9 Paradise Islands in Thailand

I will take you to float away with the tide to 9 Paradise Islands in The Southern of Thailand.Speading over both the gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea, these islands offer not only picturesque beaches,underwater life featuring colorful coral reefs and huge variety of fish, but also extremely relaxing lifestyle that will make everyone’s trip impressively unforgettable.

Koh Kradan,Trang (The most Romantic Island)

Renowned for Thailand’s most romantic and classic island, Koh Kradan, Trang is selected by the Tourism Authority of Thailand as location of mass underwater wedding event. Despite a small island, natural surrounding of Koh Kradan is spectacular, including the forest,the endless powdery white beach and the undersea life where star fish inhabit the coral reef.Even after the Tsunami,Koh Kradan remains fascinating tourist attraction for travelers to seek the memorable experience.

Koh Lao Liang, Trang(Adventurous Experience in the Andaman)

After years of closure for bird’s nest concession, stunning twin islands of North and South Lao Liang has revealed its beautiful nature to the eyes of visitors.The vasr of limestone cliffs resembling a bark of North Lao Liang or Lao Liang Nong challenge rock climbers with various routes. For those who are scared of height,water activities are ready for their pleasure ‘snorkeling or kayaking’.If you don’t miss the adventurous experience in the Andaman Sea, make plan in advance since Koh Lao Liang open from November to May only !

Moo Koh Surin Trang (A Wonderful World of Coral Reef)

No island in the North Andaman Sea can beat the beautiful and fertile Surin island.It not only features white sandy beach and crystal clear water that permits a great view of water creatures underneath, but also gathers a ‘Top’list, namely the largest area of coral reef of 7 square kilometer with a long stretch of 1,200 meters, the top variety of fishes with over 200 species and the oldest stretch of coral reef proven by the Blue Hole,Koh Surin Nua, Koh Surin Tai, Koh Torilla, Koh Pajumba and Koh Stock, as well as beautiful underwater Stonehenge in this area offer a great opportunity for visitor to experience the wonder of coral reef and wide variety of fish.

Koh Lipe, Satun (Paradise Island with Natural Beauty)

Koh Lipe, the center of civilization in Koh Tarutao located in Thailand’s southern sea,is fertile with evergreen forest, mangrove forest and hoenbills.Visitors can enjoy Koh Kai with natural stone bridge or take a boat trip to visit the white sandy beach at Koh Adang and Ravi, underwater Stonehenge and Koh Hin Ngam,the only place in Thailand where there are many thousands of round stones on the beach. The charm of Lipe is Supplemented by the South bay, Ao Phattaya 2, a center of seafood restaurants and resorts. Visitor can complete the trip by admiring the sun as it sinks into the sea and visiting Chao Le Villagers who live in a small cottage and earn their living on fishing.

Koh Tao, Surat Thani (A must premier Diving Spots)

Koh Tao, part of Koh Phagnan in Surat, is one of premier diving locations in the Gulf of Thailand with several dive shops, attracting thousands of diver and visitors. It vast open bay provides a wide variety of natural coral reefs and various school of fishes that is best for diving. Koh Tao also offers different scenic such as Haad Sai Ri, Haad Cho Po Ro or Haad mae haad.Visitors who are staying at luxurious resorts in Koh Tao are rewarded with many activities such as banana boat, beach volleyball, jet ski or take a boat for a skin diving at nearby Koh Nang Yuan.

Koh Phi Phi Leh,Krabi (Crytal Lagoon in the Andaman)

Ao Maya, the half-moon bay of Phi Phi Islands hidden in mountain cliffs, seems like the mysterious world hiding itself from the visitors. The bay provides secluded beaches with white sand and magnificent coral reef making the site perfect for snorkeling. Ao Maya is paradise for sea lover to enjoy sunbathing or swimming in a private place surrounded by blue sky, emerald crystal sea, and mountain cliffs. No wonder why Hollywood had chosen it as the location for filming the world’s famous movie, The Beach !

Koh Kai, Koh Tab, Koh Mo, Krabi (The Amazing Thale Waek )

Krabi is famous for its beautiful hundred islands of Andaman Sea.Among the 130 limstone islands, 3 islands namely Koh Kai with a chicken head shaped stone and 2 smaller Koh Tab and Koh Mo, are exceptional. During high tide, they look like 3 nearby ordinary island but during low tide, the sea is separated by the white sand dune that appears to amazingly connect the three islands like a natural bridge, called ‘Thale Waek’. The best time to experiences this phenomenon is 5 days before and after the full moon, just take a short boat trip from Ao Nag or Raileh !

Koh Ngai, Krabi (Gorgeous Scene of Sunrise)

Koh Ngai is one of the spectacular islands in Krabi sea, a must destination of the travelers around the world. The island which can be reached by oat from Krabi or Trang is surrounded by scenic natural beauty and magnificent resorts. The head of the island is home to stone shrine of Kuan Lm Goddess and a place to admire the sunset. A recommended night activity is ‘chicken crab’ searching in the forest, where the crabs are making noise of claw clapping like a noise of chicken crying. Visitor can’t afford to miss the sunrise at Koh Ngai which offers a gorgeous scene of Koh Ma and Koh Chuak sparkling n the serene sea under the sunlight !

Koh Lanta, Krabi (From Sea Port to Tourist Spot)

Transformed from sea port in the past to one of the energetic tourist attractions today, Mo Koh Lanta offers tranquil surroundings for those who prefer serenity. Koh Lanta consists of three major islands namely Koh Lanta Noi, Koh Klang, and Yai, Koh Lanta Yai. From Hauhin village, visitors can travel by ferry to Koh Lanta Yai to enjoy the local lifestyle, then drive to Tanode cape at the edge of the island to visit the beach forest , the white sandy beach up to the cliff where a white beacon is gracefully situated. Admiring the sunset at Laem Tanode before trip back to Ban Sala Dan, the Downtown of Koh Lanta, is a must to complete a happy holiday !

Information from : Men Intrend Magazine

UNDERWATER WORLDS

The Andaman Sea´s five best dive sites

LIKE A SEASONED celebrity, a multi-coloured frogfish poses in front of an underwater camera. Nearby, a five-metre whale shark glides along, while three manta rays gracefully circle a diver. Such magical scenes are part of everyday life in the Andaman Sea that borders the west coast of Thailand and neighbouring Myanmar. Offering some of the best diving in the world, it is no surprise that this is where divers end up, if they are serious about scuba.

The largest dive centre is Phuket, providing a convenient access point to a huge variety of excellent sites. Some are right on the doorstep, only a short speedboat ride away. Several extra-special ones are further away and further apart. These are best to visit aboard a larger, long-range boat known as a liveaboard.

Both Phuket and Khao Lak to the north are bases for these specially equipped cruisers that ply the underwater paradises.

The comfortable vessels typically travel at night while you sleep, so by morning, all you have to do is jump into the blue water and start your underwater exploration.

Dive into the following five sites for a glimpse of what you can expect to find, deep under the Andaman Sea.

1. THE THREE ISLETS (HOBBIT LAND, THREE STOOGES, SHARK CAVE REEF)
Myanmar

Once part of Siam (Thailand) and now Myanmar, you will find over 300 virtually uninhabited islands and rocks around this small group of islands in the middle of the Mergui Archipelago. This particular site has been called almost as many names as it has received divers over the years and remains one of the best in the Andaman Sea. As with most, there is little more than barren rock to look at above the water; but below the surface, you’ll find a scenic kaleidoscope of colours, shapes and textures. Many divers travel here to catch a glimpse of a grey reef shark.

Even if they make an appearance, they are a minor attraction compared to the wondrous sea life found amongst the pinnacles: colourful schools of fish, harlequin shrimp, squid, ghost pipefish, anemone or clownfish, frogfish, moray eels, and nudibranchs go about their day and leave you to explore their world.

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2. FANFOREST PINNACLE
Myanmar

As the name suggests, Fanforest Pinnacle (and nearby Western Rocky) is full of sea fans – some of the largest in the world. The pinnacle itself begins five metres below the surface, dropping down to almost a 50m depth. The views are different, depending which side you are on, but they include rocky ridges twisting down towards the sandy bottom and plunging vertical walls.

Here, leopard sharks (oft en referred to as zebra sharks) rule. They hide between rocks and seem to be less afraid of divers than those at other sites. If you are careful and approach the shark at eye level, you should be able to get quite close before they rise slowly off the bottom and gracefully swim away. Their gentle demeanour makes for fantastic and easy photo opportunities. Moreover, the number of other unusual creatures found in between the rock crevices is sure to keep even the biggest fish geek happy.

3. RICHELIEU ROCK
Mu Koh Surin National Park, Thailand

Probably the most famous dive site in Thailand, Richelieu Rock lies just south of the Burmese border and east of the Surin Islands. The pinnacle is barely exposed at low tide and below the surface, it drops over 40m into the sand.

In the 1990s, it was considered one of the best sites in the world, and diving with whale sharks in clear water was the norm. Today, there are fewer whale sharks, but this spot still attracts thousands of divers a year and never fails to thrill – even if the giant stars of the show don’t make an appearance. Every nook and cranny has some sort of life growing on it, and one can spend hours searching for unusual sea-dwellers.

Richelieu is an easy dive to navigate, compared to others in the Andaman Sea. A diver of average skill level can safely explore on his own: the currents are usually manageable and the site is not particularly deep, so it is rare to get lost.

However, it is still best to use a dive master guide if you want to do some serious spotting of marine life; you will see a lot more with someone who knows where all the different critters like to hide.

4. KOH PAYU
Similan Islands, Thailand

Although there are over 20 dive sites around the nine idyllic outcrops forming the Similan Islands, the aquarium-like dive at Koh Payu is perhaps the best. The hard corals are extremely healthy and there is a good mixture of soft corals as well. This is unusual as you typically only find one or the other, not both, in this region. Most of the reef is composed of sloping hard corals with sea fans springing out between their heads. The main attraction is a particularly large “bommie” or coral head. Starting at about 30m deep, it stretches up almost a further 20m, and is home to an array of creatures: moray eels, nudibranchs, gobies, cowries, frogfish, anemone fish and ghost pipefish among them.

Turning out towards the blue water, silvery jacks dart back and forth feeding, and schools of bigeyes and snappers hang about on the reef. If you only have time for one dive in the Similan Islands, make this your first choice.

5. HIN DAENG
Trang, Thailand

Sitting approximately 95km south of Phuket, Hin Daeng is just a small rock above the water, but what lies below the water is a different matter. It is the size of a football pitch with finger-like ridges that fan out, reaching down to over 65m, making it the deepest vertical dive site in Thailand. The southern side of the rock is almost sheer and known as the most dramatic wall dive in the Andaman Sea, where such depths and formations are rare. For most divers, the highlight is the spectacular sight of the pinnacle itself – the water is quite clear below the five-metre mark so it is possible to get a real sense of the sheer size of the structure. Amazing marine life among the colourful soft coral and sea fans is another draw: thousands of clownfish, cuttlefish, scorpion fish, manta rays, leopard sharks and even, occasionally, whale sharks are among those hanging around to greet visitors.

Hin Daeng is best suited to advanced divers. However, with an experienced guide by your side, most can safely enjoy this other-worldly experience.

Information from : http://fahthaimagazine.com/2008/01/01/underwater-worlds/

You are here: Home » Destinations » Asia » The Best of Thailand: Top 10 places to visit Posted on: May 30th in Asia, Destinations, Travel, Travel Top

One of Asia’s most popular tourist destinations, Thailand’s reputation for hedonism attracts thousands of backpackers and its natural beauty also attracts an increasing amount of holiday-makers. Thailand is a mystical country which leaves a life long impression on anyone who visits. It offers a rich history, smiling locals, some interesting quirks and of course an unforgettable experience. To help you see the best of the country, here is our list of top ten places to visit in Thailand:

1. Bangkok

Bangkok is a restless and chaotic metropolis and an essential part of a trip to Thailand. Although not everyone’s cup of tea, the culture-shock inducing capital has some incredible places of interest that you would be foolish to miss. The impossibly bejewelled Grand Palace should really be visited and if you have time, take a trip to Wat Arun (one of the oldest and best known landmarks in Bangkok) and Wat Po which is home to a huge reclining Buddha. The more adventurous head for the notorious backpacker’s road Khao San, the bazaars and alleyways of Chinatown and the infamous Patpong Night Market, located in the city’s red light district.

2. The Floating Market

The Floating Market- made famous by the James Bond classic “The Man with the Golden Gun” – can be found on the Damneon Saduak Canal. Although now a major tourist attraction, the market is highly photogenic and visitors can get an idea of what trading was like in Thailand before the modernisation of the city. It’s also tonnes of fun. If you want to buy something here you will have to hail down a narrow long boat piled high with produce (which is quite an experience in itself). The region also has plenty of vineyards, orchards and thriving local businesses which are great to view by canal boat on route to the market.

3. Chiang Mai

The spiritual city of Chiang Mai is a much calmer city than Bangkok but still an essential visit on the travellers trail if you want to see the best of Thailand. Dotted with temples, craft shops, great restaurants and plenty of Thai massage and cooking schools, the city has a somehow relaxed and comparatively tranquil atmosphere. Many travellers often mention Chiang Mai as their favourite Thai city and once visited it’s easy to see why the city is so popular. It’s location high in the north mountainous region of Thailand also makes it a perfect base for the popular mountain treks. Organised treks can be arranged very easily here with almost every other shop offering them. The trails from Chiang Mai are although interesting are often a well-worn path and many backpackers now head for the nearby small town Pai. Pai is a gorgeously located traveller’s mecca popular with artists and musicians. It also offers less touristy and more ‘rustic’ treks and visits to hill-tribes.

4. San Kamphaeng Hot Springs

San Kamphaeng is a district located 36km from the northern city Chiang Mai. The area is home to the popular hot springs which are set in a 40 acre beautifully landscaped parkland. They are well known for their restorative properties and people come from miles to visit. The springs come from a deep source, are over 100 degrees centigrade and high in sulfur. Here you can camp, dine, bath in the mineral rich waters or if you fancy – boil some eggs.

5. The East Coast Islands

Koh Samui and Koh Phangan are islands on the east side of Thailand popular with both vacationers and backpackers. The islands are known for their palm tree lined white sandy beaches, clear turquoise waters and laid back attitudes. On Koh Phangan you’ll find plenty of bohemian style bars and cafes and of course the world-famous full moon parties. Nearby, the islands of Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan are much less touristy due to their more isolated locations and are perfect for those looking for peace. These islands also offer world-class snorkelling and diving.

6. Mae Hong Son

Mae Hong Son is the capital of Thailand’s northwestern-most province. Its close proximity to the Burmese boarder gives the city a very different feel to the rest of Thailand. Very quiet and isolated this mountainous city is often shrouded in an atmospheric mist. Visitors come here for the unusual and beautiful natural scenery, the mountain trekking and to see the local hill tribe communities – one of which is the famous Karen long neck tribe. The Thanon Thongchai range between Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand is popular for trekking and here you can also see the Pha Sua waterfall. Handicrafts and artwork from the hill-tribe people can be purchased at the local night market-great for unique souvenirs.

7. Ayutthaya

Only an hours journey from Bangkok, Ayutthaya was an important Siamese kingdom existing from 1351 to 1767. The ancient city is now ruined but the remains of the extraordinary and once towering temples are classed as an UNESCO world heritage site and should not be missed. To make the most of this site, allow a full day and of course don’t forget to bring your camera.

8. Railay

Railay and the surrounding coast of the Krabi province (located in the South of Thailand) is a tropical paradise characterised by towering rugged limestone cliffs, turquoise water and powder white sand. From this area it’s also easy to take a trip to nearby Phang Nga to see the iconic ‘James Bond Rock’. Railay is a beautiful secluded beach – accessible only by boat – which attracts a mixture of in-the-know backpackers, well-heeled tourists and enthusiastic rock climbers. Surrounded by dense vegetation and mountains, the area is also perfect for trekking. The beach is unique because it’s completely cut off from the daily grind and visitors kick back and often stay a lot longer than originally planned.

9. Koh Phi Phi

The tiny but idyllic west coast island of Koh Phi Phi is seen by many as the ultimate island paradise. Even though it has now fully recovered from the devastating 2009 tsunami, the island has suffered from rapid tourist growth especially since the release of the “The Beach” (starring Leo Dicaprio). Having said that it still manages to retain a relaxed vibe which seems to keep the backpackers and vacationers happy. Island highlights include climbing a steep viewpoint to watch the sunset and hiring a long tail boat to snorkel the beautiful surrounding waters.

10. Hin Daeng

Diving enthusiasts shouldn’t miss Hin Daeng in Andaman Sea. Literally meaning the Red Rock, this area is often thought to be one of the top diving spots in Thailand – if not the world. Hin Daeng features large underwater pinnacles, incredible carpets of anemone and colourful coral. It’s also teeming with wildlife including large shoals of fish, round batfish, manta ray, barracuda and the odd whale shark or two.

Article Source : http://www.globalgrasshopper.com