There is no shortage of paradisiac South-East Asia beaches, as everyone knows. It makes planning any holiday very overwhelming.
What’s worth it or what’s an overcrowded nightmare with overpriced bars and shops?
This is only my humble opinion, but after having travelled South-East Asia for almost ten years, I feel like I’ve seen enough to make a ranking.
Here are my top 10 beaches, by ascending order, that I think anyone needs to visit at least once in their lives:
I know that starting off by saying I’m not going to list out any ultra crowded, overpriced beaches and then straight away listing Boracay seems like I don’t know what I’m talking about…But, hear me out.
It is still one of the most beautiful beaches in the Philippines. The sunsets are amazing. The water is crystal clear. There’s a reason it’s so crowded. I would never say to avoid anywhere because it’s popular.
The beach is divided in sections, so you can avoid the annoying drunk tourists and the loud bars, if relaxing is your thing. But you’ll have options. So that’s why we’re starting off with Boracay.
Langkawi isn’t the most visited island in South-East Asia. It’s a bit of a hidden gem for Westerners, you’ll barely ever see a crowded beach on Langkawi. I think it deserves its spot on any Malaysia itinerary.
The beaches on Langkawi are all beautiful. This one though, is probably the most remote. You won’t have that much of a hard time to get there though as the roads on Langkawi are well maintained and you can get a Grab all over the island.
No crowds, a killer view, and you can even rent a jetski. Can’t spell a better day for me.
I’m really not a Phuket kind of person. It’s a busy island, basically only catered to foreign tourism and it’s very excessive.
But there is a quieter side to Phuket, and on that quieter side you can find Freedom Beach. It’s a stone throw away from Patong beach, but you won’t see those crowds there. No shops, no bars, just you and the ocean.
The Perhentian islands are becoming all the rage on social media lately and probably for good reasons. It’s secluded, still not too crowded, but with enough going on that you can find great restaurants and bars, it’s a great add to a Malaysia itinerary.
Long Beach on Perhentian Kecil, the livelier island out of the two, is probably the best example of that. You can get dropped off on Long Beach by a speedboat and then you never have to move again from your beachside bungalow, apart from bed to sand.
Who needs anything else?
While Koh Rong is becoming a buzz word on the travel side of social media, Koh Rong Sanloem is still being missed on most itineraries. It’s not a party island, it’s smaller and quieter. It’s just as beautiful as its sister island, and with half the crowds.
Still easily accessed from Sihanoukville, Koh Rong Sanlom also has a ferry access from Koh Rong. So you can even drop by as a day trip, if you get sick of the party vibes of Koh Rong!
Koh Phi Phi is almost a vintage recommendation at this point. I barely ever hear of the island anymore, it’s almost like everyone has been there already. But if you haven’t, you really should!
Phi Phi is easily reached by speedboat from Phuket or Krabi, which are also just a short flight away from Bangkok.
Nui Beach, on the other hand, is an adventure in itself. I’d suggest renting a kayak for those karst views, but you can also hike down there. Remember to bring everything that you’ll need with you, as there isn’t a shop or a bar on the beach itself. Which is another great pro for me.
Peace, quiet and the sound of waves breaking on the sand. Perfect!
If you like to party, this side of Koh Rong is for you. Does Long Beach sleep? Not sure. Still has to be proven.
Long Beach is a huge stretch of white sand under coconut trees, with bars scattered all across. Then you get onto the Sok San stretch where you can party all night.
You can also do great day trips on the water from Long Beach and if you’re lucky enough you might even see glowing plankton at night. This is a must on your itinerary if you’re looking to sip cocktails on a paradisiac beach all day.
Technically, this isn’t an island. But there is more to Krabi province than just the islands. If you’re landing in Krabi airport and cannot wait any more time before putting your toes in the sand, head to Railay beach.
There’s a lot of resorts on Railay beach so there’s a little bit for everyone. You can see monkeys, you can swim in crystal blue sea, you can shop around. It’s basically a holiday before the holiday, so it had to be ranked high up.
Could I really write a list of ten beaches in South-East Asia and not mention Maya Beach? Of course not.
Made famous by Leo DiCaprio’s 2000 movie, The Beach, it really has become THE beach. Closed for a long time because of overtourism, Maya Beach has opened again for visitors.
If you haven’t got it on your itinerary yet, it deserves its spot. You can get there within a snorkeling day out and just enjoy it with the rest of the crowds if you’re not too worried about that or if you’re willing to pay the extra, there’s also private boat tours that can be booked for your group.
This is my gift to all my readers. This isn’t the most popular Thai beach yet so maybe I should keep it all to myself, but there really isn’t another beach that should be Number One on any South-East Asia beach list.
It’s not called Sunset Beach for nothing. Right at the edge of the beach, you have a perfect view of the sun descending into the sea. There’s also great bars and hotels, from budget to very bougie on this side of the island, so you can spend a very chill night after a very relaxing day on the beach. Do with that information what you will.
This concludes my hand-picked list of my favourite beaches to visit in South-East Asia. Do you have any suggestions that I missed out on? What’s your personal favourite? Let me know on the comments!
If you’re planning your own South-East Asia trip, may I suggest checking out my Malaysia or Thailand itinerary?
I’ll see you there!
