Travel in Asia
Please take a look through some of the articles we have in Asia, click on the subcategory countries below to get the content.
Consider joining the club we are smaller and more unique therefore. We're a very social bunch here brought up with travel in hostels and we never get tired of another bus ride into the unknown.
I have a personal feeling of excitement being in many of the most exciting capital cities Bangkok, Hong Kong or relaxing in my Bali Resort after a days surfing. I am miles away from my country of birth and nothing is as it seems in Japan.
Boracay is 9km long and about 1km wide at its narrow point in the middle. It is popular with scuba diver sand windsurfers and kitesurfers. You can enjoy some tropical beach here of course when you tire from the activity. Boracay also has fabulous resorts, sun kissed beaches, amazing diving, snorkeling, and seafood. It’s considered one of the finest islands in Southeast Asia and Filipinos take a lot of pride in the island.
Wherever I travel I look for sport fishing opportunities. While touring Southeast Asia my home base was Sihanoukville, Cambodia’s beach resort on the placid Gulf of Thailand. Thousands of small commercial boats fish the gulf for mixed catches of bottom fish and squid, staples of the city’s beachfront restaurants. I wondered what other fish were out there.
I saw a charter fishing boat moored near the commercial port, but there was no skipper to be found. I heard these charter boats come and go. They target barracuda and marlin and the fishing grounds are a costly four hour, full throttle run. Fisherman’s Den Charters and Pub promised catches of Barracuda and Dorado at a reasonable price. I booked my trip over a couple of pints.
One of the biggest concerns that backpackers have when they are planning to visit a certain country is whether or not they will be able to explore that country on a backpacker’s budget. Well, as long as you have decided to go backpacking in Thailand, money is one thing that you need not be worried about!
Now when I say you need not be worried about money the point I am trying to make is that Thailand is an extremely cheap (solely in terms of money) country to visit. People from Asian countries such as Malaysia, India, China, and Cambodia find Thailand cheap so if you’re from USA or one of the European countries then Thailand is literally going to be a backpacker’s haven for you.
Read more: Backpacking in Thailand and the Best Bangkok Hotels
Backpacking in Thailand is a wonderful way of seeing the ancient country of Siam, where you can experience everything from old temples to the most modern of nightclubs.
I have to admit my first experience with Thailand wasn't the country itself. Nope, it was the story of Anna Leonowens. You might not have heard of her, but it was her diary that inspired the movie Anna And The King.
Welcome to the new and very impressive Suvabhumi International Airport Bangkok you will probably arrive here on your visit to Thailand.
Tip: Watch out for older looking cabs (Try to avoid them!) that are set up from the airport public taxi desk. Though its official and recommended to use in all the guide books you will pay an extra 50 Baht. Simply go to departures upstairs and wait for people to arrive via cab at the airport, you can asses the cars and look for new Pink cabs these meters tend to be accurate and not overly sped up ! Your trip should cost from 250 to 350 Baht plus 70 Baht in tolls which you will have to pay yourself.
Koh Tao is the small island in the Gulf of Thailand that was discovered to have clear warm waters with great coral reef.
Read more: Koh (ko) Tao : Scuba Diving in an ideal environment
Feel like a king for 75 quid per night!
The second island in the chain of three where I took my PADI open water certificate in scuba diving way back. You could not see your hand when your arm was outstretched the visibility was so bad due to monsoon storms.
The first in a chain of islands popular with backpackers and flashpackers for its size and variety and is perhaps the first stop after some interior travel in Thailand. Chaweng beach. Massive seated Buddha blessing the local fisherman and waterfalls are some of the interior delights but there is now a fishing lake for fresh water asian carp and catfish that you can catch !
While Chaweng suffers from perhaps over development it is a great beach and the food at the restaurants there is great. A variety of on the beach accommodations from 500 to 1000+ Baht make it an easy place to find what you want.
Tip : It is no longer as cheap as it used to be to fly to and from Koh Samui and is not served by the budget airline air asia. A reason why many travel to Surat Thani on the mainland close by to save 3000 Baht to fly back to Bangkok.
One of the best looking islands in the world perhaps certainly in Thailand pre tsunami this was a destination not to be missed and makes it into landed destinations.
Guys and Gals
Two things i missed of my last update (was in such a rush to please the editor!)
Hanoi the Communist heart of Vietnam is a popular travel destination.
The former capital of South Vietnam known as Saigon got renamed after the war in 1975 to Ho Chi Minh City in honour of the red leader. So why should you want to visit in Ho Chi Minh City ?
