Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Abaka Bay, Haiti

Abaka Bay, Haiti has been ranked 57th in the 100 world’s best beaches CNN list, but HOW?


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It all begins in December 2011, when Haiti Tourism Inc was founded with the mission to market the Natural potentials of Haiti and everything beautiful it has to offer. Ever since, we have been contacted by several news networks such as: CNN, USA Today, Cruise International Magazine, Northstar travel Media, and many more. Haiti Tourism Inc promotes Haiti’s hotels such as: Royal Oasis, Abaka Bay, Karibe, Wahoo beach, and others via its social media network and website followed by thousands around the world. As of now, Haiti Tourism Inc has reached more than 10 million people in more than 141 countries.

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 http://lisvingi.blogspot.com/

At the beginning of April 2013, HTI has been contacted by a CNN Travel representative, Laura Ma, who wanted more information about the best beaches in Haiti.
Dear Haiti Tourism Inc, I am currently working with CNN Travel to compile a list of the best beaches around the world. I would like to include Haiti’s beaches in the project. Would you be able to send me any images to be published with the article? All images will be credited to Haiti Tourism Inc. Please let me know as soon as you can if this is possible. Thank you! Best regards, Laura Ma CNN Travel travel.cnn.com received April, 11th 2013.

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Our choices were clear. “ILE A VACHE or COTES des ARCADINS.” We could have chosen the North or another part of Haiti with natural potentials and great beaches. For instance Labadee; a place everybody heard of because of Royal Caribbean, but we wanted people to discover other parts of the country. We want to convince the entire world that Haiti is not only Port-au-Prince or Cap-Haitien. Haiti is so much more, and we decided to attach some of the most beautiful pictures of Ile-a-Vache, including one of Abaka Bay Resort.

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 http://lisvingi.blogspot.com/

We are glad we were able to help in the process. We would like to thank everyone who has been supporting our works. We believe, together we will do better. If all sectors/Haitians want to support this initiative we will achieve more. It is an opportunity to bring all Haitians together to work in Haiti’s best interest. We thank you for your support, and we will keep working hard to bring Haiti to the world, and then bring the world to Haiti.

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We will keep supporting all hotels, restaurants and other Haitian businesses in the Hospitality Industry through our “Educate the World About Haiti Campaign.” The first edition took place in Japan. The second will be in The Netherlands. Keep supporting us and we will be able to do more for our common interest, Haiti.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Haad Rin, Koh Phangan, Thailand

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Haad Rin (Thai: หาดริ้น, RTGS: Hat Rin, Thai pronunciation: [hàːt rín]) is a peninsular beach area and town on the southern tip of Ko Pha Ngan, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. Its two main beaches are Sunset Beach (Haad Rin Nai) to the south and the larger Sunrise Beach (Haad Rin Nok) to the north. The famous Full Moon Party takes place on Sunrise Beach each month. 

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The town and beach first became popular with backpackers escaping the tourist influx to Ko Samui in the 1980s. As the popularity of the beach and Full Moon Party have increased, the town has grown to accommodate the new visitors. The town is centred on Chicken Corner, a crossroads and popular meeting spot.
Most of the nightlife in the town is centred on beach-front spots. The original beach bars, Drop-In Bar and Cactus Bar attract the largest crowds, with nightly drinks promotions and fire shows.

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Here, popular chart tunes, R&B and club classics entertain the crowds. Other beach bars include Vinyl Club, Zoom (both playing psytrance, the original Full Moon Party style of music), Orchid (playing Drum and Bass and Jungle) and Boom Boom Bar (playing deeper house and trance music). While there are a few massage parlours, this part of Thailand is largely devoid of the prostitution prevalent in other areas such as Phuket and Pattaya.

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Fire shows 
Apart from the music and bars on the beaches of Haad Rin, a famous feature of the Haad Rin is the spectacular nightly fire shows put on by individuals at the Cactus and Drop-In bars. Various individuals specialize in the arts of Poi and Staff, performing mind-boggling and beautiful tricks to entertain the crowds. The firesticks are ropes twisted around sticks and soaked in diesel which, when burned, emits choking clouds of toxic stench, so don't stand downwind. Many tourists are inspired by the shows and opt to take up daytime lessons before joining the evening fire shows personally. There is a fully equipped hospital on Samui for such eventualities.

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Pollution 
Pollution in Thai is มลพิษ Molaphit. Haad Rin is fairly polluted with litter and such. There are sewerage works and the sewerage is not pumped into the sea. The beach is kept relatively clean considering the constant parties.

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Saturday, June 21, 2014

Phra Nang Beach, Railay, Thailand

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Ao Nang (Thai: อ่าวนาง) is a small resort town and subdistrict in the Mueang Krabi District of Krabi Province, Thailand.
Phra Nang Beach is a central point of the coastal province of Krabi, Thailand. The town consists chiefly of a main street, which is dominated by restaurants, pubs, shops and other commerce aimed at tourists. The main beach is used by sunbathers to a certain extent, but there are a large number of longtail boats which offer access to other beaches on the mainland and on nearby islands.

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Scuba Diving
There are a number of scuba diving centers in Ao Nang, offering dive course from basic up to instructor level. The "Local" islands in Ao Nang Bay are relatively easy to access and uncrowded compared to many of the diving sites around Phi Phi Island. Other options include Shark Point Marine sanctuary and the King Cruiser wreck which is suitable for intermediate divers, and mini safaris to Hin Daeng, Hin Muang and the Ko Ha Yai Islands for experienced or deep qualified divers.

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Rock Climbing
Ao Nang was originally put on the travel map by backpackers, many of whom who came for the excellent climbing that Krabi's unique Karst structure offers, and rock climbing is still widely available through centers in Ao Nang, although most of the climbs are in the areas around Railay, Tonsai and Phra Nang beaches.

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Boat Tours / Transfers
The main beach at Ao Nang is the departure point for boats to a number of places, including the nearby resort of Railay (or Rai Leh), which cannot be accessed by road, Poda Island and Chicken Island, ticket booths with clear pricing structures are located at both ends of the beach.

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Tsunami Monument
On December 26th 2004 Ao Nang was hit by the tsunami and suffered serious damage to most coastal areas. With help from the local and international communities most of the damage was cleared up fairly quickly, and today the only visual memory the Tsunami is the Tsunami Memorial dedicated to the thousands of locals and foreigners who lost their lives on the day. The monument is located at Noppharat Thara, close to the National Park offices.

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Nightlife 
Ao Nang's nightlife centers on two main areas, which are known locally as "Center Point" and "The Soi", another nightlife area, the strip of bars along Bamboo Soi was demolished in 2014 to be replaced by a new Resort Building. Both Center point (located along the main beach road) and The Soi or Soi RCA (about 200 meters up from the beach on the right just before McDonald's) contain bars offering loud music, bar girls and free pool. Popular bars in Ao Nang include KR Bar, Rocky Bar, Amy's 69 Bar, Moo 2 House and Chilli Bar.



Na'ama Bay, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt (Red Sea)

Restaurant Arcade at Naama Bay - Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Restaurant Arcade at Naama Bay 
- Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Bedouin-Style Lounge at Naama Bay - Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Bedouin-Style Lounge at Naama Bay
- Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Sunning on Naama Bay - Red Sea, Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Sunning on Naama Bay 
- Red Sea, Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Red Sea Resort - Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Red Sea Resort - Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Naama Bay - Red Sea, Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Naama Bay - Red Sea, Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Partying at Naama Bay - Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Partying at Naama Bay - Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Egyptian Twirling - Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Egyptian Twirling - Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Russian Couple at Naama Bay - Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Russian Couple at Naama Bay 
- Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Egyptian Family Playing at Naama Bay - Sharm el Shiekh
Egyptian Family Playing at Naama Bay
- Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Pat at Seaside Bar - Naama Bay, Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Pat at Seaside Bar 
- Naama Bay, Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Wayne Scuba Diving - Ras Mohammed National Park, Red Sea
Wayne Scuba Diving
- Ras Mohammed National Park, Red Sea
Our Hotel (Camel Hotel) at Naama Bay - Sharm el Shiek
Our Hotel (Camel Hotel) at Naama Bay
- Sharm el Shiekh, Egypt
Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt (Red Sea) (4/24-30/2010) - WE SCUBA DIVED THE AMAZING RED SEA! - more on that below.

Sharm el Sheikh - think warm weather and sea water, thong bikinis and muscled men, beautiful beach resorts, world-class scuba diving and snorkeling, romantic seaside promenades lined with nice restaurants offering all kinds of food, neon-lit shopping arcades and malls, and partying until late. GREAT FUN! - see photos. 

Your can fly here cheap ($200 round trip from London). Sharm el Sheikhis where people from all over Europe come to play and escape their cold and heat.

Scuba diving the Ras Mohammed National Park in Egypt’s Red Sea is a special experience. We witnessed spectacular displays of multi-colored corals and schools of tropical fish. Large fish and manta rays would swim by in front of your eyes barely noticing you.

Snorkeling the Straits of Tiran was also a special treat. Among a lot of things, Pat and I saw the largest parrot fish we have ever seen and a leopard shark. Even the boat trips to these places were wonderful and snorkeling out in front of the hotels in Na’ama Bay was very nice.

A week at the highly developed Na’ama Baydisappeared quickly when we were lazing and swimming during the day and wandering the romantic half-mile seaside promenade in the evening seeking another wonderful restaurant for dinner (see photos).

Sharm el Sheikh is located on the Red Sea on the southern tip of Egypt’sSinai Peninsula. With its stunning coral reefs, swarms of tropical fish, and warm water, the Red Sea is considered to be among the world’s best scuba diving and snorkeling. Vacationers can find small hotels as well as large all-inclusive resorts and many activities such as wind surfing, kite surfing, parasailing, boating, and canoeing. 

The spectacular Ras Mohammed National Parkis one of the most famous dive sites in the world with its 2,600-foot deep reef walls, coral gardens, and diversity in marine life with 160 different types of coral and 1,000 species of fish.

Some history... Before 1980, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt’s now largest resort city, was virtually uninhabited and little more than an occasional place for local fishermen. The Sinai Peninsula was captured by Israel during the Sinai conflict of 1956 and then restored to Egypt in 1957. 

A United Nations peacekeeping force was stationed here until the 1967 Six-Day War when the Sinai Peninsula was recaptured by Israel. Sharm el Sheikh remained under Israeli control until the Sinai Peninsula was returned to Egypt in 1982 after the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty of 1979.

During their second control, the Israelis started development of Sharm el Sheikh with a few hotels. Recognizing the potential, the Egyptian government encouraged continued development and foreign investment poured in. The total number of hotels increased from three in 1982 to ninety-one in 2000 and now Sharm el Sheikh has 1/3 of all the hotels in Egypt.

See more about Egypt’s other beautiful Red Sea resort:

Egypt Dahab Red Sea









Beidaihe, China

Beidaihe District (simplified Chinese: 北戴河区; traditional Chinese: 北戴河區; pinyin: Běidàihé Qū; Wade–Giles: Pei Tai Ho) is a popular beach resort and a district of the city of Qinhuangdao, Hebei province on China's Bohai Sea coast. It has an area of 70.14 km2 (27.08 sq mi) and, as of 2008, a population of 66,000, as well as a coastline of 22.5 km (14.0 mi). It is also known as a birding haven.

The Beidaihe Beach Resort stretches 10 km from east to west, from the Yinjiao Pavilion to the mouth of the Daihe river. The beach itself is covered with fine yellow sand stretching some 100 meters to the sea. The water is shallow. Mount Lianfeng near the beach has two peaks covered by abundant green pines and cypresses. Lush vegetation, caves, decorated pavilions, secluded paths and winding bridges have made it attractive to visitors from throughout China. There are still relatively few Western visitors, and there is little proliferation of English among the local populace. English railway engineers were the first Europeans to discover the fishing village in the 1890s and it was not long before wealthy Chinese and foreign diplomats from Beijing and Tianjin made the village a popular destination.



Use by Communist Party
Because of its proximity to the capital, Beidaihe has been the location of many important official conferences, and has become well known as the Communist Party of China's summer retreat. It is which is still commonly used by the Party's highest leadership each July to slip away from the summer heat of Beijing and to plan important strategies in the privacy Beidaihe offers. "Beidaihe," an American diplomat once said, "is China's 'smoke-filled room.'"[citation needed] These conferences have been abandoned due to an order from Hu Jintao in 2004, mainly for two reasons. First, a conference in a resort area appeared to contradict Hu and Wen Jiabao's goal in projecting a frugal image for the party. Second, it is a desire of the leadership under Hu to work through formal party and state mechanisms rather than informal gatherings. 


After Mao Zedong led the Communists to power in 1949, the new rulers also developed a taste for seaside atmosphere. Mao himself had a summer resort here. Sanatoriums sprang up to reward the efforts of model workers from every industry. A very large Friendship Guesthouse was constructed in 1954, one of dozens across China, to receive the Soviet "elder brothers" who came to assist Chinese development prior to tensions emerging between Soviet and Chinese leadership. 


The most infamous event which occurred here involved Lin Biao, who on Sept. 13, 1971, after he was accused of plotting a coup, fled his villa here with his wife and a son and boarded a plane for the Soviet Union at the local airport; the plane crashed in Mongolia, killing everyone on board.

Little Corn Beaches, Nicaragua

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Little Corn Island is off the coast of Nicaragua in the Caribbean Sea.
The island was originally colonized by the British, and most native islanders have more in common culturally with other English-speaking Caribbean islands than they do with the mainland of Nicaragua. Many have English surnames. 

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Tourism on the island is still in its infancy, and what is there is small, basic and, thus far, fairly eco-friendly. Some of the places to stay rely on solar and wind power for their electricity, and many have their own wells which draw drinkable water and/or collect rain water. The people are typically friendly, laid back and genuine.

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Almost everyone on the island speaks both passable Spanish and English, the latter being the first language of most who are native to the island. The English spoken, however, is heavily Caribbean, and real communication can be far from effortless. There are many inhabitants who have come over from mainland Nicaragua and consequently speak Spanish as a first language, and others who speak Miskito and other Caribbean languages or dialects. 

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When you come to the Corn Islands, remember this statement: Since you have to fly in to Big Corn, and many people assume that both islands are similar, they tend to stay on the "Big" island for several days, and save the last day or 2 for Little Corn. The most overheard statement on Little Corn is "Wow, this is so much better (more beautiful, cleaner, more natural, nicer, better amenities, diving, hotels, etc), I should have come here sooner!" And anyone who doesn't have a stockholders meeting or a graduation to get back to, almost invariably finds a way to stay longer than they had planned.

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It's not at all uncommon for someone to come for a few days, only to stay for a month or more. Many calls are made to change flights. So the point is, if you plan your stay for longer, or to just go direct to Little Corn on the panga right after your flight arrives, you'll have listened to the best advice there is about a trip there.
The island is walkable, and in fact you have no choice... there´s not a single motorized vehicle on the island, and no roads on which to drive anyhow.

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There´s a paved sidewalk along the west coast near the pier, and beyond that you´re hiking through narrow dirt paths through the jungle-like interior of the island. You could walk the length of the island in less than an hour, though the paths get muddy and slippery very quickly during the rain. You can walk most of the east side of the island along the beach, with a couple of tricky spots at high tide.

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