Koh Samui Travel

This is a web page written by me for Tourism-Asia.net. Writing for Thailand section of the site was my first travel writing project on web. It was written on August 2006.


One of Thailand's leading tourist destinations, Koh Samui is very popular among the lovers of sand, sun and sea. Sitting sedately in the gulf of Thailand, the idyllic island is shaded by towering trees. Thrilling water sports, action-packed adventure options, mouth-watering seafood and raunchy nightlife, Samui seems to have a magical formula.

Why To Visit
» Idyllic natural scenery
» Adventure and water sports

Tour Attractions
Gifted benevolently by nature, Koh Samui is a beautiful island. Prominent attractions of the island are as follows.

The Beaches
When you think of an island, the first thing which come to your mind is beaches. Koh Samui has some lovely beaches:

Chaweng Beach: The most beautiful beach on the island is this stretch of powdery sand faced by crystal-clear water. Centre for watersport activities, Chaweng, located on the eastern coast, has an array of accommodation options, ranging from bamboo bungalows to five-star resorts. The nights are for merrymaking, when the young throng the dance halls to shake legs.

Lamai Beach: Located south of Chaweng, Lamai is the second largest beach on the island. Coconut trees bending over the blue-green waters give the beach more natural atmosphere. The sea is little rougher for there is no reef to protect the bay. Several spas behind the beach provide the tourist relaxing Thai massage, herbal sauna or even a mud facial.

North Coast Beaches: Bophut, Maenam and Bang Rak beaches on the north coast are ideal for those who want a seclusive vacation. Bank Rak is also called Big Buddha beach because of a colossal Buddha image at its eastern end.

Other Attractions
Apart from the beaches, Koh Samui has many other places to offer. They are as follows:

Ang Thong Marine National Park: Ang Thong Marine National Park is the group of forty plus limestone islets, which host white sand beaches, coral reefs and unspoilt tropical rainforests. You can make your choice.

A hill on Koh Wua Talab, the park's largest island provides panoramic views of the whole park. Climbing steep limestone fills you with thrill. Do not forget to visit the 'hidden lake' in Mae Koh Island.

Laem Sor Pagoda: Located at southern-most point of the island, Laem Sor Pagoda is among the most beautiful sights in Koh Samui. An ancient chedi is restored with glazed tiles that resemble gold. Cheek-by-jowl is 'meditation forest' with places to sit. Flanking the forest is a man-made lagoon with mangrove trees planted on the ocean side. The site is ideal for a relaxed picnic.

The Waterfalls: For change of pace you can decide to enjoy the waterfalls. The most prominent among them is Na Muang, lying south of the island's central peaks. Another notable fall is Hin Lat.

Na Thon: The island's main town and port, located on the west coast, is always bustling with visitors. It is the place to go for purchasing beach gear, or just watch port activity from a street balcony.

Samui Butterfly Garden: Located in southwest, the garden has a wide range of beautiful flowers, above which whiz hundreds of butterflies. The sight, beneath meshed nets, creates bewitching atmosphere.

Grandfather and Grandmother Rocks: Located at the southern end of Lamai beach are two rocks, the Grandfather and the Grandmother, which tend to be a stopover of the tourists. Shaped over millions of years by natural forces, they have acquired shapes.

Adventure and Water Sports
Abundant marine life and clear water make the island ideal for water sports. Diving, snorkelling, kayaking are few sports enjoyed by the visitors. For the intrepid, who love adrenalin rush, sports like jetskiing, paragliding and windsurfing are available. If you are scared of water, you can try beach volleyball. You can even hire a vehicle and go for bumpy rides off-roads.

Spa
Samui is a prominent spa destination of Thailand. It's atmosphere, natural beauty and fresh air make it an ideal place for spa.

Neighborhood Islands
Koh Samui is not alone. It is assisted by it's neighbours in entertaining the visitors.

Koh Phangan
Located north of Samui, the island is home of natural beauty. Most of the island is hilly covered by tropical jungles. The beaches, great for swimming and snorkelling, are specially good for those who want to pass holidays in seclusion. Full moon party on this island is 'not to miss'.

Koh Tao
Beaches of this tiny island are good for snorkelling and diving. Being less known among travellers also means that they are fresh.

Buffalo Fighting Festival
Animals decorated with ribbons and gold painted leaves on their horns fight each other. The bull fighting stadium is situated at Na Thon. The festival is celebrated in January every year.

Climate
Dry December to February
Hot March to August
Rainy September to November

How To Reach
Various means of reaching Koh Samui are mentioned below:

By Air
Nearest international airport is Phuket. However, it is a trend among tourists to reach via Bangkok.

By Train
Trains run till Surat Thani. Then you have to board a local bus or rent a vehicle to reach Don Sak. Now ferry across to the islands.

By Road
Buses running between Bangkok and Koh Samui operate daily. The journey takes around fourteen hours. The fare doesn't include ferry expenses. You can also hire car/taxi.

By Boat
Most passenger ferries leave from Surat Thani town. Car ferries use the port at Don Sak.

Getting Around
» The cheapest means of public transport is Songthaew, a small pick-up truck equipped with benches for passengers
» Taxis are easy to find in more popular in more popular tourist places, but elsewhere, getting them is a little difficult.
» Jeeps/cars/motorbikes can be hired.

Accommodation & Dining
» Budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation available
» Food shops and restaurants, providing local dishes to international cuisine
» Delicious seafood available

Eisriesenwelt Caves

This web page was written for Austria section of International-Travel-Tours.com

Warm up yourself to explore the Eisriesenwelt Caves in Austria. Owned by the National Austrian Forestry Commission, the cave would provide you one of the most thrilling experiences during your Austria visit. In Eisriesenwelt Caves, the ice remain frozen throughout the year. The ice cave is located at the height of 1640 metre. Usually the temperature remains under zero, so make sure to be prepared to save yourself from the cutting cold.

Eisriesenwelt Caves are bedecked with all kinds of ice formations like gigantic columns and towers, waterfalls and glaciers. Frozen throughout the year the cave here offers a wonderful view of frosted ice. Chilly air currents running through the cave alter the ice formation every year. Currently around 200,000 tourists come to visit Eisriesenwelt Caves every year.

Tour Highlights
A visit to this nature's icy magic takes about 5-6 hours, which includes
* the ride up to the cablecar from Werfen
* the walk to the entrance of the cave
* a guided tour
of two hours.

Location
Eisriesenwelt Caves, the largest accessible ice caves in the world, are situated near Village Werfen, about 40 km south of Salzburg city. Sitting at the height of 1640m (5380ft), these caves have more than 40km (25mi) of explored passageways. Entry to the caves is regulated and a 75-minute tour takes in several immense caverns containing elaborate ice formations and frozen waterfalls.

History
Formerly known only to the hunters and poachers, Eisriesenwelt caves were officialy discovered by Anton Posselt, a natural scientist from Salzburg, in 1879. But it was Alexander von Mörk , pioneer of cave exploration in the Salzburg area, who recognised the significance of Posselt's work and truly explored the caves. The site developed as show cave in 1920.

How to Reach
Eisriesenwelt Caves can be reached on the Tauern motorway, on the trunk road from Salzburg or by train. The mountain road up to the parking area, situated at an altitude of 1000 meters, is open for all the vehicles. Local buses are also available from the Werfen village. People who are comfortable walking 5 km can reach on foot also. There are no electronic lights in the cave. One have to guide himself on his own with the help of carbide lamps provided.

It is important to note that caves are closed during winters from November to April due to worse Alpine weather.

Phi Phi Vacations

I wrote this web page on Phi Phi Islands for YourAsianVacations.com in October, 2008.


Phi Phi Islands are unparalled in Thailand when it comes to scenic beauty. These islands seem to be created by God in His spare time. The islands have idyllic beaches fringed by swaying coconut trees and impressive corals. At Maya Bay in Phi Phi resort of Thailand, movie ‘The Beach’ was filmed in 1999. Thanks to their matchless beauty, Phi Phi Islands have always attracted the tourists for their vacations or trip.

Beaches
The twin islands of Phi Phi in Thailand charm the visitors with their long stretched sandy beaches and captivating coral reefs. The beaches are fringed by coconut and palm trees giving them a perfect look. Just lie down on the milky white Phi Phi beaches and listen to the song of the waves. And if you go under water, you would get to see large variety of colorful fish and other sea creatures. If you dare to go into deeper waters, you could get to meet manta ray and whale sharks. So much beach beauty on Phi Phi vacation.

Sports Activities
As with all Thai islands you could enjoy holiday activities like Snorkeling, Scuba Diving, Fishing, Kayaking, Parasailing and Waterskiing. Phi Phi vacations are fantastic when it comes to snorkeling. Even the experienced snorkelers would swear for that. Having one of the world’s premiere coral systems, Phi Phi trip hides precious rewards for you. As for the divers the range varies from shallow sheltered bays to wall and drift dives. For enjoying the island’s beauty, could there be a better way than paddling a boat around the island.

Phi Phi in Thailand has a modest collection of bolted routes which makes it the best place to learn rock-climbing during your vacations. After learning tricks of the trade, you could try your skills in the neighboring Railay Beach.

How to Reach Phi Phi
Boats ply for Phi Phi in Thailand from Phuket and Krabi, two popular tourist destinations. The journey takes one to two hours. Phuket and Krabi are well-linked with Bangkok, the Thai capital.

Accommodation
All types of hotel options are available in Phi Phi trip.