Travel, Holiday and Vacation Reviews and Photos from Bars, Restaurants, Hotels, Resorts and Destinations around the World.
The waterfestival in Thailand is the new year of the Moon calender. The locals celebrate Sonkran on the 13th, 14th and 15th of April every year. Traditional the thais drop some good smell liquit over holy Buddha and King statues at temples and at home. Young Monks “bath” the hands of the older ones to show respect. At this three days in nearly every city in Thailand is a big water festial. If you want to be dry, better you stay at or hotel or guesthouse. The better way is: let your camara, mobile, passport and all important thinks at home and celebrate toghether with the Thai locals the Sonkran Festival. It will be a lot of fun! This year was my 3th Songkran in Thailand. In 2006 I went to Patong Beach on Koh Phuket where the tourists bargirls and backpackers did a big water spectacle till late at night. 2007 I was on Koh Chang at Thale Bungalows, there it was much more relaxter. This year I have bin with my Girlfriend in Pai in Thailands Mae Hong Son Province. All three days we spent at Stone Free Bungalows. Here in the north the hole village will entertain you till you completly wet.The biggest Songkran celebrations are Chiang Mai and Bangkok. This South East Asian Festival is a good possibility to learn something about Thai Culture. If you stay in the middle of April in Thailand, try it out! Buy a Watergun or a bucked and mix yourself under the locals to celebrate the Waterfestival.
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Mairood Pier
In March 2009 Moun, some friends and I traveled to Mairood Fisherman’s Village in Thailand‘s Trat Province. After a Visarun to the Asia Had Lek boarder between Thailand and Cambodia we visit some friends who work here in this traditional Thai village. The sleepy village is direct over a River who runs into the Gulf of Thailand. Nearly everybody lives here in Mairoot from the fishing. A good Choice for Tourists and Backpacker is the Mairood Resort which is direct in the center of the piervillage next to Klong Yai Town. Here are not that much possibilities to stay (Guest Houses, Hotels…) because the tourism is really low here in Mairoot. We traveled by Minibus from Had Lek to the small fisherman village and our friend picked us up to his traditional Thai house where he lives with his Mother and his Girlfriend.
Thai Kitchen
We bring our bags to the cosy home and walked to a small Thai Restaurant and eat traditional Thai Noodle Soup with Chicken. After we visit Nop’s sister and eat some sun dried and fried squit on a terrace over the river. After we go back to Nop’s and Jing’s home. We bought some Chang & Leo Beers in a small supermarket on the pier and cooked a very delicious Sea Food BBQ with shrimp’s, fish, shells and crab’s.
Sun dried Squit
On the next morning we woke up early because the Fisher boats drove next to our room. A nice feeling to wake up over a river in a House over the water. We walked at long the big pier to a taxi which brought us back to Trat the State Capital of Thailand’s Province in the south east. In Trad Town which is about sixty kilometers from Mairoot we had Breakfast at the day Central Market. Than we took a Mini Van to the pier where the Ferry to Koh Chang leaves. At 9 o’clock we arrived at Big Elk Bungalows on the Klong Prao Beach. We took a shower and changed clothes before we went to the Kheeri Phet Waterfall on Ko Chang in Thailand.
A House in Mangroves
It was a realy nice Travel Trip to Mairood in Thailand. The local Thai people are really friendly and helpful. The tourism is nearly zero, just some Backpackers and Tourists who like quiet holiday getting lost here on vacations at the Mairood Resort. It’s nice to see the all day life of the Thai Fisherman’s here in this cosy village in South East Asia. I can recommend Mairood as a Travel Destination for Backpackers who like to see a traditional village in Thailand direct on the Beach. For Accomendation, Informations and Maps of Mairood look in your Travel guide or contact a TAT office in Trat.
Humphead Parrotfish Perhentian Island
My first step to a PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Professional was for sure my Snorkeling experience on the Caribbean Sea in the Years 2004 (Punta Cana Dom Rep) and 2005 (Mexico Yucatan). We rent us some Snorkel gear from our Hotel and explored the colorful marine underwater world. It was amazing! In this time I said: why scuba diving? During Snorkeling you can see a lot! But since my first Thailand Trip to Patong Beach on Phuket I know it better. At the Scuba Cat Scuba Diving school I did my first PADI license, the Open Water Diver. My first dive experience was theories in a classroom. After three of the five Open Water chapters my Scuba Instructor did some Dive Skills with me in the Swimming Pool. On the second day of this Dive Course I did the last two Scuba chapters and after I did my first Dive in the open Andaman Sea at the Dive site Crystal Bay next to Patong Bay. A incredible feeling to breeze the first time underwater. From the first breath it becomes a hobby. The 3th day of the Open Water Padi Diving Course I did three Open water dives at Bungalow Bay, Banana Bay and Home Run Bay at Racha Yai near Phuket. After the end exam I was ready for Fun Dives and a part of the PADI family. My first Fun Diving was on Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand on my Thailand Travel Tour 2006 with Marius. The Dive Boat bring us to follow Dive sites: Ao Ceuk and Rocky Bay. The Scuba Shack Dive team on Koh Tao was friendly and very helpful for a beginner like me.
Coral at Koh Chang
In April 2006 I did the next step on the Padi education system: the Advanced Open Water. The second license I did with a Diving Center on Koh Chang in the Gulf of Thailand. My first of the five Dives on my Advanced Open Water was the Peak Performance Buoyancy Dive at Koh Wai in the Marine National Park on Ko Chang. On this Dive I did some scuba skills to control my buoyancy under water with my BCD and my breath. The second dive during my Padi Advanced Open Water Diver I did with my Instructor at Koh Klum, here we train how to Navigate with a compass and on natural thinks like corals or rocks underwater. The thirst Dive was a Deep dive on Koh Chang Pinnacle on about 30 meters for 44 minutes. The visibility was very good and it was till now my nicest Dive on the Pinnacles on Koh Chang Island in Southeast Asia. Number four of the Advanced training Dives was at Koh Yak Lek where I learn how to make good Pictures with a underwater digital camera. On the same evening I did my first Night Dive at Hin Luk Bat. A nice experience on my way to a Padi Divemaster. The next Day I was helping by an Underwater Cleanup as a fresh Advanced Scuba Diver. We clean the region around Koh Wai in the Gulf of Thailand. After my Southeast Asia Travel tour true Peninsular (Malaysia), Singapore and Bali i did two more Fun Dives on Koh Chang at Hin Luk Bat and Hin Rap (names of the Dive Sites).
Manta Ray Bali
In Mai 2007 I did the first Fundives out of Thailand. At Langkawi in Malaysia I dove at the Shark Point and the Coral Garden Divesite witch is dominated by beautiful soft corals. Here on this beautiful tropical Island I choose the East Marine Scuba Center. The highlight was for sure the mass of Black Tip Reef Sharks in the National Park of Malaysia. The next Station on my Travel plan was Pulau Perhentian in the South China Sea. Here on this Paradise Archipelago I hit five times the water with Spice Divers. I like this Scuba school because of the great location direct on the beach. On Pehentian Island I had my first Diving experience I will never forget: round about 40 to 50 Humphead Parrotfishes was swimming around us and eat corals. As well I did here my first Wreck Dive on the Sugar Wreck. My favorite’s site here on Perhentian was the Temple of the Sea and the Iron Cape. From Malaysias Capital Kuala Lumpur i was flying with Air Asia to Bali in Indonesia. On Bali I was five times in the Water of the Indian Ocean and the Bali Sea. My first one was at the Manta Point Dive Site near Nusa Penida. Here we saw six Manta Rays, Amazing! Number two and three was at Chrystal Bay and Blue Lagoon where we saw a lot of colorful reef life. The last two dives in Indonesia on this Travel Tour I did on the Liberty Wreck next to Tulamben Beach.
Wreckdive @ Tulamben
Two month later in July 07 I traveled by bus from Koh Chang to Phi Phi Island. In Thailand‘s Marine National Park at Koh Pi Pi I did two Fun Dives with South Siam Divers Scuba Center. We was at the Bida Nok and Bida Nai Dive Sites near Phi Phi Leh. My highlights while scuba diving on this tropical Islands in Thailand was a leopard Shark, a Turtle and many schools of fishes. The water temperature here in the Andaman Sea was 28 C, perfect for tropical diving. After two more Fun Dives at Koh Chang in the Gulf of Thailand I Start my Rescue Diver and Padi Divemaster Training on Ko Chang Island with a Dive Center on Klong Prao Beach. On my Internship I did about 100 Dives in the 30 degrees warm water in southeast Thailand. The education was realy good. I learned many thinks about Scuba Diving, Equitment, Underwater Navigation, Marine Life, how to handle Divers in a leader position, how to help a Diver who had a accident and many many more thinks what I need in my job as a Divemaster. In December I get my certification as a Padi Rescue Diver, the Divemaster I finished at the 17th of January 2008. My last skill was the snorkel Test where I get a snorkel in my mouth and drank a bottle of SangSom Thai Rum out of the Snorkel. After we start in the front of the Padi Dive Center with Chang Beer Round’s till I and nearly every Diver was drunken like hell. A hard Scuba Skill on the way to my Divemaster Card! My favorite Dive Sites around Koh Chang in Thailand are Hin Luk Bat witch is a nice Reef, Hin Raap, Blueberry Hill, Koh Chang Pinnacles and Koh Yak a bit south of Ko Chang in Thailand’s Marine National Park of the Ko Chang Archipelago. Since I finish my Padi Divemaster I worked till December 08 on the beautiful tropical Island Koh Chang. In the beginning of December I had a Motorbike accident, so till right now I’m not allowed to go diving. So soon as possible I will be back in the tropical water of the Gulf of Thailand but now the high season on Ko Chang is finish already so i will wait to next season for leading divers in the warm waters of Thailand. The water around Chang Island are between 27 and 31 degrees, the best time for diving is from November till February where the visibilities can be up to 25 meters.
For more informations about Scuba Diving in Thailand read the Lonely Planet Diving and Snorkeling witch you can order online here from this page. For more travel tips you can read the Reports of the destinations or read the Lonely Planet South East Asia. If you want to see some more Scuba Dive Pictures click here.
In 2008 my Wife and I was for a short Travel Tour in north Thailand to travel Chiang Mai and visit a friend at Pai in Thailand’s Mae Hong Son Province. We start on Koh Chang Tropical Island with a Taxi to the Pier at the north of the Island in the Gulf of Thailand. From Trat we took a Bus to Bangkok from were we took the Nighttrain to Chiang Mai. The Train Start at about 10 o´clock in the evening and arrived at Chiang Mai Railway Station at 12 o’clock noon on the next day. From the Train Station we took a Taxi to our Hotel “Winner Inn”. In Chiang Mai our highlight was the Doi Inthanon national park. After some Days at Thailand‘s 2nd biggest City in the North we Travel by Taxi to a TAT office to catch a Minivan to Pai in Southeast Asia. The turn from CM to Pai took us about three hours. We arrived at the Bus Terminal at Pai City and walked to the Guest House “breeze of Pai” which we found in the Lonely Planet Travel Book for Thailand.
A new bridge in Pai
After some days in the small village in the Mae Hong Son Province we Travel by Bus back to Chiang Mai. The Minibus bring us direct to the Airport from where we had a Air Asia flight to Thailands Capital Bangkok. From the new International Airport in BKK we took a Taxi to reach the last ferry back to Koh Chang Island. From the Ferry we enjoyed the nice view to the rising Sun behind the hills of Southeast Asia‘s Elephant Island. In the evening we arrived by taxi our Bungalow at Big Elk Steak House. This was my first Travel Trip to Thailand’s North, the landscapes at Pai and the Mountains at Chiang Mai with evergreen Jungle are incredible. It was for sure not my last trip to the north of the Kingdom of Thailand.
Sunset on Ko Chang
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Job 2 Do @ Ting Tong
On the 8th of March 2009 I was with some friends on a Concert of Thailand‘s most popular Reggae Band Job to Do at Ting Tong bar at the Ting Tong Bar in Lonely Beach on Koh Chang. We arrived at about nine o’clock at Ting Tong Bar, at about 10 o’clock the Thai Reggae Band Job 2 Do start to play. The sound and the organization was perfect and at the Bar on Lonely Beach on Koh Chang Island was enough space for the mix of Thais and Farang. Job 2 Do is as well my favorite Roots Reggae Band here in Thailand, I like the sound of Job to Do which remember a bit on the Bob Marley Sound. The most lyrics are in Thai language but some songs are in English. The Band play till late at night and the Ting Tong Bar offer Beers to refresh. It was a nice concert in a great Reggae location under Coconut Palms and with tropical temperatures, perfect for a event like this. The ticket price was 100 Thai Baht so round about 2 €. I don’t will miss this evening with my girlfriend, good friends and nice Live Music in Beach atmosphere at Ting Tong Bar Lonely Beach on Koh Chang in Thailand.
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.
Sunset at Kai Bae Beach
This Scenic Area is located on the south end from Kai Bae on the tropical Island Koh Chang in Thailand. From the View Point there is a beautiful view over the Sea. The sunsets are amazing from here. The sun goes down behind some small Island which belongs to the Mu Koh Chang National Park. The Islands like Koh Yuak which you will see from here are all uninhabited. On the Scenic Area in Kai Bae Beach are public Toilets and sometimes some Thai Food stands where you can buy some snacks. The easiest way to reach this View Point on Koh Chang is by Motorbike wich you can rent nearly everywhere at Kai Bae Beach in Thailand. The price for one day is about 200 Thai Baht excluded Gasoline. If you want to do some exercises, no problem! It’s just a 10 minutes walk from south Kai Bae Beach. Just follow the Mainroad and don’t forget the usual stuff which you need everywhere in Thailand: Suncreme, Drinking Water and Mosquito Spray. The fee for the view point is free. Enjoy the romantic Sunsets of Koh Chang from this view point, it’s one of the nicest places to do that on the Tropical Island in Thailand.
Nam Tok Na Muang Waterfall
The Nam Tok Na Muang is the highest Waterfall on the Island Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand. It’s about 80 meters high and 10 meters wide. This Waterfall is easy to reach from everywhere on Koh Samui by Taxi or Motorscooter. A sign on the Main road of Thailands second biggest Island will show you the way along nice landscapes and an Elephant Camp. About 600 meter away from the Na Muang Waterfall you can park your Motorbike and buy some Thai Food and cool drinks like water and Pepsi. The walk to the Namtok Na Muang is nice, you walk along a small River in the tight Jungle. If you wear the right shoes you can climb up to the top of this Fall. If you on the top you will find nice Nature Pools with cancers, fishes and turtles for swimming. Here it looks like Paradise, many colorful Butterfly’s fly around and the Insects, Monkeys and Birds sing the song of the Jungle.
Jungle Pool at the Waterfall
Thailands Nam Tok Na Muang Waterfall is a good day trip on the busy Island Koh Samui in Thailand. If you come here in the early morning it’s not that busy like in the afternoon when the tourist masses coming to see this huge Waterfall.
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Near the Waterfall
The Wachiratan Waterfall is located at Thailand’s highest Mountain Doi Inthanon. Here at the National Park are three Waterfall in total, but the Nam Tok Vachiratharn is the the most spectacular Waterfall in this Area. The Doi In National Park is about 80 km out of Chiang Mai City and easy to reach by Minivan or Public Bus. It´s a turn from about one hour by Van. The public Bus need about one and a half hours from Chiang Mai Center. From the entry from the National Park of Thailand there are some Mini Busses which go direct to Nam Tok Wachiratan. From the park place it is just a short walk to the Waterfall. You can not reach the Nam Tok Wachirathan more than 50 meters without getting wet. So be careful of your Camera or other private things. Next to the Fall are steps where you can climb up till nearly the top of this high Waterfall in Southeast Asia. For more Information about the Nam Tok Wachiratn at Thailand’s Chiang Mai Province read the Lonely Planet Guide Book or ask in a local booking office. Nam Tok Vachiratharn is the official name, in the most English Travel Guides they write it as Wachiratan Waterfalls. But it doesn’t matter how the name is! This Waterfall in North Thailand is one of the spectacular and beautifulest I ever saw.
Wachiratan Waterfall
