Is Patong Beach the Place to Go in Phuket, Thailand?

Phuket, the largest island of Thailand, is nearly the size of Singapore and is located in the green waters of the Andaman Sea at around 850 kilometers south of the capital, Bangkok. As Thailand's most popular beach destination, whether the visitor is looking for a quiet place or an active area with plenty of colorful night life, Phuket island has everything someone would want on a holiday.

With beautiful beaches and some of the best resort hotels, the island is ideal to create a delightful ambiance for a truly memorable vacation. Phuket has 2 main seasons, which are the rainy season from May to October and the hot season from November to April. During the rainy season, showers last not more than two to three hours in a day and many sunny days still can be enjoyed.

The most favored beaches are situated in Bang Tao, Kamala, Karon, Kata and Patong. In addition to the beaches and night life of the island, many other activities can be enjoyed such as water sports, visit of temples, treks in the forest or motorcycle rides. Phuket also hosts one of the most famous International soccer 7s tournament in south-east Asia in November.

Bangtao beach is one of the longest beach in Phuket island and a luxury resort area dominated by a Laguna complex, a massive luxury-hotel development with golf course. Swimming is excellent during the dry season, and at the end of the bay is a smaller bay, which is nearly completely enclosed, with some fine corals.

Kamala beach, which is mostly a fishing village, is less crowded even during the summer season. A two kilometers long quiet beach where fishermen can be seen casting their net near their boats, is the only entertainment of the area together with the buffalo herds that come down sometimes to cool off.

Patong beach is the leading tourist district for water sports activities such as snorkeling, parachute flying, windsurfing, jet-skiing and sailing. Patong has the most unbelievable nightlife in all Phuket. Pubs, restaurants, go-go bars and discotheques are dispersed all over a 3,000 meter long beach front. The greatest concentration of night places are in Soi Bangla, where pubs with live music, bars with local entertainers and an important choice of excellent restaurants can be found.

Karon Beach is a lot quieter than Patong and is the second largest tourist beach in Phuket. A long and broad almost unspoiled beach with a very white sand can be enjoyed there. A superb coral reef is extending towards Kata and Bu Island at the southern point. Restaurants, bars and tour companies, but also non-hotel businesses are located at the north end.

Phuket has its own International airport and can be reached directly from overseas or from Bangkok with a 70 minutes flight.

Michel Gerard is a Travel author located in Asia. Visit the GuestHouse Phuket website to book your accommodation online and grab your *free* ebook: "Stories of Authentic Eco-adventure Destinations for Travellers in Thailand" http://www.guesthousephuket.com/ebook.html

How Safe is Phuket For Travel?

Phuket is one of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations, and yet visitor numbers are well down on previous year. The beaches and streets in Phuket are quiet and businesses are beginning to feel the strain. Thailand's political problems have been well documented by the media, so much so that the country is portrayed as being in complete anarchy. Although the problems have been centered in Bangkok, they have impacted Phuket. But what's the reality of the situation? Should tourists be wary of traveling to Phuket?

The short answer is "no". For a bit of perspective, Thailand has had numerous problems over the years, from coups to bombings. However, it was only the tsunami that really affected tourism in the long run. Thailand's internal problems usually create a few short-term ripples and the media writes of chaos in the streets, but for people living in Thailand, they will tell you that life goes on as usual.

In Phuket, tourism is way down. Hotels are nowhere near full and people on the island are saying that the effect on the industry will be worse in the long term than the tsunami. It's such a dire situation, but it's also completely unnecessary. Travel advisory warnings also don't help.

If you were to visit Phuket right now you'd see a peaceful island. There are no more dangers than normal and everything is safe. There's no fighting in the streets and tourists aren't being victimized or attacked. In fact, there's probably never been a better time to visit Phuket because the island is less crowded than usual.

The beaches are still there and the popular sites are waiting for visitors to trickle in. Of course, travelers should still exercise the same caution they would when visiting Phuket any time of the year. Traveling alone on a motorcycle at night isn't a good idea and care should be taken when out and about. But don't let the news reports put you off a trip to Phuket.

It's a sad state of affairs, but hotel-booking websites have been reporting a huge decline in bookings. The same is true of airlines, who are now throwing out offers left, right and center to entice people to visit Thailand. There are bargains to be snapped up at the moment.

So if Phuket is safe for tourists, then what about Bangkok, where most of the trouble has been? There have been protests and airport closures and all sorts. However, unless you had a plane to catch during that time, if you were in Bangkok, you wouldn't have noticed much out of the ordinary other than when you turned on the news. Everything carried on as usual. It always does.

After the most recent coup, the tanks and soldiers became a tourist attraction. The resultant protests were mostly jovial affairs with picnics and concerts. Some media reports were speculating that Thailand was about to become a bloodbath, similar to revolutions of the past, but such events didn't materialize.

Forums, blogs and phone lines have been inundated with people asking if Phuket is still safe for travel. It is safe, and it likely will be for a long time to come.

Check our Phuket Vogue for the latest information about Phuket parties, Phuket girls and restaurants.

Norway Fjords, Mountains & Wildness - Exploring Norway's Natural Beauty

Norway is named the best country to stay in the world by United Nations. Besides being a great place to live, it is also a popular tourist destination for those who want a tranquil retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. The famous tourist attractions are the museums, cultural heritage, monuments, fjords, mountains, and wildness.

One great way to tour Norway fjords is to join a cruise and explore the farms and villages in the fjord areas. Some villages can only be reached by ship during winter. You will definitely be amazed by the natural beauty and tranquility of the surrounding during your visit.

You can also enjoy the spectacular view of Norway's wildness by traveling on two of the world's most popular rails, the Flam Railway and Bergen Railway. The Bergen train is the main line commuting Osla with Bergen and travels across the Hardangervidda highland plateau and National Park. The Flam Railway is a side line of the main Bergen Railway, and it is one of the steepest railway lines in the world. Its highest attitude is at 1,222 meters above sea level.

While cruising in these areas, you will see the amazing Norway fjords, waterfalls cascading down from the rocky hillsides and snow-topped mountains. At the foot of the mountains is the beautiful Flam Valley. From the valley, you can enjoy the magnificent scenery of the waterfalls, rivers and snow-clad mountain peaks from a different viewing angle.

The most popular Norway fjords are the Geirangerfjord and Naeroyfjord, and both are listed in the Unesco's World Heritage Site. The Naeroyfjord, a spur of the large fjord of Sognefjord, is about 17 kilometers, and it is attributed as the most beautiful fjord in the world.

The famous Norway In A Nutshell tour will provide you a complete experience with train ride, fjord cruise and road journey going up the hill so that you can explore Norway in a limited time. There are plenty of tour packages offering from one day to a week itinerary to suit your traveling schedule, and you can start your Norwegian journey either from Bergen or Osla.

For more traveling tips and information, I would recommend checking out the Norway fjords.

(Copyright Steve W.) - Check out our tour-travel guides. Explore the free hotel search engines to locate the cheapest hotel price in Norway.

Little Know Grand Canal in China

China, with nearly 5,000 years of recorded history, is the cradle of one of the oldest civilizations in the world and is a fascinating land filled with rich cultural heritages and stunning natural beauty. Chinese people have long years' experience in managing their water system and like to name their canal with the second name of the person who was in charge of building the canal at that time.

There are three famous water conservancy projects in China and the oldest one is as early as the 486 B.C. Although established long years ago, those water conservancy projects still play important roles in local peoples' life. Let's have a look of them:

Grand Canal

The Grand Canal, is a marvelous irrigation project of ancient China as well as the oldest and the longest man-made canal in the world. The canal comes from Beijing in north to Hangzhou in south with stretching 1,794 kilometers long and surpasses both the Suez and Panama canals. After the canal was built, it makes 6 provinces linked together and flows to the Haihe, Yellow, Huaihe, and Qiantang and Yangtze River.

As early as the 486 B.C., the canal was first cut near Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, to make the waters of the Yangtze River and Huaihe link together. And from 7th century in the Yuan dynasty to 13th century in the Sui Dynasty, It was finally become the Grand Canal which was the major transport artery between north and south China during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The Grand Canal, like The Great Wall, is a marvelous project in the history of Chinese civilization. It not only facilitated water transport and irrigation but also helped promote the economic and cultural exchange between north and south. At present, the northern portion of the canal is now of little use as a means of communication between north and south. It is badly built, neglected and charged with the mud-laden waters of the Yellow river. The central and southern portions of the canal are very largely used while the 800 kilometers stretching from Jiangsu to Zhejiang is year-round shipping. Taking a boat trip along the canal offers tourists a panoramic view of the landscape of typical river towns, including arched stone bridges, riverside ancient buildings and breathtaking scenery.

The Dujiangyan Dam

The Dujiangyan Dam, 56 kilometres away from Chengdu City, is located by the Mingjiang River in the west of Chengdu Plain. In 250 B.C, Li Bing, garrison commander of Shujun Prefecture, and his son organized the construction of the famed Dujiangyan. It is the greatest irrigation system which is one of the oldest in the world and still in use today. The Dujiangyan Irrigation System has been bringing great benefits to agricultural production.

The system consists of three main sections: the Fish Mouth Water-Dividing Dam, the Flying Sand Fence, and the Bottle-Neck Channel.

The Water-Dividing Dam is also called Fish mouth because it looks like the thing after which it is named. The whole dam looks like a fish, and the front dam has a circular cone shaped like a fish mouth. The Fish mouth divides the water into two parts, 40 percent running into the inner river for irrigation in Chengdu areas and 60 percent running into the outer river as the main stream.
The Flying Sand Fence links the inner and outer canals. The fence helps adjust the water lever and keep the flow of the canal within safe limits. During the high water season, when the flood along the outer canal reaches the fence, the river begins to turn round fast and soon many whirlpools are formed. The volatile whirlpools sweep away sand and pebbles and, throw them into the outer canal. At present, reinforced concrete weir has replaced the ancient fence made of huge bamboo basket with stones and pebbles.

The Bottle-Neck Channel is functioned as the throat of the running water to inner canal. It was called that because the trunk canal was cut through the mountain into two parts which link up the inner canal for irrigation. The small part is later called Li Dui, which means an isolated hill. Chengdu looks like a large bottle and the trunk canal between the mountain and the hill takes shape of the bottleneck.

Due to the success of the project, the dam automatically diverts the Mingjiang River and channels it into irrigation canals. For many years the dam has continued to make the most of the water conservancy works. Two thousand years later today, the Dujiangyan is still playing a role to irrigate the western Sichuan plain as well as avoiding flooding.

Ling Canal

The Ling Canal is located in Xingan County, 66 kilometers north of the city of Guilin. There was a Chinese saying 'In the north there was a Great wall, in the south there was a Ling Canal'. It enjoys the same reputation as the Great Wall.

The Canal was scientifically designed more than 2,000 years ago by Chinese ancestors. In 221 B.C., Qin shi Huang (the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty) want to launch an expedition against the South for the unification of China .In 219 B.C., the emperor ordered Shi Lu to have a canal built to facilitate transport of grain.

The canal consists of two sections, the north and the south, totaling 34 kilometers. The canal system links the Xiang Jiang, a tributary of the Yangtze, with the Li River, a branch of the Pearl River, becoming a hub of communications between Central and South China. It not only facilitated water transport and irrigation but also helped promote the economic and cultural exchange among various nationalities and advance their unity.

The project consists of a plough share head, bifurcation dams, the south section, the north section, the Qin dyke, and a spill dam and lock. Each of the parts of the canal has a specific function. The complexity of the project is more easily understood when you are overlook from the top of the mountain.

The Hai Yang He in the upper reaches of the Xiang Jiang flows down from Hai Yang Shan for 43 kilometers to reach Mei Tan (now called bifurcation pool), where there is a 500-metre bifurcation dam consisting of two sections measuring 380 and 120 meters respectively. The Dam is a bit lower than the banks of the Xiang Jiang River, so that during the high water season, the flood may flow over the top of the dam and empties into the old course of the Xiang Jiang.

The highlight of the canal is its elegant designed ploughshare, also called Hua Zui, in the shape of a ploughshare. The ploughshare divides the water of the Hai Yang River into two parts, 30 percent running into the Li River through the South Channel and 70 percent into the Xiang Jiang through the North Channel. The starting point of the South Channel is 215 meters above sea level. This means a drop of 32 meters in a 30-kilometer course.

The Ling Canal was a great water conservancy project of China in ancient times and is also one of the oldest canals in the world. Everyone will be fascinated to view such a scientifically designed canal in such complicated terrain more than 2,000 years ago.

Touring the Grand Canal, Dujiangyan Dam and the Ling Canal, no visitors can help marveling at these grand ancient water conservancy projects which show the Chinese nation is a great nation and Chinese people are industrious, talented and courageous people.

If you want to read more, please come to visit here:

China Tour - China Wonder Tours is a leading China tour operator in China (Including Tibet and Hong Kong).We offer tour packages, customized trips covering regional flights, transfers, hotel bookings and car rentals.

Alaska Cruise Tour Before Or After You Cruise?

Though the land portion of both the Denali and the Yukon itineraries can be taken either before or after the cruise, we feel that it's better to take the land portion pre-cruise rather than post-cruise. Why? After several days of traveling around in the wilderness, it's nice to be able to get aboard a ship to relax and be pampered for a while.

Because of the distances that must be covered on some wilderness cruise tour itineraries, passengers often have to be rousted out of bed and ready to board the motor coach by, say, 7:30 a.m. And the day may seem to go on forever, with a stop to view this waterfall, or that river or mountain. Then, upon arrival at the next stop, in the early evening usually, the request is "Hurry and get cleaned up for dinner." By the time you've crawled into your new bed often quite late at night, you're beat. It's a nice kind of tired, as the saying goes, but it's tired nevertheless.

After a few days of that, it's great to get on a luxurious cruise ship, unpack just once and rise when you feel like it, comfortable in the knowledge that you haven't missed your transportation and that you'll still be in time to have a leisurely breakfast.

That, at any rate, is the conventional wisdom, and there's more of a demand for pre-cruise land packages than for post-cruise. Since the lines obviously can't always accommodate everybody on a land itinerary before the cruise (they're hoping to even out the traffic flow by having a like number of requests to go touring after the voyage), it's smart to get your bid in early.

Marleny is dedicated to writing about Alaska Cruises. Click Here [http://cruisealaskavacation.com/best-alaska-cruise-tours.html]. for more information and tips for your trip.

Seychelles Packages

Honeymoon destinations can be quiet and deserted corners of the world, where you can get transported into the local surroundings for an escape from your normal life, so that you can just be with one another. Resorts are popular honeymoon destinations and many travel agents offer wonderful romantic all-inclusive honeymoon packages.

Honeymoon planning is the most exciting holiday of your life, and the complete holiday should be totally stress-free for you, comfortable, enjoyable and memorable. A honeymoon package would include everything that you need at the honeymoon resort like the hotel accommodation, exotic food, a little bit of sightseeing and excellent service. It also includes the ticket to that destination. You can book the entire holiday package with one travel agent, just tell him what you want and he will gladly make all the necessary arrangements at the resort of your choice.

An ideal honeymoon destination is Seychelles, which is an island in the heart of the Indian Ocean. Its beauty lies in its location and the remote setting, thus making it one of the most romantic honeymoon spots. All day long you take romantic walks through the palm-lined beaches of the islands, and the beautiful sea sparkles with the border of powdery sands. At night the islands come alive with the nightclubs and casinos and on the beaches there are beach bands and wandering minstrels.

Enjoy the exotic honeymoon packages in Seychelles, because they also include water sports like diving, snorkeling and swimming. The packages are quite affordable and that is why Seychelles has become a favorite for honeymooners from all over the world.

Article written by Pascal Esparon, CEO of Espace Seychelles Ltd. Offers Seychelles Travel packages and Seychelles honeymoon packages.

All Inclusive India Tour Packages

India is a land of rich and diverse culture, enigmatic traditions and dynamic lifestyle. The India tour packages offers you a visit around such a land, which although was ruled by the Britishers for over more than a century, did not lose its identity. As you travel from one place to another, you will only be opening a new door to heaven. You can choose from the various tourist destinations that India travel packages have got to offer. These places include Manali, Shimla, Goa, Nainital, Munnar, Kanyakumari, Corbett, Ooty, Kodaikanal and more such exotic places.

The India tour packages offer you the chance to visit Corbett, where the Corbett National Park is located. The zoo is rich in different species of birds, animals, plants and wildflowers. Through the India travel packages, you will be accommodated in Garden Cottage. Moreover, you will be provided with regular breakfast as well as dinner. You can also avail of the spa treatment that the resort specially arranges for its customers. You will also be treated with an Ayurvedis body massage that will relax your body muscles and will help you rejuvenate the new self within you. You will also be treated with Indonesian bath too, which will be an ultimate experience for you.

The India tour packages also offer a trip to Cochin, the second largest city of the state of Kerala. The city has the Arabian Sea on its west and the Western Ghats on its east, thus rendering it with ultimate picturesque beauty. The India vacation packages take you to a city which, once upon a time, had ties and relations with the Arabs, the Dutch, the British, the Chinese and the Portuguese. The ancient and historical monuments and temples clearly reflect the lifestyle and thinking of the Portuguese.

The India vacation packages take you to the holy and sacred land of Rishikesh. On reaching this place, you will be offered accommodation in a deluxe room. You will also be served two meals. i.e. breakfast and lunch or breakfast and dinner. You will also be provided with 2 bottles of mineral water daily all through your vacation in the place. The India travel packages ensures that you are accommodated in such a hotel that offers you easy means to reach and have the darshan of the Holy Ganga and get rid of all your sins. You will also be greeted with a welcome dream on your arrival to the hotel.

Author is an associate editor for India Tour Packages. Get all possible information about India Travel Packages and Theme Holidays.We also provide information about online hotel reservation, Flights Booking and Holiday Packages in India.

South India Tour - Experience the Rich Traditional South India

South India holds history in its laps that sings songs of rich cultural history of ancient India. The richness of its heritage is truly depicted in its dance forms, architectures, temples and sculptures that amaze the foreign tourists visiting this each year. South India Package Tours include visit to the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Each tours primarily includes the main tourist destinations including Ayurveda centers, wild life, temples, monuments, beaches, hill stations, and other popular tourist spots that form an integral part of tourist packages.

Shopping remains one of the most essential part of any tourist package as it gives an opportunity to take back the reminiscence home in the form of gifts and souvenirs. This exclusive tour packages include shopping times when you can shop sandalwood pens, wooden caskets with inlay work, delicate baskets, pendants, sandalwod carvings, textiles, exotic bookmarks, silk saris, metal ware.

Golf tours are one of the major attractions. You can enjoy the exotic and luxuriant green golf courses in various cities like Bangalore, Chennai and Ooty. The Gymkhana clubs in these cities are a must visit during your trip.

Festivals of India including those of South of India are major tourist attractions. Various festivities of South India Tour packages include Nehru Trophy Boat Race, Thrissur Pooram, Aaranmula Boat Race and Onam in Kerala and Kavadi Festival, Pongal Festival, Karthiqai Deepam in Tamil Nadu.

Opt for some of the finest South India Tour packages viz., monument tours, festival tour, golfing, meditation, temple tours, hills stations, beaches in South India, yoga, Wildlife and Ayurveda tours.

Temple Tours give a deep insight into the religious sanctity of ancient and cultural India. Take a trip to the most celebrated Rameshwaram, Kanchipuram temple, Murugan temple, Meenakshi temple, Mahabalipuram, and Kanyakumari. Guruvayoor temple and Sabarimala temple are some of the famous temples and tourist destinations of Kerala. Karnataka hosts the famous the Somnathpur temple and Badami Cave temple. A trip to Thousand Pillar temple and Tirupati Tirumala Balaji Temple in the Andhra Pradesh is a must during your Temple Tours.

Other important monuments and tourist attractions of South India Tour Packages are visit to Arjuna's Penance, Valluvar Kottam, Jewish synagogue in Kerala and Rock Fort Temple in Tamilnadu. You can also visit Mysore Palace, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka. Take a trip to Char Minar and Golconda Fort in Andhra Pradesh.

It also hosts various national parks and wild life sanctuaries. You can visit these national parks and enjoy the wild life in its natural habitat. Spot various wild animals like Bonnet Monkeys, Tiger, Jungle Fowl, Panther, Ibex, Langurs, Gaur (Indian Bison), Spotted Deer, and some commonly found birds at the national park. Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary (Kerala), Kunthakulam Bird Sanctury (Tamil Nadu), Thekkady Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala), Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu), Bandipur National Park (Karnataka), Crocodile Bank (Tamil Nadu) and Nagarhole National Park( Karnataka) are some of the popular national parks and sanctuaries of Southern India.

Enjoy the long stretching, pure and sandy beaches like Malpe Beach, Maravanthe Beach in Karnataka, Murudeshwar Beach and; Alappuzha beach, Kovalam beach Varkala beach in Kerala and Marina Beach, Mahabalipuram Beach and Kanyakumari Beach in Tamilnadu.

There is no place in India like South India to relieve yourself from stress and anxiety. Visit various Ayurvedic spas, yoga and meditation tours especially in Pondicherry that houses major yoga and meditation center in South India. Kerala and Auroville are other popular places for such activities.

South India tours are one of the most exotic vacation packages while visiting India. Tourism industry is a major source of income in South India, which is well, supported, with plenty of five star deluxe, three star, four star, five star, cheap hotels, resorts and guesthouses.

Planning to explore the land of the backwaters and beaches? Author provides you the information about South India Tours and South India Tour Packages

Popular Tourist Places to Visit on Rajasthan Tours

Rajasthan is one of the most popular states in India with great tourism potential. There are a number of beautiful and splendid tourist places in this state. Travelers from all over the world visit this state to visit its tempting tourist places which are dotted with many attractions. Have a look at popular tourist places to visit in on tours and travels in Rajasthan.

Mount Abu - Mount Abu is the only hill station of this state. It enjoys cool and cheery climate. It is an ideal place for spend holidays for few days during the summer. It is very popular among vacationers and honeymooners. This small hill station has lots of attractions to offer its visitors. Some popular tourist attractions in this small hill city are Jaipur House, Temples, Dilwara Jain Temple Complex, Nakki Lake, Guru Shikhar, Honeymoon Point, Sunset Point, etc. Boat ride in Nakki Lake is a cheery experience. The Dilwara Temple is known for its architectural excellence. It can be one of enticing attractions of your Rajasthan Tours Package.

Udaipur - Udaipur is a beautiful town located in this state. Also known as the City of Lakes, it is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in India. There are many beautiful lakes and romantic palaces in this city. Traveling in Udaipur is a unique experience. Lake Palace, City Palace, Jag Mandir Palace, Monsoon Palace, Fateh Prakash Palace, Shiv Niwas Palace, etc are beautiful palaces in the state which attracts tourists for Rajasthan tours from all over the world. Pichola Lake, Fateh Sagar Lake, Udai Sagar, etc are beautiful lakes in the city. Jagdish Temple, Folk Art Museum, Pratap Memorial, etc are other attractions of Udaipur city tours and travels. And you will love to visit Udaipur on your Rajasthan Tour and travels.

Jaisalmer - Jaisalmer is an splendid cities in the state situated in the middle of the vast Thar Desert. It is a wonderland to explore on Rajasthan Tours in India. It is also known as the Golden City of India or Mini Rajasthan. Golden Fort, Jain Temples, Merchant Havelis, Desert National Park, Camel Safari, Jeep Safari, Sand Dunes, Desert Camping, etc are featured attractions of Jaisalmer tourism.

Jaipur - Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan. It is famously known as the Pink City of India. City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, etc are key attractions of Jaipur tourism. Jaipur is also a destination of golden Triangle Tour package. Golden triangle is a very popular Rajasthan Tour package which is offered by most travel agencies or tour operators.

Rupesh Jha is an author of travel and tourism related topics. He has been writing articles since long time. If you want to know more about Rajasthan Tour visit to http://www.rajasthanluxurytour.com/