops, beng bengs, no name, piggy banks, pistols, 3"b"s, burgerworld or crystal bowls. Some surf operators like Pure Vacations can package it all together. Alternatively, most people go by boat and this is pretty expensive...most surfers spend well over US$200 per day even for a basic boat! Price guideline = VERY HIGH

4. New Caledonia - Do a surf holiday to the South Pacific the right way - with great waves, warm pristine waters, french/Melanesian cuisine and a relaxing atmosphere. New Caledonia is an unforgettable place for surfers and non surfers alike to come and stay. If you stay somewhere like the Ouano Surf Camp you'll be over coral reefs like Ouano Left which is New Caledonia's most consistent waves. Price guideline = HIGH

5. Grajagan, Indonesia - Right up our list and for good reason, Grajagan, otherwise known as G-Land, is one of the most consistent, heavy, left-hand barrels in the world year round. You're guaranteed head high waves and 100 metre rides are the short ones! Fly to Denpesar, Bali and take one of the speed boats to one of the surf camps situated on the SE tip of Grajagan National Park. Book one of the Superior villas at Bobby's Surf Camp and you and your wife/girlfriend will enjoy your stay in comfort. G-Land has a few other spots apart from the main break like Reverse G. Its affordable and once you arrive in Bali its not far to go. Price guideline = MED

6. Maldives Islands - The Maldives is an up and coming surf destination. Its the perfect surfing holiday destination if you are looking to score some sensational waves, enjoy the relaxing tropical climate, get a tan and still have a happy girlfriend/wife! Staying at the right resort will mean you get to surf places like Pasta Point, Chickens, Cokes, Piddlies / Ninjas, Sultans, and Honkey's. Your surf resort will transfer you by boat to the surf. You can also go on a surf charter boat, eat, sleep and relax around the Maldivian Atolls and maximize your surf time. Price guideline = MED - HIGH

Samoa 7. Coconuts, Samoa - Samoa offers a rich Polynesian culture and awesome surf too! Samoa is one of those many Pacific Islands which are only starting to be surfed more. Samoa has an amazing selection of surf breaks, almost exclusively coral reef breaks with no beachies here. Make sure your resort is surfer focused offering boat rides and advice to the best waves. Down to the waves....and you'll be surfing places with names like, "Coconuts" which is an incredibly hollow right-hander that has been compared to HT’s in the Mentawais with nowhere near the crowding. Staying in a resort you'll also get to surf Salamumu, and Tiavea which is a sunset style right hand peak, Laulii, Falea’puna, Fagaloa Bay, Solosolo and more!!! Price guideline = MED - HIGH

8. Soup Bowls, Barbados - Barbados sits in the Caribbean perfectly in line to receive powerful Atlantic swells. Waves make the long travel over the open Atlantic to meet the steep Continental Shelf of Barbados' East Coast. A surf holiday to Barbados is only a few hours by plane from the US and you can get surfing some of the most consistent breaks on Barbados like Soup Bowls, Parlors and High Rock. Somewhere like Soup Bowls is highly renowned for its hollow tubes, long walls breaking anywhere from 2ft to 15ft! Combining great surf and a comfortable location makes Barbados a surf holiday dream and it won't break the bank either!!! Price guideline = MED

9. Uluwatu, Indonesia - Most surfers arrive in Denpasar airport in Bali in a sweaty mess after a long haul flight. You'll see two of Kuta's better surf spots as you land...airport lefts and rights. After you've paid the unexpected airport tax, and once outside you'll smell Balinese incense burning mingled with smoldering rubbish!! Our advice is stay out of Kuta and move out to the Bukit to Uluwatu. You can rent an awesomely positioned surf villa or a room somewhere like the Uluwatu Gecko Inn overlooking ulu's for around $1000 per week and more but you'll need to book in advance. Hire a motorbike or a bemo and you'll have access to nearby spots like Padang Padang, Impossibles, Bingin, Dreamland and Balangan. Surf is best in the dry season from May to September. Staying in Bali can be as cheap as only $2 a night but a dream surf Uluwatu villa will cost you loads more. Price guide = LOW - MED

10. Costa Rica - Costa Rica has the best year-round surf in the land, with the north coast and Carribean side breaking in the dry season, and the south coast in the wet. This garden paradise has every kind of wave for every kind of surfer. The ease of travel and abundant accommodation make this stable, clean country a favorite with the American gringos. You can find accommodation close to many of the famous spots like Pavones from basic to near luxury! Costa Rica still has a rich supply of uncrowded waves with plenty of sparsely populated lineups around. Price guide = LOW - MED