KRABI SOUTHERN THAILAND                            

(the bigger ones are already gone) birds, flowers and plants. In the last 10 years the people of Krabi southern Thailand got a little bit more conscious about their environment and don't destroy for quick money, it paid of somehow.

 Along the excellent road to Krabi southern Thailand very tall jungle trees stand out from the thick undergrowth.  Sometimes this picture around Krabi mix up with rubber plantation and oil palm plantation, both blend nicely into the green background and are again dotted by the huge limestone hills.

Krabi and the Dinosaur

Krabi has a couple of interesting limestone caves located in the mangrove forests, some of them have prehistoric cave paintings see the photos below.

Thailand Rock Climbing   by Rick Chapo Mention Thailand and images of beaches, elephants and Bangkok come to mind. Less known is the fact Thailand rock climbing is some of the best in the world. Thailand Rock Climbing Located in Southeast Asia, Thailand is bordered by Cambodia, Burma and Laos in the north and Malaysia in the south. The shape of the country is somewhat similar to Italy, and you'll find similar differences between northern and southern Thailand that you do in Italy. For rock climbing enthusiasts, the south of Thailand is where the action is. The rock formations in Thailand are almost universally limestone. The level of climbing can be as simple as bouldering or as challenging as

tackling over vertical cliffs. This makes Thailand a popular rock climbing destination since it has a little something for everyone.
 

Krabi

Located on the southern section of the "tail" of Thailand, Krabi has a wide variety of rock climbing challenges. Most of the climbs in this area are of the pre-bolted sport route variety. There are 

literally hundreds upon hundreds of climbs with difficulty levels from beginner to multi-pitch knuckle crushers.

The beauty of climbing in Krabi is...well, the beauty. While you might have visions of jungles and mosquitoes when thinking of Thailand, Krabi is an area of a different sort. Most of the climbs have been set up on cliff faces on the beach. Being natural capitalists, the Thai's have built hotels, bars and so on at these locations. As a result, you can literally climb a multi-pitch route for five hours, cool off with a swim and then have a beer. If there is such a thing as a rock climbing heaven, many feel Krabi is it.

Before you cash in your savings, keep in mind that Thailand is a seasonal vacation spot. If you go during the wet season, there is a good chance you'll just end up sitting around drinking beer. While that isn't too bad, you'll go crazy looking at the climbs that are so close, but oh so far away.

Generally, you want to head to Thailand from late November through maybe April. The summer months tend to be both incredibly hot and wet. Make sure you pull up forecasts for the area before booking a trip.

Flying to Thailand is inexpensive, but flights are incredibly long with stopovers. Still, it is all worth it once you experience Thailand rock climbing.

About the Author
Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com/climbing.cfm - makers of rock climbing journals. Personal climbing journals make great Christmas gifts for rock climbing, mountain climbing and ice climbing. To read climbing articles and stories, visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com/mountain_rock_ice

Thailand - The New Adventure Hot Spot by Kris Gardener

Thailand has long been established as a tropical holiday destination where weary travellers can go to relax on a beach and be treated to luxurious and affordable service. Recently, however, Thailand has started to emerge as a first class adventure destination, offering rock climbing, sailing, diving and caving activities for those who like their vacation time spiced up with a bit of action.

When Sam Barrett started researching holiday destinations, he initially didn't even consider Thailand. "I was looking for a place that would offer lots of adventure. I'm not one to sit on the beach and work on my tan, and I had always pictured Thailand as a bit of a relaxation destination. It was only when I started researching holidays on the web that I discovered that Thailand had plenty of action on offer".

Choose from world class rock climbing in Krabi, Southern Thailand or in the north around Chiang Mai. Diving in Thailand is some of the best in the world and even if you're not an experienced Scuba diver, you'll find plenty of novice dives available around the beach resorts and islands in the south. For sailing, paragliding, water-skiing and jetskiing, head to Phuket or Phi Phi Island where they excel at offering a great selection of water sports.

If caving's your thing, you'll want to head to one of the many National parks in Thailand. Khao Sok National Park in Surat Thani (southern Thailand) has some great caving options available as well as rainforest hiking, canoeing and jungle elephant riding.

If you're looking for a bit of adventure on your next vacation, or want to combine relaxing on the beach with a bit of outdoors action, you'll be hard pressed to find a better holiday destination than Thailand.

For more information on Thailand adventure holidays, take a look at Limestone Lake Rainforest Tours. You can find them at http://www.limestonelaketours.com

Copyright 2005 Kris Gardener. Please feel free to pass this article on to your friends, or use it in your ezine or newsletter. It's a shareware article.

About the Author
Kris Gardener is Manager of Limestone Lake Rainforest Tours, Khao Sok, Thailand. She has been living and working in the Khao Sok area for over 7 years. Kris' husband has lived in Khao Sok all his life, is a TAT licenced guide and is owner/operator of Limestone Lake Rainforest Tours, a company specialising in unique tours and accommodation in the Khao Sok area. http://www.limestonelaketours.com