Over the last few decades the natural beauty of Asia has attracted the attention of people from around the world.
The region of South and South-East Asia is known for its thousands-of-years-old history and an amazing mixture of outstanding beaches and warm climate.
Enjoying summer temperatures even in January and February, the region is a very attractive destination but it is also a very affordable choice for people from North America, Europe and other parts of the world.
If you want to spend a really great and affordable beach vacation during the coldest months of the year, South and Southeast Asia sounds like a really good choice of places to visit.
At the same time, it will be a bit difficult to decide where to go.
This is why we have listed here some of the top locations to choose from.
1. Boracay, the Philippines
According to National Geographic, there are about 7640 islands in the Philippines.
In addition, they all enjoy a year round warm tropical climate.
It is not surprising that there are countless wonderful beaches to choose from, which makes the country a magnet for holidaymakers.
Although you can find thousands of white-sand hidden gems and secret coves all over the island nation, the most popular stretch of sand is the Boracay Beach.
It dominates the entire eastern side of the Boracay Island and offers 2.5 miles (more than 4 km) of fantastic soft coral sands.
The name of the beach speaks clearly about its magnetic beauty. Translated in English, it means White Cotton Beach.
Winter is the best time of the year to visit the island and the beach. The coldest month is January with an average temperature during the day of about 84°F (29°C).
2. The Maldives
When you visit the Maldives for the first time, you realize why they call the island nation “The Paradise on Earth”.
The archipelago is composed of 26 ring-shaped atolls and 1190 islands, all of which are outstandingly beautiful.
They are scattered in the central part of the Indian Ocean, crossing the Equator in a north-south direction.
Because of their location, the islands enjoy an almost perfect climate with year-round temperatures of between 81 and 84˚F (between 27 and 29˚C).
Most of the islands (about 1000 of them) are uninhabited but here you will find more upscale resorts than anywhere else in the world.
The pristine beauty of the islands, the most clear tropical lagoons and pure white coral sands, attract affluent visitors from all parts of the world.
3. Maluku Islands, Indonesia
Situated between the Indonesian islands of Papua and Sulawesi, Maluku is a small archipelago you have probably never heard of.
Over the last century, this place has remained relatively isolated from the rest of the world.
As a result, the archipelago’s indigenous culture and natural beauty have remained untouched.
The islands are covered with some of the most beautiful rainforests on Earth.
But what is more appealing for beach lovers is the combination between pristine white sands and crystal clear emerald water.
Lovers of diving and snorkeling will be able to find here some of the most preserved coral reefs on Earth.
In addition, the visibility underwater can reach up to 40 metres under the appropriate weather conditions.
But what could we say about the weather? The climate is sub-equatorial so you can expect constantly high temperatures of between 77 and 86˚F (between 25 and 30˚C).
If you want to take advantage of the dry season, you should visit the islands between March and October.
4. Koh Nang Yuan and Koh Tao, Thailand
Blessed with an year round warm and sunny climate, the islands of Koh Tao and its smaller neighbour Ko Nang Yuan, which is composed of three small islets, are well-known for their white tropical beaches and coconut palm groves along the coast.
The islands are covered with lush tropical vegetation.
They are situated in the Gulf of Thailand and are easy to reach from the capital Bangkok.
The islands are well-known as one of the most magical places to visit in the country, especially if you are into diving and snorkeling.
The main tourist attraction is the outstanding Y-shaped sandbar, which is considered one of the best beaches in Southeast Asia.
The lagoon’s visibility underwater reaches up to 130 feet (about 40 metres) and the sea temperature is between the incredible 82 and 86˚F (between 28 and 30˚C), so don’t expect to cool off in the water.
5. Bali, Indonesia
Situated immediately east of Java (Indonesia), Bali has gained the reputation of the ultimate tourist destination of Southeast Asia.
In fact, the island offers everything you need to spend the perfect vacation.
First of all, you can expect temperatures of between 81 and 92°F (between 27 and 33°C) throughout the year.
Since the climate is wet, the interior of Bali is covered by lush tropical jungles.
The main attraction, however, are the island’s outstanding beaches.
Being one of the top beach destinations in Asia, the coastline of the island is quite diverse.
Here you can find both wonderful white sand beaches and black sand volcanic sands (because the island hosts a few active volcanoes).
The water is emerald green and crystal clear. The sea surface could be very smooth on some days but quite rough on others.
The island offers some fantastic coral reefs and very good opportunities to enjoy snorkeling and diving.
6. Goa and the north coast of Karnataka, India
Although it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, most of India’s beautiful beaches are still a well-kept secret.
As the coastline of the country is 4,671 miles (around 7,517 km), it is no surprise that there are many truly amazing places.
Those of you who have been in India before, will not be surprised that some of the most beautiful Indian beaches are in the state of Goa, which is called by many the Indian Riviera.
The line of fine golden beaches stretches south, reaching the coastal town of Gokarna in Karnataka.
7. Lakshadweep
Composed of 36 outstanding coral islands, the archipelago of Lakshadweep is situated less than 200 miles off the coast of southwest India.
It is known for its soft white beaches, turquoise clear waters and shady palm groves along the coast.
The islands’ out-of-this-world beauty is a well-kept secret to the world, and today it is still very well preserved and clean.
If you are into scuba diving and snorkeling, it is one of the very best places in the world to visit.
The visibility under water reaches up to 140 feet (more than 40 metres).
The easiest way to get to Lakshadweep is to go to the city of Kochi in the coastal state of Kerala.
The city is considered the gateway to the islands of the archipelago and offers a number of options to get there.
8. Kai Islands, Indonesia
Have you ever heard about the Kai Islands?
Situated in the most remote and isolated corner of Asia, between Papua New Guinea and Sulawesi, the archipelago is composed of 47 islands, most of which of continental origin.
The most typical features the islands share in common is that they all have a very warm and humid equatorial climate and are covered by lush tropical forests.
Here you can find soft and white sandy beaches and the visibility underwater is one of the best in the world.
Although the islands are far away from the main tourist routes in the world, they are truly amazing.
9. Phuket, Thailand
Phuket, which is the most popular tourist island in Thailand, is located right next to the west coast of the Malacca Peninsula.
The place has been a popular tourist destination since the 70s of the 20th century, when the year-round warm climate and white sandy beaches attracted the attention of international tourists for the first time.
Today, Phuket Island really offers everything you need to spend a wonderful vacation, including during the coldest months of the year.
It is therefore not surprising that a year before the pandemic, the island received almost 10 million international visitors.
10. Koh Rong Sanloem, Cambodia
If Thailand is too lively and popular for your taste because of the large crowds of tourists, one of the options you should consider is neighbouring Cambodia.
The country is known for its divine nature, which, due to its geographical proximity, strongly resembles Thailand.
The coast of Cambodia is dotted with pristine beaches, secluded islands and enjoys a superb climate.
One of the most beautiful places is the island of Koh Rong Sanloem.
Located ten miles off the coast of the mainland, the island is a good choice if you really want to relax and enjoy nature.
The sea in the area is known for its unique emerald color, the water is calm and clean, and the beaches are covered with soft golden sands.
The island is very sparsely populated and most of its territory covered with tropical jungle. Along the coast there are several very good resorts.
11. Redang Island, Malaysia
Beautiful and secluded, Redang Island is located off the east coast of the Malacca Peninsula in Malaysia.
It is a great choice for those of you who want to spend a quiet and relaxed vacation in a place with white sand, turquoise sea, coral reefs, tropical jungle and of course, year-round warm climate.
There are many reasons to fall in love with Redang Island. Perhaps, the main one is that the island is very well preserved and falls within the limits of a marine sanctuary park.
Not surprisingly, the underwater world has remained almost untouched.
The visibility underwater is amazing, reaching about 70 feet (more than 21 metres), and this is why the place attracts lovers of diving from around the world.
12. Ko Phi Phi Lei, Maya Bay
It is impossible to talk about Thailand without mentioning the wonderful Ko Phi Phi island.
Well-known as the setting of the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio “The Beach” (2000), the archipelago is composed of 6 small but very beautiful islands.
They are known for their outstanding soft white beaches and smooth turquoise waters.
The average daytime temperature in the area varies between 88 and 93°F (between 31 and 34°C) throughout the year.
The islands attract hundreds of thousands of visitors per year, which is an incredible number, considering the population of the archipelago of only 2,500 residents.
The area is a very popular place for snorkeling and diving. The visibility underwater reaches up to about 100 feet (almost 30 metres)!
