Chiva-Som, meaning Haven of Life, is located in the south of Hua Hin, Thailand,  is a three-hour drive from Bangkok. The resort  is surrounded by tropical gardens and next to an idyllic beach on the Gulf of Thailand. Chiva-Som provides a comprehensive range of spa, medical and fitness programs that combine the very best of Thai hospitality and Western-style treatments.

The resort offers privacy and seclusion with only 57 elegant Thai-style pavilions, Ocean View rooms and suites.They offer private balconies or terraces for drinking in the fresh air and relaxing atmosphere, and listening to the softly lapping sea.

There are many fitness activities including t’ai chi, pilates, health and beauty workshops and holistic programmes that incorporate forms of traditional Chinese medicine.

Specialty Activities: Xi Gong, Thai Boxing; yoga, aqua aerobic and water fitness classes; physiotherapy services; naturopathic consultation, iridology-diagnosis through the eyes.

Restaurants at the resort include the Emerald Room- an international spa cuisine restaurant and the Taste of Siam – a restaurant by the beach serving Thai spa cuisine. Spa Cuisine- Detoxifying, fat and salt-free cuisine incorporates local herbs and spices.

Outdoor Options: Outdoor pool, Biking, Tennis, Sea Kayaking, outdoor training, golf, sightseeing and guided tours.

Alila Cha-Am is a tropical paradise situated in the charming coastal town of Cha-Am, on the north west coast of the Gulf of Thailand. This luxurious beachside resort is designed to be a sophisticated and contemporary lifestyle destination. From the grand entrance stairway to the rooftop reflecting pool, every detail is understated yet unforgettable. The Horizon rooms, Garden Terrace rooms and Pool Villas are conceived as personal retreats – spacious and elegant.

Originally a fishing village, Cha-Am offers a relaxed pace of life, and a more tranquil atmosphere than neighbouring Hua Hin beach. Its main appeal is its clean, white sand beach, which is thought to be the longest in Thailand, and which is where you will find a choice of excellent seafood restaurants.

The moment you arrived at  Alila Cha-Am, you can almost imagine you have the place to yourself. The innovative architecture includes bold shapes and clean lines softened by the palette of naturally-aged woods, limestone and subtle marble finishes. It’s a stimulating and sensual combination that gives a distinctive contemporary edge to this tropical resort.

Alila Cha-Am offers 72 Horizon Rooms and Garden Terrace Rooms and 7 Private Pool Villas, you can choose how secluded or connected you want to be without even stepping out of your room. The rooms and villas offer both indoor and outdoor privacy that invite you to while away the day, cooled by the gentle sea breezes. Each own-suite has stylish furniture and fabrics beautifully reflect the Thai heritage,  fully integrated wifi capabilities, large flatscreen TV, Apple TV featuring music and film collections, and mood lighting, you can tune in or out to your heart’s content.

The hotel also has a collection of two signature restaurants: Motion and Clouds Loft, Spa Alila (with 2 double treatment rooms, 2 single treatment rooms and 1 double Thai massage room centred around a thermal pool) and a Library with a modern selection of current magazines, novels and reference books.

How to get there: Alila Cha-Am lies on the premier beach resort of Petchabur, 163 km south of Bangkok and 26 km north of Hua Hin. Fly to Bangkok and then a leisurely drive from takes about 2.5 hours. Highlights: the landscape here is characterised by dense jungles and mountain ranges. Activities, there is much variety, from champagne picnics on the beach to energetic pursuits such as water sports and cycling.Take a tour of the ancient temples and pagodas that dot the surrounding area. Or pay a visit to the summer palace of King Rama VI.

Just to the north of the Gulf of Thailand is situated the small rocky island of Ko Si Chang. The island may be is not the best of the Thai islands, but it has two huge advantages. It is little known, even by Thais, and it is the closest place you can reach from Bangkok if you need sea and sand for a few days. A 45-minute ferry journey from the coastal town of Sri Racha brings you to the island’s one small town dominated by a brightly painted Chinese temple, reached by a long flight of steep steps. Photo by: spacehelmetboy

The best way to explore the island is to hire a motor bike called samlor. Your driver will tour the island with you, waiting while you visit the various sights, and even allow you a few hours at the island’s best beach. The main sight there is Rama V’s palace and grounds. The gardens are lovely, linked ponds are shaded by ancient frangipani trees, and stone steps lead to balustraded terraces. Four wooden villas, fronting the sea, house various displays and historic photographs. Photo by: stefangrudza

There are several places in which to spend your break, and plenty of places in which to eat scrumptious fresh seafood. The main beach is rather small, but the water is turquoise in colour, clear as glass and fabulous for swimming. Tourists are surprisingly few, most just come for the day, and the island is calm and quiet – just what you need if you’ve been in Bangkok for a while. Photo by: Gabypacu

When to go: November to April for the least rain. Population: 4,500. How to get there: By ferry from Sri Racha. You should know: Ko Si Chang and Sri Racha are close to a deep-sea port and you will see huge numbers of barges waiting to unload you as you sit on the ferry. Don’t be put off, they don’t affect the island or the water around. Photo by: araeoflight1410

Some 40 km from Krabi, off Thailand’s south western coast, Ko Phi Phi is a group of limestone islands that just sharply from the surrounding turquoise sea. Phi Phi Don is both the largest and the only one with a permanent population. Phi Phi Leh is much visited but uninhabited. Phi Phi Don divides into two sections joined by a narrow isthmus on either side of which are two superb sweeps of white sand. It is stunningly beautiful with green hills combine with astonishing cliffs plunging down to the water. They also part of the National Marine Park. Photo by: René Ehrhardt

During the 1940, Phi Phi Don was populated by Muslim fishermen, and even now a good 80 per cent of the inhabitants are Muslim. Later, coconut plantations were introduced, but by the 1970’s travellers had got wind of this remote and delicious paradise. The good news is that as diving and snorkeling are so popular, the fishermen no longer use dynamite and the surrounding coral is in better shape it might be. Conversely, attempts to limit the number of tourists, to better preserve the nature of the place, have failed due to greed. Photo by: hn.

Phi Phi Leh is all towering cliffs, caves and sea lake. Tourists visit for a day to swim, but it is also famed as a centre of the birds nest soup industry. Swiftlets nest high up in the rocky hollows, and licenced collectors climb three times a year, to harvest these nests, made of saliva. Photo by: ebergcanada

When to go: November to April. Population: 1,500. How to get there: By boat from Phuket or Krabi. Photo by: Fabio Sabatini

Bathed in the aquamarine waters of the Gulf of Thailand about 30 km from Ko Samui, the Ang Thong Archipelago is a collection of 42 uninhabited islands famed for their natural beauty. The islands have been designated a National Marine Park to save them from development and excessive tourism, making them a pleasant and relaxing place to visit. The best way to explore is by boat as most of the islands are close together. Each island is different, but hey are characterized by limestone cliffs, tropical forest, caves and secret lagoons, pristine white sand beaches, coral reefs, and aquamarine waters.

Ko Mae Ko (Mother Island) is a must-see. Encircled on all sides by limestone cliffs, the emerald lake in the middle of the island is linked to the sea by an underground tunnel. It’s a strenuous climb to view the lake but well worth the effort, as you gaze down on a stunningly beautiful water and are rewarded by a spectacular view across the whole park.

Other popular islands are Ko Sam Sao (Tripod Island) with its extensive coral reefs and Wua Talap Island (Sleeping Cow Island), the summit of which offers magnificent views across the entire archipelago and the mainland. The headquarters of the national park are situated there, and there is bungalow-style accommodation for visitors. There are caves in many of the islands with interesting rock formations to discover.

The lovely white sand beaches, many of them deserted, are surrounded by coral reefs and the warm shallow waters are ideal for swimming. Other popular island activities include sea-kayaking, and snorkeling around the coral reefs.

When to go: December to February, August to September. Population: 100,000 over the 6 inhabited islands. How to get there: Boat from Ko Samui. You should know: Access to the National Park is controlled. Sevral boat rental companies in Ko Samui are licenced to hire boats to visit the islands. Photos by: mark_schermerhorn

Phang-Nga Bay is one of the Thailand’s most jaw-droppingly beautiful seascapes. Covering some 400 sq km tucked between Phuket and Krabi, the bay, outside limited with mangrove forests, is home to hundred of limestone karst formations. Some of these are tiny spires, some are large bizarrely shaped, reaching up 300 m in height, and all covered in tangled rain forest vegetation. Photos by: Zimmelino

Some of the islands have been hollowed out by the forces of nature, leaving hidden magnificent lagoon emerged as hongs in their centres. Invisible from the outside, the hongs are accessible by sea canoe, but it’s only during particular tides that the channels beneath the rock face are navigable. There secret lagoons are tidal, supporting their own ecosystems, while the enclosing circle of cliffs are covered with extraordinary greenery of a prehistoric world. Photos by: stephenk1977

The central area boasts with fantastic karst islands including the popular ‘James Bond‘ island, where The Man with the Golden Gun was filmed. Very few of these islands are inhabited, and even fewer have anywhere to stay. Photos by: somah

Ko Panyi is an exception – a Muslim fishing village, mainly built on stilts, it teems with visitors during the day time. There you can rent your own canoe and explore the bay in your own. The cliffs are coloured with red and orange sponges close to the water line and scenery is awesome. Apart from rock-climbing many people come  for water based activities – sea kayaking, sailing and fishing. Photos by: kylehammons

When to go: December to May for the best weather. Population: 700 (2006). How to get there: By boat from Phang-Nga town, Phuket or Krabi.

Ko Tao is situated a couple of hours boat ride from the mainland, in the Gulf of Thailand. Twenty years ago only the most intrepid of backpackers made it to the island, due to its relative remoteness. Today all that has changed, and Ko Tao has become a major dive center. Photo by: grolli77

This is lovely place, all 21sq km of it, and its rocky green interior is bursting with coconut groves. Those not involved with coconuts are either fishermen or in the rapidly expanding tourist trade. There are gorgeous little coves and beaches around the island, some of which are only accessible by boat, but it is the surrounding shallow coral reefs and marine life that are the main attraction here. Photo by: mikilgenio80

Of course you don’t have to be a diver to enjoy Ko Tao, but if you are, or have ever wanted to be, this is a great place, and still reasonable, price-wise. The water is clear, the visibility excellent, and you will see a wealth of multi-hued fish and coral even if you stick to snorkeling. There is still a variety of places in which to stay – everything from basic bamboo beach huts to boutique hotels. Photo by: Jeremiah Cunningham

One of the best dive sites is Sail Rock. Shaped like an iceberg, it rises from the sea floor at 40 m and reaches 15 m above the surface, providing fabulous dive for all levels of experience. At certain times of the year, you might even get to see a whale shark. Back on land, there are other activities to occupy your time -elephant rides, rock climbing, yoga, massive and cookery courses. Rent a bike and tour the island using the single existing road, walk or just find a peaceful spot and relax. Photo by: hitchhikingfreeloader

When to go: December to May. Population: 5,000. How to get there: By boat from the mainland, Ko Samui or Ko Pha-Ngan.

Ko Samet in the Gulf of Thailand, some 200 km south east of Bangkok is a favorite holiday island for both Thais and foreigners alike. A mere 30-minute boat trip from the mainland, Ko Samet is quite easily reached from Bangkok, and its famous white powder sand beaches have made it popular with everyone – families, backpackers, package holiday, tourists, even working girls from Pattaya in need of a rest. Declared a National Park in 1981, the island should have been protected from development, but in reality all the accessible beaches around this 6 km long island have resorts, beach bungalow, operations, restaurants and bars lining the sand. Outside the park, the only village, Na Dan, where the boats arrive, is where most of the population live. Photo by: travellers_in_speedos

The island’s interior is quite different – mountainous and covered with dense rainforest, it shelters gibbon, long tailed macaques, monitor lizards, fruit bats, hornbills and many gorgeous butterflies. There are a few tracks cross the central ridge from east to west, but otherwise this at least is left in its natural state. It’s worth trekking across though, for great cliff-top views and of course, magnificent sunset. Photo by: Aung@

Hat Sai Kaew, or Diamond Beach, is the closest beach to the ferry pier, and at 780m long, is an amazing swathe of sand. Soft and white, its high silicon content makes it squeak underfoot and obviously, it is extremely popular. If you walk south you will find a mermaid statue, placed there in recognition of the 19th century epic poem written by one of Thailand’s greatest poets, Santhorn Phu, and partly set on Ko Samet. The island is perfect for swimming, snorkeling and fishing off. Watch a fire show at Ao Phai beach. Photo by: Chris Kuo

When to go: Pleasant at almost any time of year. September and October bring the most rain. Population: 1,000 (2005 estimate). How to get there: By road to Ban Phe, then boat to Ko Samet.

It is a Thai village style located about 15 km from Pattaya, Thailand. Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden is the biggest and one of the most magnificent botanical garden in Asia. More than 2,000 visitors came here everyday. At the Botanical Garden, on area of 500 acres, you can see the largest variety of Orchids in Thailand. More than 670 native species and hybrids are kept here, including a huge collection of Bon-Sai and different sorts of palms.

The day can be easily spent here. The Botanical Garden is full of Thai style houses, villas, banquet halls, restaurants and swimming pools. Nong Nooch Pattaya is famous for its impressive Thai traditional dance show – “Cultural Extravaganza”. It is presented the splendor of Thai ceremonies, graceful dances, sword fighting, Thai kick-boxing, and much more. For the entertainment of the tourists, many Elephant Shows are also arranged.

Things to see in Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden: the lake with swan boat rides, the butterfly hill created out of 50,000 flowers and ornamental plants, The Fountain Garden – ideal place for photography, Bromeliad House – the floral world houses more than 300 species from worldwide, Antique Hall – a miniature museum includes antique jewellery, Buddha image statues, and other objects of arts over one hundred years old, The Stonehenge stone circle, Butterfly House – will show you the life cycle of exotic species of butterflies from all over the world.

I have written many times about the miraculous country called Cambodia. But this time I will present a really different look of the country. To many tourists Cambodia means only two things: the majestic temples of Angkor Wat and the Killing Fields of Phnom Penh. But the southern coast of the country is ”Another Cambodia” and during the recent years emerged as an alternative to the heavily trafficked beaches of Thailand.

Some people said that almost every place in Cambodia has a ghost story attached to it. This is why Cambodian people practice Theravada Buddhism. Their Gods are able to cross between the border of the world. When you are in Cambodia I strongly recommended you to go in Kep, where a series of funky bamboo and wood tree houses, many with terrific views of the Gulf of Thailand and the Vietnamase island Phu Quoc.

The image shows Rajana in Sihanoukville, a chain of nonprofit stores with wonderful textiles and some clothing and knickknacks. Sihanoukville is a place with white sands, authentic shops and non-restaurant-based night life.

If you stroll down to Serendipity Beach will bring you in contact with fire throwers, mystics, British Vogue photographers, sex tourists and many, many opportunities to indulge in something called a “vodka bucket.” Several airlines, including Cathay Pacific (with a stop in Hong Kong) and Korean Air (with a stop in Seoul), have flights from Kennedy Airport in New York, with round-trip fares in April starting at about $1,300, based on a recent Web search.

Jeff Pan is the founder of the Brooklyn Loftstel, who went from a business student to backpacker relief. The name is a concept of a loft and hostel put together. The Loftstel has only been around for 2 years and today have been risen to a place, where international students stay while visiting the US.

Jeff is a really creative and faithful person. Jeff spent 2 years exploring the world with his own eyes, starting in Europe, and ending up in Thailand. He was one of thousands of foreigners who have come to Phuket Island to help communities rebuild from the Dec. 26 tsunami.

While traveling he came up with the idea of housing a hostel, which is the only affordable option for backpackers. What makes Loftstel stand above the hostel crowd is its unique vision to create a space for the longtime guest. Most of the residents are international students on internships or people looking to relocate to the states.  Typically people stay anywhere from 1-5 months.

You can found out the Loftstel to 4 different locations in the United States, (NYC, DC, PA & LA) and has the hopes of expanding to Europe in the near future.  Currently there are around 30 full time employees that maintain the business across the country.  A regular housekeeping system and respectful tenants keep each Loftstel very clean.

Guests at Loftstel are interested in having a different experience that goes beyond the surface layer.  As Jeff says, “people have a real chance to get to know the city, and even time to make up their own mind about George W. Bush.”

All of their room options include the following amenities: free wireless internet (if you have a laptop), free public computer to check your email, phone with free long-distance calls, HBO on demand & Wii on our flat-screen TV, detergent & dryer sheets with use of our washer/dryer, owels & linen are provided, kitchen access with cookware & dinnerware, personal locker & closet storage (bring your own lock), sleeping masks and ear plugs, funky design to make you feel right at home, a great place to meet other students from around the world.

Laos or the Lao People’s Democratic Public is a landlocked country in southeast Asia, offering an untouched glimpse of traditional life.

In Laos, a bungalow is the best place to enjoy sunset along the Nam Song River. the town is famous for its adventure destination, due to the many options for kayaking and caving.

The road from Ban Beng to Tha Taeng in southeastern Laos, where is possible to bump into  the indochinese tiger, the giant gaur and the Asian elephant.

Fresg vegetables are available at the main market called Talat Nyai in Attapeu.

A vendor at the Attapeu market. The Lao economy is heavily dependent on investment and trade with its neighbors, Thailand, Vietnam, and, especially in the north, China. Pakxe has also experienced growth based on cross-border trade with Thailand and Vietnam. Much of the country, however, lacks adequate infrastructure. Laos has no railways, except a short link to connect Vientiane with Thailand over the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge.