American World Traveler Fall 2016 Issue
Now in our 14th year of publishing, American World Traveler explores the culture and history of worldwide destinations, sharing the adventure of discovery with our readers and motivating them to make their travel dreams a reality. Published quarterly, AWT helps sophisticated, independent American travelers choose their next destination by offering a lively blend of intelligent, informative articles and tantalizing photographic images from our World’s best destinations, cruises, accommodations and activities to suit every traveler's taste
Now in our 14th year of publishing, American World Traveler explores the culture and history of worldwide destinations, sharing the adventure of discovery with our readers and motivating them to make their travel dreams a reality. Published quarterly, AWT helps sophisticated, independent American travelers choose their next destination by offering a lively blend of intelligent, informative articles and tantalizing photographic images from our World’s best destinations, cruises, accommodations and activities to suit every traveler's taste
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Our hotel, The Tarna Align, was located right<br />
off the main road in the center of the action,<br />
but far enough to enjoy a peaceful environment.<br />
The hotel’s infinity pool was a great<br />
place to relax after a long day. When looking<br />
to the horizon, the sun would set into the<br />
sea, what a beautiful sight. Prior to arrival on<br />
the island, our guide had set up a snorkeling<br />
excursion and we visited some of the best<br />
scuba diving and snorkeling bays in the<br />
world. Our personal favourite was Mango<br />
bay, where schools of fish would circle us for<br />
food and infant sharks would swim along the<br />
reef.<br />
After a fair amount of swimming and sun<br />
bathing we dined on the boat as we sailed<br />
towards Nang Yaun Island. A unique feature<br />
of this island is that it is connected to its<br />
neighbor islands by a white sandy pathway.<br />
We decided to venture out to the next island.<br />
Following our hike, we arrived at the top of<br />
the island where the view was absolutely<br />
breathtaking and, to put it simply, true post<br />
card material.<br />
At sunrise, we headed towards the island of<br />
Koh Phangan, and as we arrived at the city’s<br />
port, we were greeted and then driven by a<br />
staff member of the Santhiya Koh Phangan<br />
Resort & Spa. Before even entering the lobby,<br />
we knew we were in for something special.<br />
The hotel has an extremely charming wood<br />
theme throughout and its large lobby gave<br />
way to a view on the ocean. One of the great<br />
features at the hotel’s pool was the waterfall,<br />
which looks so realistic, dressed up with<br />
flowers and natural décor, and was also<br />
located right by the private beach. Our villa<br />
was simply marvelous, from the king size<br />
bed to the large balcony equipped with a<br />
pool and spa, nothing was spared at this 5<br />
star jungle experience resort. What really<br />
stood out was the exterior bath, which gave<br />
us the sense of being in the middle of a Thai<br />
forest.<br />
Making our way back to Koh Samui in style<br />
on board the hotel’s private speed boat, we<br />
would then embark on the final leg of our<br />
journey. We arrived in Thailand’s capital<br />
where a representative of Triyaka tours<br />
assisted in the transfer to the Landmark<br />
hotel. The staff explained all of the great<br />
treats offered, such as two morning buffets,<br />
including one on the top floor with a fantastic<br />
view on Bangkok. The lobby buffet had a<br />
variety of dishes from all over the world, and<br />
after breakfast you can make your way up to<br />
the 9th floor where you can sit by the roof top<br />
pool and sundeck to enjoy the weather.<br />
Between 5 and 7 pm, if you have worked up<br />
an appetite, the penthouse buffet opens it’s<br />
doors and offers a great little buffet and<br />
drinks for free.<br />
Bangkok offers many tourist opportunities,<br />
and we started with a tour of the Klong<br />
Canal. We made a stop at the Royal Barge<br />
Museum where a short video explains the<br />
history behind the massive handmade<br />
barges. We then walked around and got to<br />
see the different naval installations, each had<br />
different meanings and purposes. Originally<br />
designed for war, these beautiful ships are a<br />
piece of art and part of Thai history.<br />
A change of pace, the Wat Pho temple,<br />
Bangkok’s oldest and largest temple complex,<br />
is home to the famous Reclining<br />
Buddha as well as the School of Traditional<br />
Medicine. The temple was simply breathtaking,<br />
filled with history and art and is a must<br />
see.<br />
We then enjoyed a scrumptious lunch before<br />
departing for a 2 hour traditional Thai massage<br />
at the Rarinjinda Wellness Spa. What a<br />
treat and what a day! The following day, we<br />
visited the Chatuchak Weekend Market, one<br />
of the largest outdoor markets in South-East<br />
Asia which houses a large variety of goods<br />
all within the market’s 17,000 stalls. Our<br />
guides then showed us some of the biggest<br />
and most popular malls in the city; needless<br />
to say, a shopping spree was in order!<br />
The ever-amazing Thailand was a trip of lifetime.<br />
Memorable in every aspect. From the<br />
comfortable refined accommodation to the<br />
Elephant and Tiger experiences, the exotic<br />
cuisine, the historic sites, the wonderful<br />
beaches and especially for the kind welcoming<br />
Thai who made us feel so at home in a<br />
land so far away.<br />
www.tourismthailand.org<br />
11<br />
<strong>American</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>Traveler</strong> / <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2016</strong>
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