Many of the beaches can be accessed by taxi or tuk tuk, but for others you’ll have to hitch a ride on a boat. That being said, more than 1,000 tour groups offer tours in Thailand. Do some research and book with one of the 100 tour operators who are respectful and licensed to operate on the fragile waters. Trust me you can tell them from the ones that aren’t.

The markets are comprised of thousands of stalls inside and out, in air conditioned areas, on side streets and under umbrellas, selling everything from fabrics, to housewares, men’s and women’s clothing, both modern and traditional, crafts, produce, seafood and more.

There’s a special kind of magic in watching the sunrise over the vast ocean—its golden hues gradually piercing the darkness and painting the sky with vibrant colors. This was exactly what we were after when we set out on the exciting journey to hike Seongsan Ilchulbong…

Banwoldo (Banwold Island) is located off the southwestern tip of the Korean peninsula, adjacent to Bakjido Island. An expansive bridge connects them. Collectively, they are referred to as the Purple Island. The residents painted everything on both islands to encourage more tourist traffic. And so far, it is working. It made me want to visit, and here is what I discovered when I recently traveled there with friends.