Thailand Travel - Hotels

If you are planning to travel to Thailand you have many choices in the way of hotels. Weather you want modern conveniences and state of the art technology, or do you want to stay somewhere with rich historical value, there is a place for you in Thailand.

There are many famous worldwide resorts and hotels in the area, as well as smaller mom and pop places. Each place will give your vacation a special feel. There are places on the beach and places in the forest, no matter what you want your surrounding to be Thailand can make it happen.

Some cities, such as the northern capital Bangkok, are known as party cities while others are more laid back and less crowded. Keep traffic and activities in mind when you book your stay. Some cities offers malls selling jeans while others have road side stands with handmade goods.

December is a hot time for travelers pouring in Thailand. Book your hotel outside of December to save money and miss some of the crowds at tourist attractions. Hotels also offer cheap rates in off seasons.

Many amenities are offered in the larger hotels; internet, on site workout area, and spas. If you stay in a small low cost place in one of the older less populated cities don't expect all the bells and whistles. Ask your travel agent about hotel amenities when booking to make sure you aren't in shock when you show up. You can also search for online photos of hotels and read user reviews.

Consider activities when booking your hotel and lodging. Make sure you are staying in an area that offers activities that interest you. Hike in the forests and view the waterfalls or stay on the beach and snorkel. Many water sports and activities are offered as well as tours. Keep travel times in mind when planning trips. There are also many zoos with exotic animals you can't see anywhere else.

Thailand is one of the rare places that offers something for everyone and has activities for every budget. Always do research before you book your hotel so that you know where you are staying, what is close by, and what your hotel offers.

Yukorn Chanmanee: http://www.thailandhotelsinfo.com

[http://www.thailandinfomation.com]

By Yukorn Chanmanee

Adventure Travel In Thailand

If adrenaline is your thing then Thailand is a place where you can get your fix of adventure in graduated doses. Some would say that negotiating the Bangkok traffic on the way from the airport is adventure enough in itself, but if you want to put your experiences on a more organized footing there is no shortage of opportunity.

Most developed resort areas on the coast offer bungee jumping, para-gliding, Jet skiing and water skiing. So flinging yourself from great heights or being blasted in to the air or across water at great speed can be easily achieved.

Thailand also remains a veritable paradise for those who enjoy the world underwater, whether that's diving, snorkeling or even submarining in Phuket.

It is also a country rich in wilderness areas of mountains, forests and waterfalls which makes trekking big business in the north of the country. The best season for trekking is between November and February when the weather is cool and the air is clear. Many operators in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son and Pai offer trekking tours. Often these will be run from guest houses and it's worth asking around to find one that suits you. A trek usually lasts between three and five days and you will need good boots and a proper pack since the walking can be quite hard especially in the heat.

The guide will usually take you through ethnic villages of Lisu, Karen, Meo, Akha and Paduang. All these tribes are different in dress, language and culture and most migrated to the mountainous areas of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam within the last century from China. Also included in a trek will be some rafting and maybe some elephant riding.

If the gentle rafting on a trek is not adventurous enough for you, many operators offer the white water variety. Pai is the best place to go for this and the tours are run from mid June to January when the rainy season raises the height of the water levels.

When it comes to two wheeled travel Thailand offers some of the best touring and off road motorcycling in the world. The roads are excellent and pass through mountain scenery of breathtaking beauty. Infrastructure is good with plenty of guest houses and places to eat en route. You can either go on a tour or hire bikes on your own, Chiang Mai having by far the greatest variety on offer. It is important to be an experienced driver and this is doubly true for trail riding. Many operators run tours and to get the best from off-roading, or simply finding obscure routes, it is often better to go with a guide who knows the area.

For those who spurn engines then mountain biking is now really popular and there are many operators who run trips.
Whether on the lakes and rivers of the north or the Andaman Sea in the south Kayaking is available in most tourist friendly places where there is water. Tours are even run down the Mekong River. In the south Krabi and Phang Nga provinces offer spectacular scenery with luminous seas dotted with soaring limestone outcrops.

For those who want to get airborne there are a number of ways you can do it. Ballooning is offered both in Chiang Mai and Pattaya between October and March. The views in the North are better than on the coast.
Perhaps, whether it's the sea, the mountains or the jungle, it is the wealth of natural beauty available in the national parks all over Thailand that make it so attractive to the outdoor enthusiast. From the heights of Doi Inthanon in the north to the maritime depths of Surin in the south there are 103 protected areas where you can enjoy an amazing variety of scenery and wildlife. Where ever you are in Thailand there is a wilderness of some sort near by.

Alex Smith maintains and manages the Cheap Thailand Travel website at http://www.cheapthaitravel.com

By Alex A. Smith

Koh Samui is the Coconut Island Paradise

Koh Samui is one of the most famous island havens in Thailand. It lies approximately about 700 kms to the South of Bangkok. With Bangkok Airways you can get there within an hour. Koh Samui is also known as the coconut island due to infinite number of coconut trees, giving over 2 million coconuts every month.

It provides the tired traveler nearly endless golden beaches, shining blue waters, plenty of greenery and a peaceful atmosphere. There is wide variety of accommodation in the form of elegantly designed villas on the beachfront offering a clear view of the sea as well as private cottages for those looking for economical accommodation. Renting a villa or cottage for the period of your holiday in Koh Samui is very simple. They are available in two types: the resort villa or the private cottage. The resort villa can form a portion of a resort or hotel chain, equipped with standard facilities in every one, but you can avail of other resort amenities. But there are many who hire private furnished villas or cottages fitted with personal tastes and conventional Thai warmth. The owner/manager is then able to offer more individual attention to you. The villa also has a support staff for cooking, cleaning or providing guide facilities if required. They are more cost-effective for a big group or a family on a holiday. It's highly genuine and conventional feel of Thai warmth.

As a leading international tourist center, Koh Samui offers lots of other activities like spa amenities, checking waterfalls, elephant rides, paintball, sea sports, diving, fishing, golf, bungee jumping etc besides the tourist attractions. There are lots of hotels in Samui, but Park Samui Hotel is the best.

You are welcome to publish the article on the site along with the hyperlinked URL: Samui Hotel.

By Max Dan

Tourist Attractions of Koh Samui

Koh Samui is a lovely Thai island and is one of the most popular travel spots in Thailand along with Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Here you can do lots of things and see numerous places. Here are some of the must-see attractions in Samui.

Beaches

If you are fond of beaches then you are sure to have remarkable time in Koh Samui. Some of the best Thai beaches are situated on this island. Some beaches that you must see while holidaying here are Chaweng Beach, Big Buddha Beach and Lamai Beach.

Big Buddha Statue

The most famous attraction here is the Big Buddha statue. This golden statue is 12 meters in height and is next to a temple and many various Buddhist temples. You can access it by driving down the route 4171 and go towards to the airport.

Butterfly Garden

The butterfly garden is one of the most serene and virgin spots in Samui. This wonderful attraction has a large number of butterflies and is open every day from 08:30 to 17:30.

Aquarium and Tiger Zoo

If your kids are accompanying you, then you must certainly visit the aquarium and tiger zoo. There are various daily shows that comprise of shows involving birds, tigers and sharks. The Aquarium & Tiger Zoo is open all the days of the week from 09:00 to 18:00.

Snake Farm

If you want to see a snake show concerning King Cobras then a trip to the Samui snake farm is a must. Here you can see numerous types of poisonous snakes, hazardous centipedes and scorpions. The King Cobra shows are held daily at 11:00 and 14:00.

Waterfalls

There are many awesome waterfalls that you can see while holidaying. The most renowned waterfalls in Samui are Hin Lat and Na Muang, where you can go swimming.

You are welcome to publish the article along with the hyperlinked URL: Hotels Samui

By Jack Dan

Hat Yai - Growing City in the Southern Thailand

Hat Yai is one of Thailand's southernmost cities, located in the province of Songkhla. It is only 30 km from the Malaysian border. The city began as primarily a railroad hub between Thailand and Malaysia. It is one of the lesser known tourist spots in Thailand and is attractive to those who wish to 'get away from it all,' but still have the features of a city available.

The city is becoming increasingly popular among gays. There are at least 3 gay bars now and a gay sauna called GL Sauna as well. Admission is 250 baht and includes a drink.

The gay bars are within easy walking distance of each other, the most popular being the G-Men bar.

The city was a small village until the coming of the railroad in 1922 and has slowly, but surely increased in size ever since. The population is now about 160,000. The official name of the city is Ma Hat Yai. Ma Hat is the Thai word for a fruit tree relative of the popular Jackfruit. Yai means large or big.

Getting to the city and the area is no problem. There are buses, airline service, and obviously railroad service. Within Hat Yai there are plenty of mini buses, tuk-tuks, and motorcycle taxis.

Accommodations are relatively in expensive in Hat Yai as it is not a beach town or resort city. Food in Hat Yai is mostly Thai, but some of the shopping malls have restaurants that feature 'farang food' and there are a few 'farang food' restaurants. It is best to book a room via a travel agent. You will almost always get a better rate from a travel agent than booking directly through a hotel in Hat Yai.

Night life in Hat Yai includes a surprising number of bars for a small city, several of which include live music. A popular place to go is Oceana, and entertainment complex just outside of Hat Yai. There you will find a very nice open air restaurant and bar that covers two floors and is in a beautifully romantic landscaped setting, open until about 2:00am. There is a disco nearby and it seems to remain open until about 4:00am.

The Lee Garden Plaza features fast food restaurants including McDonald's, KFC, and Sizzler. There is also a modern multiplex cinema at Lee Garden.

There is not very much in the way of sightseeing in the Hat Yai vicinity, but the three most popular attractions are:

Wat Hat Yai Nai - Features a 35 meter long reclining Buddha, the third largest in the world.

Hat Yai Municipal Park - This park is quite popular among the Thais and includes an abundance of flowering plants and a very good aviary.

Ton Nga Chang Waterfall - Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Thailand. It is a 7-tiered waterfall, the most popular being the third level, known as the "Elephant Tusk" waterfall. Here the falls separate into two streams, resembling elephant tusks. You can easily hire transportation to and from the park for about 400 baht.

Many farang doing visa runs go to Hat Yai due to its close proximity to the Malaysian border. The run takes you to Dannok. From there you simply cross over the border on foot, take care of your visa renewal, and return, although there are plenty of motorcycle taxis to take you, if you wish, 20 baht each way. Mini vans are available to take you back to Hat Yai for about 60 baht, but they do not depart until they are full. The trip takes approximately 90 minutes.

To keep up with the latest info on this great city, go to http://thailandvisa.com

For all the information you need to know about Thailand Visa and Immigration issues and about living and working in Thailand, go to http://www.thailandvisa.com The Thailand Visa website is a free resource for expats living in Thailand and for travelers who want to visit the country. Michael A. Allen lives abroad and loves travel and adventure.

By Michael A. Allen

Things to Do in Koh Chang - Top Three Activities Waiting For You!

Are you thinking to pack your luggage to some favorite holiday destination? If so, then visit Koh Chang, Thailand! This has been termed as the best places that can bring you lots of activities. Certainly, there are lots of things to do in Koh Chang and it is a place filled with eco-tourism. Lots of people from all around the world prefer to move for Koh Chang in order to spend some pleasant moments. This is a wonderful place that can bring you popular pastime and all set to offer you lots of joy.

There are good numbers of activities those are simply waiting for you. And yes, these are the activities for which you have anticipated with your previous tours to other parts of the world. Koh Chang is also known as "Elephant Island", because it is shaped like a sleeping elephant. Here below are some important things to do in Koh Chang:

• Thai Cooking Schools: This is a great opportunity for travelers to create their own tasty Thai foods. You can easily get lots of Thai cooking schools those are offering training on different types of cuisines. Just spend few hours a day and learn all types of vegetable and fruit carving.

• Elephant Trekking: This is a great activity that will help you to explore different parts of Koh Chang. It will cost you 500 Baht for one hour; you can glace mountains, rivers and forests. You can see forests those are packed with coconut tress and banana plants.

• Water Sports Activities: If you have planned your trip in the month of April, October and November, then surely you can spend time doing water sports activities. Snorkeling and diving are one of the most favorite pastimes of many travelers. Here you can see eel, myriad reef fish, coral reefs and anemones. Closed to Hin Phrai Nam, you can see white sharks those are rarely seen in other parts of the Globe.

• Tan Mayom Waterfall is the biggest waterfalls on island. The White Sand Beach is the longest beach on island and inland from beach are lots of coconut trees & thick jungles of the fauna to get exploring in. The Bang Bao Fishery Village is fascinating community of the stilt like houses that are planted in sea interconnected with the bridges. Also, there are lots of outer islands that you can visit as well. Ko Ngam is south of the Ko chang and daily trips are scheduled by boat and ferry to these islands. Naval Battle Area is located in south near to Salak Petch Bay and this is where battle between French and Thai soldiers happened in the conflict over east border at 1941. There is the Naval War Memorial at Laem Ngob Beach.

Do you want to read about other things to do in Koh Chang Thailand

By Dennis Kjaergaard