PATTAYA, A BEACH CLOSE TO BANGKOK!

Pattaya is a beach that is a 2-hour drive from troubled Bangkok. If you are looking for a quiet place to relax and enjoy a beautiful beach without having to take a plane, this is the place!

From Bangkok you can take a bus or a van (faster) towards Pattaya. You can use the same way from Pattaya to Bangkok. This trip costs about 90 baht! Both modes of transport leave from Mo Chit Bus Station, Bangkok's bus terminal.

Before I talk about Pattaya, I want to talk about one very important thing: travel insurance! Anyone who accompanies me knows that in international travel, I never stop using insurance because unforeseen events happen and it is always good to have a backup in any emergency that happens, whether in health or safety.

What to do in Pattaya

Pattaya is not a beach very well-liked by Thai people, as it is a region famous for prostitution and lady boy shows. But despite this fame, Pattaya also has other types of youth clubs, good beachside restaurants and other quieter options for those who want to get away from the hustle and bustle. The city beach itself is very beautiful, full of coconut palms and little shops and is a place full of beach houses of the richest people in Bangkok. The large buildings and chic hotels are part of the landscape and somewhat resemble some American beaches, such as Miami's.

How to get around Pattaya?

Just like any Thai city, there are several modes of transportation: mototaxis, buses, vans, taxis and the famous Songthaew or Baht Bus (tailored pickup trucks). This last option is the cheapest and most efficient. You will spend around 30 baht per person, depending of course on the goodwill of the driver. As I said in the post: Transportation in Bangkok, what is the best way to get around?

Night in Pattaya

Along with the beaches, nightlife is one of the factors of greatest interest in the Thai city. Pattaya is full of bars, nightclubs and restaurants, but the county is internationally renowned for its strong sex tourism. Known as the Disneyland Adult, the city has in its DNA a strong inclination to prostitution, which can be seen through middle-aged foreigners who negotiate pleasure and company on the streets. In these cases, prostitution is not just for women, but for men and ladyboys as well (the transgender people who are so present in the country). Even if the government has been trying to change Pattaya's stereotype, this is still a determining factor for the location.

Much of where the fun happens (whether or not related to sex tourism) is Pattaya Walking Street, a mile-long street full of bars, breweries, nightclubs and restaurants. This is where the city buzzes, especially as night falls. The place is also open in the mornings, but many establishments are not yet open at this time. If the idea is to start drinking in the afternoon, just walk around the town. The concentration of bars is so great that you will have no difficulty "accomplishing the task".

Another local classic is the Tiffany`s Show, a cabaret-style attraction performed by ladyboys only. The show is quite traditional in the city (including, it has been playing for over 40 years!). It's a good choice for those who want to do something very characteristic with Pattaya's face!

The Thai city is also known for its Go-Go and Ping Pong Shows. In the first case, women and ladyboys dance on a stage wearing bikinis or costumes with an ID number. At each pass of time, the dancers change and customers can give their favorites with cash. Ping Pong Show is an attraction where women do seemingly impossible things with their vaginas like throwing ping pong balls, cutting bananas, blowing candles, throwing dice, etc.

Koh Larn, a paradise island

Koh Larn is an island which is about a 3-minute boat ride from Pattaya. To get there just go to the city pier, Bali Hai Pier. There you will find several agencies that make the tour, but if you prefer, you can walk to the boats and find out the departure times of each. So, you do the tour on your own. Koh Larn is an island that has 6 beaches. They are not next to each other, so you cannot do the walking route or drip drips. It is best to choose one and enjoy your day there.

The six beaches are:
Tawaen Beach
Samae beach
Tien beach
Nual beach
Tonglang Beach and
Tayaiy Beach.

All are very beautiful, but the first is LOT of Asians and has no space to put your things in the sand and sit, the only option is to pay for the tent and chair (200 baht). It's worth a stop over to enjoy the scenery, but I don't recommend staying at this beach, you will definitely have no peace.

The beach of choice was Tien. Super calm, incredible waters, few tourists and several restaurants. And from there you can walk to Samae, which is a bit crowded and has a beautiful view point.

Here's the tip!

To get around the island you have 3 options, almost the same as Pattaya: the famous scooters, which you can rent for 250 to 300 baht with gasoline included; motorcycle taxi or Songthaew, which is the most affordable.

Note that the last boat back to town is at 18h. You must be back at the pier no later than 5:30 pm.

Don't worry, the ticket can be bought on the boat as well as the one-way ticket.

This tour of Pattaya and Koh Larn Island can be done on a weekend! It beats back and forth from Bangkok full of hectic options but at the same time with tranquil and calm paradisiacal beaches. All this 2 hours from the big capital! So, what do you think? Interested? Enjoy your trip and get an amazing experience in Pattaya! Thank you for reading!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE ISLAND OF ANGUILLA

The Caribbean is a place many people dream of visiting. It has white sandy beaches, tranquil waters, friendly locals and that unique Afro-Caribbean feel famous the world over through its music of reggae and famous people such as Bob Marley. When you think of this part of the world, one thing comes to mind, relaxation. You can find beach homes in anguilla, or private villas on the British Virgin Islands, you can swim with sharks or dive into caves. This part of the world has a lot to offer both the thrill seeker and those who simply love the ocean. Each of the many islands, archipelagos and reefs have different things to offer different people, it all depends on what you want from your trip. Some islands are quite famous such as Jamaica and Barbados, while others are lesser well-known such as those which make up the US Virgin Islands or the already mentioned Anguilla.

This is both due to their relatively small size and the large competition that they are up against, but these islands have just as much to offer as the big ones. A unique culture, beautiful weather and landscapes and a well-developed tourist industry. Here I have compiled several facts about the island of Anguilla to show you what else there is on offer in just one of the Caribbean’s numerous islands.

History:

The history of the island dates back over 4000 years to the first Amerindian who inhabited the island. It’s possible to see some of their early petroglyphs in underground caves on the island, a perfect day trip for a history buff.

The original settlers farmed and fished on the island until the arrival of British colonisers in the 1600’s. For the next 400 years, the island went through stages of colonisation briefly by the French but mainly by the British. The British introduced plantation farming, slavery and other facets of colonisation of the time.

Modern-day Anguilla is now an independent territory of the United Kingdom with some independent governance.

Language:

Due to the influence of Britain, most of the island's population speak standard English although it is hugely influenced by both African languages descended from slaves and immigrant populations. You can also find French, Spanish and different versions of Creole on the island. English should be fine on the island though and you will have no issues getting around.

The second major language as a version of creole native to Anguilla. Creole is a mixture of native English and African languages which have fused to become their own unique language. You can find other versions of Creole throughout the different island in the Caribbean.

Population:

The population of the island is in the region of 15,000 people with most of the population being African, late descendants of slaves to the island. In the minority are both white and Asian populations. You can also find a large population of immigrants from neighbouring islands and Mexico. This large population of immigrants is and was due to a shortage of manual labour to help support the building of tourist infrastructure on the island as the native population wasn’t large enough to support the growth of tourism on the island. This is one of the main reasons for the large variety of languages infused in such a small population.

Economy:

Due to the mass plantations and arid soil of Anguilla, most of the land was or has become unsuitable for farming. This lead to a huge import economy of the island as they must import, food, oil and almost all other items necessary for a functioning and healthy economy, for this reason, the island has had to come up with some unique but not uncommon ways of generating income.

It has become a tax haven as it has no capital gains tax on individuals or corporations meaning many companies have shifted their tax base to the island. Other monetary forms the island incorporates to generate income include offshore incorporation and management, offshore banking and captive insurance. In this way, the island has made itself a popular destination for large companies and wealthy individuals.

The offset of this has been the huge increase in tourism to the island, primarily luxury travel. This added benefit has made the island the go-to destination that it has become. You can find beachfront villas, world-class resorts and all the amenities to go with this.

Having hosted the world travel awards in 2014 and being voted the leading luxury island destination of that year didn’t hurt its reputation especially going up against places such as Mauritius and the Maldives.

Transportation:

Being a relatively small and secluded island getting to and from the island can be a little difficult especially as the airport is not serviced by direct flights from Europe or the United States. But there are other ways around this.

There is a regular ferry service from Saint Martin island which takes around 20 minutes. This is the most common service and the port at Blowing point also serves Anguilla airport to make travel a little easier if you do need to catch a flight.

The airport on Anguilla has regular flights to other islands within the Caribbean, its closest major airport connection is to Puerto Rico which is where many visitors begin and end their journey.

This list was to show you that even the smaller Caribbean islands can still act as your go-to destination.