The 5 Best Beaches in Southeast Asia You Don't Want To Miss

Have you ever dreamed of taking a flight and land in one of the best beaches in Southeast Asia?

Here we have collected some of the best beaches in Southeast Asia which can be easily traveled on a budget. So keep reading and take some notes on what might be your next vacation!

Koh Rong is located in Cambodia, 25 km off Sihanoukville. White sand long beaches, turquoise water, and the real jungle just behind the beach is what you will find in Koh Rong. Koh Rong offers a sense of peace and quiet atmosphere due to the lack of roads, that means no cars and therefore no traffic.

As it doesn’t have a high offer of accommodation you won’t find crowds there. The more relaxing area is with no doubt coconut beach.

Due to being under development, there is no electricity and so everything works with a generator normally 6 to 11. Thanks to that, it is one of our favorite places to watch the stars at night and… Swim in the luminescent plankton! Which is one of the most unique and amazing experiences in the world. It feels like magic!

Beach

Beaches in Koh Rong are pretty awesome with crystal clear water and almost no rocky areas. It is perfect for swimming. On the other hand, it can get very windy since is the island is plain and has no mountain to protect it, and some of the best ones are only accessible by boat. Score 6/10

#Persons

There are different areas on this island, the main pier, and coconut beach. If you go to the second even in the high season, it is veeeery relaxed, that’s why this is one of our favorites to avoid tourists. Score 10/10

Wilderness

The whole island is pretty wild and mostly undeveloped, so it feels great to be able to find one of these gems, which is getting harder to see. Score 8/10

Price

The island is a bit limited of accommodation, being the average not very cheap resorts. Still, there are a couple of hostels around. Score 7/10

Wow factor

Arriving at such a wild and undeveloped place with crystal clear waters is always a shock in a good way. Score 8/10

Situated in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Tao has become the favorite destination for those willing to take a diving course, due to the high industry of diving centers. Turquoise waters and abundant coral reef have given Ko Tao a good reputation.

It also offers the perfect balance of pure jungle and beautiful beaches for those who are into both, exploring the surface and the underwater world. Koh Tao, although not as popular as other neighbor islands, still have plenty of stuff going on.

There is a decent offer of restaurants and pubs to choose depending on your cravings. Koh Tao is the perfect place to rent a scooter and explore by yourself, you are going to love every single bit!

When you first arrive, you might think this island does not deserve to be on the list of the top 5 islands in Southeast Asia. But the truth is, the number of beaches all around the island and the atmosphere will make you fall in love the same way as we did.

Beach

Beaches in Koh Tao might not be the most amazing ones, but there are so many different and cool ones around the islands, which well worth exploring. Snorkel is amazing, you can even see the black tip sharks. Score 5/10

#Persons

Koh Tao is a really small island, but famous for diving, which brings many people. Other than that is far more relaxed than any other of the islands in the Gulf. Score 7/10

Wilderness

Although there are some areas developed, there are still good places to explore. Score 5/10

Price

Again, this is not an unknown place and there is a lot of demand for diving courses, so prices vary a lot. Still, there are a big number of budget accommodation. Score 8/10

Wow factor

Even the atmosphere is one of the best ones, it is also true that the Wow factor here is not that big. Score 6/10

Mantigue is a beautiful hidden gem in the south of the Philippines. Less than half an hour by boat from Camiguin Island, and you will find yourself in paradise. Crystal clear water and Camiguin volcanoes showing up at the background, make of Mantigue the perfect place to sunbathe while enjoying the views.

You can stay in Camiguin Island, which offers unique spots like a Sunken Cemetery and trekking to volcanoes.

To access to Mantigue island, you will have to take a boat from Camiguin but is a short ride. The good thing is this place is normally not crowded. That, together with the amazing beach, make this one of the best beaches in Southeast Asia.

Beach

This island is simply one of the craziest spots we have ever been. The water is so clear and clean that makes you feel like leaving in the sea! Score 10/10

#Persons

If you try to avoid peak times like 12 to 15, you should have plenty of this island for yourself. Score 9/10

Wilderness

This is still a virgin and unspoiled island. Score 9/10

Price

The price here is a bit tricky since it is not possible to stay overnight, so what we have considered in the price is the ticket to get there from Camiguin, once there, there are no more expenses. Even staying in Camiguin is cheap. Score 8/10

Wow factor

This place is so good that you won’t believe you are there. You might even pee yourself out of emotion, but no worries, there is plenty of water to cover it XD. Score 9/10

Ko Phi Phi is one of the most popular Islands in Thailand with easy access from Krabi. It has become a tourist hotspot on the Andaman coast.

Here you can easily find beautiful white sand beaches where to lay down during the day, and then enjoy the vibrant nightlife when the sun goes down. It has also become very popular for hosting Full moon parties which are a touristic attraction all around the world.

The truth is that even though the beaches of the island are pretty, they can be really crowded. So the best option might be to rent a boat for a day to explore the impressive beaches around.

Take a look to our full guide to Thailand for more information.

Beach

There are a couple of nice beaches in the main island. Our favorite on the island is Long Beach. To explore some of the bests beaches in Southeast Asia, you will need to go on a tour or rent a boat. Score 7/10

#Persons

This is one of the most touristic places in the whole list since is a well-known island and a party destination. Score 3/10

Wilderness

The main island is really developed, but the surroundings are great. Score 6/10

Price

This is one of the most expensive islands in terms of accommodation and food. Score 4/10

Wow factor

The impressive color of the water and the vivid life of the island cause a very good impression. Score 7/10

Palawan is with no doubt one of the most beautiful Islands in the Philippines. Imagine a picture of idyllic white sand beaches, turquoise water, limestone rocks, and jungle, isn’t it absolutely perfect?

Is one of the favorite destinations for those seeking to relax and those advanced divers in search of a unique experience. One of the reasons Palawan is a popular destination all year round is that due to its location, it is rarely hit by typhoons.

Even though it is becoming more popular now, you can still find “off the beaten track” places where you are likely to be the only tourist. Pack up your swimming suit, sunscreen and get ready to visit one of the best beaches in Southeast Asia, and probably in the world.

Beach

The contrast of limestone rocks in the background, white sand and the intense blue color of the water, is absolutely astonishing. Score 10/10

#Persons

Although is a big island, some of the top places are in El Nido, which can be really packed. On the other hand and as we pointed, is big and still many hidden gems 8/10

Wilderness

It is not fully developed, so most of the island is pretty wild in all aspects. Score 9/10

Price

Huge range of budget accommodation and cheap food. The standard accommodation is on average poorly maintained, old and basic. Score 9/10

Wow factor

Tighten your seatbelt when arriving cause you are going to flip out. It is with no doubt a wonder of the world. Score 10/10

If you don’t want to fail for your next holiday, simply choose one of the 5 best beaches in Southeast Asia. And the best of all, is that they are really affordable destinations for all budgets and all kind of travelers.

Lastly, we have made this list based on different factors we have mentioned previously, measuring from 1-10 being 10 the highest and best score, and 0 the worst. You can find further information about scoring at the bottom of the graphic.

Let us know what is your favourite from the list in the comments below!