Are you daydreaming about your next sunny escape from the hustle and bustle of city life? Well, grab your passport because the ultimate beach getaway is practically sitting on our doorstep. The highly-anticipated World’s 50 Best Beaches 2026 List dropped recently, and while Entalulu Beach in the Philippines took the global crown, there’s actually another world-class beach just a quick hop from Singapore. Earning a massive victory for Thailand, Donald Duck Bay in the Similan Islands claimed the title of the 10th best beach in the world for 2026. And wonderfully, this pristine beach is just a few short hours away. Read on to find out why it’s the world’s 10th best beach and how to get there.
Why is Donald Duck Bay the world’s 10th best beach?
The stunning beach is located on island no.8 in the iconic Similan Islands National Park in the Phang Nga Province. Donald Duck Bay offers an untouched tropical paradise featuring a massive granite boulder (named Sail Rock) towering over the eastern shore that uncannily resembles the beloved Disney character’s head. Meanwhile, the dramatic and smooth rock formations gently slope into powdery white sand that meets the turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea.
However, the national park strictly closes to visitors during the monsoon season to let nature recover. Instead, it usually opens mid October to mid May. This means that preservation efforts make Donald Duck Bay an idyllic spot for swimming and snorkeling among lush coral reefs, colourful parrotfish, majestic green sea turtles, and more—far from overcrowded tourist traps in other parts of Thailand.
Curated by more than 1,000 global travel experts and an elite network of Beach Ambassadors, the 2026 ranking evaluated shorelines on strict criteria like untouched nature, lack of crowds, wildlife, and natural serenity. Here’s the top 10 beaches worldwide for 2026 that excel on all fronts:
- Entalula Beach, Philippines
- Fteri Beach, Greece
- Wharton Beach, Australia
- Nosy Iranja, Madagascar
- East Beach, Vomo Island, Fiji
- Shoal Bay East, Anguilla
- Dhigurah, Maldives
- Playa Balandra, Mexico
- Koh Rong, Cambodia
- Donald Duck Bay, Thailand
How to get to Donald Duck Bay
The breathtaking hidden gem is just a simple hop from Singapore Changi Airport. Travellers can catch a one hour and 55 minutes direct flight to Phuket. From there, you’ll drive a scenic one hour and 30 minutes north from Phuket to the mainland piers in Phang Nga. Following this, there are 80-minute speedboat rides across the Andaman Sea straight into the tranquil embrace of the Similans, where you’ll sink your toes into award-winning sand. Be sure to make a weekend trip out of this!
