KOH SAMET (KOH SAMED) – AN IDEAL DESTINATION FOR TRAVELISTA.

Koh Samui (Koh Samui) is a wonderful island in southeast Thailand located on the road from Pattaya to Koh Chang Island. Koh Samed quite deserted and just a few foreign tourists have visited. Although this is a small island, it has fully equipment for tourism activities. If you like quietness and relaxing, you can travel to Koh Samet because it looks like a destination for relaxation and rest, Honey Moon. The following article will provide you with detailed information: 

How do you get there?
There are two ways to start from Bangkok to Koh Samet:
1. You move to Ekamai bus station (From BKK center or Suvarnabhumi airport to Koh Samet by BTS or taxi). Then buy a bus ticket, the ticket fare is 157 baht and it’s cheaper for you to get a round-trip ticket. The earliest trip is 7am and the latest one is 7pm. The bus starts every hour trip and it takes about 4 hours to go Koh samed marina.
If you are in Khaosan area, you can take number 2 line to Ekamai bus station.
2. Victory Monement bus station (you can go by BTS or taxi to this station), then catch Van - a kind of car with 16 seats and it costs 200 baht.  This car runs to Rayong ferry station within 2.5 hours for approximately 220km in distance but it doesn’t start according to time schedule because it is always waiting for passengers so that it often takes 3 hours or over to get to Rayong. Van runs on the highway, rarely stops so that you limit to drink water.
For option 1, the toilet is available on the bus, should choose the option 1.

Buy boat tickets to the island of Koh Samed
The return ticket for timber boat costs 100 baht and it takes 45 minutes to arrive there. One more transport is canoes and its price  is over 1,000 baht, of course, cheap things are no good, cheapest is dearest. You buy a ticket and then go away immediately.

How do you go to the center when you come to the Island?
When the boat arrives, you get off, and go to the hotel by taxi (because there is a taxi station near there). For local people, it costs 10-20b and it is little bit higher for visitors and one taxi can carry 10 people.
You buy the boat ticket for return at Nuanthip peir office.

How long should you stay in Koh Samet ?
You can stay 1 or 2 nights because the Island does not have many tourist attractions and mostly for relaxation, swimming and relaxing with the family. Normally, 2 days 1 night is enough but if possible, you can stay 2 nights 3 days.
You can go to both Pattaya and Koh Samed Island, or go to Koh Samed within one day and then go back to Pattaya and stay overnight here.
Hotels in  Koh Samet
Accommodation:  You should stay at Sai Kaew areas where there are beautiful seas & have many bars, and restaurants.
You should book in advance because local people often take their family to the island on summer vacation. Also, booking directly is more expensive rather than via the Internet..
Here are some recommendations for hotels and resorts in Koh Samed
Here is Xiaodandan’s review for Sunrise Villas hotel:  From Nadan port, you enter and turn right, walk more than 300m and you never miss it. This hotel closes to the sea, one house has two rooms with balconies overlooking the sea but the room is quite small.
The advantage of this hotel is nice and cool view and the disadvantage is no breakfast and the beach in front of the hotel is rocky so that it’s not safe to swim. But if you go out, turn right and go for a few hundred meters, you will see a bridge and you can fish or swim here.  If you keep going, there will be sand bank, or turn left and go along the main road of the island at about 1km, you will reach Saikaew beach.
Lima Bella Resort is a hotel located in the Sai Kaew and there is no private beach, but you can walk to the beach, it is not far away. This hotel is very beautiful design with a small swimming pool, and also has children's swimming pool. The staff is very enthusiastic. There is buffet for and breakfast and the seats are also very cute.
 Besides, you can also choose Jep's Bungalows to stay because the price of the room is quite reasonable. It costs about 1200 baht / night; the cooling room is 1800 baht including breakfast for 3 people.
Renting the motorbike on the Koh Samed
It’s quite easy because this service appears anywhere on the Island. The price is from 100 to 300 bath for every hour or every day depending on the kind of vehicles. There is ATV and you need to deposit about 1000bath to hire it.
Some activities on the island:

• Angling  cuttle –fish at night
• Visiting  pagoda
• Watching shows at the beach at night
• Diving
• Exploring and take a picture with natural quay
• Enjoying dishes at the beach. Each restaurant has its own menu, you can see and select. After eating, you walk along the coast about 300 meters until you reach Ploy Talay restaurant & bar and you can watch Fire Show here; it’s really interesting. 

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BAT TRANG POTTERY VILLAGE

Bat trang pottery village is located along the banks of the Hong, in Gia Lam district, Ha Noi. Bat Trang means “a big yard” or a professional area”. The name of the village originated from Le dynasty and is combined among five famous family names in Bo Bat village and Minh Trang village such as: Tran. Vuong, Nguyen, Le, Pham. They decided to bring artisans, potters, families and the generations to Thang Long imperial city to set themselves up in business. They settled in 72 area in Minh Trang village. Nowadays, the village specializes in pottery items such as: household items, offering items, hand-made pottery…Here they still keep their secrets from the former generations, which makes their products have specific characteristics.

 How do you get there?
Bus is top priority. You should take the bus with number 47. The bus is the most convenient and cheapest.
From the bus stop in the city, you get one to Long Bien bus station, and then take the bus with number 47 to Bat Trang.
Motorbike: You can pass Chuong Duong bridge, Vinh Thuy Bridge or Thanh Tri bridge, then turn right and go along the banks of the Hong until you see the Bat Trang village board.
Water- way:  Do the tour by boat on the Hong River at the weekend to visit Bat Trang village and Chu Dong Tu temple. It costs 17,5-20 USD/ person for this tour.
 What do you eat in Bat Trang?
Near the pottery market, there have a lot of stands; you can enjoy Bun Cha here, it’s quite delicious. Also, you can eat Banh Te with 6000 vnd/ two, or Banh San with 5000 vnd/one.
 Traveling in Bat Trang village
Immediately on arrival, you will walk from the entrance of the village to the village if you go by bus, and then go through the pottery shops to the village, next you can see a pottery market. If you go by motorbike, you drive straight to pottery village, and then you see a house where you can try to shape the pottery items and after finishing, you wait for drying, at that time, you can put it here and ask for watching, then walk around to visit the village and market.

Instead of walking around the village, you can go by buffalo car with 7,5-10 USD/one car for 10 people.
 Shape the pottery items:
There have a lot of families providing tourists with this service. You both play and learn how to make pottery.
Firstly, the owner gives you clay and a potter’s wheel, and then you put your clay in the middle of the potter’s wheel and freely make your object. Most visitors make a bowl, a cup, a plate.. If you are a skillful person, you can make animals. After that, dry your object within 30 minutes. Next, decorate for your product and finally, the potter will paint to keep your product durable. The price for one object is from 1,5 USD to 2.5USD.
 Bat Trang market
The market fully sells items divided into small kiosks for hand-made pottery items: items relating to worship, souvenirs, cups, bowls plates…If you want to do shopping, should go to the market and you will get a good deal.
 Families make pottery
From the entrance of the village to the village, there have a lot of families making pottery, you can visit them and ask them for the process to make pottery or the history of the village or watch only.
 Here is a schedule, you can consult: 
8h00: Drive motorbike or take the bus to Long Bien station and then get the bus with number 47 to Bat Trang.
9h15: Get off, walk into the village, visit Bat Trang communal house of the village first, and then go to the families who make pottery to learn about the production process.
10h30: Go to the area surrounding to Pottery Market, come by someone’s house to shape the object and play here until your product is already dried, then have lunch.
12h30: Finish your lunch, come back to decorate for your items.
13h00: Visit market and buy souvenirs
14h00: Come back

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HOW TO STAY CALM WHEN YOUR LUGGAGE IS STOLEN IN A FLIGHT

How to stay calm when your luggage is stolen in a flight? For example, you have been to London in the middle of winter; it’s very cold without the suitcase because someone at the airport had forgotten to check your suitcase, of which it contained all winter outfits. To prevent such unfortunate circumstances, I would like to share you the following tips with you:

• Stick a tag on your luggage. On this tag, you write your name, address and phone number. Carefully, you can write some more detailed information.
• Check  twice at the registered stand  at the airport. After the suitcase was tagged and before it is shipped, please have a quick look for the tag on your luggage because it shows the destination written a code with 3 letters of the airport.
• You should remove the barcode label from the previous trip to avoid confusion.
• Remember what you had written when checking out.
• Limit the small stuffs in luggage.  In the case that you often change flights to your destination, if you bring a lot of small items, your luggage is easily gotten lost.
• If your luggage is gotten lost:
• Make a quick notice to the airport. In narrative form, you should describe the specific characteristics of the suitcase such as: color, soft or hard surface; brand of the items; and any other characteristic you remember.
• Keep a copy of the report and vital phone numbers to track. Remember the name of the people you contacted when do the procedures. In general, airlines often work with the staff at the airport about lost luggage transfer.
• Ask for compensation: In this regard, the Singapore Airlines temporarily pay once for those who not stay there from 120 to 150 dollars. The British Airways offers T-shirts and essential stuffs during the first 24 hours, and it can reimburse up to 200 pounds depending on ticket class. The Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines pay for the "lost luggage" , which base on each inciden and ticket class. The Thai Airways also pay from 100-300 dollars depending on ticket class of the guest. Northwest Airlines pay 50 dollars during the first 24 delay hours and $ 25 per day addition in the next four days. "
• Check the luggage immediately when it is returned. If problems losses happen, should complain immediately to the airport.
• We cannot anticipate bad situations, but you should prepare in advance a simple luggage and complete one. You also do not register valuable artifacts such as jewelry or "critical" documents.
• It had better to hold photographic film by hand because the powerful and new scanners may harm undeveloped film.

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ESSENTIAL ITEMS WHEN TRAVELING

Backpacking is a hobby of many people, especially the youth. These sites are full of obstacles and difficult access so that carefully learning about the information relating to the ways as well as essential items when picking up your backpacking and going is very important. Today, we are pleased to share with you about the essential items when traveling: 
Personal items
• Trousers: You should bring from 3 to 5 ones in anticipation of bad weather.
• T-shirt is worn  inside
• Thin sweaters in summer and thick sweaters in winter
• Bring jackets to be against wind, water, frost  not absorb to your body
• Thin jackets for the winter days when temperature in the mountainous areas comes down
• Bring scarves that are used both winter and summer:  Use thin scarves in the summer to avoid the sun and to cover your neck, head, and to mask in the winter.
Note:  bring things that can cover your ears when it's cold
• Do not forget to bring socks ( from 3 to 5 pairs of socks) and 3-5 underwears
• Should use these types of shoes with good grip and comfortableness to travel.
• Personal hygiene stuffs such as bath towel, toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, soap ....
• Sleeping bags

Do not forget to bring identify papers. 
• Driving license is required in backpacking trip
• A vehicle registration, vehicle insurance and related papers
• Remember to bring ID cards and passports when  moving into the border areas
• Personal items when you’re on the road
• You should choose helmets which can cover your entire head or cover a half of your head, absolutely not use those kinds of fashion hats because it’s not safety and have high risk of accidents.
• Bring the elbow and knee wraps in anticipation with an accident vehicle
• Sunglasses are one of the essential items when traveling
• Select gloves with high grip and keep your hands warm in the winter.
• Raincoat, rain boots and small bag tied across your belly to store the vital documents when sitting on motorcycle.
Stuffs for group
• Be sure to bring plastic bags to wrap your backpack, dirty clothes
• Prepare a long outlet to meet the demand of electricity for the group
• Dryer, medical appliances such as: drugs use stomachache and cold treatment, bandages, alcohol antiseptic, antipyretic stickers , a medicated plaster box ...
• Buy  some snacks or fast food such as soft drinks, snack cakes.
• Remember to bring a bottle of water for mixing glucose to limit muscle problems.

Others: 
• A flashlight, lighter, knife
• Be prepared cell phones with durance batteries  and spare batteries
• Other items related to the transport and some essential parts in case the vehicle breaks down.
Remember to check the vehicle carefully before you start
• If you do not know how to maintain your vehicle, should bring it to maintaince center to keep in good repair.
• Bring a new bottle of motor oil
• Check for chain to make sure that it doesn’t be worn out, if it is worn out, get a new sets
• Check lights , brakes to make sure that they still work well
• Check the battery in anticipation with dead batteries when traveling
Hopefully, with the share of essential items when traveling above, it can help you get the useful information for your trip. Have a good trip.

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NECESSARY EQUIPMENT FOR CLIMBING UP TO THE MOUNTAIN

Here we give you a list of necessary stuffs for your trip. Choosing what items you need to bring is depend on length of journey and how to organize the trip. If you choose the services of a local tour company, it will prepare some essential equipment for the trip. If you only rent one tour guide to guide the way, you'll need to prepare many more items for your journey.
• Prepare essential personal items:
There is a very large quantity of small items, you should write them down to fully prepare:
- Hiking shoes:  A kind of high-neck shoes or waterproof leather, rubber soles are not too hard and get good friction.

- Raincoat: The best raincoat is both a dedicated jacket and a waterproof jacket.  The firm specializes in sportswear and gear such as: Northface, Eastpak, Columbia, .... Note that there must have waterproof pants if you use this kind of raincoat. If you do not have the types of raincoat that we have mentioned above, you can use the raincoat that can cover both your body and the backpack behind. However, for this kind, it is more difficult to move.

- Dry bags: this kind is made from waterproof material, when folding the mouth of bags; you do not worry about waterproof. Dry bags can be used to hold electronics such as cameras, mobile phone, ... or identity papers.

- Flashlight: you should buy a small flashlight and waterproof one. A big one will make your luggage heavier.
Note: should prepare at least one pair of spare batteries for each day of climbing.

- Backpack:  Preferably, it’s a kind of waterproof backpack or a backpack goes with hooded raincoat. Capacity depends on the length of your journey and the number belongings.

- Individual first-aid kit: You should you a basic type for individual, it has a small size with medicines and medical equipment including:
+ Febrifuge
+ Diarrhea drug
+ Antiallergic
+ Antiseptic
+ Medicated oil
+ Ego bandage with all size
+ Medical cotton
+ Medical scissors
+ Medical tape
+ Antiseptic gauze
Note: all the drugs and medical devices must be covered with plastic bags outside to avoid water absorption.

- Knife / multifunction instruments: a small penknife or a versatile kit will be essential when you're climbing and camping overnight. But should not carry things too big and heavy.

- Leggings (gaiter): leggings can be against thorns or raked by twigs from the knee to your ankle. Leggings also help rainwater or dew from leaves not wet your pants and run into your shoes. A thick one also can void to be bitten by snakes.

- Tissue
- Cameras: It depends on who you are, a photographer, or just a visitor. Cameras need to be desiccated by drugs to minimize the effects of moisture on the lens and the electronic circuit.

- Ten thick and warm pairs of socks to protect you in the case that you go through streams, they can change immediately.
- Gloves

- Hiking sticks: It helps you go faster and more balanced. Hiking sticks usually make from alloys to lengthen and shorten. Inside stick with a spring can make it flex and put up with strength when climbing.

- Ginseng tea
- Vitamin C effervescent tablet

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THINGS YOU NEED TO DO WHEN TRAVELING TO PARIS

If you are currently in Paris, don’t be panic, let’s stay calm and update your current situation for your relatives. To protect yourself, please follow our instructions below:

So what you should do to keep yourself safe if you are in Paris at this time? Here are the essential tips for those who are traveling to Paris now or your relatives are living there. Please consult and share with your friends or your relatives in order to avoid confusion and alert when you are in the context of France at this time.

1. Find a safe place after the terror broke out, the people in Paris offered temporary accommodation for visitors who has got stuck in the city now. They use words: the hashtag stream #Porteouverte (doors have already opened) on the Internet so that people could know that there is a safe place to come. The local hotels also offer shelters and support you to come to your destination safely. You should also use Google Maps to find the shortest distance to move.

2. Check your companions’ location and you need to confirm the location of those who travel with you Paris. If a member of the family or a member in a group got lost, first confirm with the hotel and then notify to the embassy or consulate.

3. You should keep a large amount of cash in hand if you do not want to get into a crisis while you don’t have local currency. If you see an ATM, draw minimum several hundred dollars, euros in anticipation of use when traveling to Paris.

4. Inform to your relatives even when things are going on.  You should immediately notify to your family or friends about your situation. During panic situation, your relatives can not contact with you and they will be worried about your security. You can use the different ways of communication such as telephone, email, facebook….

5. Follow @ TravelGov on social network and search key word: TravelGov on the social network to follow, you will get the information and the latest guidelines constantly updated.

6.  Stay away from crowds in the context of terrorism, it’d better not use the public transport at the rush hours. Instead, you can use taxi when traveling at that time. You should stay away from crowds and congested areas. People might lose their control if they think something is going to happen, so there could be a stampede or a certain dangerous situations.

7. Strengthen vigilance. For those who are in holiday is usually very comfortable, losing vigilance with incidents around. You need to pay more attention to what will happen such as:  strange packages, people with suspicious behavior ... and notify to local authorities about that. Enhancing vigilance will make your Paris trip is not interrupted by these events.

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10 INDISPENSABLE ITEMS FOR GIRLS TO BECOME MORE CONFIDENT WHEN GOING TO THE BEACH

Have you prepared necessary stuffs for your forthcoming beach trips yet ?, there will be more stuff to carry but to save time, effort and money, do not forget the following necessary accessories because these will help you have the maximum time to contemplate the beauty of the sea.

1. Swimsuit

The first item was placed in the suitcase is swimsuit. Depending on your personal hobby, you should choose for yourself a beautiful and comfortable swimsuit. It had better choose the beachwear to cover the defect of your body but still help you show off your body, which make you striking among the crowd on the beach.  One useful hint for you is should take at least 2-3 swimsuits so that you can change styles and colors.

2. Maxi dress

For girls, Maxi has long been an integral item per trip that help them come and go freely on white sand, blue sea. Like choosing a swimsuit, it is necessary to select Maxi to show your character and the beauty of your body. It’s not superfluous for bring a few dresses for a beach trip.

3. Sun cream

The worries of all the girls at the beach is severe sunlight causes sunburnt and make skin hurt by negative effects of ultraviolet rays, especially for those who own thin and sensitive skin . Are you pondering to choose for yourself a bottle of suitable sunscreen? Now I give you a tip: let’s buy the line of products containing the SPF index from 30 or over in order to make sure that it saves you from the harmful impacts of the sunlight and ultraviolet rays that you do not expect.

4. Sunglasses and broad-brimmed hat

It's a huge mistake if you forget to bring two simple accessories but it’s extremely important are the broad-brimmed hat and the sunglasses. A lovely hat not only helps you look more beautiful but also protects your hair and face before the attack of the sunlight, while the sunglasses give you more confidence, stylish and protect your eyes from ultraviolet rays.

5. Shirts

Do not hesitate any more without folding a shirt and putting it near your swimwear. When choosing a wide shirt, it can help you do more useful role in the sea; for example, covering outside your bikini to become more charming or combining with jeans when you need to dress up.

6. Slippers / sandals / flatting shoes

Please say goodbye with your high - heels in some days, let’s choose a pair of slippers / sandals gently, and it’s better to be less absorbent so that you can run on the sand freely. For flatting shoes, it’s great to combine it with maxi to walk around streets, and go shopping.

7. Underclothes

This cute item is a vital accessory that you cannot ignore in all the trips.  If you are so busy to prepare your beach costumes that you forget it or you brought but it was not enough, which make you get in a little bit of trouble.  Selecting things comfortable but not less subtle to bring is your best choice.

8. Towels

Many people think mistakenly that towel has rarely effect for the rest on the sea but the reality proves to the contrary. A large and soft bath towel or a thin and colorful towel is put around your body will give you a warm feeling when soaking in water too long.

9. Handbags

Instead of expensive bags or luxurious bags, you should bring the bags with soft material, medium width to be assured to send to the cabinet in the beach.

10. The personal items

Finally, there are personal items using daily activities such as shower cream, phone charging, digestive drugs, drugs for sore throat treatment, carsick drugs ... If you forget these things, you can buy at the tourist attraction that is always available.

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