Do you dream of traveling round the world? Have you always imagined what it would be like to leave all of the trials in life behind, pack a backpack, and see see what's out in the world? Well, you can do it and stay within your budget no matter how small that budget is.
Traveling round the world is a dream of many and a reality of few. However, people have been doing it for hundreds of years. In today's world of modern technology it is easier than ever. ATM machines are widely available, transportation improves on a daily basis and wifi connections are available everywhere. Long gone are the days of being out of contact for extended periods of time. Today's traveler is only a phone card, wifi connection or skype hookup away.
Many countries throughout the world can afford you a very comfortable traveling experience for a fraction of what it costs for normal daily expenses in the western world. Places like Southeast Asia, India, Eastern Europe and South America are heavily traveled and have become both accessible and economically viable to round the world travelers. The costs of traveling in Southeast Asia can be as low as $20 a day. In many places $50 a day will afford you the lifestyle of a king. Prices are so low in India that in many parts of the country it would be almost impossible to spend $50 a day. By eliminating your carrying debt at home you can travel round the world for a very modest sum.
Using an average budget of only $50 a day you can successfully travel throughout the globe. The budget of $50 a day is a per day average which should include transport, lodging, food, recreation and beer (always an important thing to budget). In many countries you will spend considerably less than your per day budget. By spending less in some locales it will allow for higher expenditures in others. It also allows for activities to be put into the budget. After all, if you travel round the world to India to see the Taj Mahal you intend to enter the palace despite the $32 admission cost.
Nobody wants to travel round the world if they can not enjoy themselves along the way. With the tools of thrift and negotiation transversing the planet is one of the life dreams that can become a reality.
About the Author
All of my life I have wanted to see the world. Like so many of us I have made countless excuses to postpone and essentially cancel any chance of this ever happening. At the age of 32 I came to the realization that if I didn't travel the world now it was not going to happen in this lifetime. This option was unacceptable to me. So with the reality facing me of never being able to fulfill my dream I made the decision to sell everything I own and buy a one way ticket to the other side of the world.
South East Asia Backpacking ★★★★★
backpacking southeast asia backpacking southeast asia backpacking southeast asia
I stare from the riverbank at this astonishingly vast and lively world of water. Here, in the charming provincial city of Can Tho in the heart of southern Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, it is as if the land is merely an afterthought. Everything is about the river and the way of life it sustains.
Cai Rang floating market, Mekong delta, Vietnam
It is a world of colour and movement, of a comforting spray of cool water on your face as you are rowed back to your hotel at night in a slim stick of a boat, of the sleepy glint of dusk as you trail your finger across the river’s surface, of the cough and splutter of a small passenger ferry as it crosses the river to Vinh Long, of the throaty gurgle of a rice boat as it slowly motors to Ho Chi Minh City or Cambodia.
The Mekong begins its 4500-kilometre journey to the sea in Tibet and winds its way through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and finally into the Mekong Delta. The Vietnamese call the river Cuu Long, or nine dragons, and it is easy to see why, for here the Mekong spreads in great tentacles into nine exits to the sea.
Can Tho sits on the banks of one of these tributaries, the Hang Giang river, also known as the Bassac, an impossibly broad, bustling expanse of brown water. It is a pleasant capital of 300,000 people, with tree-lined boulevards, cool grassy squares and 19th-century buildings that are remnants of French colonial days.
One of the great pleasures of Vietnamese provincial towns such as Hoi An or Nha Trang is the local markets and Can Tho is no exception.
Selling vegetables, fruit and seafood, its large market spreads over an entire city block on one side and follows the curve of the river on the other. There is much to do here and it is a good place to organise a home stay with a farming family. It is also a good place to do nothing much at all. Gazing out from the pleasant promenade, I see boats of all shapes and sizes, one of which takes my friends and I early next morning to the famous Cai Rang floating market. Boats from all over the region – from Bac Lieu, Vinh Long and Camau – come here to sell what seems like every fruit and vegetable ever imagined: jackfruit, oranges, rambutan, bananas, longans, pineapples and sweet potatoes.
An, 30, is our guide. It is her father’s boat and her husband navigates it safely through the shifting mass of craft on the river. “He is a good husband,” she says, smiling. “He is happy to cooking and washing with me at night.” We nod in agreement. A good husband can be hard to find.
I explain to her that we want to travel to Cambodia by boat, from Can Tho to Chau Doc, across the border and up to the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, and then on to Siem Reap, home of one of the great wonders of the world, the temple complex of Angkor Wat. We’ve got six days for the journey of more than 400 kilometres. An offers to arrange the journey and a few phone calls later we agree to meet at the Can Tho dock at 2pm the next day.
I tell her I have visited these places before but always by road or air. This time I want a gentler, more romantic mode of transport along the mighty Mekong and its tributaries. I want to hear the gentle slap of the water against the boat, feel the tropical breeze on my skin and watch people go about their lives on the riverbanks. I want to be part of the landscape. I want to make the journey as important as the arrival.
Can Tho has several restaurants along the waterfront and that night we decide on the Thien Hoa. We settle happily at a pavement table in the evening balm, show no restraint and order a feast – fried snake with onions, sea bass soup with tamarind, prawns steamed in beer, catfish hotpot and coconut ice-cream. It is a meal to remember and a harbinger of culinary experiences to come.
Loaded up with fruit and sandwiches we’ve borrowed from the sumptuous breakfast buffet at the Victoria Hotel, we board the “fast boat” to Chau Doc, a journey An tells us will take about three hours. She says the slow boat, which leaves at 6.30am, takes about eight hours.
The fast boat is a long, relatively sleek, metal-hulled craft that does not go particularly fast, which turns out to be a blessing, given the pleasure of being on the water and lounging on the deck and watching the world go by. Most of the passengers are part of a package run by Delta Adventure Tours that includes a night at the company’s floating hotel in Chau Doc. As we are travelling independently, we each pay $US20 ($23) for the trip.
The boat seats about 30 people in something more or less resembling comfort. Sitting on the deck munching on a bag of rambutan, it becomes immediately clear to me that this is a working river. Large boats, washing fluttering in the breeze and overloaded with bananas, take their produce to market. Other boats dredge silt from the riverbed to be used in the construction industry. The weight of their cargo lays them so low in the water it is as if just one more grain could tip them into the muddy depths.
The riverbanks jump with activity. A line of brick kilns several kilometres long puffs smoke as families stack freshly baked bricks or load them on to waiting boats, the children straining under the burden. The smell of fermenting fish sauce wafts from factories onshore. Much of the riverbank is lined with sandbags to protect stilted houses from the river, which swells dramatically during the wet season.
There is so much of interest to observe on the water and the riverbanks that the journey passes quickly and before I know it we are approaching Chau Doc, a journey of 5 hours. The river seems to settle in the dusk and takes on a kind of dreamy indolence, as if it has done enough work for the day. Meanwhile, I have been lulled into a sense of well-being I’ve never experienced when travelling by road or air.
Impressed with our stay at the Victoria Hotel in Can Tho, we decide to spend a few nights at the Victoria in Chau Doc. It is another elegant, splendidly positioned, colonial-style building perched on the banks of the Bassac. The view from our room across the spreading river takes my breath away.
Chau Doc shuts down early and we are lucky to get to the Bay Bong restaurant while it is still serving dinner. The restaurant forgoes interesting decor for delicious Mekong cuisine. It’s another feast. We start with canh chua, the local sweet-and-sour fish soup, and follow this with steamed fish and prawns, including ca kho, stewed fish in a clay pot. It’s so good we return the next night.
Chau Doc is another attractive and welcoming provincial town of about 100,000 people with an enormous market that snakes along the riverfront. The fish section alone – which has not just fresh fish but dried, spiced, marinated and salted – is wondrous.
We’re close to the Cambodian border here and the people are more obviously Khmer, with their fuller features, darker skin and a preference for a chequered scarf over the ubiquitous Vietnamese conical hat. It is also home to a sizeable community of Chams, a Muslim minority of Malaysian appearance who live on the other side of the Bassac river.
We hire a boat and motor across to the Cham village. On the main street, dotted with stalls selling fruit and vegetables and snacks, women chat in the shade of the verandas of their wooden houses. Little girls sell waffles and simple cakes to visitors. I meet the caretaker of one of the two mosques. He shows us a short film about the history of the Cham but it is in Vietnamese so we leave none the wiser.
This part of the Bassac river, where it meets the Mekong, is home to an extraordinary concentration of floating houses, each of which is a self-contained fish farm. In the centre of each house is a large cage submerged in the river, in which families raise local bassa catfish, thousands of tonnes of which are exported to Australia every year. The fish are fed a kind of meal made from cereal, fish and vegetable scraps in cauldrons that rumble and roil. The smell is challenging.
At eight the next morning, we board another fast boat for the journey to the Cambodian capital. On another steamy, insanely hot day, we are looking forward to spending the trip on the deck, savouring the breeze. But a gaggle of young American backpackers with newsreader voices storm the boat and secure the outdoor area as their headquarters. It is their world. We just live in it.
As we travel towards Cambodia, the river begins to change. Gone is the frenetic boat activity and on the riverbank life takes on a less industrial, more bucolic demeanour. As we rejoin the Mekong, the river widens and soon the factories on the shore are replaced by cornfields, banana trees that shift and flap in the breeze and ragged, palm-thatched huts. Families bathe in the shallows and children scrub and splash their wallowing buffaloes. One-and-a-half hours later, when we reach the border at Vinh Xuong, Vietnam, and Kaam Samnor, Cambodia, we’re in a different, more lush, more languid world.
We disembark at the border post and after an hour or so filling in various forms and questionnaires, we say goodbye to the Vietnamese boat and board the altogether less salubrious Cambodian craft for the rest of the journey. But in the end the boat’s state of rugged disrepair matters little and most people spend the afternoon sitting on the rear deck or lounging on the bow and impairing the vision of the driver.
It is all too idyllic and, as it turn out, too good to last. Low water levels in the Tonle Sap river mean we have to complete the final leg of the journey by bus. But even this is fascinating, if cramped, as we hurl through the countryside and the sedate outskirts of Phnom Penh. As we arrive in the busy heart of the capital, I check my watch. It was just over seven hours ago that we boarded the boat in Chau Doc.
At our hotel, the owner tells us the water levels in the Tonle Sap are too low for us to go by boat to Siem Reap and that we’ll have to take the bus or fly. He dismisses our disappointment, saying the boat has a karaoke machine on board. “Very noisy.”
But we won’t decide what to do until after dinner – perhaps some steamed fish in coconut milk or fried squid with green peppers. As we hop into a tuk-tuk to take us to the waterfront, a young girl, brown as a nut and cute as a button, implores us to buy some bottled water.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“Cosmic,” she replies, beaming. “Where are you from?”
“Australia.”
“Do you know Kevin Rudd?” she asks.
“Of course.”
“Well, he is my father.”
I look puzzled and she giggles. We are smitten and it’s bottled water all round. As we putter away, she yells to us: “Tell Kevin his daughter says hello.”
ACTIVETRAVEL ASIA (ATA) offers a wide selection of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar adventure tours, including hiking and trekking, biking, motorcycling, overland touring and family travel packages.
laos packages="laos packages" What kind of expat employment package would be considered fair?
I finished an interview last week, and I have another schedule next month, and a face to face a few weeks after that.
It's actually in Vientiane, Laos, I asked in Thailand because I think I'll get a better response here, than simply in Asia Pacific - Other. During the interview we briefly discussed salary, but as it's the first interview I didn't want to go into depth.
I am currently on Stickman Bangkok's website, trying to see what I could expect. If there are some expats who could help me, it would be appreciated. I mean, is it normal for a package to include housing and a driver? Or is that only in some cases? I just want to know what's fair and normal for an expat.
The position is a medium level managerial position at a financial institution.
You can check on-line what remunerations are offered in Thailand. Job agencies often mention that in their ads.
The 500,000 baht per month Stickman mentions is only relevant for very few top level positions. There are no expat packages in Thailand for mid-level managers.
You can ask any headhunter company and they'll tell you that there are enough qualified Thais around so multinational companies do not need to hire foreigners. And even if they want to hire foreigners to mid-level management positions, there are a sufficient number of people interested that they don't need to entice them with expat packages.
Pay packages for mid-level management positions depend a lot on industry. In the securities industry in Bangkok, it is for example common practice that annual bonus payments range from four to eight (sometimes even 12 or more) months' salary. In the manufacturing industry, the annual bonus scheme is less impressive (normally one to four months), but the fixed salary is then higher.
For a mid-level manager in the securities industry (e.g., Head of Equity Research) should expect around 100,000 baht per month while a senior manager (e.g., Vice President) can make double that. International brokerages tend to pay more.
For a mid-level manager in the manufacturing industry, the pay is likely to be around 150,000 baht per month plus a company car if he's working for a multinational company.
Those salaries are subject to taxation.
For Vientiane, I would ask for a company car, but there is no need for a driver. As for housing, there may be local rules, which you don't know, so ask your employer to provide (a budget is set, you find what you like within the budget, and the company rents). You should also agree with your employer on a net salary (with an offshore portion) so you don't arrive in Lao PDR only to find that the income tax takes 40% of your salary and that you cannot transfer the rest out of the country due to currency regulations.
"Mekong Boatride to Luang Prabong" Crazystrange's photos around Luang Prabong, Lao Peoples Dem Rep
Luxury Travel Company to Commit to Promoting Responsible Tourism not only in Vietnam but also in Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand.
Luxury Travel to Join WTM World Responsible Tourism Program and Commit to Promoting Responsible Tourism in Vietnam.
WTM World Responsible Tourism Day on Wednesday 11th November was a huge success.
This was the third successful year of this initiative, the only global day of action of its kind sponsored by BBC World News and once again supported by the UNWTO.
With the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit failing to produce a legally binding agreement the environmental focus in 2010 will be firmly on the travel and tourism industry – which has the fastest growing carbon dioxide emissions of any sector.
"There is no doubt that what we do today will have a strong influence on the kind of international travel and tourism industry we have in the future. We are in this together – and everyone must play their part" said Hung Nguyen, Sales and Marketing Manager of Luxury Travel Vietnam Company.
Travel and tourism companies and organizations in the world are under increasing pressure to work more responsibly.
"We continue our support and ongoing commitment to responsible tourism in Vietnam and our destinations. We have found an adventure travel department with mission to create better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit. We also support an orphanage village in Ha Tay and carry others charity projects. Our tour packages tours have been carefully designed in conform with our mission and ethical business conducts," added Hung .
Luxury Travel to participate in WTM World Responsible Tourism in the UK London and now are allowed to use the 2010 logo for dedicated day of action on WTM World Responsible Tourism Day – Wednesday 10 November 2010.
hotel reservation="hotel reservation" Can you make a hotel reservation under one name and use a credit card with a different name?
If two people are going to be staying in the same hotel room, is it possible to use one person's name for the reservation and use the other person's credit card? My boyfriend is 24 and I'm 19. Since you have to be at least 21 to check into the hotel, we want to use my boyfriend's name for the reservation and my credit card to pay for the room. Do you think this is possible?
As long as the card is not charged at the point on reservation (as it would be on a website like Priceline) it is possible to put another name on the reservation. Hotel systems have no way of telling whose card is attached to the reservation. Think about how many times you've checked into a hotel and your name, address, or both have been wrong. Truthfully it only becomes an issue if you dispute the charge on your credit card and the hotel has to prove you were the one who authorized the charge. What I would do to avoid all confusion and unhappiness is one of two things. Either pay your boyfriend back and let him pay for the room or have the hotel charge your card up front. This forces the desk clerk to charge the card and ask for a signature from you. This signature and the accompanying receipt are completely separate from the hotel registration your boyfriend will be asked to sign.
Your situation is not as common as the situation business people often find themselves in. Business men and women are often checked into hotels using what is called a credit authorization. This is an authorization to charge a third party's credit card. However, the people who fill these out want their employees' name on the receipt...not their name. This is for expense report purposes. So, it is common practice in the hotel industry to not have the credit card holder's name on the registration. What is important is authorization. If you have authorization to use the credit card you plan to use then you go for it, the hotel could care less how old you are just as long as a 21 year old or older is accompanying you. But if you want to avoid any possible check-in issues...just pay him back:)
laos travel information="laos travel information" I'm going traveling to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. What's the best way to get around there?
I land in Bangkok. The places outside Thailand I really want to see are Vientiane, Siem Reap and Saigon. I looked at a few sites and they don't really give the same information. Thanks :)
You can fly to all these places OR Buses are frequent and cheap. Cambodia:There are several class options too. From Bangkok, go to Ekkamai bus station and get the bus to Trat. From Trat bus station take the [hourly] mini bus to Hat Lek and walk across the border to Cambodia. Another tuk tuk or motorbike will take you the 12 km to Ko Kong. It's better to spend the night there as buses don't go in the afternoon. Guesthouses are cheap. I paid $4 for my admittedly grungey room. But it's just one night. Bus station ko Kong to Sikhanoukville is around $8 and takes about 4 hours. Beautiful trip through the mountains. From Sikhanoukville there are buses to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, etc Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi.
Laos: Train to Nong Khai from Bangkok. Get a sleeper. Walk across the border into Laos and take a tuk tuk to Vientiane. It's a bit of a dive though. Try Vang Vieng . Much more fun. And Luang Prabang for a bit of culture.
laos travel packages="laos travel packages" Please help: Looking for Chinese and Indian herbs (& herbalist) in Indonesia?
Hi,
I will be traveling for three months through SE Asia, including Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia starting in mid-September. I consume many herbal dietary supplements for my health, but because of possilbe complications getting them through customs (the herbs come in bulk with no original packaging per se), it looks like I might have to find these Chinese and Indian (Ayurvedic) herbs in each respective destination.
So, I'm asking about Indonesia here---any city, but especially in bigger ones like Jakarta or somwhere in Bali. Do you know of any herbalists or herbal shops which have Chinese and Indian herbs, especially encapsulated herbs? Health-food stores? (I'm looking for largest shops, as they are more likely to have the specific herbs I need.) Any names or search tips on the internet would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
For Chinese herbs: In Jakarta, you can go to: 1. "Kota", it's old chinese town in Jakarta whereby you can find so many chinese herbs there (it's across the Harco computer's store building. Too bad, they have no internet link . They are so traditional. But I guarantee you that the herbs is so complete.
2. For the modern klinik in Jakarta selling the chinese herbs, you can contact: Tong Ren Tang PT Tong Ren Tang Indo Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto No. 73-75 Jakarta Pusat 10350 Telp. (021) 391 9088 Fax. (021) 390 9886
For Indian herbs: Never heard any place in Jakarta selling Indian herbs. You can go to Pasar Baru. It is India's town like China town. Probably you can find any there.
Please give me your specific herbs that you are looking for and your email, I will help you find the herbs' store that you are looking for.
If you are transit in Singapore before flying down to Jakarta, usually the immigration allow you to bring the herbs. I think it is much easier for you to find the herbs you need in Singapore.
Vietnam Has the First Facebook For Luxury Travelers
With its most of efforts and enthusiasm to their customer interaction, Luxury Travel Company has launched its facebook‘Lux4Lux’ network for people to exchange point of views, experiences and connect to travelers worldwide to share their travel stories, loved photos, find travel info, exciting experiences and even help planning their trips together.
Luxury Travel Vietnam Company specializes in luxury travel products and services in Indochina through their technology-based system of websites and information databases. They provide to luxury travelers a personalized travel packages with unique cultural and leisure-learning experiences in selected destinations in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia and other destinations in Asia.
Their clients seek much more than conventional travel packages and demand the highest level of service, security and style. Luxury Travel creates packages for the traveler who besides of wanting the best in luxury also desires to have a unique experience.
In a bid to enhance their customer interaction, Luxury Travel Company has launched its a Facebook, providing trends, news, advice and travel stories across its Asian destinations.
The luxury travel advisors are there to share with travelers and guests and internet surfers about the ultimate local knowledge.
A Luxury Travel’s face book will allow clientele to benefit from advice and experiences of our luxury travel advisors, as well as other customers, with regard to Indochinese Peninsula: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and other destinations in Asia.
“We will be able to foster relationships beyond our customers’ trips and build a lifetime relationship with our customers. We listened to their wishes, needs, and feedbacks of our customers so that we deliver a right experience for our discerning guests,” explained Tony Pham, spokesperson of Luxury Travel Company.
“People have visited our destinations remain excited about their travel experiences and wanting to share their experiences, their loved photos with their friends, co-workers, relatives and in our prospects online. They feel that they are belonging to a community, responsible and are helpful” added Tony.
Luxury Travel’s clients can find their loved package tours, talking to travel specialist with highly knowledge, having them to create an individual and unique travel packages for them on the website: www.LuxuryTravelVietnam.com.
Luxury Travel definitely does not just sell but helps customers to buy.
Our Facebook Lux4Lux network aims to provide our customers with the ability to exchange point of views, experiences and connect with our prospects with our formers travelers they share stories, loved photos, find useful travel info and right experience and perhaps, plan trips together. People are free to exchange whatever they want with our prospects, talk with us and about us” Tony concludes.
laos travel tips_4="laos travel tips" Traveling to Asia in monsoon season?
I am planning on traveling to Asia in June (going to Nepal, Bangledesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia), and going until the beginning of september (3 months). I still really want to go even though it is monsoon season, what tips and advice do you have about traveling during this time?
Also, I'm 18 and am going with one other girlfriend, and we want it to be as cheap as possible without sacrificing a good experience,
Its amazing that I disagree with just about everything that Matt said.
Monsoon does not cover the entire asian sphere at the same time. While it might be raining hard on the Vietnam coast, Inland areas are sunny and nice. Check an atlas and you will see that the monsoon varies across the region. So... Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are going top be the cheapest to visit and have some of the more memorable sites. Angkor Wat of course, The Beach's of Sihanouk ville, Phu Quoc island in Vietnam, the entire coast of Vietnam (where, by the way, Monsoon does not start till the end of september. Laos is magical with a much mellower vibe than the rest of SE Asia. No one seems to be hustling you 24/7 like most of asia, and there are amazing attractions. Look up The Gibbon Experience, on the net. the most amazing hotel in the world. Well, Hotel might not be the right word. 4000 islands in the south is as rustic and laid back as it gets. So much to do and so little time.
I am sorry but I don't have much info on Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar, But if you want a cheat sheet for cambodia send me your email and I will send it on,
Have fun and by the Way, Check out Air Asia. Really cheap fares to everywhere. How about 164 dollars round trip from Saigon to Bali. Amazing.
Hi, I'm planning a trip to Phnom Penh Combodia, but we heard that it's not very safe there and the hotels aren't so good. Can anyone who has been to Laos confirm if Phnom Penh is as dangerous as we have heard? Also I want to know if there're any good service hotels near Angkor Wat. Thanks a million!!!
There are great hotels along the river's edge in Phnom Penh as well as fantastic restaurants. Siem Reap ( city near Angkor Wat) has great accommodations as well.
As far as being safe, well that is a relative term. You can always find trouble anywhere if you're not careful. But with that in mind it is a safe place. At night stay in the tourist areas. Watch your belongings and keep your wits about you.
Don't worry about finding accommodation until you get there. The taxi drivers will help you find a place that suits your wants and budget. We were very satisfied with the hotels we stayed in there. My problem was the heat. We were there in November and it was almost unbearable for me even at that time of year.
Halong Identite Travel, Voyage au Vietnam, Laos, Cambodge, Excursions au Mekong, Hotels au Vietnam, Voyage en Indochine
luang prabang lao="luang prabang lao" Which is a better choice, celebrating the Lao New Year in Luang Prabang, or Thai New Year in Chiang Mai?
I will be in Luang Prabang in April, originally I am planning on leaving Luang Prabang on the 11th, and flying to Chiang Mai for the Songkran festival. However the Lao New Year(sorry I forget how to spell it) sounds extremely intriguing, the more I read about it. But then again, I really doubt I will be disappointed by the Songkran in Chiang Mai. So anyway since its a little while away I can still change plans so I was wondering which celebration would you prefer to go to?
I would personally go to Songkran (Thai New Year) in Chiang Mai because it is the best location in Thailand to do Songkran (festivities generally last a week in Chiang Mai). While I am sure Luang Prabang has a similar New Year Festival to Thai New Year, it will be a much larger party in Chiang Mai.
laos travel info_4="laos travel info" YA cut my account beacause I said something about Athe U.S.?
I am an America citizen who has travelled around the world and has learnt a great deal of information about things my country did in the past and is currently doing now.All I asked was a question about freedom of speech in America and why so many things like the attack on the country of Laos during the Vietnam war and some other important incidents have never been told to the American people and after 6 years,1000's or points and hundreds of best answers for travel in Thailand my account was suspended which just goes to show you there isn't freedom of speech in America because if you ask a question about free speech it can get you kicked out.All of the people from other western countries agreed with me and gave good info but apparently someone was reading that didn't want anybody reading what I was exposing.Yeah #1 America. my home.
hotel travel="hotel travel" Is it possible to travel and book a hotel if you are under 18?
I'm under 18 years of age, and want to travel to England as well as stay in a hotel there. Is it possible (with parents written permission, or some other legal document like that) to do this?
it's possible to book it through a booking company if you use a credit card from your parents the problem is when you get to the hotel they have policies about checking age, most of the hotels have 21, i heard about one which was 25 (ridiculous), my suggestion is call the hotel which you want to stay in and ask them what you can do in your case, if you don't want to call the hotel call a booking company and make them call the hotel for you (believe me if you insist they will do)
12 Principles for Using the Law of Attraction: Part 1
Here are the first 6 of the 12 universal principles which form the basis of all success generated on the planet.
Being ‘universal' means that they apply to you whether or not you're aware of them, much like gravity. However, knowing the principles is the first step to increasing your choices and raising your game in health, wealth, love and happiness, so … read on, you're in the right place.
1. Law of Thinking: thoughts are catalysts, shifting dreams into form. Using thought every second of every day, each of us is the creator of our own life experiences, our own reality. So if we change our thoughts, we change our world.
"What we think, we become" Buddha
2. Law of Abundance: There is infinite supply for each of us to create our dreams – materials, people, resources, power, energy, knowledge, passion and wealth. More for someone else doesn't mean less for you. Body, mind, heart and soul will thrive in this life when we embrace the true meaning of abundance. If you can think it, you can create it.
"When you realise there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you" Lao Tzu
3. Law of Expansion: Change is a constant and through it the universe intends for growth. Each of us has a unique purpose in the short time we exist in this physical form. You can choose to engage with personal progress or at any time to sit it out – neither is better than the other. Expansion happens you in an infinite number of ways; deep thinking, experiencing, mediating, praising, sharing, collaborating, acknowledging, intending, reading, writing, coaching, mentoring … forever.
"All change is not growth; as all movement is not forward" Ellen Glasgow
4. Law of Attraction: thoughts, feelings, words and actions produce energies which vibrate out from us, then in turn, attract like energies towards us. What we focus on we attract. By paying attention to what is inspiring, positive and affirming, we attract back those same energies in various forms.
" … Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if something is excellent or praiseworthy – think on these things" Philippians 4:8
5. Law of Responsibility: to experience success, take 100% responsibility for everything in your life, positive or challenging. Give up blaming and complaining. Think. Work out what has to change, then change it. Only when you make decisions from a place of 100% responsibility can you take charge of the future you're designing for yourself.
"I am the master of my soul: I am the captain of my ship" William Ernest Henley
6. Law of Action: life requires our participation. To manifest on earth we must translate our thoughts into action. Even the smallest action towards our goal counts – a conversation had, a compliment given, a form completed, a piece of research filed, a cup of coffee well made, a gathering of like minds, a ticket booked, an article written, and email sent – all inspired action whether to further our career, health, relationships or knowledge is increased by the universe under the law of expansion.
About the Author
Jennifer Broadley is the Success with Soul Coach. She works with corporate leaders and successful women entrepreneurs. She specialises in CEO coaching, prosperity coaching and using the law of attraction. She coaches, speaks, writes and runs seminars about personal, business and global raised awareness.
Would you like to visit an island surrounded by legends? Do you want to visit a mountain swathed in mystery? Inviting tourists to enjoy the passions of the ‘Jewel of Kedah' and part of an archipelago of 99 islands evolving in the Andaman Sea off the northwestern coast of Malaysia, Langkawi opens out a kaleidoscope of attractions that visitors staying in Malaysia Langkawi hotelscan enjoy. The Pantai Cenang Beach offers gentle waves, golden shores and romantic walks. Tourists can set out to see the Rice Garden Museum with its Heritage Gallery, the Paddy Gallery, a Garden of Variety and an Herb Garden. Laman Padi displays various stages of paddy cultivation, the Heritage Gallery, the Nawa Sari Spa, the Padi Cuisine and Café.
As a great tourists destination Langkawi invites families to view the Underwater World while the kids would love to see the Sub-Antarctic Ecosystem Display with its ‘penguin-arium' which is an underwater tunnel with penguins, the Rainforest Walk and huge tropical aquariums. Kuah exhibits its landmark with the Dataran Lang or Eagle Squarewith beautifully landscaped terraces, bridges and ponds, the incredible Lagenda Langkawi Dalam Taman folklore themed parkand the beautiful Moorish architecture of the Al-Hana Mosque with its golden dome. As a unique park, the CHOGM Park features a sun-dappled venue which also holds the accolade of the first time international coconut-tree climbing championship that was held in 1987.
Explore a Spectrum of Entertainment
Visitors can take off to play golf and indulge in a precious interlude at Langkawi Crystaal with its handcrafted crystal ware. Lovers of art can visit the Ibrahim Hussein Museum & Cultural Foundation with its excellent works of art and take a quiet walk through the verdant Machincang Forest Reserve. Adventure enthusiasts can hike through the tropical rainforest that evolves on the mystery-shrouded Gunung Raya which is the highest peak in Langkawi. Tourists can relax, sunbathe and swim at the Pantai Cenang, Pantai Kok and Pantai Tengah beaches or explore Atma Alam Batik Village with its showroom, batik workshop, handicraft shop and art gallery.
Families staying at great accommodation rooms can set out on an excursion to visit the Field of Burnt Rice that was a historic site, discover the Langkawi Buffalo Park with its Swap and Murrah buffaloes, milk products, milk one of the buffaloes and go buffalo riding. With interesting sights to see, tourists will enjoy the Snake Sanctuary at Kampung Tok Senik Resort with its varieties of snakes, the impressive Air Hangat Village with its fabulous hand-carved river stone mural, a beautiful three-tiered fountain and a theatre restaurant with great cuisines, the Kota Mahsuri which encloses a shrine of a tragic Malay princess and a theatre that showcases unique performances.Offering the excitement of a great holiday, Langkawi displays the Seven Wells or the Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls that is surrounded with a fairytale aura. With natural entertainment, families can enjoy the Crocodile Adventureland that exhibits alligators, crocodiles, a rickshaw ride drawn by a crocodile and even a boxing match between a crocodile and a man!
Visitors can rejuvenate at a gorgeous Langkawi hotel and enjoy a memorable vacation.
Langkawi Showcases the Joys of a Great Vacation
About the Author
Excitehotels.com as an online hotel reservation agency offers a great choice where visitors can enjoy Langkawi hotelsandcan have an affordable stay, admire the sights besides exploring the city.
Aseania Resort Langkawi Hotel Traveler Photos - TripAdvisor TripWow
Now that you have done your travel plan. You have your itinerary, and you paid for your air ticket. The travel day is coming closer and you count the day until you get on that airplane.
The only thing to left is packing your bag. Before you do that it's a good idea to list all the necessary things you need to take so that you don't forget. With weigh constrain in mind, make two lists and tick each item off as you go. Here are the lists.
Necessary/essential items
Passport. Put your passport in your hand bag or in money pouch and keep it with you at all times.
Air ticket. The air ticket should be in the same place as the passport. It is easy to take them out from one place at check-in counter.
Traveler check or credit card and some cash. Keep your traveler check and passport separated from your cash. It helps to carry some small notes when you need to buy things like bottled water and snacks during your journey. Put cash in money pouch preferably in different section from the passport and the ticket. This helps avoid messing up with it unnecessary when you take out the passport and the ticket.
Your medicines (if you're on medication). Keep your medicines in their original packages and put them in your hand bag where it is easily accessible whenever you need it.
Toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss. Teeth are the road to wellbeing. They need to stay hygienic and healthy. Some upper market hotels provide toothbrush and toothpaste but it's best to take your own.
Shampoo. Most hotels provide shampoo, but I would avoid changing from my regular shampoo as it can cause hair loss.
Sun Cream. In Laos the sun is always shining and it can be very strong especially during March-May, so it is necessary to wear sun cream to prevent sun burn.
Shades. When the sun arrives you need sunglasses or a hat/cap. They shield your eyes, make sure you look decent at all times and are appropriate for all places.
Underpants. If you travel for a long period make sure you take enough (at least one clean underpants per day) for a certain period of time until you get a chance to wash them or get them washed. They contribute to healthy living.
Pack a reasonable number of clothes. Though light clothing is recommended, you should pack some thicker clothes as well (a light jacket and pair of jeans) if you plan to visit provinces in northern Laos during November-February. Laundry service is available in areas where tourists frequent and it's cheap.
Useful Items
Books. Books are good for time killing. Break tedious extended journeys up by reading a junk of books. Any book will do, but those you enjoy reading will do a better job.
Hair dryer. You can go by without one, but if you have some space left after putting everything in the bag, then it is useful to throw in this extra item. It is a good practice to blow-dry your hair every time after washing it. It makes your hair look better, smell fresh longer and healthier.
A nail clipper. Nails grow long and sometimes can break. It can hurt to tear broken nails. The nail clipper is just a small item that doesn't take much room at all, but it is very useful at times like this.
A pair of flip flop. For long journey especially if it involves walking, it is nice to change to different foot wares once in a while to put the feet at ease. Flip flops are good alternative. Again you can go by with out them, you can buy some in Laos and they are cheaply available, but it's always nice to have everything ready for use whenever you need them.
Mosquito repellent. In tropical countries dengue fever caused by mosquitoes is common so apply/spray mosquito repellent when you spend time outdoor to prevent mosquito bite.
Antibacterial ointment. You will want it for all sorts of events. Tropical infections kill even from small cuts.
About the Author
D. Rasavong is a Lao native, the owner and author of www.Laos-guide-999.com. She loves traveling and tries to see as much of Laos as she can. For her love of traveling as well as her country she shares, on her website, what she's learnt through her travels and growing up in this culture rich country.
Luxury Travel Vietnam, a Hanoi Based Tour Company Launches an Unique Tour to Sapa and Bac Ha Sunday Market
Luxury Travel VIetnam, a Hanoi based tour company Launches an Unique Tour to Sapa and Bac Ha Sunday Market which offers some of Vietnam’s most colourful experiences.
Tucked high in Vietnam’s remote northern mountains, close to the Chinese border, the former French military outpost of Sapa offers some of Vietnam’s most colourful experiences.
The views are breathtaking. Vietnam’s highest peak, the 3,143-metre Mount Fansipan, looms overhead, while the surrounding valleys feature terraced rice paddies and blazing green fields cut by fast-flowing streams.
Layer upon layer of green ridges fade into the distance, edged by sharp, rocky peaks. The region is home to several ethnic minority groups, all wearing their traditional and colorful attire.
Guests will be picked up from hotel in Hanoi and transfer to Hanoi Railway. The Victoria Express departs at 10:00 pm at 120 Le Duan Str., Hanoi. The luxury adventure trip starts with an overnight train journey from Hanoi to the border town of Lao Cai.
The train arrives at the Lao Cai train station at approximately 6:00am. There will be a vehicle waiting to transfer guests to Sapa. The drive to Sapa is only 33 km but it takes around 1.5 hours.
Once at Sapa, guests will check into Victoria Hotel and have breakfast at the Ta Van Restaurant of Victoria Hotel and then enjoy a free morning to explore around town. Meet guide in the hotel lobby at 2 pm for a walking tour to the hilltribe villages of Cat Cat, home to the H’mong ethnic minority peoples.
As walk to the villages nestled in the valley below Sapa, guests will meet some of the local minority people on their way to and from Sapa. Here guests have the opportunity to share cultural experiences with the families that live in the area. Diner at Victoria Sapa Hotel. Overnight at the unique and charming Victoria Sapa hotel.
“This is a special tour package combining the luxury and local charms for a memorable mountain experience in Vietnam. Guests will have the best in term of accommodation, colorful markets experience, fun, adventure, walking to hill tribes to get inside of their daily life. Each day guests wake up knowing that the day could be full of fun and adventure,” Tonny Pham, Product manager of Luxury Travel said.
Awakening to the sounds of a new day, guests eat breakfast at Victoria hotel and head out for a stunning spectacular weekend market.
Bac Ha is considered one of the most wonderful and colorful markets in extreme north Vietnam where thousands of local people in their traditional attire buy and sell the local products. Dogs, cats, pigs, horses… are all on sales.
This is a golden opportunity to take your best photos! In the afternoon, guests will take a pleasant walk to Ban Pho village, home to the flower H’mong people. This is a great opportunity to interact with the friendly locals and have pleasant walk amongst tribal villages.
Transfer to Lao Cai station for overnight Victoria Express back to Hanoi. Overnight at Victoria Express where you arrive at 5 am. Tour ends in Hanoi Station.
Luxury Travel (www.luxurytravelvietnam.com) is offering this weekend package departing on every Friday, includes almost every thing and priced at only 464 USD per person, from 2 persons up, only good before 31 September 2009. English speaking guide, all transportation and transfers, all accommodation on twin share basis at Victoria Hotel, return Victoria Express train on superior cabin, meals as indication, admission fees and permits where applicable, drinking water during the trek.
vientiane lao_3="vientiane lao" What is the best and most economical way to get from Vientiane to Luang Prabang?
We are on a tight budget, will be coming from Bangkok via train to the Thai/Lao border. We have heard that Luang Prabang is worth a visit. Are their any boats that can take you from Vientiane to Luang Prabang? We've heard so many conflicting stories. One thing we know, flying is out of the option because of the tight budget.
Luang Prabang is awesome, it's definitely worth a visit. If you don't have money for a speed boat or flight a bus is your only option:-(
The slow boat for 12 hours would be miserable, no way I would do it. The slow boats weren't very comfortable and you would be going against the current.
laos resort_2="laos resort" Is 4 days on Koh Phagnan too long?
going to thailand on the 30th may, bangkok on the 31st for 2-3 days, central thailand for the jungle stuff, chang mai and rai, laos for tuning then down to koh phagnan on the 13th for full moon. FM will be either 15th or 16th and apparently one of the resorts there, coral bungalows throw a huge pool party 2 days before FM so we are going on the 13th to make sure we catch it on either that day or 14th, then leave on the 17th which gives us a further 10 days, is that enough to do the islands, phuket, krabi etc?
any tips would be great thanks.
Koh Phangan is a lot more then just the FM. There is enough stuff to do there for 4 days, no problem. Just rent a motorcycle and tour the island. There are some pretty awesome beaches on the North. Regarding lodging, it depends a bit where you stay. If you are staying in Hat Rin where the FM is held you really need to book book way in advance to make sure you have a place.
If you stay on beaches more to the North you will be able to find rooms a few weeks before th party. A taxi from Tong Sala village for example to the full moon cost about 100 baht if you share. It will take you there in about 20 minutes.
vang vieng in laos="vang vieng in laos" who has been tubing at vang vieng in laos?
what did you like best? what was the funniest thing that happened? whats the strangest thing? ect. tell me your stories.
Ah Vang Vieng only brings back good memories. Litterally it will be one of the best places to visit on a se asian holiday. the long bus ride from the capital around 5 to 6 hours on a bumpy road then arriving at an old airstrip and having to walk like a kilometre to get into town. But it depends on what you like and want to do i stayed in vv for 1 week for two days i hired a moto and just buzzed around all the smaller villages and what not and for the rest of the time i did caving, rock climbing and the obvious tubing i loved all the bars there it was an absolute blast all the differnt swings and slippery dips and mud pits and alot of free wiskey at most of the bars you buy a bucket and they will usually give you a free joint hahaha. but all in all be prepaired for some very nasty hang overs and a hell of alot of fun.
Cambodia At It’s Best - The Angkor Wat Temple Complex, Mondulkiri & Ratanakiri
Cambodia tourism is a testament to the resilience, warmth and pragmatism of the people from the Kingdom of Cambodia, formerly known as Kampuchea.
A tragic civil war of Orwellian proportions, and severe disruption and damage from the Vietnam war, left Cambodia as one of the last places that anyone would to visit in South East Asia.
However, today, it is possible to visit more places in Cambodia than any other time in its history. Many of the national highways have recently been upgraded with assistance from other countries.
From Phnom Penh, the capital, full paved, and sealed, roads take you to Siem Reap, in northern Cambodia, and the modern day entry town to the Angkor Wat temple and city complex.
Similarly paved roads also take you to Sisophon, and Sihanoukville, in the south east, and home of the best beaches in Cambodia, and also to Sisophon, in the north west, and an excellent place to start your journey to of Banteay Chhmar and Banteay Top Angkorian temples.
Any visit to Cambodia as a tourist should include going to the Angor Wat temple complex. In addition to the highway from Phnom Penh, importantly, Siem Reap, airport city code of KH, is well served by airlines arriving at its international airport, airport code of REP.
These airlines include arrivals from Singapore (SIN) with Silk Air, airline code of MI, and Singapore Airlines (SQ), Bangkok (BKK) with Bangkok Airways (PG), Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) with Vietnam Airlines (VN), and other international airlines including those arriving from Phnom Penh, Taipei, Guangzhou, Hanoi, and Seoul
The Angkor Wat temple complex is made up of a number of sites, including Angkor Wat itself, and the nearby ancient Khmer capital of Angkor Thom nearby. Other major temple sites include the Little Circuit, taken from the French "Le Petit Circuit", the Big Circuit, from the French Le Grand Circuit, the Roluos group of temples.
If you do want to visit the other temple sites apart from Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, it is important to know that the complex is situated more than four hundred square kilometers, and sometimes can be difficult to get to, especially in the rainy season. And just reference, four hundred square kilometers compares to small islands such as Barbados, and even Andorra in Europe.
Interestingly, a recent radar survey, published in 2007, now suggests that the Khmer settlements and the Angkor temple and city sites could have covered more than three thousand square kilometers, which is about the size of Metro Bangkok. The survey also found the sites of seventy four more temples and a far more complex irrigation system not known before.
If you are planning to visit a few of the Angkor sites, you will need to spend a few days at nearby Siem Reap. The town has an excellent range of accommodation, including luxury air-con hotels near the airport, and also, for me, by far and away the best places to stay, many interesting guesthouses, mainly near the Wat Bo road area of Siem Reap.
Most guesthouses will arrange for a car you to take you to some cool, inexpensive, eateries around the town. Or just grab a tuk-tuk and enjoy!
What if you want to explore some hidden gems of Cambodia.? Then head back to Phnom Penh, and go to see the natural beauty of Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri provinces. Ratanakiri borders on Laos to the north, and Vietnam in the east, and Mondulkiri province to the south.
You will need to go to a travel agent in Pnom Penh in order to organize a tour to these beautiful provinces located in the north eastern part of Cambodia. There are no national highways or airlines servicing this relatively unknown part of the country.
Just as a heads-up notice to those of you planning to go to this region, and to the owners of Cambodia tourism websites, there are no flights to Ratanakiri airport.
Once you are in Mondulkiri, your local guide will take you to some of the most remote, spectacular, scenery in South East Asia. Jungle, forests, hill tribes, and waterfalls, including the beautiful Boura, all await you here.
And then on to Ratanakiri. This may well be the highlight of your visit to Cambodia, and the area is just outstanding, ranging from, again, waterfalls, to the spectacular volcanic lake of Yak Laom, and seeing the indigenous people of the hill tribes.
Try staying at the Terres Rouges Lodge, situated on the Banlung lake. Banlung is the capital of Ratanakiri province, and is a busting small town of around seventeen thousand people, and where the hill tribe people come to sell their goods.
The original lodge was the home of a former the governor of Ratanakiri province, and has a wealth of history. Today, you will find some of the best services and food in all of Cambodia at Terres Rouge. Just check out the croissants and baguettes that have aroma that you will only find in the cafes of provincial France! Well, maybe there are still a few similar eateries in Pnom Penh!
Sadly, you will have to say au revoir to Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri at some point. I wish you bon voyage back to your home!
And finally, and as usual, a big hello to all my friends at the Thailand Web Zone, www.thailandwebzone.com, which is a new Thai social networking and Thailand community site. Share information in Thai forums and Thailand articles, meet people, share photos, music and video, find & submit information on Thailand travel. Make new friends from all over the world! For those readers who have not visited TWZ, go have a look now!
Pick up to hotel from Tan Son Nhat Airport. Check-in hotel. Take city tour in Saigon including the Reunification Conference Hall, Former US Embassy, War Remnants Museum, Chinatown. Overnight in Saigon.
Day 2: Sai Gon – Thu Duc ( B,L,D )
Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Thu Duc, Bien Hoa and Long Binh before departing for the Cu Chi Tunnels,Lunch on the way. Drive back to Saigon. Have a special dinner cruise on the Saigon River. Overnight in Saigon.
Day 3: Sai Gon – Hue ( B,L )
Transfer to the air port for flight to Hue. Arrive Phu Bai Airport in Hue. Pick up and drive to Hue city. Check in Hotel then visit the Forbidden City for exploration of the remnants at the Citadel and its open air war museum, Thien Mu Pagoda, King Tu Duc and Khai Dinh Mausoleums. Overnight in Hue.
Day 4: Hue – A Luoi ( B,L,D )
Breakfast at hotel. Drive into Ashau Valley via Highway No.14, stop over at Camp Eagles, Fire-bases Birmingham and A Luoi. A view of Hamburger Hill and unofficial meeting with local veterans. Check in hotel. Overnight in A Luoi.
Day 5: A Luoi – Dong Ha ( B,L,D )
Drive on Highway No.9 towards Lao border, stop over in Lang Vei Special Forces Camp, Khe Sanh Base, Da Krong Bridge, Cam Lo, Rockpile and Camp Carrol to visit. Arrive hotel. Overnight in Dong Ha.
Day 6: Quang Tri – Hue ( B,L )
Morning drive to visit DMZ (Demilitarize Zone), 17th parallel, Ben Hai River and Hien Luong Bridge, Vinh Moc Tunnels, Quang Tri Citadel. Return to Hue via Highway No.1, overnight in Hue.
Day 7: Hue – Da Nang - Hoian ( B,L )
Drive from Hue to Hoian. Stop over in Hai Van Pass,Lang Co beach, city tour Danang including the grounds of former US Consulate, Cham Museum, Marble Mountain, China beach. Check in hotel. Overnight in Hoian.
Day 8: Hoi An – Danang - Sai Gon ( B )
Breakfast at hotel. Visit Hoi An ancient town. The ancient architecture of Hoian is a fascinating combination of Vietnamese traditional characters with Chinese and Japanese influence. There are plenty to see in this delightful and tranquil town, some of which are the famous Japanese Covered Bridges, the Pottery Museum, the 200 years old Tam Ky House, the Chua Ong Pagoda, the vibrant market.. Afternoon arrive Tan Son Nhat Airport in Saigon. Free evening. Overnight Saigon.
Day 9: Saigon Departure ( B )
Transfer to the airport for departure or begin the next module.
- Full transportation by private car or bus as tour program indicated. - Meals as indicated in the itinerary. - 2 domestic flights : Saigon - Hue, Danang - Saigon. - English or French - speaking guide - Full Entrance fees. - Twin-share accommodation with daily breakfast; ( AC room)
Tour Cost excludes:
International airport tax in Saigon
International airfare to/from Vietnam
Personal insurance
Expenditure of a personal nature, tips, such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry, emergency transfers & etc.
HANOIPEACETOUR.COM .The Leading Tour Operator In Vietnam and South East Asia,We are specialzing in organize package tours and budget tours, Hotels at any traveller's demands, Enjoy interesting travel with huge fun and great discounts.
book hotel deals="book hotel deals" How to book a new york hotel for xmas 2010?
I am planning to go away with my bf for next christmas 2010 to new york and wanted to try and book a good hotel now and try and get a bargain. wanted something nice but not really expensive and within easy distance to all the tourist attractions. Are there any websites i can use to book the hotel now, so i can possibly get a good deal??? Would like to book the flights now as well but understand airlines generally only release their flight times 11 months in advance?
any hotels/deal searcher websites appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Hi There,
There are so many great options that it's hard to choose! I'm also not sure what your budget is -- at the high end, but you can check all the details of hotels available for you, please go through with the following site: You can find out hotel according to your budget, I am sure you start new year from very good place:
You can check all available hotels within your price range even you can also read all the details and review for hotels. Hope this help to you, and have a great time.
Thailand Travel Guide - Important Truth To Know Before Arriving Thailand
This Best Thailand Travel Guide combines useful information about Thailand in many aspects in order for travelers who wish to experience this country to have a brief view of the nation. The Guide will first explain about the country in general before describing what it has in each region so that travelers can decide where they want to go to make the most out of their trips.
One of the distinctive points about Thailand is the Thais. Many people know this nation as the Land of Smiles as the Thais are easy-going and always smiling. Thai people are normally kind, warm and welcoming to foreigners. Tourists can feel quite comfortable asking for directions or helps from Thai strangers during their trips. Some believe that this is the influence of Buddhism, which is the religion that approximately 90% of the population is believed in.
Besides the friendly people, the country has a great combination of unique culture, interesting long history, amazing cuisine and beautiful nature. As a result, Thailand has a vast variety of holiday destinations and activities for tourists to enjoy. Tourists can choose to experience many things in this territory from thick jungles, all-night parties, stunning beaches or something else that would appeal to everyone. Besides the tourist attractions, Thailand is also an excellent place to shop due to the incredibly low price items available. To make this article the easy and the best Thailand travel guide, the content in terms of attractions will be divided into regions, North, Central and South; due to the distinctive characteristics of each part of the country.
As mentioned, each part of Thailand has different characteristics and cultures. To the north of Thailand, especially in Chiang Mai, you will find some beautiful mountain landscape with many orchid farms and elephant training camps which would give visitors some unique experience that hard to find elsewhere. Up To Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle area, travelers can visit the hill-tribe people that still have strong native culture and rituals. With the extremely different way of living for these hill tribes, travelers can experience another world on this same planet. In addition in this area, tourists can have a chance to see nice view of Me Kong river, one of the world's greatest rivers originated from Tibet area and divide Thailand territory from Laos. Moreover, if ones wish to enjoy camping in the greenish forests up the hills, this can also be done in the northern region due to plentiful of the green areas that still beautifully exist in this part of the land.
Next is the best Thailand Travel Guide in the central part of the country. In this part, there are still a lot of natural attractions in boundless national parks with some stunning waterfalls. Additionally, there are more of the ancient cities with the existed ruins in Ayutthaya and Sukhothai that can say a lot about the long history of the nation. Last but not least, the capital city, Bangkok, is also located in this region.
To introduce Bangkok separately as it is the place where most visitors begin their journey in this country due to that Bangkok International Airport is the major arrival spot from flights around the world. Bangkok is one of the most crowded cities in the world with lots of traffic congestion, large amount of population and high-rise buildings; yet, it is the city with complete facilities, convenient transportation systems and large shopping malls and streets.
Finally for this best Thailand Travel Guide is the southern region, the slimmest and longest area of Thailand. This region is the land in the middle of the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea so that beaches are the highlights of this area. Tourists are guaranteed to experience amazing beaches, stunning beautiful tropical islands and sparkling blue water. Moreover, many alternative western-standard accommodations are available from world-class hotels to backpacker places that can be matched with every taste and budget. Due to the existed beautiful reefs and underwater creatures, scuba diving and snorkeling are normal activities visitors often choose to enjoy in this area.
There is a Thai joke saying that there are 3 seasons in Thailand: hot, hotter and hottest. Normally, most Thailand travel guides would say that the most recommended season to come to Thailand is during November to February as it is the least hot period, yet, the sun still shines beautifully. March to May is considered too hot as it is the hottest period, which could be less tolerable for visitors especially westerners. And as the rain would then arrive during June to October, it is considered as too wet in the monsoon season of Thailand. However, this Best Thailand Travel Guide would choose to also recommend travelers to consider this wet season because this would be less crowded time to visit many attractions such as well-known beaches, ancient cities or temples. The best thing is that during this time with occasional rains, travelers can pay for much less for air fares and accommodations. Well-known hotels can reduce their rates up to 50-60% so that visitors can enjoy superior facilities at minimal expenses.
To explore further for the great deals of accommodation in every season in Thailand, you can visit Thailandcheckin.com for your option.
tourism laos_2="tourism laos" How many people each year travel to the mekong river in Laos?
Can please tell me some facts about tourism in Laos and if possibly related to the mekong river. I would also like to know how many people each year travel to the mekong river in laos.
I don't have any idea how such a thing could be measured - it's a long river and people go there for such varied and rarely official purposes - to fish, to bathe or just to cross over to the other side - etc etc..
