Koh Phi Phi

Phuket is located in Thailand and is very highly rated. In fact, it is among the world's top ten scuba diving locations. Exotic culture, adventure both above and below the surface, unforgettable food, Phuket has all the right ingredients for a perfect diving holiday. There are breath taking reefs and remarkable underwater rock formations in addition to the different types of marine life that are found here that provide some amazing opportunities for divers of all levels and persuasions.

One can go live-aboard diving and there are also daytrips and plenty of dive points, dive centers as well as dive courses available for the scuba diver. Liveaboard diving in Thailand from Phuket and Khao Lak with liveaboard boats to Similan islands, Richelieu Rock, Phi Phi, Hin Daeng and Hin Muang, are good examples of where you can go to in this great scuba diving location.

Phuket and Phi Phi Island, which are among the top 10 scuba diving locations in the world boasts of splendid crystal clear water, awesome rock formations as well as an ecosystem that is vibrant and contains a lot of marine life. The water is also warm having average surface temperatures of 82 degrees Fahrenheit and there are hundreds of different varieties of both stony as well as soft corals surrounded by bright colored fish as well as other creatures of the sea which also includes some large reef fish. While stony corals are the life blood of the reef, soft corals are a prominent part of the reef. In some places they look like vast fields of undersea wildflowers.

For those who would like to see big animals there are the Whale Sharks as well as Manta Ray whose sighting is pretty common. In addition, there are also dozens of other picturesque island destinations that lie in close proximity and can be reached by day boats as well as live-aboard cruises, from Phuket. The consistent water temperatures make it possible to go diving throughout the year, right off the coast of Phuket.

For those who desire to visit this beautiful scuba diving location, they can look forward to having great food and under expert supervision they may enjoy their stay where the accommodation too, is very comfortable. And those who wish for Scuba certification, this extraordinary scuba diving location will provide many affordable Dive Shops where beginners may learn the basics and others may try out the master instructor certification.

Besides its outstanding water treasures, there is a whole lot more available right here at this wonderful scuba diving location in the form of beautiful beaches, gourmet restaurants, vivacious night life as well as a number of other attractions all available where and when one wants it. There are also popular dive centers such as Dive Asia, Colona Diving, Similan Diving Safaris, Moskito Diving, Blue Planet Divers, and Sea Bees Diving plus a number of others for those who desire to try out more of this scuba diving location at Phuket.

Koh Samui lies roughly eighty kilometers of the east coast of Thailand. Samui is situated surrounded by other Islands of the Ang Tong group. From the second a traveler arrives on Samui they will fall in love with Samui. Many travelers visiting Samui adore the wonderful atmosphere that can be found on Samui.

From nearly every position on Koh Samui, tourists are granted astonishing views of surrounding sea. The Samui airport will definitely be one of the most astonishing airports found any where on the globe. For those tourists arriving by boat to the wonderful Thai holiday Island, the ferry dock will steer them ahead instantly onto the white Samui beaches and its coconut trees.

Koh Samui Bungalows & Resorts

Koh Samui offers a remarkable selection and assortment of beachfront Koh Samui bungalows and resorts and is obtainable for virtually every tourist accommodation budget. Travelers will find on Samui a large offering of accommodation that ranges from standard beach bungalows on one of the beaches all the way up till incredible and luxurious Samui hotels and beach resorts.

The great thing about Koh Samui is that almost every voyager can find lodging right on one of the Samui beaches and at the budget available to the visitor.

Koh Samui Population

The population of Koh Samui is made up for the major piece of Thai Buddhists. Previous to the arrival of tourism dollars and the hefty number of tourists, Koh Samui has been living off coconut farming and fishing. Fishing and coconut farming are still an vital part of Samui however the vast mainstream of local residents are at present employed in the Samui hospitality and travel industry.

Samui Beach

The leading and most trendy Samui beach is of course Chaweng beach. Close runner ups are the Samui beaches at Lamai and the one at Maenam. Many of the beaches on Koh Samui have a huge number of bungalows and resorts however the Samui beaches by no means suffer from busy crows or noise as Koh Samui beaches are normally relatively stretched and spacious.

Acitivities on Koh Samui

Koh Samui offers tourists a lot of amusement and entertainment which ranges from the infamous Chaweng nightlife to relaxing trips by boat to deserted and fabulous beaches. Tourists visiting Koh Samui can also get pleasure from a wide choice of watersport options on Koh Samui. Visitors can also go one of the great trips to one of the beautiful waterfalls found all over Samui or go on an elephant ride through the natural rain forest.

Samui Weather

The ideal time of the year to visit Koh Samui is definitively during the dry season. The dry season on Samui starts in February and ends in June. If you stay on Koh Samui from March until October, you will experience temperatures in Samui which can get up to 35 Celsius. The Koh Samui rainy season lasts from early November until late February.

Koh Samui or Samui Island is a very famous island that people around the world dream to visit. It is located in Gulf of Thailand. It is away to the east from Suratthani province around 84 kilometers. There are roads and streets around the island such as Tawee Rat Pakdee road with 52 kilometers long. The one-third area of the island is smooth area surrounded with mountain. The perfect time to visit this island is between January and May.

The interesting places on Koh Samui

Beach - Koh Samui has very beautiful beaches around. Some popular beaches that visitors love to go are Chaweng beach and Lamai beach. Some others are Nar Ton beach, Tong Yang beach, Mae Nam beach and Cherng Mon beach.

Waterfalls - Hin Lad falls, Wa Norn falls and Nar Muang falls are also places that visitors and local people choose to visit.

Hin Ta and Hin Yai (Grandpa and Grandma Stones) are located at Lamai beach. It is a natural wonder of stones in different figures. There is an urban legend that an old couple named grandpa Kreng and grandma Riam sailed their boat to ask for the hand of Grandpa Mong Lai's daughter in another province. When they passed this Lamai area, the storm sank their sailboat. Both of them were dead and became these two stones as people see nowadays.

Diving area - There are many places for visitors to dive and see coral reefs and fish around Koh Samui. To rent a boat and diving equipment, please contact the resorts or travel agencies on Koh Samui.

Getting to Koh Samui

There are many ways to go to Koh Samui. You can go to Suratthani province by train or bus and then take a ferry boat to Koh Samui, or you can take a flight to Koh Samui directly.

Koh Pangan or Pangan Island is away to the north from Koh Samui around 20 kilometers. It takes about 30 minutes to get there from Koh Samui. Koh Pangan has very beautiful beaches and blue sea surrounded by woods.

The interesting places on Koh Pangan

Tong Sa La - The biggest community on the island. It is the center of merchants and the place where people can get on the boat to near islands and Suratthani province. There are also restaurants, hotels and travel agencies there.

Tarn Sadej and Pangan National Park - includes a lot of green woods and beautiful islands. There are many kinds of wild animals and birds around this park. A rental house and tents are provided for visitors there.

Rin beach - it is a beautiful and popular beach of Pangan island with 2 kilometers long. You can go there by boat from Tong Sa La. There is also an activity for tourists called "Full Moon Party" which is a party on full-moon days. Thousands of tourists come to join this party and make this party well-known to people around the world.

Despite its small size, there are many things that you will learn to love when you are in the beautiful country of Thailand. You will be enriched with its cultural heritage and history. You will be amazed by the mixture of different races such as the traditional Thais and the Chinese, who played an important role in the country's history and economy. There are numerous festivals and events that have captured the fancy of millions of tourists all over world. Its seas, meanwhile, are excellent for yachting.

The Andaman Sea, with Phuket as its hub, is a excellent place for a sailing holiday. Here we find some of the most beautiful islands and beaches in the region, crystal clear waters and stunning geography. The diversity of this landscape is also a powerful attraction.

Sailing in Thailand's Koh Phi Phi Don means taking a chartered boat or yacht into the its clear-blue waters and enjoying its limestone cliffs. You can also dock ashore and dine into luxurious meals prepared by several seafood restaurants. There are also souvenir shops where you can absolutely find a great souvenir on your way home. Koh Phi Phi Lee, on the other hand, becomes a perfect setting for the movie The Beach. It lies 20 miles on the east side of Phuket. The marvelous sight of the bay is truly a sight to behold for anyone who wishes to see brilliant sunset and sunrise. It also provides a great setting for photographs.

Sailing in Thailand in your yacht will not be complete without taking a trip to the Similan Island. It is located 55 miles northwest of Phuket. There are nine islands and small islets that make up this archipelago. Besides sailing, you can enjoy Thailand underwater marine life through snorkeling or diving. You can also take pleasure into the marvelous irregular formations of the boulders. Surin Islands, meanwhile, is sacred with lush virgin rain forests and deserted beaches, which are ideal for those who seek privacy while they are in the yacht or chartered catamaran. The Ko Phra Thong is an ultimate vacation paradise because of its unspoiled beauty and great beaches. The island also holds a huge reservoir of fresh water.

Kam, which is located along the Gulf of Thailand, is a haven for visitors. Aside from its white sandy beaches and pristine waters, which appear to be lifted from postcards, black lava stones surface on top of the shallow waters.

Thailand is rich in its culture, history, as well as natural resources. It is also blessed with the best tropical climate, and its people are famous for their hospitality. All these make sailing in Thailand more than a holiday getaway. It's an experience of a lifetime.

If you want to keep secretes, kill everybody who knows. The same could be said if you want to ruin a good thing tell somebody about it. If you want the whole world to know feature it in a movie. The islands of the Koh Phi Phi island group in southern Thailand were featured in the movie The Beach. If you are not familiar with the story line, some young travelers discover this fantastic spot in Thailand and decide to make their version of utopia and keep it secrete at all costs, had they been successful this would still be a small island group that few but the most hardy backpackers would visit.

When the movie The Beach was made here there were not many that knew about this beautiful island group of Stonehenge like monoliths that stick out of the pond like waters of the Andaman Sea. Clad in deep jungle greenery they have a forbidding yet enticing aura about them. The white sand beaches look like everyone's picture of tropical paradise with palm trees thick at the top with green pods of coconuts waiting to drop their sweet milk for thirsty travelers.

Today the thirsty travelers come in the form of herds of young backpackers which jam the center of the dog bone shaped main island at night milling in streams propelled by the ever present urban thump. By day these hordes descend on the beaches and lay in clumps of self basting & baking kids. Bars, stores, coffee shops, travel agents, discos even a very popular 7-11 feed the needs of these adventure seekers many of whom sport bandages and crutches from spills and thrills of rock climbing, cliff jumping and jungle expeditions to find water falls.

The waters around Koh Phi Phi are not safe not because of the animals in the water but because of the poor water treatment Streptococcus a particular nasty skin eating bug is around and other ailments as well so it pays to take care of even the smallest scratches here so that you don't end up in the emergency room having pieces of skin cut out.

The other thing to watch out for is your wallet as they are firm believers in price fixing from internet to scuba diving they have some of the highest prices in Thailand and they do not negotiate at all if you are a bargain seeker give this place a wide berth. Cheap hotels in every sense of the term are priced like 3 star hotels else where we did not see any places that delivered value to price with the exceptions of The Phi Phi Hotel which was quoting off season rates seemed to be the only hotel that had a clue.

In the period before the islands here became famous this was a great place to come and hang out for weeks at a time, today however it is another paradise lost.

Tourists are left awe struck on a visit to the Phi Phi Island Thailand for its amazing and distinct landscape with pristine beaches, imposing cliffs, clear water and charming marine life. The island is one of the leading destinations in Thailand among the tourists located close to the more popular islands of Phuket and Krabi. Phi Phi Island consists of two islands Phi Phi Don, which is a larger of the two and inhabited. The second island Phi Phi Lei is a small island, which became famous after the movie 'The Beach' was shot here. These two islands without any doubt are among Thailand's most beautiful and captivating destinations.

After the increasing popularity and development, the islands have lost most of its earlier tranquility, but still the regions natural beauty and crystal clear waters overwhelm its visitors. Set at the heart of a national park, the islands remain one of the country's most popular holiday destinations. The country's foremost holiday destination Phi Phi Island is set in the heart of the national park and it does not disappoint anybody. However, the two islands are not as big but offer many opportunities for an exciting to a relaxing holiday. One gets excellent opportunities and facilities for diving and snorkeling, which top the list of exciting ways to spend time here. Then the crystal clear waters perfect for checking out the rich marine life. From cliff diving, sunbathing, reading, exercising, hiking, to rock climbing there are a whole lot of possibilities to explore. With droves of visitor's flocking the island, it has accommodation for all kinds of travelers. There is an array of accommodation available from Phi Phi Island hotel, bungalows, to hostels. Phi Phi Island has something for every budget, specially very kind to budget-minded backpackers, with rooms of one-star (or less) rating scale outnumbering the up market resorts. For those who want to experience a paradise, there are a few luxury hotels.

Phi Phi's beauty is the biggest attraction for the visitor's here. The place is certainly love at first sight for the tourists. It is the most popular destination on the Andaman Coast after Phuket, serving as the convenient escape from the hustle-and-bustle. Moreover, the place is affordable. The islands excellent resort-style accommodation, top quality restaurants, shops and a lively nightlife all make it a perfect place. Whether one stays just a few nights or a week, the island is an amazing destination to relax, go diving, swimming, and snorkeling.

Krabi is a province of Thailand located in the southern area and has fantastic beaches along the shore plus many wonderful islands. You just can't imagine how beautiful they are. Phi Phi Islands is one of the very famous spots in Krabi that travelers can't miss.

About the weather in Krabi province, there are only two seasons in this region, which is different from other parts of Thailand. The summer season lasts from January to April, and the rainy season lasts from May to December. The temperature is between 16.9 and 37.3 degree Celsius throughout the year.

You can get to Krabi by car or by plane. If you drive there from Bangkok, you go along the highway number 4 through many provinces. The overall distance is approximately 946 kilometers. If you go to Krabi from Phuket, you can use highway number 402 connected to highway number 4 through Pangnga province and Krabi province. The total distance is approximately 185 kilometers. Also, the public transportation companies provide air-conditioned buses for people everyday from Bangkok and Phuket. If you decide to go there by plane from Bangkok airport, it takes about 1 hour and a half to Krabi province.

Diving at Krabi Sea is a very exciting activity that you can't miss. Scuba diving is very popular there. Many diving service companies provide the travelers boat services from Phuket and Phi Phi Don Island. Some famous diving spots are around Phi Phi Islands and King Cruiser shipwreck. Around Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le Islands, there are many diving spots such as Nui beach, Maya beach, and sea caves. You may rent a small boat called Rue Hang Yao from Phi Phi Don Island to these spots. Bidah Islands and Ha Islands (Ha means five) are also popular diving spots.

Phi Phi Islands is one of the famous islands in Thailand located in Krabi province. The word "Phi Phi" comes from a tree named "Pi-a-pee." In 1983, the government of Thailand announced that Phi Phi Islands became a member of Nopparatthara - Phi Phi Islands national park. This park includes six islands which are Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Le, Bidah Nok, Bidah Nai, Yung and Phai Islands. The distance between Krabi beach and Phi Phi Islands is approximately 42 kilometers.

Lanta Islands is one of the most amazing spots in Krabi. It is located in the far south of the province. In the past, villagers called this islands "Poo-Lao-Sa-Tak" which means the islands with long beaches. Some famous islands are Lanta Yai Islands, Ngai Island, Rok Nai Island and Rok Nok Island. There are a lot of resorts and hotels on the islands. You can go to Lanta Islands from Krabi beach or Phi Phi Islands.

Ao Nang is a place that has wonderful scenario with beautiful beaches such as Rai Le Beach, Tam Pra Nang Beach and Nam Mao Beach. These three beaches cannot be reached by car because they are surrounded by mountains. You can go there by boat from Ao Nang.