GPS

GPS tourism comes to Montgomery, Alabama

taken from : www.engadget.com

by Marc Perton, posted May 13th 2005 at 8:00AM

GPS-linked tours seem to be all the rage right now, at least in Japan, but we're starting to see them crop up elsewhere, including Montgomery, Alabama, where local developer IntelliTours has hooked up a system using buses and trolleys operated by the Montgomery Area Transit System. According to IntelliTours, the system highlights 45 historical locations, including Civil Rights and Civil War sites, with audio narration coming online automatically as the vehicles enter specific regions. Sounds great, and we expect to see a lot more of this in other cities, though we'll miss those underpaid and underinformed young tour guides who provide unexpected insights by making it up as they go along.

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GPS

"When the G.P.S. system senses that the cart is passing one of the points in the database, the stereo plays a story or gives clear, occasionally imploring directions."

The New York Times
Posted by Richard on June 10, 2004 07:15 PM
taken from :www.byz.org/~rbanks/movableType/webLog/trends/archives/000912.html

Pattaya Island

Pattaya Islands

Pattaya's islands might not rival the exotic island destinations in the south of Thailand, but they make for the perfect day-trip to enjoy swimming, fishing and coral viewing. Ferries run daily from the main port, or catch a speedboat from Pattaya Beach.

Koh Larn (Coral Island) Covering an area of about four square kilometers and known for its beautiful white sandy beaches like Ta Waen, clear water and an abundance of coral, Koh Larn is less then 8 km west of Pattaya Beach - a trip which takes about 45 minutes by ferry or 20 minutes by speedboat. For visitors who are not diving enthusiasts, glass-bottom boats are available to view the coral. Ta Waen Beach is possibly the most popular beach on Koh Larn, and there are also a few stalls with food and souvenirs. Another good place to view coral is Nual Beach on the southern part of the island. Laemtien Beach and Samae Beach is on the southwestern side; two tranquil and serene beaches that will delight sun worshippers.

Koh Pai Group of Islands Comprising of Khoh Pai (the largest), Koh Manvichai, Koh Leom and Koh Klung Badan, this group of tiny islands are about 13 km from Pattaya, and takes two hours to reach by boat. Presently under the supervision of the Royal Thai Navy, the islands make the perfect getaway for a day of swimming, snorkeling to view the coral, fishing and chilled-out moments under waving palm trees. Koh Krok Just a little dot in the ocean comprising mostly of rocks, Koh Krok features just one sandy beach that stretches for about 100 meters on the east side of the island, but it is still popular for coral viewing and to escape from the hustle and bustle on the mainland. Koh Sak Shaped like a horse-shoe, Koh Sak is another tiny island - just 600 metres away from Koh Larn and about 10 km west of Pattaya. It has two beaches, one on on the northern and the other on the southern side of the island, with a pathway connecting them. Due to its secluded location, skin-diving to view the coral is popular here. taken from :www.pattaya.bangkok.com

Pattaya

Pattaya was simply a small fishing village until it was discovered as a beach resort by Bangkok residents in the 1960s. Soon thereafter, servicemen from all over Southeast Asia, including the United States Air Force base at U-Tapao in neighbouring Rayong province began using the area for "rest and recuperation" (R&R), causing a huge boom in prostitution. When the Americans left following the end of the Vietnam War, the city fell into a crisis. However, modern mass tourism, particularly single men looking for companionship, brought a new lease of life to Pattaya.

The rapid growth of tourism brought about many negative consequences, such as pollution and petty crime. In 1976, the Pattaya City Act was passed by the Thai legislature, making Pattaya a self-administrating municipality governed by a Council-manager government. However, many argue that this administration system has drawbacks (for example, the mayor may disagree with the city manager). Critics have recommended abolishing the system.

In recent years the city has pushed hard to clean up its image, and family-focused entertainment is increasingly available; however, the core sex-industry has ensured that Pattaya retains its position as one of the world's most renowned party destinations. In 2005, more than 35,000 hotel rooms were available in Pattaya and it has seen a large increase in family tourism in recent years, thanks to efforts to present a more wholesome image. Despite these efforts, Pattaya's sex industry is the city's raison d' etre. Pattaya is an especially popular vacation destination for families from Russia, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Pattaya also has a large international expatriate population, especially British and Russian residents. In 2008 the newly elected Thai government decided to restrict alcohol sales resulting in Pattaya losing its image as a 24 hour city. In March 2008 Pattaya bar owners, concerned at the fall in revenue resulting from the ban, sought meetings with government ministers seeking to reverse the restrictions.

taken from:wikipedia.org

Bunaken

North Sulawesi is known as The Land of Smiling People and lies in the very epicentre of the world’s marine biodiversity in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. It offers more than 100 different dive sites, all rich with tropical marine life, with diving all year round. It is also very easy to get to, with direct flights from Singapore 3-4 times a week, depending on the season.

There are three dive areas to choose from. The first area is the clear waters of the Bunaken National Marine Park which was voted the global winner of British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award in 2003. The amazing walls of the park teams with thousands of different fish species, with huge sponges and beautiful hard corals, and countless number of fascinating critters.

The second area on the other side of the mainland is Lembeh Strait, and it is known as the world’s best ‘muck-diving’. These waters are full of extraordinary marine critters, many of which are the masters of camouflage.

In the northern tip of the mainland between Bunaken and Lembeh you can find a group of tropical islands with white sandy beaches and beautiful coral reefs. This is the third diving area of Bangka Island with amazing soft corals and even more critters.

There is something for every diver in North Sulawesi. Whether you prefer to admire the steep coral walls of Bunaken National Marine Park, explore the reefs in Bangka area or dive in the enchanting world of nature’s little wonders in Lembeh Strait, we can guarantee that you will leave North Sulawesi rich with memorable experiences.

Between the diving you can visit the area’s other attractions. These include the bustling city of Manado, the lush vegetable gardens of the Minahasa highlands and the tropical jungles in Tangkoko Nature Reserve.

This web site is supported by the North Sulawesi Watersports Association, the local environmental organization participating in the protection of this unique part of Sulawesi. All the resorts listed here are active members of this association, and there is a wide range of facilities available from 5-star accommodation to beach-side cottages. They all have one thing in common, they offer eco-friendly dive services and facilities.

takenfrom:www.divenorthsulawesi.com