Thursday, 17 January 2019

How to fill your daytime transit in Bangkok

How to fill your daytime transit in Bangkok
If you are flying through Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) and find yourself with a layover of over six hours, it might be worth your while to pop into the city center for a taste of Thailand. Taxis make for an inexpensive and efficient means of reaching the city center in relatively little time. This should then leave you with just enough hours to fit in a bowl of noodles, a Thai massage, a tour through a temple or a peek at a palace before returning to the airport for your onwards journey.

Relax with a traditional Thai massage

While Bangkok is full of inexpensive spas and massage salons, some rather more dubious than others, Health Land is a chain that is perhaps first off the lips of Thais and expats when asked for a recommendation of a reputable, genuinely relaxing and professionally delivered massage.
How to fill your daytime transit in Bangkok
The closest Health Land branch to Suvarnabhumi airport is on Srinakarin Road, around a 25-minute taxi ride away. There is also a branch in the Chaengwattana area of northern Bangkok, around a 30-minute taxi journey from Don Muang airport. Both branches are open daily from 9am until 11pm, call or e-mail ahead for an appointment in order to avoid disappointment.

Take downtown experience

Relax with a traditional Thai massage
If you have got long enough between flights, it is quick, easy and inexpensive to get downtown from Suvarnabhumi airport using the Airport Rail Link. Taking the train to Phaya Thai takes just 19 minutes, and from there you can connect to the BTS Skytrain in order to reach downtown areas like Siam (for Siam Paragon shopping centre), Chidlom (for Central World shopping centre), Asok (for Terminal 21 shopping centre), Phrom Phong (for Benjasiri Park and the EmQuartier and Emporium shopping centres), and the trendy coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques of Thonglor.

Walk around Khao San Road

How to fill your daytime transit in Bangkok
This former rice-market has been transformed in recent years into a massive backpacker hot-spot which vies for the title of ‘backpacker capital of the universe'. During the day, shopping opportunities are endless with vendors setting up stalls that sell anything from local handicrafts and paintings to pirated CDs and DVDs. In the evening, the street transforms into a string of bars and pubs, filled with travellers discussing their adventures and misadventures. As you browse and wander, be sure to fit in a classic Thai massage and a bowl of noodles into your day’s activities – these are two of the most-essential activities on the street. Tattoo parlors, insect-frying street vendors, and bars that specialize in bucket-sized cocktails also sit among the street’s most notorious sites.

Shop at one of Bangkok’s legendary malls

How to fill your daytime transit in Bangkok
Bangkok is famed for its huge shopping malls and you can visit one even if you do not have time to head all the way downtown. Numerous shopping centres are located within close proximity to Suvarnabhumi airport, allowing you to escape the airport for a couple of hours, enjoy a Thai meal, and stock up on souvenirs or treats for yourself.

Paseo mall is located just a six-minute taxi ride from Suvarnabhumi airport, and features plenty of massage salons, restaurants, and inexpensive retail outlets.

Read more: The unusual destinations you might not know in Thailand
Source Internet

Wednesday, 16 January 2019

Discover 5 best islands in Vietnam

With thousands of islands, islets, and atolls, one could spend a lifetime exploring the stunning coastline of Vietnam. Picture-perfect to behold, the pristine turquoise waters that border the idyllic sandy beaches beckon alluringly. While the sun glints off the surface of the sea, below the waves, the rich underwater ecosystems teem with life, making scuba diving and snorkeling an unforgettable experience.

Discover 5 best islands in Vietnam

Quan Lan

Discover 5 best islands in Vietnam
Very much off the beaten path, Quan Lan is a world away from the frenetic streets of Vietnam’s main cities. Despite being in Ha Long Bay, it is sparsely populated and sees relatively few tourists. A quiet, peaceful place, Quan Lan Village has one street full of bars, restaurants, and hotels. Apart from that, there are just pockets of activity and life around the island. With its laidback way of life, just wandering around and taking in the beautiful scenery is the main thing to do if you’re not lounging on one of Quan Lan’s fantastic beaches.

Binh Ba Island

Discover 5 best islands in Vietnam
Lying just twenty kilometers off the mainland, Binh Ba Island is absolutely gorgeous and well worth heading to if you have the chance. Relatively easy to get to, it is also known as Lobster Island because of the large, tasty crustaceans that you can find here. While the residential part of Binh Ba is a tightly packed mess of houses, there are still lots of secluded and peaceful areas of the island that aren’t too far away. Its two main beaches are lovely to lounge upon, and the beautiful waters that border them are picture-perfect. The reefs around the island make for some great diving spots.

Tuan Chau Island

Discover 5 best islands in Vietnam
Lying only eight kilometers away from famous Ha Long Bay and its gateway point Ha Long City, Tuan Chau Island has loads of fun and entertaining activities on offer and is a great place to kick back and relax. With many different hotels, resorts and villas to choose from, as well as numerous dining options, visitors to the island will never be bored. Although artificial, the beach is perfect for taking in the sun and there are lots of water sports for you to partake in, with jet skiing and kayaking being particularly popular. Everything imaginable is available here, and lucky visitors can enjoy rock climbing and deep sea fishing before watching a circus performance or martial arts show. With spectacular Ha Long Bay just a short trip away, Tuan Chau Island an ideal beach holiday destination.

Co To Island

Discover 5 best islands in Vietnam
One of the most beautiful places to visit in the north of Vietnam, Co To Island is popular with local tourists but as yet, is relatively undiscovered by foreigners. With stunning beaches bordered by pristine, turquoise waters, the island is home to some distinctive rock formations at Cay My, which are well worth visiting. While Van Chai beach is particularly lovely to kick back and relax on, more adventurous holidaymakers may prefer to go rock climbing or hiking in the interior of the island. With lots of accommodation and dining options on offer catering to every budget, Co To island is an easy and attractive place to visit with a range of incredible vistas.

Phu Quy

Discover 5 best islands in Vietnam
Blissfully undeveloped and untouched, Phu Quy is mainly made up of fishermen’s villages. As such, there is a delightful, laidback vibe and it is a lot less touristy than many other islands in Vietnam. Rocky in places, with undulating sand dunes and hills in others, the island is best viewed from the lighthouse at Cam Mountain. Here, you will also find the delightful Linh Buu Pagoda, which is well worth visiting. As most of the island is relatively untouched by tourism, the beaches are uncrowded and often empty; it is very easy to arrange boat trips to nearby deserted islets.

See more: Northern Vietnam and the most amazing destinations

Source Touropia

The unusual destinations you might not know in Thailand

The unusual destinations you might not know in Thailand
When you think about Thailand, you may think about white sand beaches and sparkling blue seas in Phuket, or maybe busy streets and magnificent temples in Bangkok. But hidden deep in the unknown, there are many places in Thailand where you see it, you would not believe these places even exist, not in Thailand, nor even in this world.

Sam Phan Bok

Located in the beautiful low key province of Ubon Ratchathani close to Laos, you will find Sam Phan Bok, otherwise known as the Grand Canyon of Thailand. Unlike the Grand Canyon in Chiang Mai, Sam Phan Bok is a natural land formation made up of unique land formations, as well as a river with little pools of water. The place is called Sam Phan Bok which translates to three thousand holes due to the 3000 icecream-scoop-like holes on the ground.
The unusual destinations you might not know in Thailand
Holes, basins, and various depressions fill the area as far as the river stretches. As the place is very peaceful and tranquil, it is common for photographers to come to this place at night in order to capture the beauty. Most people recommend visiting during the dry season (December-June) in order to see the many holes and imprints that you can see when the water levels of the river is low.

Talay Bua Dang (Red Lotus Sea)

The unusual destinations you might not know in Thailand
Located near the Udon Thani Province, you can head to the Kumphawapi district which is located between Udon Thani and Khon Kaen. From the Udon Thani Airport, the lake is around 50km.
You can hire a boat to get close to these beautiful flowers. When you are out in the lake, gliding among the floating beauties, you cannot help but feel imbued with a touch of magic and romance. That is why Talay Bua Dang is very popular destination for many pre-wedding photo shoots.
The best time to go is before 10am when the flowers at their peak bloom, and if you are there to take photos, remember to wear white clothing. It will make you really pop in the photo among all that red.

Lalu, Sa Kaeo

The unusual destinations you might not know in Thailand
A natural oddity close to the Cambodian border, Lalu is a formation of eroded earth. Strange jagged pinnacles rise from the dusty terrain or, if viewed from above, a strange canyon gorges its way into the earth, filled with odd protrusions. The means of accessing the site is also a little bit unusual and plenty of fun, you must go there along a bumpy road in a cart pulled by a tractor.

Sra Morakot

The unusual destinations you might not know in Thailand
Located in the popular town of Krabi, Sra Morakot is a day trip that we urge everyone to take. The pond is created from a natural water stream coming from the forest. There is an entrance fee of 200 THB which is collected by the entrance. It is recommended to go during the weekday to avoid the crowds. Mornings are also best as it is often uncrowded. As soon as you get there, you will see the crystal lagoon or the crystal pond gleaming in the sun. Here, you can take an enchanting dip to cool off.

Hin Sam Whan, Phu Singh Forest Park

The unusual destinations you might not know in Thailand
It is impressive enough how these massive and ancient (over 75 million years) rocks can sit on top of the mountain 350 meters high above the ground. But from a drone view, it has been revealed that these giant rock formations look like a family of whales. The heads of the whales stick out from the mountain as if they were about to fly off from their mountain home into a magical land. The surface of the rocks are so smooth, and even has bumps and scratches like real whale skin.

You are allowed to walk on the rock but do be cautious as there are no guard rails, and you should not walk too close to the steep edges. There are also many shapes of rock formation in Phu Singh Forest Park. According to locals, you can find Elephant Stone, Heart Stone and Stone Wall along the way.

Read more: Top 10 tourist attractions in Thailand

Source Internet