Thailand, Bali, Namibia, ...Travel Guide Directory and Map.

You will find information of each listed country or city from accommodation, restaurant, travel agent transportation, shopping, real estate, ...
Many pictures, and we also include helpful city maps and review reading to assist you in your travel : travel information, pictures, maps, sightseeing, hotels, reservations, favorite destinations, culture, weather, everything is here.

Bali is a great island resort in the world. Art and culture are alive in a very unique tradition. Whatever you see and feel in Bali is a not artificial culture.
Balinese tradition is a combination of local custom, Hinduism, art and local wisdom. So, if you go to the Balinese houses, hotels, villas, cafe, restaurant, art gallery, traditional market, temples, Balinese wedding, cremation, and other religion or cultural event, you will understand Bali is very genuine in their tradition.

Sail in Asia is based in Phuket Thailand.
Sail in Asia Training is an IYT sea school offering training on sailing yachts and power boats.
Our yacht base is located on the best 24 hour
access beach in Phuket. Learn to sail in Phuket,
Thailand or develop further seamanship and navigation
skills with Sail in Asia. Our fully accredited highest
quality International Yacht Training (IYT) program
caters for recreational sailors or professional
seafarers. STCW95 courses are required for
professional training certification.
visit our website at www.sailinasia.com

The Phuket International Dragon boat Regatta is our main competition
each year and is participated in by both International teams and Thai
teams on the superb lake at Nai Harn Bay on Phuket Island.
Superb hotel and resort accommodation and experienced events companies make the event accessible to all, professionally run, in all
aspects.
Join the PIDBR in April 2009 and expect a big well organized regatta,with superb hosting.
Use our website to access hotels or travel, guest houses or self catering accommodation. Car and motorbike hire, as well as minibus transportation for teams.

Loy Krathong (%u0E25%u0E2D%u0E22%u0E01%u0E23%u0E30%u0E17%u0E07) Also known as "The Festival of Lights".It is held on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month. (mid to late November)

"Loy" means "to float" "Krathong" is the name of the 'boat' traditionally made of banana leaf with flowers, incense and candles in it.

Most Thai people will trim hair and nails on Loy Krathong day and place the trimmings in the Krathong as well, then light the incense and candles and float their Krathong down the river to take away their bad thoughts and feelings, grudges, anger etc.

Many Thai believe that floating a Krathong will bring them good luck, it is also done to honour, thank and respect the Goddess of Water, Phra Maae Khongkha. I doubt that it is co-incidence that this festival is held at the end of the rainy season.

Khoom Loy are paper lanterns with a fire inside, like miniature, cylindrical hot-air-balloons, released into the sky for almost all the same reasons.

The Thai tradition of Loy Krathong is thought to have begun in Sukhothai, the first Thai capital, however, it has long been celebrated throughout Thailand, with the festivities in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya being particularly well known.

"The Festival of Lights" it certainly is! The rivers are full of twinkling lights, as are the skies, there must be a million Khoom Loy in view at any given time. Sometimes a "MASS LET-OFF" of the Khoom Loy is organised. Airports are closed early for fear of collision with the Khoom Loy.

There is no Thai celebration complete without fireworks, and they are freely available. And of course no Thai festival is complete without a beauty pageant... The "Noppamas Queen Contests". the story is tha, Noppamas was a consort of the 14th century Sukothai king Loethai and she was the first to float decorated krathongs.

A word of caution, some folk, particularly drunk farang (westerners) use little or no common sense when releasing their fireworks, sadly, injuries do occur, just try to watch for these morons, and keep a healthy distance.

James Wyatt-Carter

www.roseofsuthep.com