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IF you do plenty of saltwater dreaming and hunting around for the ultimate surfing haven, consider Asia for your next sojourn.

Mentawai Islands, Indonesia

This island chain lying off Sumatra in Indonesia is the perfect location for surfers seeking the ultimate ride. What makes it even more exciting is that the best swells are accessible by sea only. That means you need a ferry or charter boat – a lot of fun with a group of friends but it does drive costs up a bit.

The best swells are from June to September. There are some 400 surfing spots and 23 are of international standard. There’s also a world championship surf event held here each year.

Bali, Indonesia

A man rides a wave in Bali

While Bali is hardly undiscovered territory, the consistent swells reaching the island keep drawing surfers back year after year. It’s also the perfect place to hang loose for a bit and spend your day hunting the waves.

If you’re a beginner, there are some good surf schools here to help you out and plenty of intermediate options before you hit the big waves. Popular spots include Uluwatu, Padang Padang and other places around Bukit Peninsula.

Maldives

Travel to the Maldives from March to October for unforgettable fun and waves between four to eight feet, sometimes bigger. June till August produce the biggest swells.

Not only are the coral islands here stunning but the water is clear and warm and there are some impressive breaks – although they can get crowded. Make sure you check out Jailbreaks, Honky’s and Sultans.

The best way to beat the crowds in the Maldives is to go on a surf charter with friends and hit the more isolated breaks. There are plenty of options for relaxing on land at the beautiful resorts that scatter the island.

Gold Coast, Australia

View of Surfers Paradise in Gold Coast

View of Surfers Paradise in Gold Coast

How you can possibly pick one surf spot in a country that boasts thousands of kilometers of surf break? But we did. While Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise are often packed with surfers, there’s good reason for it.

There are 70km of beaches here and some pretty gnarly point breaks such as The Spit, Narrowneck and Mermaid beach. Snapper, Kirra and Burleigh also rate with plenty of action for everyone and the weather is pretty mild even in winter meaning you can surf all year round.

Samoa

You might not have thought Samoa would make a list like this but it’s one of the best places to surf all year round although April to October is best when real quality waves come through.

Check out Salani, Boulders, Coconuts, Laulii, Fagaloa Bay or Solosolo or do your own adventuring. The great thing about a trip to Samoa is the laid-back environment, friendly locals, pristine surrounds and various recreational activities. In other words there’s plenty to do if you don’t want to hit the waves every day.

Source: travelwireasia.com