Koh Thmei Beach
Ream National Park, Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Koh Thmei is one of two islands inside Ream National Park near Sihanoukville, Cambodia, with a three kilometer beach of soft white sand that stays close to empty even in high season. A single small resort of wooden bungalows is the only development on the island, and the surrounding park is home to gibbons, sea eagles, and other wildlife rarely seen this close to a tourist hub.
One of the most isolated, undeveloped beaches this close to Sihanoukville, with real wildlife to go along with it, though the single resort and limited transport options mean it isn't an easy day trip.
Bring binoculars if birding interests you at all. The park's bird population is one of the more overlooked draws here, alongside the beach itself.
There's no independent boat service most days. Visitors typically arrange transport through the island's one resort, departing from a pier near Sihanoukville.
The boat lands directly on the sand, and the beach is flat and open, though there's no infrastructure beyond the resort's own bungalows.
The dry season from November through April brings the calmest boat crossing and clearest swimming water. The wet season from May through October brings more rain and rougher seas around the park's coastline.
More Asia Pacific beaches
Sanom Beach
Koh Lipe, Satun, Thailand · Asia Pacific
Sanom Beach sits at the far southern end of Pattaya Beach on Koh Lipe, Thailand, reached by a wooden walkway over the rocks once the main beach runs out. The sand is quiet compared to Lipe's busier strips, backed by shade trees, and the resort here is run by local Urak Lawoi sea gypsies rather than an outside chain.
Bamboo Bay
Koh Lanta, Krabi, Thailand · Asia Pacific
Bamboo Bay, also called Ao Mai Phai, is the last beach before Koh Lanta's national park boundary, a two kilometer curve of sand at the island's southern tip in Krabi province, Thailand. Big boulders break up the shoreline in places, the water stays clear enough to see your feet, and by evening the day trippers have mostly cleared out.
Sunset Beach
Koh Kradan, Trang, Thailand · Asia Pacific
Sunset Beach is the quieter western shore of Koh Kradan in Trang province, Thailand, a short walk across the island from the long main beach that gets most of the attention. There's less wave action here than on the east side, the swimming stays calmer, and as the name promises it's the spot locals and the handful of resort guests head to for the evening light.