Photo: Vibecke Markhus

Photo: Vibecke Markhus
Beidaihe has been pleasing China’s upper crust for decades. A few hours from Beijing, Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping hashed out national policies in private villas here. The area remains popular among Russian tourists — a reminder of erstwhile Sino-Soviet ties.
Highlight: Beidaihe’s restaurants offer simple pleasures, mostly good seafood and cold beer.
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The sprawling beach of Essaouira is like a spacious chill-out lounge for this laid-back Moroccan town. It attracts wind- and kite-surfers in summer, and surfers in winter. Around the bay away from the harbor is a castle that’s said to have been the inspiration for Jimi Hendrix’s “Castles Made of Sand.”
Good to know: Essaouira is beautiful at dusk. The harbor offers great snapshots looking back toward the old town.
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Haad Rin’s infamous full moon parties are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Mostly because once is enough.
Good to know: Outside the drunken, chemical-fueled parties, the place has cheap alcohol, great food and a fun-loving crowd.
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