Hi everyone! I am looking for recommendations of possible places/islands to go for one week in mid August in Southeast Asia. I will be flying in and out of South Korea and am wanting to travel somewhere near by. My top choice is to visit the Philippines but I know that time of year is monsoon season. Are there any islands that are protected from the rain or have less of it mid Aug? Any suggestions would be much appreciated

Hoi an, Vietnam - warm, dry, cheap, safe, beautiful.

How about Indonesia? The weather is great by Aug in Bali

Thanks for the suggestion. I have been and love it there. Just a bit far for what I'm looking for from Korea.

In the Philippines visit the islands of bantayan, malapascua(Cebu), guimaras island, sipalay (negros occidental) if you want diving experience you can go to anilao(batangas area), coron and busuanga.. el nido, Palawan and do island hopping.. there are lots of places to explore there but it's better if you have any idea what you want to do there...

Thank you so much for the suggestions!! I was hoping to get some diving in so I will look into what you recommend. Do you know if the weather is ok mid August in those areas?

About the weather it's hard to guess but way back when I was young mid august is the end of the typhoon season. It's better to have en route in case the places mentioned above have typhoons. Please stay away around Mindanao areas as its dangerous there unless you're really an adventurer.. oh and if you want to
you can check out siargao as it is labeled the cloud nine..

Okinawa, Japan
Da Nang / Nha Trang, Vietnam
Phuket / Krabi, Thailand
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Boracay / Kalibo, Philippines
All of these have some risk of typhoons or monsoon, but Malaysia and Indonesia tend to be spared.
You should also visit Jeju if you're based in Korea, though not quite a beach destination.

Thanks for the feedback. I've been to all the above places except those listed in Philippines. I think this is where I want to go. Wasn't sure where exactly where to go in the Philippines but this give me a better idea. I don't mind taking a risk and hope for the best, weather wise

Oh if you take a taxi always ask for a meter as they like to contract the fare of course it will be in their favour, if they don't , just walk away... try the jeepney, it's fun to ride those hahaha

If you want beaches, Palawan definitely is the best place to go. There are 3 cities to go to in Palawan: 1. Puerto Princesa 2. Coron 3. El Nido. Palawan was voted to have the best beach in the world last year or 2 years ago. I've been to Puerto Princesa & Coron..my next destination if I ever go back to Philippines would be El nido. I'm just not sure how often it rains there during monsoon season. But that usually is low season so I bet it's cheaper the time you are going. I doubt that it would be raining for the rest of your stay. It's always hot and sunny except for the month of June which is almost always raining.

Thank you!! Is it easy to get to Palawan and the cities you have recommended?

Yes it is... plus local airlines there have promos from time to time

Yes, puerto princesa airport is the main airport in palawan, it's still very small though, so it's the easiest to go to. From puerto princesa you can go to coron via rented van it takes around 4hrs or you can also fly directly to coron through busuanga airport. For el nido, flights can be quite pricey since there are only smaller planes that go there, no big commercial airlines probably its also because most of the luxury resorts are in el nido. If it's your 1st time in palawan puerto princesa is a good place to start since the city is more developed than the other two which means there are more restaurants where you can eat and more places to see.

Search for Kyle Jennermann, this Vancouver kid who adopted the Philippines as his home away from home and you might learn a few things from him in terms of places and culture. Please post pics of the Phil when you get back.

Ingrid Do you know if any of these areas are good for diving?

Courtena check this out https://www.skyscanner.com.ph/news/6-best-dive-spots-palawan

Ingrid thank you so much!!

Courtena you're welcome! Enjoy your trip.

We have a beach home near Dumaguete, Philippines where we spend 4-5 months per year. This area has drier weather, diving at Apo Is and many interesting places for ocean, forests and mountains . Six flights per day from Manila, Tourism is not as developed on most of the island and people are very friendly.

You can check out Acuatico Beach Resort at Laiya, Batangas. A few hours away from Manila, it was awarded the tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence from 2012 to 2015 that paved the way to the Hall of Fame Award. Acuatico is likewise a recipient of the Travelers’ Choice award for 2 consecutive years.

I totally agree--Kota Kinabalu...and a great night market

You could fly over to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Its on Borneo Island. Sabah is know as The Land Below the Wind and does not get those nasty typhoons. Beautiful islands, world renowned diving (Sipadan Island) sites and beautiful beaches. People are friendly and most speak English. Food is awesome. Best of all, its cheap because of the exchange. Lots of resorts too.

30 days in the Philippines - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_2D_2lUrF8

Wow! Looks amazing. Thanks for the link.

From Seoul you could fly to the island of JeJu.

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attractions-g983296-Activities...

I just did Palawan for one week all inclusive. Coron,El Nido and Puerto Princesa . You won't be disappointed.