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Koh Samui Tips – How to Get Around Koh Samui by Looking at a Map of Koh Samui

Koh Samui Tips – How to Get Around Koh Samui by Looking at a Map of Koh Samui

Firstly, you may want to take a look at some Koh Samui maps. I have found two good sites that have maps or point you to where you can find good Koh Samui maps. You can find two links for this in the last paragraph.

As you look at your Koh Samui map, you will notice the two major places where visitors arrive are on opposite sides of the island. If you come by a Koh Samui ferry, you will most likely arrive at Nathon pier, which you can see is on the west coast of the island. Or, if you fly you can see the airport is on the other side of the island on the northeastern peninsula. Chaweng and Lamai beaches are the west coast and the most populous and popular areas. The central part of the island has some beautiful jungle but some of it is off limits as it is military land. To get to Koh Phangan, you can take a ferry from Nathon or from the northern beaches of Bophut and Maenam.

Now that you have an idea of the layout by looking at a map of Koh Samui, you will need to know how to get around. Anyone who has been there has his or her own Koh Samui tips, but there are a few constants. If you are someone who likes a comfortable trip and doesn’t mind paying for it, you can take a taxi. There have been some wars of words between the local government and the taxi drivers because they have a bad reputation. Anyway, they will always try to charge you high rates, even 200 to 300 baht. They have negotiated to start rates around 100 baht now but they hate to use the meter. Whatever they quote, just try to negotiate nicely and with a smile. If you want a cheaper ride, take the songthaews (pickup trucks with benches in the back). You should not have to negotiate. Just pay 50 or 60 baht after you get off every time. If they try to charge more, tell them nicely that you know you do not have to pay more, give the money, and leave.

As you can see, there are not that many options for transportation. If you hate to negotiate and can afford it, I recommend renting a vehicle. There are many places on the island to rent a vehicle for around 1000 baht per day and up. There is even an Avis Rent-a-Car at the airport. Drive carefully (on the left side of the road, not the right) and cautiously. Also, I recommend not renting a motorbike as it is the number one killer for tourists as you will not be used to the roads and rules of the road. Best to avoid this accident waiting to happen.

Now you know the basics of how to get around the beautiful island of Koh Samui. Remember, if you have any trouble, the best thing to do in Thailand is to just smile and walk away.

You can find a great list of maps here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Important-Faqs-Islands-samui-Pha-t98300.html

Also, if you want to look at just one map of Koh Samui check this one out: http://www.on-samui.com/samuimap.html

When It’s Time to Take Family Holidays in Europe

When It’s Time to Take Family Holidays in Europe

Families always cherish the times spent on holidays together.  In Europe, there are numerous attractions and destinations to take your family holidays, and it is important to plan well in advance to avoid unnecessary stress and hassles.  There is no denying travelling with children takes a lot more energy and creativity to prepare, but this dilemma is eased with a lot of deals and packages designed for families with small children.
Most family holidays are done during the summer season, where school is off and the children are eager to go exploring.  Though budget conscious individuals often choose to take their families to nearby resorts and attractions, nothing still beats the experience of boarding a plane and going somewhere unfamiliar and totally new.
Accommodation is a primary consideration when it comes to family holidays.  Unlike adult travellers, children need more space to be comfortable.  Because of this, staying in small hotel rooms designed only for two travellers is out of the question.  Considering renting family sized rooms in hotels, as well as staying in family holiday hotels located in several European countries such as Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.  The trick in finding a nice place to stay would be to check forums and reviews posted by travellers on web sites.  The information they share are often indispensable in determining which place to stay in and which they recommend to avoid.
There are also several resorts that are solely designed for families with small children in tow.  These include the parks operated by Eurocamp, which takes the camping to the next level.  Apart from being affordable, it offers comfort in its tent accommodations and abundance of entertainment and activities to keep kids happy and occupied.
You can also take your children to culturally significant attractions such as the numerous cathedrals, castles, and historic areas located all over Europe.  Apart from the enjoyment they will get from exploring a totally new location, they also get to learn new things and broaden their minds toward other cultures that could be totally different from their own.  Participating in day tours is also one other way to spend your time away.
Another good thing to remember when travelling with family is to pack light and to bring light snacks in order to avoid paying for expensive meals all the time.  Packing light is a virtual necessity, since you don’t have to spend most of your time worrying where most of your baggage are and how to keep track of all of your stuff all the time.  Taking only necessary items also lets your children to carry much of their stuff on their own.
More importantly, make sure each member of the family gets to enjoy their holiday to the fullest.  After all, isn’t this what family holidays are all about—to spend enjoyable times together and to make lasting memories to take back home to?  So go ahead, plan and give your kids the time of their lives.

What to Bring When Moving to a Foreign Country

What to Bring When Moving to a Foreign Country

Preparing to move to another country What do i bring? What will there be to eat? I heard they eat each other there!

These questions and many more come up when you are pondering moving to another land. My step mother asked us “what will you guys eat” . For us that was a funny question, but she was serious.

It seems that somehow the American media has portrayed any other country on the planet as dangerous , or impoverished , or 5th world as they might say. Really not true. Why is it done? Well I have my suspicion’s , but I will save that for another article. Truth be told, we now live in Peru and I have never felt safer in my life.  So really what would you eat?

Peru is difficult on the food thing. Why? There is so much healthy and good food here you almost are forced to not eat so much. Ex: We love a dish that a women on the street cooks every night , its called “Salchi Papa” Now a Salchi Papa costs 4 soles, and heres what you get for your $1.30 . A piece of Chicken , usually a leg and thigh , or 1/2 of a breast, Noodles with some kinda special sauce on it, Chinese rice , French fries , and hotdogs cut up into slices. Really its a couple pound of great tasting food and plenty enough for a dinner.

Another of our favorites is Papa Rellena . Its basically mashed potatoes with meat and vegetables in the middle and deep fried, the portions here are about two of your fists , the cost 70 centavos . In American money Thats about .25 cents. So you now know that  there is plenty of food in foreign countries.

What should you bring. Clothes depending on climate. I don’t trust the travel books so google ” forums, expat, (what ever country you would like to move to) This will bring up a community of Americans that you can relate to, and they will tell you the real climate where you are thinking of moving. In fact they will help you out with most things

We always bring the following items when we come back to Peru. We buy two laptops in the United States, they are very expensive here, so we either use them or resell to help offset the travel cost. Tampons for my wife. Clothes to suit the weather. Our espresso coffee maker, AKA the vacuum kind. We also bring vitamin’s, peroxide, and some spray antihistamine (trust me if you ever get plugged up on a plane you will thank me immensely for the antihistamine suggestion)

We also bring food in a package because food in the airline industry is very expensive and they don’t always feed you when you want to be feed. Your passport of course is needed, and make sure you bring a second ID, like a drivers license or whatever id you can. The banks will require two Id’s at times , like if you need to have a moneygram sent to you.

You should have a bank card that is able to withdraw money from an ATM, most foreign countries have ATM’s now and they are usually close to where ever you are.

We also put in place a backup in case the atm thing goes down. Ours is a paypal card with enough money to carry us over for 3 or 4 months.

So grab your hat , and laptop , hop on spirit air (9 dollar fares) and get to the adventure of your lifetime.

I almost forgot, if your not knowing the language where your going a franklin hand held translator is invaluable…..but don’t buy a computer based language program, you will be able to get one where your going for a dollar or two

Anthony Gatto

Learn How to Save Tons of Money With the Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide Review

Learn How to Save Tons of Money With the Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide Review

If you’re planning to visit Disney World but with a limited budget, or perhaps want to save money will find The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide Review a breeze of fresh air. The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide ebook was written by someone who has worked for Disneyland for many years. Beth Haworth, the author was constantly amazed by how much people spend on air tickets, theme park, hotel lodging and the list goes on while they are visiting the theme park? With the knowledge gain,she is able to understand how people could save money while enjoying a wonderful experience in Walt Disney vacation.

Now, stop and imagine this. If you’re working for so many years at the Walt Disney, do you think you will know all the insider knowledge to help people to save tons of money at the theme park. Like..

* purchasing tickets: where you can go to get the best prices available
* transportation: tips for ways to save lots of money on flights and more
* lodging: how to plan on booking some of the most expensive hotels and resorts at Disney World, but no need to pay the most expensive prices
* food: where to go to get great meals at a bargain price
* best bargain online and offline for
* plus a lot of other excellent ways to save money on a Disney vacation!

Of course you would. Now you can find some of this information for free at the internet but it might take a few solid of hours to search at the forums,blogs but most of us don’t have the luxury of time. Truthfully, some people don’t even try to save money whilst enjoying their trip at Disney. Why bother to do that? It’s just only vacation. Why beat yourself out thinking about it? Disney World Savings Tips is the most complete and genuine ebook that guarantee to save you loads of money.

Now, you’re wondering if The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide Review sound too good to be true or just another scam on the internet? The answer is no. This is not unethical or wrong doing. We are not trying to cheat Walt Disney but to save money, lots of it and at the same time enjoying fun filled adventure at the theme park.

Why not check out the official Disney World vacation packages website yourself and let Beth Haworth show you how to save a fortune on your forthcoming trip to Disney World? You will be glad you did.

Good luck and enjoy your forthcoming trip to Walt Disney.