Asia’s Most Romantic Beach Getaways
White sand beaches and warm turquoise waters never lose their appeal, especially if you’re enjoying them with your significant other. From Vietnam to Fiji, couples can choose adventure sports or culinary journeys or simply lounge on the sand during their stay. Here are three romantic beach getaways that blend fun with relaxation.
Momi Bay, Fiji
Fiji has much to offer, whether it’s intimate celebrations on the Coral Coast or a safari down the Sigatoka River. Visitors can climb the millions-of-years-old Sigatoka Sand Dunes, zip line through lush rainforests and soak in natural mud baths at the Sabeto Hot Springs, a geothermal hot spring thought to have healing properties.
These attractions are within easy reach of Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay. The resort features the first overwater bure bungalows on Fiji’s main island, which allow guests to dive into the surrounding waters from their private decks.
Upon arrival guests are surrounded by a sea of blue: The resort’s three swimming pools, a manmade lagoon and the picturesque Momi Bay. After a day of stand-up paddleboarding, surfing and fishing at the resort, enjoy a scrumptious dinner of raw fish and lobster rolls at the Fish Bar.
Couples who want to feel like they have the resort all to themselves can book one of the hotel’s adults-only overwater villas and lounge by the adults-only infinity pool with a view of the South Pacific Ocean. The resort is also ideal for a destination wedding, and couples can exchange vows in a private garden.
Phu Quoc, Vietnam
With turquoise bays set against a sandstone mountain range, Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island in the Gulf of Thailand is the ideal getaway. More than half of Phu Quoc is national parkland, which means there are plenty of unspoiled beaches for snorkeling and scuba diving and mountains for hiking.
Phu Quoc is also known for its fish sauce (nuoc mam), and visitors can sample the savory, aromatic delicacy at the Fish Sauce Factory. For a more upscale experience, dine at Vuon Tao Restaurant and order the raw herring salad. The gastronomical adventure continues at the JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa. In the resort’s spacious Department of Chemistry bar, mixologists in lab coats serve test-tube cocktails, which guests can savor while admiring the periodic table of elements on the walls.
If that sounds whimsical, American designer Bill Bensley designed the bright and colorful 243-room hotel as a refurbished, late 19th-century fictional school, “Lamarck University.” Each common area is a different “department.” For example, the lobby was once the university’s library, and Tempus Fugit restaurant is the former architecture department.
The whimsy continues at the Alice in Wonderland–themed spa, which offers an exclusive couples massage. Be sure to book the couples room in advance for a most intimate experience, or cozy up in one of the spa’s private plunge pools. Couples who want a true seaside holiday can check into the newly opened villas that overlook Khem Beach and sign up for private yoga and surf lessons or rent kayaks to explore the bay on their own.
Langkawi, Malaysia
Home to million-year-old rainforests, Langkawi offers a pampering, back-to-nature experience. Eco-friendly kayak tours take visitors to mangroves filled with fiddler crabs and monitor lizards, while restaurants such as Nasi Dagang Pak Malau serve fish curry among the paddy fields.
For a more aquatic adventure, grab your snorkel and sail to one of Langkawi’s 99 surrounding islands on a yacht. Stop at Pulau Dayang Bunting for a swim in Tasik Dayang Bunting, or “Lake of the Pregnant Maiden,” where local myth says that wading in the water will boost a woman’s fertility.
Langkawi’s charm doesn’t end there. The Ritz Carlton, Langkawi pays homage to Malay culture in a resort that’s elegantly integrated into the lush, ancient rainforest. Guests can write wishes on the stones in the lobby’s “Walkaway of Wishes,” a nod to the fountain of wishes at Tasik Dayang Bunting.The hotel’s 90 rooms and 29 villas were designed to evoke opulent Malay palaces. In addition to private villa pools, at one of the spa’s five pavilions that resemble giant woven fish traps, couples can enjoy centuries-old indigenous healing rituals and beauty ceremonies that draw influences from local shamanic practices.
For a classic romantic evening, indulge in seafood at Chinese restaurant Hai Yan with a view of the Andaman Sea.
Discover even more romantic experiences throughout Asia Pacific’s most stunning locations at stunning resorts across the region.
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Read the original story: Cozy Up on the Coast: Asia’s Best Romantic Beach Getaways by Dana Ter, who is a regular contributor to Marriott Traveler