Thailand Holiday Activities

Thailand holiday activities are many and varied. Whether you want to lie on the pristine white sandy beaches soaking up the warm and the sun...... swimming in the crystal clear water by day,experience the culture and traditions in the cities, have a close encounter with some fascinating wild animals - tigers and elephants in particular, observe the many wonderful craft centres or take a Thai cooking class.......it is all here.

If you plan carefully you can enjoy some of all these Thailand holiday activities. Most tourists pass through Bangkok and you will want to spend a couple of days here if you do.If you are looking for a Thai beach vacation

• Phuket
• Koh Chang
• Koh Samui
• Krabi
• Pattaya

..........are but a few options.

Chiang Mai in the north is a fascinating city.....the craft centre of Thailand and offering many different cultural experiences.

Kanchanaburi is so near to Bangkok............yet so different.You can visit this city........the home of the famous Bridge on the River Kwai as a day tour or take two or three days to really enjoy the area.

Thai culture includes may beautiful temples and interaction with the Thai people as they go about their daily lives.Visit their markets,temples,canal areas and craft centres to see how they live.

Shopping is another reason for visiting Thailand. Here you can buy beautiful handmade crafts...wood ware, silk clothing and home decor items,umbrellas, hand embroidered linen, silverware, and fake anything.........enjoy the hunt and bargain for a good deal.

Thai food whether from out door stalls or the huge choice of restaurants and nightlife for those who seek it........ will make for a full and fantastic holiday.
You really are spoilt for choice when it comes to Thailand Holiday Activities.

A Tiger Temple and an Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand

I have just put up pages on two animal oriented Day Trips which are a fascinating look at magnificent jungle creatures at close quarters.

The Tiger Temple - Kanchanaburi

Run by monks this is a wonderful experience. The temple has been somewhat controversial lately as the Tiger Island planned for the tigers to be let to run free has not eventuated.However, bear in mind these lovely animals would not have lived had they not been rescued by locals and brought to the Temple. Here they may be used to satisfy the curiosity of tourists, but they are well feed and looked after....and they have a lovely relationship with the monks who with the help of volunteers , care for them.You can read more at http://www.fascinating-travel-destinations.com/tiger-temple.html

Elephant Sanctuary - Chiang Mai

This was a wonderful day tour and you experienced the elephants in different guises. They put on a show displaying their talents, you have a ride for an hour, and see them in the water having a load of fun with their mahouts.Set in the midst of a village it is interesting to experience somehting of the village and surrounding farming lifestyle.

Both these activities are part of tours that include other sights and experiences and come highly recommended.

Read more here at http://www.fascinating-travel-destinations.com/elephant-sanctuary.html

Planning Our Trip To Japan

I have just finished a Skype call to my son in Japan. He lives in Tokyo, and called for Mother's Day. It is celebrated in Japan today as well. Last year was lovely. We were actually in Okayama - famous for it's Korakuen garden at his Mother-in-law's place ............ so the two Mum's were together on Mother's Day.

Some of conversation was about where we want to go when we visit Kyushuin September. He and our daughter-in-law will join us and we will share a rented car to travel around.

I know I want to see Nagasaki. This city has a European background and apparently this is reflected in the architecture.There is much promoting peace after having rebuilt after the atomic bomb.

This whole island has many thermal areas with hot springs a feature in many areas. Beppo with it's thermal area and monkeys bathing in steaming pools always seems very exotic !

Pottery towns are also famous so I imagine we will be wanting to visit some of these traditional potteries as we tour the island.

Kumamoto looks a lovely city. The Shakain Koya Temple, Kumamoto Castle and Suizenji Jojuen Park all sound like places I will definitely be wanting to visit.

Fukuoka is of course also a city we will want to spend some time in! Already I can see some serious planning will be needed to fit it all in! As one week will be a little like Golden week and a public holiday we will need to book early.

I love Japan. There is just so much variety in the architecture and landscapes in the different islands.

Booking Airfares To Fukuoka,Japan and Jeju Island - South Korea

We have just booked our air fares from Auckland to Fukuoka, Japan. Cathay Pacific had some well priced fares via Hong Kong. We will have two nights as a stopover, so we can enjoy a day catching up on changes to the Hong Kong we visited back in 1986!

However, we are finding it very difficult to come up with a reasonably priced airfare from Fukuoka to Jeju Island, South Korea. Our daughter and her partner are living in the resort town of Soegwipo at the moment, so after a week with our son and daughter-in-law who live in Japan, we were hoping to visit Jeju Island, which is popular with the South Koreans for honeymoons..... thus it is nicknamed "Honeymoon Island".

It seems to be very pretty, and has a nice climate. While the Koreans say it is the Hawaii of Korea I am assured while lovely...... it is definitely not a second Hawaii!However, there are beautiful beaches, lava tubes, good deep sea diving and some interesting sightseeing spots to visit.

So far the cheapest airfare from Fukuoka to Jeju Island is about half the cost of flying from New Zealand to Fukuoka, and we have yet to find accommodation........our offspring's accommodation is minute!

One tip.......had we not asked our travel agent about him doing the bookings for the same price as the internet, we would not have been able to do the stopover in Hong Kong via the internet. Sometimes it works better to use a travel agent.......and he got exactly the same price for us as on the internet.

Drive from Melbourne to Adelaide - The Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is a fabulous piece of Australian coastline. The scenery is stunning, and there are many geographic features of interest along the way.


The most famous is the Twelve Apostles, and this whole coast, rich in history........has wonderful arches, caves, beaches, and walks. The towns along the way are very picturesque. Port Campbell is a beautiful little town so close to the Twelve Apostles it is a good option for overnight accommodation.


Torquay at the start of the Great Ocean Road is a real surfy town, Lorne a holiday destination for Melbournites. Port Fairy is a very beautiful boat harbour with historic interest like so many of these small towns along the way.


The Otway Ranges National Park has several interesting activities from going up the Cape Otway Lighthouse, to the Otway Fly - Tree walk.


Robe is a pretty little town at the end of the Great Ocean Road, before you carry on to Mt Gambier, the Coorong and on to Adelaide through the Langhorne Creek wine area.


You can read about the trip from Melbourne to Adelaide along the Great Ocean Road in full detail at Fascinating Travel Destinations.

Arriving and Leaving Tanzania in 1973 - Snippets from my Diary

When I did an Overland trip through Africa in 1973, we had many rather unusual experiences. Arriving and leaving Tanzania were both far from straight forward border crossings.

At the time the government of the day was insisting everyone.........that included locals...........were to wear clothing that covered them well. Long skirts and short sleeves, necklines to the neck was the acceptable clothing for females, while males had similar, but long trousers.

Westerners clearly had created an impression of a decadent lifestyle the Tanzanian government did not want people in their country to emulate.The things they saw as Western included long hair for males, bell bottom trousers, denim...I suspect jeans was the clothing they disliked...........and of course clothing that did not cover enough of the anatomy!

It took us two attempts to get through the border.....that was after waiting in long, slow moving queues, and a return trip to Lusaka to get repeat visas!

Leaving was another story...........you can read about it at http://www.fascinating-travel-destinations.com/tanzania-border.html

Australia - The Lucky Country

As I start to write up my many, many experiences in Australia - The Lucky Country, I will be happy to relive the wonderful variety and enjoyable holidays I have had over the years. I have no idea how many times I have visited this expansive country. 30, 40 50 ........I lost count long ago.I'll be recording much of interest, tips, recommendations, must see's at http://www.fascinating-travel-destinations.com/guide-to-australia.html

I first visited in 1969, when I travelled by bus between destinations. Starting in Sydney, my cousin and I caught a bus to Brisbane........then a run down backwater......now a lovely town where the historic buildings have taken on a new lease of life, and the South Bank Park has created a great place for a day out.

Back to Sydney, down via Canberra to Melbourne.

Here we were fortunate to stay with friends and got to see much of Melbourne including some of the outer areas. Beaches at Frankston and Lorne, Mornington Peninsula and Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary.

Back on the bus we headed for Adelaide. Here we were taken out and about by work mates of our hosts in Melbourne, so we saw Port Victor and the Adelaide Hills area.These were all places we probably would have missed, as we had a limited budget and no transport other than bus.

We took the return routes inland, so covered quite a bit of territory.

I have since revisited most of these places, and visited many more.

Cairns is a wonderful tropical place I am keen to revisit. We loved Port Macquarie when we had a week there last year.........see http://www.fascinating-travel-destinations.com/camel-ride-on-lighthouse-beach.html

Western Australia is home to both my sister in Perth and my brother in Albany, yet I had not visited until last year. They are both beautiful cities, and Margaret River, is a wonderful holiday spot, in between.

The Great Ocean Road drive a couple of years ago took me back to Adelaide and Port Victor........ I barely recognised it.While my husband was there for a conference, we made the most of our time to visit the many wine areas......Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Harnsdorf,but have yet to get to the Clare Valley. Whale watching from the shores at Port Victor were a highlight.

The road and coast has to be surely one of the most beautiful in Australia, with the The Great Otway Lighthouse and Park, Twelve Apostles, Port Stephens, and Port Fairy.

This vast country has plenty to see. No wonder retired Australians...the Grey Nomads......... take to the roads in their campervans and motorhomes, to spend months or years roaming the country.See http://www.fascinating-travel-destinations.com/travel-in-australia.html for more information.......which is being regularly updated.