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SITUATED IN THE GULF OF THAILAND, PHU QUOC IS VIETNAM’S LARGEST ISLAND WITH A TOTAL AREA OF 574 SQ KILOMETERS AND LIES JUST 12 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF THE CAMBODIAN MAINLAND. A MOUNTAINOUS LIMESTONE RIDGE KNOWN AS 99 PEAKS RUNS FROM NORTH TO SOUTH FOR THE 30-KILOMETRE LENGTH OF THE ISLAND. COVERED WITH PRIMARY FOREST THIS UNSPOILED LANDSCAPE DESCENDS TO THE EAST COAST WHERE IT MEETS WHITE SANDY BEACHES TO PRODUCE SOME STUNNING PICTURE-PERFECT TOPOGRAPHY. Blessed with a beautiful natural environment including 37,000 hectares of virgin forest, white sandy beaches, offshore coral gardens, and diverse wildlife, it is not hard to see why Phu Quoc is being considered as a new destination that many people will wish to visit. Much of the island is still pretty much undeveloped with a large part of it...

TUCKED AWAY IN THE GULF OF THAILAND, KOH SAMUI IS RATHER LIKE A WELL-ESTABLISHED HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITY. SHE’S BEEN IN THE TOURISM BUSINESS FOR LONGER THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER THAI ISLAND HOWEVER, RATHER THAN BECOMING PASSÉ, SHE HAS CONTINUALLY EMBRACED NEW GENERATIONS OF RESORT AND, AS TIMES HAVE CHANGED AND PEOPLE HAVE MOVED UP MARKET, KOH SAMUI HAS KEPT PACE. THIS IS A PLACE OF FINE STRETCHES OF SAND CLOGGED WITH BEACH LOUNGERS, ROADS THAT ARE FREE OF GARBAGE, WORLD-CLASS INTERNATIONAL CUISINE, LUXURIOUS SPAS AND BEACH BAR PARTIES FOR SCANTILY CLAD 20-SOMETHINGS THAT START AT NOON. Koh Samui, sometimes spelt Ko Samui, is Thailand’s second-largest island after Phuket and it takes just over an hour to drive around its whole perimeter. While the island’s paradise beaches, relaxed culture, aweso...

SPREAD OVER AN AREA OF 800 KM2, THE REGENCY OF TABANAN IS WIDELY CONSIDERED AS BALI’S ‘GREEN BELT’. WITH ITS LUSH GREEN LANDSCAPE THIS IS AN AREA WHICH OFFERS A REFRESHING CHANGE AND THE CHANCE TO GET AWAY FROM THE CLAMOUR AND HUBBUB OF THE MAIN TOURIST AREAS TO SEE SOME OF THE REAL BALI. WITHIN THE SERENITY OF ITS TIMELESS VILLAGES AND VERDANT GREEN FIELDS ARE HIDDEN A NUMBER OF CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL SITES THAT REFLECT THE ISLAND’S RICH HERITAGE AND ARE WELL WORTH A VISIT. Bali has many statues but one of its most important is Tabanan’s Sleeping Buddha Statue of Vihara Dharma Giri. Few people know of the statue’s existence, it is situated next to a temple and its main purpose is as a place of worship for Buddhists. Visitors who wish to see the statue are very welcome but are asked to m...

CRYSTAL CLEAR BEACHES, OCEAN BREEZES, SERENE ATMOSPHERE AND THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF UNSPOILED SCENERY ARE JUST SOME OF THE REASONS THAT HAVE DRAWN ME BACK TO THE TROPICAL ISLAND GETAWAYS IN THIS ARTICLE. After a few days on business in Thailand’s capitol Bangkok, I took a plane to Krabi from where I started my island hopping tour. Krabi lies at the mouth of the Krabi River on the west coast of southern Thailand in the province bearing the same. My first ride was to Phi Phi Leh and its marvellous Maya Bay. This bay; shielded by 100 metre cliffs on 3 sides presents such a stunning sight that I would recommend it to any traveller visiting this area. The bay gained great fame as a result of the movie ‘The Beach’ staring Leo DiCaprio. Here swimming and snorkelling conditions are excellent as cl...

JUST ACROSS THE WATERS FROM BALI IS ANOTHER SLICE OF PARADISE KNOWN AS LOMBOK. WHILE BALI IS AN ISLAND OF UNIQUE CULTURAL TRADITIONS, BREATHTAKING SCENERY AND EXCITING RESORTS, LOMBOK HAS AS MUCH TO OFFER IN TERMS OF ITS UNIQUE VALUES. HERE WHITE SANDY BEACHES, COCONUT PALMS, OCEAN VISTAS AND MAGNIFICENT AREAS OF TROPICAL LUSHNESS ARE ALL PART OF THE MAKE UP OF LOMBOK’S OWN FASCINATING BEAUTY. ON THIS OCCASION I GOT THE CHANCE TO EXPLORE SEVERAL AREAS OF LOMBOK THAT HOLD THEIR OWN UNIQUE ASPECTS OF THE ISLAND’S BEAUTY. FMy first destination was the shoreline on Southern side of Lombok and even though a little remote, was definitely worth a visit. There is only one way to get to this part of the coast and that is from the island’s capitol Mataram. From there I passed through the central ...

KINTAMANI IS A REGION SITUATED ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF LAKE BATUR, A CALDERA FORMED BY BALI’S SACRED MT. BATUR. FAMED FOR ITS COOLER HIGHLAND WEATHER AND FORESTED TOPOGRAPHICAL SCENERY, KINTAMANI IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE BALI AGA PEOPLE – THE ORIGINAL BALINESE INHABITANTS DATING BACK TO PREHISTORIC TIMES. As well as the regions historical importance to Bali the area has its own unique mini environment. Kintamani lays some 1,000 metres above sea level and is over shadowed by Mt. Batur at almost 1,500 metres. Visitors can be enjoying refreshments while over looking the blue waters of lake Batur when in late afternoon the cooler air causes fog to blanket the whole area, reducing visibility to just a few feet. It is here that morning visitors to Pinggan village gather to witness the changing c...