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This is a guest post by Melissa from Family Thrifty Travel.
With many attractive tropical islands, Southeast Asia is an ideal destination for a romantic retreat. With its beautiful beaches, clear warm waters and delicious food, it is a perfect place to spend quality time with your soul mate.
Couples can spend their days with beach ceremonies or a luxurious day at the spa, private candlelit beach dinners, indulgent days, enjoy spectacular sunsets with cocktails in hand and escape to their private beach and swim in the clear warm waters.
The destinations in Southeast Asia are endless, but here are five beautiful tropical islands to get you started.
Langkawi
A group of Malaysian islands, just 30 km from the Malaysian mainland, Langkawi consists of a total of 100 islands, however, only three are inhabited, so there are many deserted beaches that provide the perfect romantic setting for your vacation.
With its unbelievably beautiful beaches, calm clear turquoise waters and lush tropical rainforest, Langkawi is the perfect paradise to relax and enjoy a romantic vacation with your loved one.
Many of the hotels in Langkawi are first class with great service and have fantastic views – providing the perfect excuse to relax and stay in bed all day. Swimming pools provide a great place to relax and wait, providing the perfect alone time to appreciate each other. For the most romantic stay stay at one of the beautiful 5-star resorts in Datai Bay or Pantai Kok.
Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc – one of the beautiful islands of Vietnam, is an incredibly romantic place for couples. With the natural beauty of its beaches and avoiding the crowds you will experience pure bliss.
So far, the development has not spoiled the scenery and the simple fishing villages. However, make no mistake, holidays in Phu Quoc are not all about undeveloped island life. Luxury awaits, where simple living is combined with outstanding resorts that offer amazing cuisine, and beautiful relaxing environments, hidden in the tropical forest.
Depending on your ideal location, there are a variety of resorts to choose from for your romantic getaway.
The most popular beach in Phu Quoc is Long Beach where you will find many first-class resorts or simple beach bungalows where you will hear the waves from your bed. Long Beach also has spectacular sunsets and a variety of colorful beach bars to witness. For a quieter spot, check out Ong Lang Beach where there are several beach resorts lined up. If you prefer top class attractions then consider staying in the Ganh Dau area which even has a casino and golf course.
Couples can spend their days in Phu Quoc relaxing in their resort pool or swimming in the warm turquoise waters. Other activities include renting your own private boat to explore the spectacular tropical islands and go snorkeling or rent a motorbike and have your own island adventure tour.
Gili Islands
The Gili Islands are 3 small islands off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia, easily accessible by boat from either Lombok or the popular Bali. Each island offers the perfect setting for a romantic getaway and with each island less than a 5 minute boat ride away from each other you can easily visit them.
Each of the Gili islands offers a different vibe and experience. Trawangan (Gili T) is the brighter and more popular of the 3 while Gili Meno and Gili Air each offer a romantic, relaxed, honeymoon feel.
Each island offers tons of natural beauty, white sand beaches meet crystal clear water that’s as warm as a bath. The center of the islands is strongly connected with beautiful trees and greenery that stretches to the beach, providing a very special feeling. The uniqueness of these islands means it’s not difficult to find a private beach and truly feel like you and your significant other have escaped to paradise!
All these islands are budget friendly, where you can stay at 4 and 5 star resorts at great rates. Food, drinks and spa treatments are also very affordable.
For ultimate tranquility, stay a few nights in Gili Meno. This island is so quiet that you might be surprised that you have the whole island to yourself!
Crown
Coron Island is a limestone island located in the province of Palawan, Philippines. It has many lakes, the most famous of which is the cleanest lake in the Philippines, Lake Kayangan. The beautiful and secluded beaches of the Coron Islands make it a favorite romantic destination.
There are many beautiful white sand beaches, which provide amazing views to appreciate together, from the amazing color of the water, the interesting limestone formations and the wildlife, you will definitely be in awe.
Coron Island is perfect for adventurous couples who not only want romance, but want to explore and experience adventure together. Among the Japanese shipwrecks of the 1940s, women would love to dive into the calm waters. The area around the ruins has fantastic rock formations with underwater visibility extending up to 24m. For nature and wildlife lovers take a mangrove kayak tour, or island hopping tour or try one of the many horseback rides into the sunset, finishing with dinner on the beach.
There are many resorts in Coron island for couples looking for the utmost privacy. Many of them allow you to soak up the sea and mountain views, laze on the sunbed and enjoy a candlelit dinner for two under the stars. Many resorts offer island hopping tours to nearby islands where a delicious private picnic can be arranged upon request.
Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe is the southernmost island of Thailand, only 60 km from the Thai mainland. Said to be the Maldives of Southeast Asia, this may be the most attractive tropical island in the region.
With its blend of remoteness, unique scenic beauty and fascinating attractions, Koh Lipe is the perfect romantic holiday destination. There are three different beaches to explore, including Pattaya, Sunrise and Sunset beach, all with a distinct personality.
For the ultimate getaway, spend a few days at a luxury resort on Sunset Beach and enjoy spectacular sunsets every night.
If you prefer to be in the heart of the action, stay at the luxurious Akira Resort on Pattaya Beach and spend your evenings at the beach bar being entertained by fire dancers. Other activities include snorkeling off the coast or taking a kayak out for the day and visiting nearby deserted islands and swimming at your private beach.
Koh Lipe has many romantic hotels with great facilities, from authentic Thai beach bungalows to luxurious 5-star resorts. Whatever your definition of a romantic setting, you’re sure to find it on Koh Lipe.
(Got more time in Thailand? Check out this two-week itinerary!)
Author Bio: Melissa is the creator and author of Thrifty Family Travels; which details her family’s travels both within Australia and around the world. Together they seek out new adventures, experience new cultures and sample local delicacies as they travel to every corner of our beautiful world. Thrifty Family Travel hopes to inspire other families to travel by showing their followers fantastic new destinations as well as providing detailed itineraries, tips on where to stay and recommendations for the best travel gear.