Roughing it in Thailand

Nothing beats true adventure tours in Thailand. It is a land of fun, exotic cuisine and a melting pot of culture unique even in Southeast Asia. It has something for everyone - but especially for an intrepid jungle trekker and outdoor explorer. Strap that backpack on and enter a steamy, mysterious world where temples and skyscrapers sit squarely next to each other.

Before you pack your bags, keep a few things in mind:
Pack smart. Packing light means packing smart. Look for light garments that can be easily folded, washed and reused. Multifunction garments are a must. Pack a light blanket and towel. Accommodation here is wonderfully welcoming, but you may find yourself stranded outside the common bathroom with a towel older than you!

Get the best backpack and pair of good shoes you can afford. You will be riding a lot of tuk-tuks (pedicabs), buses, walking the towns and villages and more. Well-made gear will last through the weather and travel, but also stop your back from aching, your feet from swelling and turning your adventure into an exercise in misery.

Cash on hand. If you can change money before you leave your country, do so. Exchange rates are higher in airports, so you may not get the most out of your money. You do not want to end up stranded at the airport without a single baht to your name while some tourist hawker waves a Tours in Thailand sign at you!

Water. This may be a tired maxim but tours in Thailand can be ruined by a bout of stomach flu, or a fever you just quite cannot shake. Developed country stomachs cannot handle water from the tap so buy bottled every time. If you cannot stand the thought of constantly having to pay for water, bring a filtration device or a reusable tumbler.

Eat everything cooked. Until you acclimatise (or until your stomach does) avoid fresh greens or raw fruit. [Unless you are travel-savvy enough to have packed vegetable wash.] Looking forward to eating fresh greens? Mix one part vinegar to three parts water to rinse your veggies in - it is an organic wash that can help kill microorganisms.

Bring meds. Check and double check your painkillers, vitamins and any medical necessities. You may want to add a few water purification tablets too. Over-the-counter meds are not a rarity in Thailand, but you do not want to find yourself stranded in the middle of a temple tour with a nasty case of the hives. If you are allergic to food or medication, keep a note on your person (preferably somewhere where it can easily be seen) in English and if possible, Thai.

Stay fit. If you are used to exercise, hit the markets and temples right off the bat to help you work off that jet lag. Rent a bike to tour the city if you want to keep up your exercise regime, sign up for a muay thai class if you have the time, swim or dive.

Use the network. Before checking into a hotel or signing up for a tour, use the power of the Internet. Many ratings websites give you an honest write up. Join forums, ask questions and plan out your route and trip accordingly.

This exotic Asian country is an adventures haven. Many tours in Thailand are geared towards the discerning backpacker. Make the right decisions and your money will go a long way towards creating that out of the country experience you have always wanted.

Andrew Mulvaney works for Tucan Travel, an award-winning provider of high-quality tours in Thailand and other adventure tours to more destinations in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Tours in Thailand from Tucan Travel will take you out of your comfort zone and immerse you in a thrilling, faraway land.

Kanchanaburi: Step Into History on a Thailand Tour

Those who opt to take a Thailand tour have a wonderful, diverse country ahead of them, with many different regions and cities to explore - all different and interesting in their own right. Those interested in history and nature will be in luck almost everywhere they go, but to name one highly worthwhile destination, Kanchanaburi stands out both for its verdant beauty and its haunting past. It was here, during the Second World War, that huge numbers of Asian and Allied prisoners of war lived and died while working to build the 'Death Railway' to Burma, under the Japanese army. The railway's tragic legacy is commemorated here, but Kanchanaburi is also a colourful Thai town with its own character, and the surrounding forests are fantastic to explore.

Around the Town
As with many of the towns that can be visited as part of a Thailand tour, Kanchanaburi is a pleasant place to spend some time exploring or just relaxing, with an easy-going atmosphere along the riverfront, and interesting shops and markets around the main road, Thanon Saeng Chuto. Quirky features of the town include street signs shaped like fish - the town's symbol is a river fish - and raft-borne restaurants on the water. Venture away from the main road to find antique shophouses and local temples. After settling in, the town provides a good base of operations for visiting the nearby historical monuments and national parks.

The War Legacy
At the far northern end of the main road is the most easily accessible remnant of Kanchanaburi's troubled history: the infamous River Kwai Bridge. It is still in use as a railway bridge today, although in a reconstructed form - sections of the original were destroyed by Allied bombs. Important sights nearby for those on a Thailand tour are the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre, which offers a look into the railway's history, the JEATH War Museum, and the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. Further afield, the deceptively peaceful Hellfire Pass - which was cut through solid rock by POWs - is now a beautiful jungle walk accompanied by an understated memorial.

Erawan National Park
For something very different, an excursion to Erawan National Park is the ideal way to get away from it all and see the province's natural beauty at its best. The highlight of the park is its seven tiered waterfall, pale turquoise from the mineral deposits in the water, and cascading down rocks into several pools that are deep enough to swim in. The Erawan Falls are often described as the most beautiful falls to see on a Thailand tour, and thanks to their extensiveness it is possible to avoid the crowding that happens at smaller waterfalls by venturing further up. A relaxing afternoon can be spent here before returning to town.

Andrew Mulvaney works for Tucan Travel, an award-winning provider of high-quality Thailand tour options and other adventure tours to more destinations in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. A Thailand tour from Tucan Travel will take you out of your comfort zone and immerse you in a thrilling, faraway land.

Discover Bangkok on a Thailand Tour

For those embarking on the adventure of a Thailand tour, Bangkok is the perfect starting point, a vibrant city of culture and fun, tradition and innovation. Everyone's seen images of its star attractions - including the Grand Palace and the Reclining Buddha, but these famous highlights do not exist in isolation, and those wanting to discover something beyond the temples do not need to go far. Here are some excellent Bangkok attractions that can be found in close proximity to some of the most-visited sights.

The National Museum
While the Grand Palace is certainly not to be left off the Thailand tour itinerary - its golden buildings and famous emerald Buddha offer a glimpse into the regal splendour of the city's early days - there is plenty more to discover in nearby. To delve a little deeper into the history of Bangkok and the surrounding region, there is no better place than the National Museum, housed in a former palace belonging to the now-defunct role of 'Deputy King'. With several halls showcasing treasures from key historic eras, this is a rewarding museum for those who are willing to spend some time exploring and investigating. The front gallery offers an overview, after which the visitor can travel through history - from the beginnings of Buddhism in Southeast Asia up to the modern day. The heart of the museum is the original palace, which houses examples of transportation, weaponry, textiles, instruments and more - including a very impressive replica of a war elephant. English-language tours are given by the museum's knowledgeable volunteers.

Pak Klong Talat
Another popular temple for those on a Thailand tour is Wat Po, again for good reason - home of the gorgeous Reclining Buddha, it is wonderfully atmospheric and quieter than the Grand Palace. But those who visit can take advantage of another highlight of the area by visiting Pak Klong Talat, the 24-hour fruit and flower market. Stalls stretch along both sides of the main road, spilling onto the pavement where vendors and traffic mingle alongside enormous piles of marigolds and roses. It has a lively buzz of its own at any hour, and the pavement restaurants are the perfect place to sit and watch the bustle while enjoying a real, spicy Thai meal.

Lumpini Park
Anyone wanting to take a breather on their Thailand tour without leaving the comfort of the city centre can easily do so with a visit to Lumpini park. Known as Bangkok's 'green lung', it is close to the bustling business district and on the skytrain line, but provides the perfect place to escape the hectic pace of the modern city. It's also a great place to watch life go by, get some exercise, or even just feed the fish.

Andrew Mulvaney works for Tucan Travel, an award-winning provider of high-quality Thailand tour options and other adventure tours to more destinations in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. A Thailand tour from Tucan Travel will take you out of your comfort zone and immerse you in a thrilling, faraway land.

Con Dao Island Visit

Con Dao Island sits on the East Sea about 97 nautical miles from Vung Tau City and is endowed with stunning beaches shaded with evergreen trees, fresh air, clear blue water, and primitive forests with an abundant wildlife flocking to the island's sandy beaches.

Vietnam travel is famous not only for the beauty of nature but also for Vietnam culture and Vietnamese people. Travel to Vietnam, tourists can enjoy themselves with peaceful and fresh air which only Vietnam have. It's really difficult to answer where is the most beautiful and the most famous place because everywhere in Vietnam is beautiful. And one of these idea place is Con Dao Island. It will be a wonderful travel tour to Vietnam for tourists when they come to Con Dao Island.
In a travel tour to Con Dao island, after a 45 minute journey from Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCMC, tourists will reach Co Ong Airport on Con Son Island, the largest of 16 islands in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province's Con Dao District.

The road from the airport to the center of Con Dao island district is more than 13km, winding around the coastline with the sea on the left and on the right mountains and primitive forest. Along the road are scattered red paper flowers studded with white cherry.
The first impression of Con Dao center is a gentle urban area lying by the sea with clean roads under shades of almond trees and old bang lang trees. There is a lot of new infrastructure with offices, hotels, resorts, restaurants and residential houses which has livened up the area which used to be home to the gloomy images of the old prison.
There are no taxis or buses but tourists can take a xe om (motorbike taxi) at VND300,000 per day to go around the island and the driver will double up as your local guide.
Tourists can also hire a motorbike from VND100,000 to VND120,000 per day or a bicycle at VND30,000 per day if you are feeling adventurous.

There are also canoes priced at VND5 million and seating 20 people. Visitors can stay overnight in resorts, hotels or make a camp.
Although part developed, the island is still thinly populated which is great for tourists who can appreciate the primitive atmosphere and of course the scenery and forget for a few days the cramped city life.

Con Dao Island is also famous because of the notorious prison. In the second half of the 19th century, after invading southern Vietnam, French colonists founded Con Dao prison where they imprisoned patriotic prisoners and Vietnam's political leaders and managed it with brutal aggression.
In the 113 years under French colonialism and American invading forces over 20,000 Vietnamese prisoners died at the jail and were buried at Hang Duong Cemetery.
One of the stellar attractions in this region, the Con Dao Archipelago is slowly gaining attention for its startling natural beauty. Con Son, the largest of this chain of 15 islands and islets, is ringed with lovely beaches, coral reefs and scenic bays, and remains partially covered in thick forests. In addition to hiking, diving and exploring empty coastal roads and deserted beaches, there are some excellent wildlife-watching opportunities.

Con Son Island (with a total land area of 20 sq km) is also known by its Europeanised Malay name, Iles Poulo Condore (Pulau Kun-dur), which means 'Island of the Squashes'. Although it seems something of an island paradise, Con Son was once hell on earth for the thousands of prisoners who languished in confinement during the French and American regimes.
Roughly 80% of the land area in the island chain is part of Con Dao National Park, which protects Vietnam's most important sea turtle nesting grounds. For the last decade the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) has been working with local park rangers on a long-term monitoring program. During nesting season (May to September) the park sets up ranger stations to rescue threatened nests and move them to the safe haven of hatcheries.

Other interesting sea life around Con Dao includes the dugong, a rare and seldom-seen marine mammal in the same family as the manatee. Dugongs live as far north as Japan, and as far south as the subtropical coasts of Australia. Their numbers have been on a steady decline, and increasingly efforts are being made to protect these adorable creatures. Major threats include coastal road development, which causes the destruction of shallow-water beds of seagrass, the dugongs' staple diet.

Con Dao is one of those rare places in Viet­nam where there are virtually no structures over two storeys, and where the traveller's experience is almost hassle-free. One of the special things here for travel tour Con Dao, there's even no need to bargain at the local market! Owing to the relatively high cost and the inaccessibility of the islands, mass tourism has thankfully been kept to a minimum.
These days most visitors to Con Son are package-tour groups of former VC soldiers who were imprisoned on the island. The Viet­namese government generously subsidises these jaunts as a show of gratitude for their sacrifice. Foreign tourists are still few and far between, though their numbers are on the rise.

The driest time to visit Con Dao is from November to February, though the seas are calmest from March to July. The rainy season lasts from June to September, but there are also northeast and southwest monsoons in autumn that can bring heavy winds. In November 1997 typhoon Linda did a number here: 300 fishing boats were lost, reefs were wiped out and the forests flattened. September and October are the hottest months, though even then the cool island breezes make Con Dao relatively comfortable when compared with Ho Chi Minh city or Vung Tau.