Insight To Asia
The 20 Best Beaches in Thailand
The 20 Best Beaches in Thailand facebook twitter google+ pinterest On the hundreds of islands on Thailand’s coast, there are thousands of fantastic beaches to choose from. Whether you want to party hard with a vodka bucket, or just relax in a beachside bungalow, Thailand has it all – so here’s our rundown of the best beaches in Thailand. Hat Sai Ree, Ko Tao To the north of the island’s ain landing point, Mae Hat, and beyond a small promontory, you’ll find Hat Sai Ree – Ko Tao’s longest beach. This strip of white sand stretches for 2km in a […]
The 20 Best Islands in Thailand
The 20 Best Islands Of Thailand facebook twitter google+ pinterest Thailand is home to an astonishing array of islands offering all manner of diving, swimming and sunbathing opportunities all year round. The hardest part for any visitor is singling out the best. Here are 20 of our favourites. Scroll down and click the link to see them placed geographically on our interactive map. Koh Chang Edged with a chain of long, mostly white-sand beaches and dominated by a broad central spine of jungle-clad hills, Koh Chang is developing fast but still feels green. It’s Thailand’s second largest island, after Phuket, […]
Guidelines for Ecotravel – Responsible Travel Advice
Guidelines for Ecotravel – Responsible Travel Advice facebook twitter google+ pinterest As an eco- traveller it is your responsibility to prevent or minimise any negative impacts on the environment, local community and economy of the destination you are visiting. Our aim is to provide guidelines that will help you to remember the principles of ecotourism throughout your trip. Before you go Choose your travel provider on the basis of their eco principles and practices. Educate yourself about the destination you are visiting by reading guidebooks and travel articles. Be aware of local history, culture and customs of the locals before […]
Harnessing the Mekong or Killing It?
Harnessing the Mekong or Killing It ? facebook twitter google+ pinterest Dams are rising all along the Mekong. The people of Southeast Asia need the clean electricity—but also the fish and rice that an undammed river provides. Pumee Boontom lives in northern Thailand, but he tunes his television to the Chinese weather forecast. A big storm in southern China means a big release of water from the Chinese dams upstream—and, in turn, a good chance his village will be flooded. The Chinese government is supposed to warn downstream countries. In Boontom’s experience, that warning tends to arrive too late or […]
Swimming With Whale Sharks In the Philippines
Swimming With Whale Sharks In the Philippines facebook twitter google+ pinterest Swimming with whale sharks in the Philippines was featured as the Best Animal Encounter in Asia by Time Magazine in 2004. Donsol is also known as the “Whale Shark Capital of the World” By our third encounter, we had complete confidence in Randy Renado, our Butanding Interaction Officer, and his ability to see into both the immediate future and the turgid gray-green waters of the Sibuyan Sea. “Now, look down” he would command shortly after my wife and I and our twin daughters had re-donned our masks, snorkels and […]
Travelling Turns You Into A Decent Human Being
Travelling Turns You Into A Decent Human Being facebook twitter google+ pinterest I remember looking up into the Amazonian night – lungs filled with pure air, feet digging into cold earth, seeing the hazy violet dust of the Milky Way. I remember meeting people who knew the curves and creases of the land in a way I never would. I saw giggling children running barefoot through deep jungle. A man, eyes closed, playing Andean pan flute on the streets of Leticia. I bought a copy of his music for the equivalent of 25 cents, a CD in a flimsy paper […]
Vietnamese Food For Beginners
Vietnamese Food For Beginners facebook twitter google+ pinterest Take a gastronomic tour of Vietnam, but be warned – do not read this article if you are even slightly hungry. 1. Pho They call it beef noodle soup, and such it is, but it is also so much more. It is Vietnam in a bowl. Pronounced like “fur” without the “r”, it is beef noodle soup raised to the nth degree. You can have pho everywhere in Vietnam, but it is almost a cult in Hanoi. Try it Pho Gia Truyen in Hanoi’s Old Quarter for a taste of the really […]
Island Hopping In The Philippine Paradise of Palawan
Island Hopping In The Philippine Paradise of Palawan facebook twitter google+ pinterest Palawan has beautiful untouched nature, breathtaking lagoons, deserted tropical islands, unspoiled white sandy beaches and some of the best diving in Asia. Life does not get much better than when you are island-hopping near the town of El Nido, on the island of Palawan in the far west of the Philippines. Sheer limestone cliffs encase beautiful white sand beaches, waters teem with brightly-coloured fish and pink sunsets provide the backdrop for seafront barbecues. The Philippines has, for the time being, avoided the tourist influx invading its South East […]
Give street kids a dollar, help or harm ?
Give Street Kids A Dollar, Help Or Harm ? facebook twitter google+ pinterest You may be doing more harm than good with your generosity to begging children. Travelers visiting poor and developing countries can get overwhelmed by poverty – specifically, by children on the street who are begging for money. But there are ethical implications in handing over a few coins to a child in need. Experts and experienced travelers often refrain from such acts of kindness because ultimately, they may do more harm than good. Ryan Whitney, an international development specialist living in San Francisco, recalled tough situations in […]
Koh Tarutao Islands – Thailands Hidden Paradise
Koh Tarutao Islands – Thailands Hidden Paradise facebook twitter google+ pinterest Tucked away in Thailand’s deep South, the Tarutao islands feature 1,490 square kilometres of untamed paradise. It took a team of landscape gardeners to make the beach in The Beach look like a proper island paradise. Why go to all that trouble when you can find the real thing in the laid-back islands of the Tarutao Archipelago? Tucked away in Thailand’s deep South, this is the last group of Thai islands to escape the developers. It probably helps that the main island is the headquarters of the Ko Tarutao […]