Thailand Gateway to Indochina

Southeast Asia's Last Tourism Frontier A remarkable diversity of sights and scenes, historical, cultural and scenic, are to be found in the Mekong basin. Remarkbly the region remains little explored, affording the opportunity for a travel experience that crosses the frontiers of tourism.

The Mekong, the world's 10th largest and 12th longest river at 4,200 km, is the last tourism frontier in peninsula Southeast Asia, Along the passage of this mighty waterway have arisen civilizations that have shaped the region,while today peoples of distinet cultures and tradition preserves a remarkable diversity of sights and scenes. And yet the Mekong lands remain largely unexplored.

From its headwaters high in the Tibetan plateau, the river flows south through China's Yunnan province and passes Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia before entering southern Vietnam where it forms a classic delta as it finally joins the South China Sea. Until recently, all of these Mekong lands, with the exception of Thailand, have been mostly inaccessible to the ordinary traveller. Now the region is opening up, bringing fresh opportunities for a whole new programme of exciting and varied tour options.

Each of the six Mekong countries has its own unique attractions. Ancient monuments and old royal capitals bear witness to an illustrious past, while lifestyles present fascinating and contrasting images. Natural sights also abound, from the mountain gorges of northwest, from wooded valleys to vast flood plains. And because the Mekong has been little explored or exploited, all remains as pristine as you will find anywhere in the world today.

Different though each of the Mekong countries are, the sub - region as a whole now offers a synergy for the promotion of travel and tourism within its outer borders. A wealth of destinations are here presented within easy access of each other.

Located in the heart of the sub-region, Thailand serves as the ideal base for exploring the Mekong basin. With direct air links to all parts of the world, it provides a convenient gateway for both regional and longhaul travellers, while flights from Bangkok afford ready access to all the capitals and major cities of the other five Mekong countries. At the same time, road and river communications are rapidly expanded to provide a choice of land transport that greatly enhances touring possibilities.

Although tourism infrastructure is most highly developed in Thailand, facilities throughout the sub-region are rapidly improving, hotels, restaurants and other services and amenities are sufficient to ensure comfort, if not always luxury, while your clients will enjoy a sense of adventure and discovery. Indeed, the relaxation offered by Thailand's deluxe tropical resorts and the thrill of exploring fresh sights and scenes of the Mekong lands is a winning combination. And the choice of options is simply amazing-six countries and myriad wonders.

Planning A Trip To Thailand?

If you want an exotic trip, why not choose Thailand? Though it might be costlier than heading to southern California or Miami, you’ll have memories (and photographs!) that will wow your friends and family for years to come.

As you plan your priceless journey, just remember to keep a few factors in mind:

Thailand Visit Tip #1: Learn about Thai food

When you get to Thailand, you’ll no doubt be trying a great deal of Asian cuisine. Thus, it would behoove you to try some of the more common Thai dishes before you set off on your journey. If you live near a large city, you no doubt have access to any number of Thai restaurants. When you go, ask the servers or proprietor(s) about authentic Thai fare. That way, you’ll be able to prepare your palate for your visit.

If you’re not able to make it to a Thai eatery, you can always check out a book on Thai cooking from the local library (or purchase one in your Barnes and Noble or Borders bookseller.) This way, you can try your hand at creating some of the culinary delights you’ll be feasting on during your time in Thailand.

Thailand Visit Tip #2: Dress for the temperature and weather conditions

Because the Internet affords you the opportunity to find out about weather anywhere in the world, make sure you jump online during the days before you leave for your visit to Thailand. That way, you’ll know exactly what to pack (and what not to wear). Nothing is worse than being in a country where you don’t know the language and are feeling physically uncomfortable because you’re dressed inappropriately.

Thailand Visit Tip #3: Go to your doctor

Before traveling overseas, it’s best for you to get a full physical at your doctor. Why? First of all, you really should have an annual appointment, anyway. But secondly, you don’t want to have a health emergency when you’re overseas.

Your physician may also prescribe a variety of shots or suggestions for healthy eating regimens while you’re in Thailand. Make sure you bring a notepad and jot down all his or her comments.

Thailand Visit Tip #4: Get your passport in advance

Many people traveling to countries such as Thailand forget to order their passports until too late. In all the excitement, this important “to do” is entirely forgotten.

Rather than waiting until the last minute, make sure that you get your passport immediately, because it can take some time to receive in the mail. In fact, you might even want to get your passport before you book your flights to and from Thailand, just to be on the safe side. (And your passport will last many years, so even if you have to put off your Thailand trip for a year or two, your passport will still be good.)

By taking a few precautions, you can ensure that your time in Thailand will be well-spent and will result in a meaningful vacation that you’ll recall with fondness for the rest of your life.

About The Author

Robert Michael is a writer for MT Thailand which is an excellent place to find thailand links, resources and articles. For more information go to: http://www.mtthailand.com

Traveling in fast forward – Bangkok, Thailand in 24 hours

After arriving in Bangkok at around 3am, I found that my room was unavailable due to it being flooded, not the best way to start my 24 hour adventure but not enough to slow me down. After a power cut and a couple of hours waiting I finally got my room, I didn’t really have enough time to sleep much after the delay, so I had to settle for just a couple of hours.

I got up at 8.30am and felt surprisingly refreshed, it’s not often you have to survive on only 2 hours sleep but at the same time it’s not often you get the opportunity to explore an environment and culture that’s completely new to you. I took a look out the window and just gazed at the concrete jungle that is Bangkok.

For the troubles of the night before, the hotel graciously gave me a free breakfast and a few other nice treats. I enjoyed a few fruits that I’d never had before; I’m quite the food lover so even simple things like that were interesting to me. It’s amazingly humid and very hot, 30 degrees at just 9am in the morning. Luckily for me and the other Hotel guests having breakfast, there are half a dozen huge fans cooling the area.

After finishing up my breakfast I head out into the unknown. I have no idea where I’m going or what I want to do which is part of the fun, it’s sometimes nice to have no plans or schedule, just the freedom to do whatever crosses your path.

It doesn’t take much time for me to meet some of the locals, there are street vendors everywhere and they can be very persistent, with an emphasis on very. It’s a little intimidating at first but after a good 5 hours of shopping I was a pro.

The Pantip Plaza was the first real building I stumbled into, it was full of cheap gadgets and huge amounts of DVD’s (all no doubt perfectly legal). I moved onto Siam Square next and watched a game of street football which was cool. The temperature was edging 35 degrees at this stage and this seemed even more surprising when I looked up and spotted a huge dark cloud forming right above me.

It didn’t take long for the rain to come and what a display it was. I’ve never encountered such a massive display of thunder and lightening in my life. Everyone scurried through the shop awnings and backstreets to take cover, it was impressive watching the speed at which the street vendors set up protection from the rain, this was obviously something they had learned to put up with. It felt like I was wading through millions of people as I made my way back to the hotel, it was cramped before the rain arrived but now it was just crazy.

After a nice dinner, I did some more looking around. I found some cool t-shirts and plenty of great presents for when I eventually got back home to New Zealand. While haggling over prices was new definitely new to me, I ended up enjoying it. It’s not something I could really be bothered with all the time but for that one day it was really fun.

My 24 hours in Bangkok was nearly over. I had to get some sleep before my early flight to London, especially after missing out the night before. It was a shame I had to leave so soon but I’m looking forward to coming back another time and exploring more of Bangkok, especially their many beautiful temples and other tourist attractions. 24 hours certainly wasn’t long but it was enough to give me a taste for Thailand and all the fun and excitement it offers.

About The Author

Rene Smith is a travel guru who lives and works in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Visit http://www.christchurchholidays.co.nz for more articles, reviews and all the information you'll ever need to know on Christchurch, New Zealand.

A Family Vacation Getaway In One Of The Best Luxury Hotels In Krabi Thailand

So far as luxury hotels go anywhere in the Far East, the Rayavadee in Krabi Thailand is as good if not better than most other luxury hotels.

It is a great beach vacation hotel, with 77 rooms, perfect for a family vacation getaway, and equally fantastic for a honeymoon vacation special deal.

The Rayavadee has to be seen to be believed and everything from the staff to the accommodation, to the grounds, the beaches, and the food are close to being perfect. Krabi is possibly one of the most beautiful places on earth so it is just the perfect position for the Rayavadee.

You have to get to Rayavadee by boat, and the first thing that will strike you is the boat. White leather upholstery and the crew all in matching sailors uniforms. Initial impressions are lasting ones, and this certainly makes you feel you are going to a luxury resort. Moving from the speedboat to reception, the impression continues with details all being taken whilst sitting down with hot towels and drinks, which beats standing around a crowded reception area any time.

The accommodation is top class, and if you are on a family vacation getaway there is the family villa with two bedrooms, one on the ground floor, the extra bedroom being the only difference from the De Luxe Pavilion

A two storey villa, and it is so well equipped with all mod cons. It is the small touches like the bathroom own brand products, the bottles of water everywhere, tea, coffee, and biscuits replaced every day. More food and drinks in a huge sideboard, and chocolates left every night by the bed.

A huge bath which holds two, is a feature of the bathroom, and a huge bed are all part of the ambiance.

A great luxury resort has great food, and on a family vacation getaway with hungry kids to feed, this is a very important consideration. If the reader is considering the Rayavadee for a Beach honeymoon vacation special then food is probably high on your agenda.

You will find the restaurants at the Rayavadee are all of the very best, with impeccable service in each of the four different restaurants. It is fair to say that food is not cheap but the views are just out of this world, and you may find it sensible to go down the beach and eat instead, where you will pay perhaps $15 instead of $100, and get genuine Thai food. It’s perfectly safe and worth the effort.

If you want to be active, then there is lots to do from kayaking through the sea caves hiking, swimming, snorkelling, tennis.

The service from the staff could not be more helpful, you will be treated like royalty.in every way. The only downside is the service by the pool which seems to be on the slow side of slow, but always extremely polite.

They are exceptional apart from that small point in every way, and are a big part of the success of the Rayavedee.

Words cannot do justice to the incredibly beautiful beaches, especially the Phranang and Railey beaches which have powder white sand and views of islands in the distance with little caves to explore. Beware however of the monkeys, who although friendly are everywhere!!

All in all there is no doubt that the Rayavadee in Krabi is one of the best luxury hotels in the Far East. It is an ideal spot place for a family vacation getaway on some of the best beaches anywhere. It would also be a good choice for a honeymoon vacation special, so look out for some great honeymoon vacation deals.

For more informaton on Far East Hotels go to http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com/categories/Far-East-Hotels/

About The Author

Peter Stewart writes exclusively for http://www.in-kenyasafari.com as well as http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com and has visited personally many of the places he reports on, and has done extensive research on the others