Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21

CANADA'S FRONT DOOR

The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 (better known as 'Pier 21') is the location where over one million immigrants entered Canada for the first time from 1928-1971, Marginal Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

The museum has offers history of those who entered into Canada this way along with a bit about their lives and journeys. Moreover, you can find the gift shop and Scotiabank Family History Centre, Exhibitions at Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is a must to see / discover the Museum’s main exhibition dedicated to the years when Pier 21 was open as an immigration shed. Learn about the one million immigrants, refugees, war brides, evacuee children and displaced persons who came through this gateway between 1928 and 1971. You'll also learn about Canada's participation during the desperate days of WWII when 500,000 military personnel departed from Pier 21. Go on an emotional journey through Pier 21’s historic past when you view the multimedia presentation Oceans of Hope.

Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21

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Photos Post

Downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Beautiful Scenery at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Titanic Grave Site - Fairview Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia
 สุสานของผู้เสียชีวิตจากเรือไททานิค ตั้งอยู่ที่เมืองฮาลิแฟ็กซ์ มลรัฐโนวา สโกเชีย ประเทศแคนาดา

James Bond Island

James Bond Island Phang Nga Bay; one of the most beautiful bay of Thailand, the bay is between Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi. It is famous for gravity-defying limestone formations, including James Bond Island (Kao Ta-pu): On the fateful morning of 26 December 2004, Phang Nga Bay was attacked by a tsunami disaster and thousands of people lost their lives. 

There are numbers of small islands between Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi. Some of them have accommodation as below lists;

Koh Bon, it is about 10 minutes from Haad Rawai (Rawai Beach), part of Phuket. The island is an ideal island for a day of snorkelling and relaxing.

Koh Hae (Coral Island), coral island is approximately 15 minutes by speedboat from Chalong Bay (Phuket part), speedboat can be accessible all year.

Koh Lon, is one of the quiet small islands; there are mostly Muslim island lives here and with a few bungalows.

Koh Mai Thon, it is a gorgeous little island with only one which is expensive place to stay. 

Koh Maphrao (Coconut Island)

Koh Racha, this island consists of two islands; Raya Yai and Raya Noi which means big and small, the island is an ideal island and popular with scuba divers and a relaxing, as well as snorkelling destination.

Koh Yao, this island is also consists of two islands; Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi. The is land is halfway to Krabi, the island has few upmarket resorts.

Kao Ta-Pu in front of James Bond Island

Sightseeing along James Bond Island can be done in one day-tour. From Phang Nga Town; get your travel tickets from tour operators many different nearby your hotel, and see what's the best for you. Usually there are a couple of different trips available every day. Half day tours, full day tours and tours with a night in Koh Panyi with reasonable price. There are also trips with sea canoeing. Tours booked from Krabi or Phuket are shorter and are more expensive...

Tour operators has organized many different tours and most of them follow standard route around the bay; passing weird rock formations, limestone outcrops, hidden lakes, tiny beaches and many caves. The tours usually go to Khao Ping Gan - The Leaning Rock, which was featured in the James Bond movie "The Man With the Golden Gun" as Scaramanga's hideaway. Kao Tapu in front of the James Bond Island is a popular rock. Beware that on "the" James Bond Island, the beach is littered with trinket vendors trying to sell you something and the experience of seeing the island may be somewhat disappointing and diluted.

A Phang Nga bay tour may take you to Koh Panyi, a village built on stilts. The mosque and the graveyard are the only places which are built on ground. It's a tourist trap during the day as many tours also stop here. Some tours will give you the option to stay overnight, which is preferable to really experience the village as the tourist trap disappears in the evening. If you go inwards you can see more of the village and eat at local stalls. There are specially in the morning and late afternoon many boats to and out of the island.

Canoeing a popular activity in the Phang Nga Bay. It is a form of eco-tourism that is available in several variations, as popular one-day tours, or more extended tours involving overnight camping on island beaches. You will see more than anyone else of the area, as many mangrove swamps and island grottoes are only accessible by canoe :)

Koh Samet

One of the Eastern Seaboard islands; Koh Samet located off the coastline of province 'Rayong' Gulf of Thailand. Travel from Bangkok by bus, with departures to Ban Phe (บ้านเพ) from Bangkok's Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekkamai bus station), travel time from Bangkok to Ban Phe Pier approximately 4 hours.

From Ban Phe, there are direct boats to Koh Samet. The boat fee costs 50 Baht for local people, and 100 baht per person for tourists. It takes about 15-40 minutes from Ban Phe to Koh Samet, depends on what kind of the boats and the weather conditions. 

Koh Samet has wonderful beaches, the most well-known beaches on the island are Had Sai Kaew, Ao Phai, Ao Vong Duean, Ao Wai and Ao Klew Na-Nok on the East coast and Ao Prao on the West coast.

At Had Sai Kaew or Sai Kaew Beach; there is a national park office where you can get the tourist information; Koh Samet is also under the National park area (Khao Laem Ya - Moo Koh Samet National Park. This national park is just on the way you walk to Sai Kaew beach after dropped off the ferry. In front of this national park, you will see a fee office where you pay for the fee for coming to Koh Samet. As for tourists pay about 200 Baht per one adult and 100 baht for a children. For Thais pay 40 baht for adult and 20 baht for a children. This island also has 7-Eleven shop. And there are many small local shops and easy to buy. If you are at Sai Kaew beach that means you are 3 Km far from Ao Wong Duean, 2.5 Km far from Ao Prao and approximately 6 Km far from Ao Pra-karang. From the national park walk down to Sai Kaew beach takes only a few minute.

Had Sai Kaew which literally means Crystal Sand Beach is very beautiful beach. It is full of soft white sand. It is the place for sunbathing, chilling, relaxing, jet skiing, windsurfing, riding on a banana boat or even partying at night. This is something you can do when you'd like to get away from such busy town. Koh Samet is one of the ideal travel places for most tourists who wanting to chill-out with their families for a couple of day. Travel to Koh Samet on week day is better than weekend as there are more tourist on weekends.

Between Sai Kaew beach and Ao Pai you will see the Mermaid and Pra Aphai Mani statue, (รูปปั้นนางเงือกและพระอภัยมณี) it is a story of "Soon torn phoo" poets.

Ao Phai; Sea-Breeze, Silver sand and Samet Villa Beach, Ao Phai is a small bay on Koh Samet with restaurants and a disco bar just at the beach. Ao Phai offers good quality rooms for couples and families.

Ao Hin Khok; Located close to Had Sai Kaew, Ao Hin Khok is therefore quite crowded. For visitors interested in sunbathing, Windsurfing, with the crystal clear water this is the good place.

Ao Wong Duean; is the second largest beach on the island (the first being Hat Sai Kaew). Ao Wong Duean attracts tourist groups during both the high and low seasons due to its beach and good accommodation. On top of this, seafood restaurants with nice views are also available.

Ao Wai; located within a short walking distance of Candlelight Beach. Shaded by coconut trees, the beach is quiet and scenic good for relax.

Ao Prow; is one of the quietest beaches of Koh Samet. Located quite far away from the nightlife of Koh Samet; Ao Prow is preferred by travelers who quietly enjoy the sea, swimming and sand, And its also best sunset view point of Koh Samet.

Activities  

Some activities you could find on Koh Samet;

Windsurfing with its rocky coastline and offshore winds. Hin Khok beach is a good location for windsurfing.

Motorbike Driving Get Motorbike rental nearby the pier goes for about 300 Baht a day for a decent bike, automatic with off road wheels. If you are paying more, you are being ripped off. You should be a decent driver to drive across the Island. Roads can be very bad and rocky especially near Ao Wai beach. ATV's are rented out at about 400 Baht an hour. It is worth a drive if you are a decent driver. 

Boat Trips These are arranged to take tourists, mostly by speed boat around the island to snorkeling and diving spots.

Snorkeling / Diving The Koh Samet area is a populars for divers and snorkelers, due its close proximity to Bangkok and abundance or clear water :) Colorful coral and diversity of marine life. Two of the most favoured locations for diving around Koh Samet are Koh Thalu and Koh Kut. Tourists can take a tour around the island and go snorkeling off the rocky uninhabited western side, or around the reefs at the southern tip. Scuba diving excursions can be arranged at Ao Vong Duean.

Fishing Night fishing trips for squid are usually arranged oh Koh Samet.

Massage On the beach there are countless  massage therapists offering their massage service. And off the beach on the main roads; there are massage shops around.

Nightlife There are beer bars at virtually every beach, nearly all of them on Had Sai Kaew have hostesses. Besides bars there isn't much else but restaurants are selling alcohol. You can even get the popular sand bucket full of your favorite drink.

Life-style Thai people's lives on Koh Samet and there are several temples around. Many of the folk on Koh Samet however, are not originally from the island, but they've moved to the island to make a decent living through tourism.

The weather on Koh Samet is normally good year around. Also during the rainy season, between June and October, people still come here because it's not generally raining that much during the rainy monsoon season here. Koh Samet is actually the island in Thailand that has the driest weather during the rain season.

เช้านี้ที่เกาะเต่า Good Morning Koh Tao

After a long day traveled from Bangkok, and now we are here at Koh Tao, or Tao Island (Turtle island), one of the amazing island scenes in Gulf of Thailand.

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It took us nearly 12 hours ride by bus and boat to get here. We left from Bangkok by Lomprayah (เรือเร็วลมพระยา) at 9PM and, just got to the island nearly 9AM. The bus ride from Bangkok to the pier at Chumporn province, drop off and jump to the boat which we've paid 1,050 baht (Bus+boat inclusive) That was pretty good price for the package bus + boat and it's quite comfortable travel at night even though it took a bit long hours but we're all happy and can see the smiling face on anyone who has touched the island scene, finally...

Now we are at Koh Tao; it's so beautiful island. Most of tourist came here for scuba divers, the local people said "It is one of the top scuba diving destinations in Thailand"

though even non divers are easily drawn in by the island's beauty and its charm. 

The crystal clear waters of Koh Tao feature plenty of marine life and major coral that are certain to please the divers. Particularly as the island itself is so spectacular and the atmosphere here is quite relaxing. What's more to expect on this island?... It's now being a center for environmentally friendly diving practices, including the reintroduction of hundreds of juvenile turtles to the island's ecosystem, and efforts to preserve and grow coral reefs. For non-divers can appreciate the beauty of Koh Tao, which seems relatively devoid of inhabitants while the majority of visitors are spending their days underwater, by taking a boat trip around the island to visit Koh Tao's a lot of gorgeous beaches and bays, hiking to the peak of the island, practicing and studying yoga, or simply relaxing in a hammock and enjoying the view of nearby Koh Nang Yuan, a spectacular attraction in its own right.

A bit of history by local tourist information center saying that " Over the past decade Koh Tao has transformed from a sleepy, yet popular place to get a scuba certification to the second most popular place in the world to do so. Once a destination almost exclusively for scuba divers and those looking to get away from it all" - Koh Tao is now also a destination for wild 20-somethings to warm up before or unwind after neighboring Koh Phangan’s Full Moon Party. Fortunately, despite its quite small size, most of the beaches around Koh Tao have retained a charming, laid back atmosphere and bungalows ranging from ultra-basic thatch roof to chic and boutique are available for those on any budget to enjoy the beauty of one of Thailand’s most spectacular islands"

Key Tips

• While there are numerous clinics on Koh Tao at Sairee Beach and Mae Haad, the closest hospitals are on Koh Samui and mainland Chumphon
• Electricity, supplied by generators, is very expensive: switch off the lights, fans, and air conditioning when leaving your room
• Exercise extreme caution when driving motorbikes on Koh Tao
• Avoid drinking the night before scuba diving
• Don't throw anything at all into the sea!
• While diving or snorkeling, look, don't touch; this includes turtles, coral, and any other marine life!

Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan, Thailand

Koh Pha-Ngan, or Pha-Ngan Island (เกาะพะงัน), another wonderful island of Gulf of Thailand, which located in Surat thani province, Koh Pha Ngan is halfway between two islands; Koh Samui and Koh Tao. Koh Phangan is also known as the land of coconut trees, and the world-famous full moon party at "Haad Rin Beach". The Full Moon Party is monthly dance music festival set on Haad Rin which is held in every full moon night every month. The event primarily features electronic dance music. This world-famous beach party brings thousands party lovers all around the world to the island, especially in the high season in December to March. And that is the best time to visit the island, when the water is high, clean, clear and good for swimming. It's also good time for you to enjoys of the lovely coconut trees, relax under the shade of coconut trees by white sand beaches and absorb the spirit of the nature.

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How to get there:

By Bus;

The best way to get to Koh Phangan is by Bus (Government Buses) to the Na Dan ferry piers: Bus terminal in Bangkok. Buses also arrive in Surat Thani, from the capital of Surat Thani Province, you you can buy a ticket for a bus + boat ride (ferry + transportation to Don Sak pier). The ferry stop at Koh Samui first, and will drop you off at the pier of Thong Sala. If there is no available listed above (if you've arrived to the bus terminal a bit late in the evening before a weekend or holiday), you can also try a bus to Chumphon and board a ferry there, see "By train". You can buy a ticket on the bus station, it will cost same as if purchased separately (and the bus arrives 2-3 hours before ferry departure, so you shouldn't be late).

Buses from Khao San Road, from here you can buy the joint ticket. A very good but pricier option, is using the morning bus (6AM) and ferry combination from the Lomprayah company arriving to island around 4:30PM with one way ticket price 1,300 baht. A reputable company with an office near Khao San Road, and the option to book online through their website. The air-con bus is very new and quite comfy. There is also overnight bus + catamaran combo BUS leaving Khao San Road, at 9:PM, arriving to island around 11AM. 

By Plane;

The closest airport is Samui International Airport (USM). The transportation to the ferry dock is easy to find at the airport. Ferries depart several times a day with the last one around dusk.

By Boat;
From Koh Samui's pier directly to Haad Rin. Ferries also leave from Nathon and Mae Nam piers to Thong Sala by several times a day. For fast Lomprayah Catamaran 3 times a day, and Songserm Express (cheaper than Lomprayah Catamaran;twice a day.

From Koh Tao; there is fast Lomprayah catamaran operating twice a day to Koh Tao for 450 baht at 08:30 and 13:00 or leaving Koh Tao for Koh Pha Ngan at 09:30. The ride between these islands takes 1.25 hours. 

Get around on Koh Pha Ngan

Once you entered to Koh Pha Ngan, it's a must to explore the beauty of Pha Ngan Island, through exciting day, evening and adventure tours. Experience, diving, snorkelling, kayaking, speed boat excursions to "Ang Thong National Marine Park", muay Thai, fishing trips, cultural tours, elephant riding. Enjoy the beauty of nature that the Ko Maa area has to offer and have a relaxing boat trip, with so many things to see and do your time on Koh Pha Ngan will be truly memorable.

• Visit the beautiful waterfalls and lookouts in the stunning interior of the island. 
• Visit Ko Maa off the northwest coast of Koh Pha Ngan. It offers one of the best snorkelling places on the island. Also other places to do snorkelling are "Haad Khom beach" and "Haad Yao beach"
• There are elephant camps on the way from Baan Tai to Thong Nai Pan for elephant trekking.
• Full Moon Party, if your after party heaven you can't do better than Haad Rin; an expanded village of beach bars and cheap chicken burgers, It is most popular one night a month, they called "it is a feast". The night of the Full Moon Party, the beaches packed with trance, dance, electronic music, buckets, and every bars are hoping. Had Rin offers a variety of entertainment venues, some people says 'It's home to the Full Moon Party, or 'houses of thousand beach party's lover'. There are a lot of major sound systems running the length of Had Rin beach, catering for thousand people all around the world and, some talented DJ's pass through, banging out their wares to the raging lunar explorers that have landed on planet party. 'Before going to the Full Moon Party, make sure you book your accommodation for the Full Moon Party ahead, because there is a limited availability.
• Jungle Experience at Ban Tai. In the jungle near Baan Tai, Jungle Experience features the best of underground electronic beats; house music, tech house and progressive house. Here you can find plenty of areas to sit down and chill-out complete with decorations, laser and lighting, dancers and performance artists, as well as professional world-class DJs. 
• Those who are into hiking can be done all around the island. There is a trail that leads between Haad Rin and Haad Tien, The route can become difficult, and bringing enough water is necessary. If you are feeling adventurous, ride a motorbike to the end of the concrete road at Haad Khom from where you can hike through steep terrain and jungle on the coast to isolated 'Bottle Beach'. Another good trail is to the best viewpoint on the island "Khao Ra Viewpoint", on the highest hill on the island.
• Scuba Diving, Pha Ngan has lovely sites around the island which are perfect for both the beginners and trained divers. From easy dives off the beach to longer trips by boat you can experience the world of tropical diving. The waters around Koh Pha Ngan are much nicer than most people know (super clear-water), fine hard corals with a good range of reefs and tropical/pelagic fish. "Sailrock" (p.s. You can find many dive schools throughout the island).

Please stay safe on Koh Pha Ngan

Get Out; 

Surat thani is the closest city on the mainland.

Koh Samui the biggest and most touristy island on the east coast of Thailand, many boats departing for there from 200 baht (Songserm Express).

For contact; there are internet cafe's; last time I was there and they charged for internet 1 baht per minute, they also provide international calls, and flight confirmation.

Bangkok, Most popular tourist destination in the world 2013

Bangkok is now the most visited city in the world!

Bangkok has beaten London to the number one spot as 2013's most popular tourist destination with 15.98 million visitor projected to descend in Thailand's capital city this year, according to the new Global Destination Cities Index released by MasterCard.

                                                                                   Grand Palace,Bangkok

Based on data MasterCard collected from governments, central banks, related public agencies and airlines so far this year, the projection for the entire year says Bangkok is surpassing London, the previous holder of the top place, by a very narrow margin. The report marked the first time any Asian city has been projected to be the top-ranked tourist destination. London came in second, with 15.96 million visitors expected in 2013, and Paris, third, with 13.92 million visitors. MasterCard looked at 132 cities.

Other Asian cities that made it to the Top 20 Global Destination Cities in 2013 include, Singapore at number four; with 11.75 million visitors, Kuala Lumpur at number eight; with 9.2 million visitors, Hong Kong at number nine; with 8.72 million visitors, Seoul at number 11; with 8.19 million visitors, Shanghai at number 14; with 6.5 million visitors, Tokyo at number 16; with 5.8 million visitors, and Taipei; with 5.19 million visitors. 

MasterCard Worldwide’s global economic adviser Yuwa Hedrick-Wong cited overall value for money spent for why Bangkok is attractive. That is true for Thailand overall as well.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) adviser Suwanchai Ritthirak cited official data in saying that each foreign visitor spends an average of 9.6 days and 4,100 baht (about US$141.50) in the country.  Therefore, to boost Bangkok’s ranking, more needs to be done to increase either or both factor.

Index Ranking by Number of International Visitors (in millions):

1. Bangkok 15.98
2. London 15.96
3. Paris 13.92
4. Singapore 11.75
5. New York 11.52
6. Istanbul 10.37
7. Dubai 9.89
8. Kuala Lumpur 9.20
9. Hong Kong 8.72
10. Barcelona 8.41
11. Seoul 8.19
12. Milan 6.83
13. Rome 6.71
14. Shanghai 6.50
15. Amsterdam 6.35
16. Tokyo 5.80
17. Vienna 5.37
18. Taipei 5.19
19. Riyadh 5.05
20. Los Angeles 4.84 

Weekends at Koh Larn (Larn Island)

Weekends away at Koh Larn 

Koh Larn or Larn island is just a wonderful little island in the Gulf of Thailand. It is located approximately 7km off the coast of Pattaya Beach of which is just about two hours drive from Bangkok. The Island is about 4km long and about 2km wide and has about a thousand residents most of whom live in the main village called "Naban". Most of the people that live at Koh Larn, are also work and go to school which located on the island. Any of the everyday necessities are including a police force and a small medical facility. There are six beaches on the island that boast white sand and clear blue water that include Naban Village and Pier. Koh Larn is a lush green tropical island which has an abundant amount of rainfall each year during monsoon. The terrain is mostly mountainous which is covered in most part with heavy vegetation, jungle if you will. Monkeys naturally inhabit the island as well as other wildlife. Infrastructure on Koh Larn in most part consist of narrow roadways covered with brick pavers, you just need to be more careful when you drive the motorbike. Renting a motorbike is the best way to get around on Koh Larn, the cost is around 150-200 baht per day.

On Island;

TAWAEN Beach: 
The biggest and busiest beach on Koh Larn,  there are a lot of restaurants,  some shops, all activities are available. It's a bit crowded for some tastes, but some people may  like that The water is beautiful,   and some boats go directly to the beach,  where there is  a  boat dock, making it easily accessible. 

SAMAE Beach:

Samae Beach considered the prettiest beach,  somewhat more up scale / upmarket than the other beaches.  Nice selection  of  quality  restaurants.  The beach is big but doesn't seem that crowded. There  are two places that offer  bungalows, including one of them  that  has air conditioned rooms  (Local #No name),  no signs there,  but don't  expect to get a room on the weekends,  they will be full.  They  are very simple  accommodations but acceptable.  They are  not directly beach front, but  maybe  3 minutes walk.  There might be camping here too. These are on the far end of the beach, (if you arrive by bus or motorbike, all the way to your right if you arrive by boat, as you face the beach from the water, all the way to your left). This beach has better quality shopping and better restaurants, weekends are busy. 

TIEN Beach:

Tien Beach is a mid sized beach here on the island.  In as far as blue ocean and white sand beach this is the best.  This  beach has many restaurants and souvenir shops  that are a bit more up scale than at the other beaches, but still, has the flavour of Thailand. Tien Beach is  a  year round  beach, with  a  bit  fluctuation  of  tourist  from  season  to  season.  The atmosphere here,  are very relaxed and quiet.  The  tourist  that visit this beach  seem  to come in smaller groups and there are for not as much chatter that you would find amongst larger groups. Tien Beach is accessible by speedboat, charter and local taxi. 

NAUL Beach: 

On the far end of the island, very quiet, only a handful of people. This is another nice beach on Koh Larn. Naul beach is a mid sized beach but has the most coconut trees of any other beach on the island. This beach seems to be very seasonal in as far as tourist and sometimes it can be almost deserted in off season. If a deserted beach is what you like then you might try here first, off season occurs between April and late October. If you come here during this time you should bring your own stuff like towels to lay out on and some drinks and food. Koh Larn Resort is located here but sometimes it is hard to find  any of the staff here to accommodate your needs so be prepared. From Naban Village, take the Tuk Tuk - Songtaew; 30 Baht per person to get here.

TONGLANG Beach: 

Tonglang beachis a mid sized beach. The stretch of sand here is narrower here  than  the other beaches, but there still is plenty of area to stretch out on. Tonglang beach is accessible by boat there are no roads to this beach. 

Activities:

There are many activities here for visitors to enjoy, some include parasailing, snorkelling, jet ski, banana boat, swimming in tropical waters, and there is eve a shooting range located here. The island is mountainous there are also some spectacular views for those that like to take a few snapshots. Koh Larn is also very suited for bicycling and hiking, many bicycling events have been held here. Many movie production companies have used the island for movie shoots. There are many accommodations that will make you feel right at home. Then there are the places to eat many right on the beach, serving up fresh, catch of the day seafood. Many visitors come to stay their entire vacation on Koh Larn and return year after year, kind of a home away from home for some. 

Getting here:

There are many ways to get to Koh Larn; first you need to get to the "Bali Hai Pier" where the ferry boat is docked.

Bali Hai Pier is about 2 hours drive from Bangkok. This will take you all the way to Pattaya. You can catch a taxi to the pier for around 1300-1500 baht. 

By Minivan; you can take the minivan from The Victory Monument, it's 100 baht to get to Bali Hai Pier. 

Once you get to the pier, take the ferry which is located straight out at the end of the pier just on the right side. The fare for Koh Larn ferry is only 30 baht per person for each way. If someone asks you to pay more than 30 baht then you are probably not at the right boat. 

Koh Larn ferry go to Naban Port, which is the main village where most people that live on the island have their homes. Naban also has the majority of resorts for those who want to stay for a few nights on island.