February 15, 2009

A sojourn to the “Pearl of the South”

There are wonderful sea beaches which are strewn with white sands. The sun plays hide and seek with Mother Nature at Phuket endowing it with an eternal glory. Some beautiful places at Phuket include Phuket Aquarium, Bang Tao Beach, Karon Beach, Surin Beach, Patong Beach, Khao Phra Thaeo National Park, Phi Phi Island, Racha Islands and the Similan Islands. Not just glorious beaches and crystal clear sea, Phuket draws attention of millions by its tropical mangrove forests, nature areas and waterfalls.

Phuket boasts of an extensive range of hotels and resorts, restaurants, pubs and bars, nightclubs, shopping malls, golf courses and other entertainment options. In such a beautiful land you can easily find a comfortable accommodation. Phuket Hotels are renowned for the quality services and unique hospitality.

You can also relish in the historic grandeur of Phuket which becomes conspicuous at its well maintained museums. That is why Phuket Sea Shell Museum in Rawai is so attractive with its world class display of sea shells ranging over 2,000 species, comprising giant clams, ancient fossils and rare golden pearls. The Talang National Museum offers no less to a historian or commoner.  You can learn more history behind popular Two Heroine's Monument, the mystery of Sea Gypsy culture, and also discover some of the interesting ancient artifacts.

At Phuket FantaSea you will be entertained by pack of 50 elephants, along with performers in elaborate costumes, acrobats, pyrotechnics, and stunning sets.  There will be introductory fun theme park games and the usual souvenir shopping. It is extremely popular with children but nevertheless adults take equal pleasure from it. You will get a buffet dinner over here. Simon Cabaret is a Vegas-type all-male cabaret show with intricate costumes and lip-synching.

Phuket Zoo offers classy crocodile show, elephant show and monkey shows. Gibbon Rehabilitation Project is also an interesting tourist place. Phuket consists of more than 30 temples and monasteries but the Wat Chalong temple is worth a visit. With highly revered monks, Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang, his place is alluring for the patients requiring treatment for long term diseases. Both the monks are famous for work in herbal medicine and tending to the injured.

Tour to Phuket is incomplete without rafting, trekking and elephant rides. The Phuket Orchid Garden and Thai Village offers cultural and animal shows. You can get stunning views of beautifully colored butterflies at Phuket Butterfly Farm.

Phuket consists of some magnificent old mansions and Thalang road, off the Yaowarat Road, has a number of some oldest Sino-Portuguese style buildings. History becomes alive at Phuket and nature covers it with its ever gorgeous wings to make this place a blissfully pleasant landscape. Enjoy to your heart's content at Phuket and surely the city will beckon you to come back once more.

Top Ten Wildlife Experiences in the World

There is an increasing number of wildlife viewing trips advertised to places all over the world, driving an increased interest in nature travel. For many people, viewing wildlife in their natural environment is among the most rewarding and uplifting travel experiences available.
Here is my top ten wildlife viewing travel list available to normal travelers.

1. Mountain Gorillas of Central Africa

One of the most memorable experiences in many people's lives is spending an hour with a group of mountain gorillas, only accessible in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo.

2. Wildlife Safari in East Africa

Spending time watching the great wildlife of Africa's rift valley is a memorable experience far more real than watching it on Discovery Channel. Some target seeing the Big Five (the elephant, buffalo, leopard, rhinoceros and lion) while others enjoy the familiar giraffes, baboons, deer, wildebeest, zebras and antelope.

3. Polar Wildlife in the Antarctic Peninsula

View the famous polar fauna of whales, seals, penguins and other bird-life (especially the soaring albatrosses) in the least accessible and emptiest of the seven continents via a comfortable cruise on an ice-breaker. Most depart from the southern tip of South America.

4. Bears and the Salmon Run in Canada and Alaska

See black and brown bears fatten up for the approaching winter sleep, gorging on spawning salmon in the cascading rivers of Canada and Alaska.

5. Galapagos Islands

View the location of Charles Darwin's famous study into evolution in a living laboratory of volcanic islands. See the famous giant tortoises, extensive and unusual bird-life and the various other animals that have adapted to the demands of the Galapagos Islands.

6. Whale Sharks in Australia

Snorkel and watch the largest living animal on our planet cruise sedately through the warm waters of Ningaloo Reef off the west coast of Australia.

7. Polar Bears in the Arctic

Becoming endangered with our warming planet, see the antics of our largest land carnivores and their youngsters await the freezing of the sea ice off Churchill in north-eastern Canada.

8. Bengal Tigers in India

Though elusive, the elegant Bengal Tigers can be seen in a number of reserves across India. Once hunted by the maharajahs and their guests almost to extinction, they are now protected.

9. Orang-Utans of Borneo

In the east of the island of Borneo, experience the creature that many scientists consider the most intelligent of all of our wildlife.

10. Lemurs and Chameleons of Madagascar

Geologically separate as an island for so long, Madagascar provides a selection of unique and unusual animals highlighted by the variety of playful lemurs and colorful chameleons.

Viewing wildlife in their natural habitat is one of the great privileges of travel. Enjoy and learn about these majestic animals and birds in some of the most beautiful locations in the world.

Mark H is the widely-traveled author of the popular travel blog Travel Wonders of the World where he reviews and shares his experiences, stories, top tens and photos of many of the world's great locations. Mark believes that travel is the greatest form of education.