Koh Tao, Thailand

post from The Wanderlust Blog on 07 April 2010 10:46:00 PM. © The Wanderlust Blog

Koh Tao looks like a microscopic island when you look at a map of Thailand, so its kind of hard to believe that more people get SCUBA diving certifications on Koh Tao than anywhere else in the world. Whether it's your basic Open Water beginners certifications, Adventure Dives, or Underwater Photography, Koh Tao seems to be the place to migrate to. If there's one thing in abundance on the island its dive centers, so if you do decide that Koh Tao is the place to explore to deeps below, the island will be more than accommodating.

Why dive here? Hmm let's see... clear waters, wide range of sea life including bull sharks, great temperatures in and out of the ocean and some great certifications available for all strength of divers.

I would suggest booking your lodging along with your SCUBA school. Most centers have either their own accommodation or an arrangement with a local bungalow place to get you a discount for booking everything together. You can book most of the centers online however if you're traveling to Koh Tao through Bangkok or Koh Pha Ngan (the island next to Koh Tao), check to see if the SCUBA center your want has an office in either location. If you book through a dive office in Bangkok or Koh Pha Ngan you get haggle to get some serious discounts. Booking activities online might be the better thing to do if you're planning on visiting the island on a major holiday, but you will pay more for that reservation online regardless of the date.

Housing Recommendation:

Save Bungalows - 300 Baht/night (with a scuba combo) - bathroom/shower, cold water, one bed, one cot, fan. This place is about a 6 minute walk down the beach from the drop off pier at Mae Had, which is an easy commute to all the dive centers surrounding the pier. If you're looking for beach luxury, this isn't the place for you, but if you're just on the island for diving this might be a great place. You'll be diving and studying the textbooks most of the daytime and the rest of the hours you'll probably be passed out cold. Honestly, you just need a decent place to crash.

Island Transport:

Koh Tao is only one of three islands on the east coast of Thailand, along with Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Samui. To get inbetween each island there are a few ferry systems set up: Lomprayah, Seatran and Songsterm. Lomprayah is the fastest, however it can also be the rockiest. Now, I'm a seafaring girl, born and raised, and I have to tell you that even I almost tossed my cookies on the ride from Chumpohn on the Thai mainland to Koh Tao. I've only taken Seatran and Lomprayah, so I'm not sure about Songsterm. All the boats go into the same piers and have the same luxuries, so it's usually just the time tables to choose.

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Laguna: Heritage town of Pila, Laguna

post from Philippine Travel Journal | Ivan About Town on 07 April 2010 10:22:00 PM. © Philippine Travel Journal | Ivan About Town

Pila is the heritage town of Laguna. The historic center of the town was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute in 2000. It was known as La Noble Villa de Pila, one of the few towns in the country which was elevated to villa during the Spanish colonial period.

The center of town is an elegant collection of colorful colonial period structures located around a spacious plaza. The layout out of the town is very typical of most Spanish colonial towns. On one side of the plaza is the Pila Church dedicated to San Antonio de Padua.

On the opposite end of the plaza is the charming Pila Municipal Hall dating back to the American colonial period and painted in brick red. And on the west and east sides are the elegant homes of the town's principalia. Pila's house colors come in shades of brown, pastels and white. This was how houses were painted during the Spanish and American colonial periods. It was not all white.

The town has a very active heritage conservation group, the Pila Historical Society Foundation, Inc. which has continuously led efforts to preserve the heritage of this genteel town. Here's a map of historic structures in Pila, Laguna if you want a guide while you do a walking tour.

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Paris Hotel & Casino

post from The Hungry Wanderers on 07 April 2010 09:49:52 PM. © The Hungry Wanderers

As I mentioned in my last post, when we were in Las Vegas last week looking for a house (which, we did indeed find!), the Husband and I chose to stay at the Paris Hotel & Casino, a hotel we?ve been eyeing for a while but hadn?t yet stayed at.I had booked the hotel weeks [...]

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Pardon the Mess

post from Tim Leffel's Cheapest Destinations on 07 April 2010 09:11:21 PM. © Tim Leffel's Cheapest Destinations

How many people does it take to screw in a new blog template? In the case of this one the answer seems to be three. And while Wordpress does a brilliant job of getting you 90% of the way to where you want to be, it’s that last 10% that always makes you want to [...]Related posts:

Machu Pichu Access Still a Mess

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Clash of the Titans then and now

post from Streets of Lima on 07 April 2010 09:11:00 PM. © Streets of Lima

[...]

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$10 Broadway tickets for 'Everyday Rapture' with
code

post from NewYorkology on 07 April 2010 06:05:13 PM. © NewYorkology

The Roundabout Theatre, which usually sells a handful of seats for $10 to the first previews of its Broadway shows, is expanding the program for “Everyday Rapture,” the 11th-hour substitute for another Roundabout production that crashed and[...]

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broadway_tic_1.php

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Drink Tropicana orange juice & enjoy breakfast
with foreign men

post from Japan Probe on 07 April 2010 05:43:10 PM. © Japan Probe

Tropicana is running this commercial on Japanese TV:The foreign men are apparently chefs and you can read their special breakfast recipes on this site.—Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

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Enola Gay crew member dies at 87

Morris ‘Dick’ Jeppson has died at age 87. He was a weapon’s specialist on the Enola Gay, and climbed into the bomb bay to arm the atomic bomb before the plane dropped it on Hiroshima in August 1945.From the LA Times:Worried about his family’s safety, he remained silent for decades about his role in [...]

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The Avignon Festival and the Palais des Papes

The southeastern French city of Avignon is well known for the Pont d’Avignon and the Palais des Papes, or the Palace of the Popes. Besides a great history that stretches back to pre-Roman times, this picturesque European destination should not to be missed by anyone visiting Provence. Every summer the city hosts the Festival d’Avignon, [...]

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