Travel, Holiday and Vacation Reviews and Photos from Bars, Restaurants, Hotels, Resorts and Destinations around the World.
Hotel Riu Yucatan
The Hotel Riu Yucatan belongs to the Riu Resort at Playa del Carmen on the Caribbean Sea. This 5 Star All Inclusive is direct on the perfect white beach of this tropical area. The Riu All Inclusive is perfect for all who want the best at their holidays. 24h all kind of food, Snacks, Cocktails and other beverages. The pool bar will give you refreshment while the hot houres under the Mexican Sun. But don´t forget your Sun crème nr 50+! The luxury rooms are all with Air Condition, own luxury bathrooms, mini Bar, TV, Telephone… The City of Playa del Carmen is just a short way by taxi or bus. Inside this Riu Resort are a small shopping walking street where you can buy souvenirs, beach wear and much more, everything what you need for a great holiday in Mexico. On the desk of the booking office you will find scuba diving, day trip and travel information’s from many destinations around Yucatan. The Hotel with all inclusive service “Riu Yucatan” at Playa del Carmen in Central America is the right choice for tourists who don’t want to make compromises on their holidays. You can relax, read a book or go swimming in one of the swimming pools or in the warm water of the sea. I stayed here for about one week on my Mexico Vacations in 2005. After one week we traveled to Cancun by Bus to the Hotel Riu Las Americas on the Rivera Maya. For Backpackers and Travelers who are on budget travel tour, I can recommend the Lonely Planet Travel Guide which is a really good Guide for all who want to travel individual.
Hotel Riu Palace
The Riu Palace in Cancun is one of the top hotels in Mexico on the Rivera Maya. the huge first class hotel offer suits with five star comfort and a good service on the desk. The riu All Inclusive pack include a big buffet with all kind of international and Mexican food. For a la carte fan´s here are 5 theme Restaurants as well inclusive. The Jacuzzi’s with view over the Caribbean Sea are perfect to enjoy a fruit shake or a cocktail under the hot tropical sun of Cancun. The friendly service at the reception will help you with all kind of travel tour and day trips booking and other activities like scuba diving around Yucatan and hole Mexico in Central America. The hotel Riu Palace Las Americas is not the cheapest but one of the best choice if you like luxury and club holidays with much comfort. I have bin here around one week on my Yucatan vacations in 2005. I enjoyed the perfect service the the delicious food on the white beach. The hotel beach is a big plus, just some meters in the water are a some corals which are perfect for snorkeling. Next to the swimming pool are a scuba school where you cant rent snorkel gear which is as well including the all inclusive of this accommodation in Cancun. Just on the other side of the street are a shopping mall which invite for a walk or a shopping tour after dinner with view on the setting sun on the horizontal of the Caribbean sea at the bay of Cancun. It was a nice holiday here at Riu Las Americas on Yucatan. This is the right address for honeymoon and all tourists who like the total luxury accommodation. For cheaper Guest Houses for Backpacker and Travelers take a look in your guide book for America. My recommendation is the Lonely Planet for Mexico.
Katueng Beach
Koh Mak is a small tropical Island of the Koh Chang Archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand. Maak Island is 16 square kilometer in sice and have about 500 habitats. The locals living from Rubber / Coconut Plantation, Fishing and more and more from the Tourism on this cosy Island in Southeast Asia. Compared to other Islands in Asia and Thailand is Ko Mak really quiet. The less developed streets are widespread, it’s beautiful to drive threw tight Coconut and Rubber trees. I was here in the beginning of March 09. We stayed at the Ao Katueng Beach in the north-west of Koh Maak. Moun and I rent a Motorbike at the Monkey Island Resort to explore “the pearl of Thailand”.
South Koh Mak
First we went to Ao Tokai in the north of Koh Maak. On the way we visit the ruins of the “Love Temple”, the “local Handycraft sculpture” and Ao Suanyai Beach. Near the Pier at Suanyai Bay we drank a fresh Banana Shake at Coffee shop “Orchid” next to Koh Maak Resort. Than we drive to the Northeast and rest on the Lonely Ao Talong Beach. From there we go over Ao Taan to the East end and drank a cold Water at the “Little Moon Resort”. We drove thrue tight Rubber Plantages to the Temple of Koh Mak near Ao Nid Pier. Here we stopped to pray and enjoy the nice view over the warm water of the Gulf of Thailand. Direct on the pier you can visit the Ko Mak History Museum. Our next destination was the “Smile Cooking School” to visit a friend who live before at Klong Prao Beach on Koh Chang Island. On the way we saw a nice white Paragon direct on the sea. Here are the graves of the five brothers who owned before the hole Island.
Buddha at the Temple
We Travel atlong the Laem Chan Beach to “Cafe del Mak” for some refreshments. On this evening we eat some yummies Thai Food at Baan Sabaay Restaurant close to our Resort at Katueng Beach. We enjoyed Koh Mak, it’s a quiet Paradise Island with many flair. The Beaches are lonely and long. The Coconut Palms stop nearly where the warm water start, like in Paradiese! The Pearl of the Gulf of Thailand offer a great location for all who like to chill and relax at holidays. There are some options to go out in the evening, some bars on the beach have Life Music, fire shows or a nice view for the colorful Sunset behind the hills of Koh Mak Island in Thailand.
Sunset at Ko Mak
If you want to go diving there are three Scuba Schools on the tropical Island. Ploy Scuba, Koh Maak Divers and Paradise Divers offer Padi Courses and Fun Dive Day Trips around Ko Maak at the Mu Koh Chang National Park. This protected area are famous for many kind of colorful Marine Life and huge Fish Schools. Paradise Divers offer as well CMAS courses in the warm water of the Gulf.
Patong Beach Hotels
Sunset at Patong Beach
My first time in Patong Beach was in April 2006, I was here with a friend for holidays. We was staying in the first-class Hotel “Phuket Graceland”. On the two weeks vacation we made what the busiest city on Phuket offer: Party, Party and again Party. Nearly every day we had some Chang Beers at “Rock City” before we was going to the Bangla Road Walking Street in the Heart of Patong. My second time i stayed about one week on my Thailand travel tour with Marius at the “Touch Villa” guest house which we found in our Lonely Planet travel book. We comes from Phuket Town with a Bus, it took us about one hour. Touch Villa offer simple but good rooms with fridge, tv, air-con and hot water for backpacker prices. Many traveler make a stop in this hostel on their Southeast Asia travel tour.
Hotel Phuket Graceland
At the “Bangla Road” there are many discos, pubs, massage shops, restaurants and Thai Girl Bars. Many male tourists from Europe and America come here for cheap sex with young Thai girls. Young means a bit over 18. It looks straight when the old sex-tourists walk at long the beach with the young bar girls. But if you stay longer here it becomes normal in this abnormal city in Thailand. At daytime the Th Bangla sleep, when the sun goes down the walking street wake up! The neon light is the sunrise of Patong on Phuket. Loud Music, thousands prostitutes and drunken tourists dominate the picture of Patong City at night.
Th Bangla Road
But Patong offer more than Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll! I did my Padi Open Water Diver here. The Open Water is the first scuba diving license of the Padi education System. I did it in 3 days, the first day was just theory and swimming pool. In the pool we did some underwater diving skills. On the second day I did my first Open Water Dive in the Andaman Sea at Patong Bay. All in all i did four dives during my Padi Open Water. On day three we did three dives. The dive sites was: Banana Bay, Bungalow Bay and The Home Run Bay at Racha Yai. I did my Padi license whit the “Scuba Cat” Dive School at Patong Beach.
My first Beer Chang
This city is for shure not a typical backpacker or traveler destination. But if you decide to stay here plan a bit more money than on your other travel destinations because Patong is expansive compared to other regions of Thailand. From here we took a bus to Phang Nga.
Phuket Hotels
Sunset at Phuket Town
Marius and I was coming, on our Travel Tour 2006 with the ferry from Phi Phi Island. When we arrived we took a taxi from the pier to the On On Hotel in the center of Phuket Town which we found in our Lonely Planet Thailand travel book. The On On Hotel was coulisse for the movie “The Beach” with L. Di Caprio. This old Chinese guest house have a good choice of fan rooms with own and share bathrooms. We paid in 2006 300 Thai Baht for a room with a toilet per night. On the reception you can book tours and transport to many destinations in Thailand and southeast Asia.
Oplation table from a Buddhist Temple
The most of the tourists who come here are coming for a day trip from the busy beaches of Phukets west coast. The public busses leaving from the Bus terminal in Phuket City to all touristic beaches on Thailands biggest island. The public bus to the International Airport on Phuket start here as well. The most tourists and backpacker come for shopping on the market or in the Robinson Ocean Plaza shopping mall. We stayed her two nights and was watching some sights. Close to the On On Hotel in Thailand is the Chinese Shrine of the Serene Light. It’s a small shrine with many flair. Like every Chinese temple this shrine in Phuket Town is decorated with many dragons and other holy statues.
Chinese Temple
On our last day here at this city in southeast Asia we walked up to the top of a hill near the center of Phuket Town. From here we had a nice view over the city to the andaman sea. The Capital of the Thailands biggest city offer many posibilities for shopping, i can recoment a visit to this City in southeast Asia for all people who are bored of the buisy beaches on the west side of this island. The Center have many point of interesting and beautiful Chinese Temples. The posibilities for dinner and activities are nearly endless over here compared to other cities in Thailand. For all backpackers and travelers who stay on the island it´s a good stop to relax from the trouble on the rest of Phuket in the Andaman Sea.
Koh Phi Phi Don
2006 Marius and I visited on our Thailand travel tour the island Koh Phi Phi in the Andaman Sea. This beautiful island belongs to Thailand’s Krabi province. My first time on this Island was in April 06 when I was on holidays at Phuket. Here at Koh Phi Phi are two islands. Ko Pi Pi Leh and the habitat island Koh Phi Phi Don. On Ko Leh are no guesthouses, resorts or hotels. Just some rangers of Thailand’s Marine National Park living here in tents. The only constant habitats are the monkeys, snakes, spiders and birds. Phi Phi Leh is famous for Maya Bay which is the amazing beach from the American movie “the Beach” with Leonardo Di Caprio. This beautiful Asian spot you can reach easy by speedboat from the pier on Phi Phi Don.
Monkeys on Ko Phi Phi
The island is nearly perfect for water activities like scuba diving and snorkeling. In the small village are many scuba dive centers who offer dive trips to the marine national park. I did here two fun dives with “South Siam Divers”. The service and the food on board of this luxury dive boat were excellent and the crew had an open ear for all questions. On my first dive we were at the “Bida Nok” dive site were we seen a leopard shark and a sea turtle. The scuba dive was 45 minutes long and my maximum deep was 25 meter. The second dive site was “Bida Nai”, here we was 48 minutes on 20 meters. On the 2nd dive spot we saw allot of colorful marine life. The visibility was not that nice, we had about 8 meters on the first and 10 meters on the second dive here at the Koh Phi Phi National Park in Thailand.
Leopard Shark
Maya Bay is amazing but the other beaches on the island are as well beautiful but a bit busy. The archipelago is one of the most visited destinations in southeast Asia. Two years after the tsunami 2004 the most hotels and resorts was already rebuild. We were staying on the quiet Hat Yao beach in the Phi Phi Paradise Perl Resort. This resort offered for 400 Thai Baht a massive room with fan and an own bathroom. The restaurant offer delicious sea and Thai food. The balcony of this resort is direct on the Andaman Sea with view on Koh Phi Phi Leh. Our second night we spent as well on the Hat Yao beach but in the “Phi Phi Long Beach” guest house. The small beach huts with own Toilet and shower was 300 Baht per night. This beach is much quieter than the Hat Hin Khom beach in the AoTon Sai bay.
Landscapes of Koh Phi Phi Don
From the Ton Sai village there is no real way to the Had Yao paradise beach. If you want to stay on this or on the Hat Ranti beach you have to climb thou the jungle or the easier way is by a long tail boat from the main pier. The Thai fisherman’s bring you for small money from the Ton Sai village to the beaches on the east coast of this tropical Island in Thailand. The highlight was the scuba diving and the sunset behind the chalk mountains. The landscapes on Koh Phi Phi are unique! Visit this beauty destination in Thailand. For more information about this tropical archipelago read the Lonely Planet for Thailand or southeast Asia.
Sunset on Phi Phi Island
The Islands at Krabi province count to the beauties I ever saw and it’s one of the “must see” destinations for every traveler or backpacker. For people who want to do beach holiday, Pi Pi Don offer a great choice of high-class hotels with swimming pool and everything what you need on vacations.
Koh Phi Phi Hotel deals
Picture of Koh Tao
In 2006 Marius and I was during our south Thailand travel tour on Koh Tao. We come by ferry from Koh Samui to this Island in the Gulf of Thailand. Ko Tao is one of the most popular diving destinations in southeast Asia. Our first station was at the north of this tropical island. On the Leam Nam Tok you don’t have any street and no electric. We choose the CFT Here and Now guest house. This hostel is direct in the tight jungle. When we arrived it was about 4 pm. We bring our back bags in our bungalow and go back to the restaurant of this small possibility to stay. From the balcony of these simple huts we had a really nice view to the small island Ko Nang Yuan. For swimming it’s not the best place, the way to the water is difficult to walk. You have to climb over big squeeze rocks.
Cancers at north Koh Tao
After two nights we traveled to the south of Koh Tao. Here are many tourists and it’s croudy. Many scuba diving schools are located here on the Ao Chalok Ban Kao. On this beautiful but busy beach we were staying in the “Sunset” Guesthouse. We paid here 500 Thai Baht for two people in a good wooden bungalow with fan and sea view. On our balcony we had a hang mate where I was sleeping once under a mosquito net. Here it was windy because it was close to the sea.
The Sunset Restaurant
I did here my first two fun dives ever. I choose the Scuba Shack dive school. The service was ok and the divemaster was friendly. The dive sites where I have bin was Ao Leuk and Rocky Bay. First we decide to go to the shark point dive site, but the current was to strong and the Gulf of Thailand was too wavy. Our visibility was around 10 – 12 meters of this day. On the way back to the “Sunset” Guesthouse we enjoyed the nice view over the sea from a view point close to the Ao Chalok Ban Kao. In the evening we had dinner at our hostel, the restaurant offered Thai and Farang Food for a good price and in a nice atmosphere. The balcony of the Sunset Restaurant is direct on the sea and you can listen to the ocean sound.
View Point Koh Tao
After some days we traveled back to the mainland by a night boat. The ferry brings us direct to the pier from Surat Thani. From here we took a public bus to a small village in Thailand. The name of this small southeast Asian city is Sichon.
My Jeep
In the end of 2004 i was with my family in the Dominican Republic in Central America. We fly with a local Airline from Punta Cana to Samana. This flight took us about one hour. We arrived on the small jungle Airport on Samana. Here we did a round trip with a jeep to explore Samana on a jeep safari. The 4wd Jeep was in a good condition. Our first stop was at Samana Town where we was on a nice Caribbean market. If you want to stay read the Lonely Planet for hotels and guesthouses. Than we leave from the main road to explore the nature on Samana in the Caribbean sea. We drive on small sand roads inside the Caribbean jungle. This part of Central America is famous for whale watching in January till the beginning of February. Many whales comes here to born their babys in the bay of Samana. The quiet sea and the warm water are perfect conditions for this big animals. Try as well the Diving here, it’s amaizing!
Locals on Samana
The locals live a easy life in small villages at wooden self made huts. For Hotels, Resorts and guesthouses read your Lonely Planet Dominican Republic. Once we had a puncture on our safari. Some habitats of the DomRep, who pass by on a donkey, help me to repair the crossroad car. It´s amazing to see how happy people can be without anything. Many people have nothing instead of some clothes, food and a small chalet for sleep. We was invited by a family who produced their own coffee. The fresh coffee with sugar was strong but good.
Locals on a River.
Than we was travel to the island from the Bacardi commercial. The Bacardi island is one of the most visit sights on Samana. In the late afternoon we traveling back to our Hotel to relax. This trip was really nice. At most I enjoyed the beautiful tropical landscapes of the DomRep. Here you will find Banana- Cocos Palms and tight tropical Forrest everywhere. The tropical paradise in the Caribbean is a good alternative to the busy tourist city’s somewhere else. The most beaches here at the north of the Dominican Republic are not white like for example the beach at Punta Cana. But still Samana offer many more than just resort holidays on the beach. On Samana you will find many romantic lonely beaches to read a book or just enjoy yourself while traveling.
Bacardi Island
2004 I was with some friends for holidays in the Republic of Dominican at Punta Cana Beach. This trip was my first time in Central America. I had a direct flight from Frankfurt in Germany to Punta Cana International Airport with the German LTU Airline. I was staying at the Riu Naiboa Hotel in the Riu Resort at Punta Cana. This Hotel was clean and has everything what you need on vacation: air-condition, minibar, TV and a balcony with swimming pool view. The all inclusive of this Riu Hotel was perfect. Cocktails, Beers, mini bar fill up 24 hours, fresh fruit juices, all you can eat buffets and as well snorkeling gear was all inclusive. Just in the Pacha Discotheque witch belongs to the Resort you have to pay your drinks.
International Airport
Our favorite drink was Cuba Libre (rum and coke) and Coco Loco (crazy coconut) witch is a fresh coconut with Brugal Rum inside. You can ask the gardeners for a fresh coconut. For one dollar tip the locals from the Caribbean climb up a palm to take a nut. The Brugal Rum you can take out of your all inclusive minibar at your room. My beer recommendation is the local Presidente beer from the DomRep. If you want to go snorkeling don´t forget bananas to feed the fishes! Many scuba diving schools offer wreck diving on the wreck near the coast of this spot in the Caribbean’s. I don’t hat a scuba license when I stayed in the Dominican Republic, but the snorkeling here is as well good in front of the white hotel beach.
Punta Cana Beach
The booking office in the walking street of the Riu resort offers nearly all kind of daytrips. We was sailing once with a catamaran boat to the beautiful island Saona. Don’t forget sun crème on this trip! The white beach of this island in the Caribbean is perfect, some palms spent you shadow while you watch the turquoise blue water of the Caribbean Sea.
Saona
If you get hot you can refresh yourself by a Cuba libre from a small beach bar or just jump inside the warm water of the sea. I think if we had a Lonely Planet travel guide we where traveling more around. So we did just two daytrips and the rest of the holidays we spent on a cocktail bar or in the Pacha Discotheque of Punta Cana. The second daytrip was to a mangrove forest. Some fisherman’s was fishing crabs. A beautiful travel highlight!
Mangrove Forest
If you take a walk on the perfect Caribbean beach of the Dominican Republic, You will recognize the beautiful souvenir shops under the palms. Here you can buy cigarettes, t-shirts, towels and rum. But be careful, originals are rare. The most, when not all t-shirts and textiles are copies and maybe you get in trouble if you take it back to your home. As well the beach shop names are copies like Aldi Nord which is actually a supermarket in Germany.
Shops at Punta Cana
I like the Caribbean’s because of the perfect beaches like in a picture book and the tropical and friendly weather. The Riu Resort at Punta Cana direct on the Caribbean Sea offer a good all inclusive service. The Republic of Dominican in America is a good travel destination for singles, couples and families.
Temple on Bali
Middle 2007 i was in for two weeks on Bali in Indonesia for travel. I arrived at Denpasar near Kuta beach where i was staying 2 nights at the Poppies Gang 2 in a guest house. Kuta Beach is a party village. Nearly everywhere are bars, hotels, surfboard rental, restaurants, “massage” shops, disco´s and scuba dive schools. The most of the young travelers are Australians who come here to south Bali for holidays. A lot of them are here for surfing because the Indian Ocean have nice waves to surf and the bars give good options for party. My next destination was Sanur Beach witch is much more relax than Kuta. The most tourists here at the Badung strait are Families and Couples.
Beach on Nusa Penida
From here i did a day trip to Padangbai where i did with “Absolute Scuba Bali” two dives at Nusa Penida and one dive at the”Blue Lagoon” dive site near Padangbai. The first dive was on the “Manta Point” at Penida Island. It was amazing! We was just 12 meters deep when we saw six big Manta Rays. The biggest was about 4 meters long and 6 meters wide. Four of this huge fishes was in a group and circle around us during the 5 meters safety stop.
Scuba Diving on Bali
On the second dive at “Chrystal Bay” I saw many colorful fishes and nice marine life. The water temperature of the sea was 26 degrees, a bit colder than on my home Koh Chang, but still perfect for tropical scuba diving. At this time i was an Padi Advanced Open Water Diver but its not necessary. It´s enough if you have your Padi Open Water Diver certification. The Padi 5 star center “Absolute Scuba” was the right choice. Friendly staff and good maintained scuba equipment are normal at this base.
Beautiful Mantis Crab
At next i was going with a minibus to Ubud. Public transport are rare here on Bali in Indonesia but there are some TAT offices who offer some good but expansive possibilities for traveling. In Ubud are tight jungle with some beautiful dragon temples and many monkeys. In the south of the city is the “Monkey Forest Sanctuary”. Here you have to be careful of your snacks and bags because the wild animals are pathological kleptomaniacs. Ubud in southeast Asia is famous for all kind of courses, for more information ask the local tourist office or look in your Lonely Planet southeast Asia travel guide.
Jungle Sedimentary near Ubud
The next destination on the dragon island Bali was the Gunung Batur Area. The view from the Batur temple here, on the volcano Batur and the Danau Batur (Batur lake), is spectacular. From the viewpoint i took some nice pictures of the volcanic Gunung Batur. This trip i can recommend to all backpackers in Indonesia on Bali! The highest mountain here at Batur area is the G Abang with 2152 meters. The mother temple of Batur is build in classical Bali temple architecture.
Vulcano lake at Batur.
From Batur I took a taxi to Lovina at the Bali Sea cost. The sand here is black because of the Vulcan stone. On the next morning i did a Dolphin Sunrise tour. We start early in the morning with small boats at the beach. The heaven was colorful and when the sun comes up we saw many dolphins around our boat, a unforgettable moment. At Lovina I stayed in a small guesthouse direct on the black beach. A little bit out of town is a nice Reggae Pub which i can recommend for good food and live music till late in night.
Sunrise Dolphin Tour
One of the highlights for every scuba diver should be Tulamben Amed. Here at northeast Bali sunk a big U.S. cargo in the second world war by a Japanese submarine. The dive at “U.S.A.T. Liberty” wreck start from the beach. Visibilities are not that perfect here than in other regions of southeast Asia but still 10 meters are ok to see this historical sunken cargo who start at 5m dept and reach till 35 meters in the Bali Sea. We saw some Hump-head Parrot fishes and colorful Lion fishes but the wreck of Tulamben was of course the main attraction on this scuba dive. It was a bit scary to see the big weapons decorated with corals, surrounded of the quiet sea. This dive i did with a local dive center at Lovina Beach. I paid about 70 USD for two dives on the tulamben wreck and we don´t even had enough weights with us. My Padi Divemaster guide took some stones inside his bcd to sink. The wetsuit which i had was old and a lot water comes threw, by nearly 2 hours diving and 25C water temperature not really funny.
Ricefield on the way to south Bali.
On my last day on Bali I traveled back to Denpasar to get my Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. From here I had conection to Bangkok in Thailand to come back to my home Koh Chang in the Gulf of Thailand. Bali was a nice trip, i meet many backpackers from around the world. The most buildings on this Indonesian Island are dominated of the dragon cult. Bali is a bit busy but still nice to travel.
