Photo Gallery: Southeast Asian Beaches

Photograph by Kris LeBoutillier

Glee club: Local girls ride makeshift toboggans down one of the giant sand dunes in Mui Ne, Vietnam. A scenic landscape, this area in the country's southern reaches has been affected by desertification caused in part by the felling of trees, soil erosion, and drought.

Photograph by Kris LeBoutillier

Early morning greets Koh Lipe, an island on Thailand's Andaman Sea.

Photograph by Kris LeBoutillier

Part of Tarutao National Marine Park, a cluster of more than 50 Andaman Sea islands near Thailand's border with Malaysia, Koh Lipe is known for its off-the-grid feel—perfect for hanging out with a good book, as this guest at the beachside Castaway Resort has discovered.

Photograph by Kris LeBoutillier

Come one, come all: The powder-sand beach in Mui Ne, Vietnam, is a daily destination for locals—here a line-up of villagers hauling in fishing nets—and visitors, who prize it for its scenic setting and seaside breezes.

Photograph by Kris LeBoutillier

Sea-weathered rocks frame Sunrise Beach on Koh Lipe island, Thailand. The waters surrounding Koh Lipe are known for their clarity.

Photograph by Kris LeBoutillier

Also spotted here: manta rays, sharks, sperm whales, and a profusion of reef fish. "Good luck" garlands festoon the prow of a traditional long-tail boat anchored off Koh Lipe.

Photograph by Kris LeBoutillier

Less is more at Castaway Resort on Koh Lipe island, where guests dine on fresh local fare while cozily seated on breeze-fanned platforms.

Photograph by Kris LeBoutillier

Prawn seller on the main beach in Sihanoukville Cambodia.

Photograph by Kris LeBoutillier

A baton twirler lights up the night on Ochheuteal Beach in Cambodia with his fiery performance.

Photograph by Kris LeBoutillier

Polished carvings of bulbous-nosed dugongs—marine mammals native to the Andaman Sea and related to the manatee—await new homes.

Photograph by Kris LeBoutillier

A pool of one's own: The clear tropical waters of Emerald Cave, a hideaway lagoon on Thailand's Koh Mook island, draw bathers and divers eager for solitude and natural beauty.