Southeast Asia is one of the most popular destinations for travelers looking for beautiful beaches, endless sunshine and lots of fun things to do day and night. In terms of the island destinations in Southeast Asia that receive the highest reviews for sun and fun, Thailand and Indonesia rate the best. Some of the places mentioned here are well known while others yearn to be discovered, but all are great choices to spend some quality fun time.

Thailand Islands

The islands off the southern coast of Thailand are famous throughout the world for their beautiful beaches, gorgeous scenery, abundant water sports, and legendary nightlife. Here are a few of the hottest islands to visit in Thailand.

Phuket

Nearly half of all visitors coming to the beaches of Thailand end up in Phuket. It is the largest island in Thailand with fantastic resorts on every part of the island. There is access to many public beaches and watersports abound. Snorkeling and fishing are also popular and you can have the locals cook what you catch. The nightlife on Phuket might be the best in Thailand with dozens of discos, bars and live music venues coming to life when the sun goes down. You can dance until the morning if you choose.

Ko Samui

Koh Samui is Thailand’s second most popular island and sits in the Gulf of Thailand promising gentle waters and warm tropical breezes all year round. Samui gives you access to all comforts you could need. Right off the coast of Koh Samui lies Ko Pha Ngan, where the world famous Full Moon Party takes place. Imagine 40,000 people dancing all night long on the beach and you have a faint idea of the spectacle.

Indonesian Islands

Indonesia is the largest country in Southeast Asia with a population of 250 million people. The country is a nearly 3,000 mile long archipelago that sits right across the equator providing warm temperatures year round. Indonesia has more than 12,000 inhabited islands. The main island is Java where the capital Jakarta is located. But there are many other islands that attract travelers with the promise of fun and endless sun. Here are a few to consider when you come to Indonesia.

Bali

Bali is the jewel of Indonesian islands and is recognized as one of the most desirable places to visit on Earth and one of the top wedding destinations too. The island graciously offers tranquil and serene settings, with perfect beaches that make for the ideal relaxation spots. And it also can provide you anything you need in the way of amenities including scuba, kite sailing and treks through the Bali jungles. Bali also has one of the hottest nightlifes in all of Southeast Asia. In fact people fly here from all over the region just to party.

Sumba Island

A one hour flight Southeast from Bali takes you to the beautiful island of Sumba. The reasons to come is for the lush forest great beaches and watersports, but the special reason is that this is one of the few islands in Southeast Asia that has lovely limestone hills. These are unique to the area and make for great picture taking opportunities. The weather is also perfect and the food is fantastic. Once they come, most people return to Sumba Island.

Both Thailand and Indonesia offer great opportunities to have memorable fun and sun vacations. You can easily make you way to other islands no matter which island you visit. So bring a good camera and a swimsuit and get prepared to have a great time.