From Bali to Mauritius and Vietnam to Hua Hin, investing in beach properties has picked up briskly after a lull in the past two years because of the financial crisis.
Agents and developers say investors from the mainland and Hong Kong are especially keen to take advantage of a rising yuan and low interest rates to buy properties in Southeast Asia.
David Simister, chairman of CB Richard Ellis Indochina, says the beach and waterfront projects his firm has marketed in Cambodia and Thailand have sold out within days.
He points to Song Saa Private Island, Cambodia's first luxury private island resort. The first phase of villas was launched in late 2009 and sold out within two months to investors from Japan, Hong Kong, Britain and France. The subsequent phase of one-bedroom, over-water villas was launched in October last year.
'While over-water villas are commonly seen in the Maldives, Song Saa is the first and only development at present to offer over-water villas for private ownership in Southeast Asia,' says Rory Hunter, CEO of Brocon, the Australian-owned company behind the development.
Development on Cambodia's coastline has been limited and tourism has centred on Angkor Wat and Siem Reap. The Cambodian government is keen to open up the real estate market to wealthy foreigners and investors, and has allowed foreigners to buy properties.