Visit the top spots in Koh Samui Archipelago

Have a trip to Thailand in a few days? If you are a beach lover and an active partygoer, head to the South of Thailand and visit Koh Samui, an archipelago with stunning beaches and breathtaking sights.

Koh Samui

Koh Samui is Thailand's second most popular vacation island after Phuket, and it's nearly as developed, too. Unlike the other islands in the Koh Samui Archipelago, it has an airport.

Koh Samui is a large island (the second largest in Thailand) and is home to a wide variety of places to stay across all budgets. It's also home to lots of bars and restaurants, including some upscale eateries operated by famous chefs. Compared to neighboring islands, Samui stays busy with a crowd of higher budget travelers, honeymooners, and families on vacation. The nightlife in Chaweng gets rowdy; thankfully, Koh Samui is large enough for escaping to tranquility, too.

Though the beaches are not quite as beautiful as those on islands along the Andaman Coast (Phuket, Koh Lanta, and Koh Phi Phi), they offer visitors warm water, soft sand, and lots of palm trees. The interior of Koh Samui remains mostly mountainous and undeveloped jungle.

Ko Pha Ngan

This notorious party island isn't just about getting wasted on Haad Rin Beach and dancing till dawn in the sand during Full Moon Parties. Koh Pha Ngan is a big island with plenty of other beaches and idyllic bays on offer. Regardless, Koh Pha Ngan tends to draw a younger, backpacking crowd along with long-term travelers and digital nomads in search of holistic communities and cheap living. The Sanctuary is a boat-accessible health retreat tucked in a bay just around the corner from the party peninsula of Haad Rin.

The southern part of Koh Pha Ngan is known for its parties where body paint and electronic music get showcased. But the island also has some beautiful, quiet beaches with seaside bungalows and high-end boutique resorts. The northern side of the island has some bays that cater to a more relaxed crowd. When no party is in progress, the beach at Haad Rin is excellent. Travelers tend to head over to little Koh Tao to play between Full Moon Party weeks.

Koh Tao

Although it was once reserved for divers and backpackers, Koh Tao is becoming more and more popular with vacationers. Koh Tao is the most popular place in the world to become scuba certified, and doing so is surprisingly inexpensive; dive shops crowd for space among bars and restaurants.

Koh Tao may have been "sleepy" back when when the divers who came to the island had morning classes and early dives to make. Now, a nightly pub crawl and plenty of pubs attract travelers from Koh Pha Ngan after the Full Moon Party week finishes. The island can get rambunctious with bucket drinks, fireshows, and numerous pubs on streets away from the beach.

Koh Tao is located north of Koh Pha Ngan and is smaller and lesser developed than either of its neighbors in the Koh Samui archipelago. That doesn't mean you'll have to rough it; there are enough resorts and restaurants to keep you occupied and entertained.

Ang Thong National Marine Park

The three islands of the Koh Samui Archipelago are also part of Ang Thong Marine National Park, one of Thailand's protected nature areas. There are actually 42 separate islands spread over 49 square miles that make up the marine park. Most are very small and can only be visited on day trips. Snorkeling is excellent over the shallow reefs in the park. Paddling around the islands by kayak may yield your own private beach hidden just out of sight.

Koh Wua Talap is home to the marine park headquarters and tourist center. If you're willing to go without electricity after 11 p.m., you can actually reserve one of the few bungalows on the island for beautiful views all to yourself in the morning. Camping is also available, and no, there isn't any Wi-Fi!

The best way to see Ang Thong Marine National Park is to arrange a day trip from one of the islands. Koh Samui is the usual base, although boats can be hired from Koh Pha Nagan and Koh Tao as well. Most travel agents and hotel concierges will gladly sell you a ticket.

See more: A perfect getaway with a trip to Koh Samui

Source: Internet

What to eat in Shangri-la, China

Shangri-La or Xianggelila is a county-level city in northwestern Yunnan province, People's Republic of China and is the location of the seat of the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Shangri-la is made up of Tibetan and many ethnic minorities which makes the foods here unique and have some Tibetan tastes.

Zanba

Zanba is the main dish of the Tibetan people, and is both nutritious and conveniently portable (can be taken anywhere), an important requirement for a people who live on a high plateau where neither naturally occurring are readily available. The dish is prepared by adding some zanba flour to a bit of tea that is poured into the zanba bowl, then spiked with ghee and white sugar – and if the trip is short, or during the first part of a long trip, also butter/ clarified butter, the latter of which is also often used in tea for drinking, aka buttered tea.

Butter Tea

Often drink it with Zanba, butter with tea plays a very important role in the diet structure of the Zang nationality. The Zang people drink it at least three times a day while some even more than ten times! It can produce a lot of heat so that Tibetans can withstand the cold weather and also can relieve thirst and promote fluid.

Yogurt

As a special dairy product in Tibetan family in Shangri-la, Yogurt is called ‘Shuo’ in Tibetan. It is highly nutritious and good for digestion. It is said that the regular taking of yogurt can promote your health and prolong your life.

Saimi Mutton (Sai Mi Yang Rou)

Saimi Mutton is only served for the Tibetan men returning from hunting. It is cooked by their wives to express their happiness and sweet love. The ingredients are eggs, sugar, wine, rapeseed oil and butter. This dish is gold with fresh, sweet and sour taste.

Guoben Hot Pot (Guo Ben Huo Guo)

Guoben means a kind of wild vegetable in Tibetan, growing high mountains in Shangri-la. It is nutritious and good for health. The main materials include Guoben, potatoes, boiled pork tripe, bean curd, boiled ham, tree mushrooms and Pipa Pork.

Read more: Become one with nature on a trip to Shangri-la

Source Internet

Non-touristy activities to do in South Korea

South Korea is one of the most intriguing travel destinations in Asia. When you go, dive deep into Korean culture with these non-touristy things to do in South Korea.

Wear Traditional Korean Clothing

Chances are, you start your journey in Seoul. The Korean capital is a melting pot of tradition and modernity with old temples and palaces standing next to futuristic exhibition halls and museums. If you want to understand Koreans, the first step is to dress accordingly. Rent a Korean hanbok and you will not only feel more like a local, but you will also have free access to cultural sites, such as the palaces and temples in the city.

Play Traditional Korean Games

Jeonju is one of the most interesting cities to visit in South Korea. The old town is filled with hundreds of traditional Korean houses, called hanok. Koreans love to keep their traditions alive and have declared Jeonju their cultural capital. In fact, the city houses a large cultural center where visitors have the chance to try out traditional Korean games such as the board game Yut Nori or Tuho, a game where players throw sticks from a set distance into a canister.

Visit Busan’s SpaLand

Koreans love their bathhouses and it’s not uncommon to spend an entire day soaking in a variety of healing waters. One of Korea’s best bathhouses is located in the country’s second largest city of Busan in the south of the country. The coastal city is known for its beach vibe, seafood and natural springs. Busan’s SpaLand is an upscale version of the common Korean jjimjilbang (bathhouses) but absolutely affordable with admissions ranging from ₩12,000 ($10.50) on weekdays to ₩14,000 ($12.25) on weekends.

Explore Seoul’s Upcoming Artist Village

Most tourists in Seoul visit Bukchon Hanok Village with its old Korean houses and lovely shops. However, there is a neighborhood in Seoul that is far more traditional and hip featuring intriguing hanok teahouses, artist cafés and vintage shops. The neighborhood of Ikseondong was saved destruction by its faithful locals who have turned the area into a haven for art lovers, indie music fans and those interested in Korean traditional architecture.

Explore Tapsa Temple

While temples are not a rare sight in South Korea, Tapsa Temple at the foot of Maisan Mountain in North Jeolla Province is so unknown that not even many Koreans know about it. The temple features more than 80 man-made stone pagodas that are said to have created an electromagnetic powerhouse. It is believed that if you make a wish and place a pebble on one of the pagodas, it will come true.

See more: Most amazing places to visit in Korea during autumn

Source: Internet