10 of the Best Beaches in Asia

If you are a beach lover, then you have to travel through Asia at least once during your lifetime. This continent is famous for its miles of pristine beaches, beautiful clear waters and teeming sea life. It is the perfect place to ditch your worries and take a vacation. 

Whether you want to daydream about tropical destinations at work or plan your next trip, we are here to show you some of the most beautiful beaches that Asia has to offer. From Thailand to Sri Lanka, the beaches in this part of the world are a delight and should not be missed. In no particular order, here are 10 of the best beaches in Asia!

1. Las Cabañas Beach, The Philippines

If you’ve ever seen photos of the Philippines, the likelihood is that you’ve seen the beautiful El Nido. El Nido is a municipality located at the northern end of Palawan Island and is a popular tourist destination for backpackers and holiday goers alike. 

Las Cabañas Beach is about 5km from the main town of El Nido and is famous for its sunsets. It’s also well known for its famous zipline, which is located just above the beach. It is 750m long and offers beautiful views of the beach below. 

During our 10 day Philippines tour, you will get to visit this beautiful beach, where we will watch the sunset and lounge away. If you are a thrill seeker and fancy some adrenaline, there is the option to head out on the zip line and see those amazing views for yourself!  

2. Pink Beach, Komodo Island

There is a pink beach found in the Komodo Islands that is incredibly popular with travellers and photographers. The beach is also known as Pantai Merah and is one of only 7 pink beaches in the world. This beautiful beach gets its pink colour from microscopic animals called Foraminifera. These tiny animals produce a red pigment on the coral reefs, and when this pigment combines with the white sand it produces a striking pink colour. 

If you are a keen photographer and own a drone, then this is the perfect spot to use it.  Whether you want to make everyone jealous of your beach day or simply want to show off your photography skills, this stunning beach is the perfect spot to do so! 

The Komodo Islands are also known as being home to the Komodo dragon; the largest lizard in the world. If you ever travel through Indonesia then visiting this pink beach is a must, and then you can go dragon spotting after!

3. Mirissa Beach, Sri Lanka

If you are after a picture-perfect beach with incredible restaurants, palm trees and beautiful white sand; then Mirissa Beach is your place! This spot is located on the south coast of Sri Lanka and offers plenty for tourists including water sports, wildlife and lots of tanning opportunities. 

The famous Coconut Tree Hill is also found here which is an Instagrammers paradise! It is located just down from Mirissa Beach and is essentially an outcrop of land full of beautiful palm trees and a stunning ocean view. If you are lucky, you might even get to see turtles swimming along and coming up for air. 

During our 12 day Sri Lanka tour we will head to Mirssa beach where you can relax to your heart’s content. We will also head out to sea and go whale watching, where you will have an incredibly high chance of spotting a blue whale; the world’s largest mammal. 

4. Railay Beach, Thailand 

Railay Beach is famous for its beautiful white beaches, limestone cliffs and crystal clear waters. It is located around 11km from Krabi town and is only accessible by boat from Ao Nang. It is one of the quieter and more unspoiled beaches in Thailand and is known for its laid back vibes. 

Aside from relaxing on the beach, there are plenty of other things to do here. There are several caves to explore, with two of the most popular ones being Diamond Cave and Princess Cave. You can also head out on an Island hopping tour from Railay Beach, where you can explore the nearby tropical islands. There is also a viewpoint where you will get the most incredible view of the beach, although the path to it isn’t very clear. 

If you are travelling through Southeast Asia and are looking to relax on a tropical beach, make sure you visit this spot. It is definitely one of the best beaches in Asia! 

5. White Beach in Port Barton, The Philippines   

The Philippines are a popular tourist destination but there are still some quiet and secluded areas that you can head to. Port Barton is one of the quieter destinations in the Philippines and still has its local island charm. This tropical destination is located on the island of Palawan and is home to one of the most beautiful beaches you will ever see – White Beach!

You can reach the beach by taking a 10-minute woodland walk from the village of Port Barton or you can hire a kayak and take the even more scenic route. White beach is absolutely stunning and is the definition of tropical paradise. Picture a long stretch of glistening white sand, plenty of coconut palm trees and clear turquoise waters. It is the perfect place to relax and have some you time, whilst also working on that tan. Snorkelling here is also extremely popular due to how clear the water is! 

During our 10 day Philippines tour we will show you the beautiful fishing village of Port Barton. You can spend the afternoon relaxing on the beach, sipping fresh coconuts and listening to some awesome reggae music in the background. You will even get to sleep right by the beach in a traditional Filipino style beach bungalow and wake up to the ocean waves crashing against the shoreline.

6. Kelingking Beach, Indonesia

Kelingking Beach is probably one of the most photographed spots in all of Asia and it isn’t hard to see why! Located on the island of Nusa Penida, this spot has become Insta famous for so many reasons. Aside from the beautiful white sands and turquoise waters, this spot has a very well known viewpoint. 

From above, the cliffs beside the beach have been compared to the shape of a tyrannosaurus rex. Due to this the area has been nicknamed T-Rex Beach which is pretty cool! The walk to the top of the viewpoint is totally worth it so be prepared for the views to knock your socks off. 

If you do want to head down to the beach, be careful on the way down. The path is not for the faint-hearted as it’s pretty precarious. However, even if you don’t head down to the beach there are so many other beautiful viewpoints, and the main one is accessible without heading all the way down to the shore. You can reach Nusa Penida by boat from the island of Bali. 

7. Hikkaduwa Beach, Sri Lanka

Hikkaduwa is located on the southern coast of Sri Lanka and is a popular tourist destination. There are plenty of cool places to eat, and lots of activities for travellers. You can go snorkelling, try your hand at surfing or head out on a glass-bottom boat to witness the magical sea life below the surface. 

Hikkaduwa Beach is also one of the best places In Sri Lanka to spot sea turtles. The turtles here are resident sea turtles that graze on the seaweed found along the seafloor. However, there are some important things to remember when visiting this spot. These sea turtles are wild and should not be poked or grabbed for any reason! Although it is a magical experience to snorkel with sea turtles, make sure you do it the right way and give them their space. 

During our 12 day Sri Lanka tour we will head to Hikkaduwa and show you what this place has to offer. We will spend time relaxing on the beach, taking a bike ride through local villages and rice paddies, and then we will head to the dog care clinic. Here you will get to see the amazing work this clinic does, and how it is helping to solve Sri Lanka’s stray dog problem.

8. Cat Ba Island, Vietnam  

Cat Ba Island is the largest island in HaLong Bay. It is found just off the coast of Hai Phong city and has three main beautiful beaches. They are called Cat Co 1, Cat Co 2 and Cat Co 3, and are perfect for swimming, sunbathing, relaxing and even surfing if the waves are right! If you are looking to relax on a pristine beach surrounded by incredible views, then this island is the place to be.

If you don’t fancy chilling on the beach, there are plenty of other activities for you to get stuck into. You can rent a kayak to explore Monkey Island, or you can head out on a cruise of the famous HaLong Bay. If you don’t want to pay the hefty cruise prices then why not venture out on a cruise to explore the lesser known Lan Ha Bay. You will still be rewarded with incredible views, and you won’t have to deal with the crowds either!

9. Menjangan Island, Bali

Menjangan Island is found about 10km northwest off the coast of Bali, and it forms part of the West Bali National Park Conservation Area. This part of Indonesia is full of beautiful white sand beaches, crystal clear waters and incredible coral reefs that are teeming with life. 

This island also has another aspect that makes it incredibly appealing to tourists. The word ‘Menjangan’ actually means “deer” in Bahasa Indonesia, which is the language used throughout Indonesia. This name is due to the wild deer that roam the island. They have even been seen swimming in the surrounding waters by the local people. 

During our 12 day Indonesia tour we will explore the beautiful Menjangan Island and its surrounding reefs. Our guide is also a divemaster so he will be able to show you the array of underwater life in the area and identify all fish we get to see! During our time in this area of Bali, we will also visit the Biorock Project which is the largest coral planting project in the world. 

10. Palolem Beach, India

Palolem Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Southern Goa. If you are dreaming of white sand beaches, plenty of incredible food and a tranquil atmosphere then this is your place! 

Aside from relaxing on this beautiful beach, there are plenty of other cool things to do. You can try your hand at an Indian cooking class, take a yoga class or hit the small stores on the main street to grab some souvenirs. If you are a foodie, there are lots of amazing spots to grab an authentic Indian curry, whilst dipping your toes in the sand. I mean what’s better than that? If you’d prefer to just grab some drinks then you should head to Sundowner! It is a quirky beach bar that is a popular spot to watch Goa’s beautiful sunsets. 

One of the most popular things to do on Palolem Beach is taking a boat trip out to the secluded Butterfly Beach and Honeymoon Beach. These beaches are pretty spectacular! If you are lucky you might even catch a glimpse of some dolphins along the way. 

If you want to explore Asia’s beaches with us, then why not look at our One Life Adventures tours. We can show you some of the best destinations this continent has to offer, and some of the best spots to relax! 

Feeling inspired about your next adventure? Check out our other trips here and use the code ONELIFE15 at checkout to get an enormous 15% off ALL tours in 2021, 2022 and 2023! We all deserve something to look forward to, so we’ve made it as easy as possible for you to book your next life-changing adventure.