Beaches in Asia

Bali Beach is one of the possible stops on a day tour from El Nido to Bacuit Archipelago. It's one of the less visited of the many picture-perfect beaches with white sand and fringed by tall coconut palms. You might even get this deserted paradise all to yourself (and the rest of your tour group). There are natural pools in the black rocks at the south end. The water here is tub warm, but you have to make the bubbles yourself.

It's not just the many stunning beaches, which has made El Nido the gem of Palawan. It's the stepping-stone to explore the even more stunning Bacuit Archipelago. However, ramshackle El Nido is no longer a hidden secret and the simple bamboo bungalows are getting replaced with proper hotels. But the beaches and the islands are as stunning, as they have always been.

Sabang is where the underground river is, however most visitors just come here on a day tour from Puerto Princesa or even from El Nido. But Sabang is a destination of its own with a long palm-fringed beach with a variaty of accmmodation. There is a waterfall flowing straight into the sea, a short hike away, and more activities are on offer. During the day, it can be a hectic place with endless rows of minibuses, but it's lovely tranquil in the morning and evening.

You will probably see plenty of pictures of Snake Island, when looking for island tours. Snake Island is named after a natural sandbar, which snakes between two island. It's truly as spectacular in real, as it's in the pictures. There is also a viewpoint a short hike up. The primitive bar is popular no matter what time of the day. As Snake Island is used as lunch spot, it can get crowded.

Hikkaduwa is one of the longest going beach places in Sri Lanka. Though there are beaches right at Hikkaduwa town, the best stretches are further south. The recipe is simple: sand, palms and sea. The density of restaurants and guesthouses varies widely as you move further south. There is the stylish stretch with fancy resorts, the party stretch with the usual gang of beach boys, the quiet stretch for those not planning to do more than having their coconut shake refilled, and the local stretch with nothing more than palms and fishing boats. The strong waves attract a fair amount of surfers, locals as well as foreigners.

Mirissa is another great beach in Sri Lanka for the independent travellers. The curvy beach is mostly warm sand with some rocky outcrops at both ends. The water is shallow for a long distance, which is a bit unusual in Sri Lanka, but it means calm sea to swim in, unless it is one of those days where the Indian Ocean covers the whole coast in big surfer-friendly waves. For snorkelling, head to the ends, but be careful with rip tides and strong currents (which is the case all over Sri Lanka). If you are looking for peace, Mirissa will do perfectly. It is very laid back and chill out and doesn't have the same bar and "beach boys" scene as Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa further up the coast.

You don't have to look hard to find a beach for yourself in Sri Lanka. Most of the shore is one long solitary stretch of sand with the occasional fisherman. On the other hand, it can be quite difficult to find a laidback beach with funky bars, juicy tuna steaks and bottomless cold shakes. Unawatuna is Sri Lanka's answer to this. A little protected bay that has become a name on the beach scene and where the hotel owners compete at building closest to the water.

Thailand has two Ko Chang and this is the little and overlooked one in the Andaman Sea. This small walkable island is covered in rubber trees and coconut palm and is pure serenity. Locals hire out simple bungalows and there is a handful of restaurants and bars for the few travellers who venture off the beaten track. Things are even slower here than on neighbouring Ko Phayam and farang facilities are close to nonexistent. This is how things must have been on Ko Pha Ngan twenty years ago and it is a refreshing reminder that there are still hidden corners in Thailand that lie untouched and ready to be explored. Ko Chang is probably the closest you can get to a Robinson-Crusoe vibe without actually being on a deserted island.

Ko Chang is the second biggest island in Thailand after Phuket. It's a big green island shaped like a elephant's head (hence the name, Chang, meaning elephant in Thai). The mountainous interior is covered in jungle while the coast is dotted with sandy beaches, mostly on the west side. Each beach has a distinctive atmosphere so you can always find something suited to your liking. If you're looking for mainstream beach life with bars and pizzerias, then stay at White Sand Beach (Hat Sai Khao), if you want to chill out in hippie style, head for Lonely Beach (Hat Tha Nam), or if you are into diving, go to Bang Bao. But there are possibilities for lodging all along the western shore.

Going south on Ko Lanta Yai means losing the throngs of tourists and finding some of the quieter beaches in the Krabi province. Nui Bay is one of the islands most untouched beaches, for the most part because it's surrounded by cliffs on all sides and also because it is usually bypassed while heading to the National Park. The lack of accessibility and signage has meant that no resorts have taken over and there’s only ever a few people at a time, giving you as much privacy as you’ll find in this part of Thailand. The only way to reach it is either by a steep 100 m footpath from the main road or accessing it through a nearby restaurant and walking down the man made steps. This is one of the few places you won’t find development, just beautiful rock formations on either side of a soft, sandy beach and calm, clear waters. If privacy and natural beauty is what you want, this might be worth your while.