Like many desk-bound Canadians, I had always fantasized about finding the perfect tropical beach. A beach with the whitest sand, the clearest water, and most importantly, the fewest tourists.In 2003, I had left a promising career on hold to explore Thailand in search of Garland's perfect beach with Charles, who was then my boyfriend of just over a year.The numbers themselves argued against being able to find paradise. Close to ten million tourists visit Thailand each year, with a good proportion of them hitting the touristy mainland beaches of Pattaya, and almost as many visiting the island of Phuket.Join me as I search through sun-drenched islands in search of a paradise that may soon be lost to all of us.