This Thai Beach Was Named the Most ‘Paradise-like’ in Asia—With Travelers Saying It Feels Like ‘Thailand 20 Years Ago’

Your next vacation shouldn’t just be to any old beach. It should be a certified paradise. And the family travel specialists at Kuoni know exactly where you need to go. 

Over the summer, the team at Kuoni released its list of the 20 most “paradise-like” beaches in the world. To figure out which are truly the best of the best, the team started with a curated seed list of more than 180 globally recognized beaches, drawn from both internal travel expertise and recommendations from leading travel publications. 

It then analyzed each destination’s percentage of positive traveler reviews on popular review platforms that included the word ‘paradise’ in the title or content. They then ranked those results, naming Ao Thong Yee in Thailand’s Nakhon Si Thammarat Province the No. 4 most paradise-like beach in the world and the No. 1 beach in Asia. 

“Found in the Khanom District, a small and undisturbed fishing town, the beaches found in Ao Khanom bay offer a serene alternative to the tourist-heavy Thai beaches,” the findings stated. “Coming in fourth place in the overall paradise beach rankings, over 13 percent of Ao Thong Yee’s reviews describe it as a paradise destination, with travelers mentioning how they are charmed by the peaceful local culture, describing it as ‘Thailand back 20 years ago’ and ‘like a private beach most of the time’.”

The team also noted that the beach’s golden yellow sand, breathtaking rock formations, and plentiful palm trees really do make it look like a textbook paradise. 

Thailand had two other spots rank in the top 20: Surin Islands in Mu Koh Surin National Park came in at No. 10 globally while Ko Lipe ranked No. 12. As for which stretch of sand took the top spot, that honor went to a beach in the South Pacific Ocean: Port Olry Beach in Vanuatu. 

“People’s expectation of a ‘paradise’ beach will naturally include the classic formula of clean soft sands and turquoise seas, but with so many beaches meeting that criteria, it’s been super interesting to find out the other factors that cause visitors to deem a beach a ‘paradise,'” Marco Rocha, family travel expert at Kuoni, said in a release shared with Travel + Leisure. “Our analysis saw that the most common themes, besides the paradise-beach aesthetic, are the opportunity to see wildlife as well as a sense of privacy and ‘being alone’—all whilst still having convenient facilities.”

Kuoni‘s top 20 beaches:

1. Port Olry Beach, Vanuatu
2. Parque Nacional de Bazaruto, Mozambique
3. One Foot Island, Cook Islands
4. Ao Thong Yee, Thailand
5. Veligandu Island Beach, Maldives
6. Champagne Beach, Vanuatu
7. Lalomanu Beach, Samoa
8. Navagio Beach, Greece
9. Ora Beach, Indonesia
10. Surin Islands (Mu Koh Surin National Park), Thailand
11. Bon Bon Beach, Philippines
12. Ko Lipe, Thailand
13. Pentle Bay, United Kingdom
14. Sok San Beach, Cambodia
15. Whitehaven Beach, Australia
16. Palm Cove Beach, Australia
17. Entalula Beach, Philippines
18. Secret Beach, Ambergris Caye, Belize
19. Huvadhu Atoll, Maldives
20. Hidden Beach, Palawan, Philippines