Need inspiration for a beach vacation? Here's a free idea: travel to Asia. Since she's the expert on the topic, we talked to Lost Guides: Bali author Anna Chittenden about her top ten Asian beaches.

Lost Guides is a stylishly offbeat travel guide and can be found in-store-only as part of Pop-In@Nordstrom de Soleil, our sun/swim shop curated by Olivia Kim, running now through June 26.

SHOP: Pop-In@Nordstrom de Soleil

Uluwatu Beach, Bali

Uluwatu Beach is located in the south of Bali, and what makes it so famous is the surf break. It's actually not a beach per se, more like little caves. You walk and walk and walk, and then you get to the beach, but it's in a cave, with water crashing against these rocks. You'll see surfers going in and out. The surf break is called Ulu's. You'll get Kelly Slater going there, top surfers.

Bingin Beach, Bali

Bingin Beach is my favorite beach in Bali. It's in the same area as Uluwatu, the same peninsula. You have to climb down to get to the beach. What's nice about that is it means you never get a crowd. You can't just walk up. It's a bit of an affair, not a challenge, but a process to get there. It tends to attract a bohemian crowd. Everyone's really friendly, and there are vegan cafes around. People surf here too. And in the evening they have bonfires. I ask myself why anyone would want to live anywhere else.

Coco Island, Maldives

Maldives is one of the most beautiful countries in terms of crystal-clear blue water and stunning beaches. Coco Island has a bit of a Robinson Crusoe vibe. It's quite a nice resort with about 35 bungalows on stilts, designed like fisherman's boats. You wake up in the morning and swim in the sparkling blue sea. You put on a snorkel and see everything. It's unreal. There's nothing on the horizon. You're so protected, and the area is so conserved. All you can see is blue, blue, blue.

Datai Bay, Langkawi

What's quite interesting about Datai Bay is it's set next to an ancient rainforest, so you get this cool jungle vibe when you're there. It's really quiet, you feel like you have it all to yourself. The water is so calm, you can swim all day and it's so relaxing.

Dream Beach, Nusa Lembongan

Dream Beach is on an island off Bali, a little island without much written about it yet. What's really nice is there are little wooden bungalows where you can stay right on the beach. They haven't built big hotels yet. You can get a hut right on the beach, which has perfect white sand, turquoise waters and dramatic cliffs.

Gili Asahan, Lombok

Gili Asahan is a small, untouched island in Indonesia. There are only two places to stay on the whole island. One resort is called Gili Aahan Ecolodge, which is very natural, made out of driftwood and with thatched roofs. It's this real desert island vibe. You just spend all your time outdoors, trekking around the island, snorkeling right off the beach. You know that film The Beach? Everyone's always looking for an idyllic beach that nobody else has found. I would say Gili Asahan is like that.

Long Beach, Koh Rong, Cambodia

In south Cambodia, there are a few islands. One of them is called Koh Rong. It's pretty much undeveloped. No hotels, no resorts, just wooden bungalows. Accommodations there cost something like $30 a night, and the water is so stunning.

Pangkil Island, Indonesia

I live in Singapore, and there aren't really any proper beaches there. But Singapore's right next to Indonesia, and there are a couple of islands that you can get to quite easily. One of them is called Pangkil. Basically a group of you get together and rent out the whole island. You can't go on your own; it has to be an organized thing. One of our friends had her wedding there. She rented the whole island for 30 or so people. And then you have the whole run of this idyllic Indonesian island with you and your friends. They don't advertise because they don't need to; they're full all the time. Normally people do two nights, three days, and it's no more than $500, which is not cheap but it's cheap for your own island.

Selong Belanak Beach, Lombok

In the south of Lombok, Selong Belanak Beach is absolutely stunning. What I love about it is every morning you see farmers herding their cows on the beach. There have been farmers there for generations. It's really special to see local life like this. All of the beaches I've chosen, they're undeveloped. Not necessarily out of the way but undeveloped. There's only one hotel here.

Thalpe Beach, Sri Lanka

Thalpe Beach is a cool area. The main town is called Galle, an old port with interesting buildings. Around this town there are all these lovely beaches. It's that calm turquoise water that you can spend all afternoon wallowing in. There are no waves here, but there are places to surf nearby.

-Anna Chittenden