Behold! Our list of the best and worst beaches in South East Asia. Needless to say, best/worst can be inherently subjective. When researching for our RTW trip I spent a lot of time researching "the best" beach destinations. While "the best" is subjective, Conde Nast or Travel and Leisure have no problem printing out list after list of these beaches.

After having the pleasure of spending 6 months around the Philippines, Thailand, Bali, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia, I'd say I've spend a fair amount of time in a bikini and would like to throw in my two cents.Here's what "BEST" means to me:

Not crowded
Not feeling unsafe to leave small things behind when I go to swim
No one soliciting me to buy a necklace, get a massage, or take a surf lesson (or a damn whale shark tour)
Clean water (jellyfish are attracted to pollution and in several places in SEA it's un-swimmable)

The 3 Best Beaches in South East Asia

Koh Lanta, Thailand

Clean water, cool vibe and the perfect mix of Westerners and locals. This hipster paradise is the perfect place to come relax, put down your tie-dye sarong and sun bathe next to all the other beautiful people doing the same. Without a nearby airport, Koh Lanta is a bit more off the beaten path compared to the beaches of Ao Nang or Phuket, so you can expect to run into backpackers that are sticking around for a month compared to the quick vacation getaways in Krabi.

Heading to Koh Lanta?

Here’s how we lived under $20/day in Koh Lanta and don’t miss this Koh Lanta Cave while you’re there! Our favorite day-trip in all of Thailand was this day cruise leaving Koh Lanta and snorkeling at Koh Rok.

Batu Bolong and Echo Beach, Canggu, Bali, Indonesia

There may be a bit of bias in this selection as Canggy Bali is becoming so incredibly popular and changing by the month. Bias or not, Echo Beach is a surfer's paradise. After a short visit in Kuta, I can hardly believe that Echo Beach and Kuta Beach are in the same country, let within a few kilometers of each other.

The Canggu area is a place to show off your ironic tattoos, flaunt your jean cut-offs or launch your organic cotton t-shirt line. Canggu is cool. It's WAY too cool for me so I put on extra bracelets, muster up what swagger I have, and hope that no one calls me out. The beach exudes the same “too cool” feel. Among the Aussie fitness instagrammers you’ll certainly be inspired to stay fit when taking your sunset stroll.

Keep the surfing here for the pros as the waves are big and the surfing is competitive. Stealing the wave as a beginner here will not earn you any street cred. There are plenty of places near by to rent a board or take a lesson in less dangerous conditions.

Best part about this cool beach? No one running up to you yelling "transport? scooter? transport!?"

Heading to Canggu? Check out more information on Bali here (including our Bali budget).

Boracay beach, philippines

The history of this beach paradise tells the story we all fear: what happens when a destination becomes to popular to sustain and maintain the influx of visitors? In 2018, the Phillipine government announced it would “shut the doors” to the island as part of the government’s effort at the island’s environmental rehabilitation.

Certainly such a dramatic change has controversial outcomes with the loss of jobs after cutting off the main source of revenue for the small island. Fortunately for the environment, the plan worked. Whale shark sightings have been reported and more sustainable tourism initiatives have begun around the island like the addition of energy efficient tricycles.

The culture of Boracay has changed a bit as now hotel prices are a bit higher than the once budget-friendly backpacker finds, but if a low key couples beach vacation is what you’re looking for? You’ll now find it here in Boracay.

Worst Beaches in South East Asia

Now for the fun part:

Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia

What an incredible disappointment. After 2 weeks staying north in Canggu (see above) we traveled down to hit a few big stores in the larger city of Kuta. If you're Aussie you already know of this place (and may love it!) you may skip ahead. The Kuta area is the party scene on the island - and - I mean, I like to party- but this list is all about the beaches. Simply put: Kuta beach was the absolute worst place we visited. Picture yourself trying to relax on nice white sand while a line of people yell at you."TRANSPORT?! SURF LESSON TODAY? SURF LESSON TOMORROW? YOU WANT SURF? Marijuana? I SELL YOU UMBRELLA. COLD BEER. SURF TODAY?!"

Tim and I didn't do anything more than walk from the road where we parked our bikes down to put our toes in the water and then back up to the bikes. It was the most absurd experience. Though there were swarms of people surfing, swimming and sun bathing, I can't even imagine being someone who was there on a relaxing holiday (there are nearby hotel chains like Sheraton and Best Western). All that looks like to me (and to the hecklers) is: you spent money on an umbrella, you're surely likely to: buy a surf lesson from me. Let me massage you- right now. Buy and wear this necklace- right now.

I could go on. You get it. Head north.

Nha Trang, Vietnam

"Velcome to Nuh Trung". Imagine Ivan Drago from Rocky 4 saying that.Welcome to "little Moscow". Nha Trang, Vietnam was one of the most interesting places we visited in our travels. While appearing on many travel lists as "one of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam" (and may look stunning in photos) this crazy small tourist city on the East Coast may have been beautiful at one point, but wouldn't be described as such now.

I've never actually been to Cancun, but I would have to describe this as the "Cancun of Vietnam...for Russians". There were insanely "hyped up" partiers dominating the space at our roof-top pool, and way too much skin flopped all over the too-small beach chairs. It was certainly a sight to see - a ton of fun to experience with other friends, but not a must-see destination on you beach paradise shopping list.

The water appeared polluted (so we didn’t even swim) and the sand? Just so-so.

If you find yourself here while backpacking through Vietnam, don’t miss the nearby waterfall or monkey island.

Alona Beach, Panglao, Bohol, Philippines

Alona Beach is hard to understand. The only reason this beach is listed as “worst” is because this area really is not a sandy beach vacation destination (unless you are staying at an ultra-expensive resort). Much of this country's beauty is not beaches but the beautiful limestone cliffs found in the Palawan area.

Alona beach is at the tip of the island of Panglao which you may know as the touristy area of Bohol. You might be visiting here to scuba dive this incredible area or visit the chocolate hills on the nearby island. If you're not here to dive you won't be happy about your beach-lounging options. The coral-laden water line almost approaches the crowded beach-front shopping area. Here you will certainly have options to immediately book a tour for 'WHALE SHARKS" (do it in Oslob), have a "MASSAGE!" or be encouraged to have a meal.

While you can still enjoy a $5 fresh caught fish dinner on the beach, you will still be politely shoeing away adorable 7 year old boys trying to serenade your table. This has a huge downside though. Children can often end up making more than their parents with serenades or straight up begging. Parents will sometimes keep their kids out of school to earn more money this way, and thus, a vicious circle begins for the kids. So with Alona Beach, come here to dive, check out the fun bars, eat at the amazing local restaurants, check out the chocolate hills of Bohol. Then, book another flight up to Borocay if you're looking for sand.

South East Asia Beaches - Final Review

As you can see from our descriptions - south east Asia is an incredibly volatile area so make sure to check the dates on blog articles and youtube videos to ensure the information is up-to-date! Another candidate beach that didn’t make the list is Sihanoukville in Cambodia. We loved our short stay on Otres Beach walking through the shallow water and giggling at the “special” mushroom pizza and shakes on so many beach-shack menus. Now? We’ve heard that the amount of tourism this area has received in the past 3 years has completely changed the area (for the worst). If looking for sand in Cambodia, head out to a nearby island instead.