After weeks of debating whether to go into Thailand or not, we finally decided to board a flight to Krabi and explore the south Andaman coast of Thailand for a few weeks. The flight with AirAsia was a breeze, although we were the last on the plane and almost missed our flight because two boys that will remain nameless (Colin and Noah you know who you are) spent far too long in the lolly shop purchasing lollies for the plane.

Once in Krabi our guest house had a taxi waiting for us. Its always a thrill to get off a plane and have someone standing there with your name on a piece of paper. Our guest house, Long Beach Krabi Villas was amazing. Around 20mins outside the main tourist area of Ao Nang Beach, the bungalows were set on the tranquil, quiet Noppharat Thara Beach that we had to ourselves most of the time. With the palm trees, clear water and beautiful limestone islands dotting the bay the location was wonderful.

Our room was small and basic, but clean, mosquito proof and 10m from the beach. Apart from the beach front location, the biggest attraction of Long Beach Krabi Villas is the owners. Ae and her family were so friendly and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble, even just a chat. Noah and Hayley really enjoyed playing with Ae’s two daughters.

Of course it wasn’t completely paradise – being that remote meant that power was supplied by a generator that only ran between 6pm and 6am. May in Thailand is ridiculously hot so during the afternoon we sweltered in the heat, checking the clock every five minutes in the hope that it was 6pm already. And unfortunately Colin wasn’t able to find the same remote Internet services here that he had in Malaysia, so working was impossible between lack of Internet and the heat.

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@Lord Jim....International airfares are usually written in NUCS (Neutral Unit of Currency), NUCS are based on the US dollar. So,a year ago a $1000 airfare would have netted Thai Air approx 36,000 baht, today they will only get 31,500 baht, but of course today that $1000 airfare is being discounted down to $950, $900, $850 or even lower. Thai Air have to match those international fares to keep their passenger numbers. That's why they've bumped up the fares on the less competitive domestic routes. Its the strength of the Thai baht that's caused the problem.

Posted by Antz Pantz on Thursday May 13, 2010 at 18:03

Source: Krabi Joins Phuket's Lower Air Fares Push - Phuket Wan

List of Activities to do in Thailand besides Nightlife and How much?

Im heading to thailand for the first time im going there with a buddy of mine.We are planning on staying there for 20 days..Our destination are as follows: Phuket,Koi Samui,Krabi,Pattaya,Bangkok(for shopping).Our budget combined together is hk$25000(excluding air fare)

Can somebody list out things to do in each island and there cost

Source: List of Activities to do in Thailand besides Nightlife and How ...

Backpacking Inspiration: 6 weeks South East Asia, Bangkok to Singapore overland

One of the most popular destinations for independent travellers and backpackers, South East Asia has stunning Buddhist temples, dense jungles, bustling markets, exquisite cuisine and exotic culture. As one of the most affordable regions of the world in which to travel independently, you can expect incredible value for money and the trip of a lifetime. Here is a sample itinerary for around 6 weeks backpacking Southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia.

Fly into Bangkok: The start of many South East Asian adventures, Bangkok is the ultimate in exotic and excitement. Busy, polluted, noisy and intense, the culture shock may be bewildering but the experience unforgettable.

From Bangkok head south by train to Surat Thani, then speedboat to Koh Samui: A week or two on the idyllic beaches, eating Tom Yum Soup and drinking Chang Beer.

Khao Sok National Park: Southern Thailand contains an area of jungle complete with monkeys, elephants, and cool lodges to stay and enjoy the trekking for a day or two.

Phuket, Ko Phi Phi and Krabi: Meander slowly down the Andaman Coast, if you fancy it you can go sea kayaking or diving, or hire a motorbike and explore the beaches independently.

Bus or train south and into Malaysia: This border crossing is no hassle, once in Malaysia head to Penang where you can swap your phrasebook and catch up on a few big city comforts.

Kualur-Lumpur: Less intense than Bangkok, and an easy place to relax, there's plenty to see in KL for a couple of days including the Petronas Towers and the historic colonial architecture.

Singapore: Developed, westernised, comfortable, clean and expensive. An international hub, you can spend a few days seeing the sights and enjoying the food before flying home or onto your next destination.

Assuming you travel independently as a backpacker, this 6 week trip is likely to cost in the region of $1300 -$1800.

Source: Backpacking Inspiration: 6 weeks South East Asia, Bangkok to ...

In a recent survey, holiday villas in Portugal proved to be the most popular destination for self catering golf accommodation. There were many reasons for this, but predominantly there is a good choice of budget airlines to Portugal from almost anyway in Europe. Many visitors focus on the Algarve region, where there are so many sandy beaches along the Algarve coast for families to enjoy their holiday. When you see the sign "Praia" this actually means "beach" in Portuguese. Beaches in Portugal can vary, from small sheltered coves or endless stretches of wide open sandy areas. Main beaches tend to provide Lifeguards, in season and offer water sports facilities along with restaurant food and snacks. For those looking for a lively resort tend to look for  villas in Albufeira but generally there are beautiful villas in Algarve all within close proximity to clean, sandy beaches.  

2. Spain With 5,000 miles of coastline to the south and east shores of Spain, it's the place to be with over 300 days of sunshine per year. Luckily, most of the coats are blessed with beautiful beaches, where tourists flock in their millions to enjoy villas in Costa Blanca and luxury holiday homes in Costa del Sol. There are beautiful beaches all over Spain and as of 2009 proudly boasts a total of 271 beaches awarded blue flags. This is the largest amount of blue flag beaches in the northern hemisphere. For further information, view all holiday villas in Spain now!

3. France Beach holidays in France are very popular, in particular with families and drivers from the UK. Beach lovers can easily book a holiday home in France, load up the car to travel via the Channel Tunnel and aim to be in France in no time at all. Great beaches can be found all around the coast of France but good examples are located on the west coast for surfers, and on the south east coast in the French Riviera and in Deauville, La Baule, St Jean de Monts, Les Sables d'Olonne, St-Martin-de-Ré, La Rochelle, Biarritz, St Tropez, Cannes and Nice. View all France holiday rentals now!

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