If you are into beach parties that you have got to go to one of the Full Moon Parties (FMP) at Haad Rin beach in Koh Phangan, Thailand. You may take a boat from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan. The island is relatively small so if you don’t get there a few days before the party then your chances of getting a place to stay would be minimal as it will be easily packed with fellow partygoers.

On the night of the party, hundreds more partygoers arrive from the neighboring islands, the atmosphere starts off chilled out with people sitting along the hundreds of candlelit mats on the beach enjoying the sunset but soon the music (mainly techno, house) comes on and you will find yourself amongst a sea of people dancing the night away. It is definitely a night to remember - the maddest night!

About the FMP - the first party either went off in 1987 or 1988, no-one is really sure; and it was someone’s birthday. It was such a good party that the same crew met up again at Paradise Bungalows and partied under the next Full Moon. From there on the party grew to be a Mecca for travelers in the 90s and then became the global dance music festival that it is today, attracting thousands of visitors from every walk of life.

Come and join us!

For more information: Click Here.

Cyclone Nargis has devastated many parts of Rangoon, Burma’s largest city as well as the populated, low land areas of the Irrawaddy Delta region. See photos.

The most recent reports claim nearly 23,000 were dead, 42,000 were still missing and it is believed that 1.5 million survivors have been left homeless after 190 km/hour (120 mph) winds and pounding rain wreaked havoc on the city of already substandard housing, poor sewage and limited infrastructure. The chief U.S. diplomat in Myanmar has said the toll could reach 100,000.

They need your help. Donate now! Your donations will support the following activities:

1. Providing food and materials to monasteries/shelters for the newly homeless population in Rangoon
2. Supporting the emergency supply and distribution of water filters
3. Assisting the efforts on the Thai-Burma border to purchase rice in Thailand and transport it to the affected areas
4. Support for Burmese doctors and nurses that have offered their assistance and are currently visiting monasteries/shelters to provide care for the wounded and surveillance to prevent disease outbreak

Please help to put some of the pieces back together. See photos.

Donate (Foundation for the People of Burma): Click Here.

Donate (International Rescue Committee): Click Here.

Donate (Google): Click Here.

For a fishing adventure with a difference, try squid jigging, a special activity in the coast of Terengganu in East Coast Peninsular Malaysia available only from May to August.

Squid jigging is carried out at night, where a powerful light is used to illuminate the water, hence attracting squid to gather around the shade under the boat.

Just be careful when lifting it up when you catch one – the squid might squirt black ink at you!

You may catch up the action at the International Squid Jigging Fiesta from May 9-11, 2008 at Pulau Redang, Terengganu, Malaysia. For more information: Click Here.

The trishaw – a three-wheeled, man pedaled, and two-seater machine is very much a part of Penang life, past and present. Before the appearance of motorized vehicles, the trishaw was a practical means of transport. Parents in Penang kept trishaws on a retainer basis to send their children to school; richer households used them to ferry their maids to and from grocery stores and corner shops. They were equally in demand as a means of quick and cheap transportation by itinerant vendors that pedal cakes and snacks door to door.

Today, pedaling a trishaw is not an easy way of eking out a living. Tourists are the main patrons, using them to tour the back lanes and narrow streets of George Town. The trishaw peddlers, especially those who speak some broken English, have doubled up as makeshift tourist guides with their own repertoire of Penang stories. Most of the existing trishaw peddlers belong to the older generation. They are the king of the road!

Where in the world would you like to shop? Rolex watches for 100 Renminbi (USD14.30; EUR9.25)? Gucci handbags for almost similar price too? Crazy? No, it’s not.

If you feel buying counterfeits is not a crime, then please make a trip to Luo Hu Commercial City, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. For me, buying counterfeits is part of the China experience!

Located at China-Hong Kong border, Luo Hu Commercial City is a consumer-driven phenomenon. It is not China’s fault; it exists because tourists and expatriates want to buy fakes. Buying counterfeits adds a clandestine thrill to a holiday and enables people to believe they have got some incredible bargains. If you are such a person who enjoys bargaining, make sure you bargain hard, hard enough to knock fifty percent of the offered price. You also have to be on the alert for poor quality items.

Alongside legitimate shops in Luo Hu Commercial City are dozens of stalls offering a various range of fake wallets, watches, handbags, clothes and DVDs. The mall is crammed with trade marked luxury brands like Rolex, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Patek Philippe, Bvlgari, D&G, Burberry, Kate Spade and many more. And if these displayed goods don’t meet your requirements, please ask for product catalogues. They got plenty!

Buying counterfeits is exciting. That is the central appeal of the Luo Hu Commercial City!