Doesn't the recent warm weather make you yearn to be on a beach somewhere? Enjoying cool blue waters and powdery sand, with an ice cream cone or cocktail in hand. Well, the good thing is, some of the best beaches in the world are right at our doorstep! Here are five of my favourite beaches in South-East Asia:
BORACAY
Boracay in the Philippines is almost legendary as a beach resort destination. Unbelievable post card perfection in its miles of sandy beaches and amazing seascapes. I like Puka Beach on the northern side because it's less crowded than White Beach. It used to be quite troublesome to get to, but since 2013, we have Tiger Air flying to Kalibo (its nearest airport) direct. See my other Boracay posts here.
BALI
Bali offers more than just beaches - art, culture, verdant rice terraces, . It certainly deserves its reputation as a beach paradise, but it can be touristy in some areas. If you like, you can pick a resort with a private beach - I love the W Bali - so you can enjoy along with top notch service, food and facilities without having to jostle with crowds. They also have gorgeous private villas that celebrities love to descend upon.
LANGKAWI
Source
Langkawi is a mystical island rich with local legends and folklore. But its beaches and resorts are an even bigger lure. Pantai Cenang and Pantai Kok are the most developed with vast sweeping coastlines whereas Burau Bay is more secluded. Tanjong Rhu has its own charm with its abundance of casuarina trees in place of the usual palms and coconuts.
RAWA ISLAND
Source
You have no idea how close we are to this little island off Mersing, Johor in Malaysia. It's just one strip of beach with one resort, but the powdery white sand and the picturesque sea is simply outstanding. It's probably like what Tioman used to be (before it got ruined by tourism). For now, it's a hidden treasure and I hope it never gets spoilt.
KRABI
Source
Krabi doesn't just have one beach; it has 15 mainland beaches and 3 island groups - which means it's great to explore! The stunning coastlines are framed by towering limestone formations. Some of these tall structures and caves have led to amorous imaginations by the locals. But the best thing is, the beaches are not as crowded as Phuket or Koh Samui - always a plus point for me!
I feel like booking a ticket there right now, looking at these photos. Someone recently recommended me Traveloka.com, which is really popular in Indonesia (one of the largest travel platforms there). They show you the full prices without hidden extras. Apparently it's good for travel in this region, so I took a look and compared some prices.
Let's take a look at Langkawi:
Traveloka gives us AirAsia tickets for S$123.07
Then I went to check the AirAsia site itself...
Let me try direct flights to Bali:
Traveloka's best price is a Jetstar-AirAsia combo for S$158.68
A similar combo is S$175 on Kayak!
And the cheapest S$177 on Expedia!
Well, that was just for starters. I'm definitely adding Traveloka as a site to compare prices next time I am traveling in South-East Asia. I guess it's the bulk deals that Traveloka has that enables them to offer better prices. That's just good news for us. Smart shopping means more money to spend on holidays!
This post is brought to you in partnership with Traveloka
No comments
Post a Comment