This month, it has been a year since I got back from my second trip through Southeast Asia…Wow time flies! I can not wait for my next big trip, but I have not planned anything yet (I finally got a decent job and I have not saved enough money to leave again). However, I am planning some small trips in the next few months. Settling back at home has not been easy and there are still things about travelling that I miss. The summer in The Netherlands has not been too great this year, not much sun and a lot of clouds and rain. And that makes me miss travelling even more. One of the biggest things I miss are the beautiful beaches. Here are the 5 most beautiful beaches that I have visited in Southeast Asia.
5. Loh Dalum Bay, Koh Phi Phi Don (Thailand) When I first arrived on Koh Phi Phi I had no idea about the tides, so when I went to Loh Dalum Bay and saw the situation on the photo on the left…I panicked and thought that maybe Koh Phi Phi was not the paradise I thought it was. Later that day I heard about the tides and decided to go back the next day. The next day I was surprised by the beautiful calm turquoise sea and white sand. And although there are a few bars at this side of the island, it was not too crowded. That was probably because everyone had a hangover from partying.
4. An Bang Beach, Hoi An (Vietnam) An Bang Beach is the only beach that I went to in Vietnam, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. This beach is worth the 30 minute bikeride from the centre of Hoi An. The sand was beige, the green-ish water was cold and there were serious waves. Swimming was okay, but you had to be careful of the waves. What I liked about this beach was that it was not too big (the width) and it was not too crowded. Along the coastline were restaurants and bars where you could eat and/or rent a lounge chair (most of them had Wifi too!), but it did not feel touristy at all. There was a relaxed vibe.
3. Sairee Beach, Koh Tao (Thailand) Sairee Beach on Koh Tao is the beach were I spend the most time. It is pretty long and wide. Like at Koh Phi Phi, there are tides, but it is not as ‘spectacular’. Swimming was fine, but there were a lot of little fish. I liked the quietness of this beach; there are beachbars and restaurants near the beach, but there were also places where you would hear none of them. No annoying sellers walking around, just a few people promoting bars. The fact that the coastline is pretty green is convenient too, because that means there is shadow!
2. Long Beach, Koh Phi Phi Don (Thailand) Long Beach is about a 15 to 20 minute walk from Tonsai Village (in the middle of Koh Phi Phi). It is a relatively small beach, but beautiful- exactly how I had imagined a Thai beach. You will not find much backpackers here, more people who stay in the resorts that are around this area. It is a great beach if you want to do some snorkeling, because there are loads of fish. Only downside was that there are resorts near the beach and no bars and restaurants, so you have to bring water and food.
1. Long Beach, Koh Rong (Cambodia) The prettiest beach that I have visited in Southeast Asia was Long Beach on Koh Rong. Although it is quite a though track through a little jungle to get here, it is so worth it! The sand is white, the sea is pale blue and clear…..just wow! When you go early in the morning you might be one of the only ones there. It was so quite and calming. It is not a place where you can just go everyday, it is a special one for a once in a lifetime visit! Only downside is that there was only one little restaurant, and you had to get back to the ‘village’ by either the same trekking through the jungle or with a longtailboat, that left in the late afternoon.
-> Have you been to any of these beaches? Or did you go to other beautiful beaches? Let me know in the comments.