Finding places to go with good or even acceptable weather in Asia is difficult in August because it’s very hot in the northern Asian cities and it’s the beginning of the rainy season in most southern Asia cities. Still, there are some great choices on the list below, including a few places that are worth visiting even when it is very hot.
We’ve got big cities and even some beach destinations on the list below, and prices for August of 2023 are actually down compared to the last few years, so it’s a good time for budget travelers looking for something new.
Important August 2023 holidays in Asia
- August 12 – Queen’s Birthday Holiday in Thailand (major public holiday)
- August 15 – National Liberation Day of Korea (major public holiday)
- August 15 – India Independence Day (major public holiday)
8 Best destinations in Asia for August
Bali, Indonesia
- August avg high: 83F/28C
- August avg low: 76F/24C
- August avg precip: 0.9″/2.3cm
Almost all of Asia is insanely hot and rainy in August, and Bali (being slightly in the southern hemisphere) is one of the few places that is nearly dry and cooler than average for the year. Bali is also quite popular in August for this reason, so you won’t be getting lonely if you come.
Most people head to the very crowded beach area of Kuta, Legian, and Seminyak, or the purpose-built resort area in the south called Nusa Dua. The arts and crafts capital is Ubud, which is in the foothills so it’s even a bit cooler. More adventurous travelers will head to Lovina on the north coast, which is as mellow and pleasant as all of Bali used to be twenty years ago. We include Bali on our guide to the best unusual destinations around the world.
The island of Bali was almost completely closed to tourism for two years during the pandemic and it has been struggling to rebound. Partly as a result of this, hotel prices are insanely low in 2023 and the sometimes look like misprints. That said, it’s probably best booking a place higher up the review scale because even if you CAN get a hotel room for US$20 per night, you can often get an amazing place if you can afford double or triple that amount.
- Good 3-star hotels in August from $14 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in August from $23 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in August from $11 per person
>>>Check hotel deals for Bali
>>>Bali prices and travel tips
Tokyo, Japan
- August avg high: 87F/31C
- August avg low: 76F/24C
- August avg precip: 6.1″/15.3cm
As you can see above, Tokyo is very hot in August, and it does rain a bit as well. The good news is that Japan is great with air conditioning and most of the sights are indoors so you won’t be out in the heat all that much anyway. Tokyo always feels 10 years in the future for most of us, and it’s not nearly as expensive as it used to be either. In fact, as the Japanese yen has fallen against most major currencies since 2022, the country is an absolute bargain, far cheaper than most major cities in Europe.
All of Japan is interesting in its own way, and getting out of Tokyo is wise if you have the time. It’s easy to take high-speed trains to Kyoto and Osaka, which are also very interesting, not to mention a bit cheaper as well.
- Good 3-star hotels in August from $49 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in August from $81 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in August from $16 per person
>>>Check hotel deals for Tokyo
>>>Tokyo prices and travel tips
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- August avg high: 90F/32C
- August avg low: 74F/23C
- August avg precip: 6.1″/12.5cm
Kuala Lumpur is similar to Bangkok and Singapore (see below) in that it’s hot every day of the year, so August is just another month. It can be a bit rainy in August as well, but fortunately the storms rarely last more than an hour or so, and there is plenty of shelter all over the city. Kuala Lumpur is my favorite Asian city after 5 or 6 visits because it’s an affordable mix of so many different cultures, and it’s modern enough to be easy to visit.
If you are flying a long way to get to KL you probably also want to visit more in Malaysia so you should consider Penang in the north and Malacca on your way down to Singapore. It’s all hot in August, but they are used to it here at least. The hotel prices in 2023 are very low by normal standards so it’s a great year to visit, but be aware that the cheapest rooms in many budget hotels are those with no windows at all. After cheaping out on that a couple times I don’t recommend it, so pay a bit more for a window.
- Good 3-star hotels in August from $24 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in August from $27 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in August from $7 per person
>>>Check hotel deals for Kuala Lumpur
>>>Kuala Lumpur prices and travel tips
Singapore
- August avg high: 87F/31C
- August avg low: 78F/26C
- August avg precip: 7.7″/19.3cm
If you are visiting KL (above) you should also visit Singapore on the same trip if you can. Hotels in Singapore are at least three times as expensive as in KL, but it’s a place you have to see yourself to believe. The food is excellent and it can be quite cheap if you eat at the famous hawker centers rather than the air-conditioned sit-down restaurants. When searching for cheap hotel rooms in Singapore be aware that many of the cheapest ones have no windows at all. I find that annoying.
Singapore is known as a shopping city, but there is plenty more to do here as well. The Chinatown area is filled with stand-out temples and other sights, and some of the best food in the region is there as well. You can cool off in the enormous casino in the basement of the Marina Bay Sands, and take a short tour of the rooftop infinity pool for a reasonable price as well.
- Good 3-star hotels in August from $126 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in August from $145 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in August from $16 per person
>>>Check hotel deals for Singapore
>>>Singapore prices and travel tips
Colombo, Sri Lanka
- August avg high: 86F/30C
- August avg low: 77F/25C
- August avg precip: 4.7″/11.8cm
Colombo is obviously the capital of Sri Lanka, but it’s not a place you want to spend your whole visit to the country. It’s just here as a placeholder for a visit to anywhere in southern Sri Lanka, which has pretty decent weather in August compared to almost anywhere else in Asia.
Sri Lanka has interesting hill towns and scenic forests in its interior, and some very nice beaches along the southern coast. You can easily spend two weeks in this country and wish you had longer. There aren’t many hostels and cheap hotels, but you do get pretty good value if you can spend a bit more than that.
It’s worth following the news because Sri Lanka has struggled with shortages, inflation, and political unrest in the last couple of years and it may still be too soon to visit in 2023. On the other hand, if these things are more under control it could be a good time to visit with smaller crowds and probably lower prices to go along with an appreciative tourism sector. The advertised room rates for summer of 2023 are unbelievably low, so it could be a good time for bargain hunters.
- Good 3-star hotels in August from $12 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in August from $32 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in August from $8 per person
>>>Check hotel deals for Colombo
>>>Colombo prices and travel tips
Bangkok, Thailand
- August avg high: 91F/33C
- August avg low: 77F/25C
- August avg precip: 7.8″/19.5cm
Bangkok has the unfortunate record for being the hottest capital city in the world on average, as it’s hot every day and almost every night of the year here. August is a scorcher and it does rain a bit, but this city is used to it and it’s easy to find shelter for the 30 minutes or so that that storms typically last.
In addition to all of the famous temples and other sights, Bangkok has about 20 large shopping malls, most of them next to each other in the Siam Square area in the center. With this in mind you can spend all day inside, searching for bargains and having lunch, and then go out in the evenings when it’s not so ridiculously hot anymore.
Thailand is open in 2023 and easier to get into than most other countries in the region so it’s a good first place to stop, as usual.
- Good 3-star hotels in August from $14 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in August from $24 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in August from $7 per person
>>>Check hotel deals for Bangkok
>>>Bangkok prices and travel tips
Malé, Maldives
- August avg high: 84F/29C
- August avg low: 79F/26C
- August avg precip: 6.9″/17.3cm
Similar to Sri Lanka (above), Male is just the capital city of the Maldives, and not a place you want to spend more than a day or two at most. You might know that the Maldives has most of the world’s water villas and overwater bungalows. Those start at about US$300 per night, but there are beachfront and garden rooms at good resorts on nearby islands that start closer to US$100 per night.
August is a bit rainy in parts of this huge island chain, but the good news is that the storms almost always last 30 minutes or so, and often they take place overnight. The weather here is almost the same all year round, and since most people spend their time on the beach or out over the water, there is usually a pleasant breeze that keeps you comfortable.
The situation in the Maldives in 2023 is quite good for potential visitors. There are no restrictions for incoming visitors and generally it’s an extremely safe place to be because visitors will spend almost 100% of their time outdoors or in their private hotel bedrooms.
- Good 3-star hotels in August from $76 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in August from $142 for two people
>>>Malé prices and travel tips
Nha Trang, Vietnam
- August avg high: 89F/32C
- August avg low: 79F/26C
- August avg precip: 2.1″/5.3cm
Most of Vietnam is very wet in August, but somehow the southern beach city of Nha Trang doesn’t get the flooding rains that most of the rest of the country does. This is a very pleasant beach town that feels like a bit of a secret, partly because so few people have ever heard of it until they plan a Vietnam trip for the first time.
Hotels, food, and alcohol here are very cheap, even by southeast Asia standards. You won’t find the glamorous shopping centers and chain restaurants like you find on Phuket, but if you don’t need those sorts of things you’ll probably enjoy it here a lot.
Hotel prices in Nha Trang in 2023 are extremely low so it could be a good spot for bargain seekers looking for a place to hang out for a couple weeks or more. Food and drinks are cheap here as well. The hotels with very low rates will be hoping to make a few commissions on booking tours for their guests, and it’s actually a worthwhile trade because it can feel a bit dodgy to book with independent agencies in Vietnam.
- Good 3-star hotels in August from $10 for two people
- Good 4-star hotels in August from $14 for two people
- Hostel dorm beds in August from $6 per person
>>>Check hotel deals for Nha Trang
>>>Nha Trang prices and travel tips