"Palm Shadows" by Gavindeas via Flickr Creative Commons

Asia’s thousands of beaches are mostly empty and unspoiled. While beach going is not always a favorite activity of the local population, it definitely is for the visiting crowds who come to indulge in the abundance of sun and the hidden luxury resorts. Here you’ll find Thailand’s legendary islands, the mystic land of Bali, and even India’s long coastline are all as exotic as they are hard to reach.

  1. The Maldives Shallow coral filled clear waters, the most luxurious over water bungalows in the world, and not a car or polluted beach in site. A paradise if there ever was one.
  2. Phi Phi Islands, Thailand These idyllic islands near Phuket were the scene of the enchanting scenes from the movie The Beach. Vertical rock faces rise right out of the water hiding tiny coves, caves, and tiny beaches of legends.
  3. Boracay, Philippines This tiny beach on the northern tip of Panay on the Palawan Islands is attracting Brits and German’s by the bucket load.
  4. Nha Trang, Vietnam Tourism has hit Vietnam full scale in the last decade and while the rest of the cities are still noisy and crowded, serene beach town Nha Trang on the South China Sea is the best beach on the country’s 2,000 mile coastline.
  5. Goa, India This one time Portuguese hamlet has long been a hippie haven and attracts everyone from elite jet setters to Mumbai vacationers. Trance parties, Catholic churches, spicy meat and seafood dishes; it’s hard to imagine a place less Indian, but don’t let that stop you.
  6. Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India This archipelago off the east coast of India spread out across 500 miles of the Bay of Bengal is comprised of many empty sandy islands surrounded by clear waters. You’ll find a diver’s haven at Mahatma Ghandi Marine National Park.
  7. Cebu, Philippines Cebu is home to the Mardi Gras like Sinulog festival, as well as dozens of Asia’s best beaches for diving, clear water, and nightlife.
  8. Sihanoukville, Cambodia Miles of beautiful white sand beaches and turquoise waters; is this really Cambodia? Apart from the occasional backpacker café and beach party, you’ll have the place to yourself.
  9. Cheju Island, South Korea Korea’s honeymoon capital and the so called “Hawaii of the Orient” or the “Emerald Isle of Asia” is a lush, semi-tropical isle with a mild climate, waterfalls, and volcanic rock formations.
  10. Ko Samui, Thailand You close enough to check out the Full Moon Party for the night and far enough away to indulge in the quirt tropical comforts of a Thai island. Package tours are readily available on this favorite resort retreat.

Click here for Top 10 Beaches in Australia and the South Pacific