Where to Stay in Bangkok?

Where to Stay in Bangkok?
Author: Gregory Smyth

Bangkok offers a diverse choice in accommodations to match every taste and budget. A visitor can afford to stay royally in an elegant hotel or live peacefully in a guest house on a moderate budget.

Since lot of hotels are often completely booked during the peak season from November to March, it is advisable that visitors go for advance reservations if they are contemplating to visit during this period. Accommodations cost lesser compared to Hong Kong and Singapore and inexpensive by Western standards, specifically because of the degradation of the Thai currency due to the Asian economic crisis of 1997.

The major hotel districts are based around Siam Square and Ploenchit Road; close to the Chao Phraya River, along Silom Road, Suriwong Road and Sukhumvit Road. There are other places such as Banglampoo for modest guesthouses accessed by backpackers, along the river where some modern high-rise hotels are expected to come up; and Chinatown, which is among the most energetic and typically Asian parts of Bangkok.

Around Siam Square, you will discover some very admirable places to live in. You can also find variety of shops, restaurants and nightspots. The less costly places are centered on Soi Kasemann 1 and near Jim Thompson's House and Museum. These places, such as Bed and Breakfast, provide a guesthouse atmosphere coupled with hotel comfort.

The areas of Chao Phraya River, Silom Road and Suriwong Road enclose some of the older sections of Bangkok. The area around Silom Road and Suriwong Road is recognized as the financial district, and has numerous hotels and restaurants. You can find enough entertainment and shopping options in the Patpong Night Market. You can also find centrally placed top-class hotels suitable for both business and leisure. The luxury establishments, characterizes a distinctly Thai character and boasts an elegant design.

If you travel further towards the west, you will arrive at the riverbank, where some of the outstanding hotels in Bangkok are to be discovered. Hotels here deliver riverfront luxury biased toward tour groups. Most hotels here offer you world-class facilities along with exceptional views from its rooms. There is a handful of other hotels overlooking the Chao Praya River.

Sukhumvit Road is another area popular for shops and nightspots. The area also boasts of some extremely attractive bars. There is good enough presence of mid-range hotels and inns here. But the better four-star and five-star hotels cater more for business travelers than tourists. Even if they lack in character, they more than compensate for that in the facilities they provide.

There are some brand-new hotels oriented toward the business traveler and also possesses most modern fitness centers. There is no shortage for luxurious hotels either on Sukhumvit, while there are also old hotels having their own tradition to show for. People who love modern-sized, unpretentious topnotch accommodation are not disappointed either. Some of the hotels also have rooms affording you nice views of the Bangkok skyline.

No matter wherever you decide to stay in Bangkok, the hospitable people here in the "Land of Smiles" will provide you everything needed to relax and enjoy your time in this fantastic city.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/where-to-stay-in-bangkok-389779.html

6 Places to Visit in Rome

6 Places to Visit in Rome
Author: Vasilisa

They say there are as many attractions in Rome as there are people. That is even more amazing taking into account the fact that the historical center of Rome is comparatively small: it occupies the space between the Tiber in the East and Termini railway station in the West. Here one can see the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi fountain, the Spanish Steps, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican.

What should one visit in Rome? That’s quite a question! But one thing is for sure: the following six attractions are an absolute must!

Begin with the Roman Forum, which used to be the political and religious center of the ancient Rome. The Forum is crossed by the sacred road (via Sakra), going up the Capitoline Hill. This is the breathtaking group of buildings including the ruins of the Vespasian Temple, the Agreement Temple, St Joseph Church, the Temple Of Saturn, columns of the Castor and Pollux Temple, etc. Via Sakra ends in Arch Of Titus, which was erected to commemorate the Emperor’s victory over rebellious Jerusalem.

The Pantheon is worth visiting too. Built by Mark Agrippa in 27 BC, this is one of the most famous monuments of Ancient Rome. The name “Pantheon” means “devoted to all gods”. In the Christian epoch it was turned into a church. The bodies of many prominent people lie here.

Another attraction of the Eternal city, the Coloisseum, is the symbol of Rome. Designed for 50, 000 spectators, the Coloisseum is the biggest amphitheatre in the world. Here took place bloody shows with wild animals and gladiators, to perform sea battles the arena was filled with water. To emphasize the grandeur of the happening, during the fights Emperor Commodus was wearing a lion skin.

In its original look the Colosseum existed up to VIII century when Pope Pavel III allowed his nephew to take the Colosseum stones for the building of his own palace. According to the permission, the Cardinal could take as many stones as he could but only within 12 hours. That helped to save the building for the future generations.

All the tourists certainly visit the Trevi Fountain. Perhaps, it is not the most beautiful, but for certain it is the most famous. It is the masterpiece by Nicola Salvi who had been working over it for 19 years. The small Trevi Square reminds of an ancient amphitheatre and the fountain itself is like a magnificent stage, in the center of which resides Neptune, god of the sea.

He is riding a shell-shaped chariot, pulled by two sea-horses. Tritons on each side show the way between the rocks. One of the sea-horses is calm while the other is unruly. They symbolize the changeable moods of the sea. Two statues in the background represent Abundance and Salubrity. Above the sculptures are graceful bas-reliefs.

Probably the most romantic place in Rome is the Spanish Steps. It was built to connect Via del Babuino to Via Felice in 1721-1725. It acquired its name due to the embassy situated nearby. Here one can always meet couples strolling hand in hand and kissing every here and there.

These are only some of the Rome attractions. In fact, one can hardly visit all the sights of the miraculous Italian capital.

Let’s have dinner at Amphawa floating market (Talat Nam Yam Yen Amphawa)

Let’s have dinner at Amphawa floating market (Talat Nam Yam Yen Amphawa)

The floating market at Amphawa has become popular place for Thai and foreign tourists. It is an afternoon floating market on Amphaawa canel at Samut Songkhram province, near Amphawan Chetiyaram temple and King Rama 2 Memorial Park. You get there by car take highway 35 (Thonburi-Pak Tho) drive through the town of Samut Songkhram and turn left to King Rama 2 Memorial Park, or by bus you take Bangkok-Ratchaburi-Damnoen Saduak bus to get off at Amphawa market.It take 1.5 hour from Bangkok to Amphawa.

Amphawa floating market open on Friday. Saturday and Sunday from 4.00 pm-8.00 pm. There will be villagers bringing their produces to sell by boat. Come and experience local touch in the past where the timeless lifestyle of Thai can be observed along the canals.




At night, Threre is a boat trip to see the area’s famous fireflies is very popular activity at night. Some people referred to this memorable screen as ‘Asian Christmas Tree’.

One famous temple in Bang Khonthi district is Bang Kung Temple. Bang Kung Camp is located at Mu 4, Tambon Bang Kung. When arriving at the camp site, visitors will firstly see an imitation wall built in memory of the battle. Here is a historic navy camp site. Following the second defeat of the Ayutthaya kingdom in 1767, King Taksin the Great moved the naval force to set up camp in the district of Bang Kung since Mueang Mae Klong (the city of Mae Klong) was in the way used by the Burmese army.

A wall was built to make Wat Bang Kung be in the middle of the camp as a spirit centre for soldiers. King Taksin the Great later commanded the Chinese from Rayong, Chon Buri, Ratchaburi, and Kanchanaburi to form a guard unit for the camp. The camp was, therefore, called the ‘Bang Kung Chinese Camp.’ The king named the guards ‘Thahan Phakdi Asa’ or the ‘voluntary loyal soldiers.’ In 1768, the Burmese king of Angwa led an army via Kanchanaburi to surround the camp. King Taksin the Great and Phra Maha Montri (Bunma) jointly fought and defeated the Burmese.



It was the first battle against the Burmese after the Kingdom of Thon Buri had been established by King Taksin the Great. The victory was hailed as moral support to the Thai people while it created a sense of fear among the Burmese army. The camp site was left deserted for almost 200 years. In 1967, the Ministry of Education established a boy scout camp on the site to celebrate King Taksin the Great, and also built a shrine as a memorial to the king.

The ceremony to raise the shrine was held on 20 June 1968. Within the camp compound, there is the Ubosot (ordination hall) commonly called as ‘Bot Luangpho Dam,’ which was built in the Ayutthaya period. The hall is wholly covered by four species of ficus plants: Pho (Bodhi), Sai, Krai, and Krang. Therefore, it is also called ‘Bot Prok Pho’ (ordination hall covered by Bodhi trees). The monument of King Taksin the Great is in the nearby area.


Special thanks for information www.tat.or.th

Your Business Trip and Your Diet

Your Business Trip and Your Diet
by Paul Dodd

Your Business Trip and Your Diet
Business travel can be a productive, enjoyable and even exciting experience. The time you spend doing business in other locations expands your business reach and scope and broadens you as a person as well. Getting skilled at business travel is a solid business goal because there are skills related to business travel and being productive on the road that are impossible to learn if you don't get out there and travel.

Many of the skills associated with business travel have to do with how to live productively on the road. This is especially important if you find yourself on a lengthy business trip. The life of moving in and out of hotels, traveling by car or airplane and the stresses of the work can wear down even the most robust and experienced business traveler.

Maintaining a healthy diet while traveling for business is a serious challenge and one that really can only be accomplished with some serious planning. You will inevitably find yourself eating in a lot of restaurants on the road and that kind of food does not lend itself to a diet that is designed for weight loss or for a diet you must maintain for health reasons.

The first but biggest step forward to achieving diet goals while traveling is to communicate your desires to your traveling companions. In a business setting, there is often a lot of encouragement to eat and drink well. Everybody is on the expense account so it is easy to overdo it. But if you let your coworkers and clients know you have compelling reasons to maintain a disciplined diet, most of the time they will respect that and find ways to help you be successful.

Another trick of business travel is not to depend on restaurants for your meals entirely. If you can get out to a market early in the trip and purchase some fresh fruit and vegetables, you can prepare some healthy food in your room to fill you up and keep you on track. Then if you find that you must eat in a restaurant to discuss business with coworkers or build relationships with the client, your appetite will be low so you can get by on much less.

You can also be a voice for moderation in the selection of eating establishments for your meals. Obviously, fast food is not going to be a good choice for you. So if there is discussion about where to stop, you can vote for a place that serves a good variety of meal choices including some healthy choice menu options. In that way if you must eat in a restaurant, you can find items to order that can be prepared in accord with your diet needs.

You will be surprised how many allies you will find both in your travel associates and with those you are doing business with at your destination who have diet goals but have not been successful because of the temptations of the life on the road. Your open statement of intent to stick to your diet in spite of the rigors of business travel can be a tremendous inspiration to them. Moreover, by building partnerships in your intent to live healthy, it is entirely possible to take your business to a healthy restaurant or deli and allow the rest of the party to go to a place of their liking. As long as this is done without animosity, everybody wins.

Avoiding alcohol and snacks can be a huge challenge on the road as well. Very often in a seminar setting or during a long day of discussions, the host company or office will provide cookies or other snacks to help the meeting go well by keeping everybody's blood sugar up. These snacks are going to be hard to resist. One way to help yourself in that situation is to be prepared with your own snacks in your brief case to bring out to substitute for the unhealthy food being provided.

By thinking ahead about your diet needs and how you will provide for yourself while traveling, it is possible to sustain a healthy lifestyle even during business trips. By supplementing theses steps with exercise and rest, you may find that your weather the trip much better than those who abuse their bodies and find yourself more productive as a business person as well because you made the effort to eat well on the road.

http://pauldodds1.ipower.com//index1.html

Paris for Lovers

Paris for Lovers
by anne

Paris is one of the premier capitals of the world especially the romantic amongst us; ideally situated along the banks of the river Seine. Paris short stays are primarily taken by couples wanting a romantic weekend; most people promise to return as so much they wanted to see will have been missed.
This city is also equally well known for its Gothic architecture and markets; the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre must not go unmentioned. Fortunately for tourists, Paris has a first rate transportation system; the Metro underground train network will probably be the main method as it runs regularly and reaches every part of the city.

The Eiffel Tower at over 300 meters tall is a magnificent steel structure; there are only a few places in the city where it isn't visible. At night, it comes alive with lights that have to be seen to be believed; guided tours are available where the patriotic tour guides give you an in depth history and an insight to what it is to be French.

A trip down the Champs Elysees is encouraged when you visit Paris as this is the city's most famous street; if you want to see famous, designer label shops and the restaurants, this is the place. This avenue is well worth a visit to see how the wealthy live; the average tourist may find the accommodation expensive but more modest hotels can be found away from this area.

A trip to would not be complete without a visit to the Louvre museum; with over 300,000 wonderful artistic works, you simply cannot see all of it in one day. If you are an art lover then you could spend your whole short stay in Paris inside; the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo statue just two of many appreciated works of art. Over the years, Paris has been home to many of the world's famous artists; chances are that you will have the opportunity to see a number of famous paintings whilst you're visiting.

Of course, Napoleon commissioned the construction of the Arc de Triomphe, another Paris landmark; it provides visitors with a wonderful photo experience because it contains the names of every one of his generals. The Arc is the focal point of the city and contains an observatory to view the local area; in particular those obtained along the lanes that lead from it.

This city has a huge variety of places to visit, many of these have not even mentioned here; and whilst there are many more worthy examples, those listed here should not be missed. A Paris Short stay vacation should only ever be considered a sample of what the city can offer; the churches, cathedrals and other museums will just have to wait for another time.

http://www.parisshortstaysatparishotels.com

Short Stays in Paris never get old...

Short Stays in Paris never get old... by belle

Paris is the capital of France and the second largest city of Western Europe; it is also one of the best European city destinations. Unfortunately a Paris short stay can only ever be considered a taster; the desire to stay longer is strong as there is so much to see and do.
A city famous for its fabulous architecture, good food, wine, street markets and galleries; plus sights like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and many other places that are havens for tourists, both home grown and international. Traveling through the city of Paris can be very enjoyable; there is an excellent underground system called the Metro which runs regular trains into the city center and is very easy to understand.

The Eiffel Tower at over 300 meters tall and is a magnificent steel structure; it provides stunning views from the top and is visible throughout most of the city. Illuminated in the evening, it is one of the most beautiful sights in the entire city; guided tours add to the thrill as you get to peek into history on how it was constructed.

On your Paris trip ensure you add the famous Champs Elysees to your list of places to visit; it's where you will find all the top class hotels, shops and restaurants. When you visit this region of the city you will see it is a much more select area; most of the five star hotels are located here but more affordable hotels can be found further out.

The city's famous museum, the Louvre is huge and worth a visit if you have the time; it contains almost a third of a million exhibits and is in fact one of the biggest art museums in the world. On a Paris short stay vacation it would be easy to spend entire weekend here; with the likes of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa to view in addition to some of the finest collections of art in the world. What makes Paris special is the number of artists that have been attracted to this great capital; painters like Monet and Picasso spent many years here and a large number of their art works can be seen in Paris today.

The famous 19th century edifice built on Napoleons instructions, the Arc de Triomphe, is also in Paris; it provides visitors with a wonderful photo experience because it contains the names of every one of his generals. The Arc is the focal point of the city and contains an observatory to view the local area; in particular those obtained along the lanes that lead from it.

This city has a huge variety of places to visit, many of these have not even mentioned here; there are plenty of others to keep you occupied but to make the most of your time, use one of the guided tours. Unfortunately, short stays in Paris can be demanding on visitors; you would probably need a week to view the main galleries, visit medieval castles and explore fabulous gothic churches.

http://www.parisshortstaysatparishotels.com/

Differences Between Air And Travel By Car

Differences Between Air And Travel By Car
Author: Jim Brown

There has been considerable amount of discussion between travelers who wonder whether it is easier for people to travel by aircraft than it would be to travel by car. For air travelers, the most beneficial reason that they have found to travel by air than by car is the time it takes to get from one location to another. In some cases, travel by car might prove these people wrong because some people have rented cars and gotten to their destination faster than people on an aircraft.

Travelers by air can be delayed for many reasons. There might be ice on the wings of the aircraft that will cause some delays. These delays could cause cancellations of some flights when the ice storms turn into snow storms. When people travel by car they have many routes that they can choose to avoid bad snow storms. They also have a radio in the automobile that will alert them to any changes in weather conditions along their route.

Most airlines travel on a set schedule. Travelers that use cars can depart at any time that they like and stop wherever they like along the way. An air traveler will certainly miss out on beautiful landscapes and landmarks that are what made this nation great but they will generally be allowed to watch a movie in-flight if their flight is long enough to justify it.

The people that travel by automobile will generally be presented with a wide selection of foods to eat along their routes. Air travelers are lucky if a meal is served on their flight and will find that they are very lucky if they receive peanuts and a drink in the comfort of a very tight seat complete with seat belt. A person traveling by car can choose to stop, and eat at a leisurely rate without a seat belt in place.

Many people that travel by air are subjected to a great variety of smells. Hints of jet fuel may linger in the cabin or there might be a child nearby that has a diaper that needs changing. Some travelers by air have been on long business trips and have not had the opportunity to change into a fresh set of clothes. People that travel by car are rarely subjected to any of these inconvenient smells and they could open a car window to air the interior out should a baby diaper need changing without stopping at a rest stop.

Travelers by car will never have their luggage inspected or be asked to remove their shoes in order to gain entry into their automobile. Travelers by air are subjected to many searches and invasions of privacy and most will be prohibited from carry liquids and tools onboard an aircraft. People that travel by car can carry whatever they like on a trip and buy more things along the way if they choose. Arriving at a destination by car is far better for most people because they know what the mechanical condition of the automobile is and they are not really sure what the latest safety status is of the aircraft that people get on throughout the day.