“Koh Chang” is Thai name which means “Elephant Island”.  Only few people knew that Koh Chang is second-largest island of Thailand after Phuket.  It is situated in a small province, Trad, which is not far away from Bangkok, approx. 4 hours by road and approx. 30 – 45 minutes by boat or ferry.  Koh Chang was declared as Marine National Park of Thailand since most of the area are rain forest, untrekked jungles, hills, beautiful beaches and wonderful waterfalls where you can swim and dive from rocks.  There are few wildlife such as parrots and sunbirds in the forest.  As not many tourists knew Koh Chang before, it remains a virtual virgin island with jungle interior and a lot of incomparable beaches of powder white sand, colorful coral reefs, sparkling blue water and a lot of marine life.  It is very tranquil and would probably be the paradise for those who appreciate pure nature.   We can say that Koh Chang can be your best travel destination. “Koh Chang” would probably gather visitors from around the world to discover through snorkeling, scuba diving or just swimming.  There are many colorful coral reefs and a lot of beautiful fishes.  In the meantime, all of them would meet to enjoy Thai hospitality and Thai food there as well.  Koh Chang can be the place for those who would love to spend their honeymoon.  It is the place which is certainly different from the place that you see everywhere else.  It is such a wonderful place and there is nothing like this.  It is indeed one of your best travel destination.  Enjoy the breath of fresh air there.

Source: Koh Chang, Your Best Travel Destination | Twitravel | Best travel ...

Tokyo, capital city of Japan since 1869, is one of the most populated metropolitan cities in the world. Believe it or not, Tokyo City is complex, big and always on the move. Be warned, if you are in Tokyo City for the first time, you will be greeted with the city’s saturated big concrete high rise building, very wide roads, raised concrete expressways crossing one another.

This remarkable city is also where the old meets the young. You can be in the most modern place such as Roppongi in one minute and you can wonder down the street to experience a traditional old shrine or town the next moment. This is the beauty of exploring the City of Tokyo.

Greater Tokyo has 23 wards (ku), 26 smaller cities, 7 towns and 8 villages. To have an appreciation of its size, the distance from the east to west is 88 km (55 mil) while it is 24km (15 mil) from north to south. The way Tokyo City is organized seems to be a bit complicated in terms of finding a place even with address. You are not alone as the local themselves find it difficult as well. The best way to go about it is to ask for direction. In Tokyo city, there are numerous koban (local police box) where you can approach for help. Believe it or not, the policemen spent most of their time helping people finding their destination. The lesson here is to always bring along the location map of your accommodation. You can get it from your hotel.

The City of Tokyo is really a big place and the best way to know this city is to have an introductory city tour. You can start your day by visiting the Meiji Shrine at Shibuya ku. The Meiji Shrine sits in Yoyoji Park. This is one of the must-see religious sites in Tokyo which was dedicated to Emperor Meiji, the first emperor of modern Japan. During New Year, it draws a million-plus of crowds. This gives you enough good reasons to pay a visit.

The next place to visit is the Imperial Palace East Garden. Along the way, you will travel past the National Diet Building recognized by its pyramid-shaped dome. This building houses the Japanese parliament. There is a free 60-minute tour of the Sangi-in or House of Councillors or Lower House when the Diet is not in session. If you are interested and have sufficient time, do come back here again.

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A few months back I was lucky enough to spend three glorious weeks in my favourite place ever (after Bluestone , of course): Thailand. As I am half Thai, I have visited Thailand on plenty of occasions and have many wonderful memories. However, this trip in particular was unique as I was travelling out with my (then) long-term boyfriend, James, and the fact I hadn’t seen my Nanny Chiao & Co. in four years.

I was feeling particularly anxious as our holiday approached thanks to the wonderful snow and ice that made an appearance! Heathrow airport flights only resumed a few days before me and James flew out. So nothing to worry about, right? Right…

Finally, January 26th arrived! Luggage – check. Tickets – check. Passport – check. Perfect! Rock up at Heathrow in plenty of time, head to the boarding desk with my passport and then my well known bad luck kicks in…

Apparently, you need at least six months valid on your passport to fly. So in a nutshell, I had to go back to Pembrokeshire to get more forms of ID for the passport office, then back to Newport to get a fast track passport, and then back to Heathrow. So over 600 miles clocked up before even leaving the country and £130 poorer, I was back at Heathrow trying to get a flight.

Twelve hours on I arrived in Bangkok, after a horrid flight! My MASSIVE phobia of flying and the sweaty weirdo sat next to me didn’t help! But who cares, I was finally here.

Seeing all my Mum’s side of the family after such a long period was nothing short of amazing. Even though there is a huge language barrier (neither speaks either language), I could still feel the strong family connection.  They welcomed James with open arms even though he is a ‘farang’ (Thai meaning for European person!)

The culture differences are so apparent, a real eye-opener! Everyone, including my fabulous family, is less fortunate (compared to us!), as are most in Thailand. All medical care, housing, child care, education (the list can go on) is paid for off your own back. They live in small cramped ‘houses’, save for months to send the kids to school and wish they don’t ever need medical attention.  However, they are all so genuinely happy. It made me realise how fortunate I actually am. I moan if it decides to rain, I moan if I’m working a weekend, I moan if I can’t quite afford that stunning dress – I need to start living in the real world! Rant over.

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Thailand is a home of exotic islands and Ko Chang is the second largest island here. It is the biggest island in the Eastern Thailand and it is really a secluded heaven. The dramatic landscapes of this place spell bound the global visitors. Koh Chang is nestled in Trat province which is close to the Cambodian border and accredited as the backpacker

destination. There are amazing rain forests and some of the world class beaches can be found here.

You will find an unending list of enchantments that you can visit here and this place offers incredible sites for all. The Mu Ko Chang National Park is the most preferred national marine park consisting of some parts of Ko Chang along with 46 other islands. War Memorial Monument is positioned at the south of the island and is acclaimed as a great attraction. It is a place with pristine white beaches which are mostly deserted along with spectacular wildlife. You will witness great selection of selection of birds, deer, elephants and some deadly snakes.

It is a place of some breathtaking waterfalls and the list comprises of Klong Plu which the most popular magnetism here and is situated at the west side of this island. Klong Nonsi is another one on the eastern side of Koh Chang. Klong Nueng is one which is the most awe- inspiring one. Kongoi is a place where there are 5 waterfalls nearby Bangbao and The Thanmayom is situated near Thanmayom pier.

This amazing beach offers you plentiful opportunities to please your senses. The visually striking water of Koh Chang entices every visitor to come and realish a dive in the deep water. You can walk around the Than Mayom Waterfall and to Khlong-Plu Waterfall where you need to pay a charge for enjoying a bath. If it is not sufficient for you, trek in the dense jungles but keep a guide along.

Learn how to cook mouth watering Thai cuisines, practice Yoga and Reiki or enjoy the sea kayaks. Apart from these you can charter your sailing boat, can play the rope and harness or can take pleasure in pulsating tree climbing. Snorkeling, elephant treks and watching the quaint settings of the amazingly beautiful beach are some of the ideas which if practiced will remain fresh in your memories all through your life.

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The best diving season is between October, November, and April. The best sites are on the west and the southern tip of the island, between Koh Chang and Koh Kood. There you can see soft corals, anemones, myriad reef fish, and sometimes eel. Hin Luk Bat and Hin Lap both have coral seamounts. Further south, white-tip reef sharks can be found near Hin Phrai Nam.

In addition, there are two wreck dive sites. The Koh Chang Wreck is a Thai warship sunk by the French navy in 1941. The wreck is only 15 metres deep in the Salakphet Bay on the southern tip of the island. The other wreck is the Pak One Wreck which sank after hitting a coral reef in August 1996 on its way to Vietnam. It resurfaced almost 8 years later. The 900-ton sunken tanker posed a danger to ships on international waters. The Royal Thai Navy drained off its 600 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas and resank it between Koh Chang and Koh Samet. It now lies horizontally in 35-meter deep waters.

There are a few diving centres on Koh Chang such as the Ploy Scuba Diving in Bang Bao. Following the standards of the sister centre in Koh Samet, this is the premier diving operator in Eastern Thailand.

The Dolphin Divers at the Amari Emerald Cove Resort   offers free trial in the resort’s swimming pool. For those who prefer fun dives without a long boat trip Dolphin Divers operate speedboats from the resort’s beach to the nearest dive sites in only 15 minutes. Others include the Koh Chang Dive Centre on Kai Bae Beach, Paradise Scuba Divers at the Klong Prao Resort and Koh Chang Divers on Had Sai Khao (White Sand Beach).

Source: Snorkeling & Diving in Koh Chang, Thailand | www.101diving.com