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Thailand is sandwiched between The Gulf of Thailand on its eastern coastline and the vast expanse of the Andaman Sea on its western coast. It is in these body of waters that scuba divers can explore the marine life of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean without having to cross continents.

The waters in Thailand have one of the richest and diverse marine life in the world because conditions here for coral growth is almost perfect with an average temperature of 28C all year round and fantastic underwater visibility.

Because of these almost ideal scuba diving conditions and attractions, the scuba diving industry in Thailand is thriving robustly with the proliferation of first class scuba diving facilities, services and diving schools.

When you throw in what the tourist industry has to offer in Thailand such as fantastic entertainment, a spread of accommodations, hotels and resorts for every budget and Thailand’s renowned delightful cuisines, you can be assured of an enjoyable scuba diving vacation.

The Gulf of Thailand has hundreds of islands on its 1,840km (1,143 miles) long coast. The gulf is a shallow bowl shaped body of water separated from the South China Sea by a pair of underwater ridges that extend from Vietnam on one side and Malaysia to the other.

The sea bed bottom here is mostly mud mixed with sand and shells. Corals are usually found around the fringes of the gulf islands. There are several rivers in the north bringing enough sediment and freshwater to inhibit coral growth until to the south or the eastern side of the Gulf of Thailand.

The underwater scenery in the gulf is perhaps not as visually appealing as those of the Andaman Sea as it has slightly less variety of marine life. Marine parks such as the Ang Thong Marine Park include spectacularly formed limestone islands with lush rainforest covering them and many of these islands are actually uninhabited.

World famous resorts of Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui offer excellent scuba diving facilities as well as other reacreations and entertaiment.

The Andaman Sea was already thriving thousands of years ago with Chinese, European, Thai and Indian trading vessels plying its waters. Today, the Andaman Sea is more of a playground for dive boats and sailing yachts rather than for trading vessels.

One of the better known playgrounds for divers in the Andaman and is often rated amongst the top scuba diving destinations in the world are the Similan Islands. Divers can explore Similan, the Surin Islands and the Mergui Archipelago in liveaboard diving cruises.

Thailand’s Andaman Sea stretches 870km (541 miles) from Tarutao National Park on the border of Malaysia to the Surin Islands on the border of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). It is part of the Indian Ocean and is separated from the Bay of Bengal by the Andaman-Nicobar Ridge. Quaint formations of granite outcrops can be senn in the Surin and Similan Islands.

Other island groups such as Koh Phi Phi are shaped by massive limestone and calcium carbonates since prehistoric time.

The only problem when you travel to Thailand for scuba diving is where to start your diving vacation since there are so many excellent dive spots to choose from and you will be spoilt for choice.

Hello From Austria: A Country Drive And How Determination And Willpower Can Move Mountains (I)

Finally, after the rather rainy day yesterday I opened my curtains to an absolutely gorgeous day today. The lush green Alpine foothills and mountains surrounding Weiz were competing with the brilliant blue sky to catch my attention and naturally I had to get out on the road and explore. I started with a visit to the large pilgrimage church in my home town of Weiz. It is assumed that a church, more specifically a Roman basilica, was located on the hill above Weiz already around the middle of the 11th century. Due to poor lighting conditions inside the church, this building was remodeled several times, until in the mid 1700s a decision was finally made to replace the church with a new building. Construction on the new baroque style church began in 1757 and was finally completed in 1776.

The Weizbergkirche is a very imposing house of worship and was a well-known pilgrimage church, as early as the 12th century. It became a very popular pilgrimage destination in the 17th century, but since then the number of pilgrims has dropped substantially. It is the largest church in the district capital of Weiz, and a landmark that can be seen on virtually every postcard of my home town. I was particularly amazed when I walked inside the church and saw the renovated 18th century frescoes that are once again impressing visitors with their astounding colours and details since their recent renovation.

Directly in front of the church is an elevated plateau from where there is a great view over the town and the surrounding area. A sculpture called the Balance Beam reminds people of the transience of life. On the southern slopes of this hill is the cemetery of Weiz which features many graves going back several hundred years. One of the most famous graves in this cemetery belongs to Aurelia Schwarzenegger, mother of that most famous Austrian export: Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I then hopped into my car and drove up to the next higher hill, the so-called Landscha, which also overlooks the town and has been a very popular residential area for decades due to its great views. The top of the plateau features a forest and agricultural fields and is a popular destination for joggers and bicyclists. From here I drove into the forest and turned eastwards into a mountain valley called Ponigl.

Just a few minutes outside of town, this area is nevertheless very rural, remote and agricultural. Various farms, some centuries old, are dotted throughout the countryside and still actively involved in agriculture, be it growing corn or raising cattle. The valley ends in a dead end and only forest roads and hiking trails will take you up into the surrounding mountains. One area close by is known as the Galgenwald (Gallows Forest), an area where local criminals were hanged until a couple of centuries ago. Many legends surround this area and to this day there is an area that features three stone columns that were used a long time ago for executions by the regional court.

Past the quaint village of Oberdorf I continued to my next destination: Schloss Thannhausen (the Castle of Thannhausen), an extensive country estate that was originally mentioned as early as 1177. The current version of the castle was constructed in Renaissance style in the 1500s and features a stunning inner courtyard with rounded-arch arcades. On a regular basis this courtyard is used for concerts and provides a perfect backdrop for musical enjoyment.

After a quick drive back and through the town I headed into the Weizklamm (the Weiz River Gorge), a steep incision into the surrounding limestone rocks that drop vertically down to the Weizbach. Interestingly, a main regional road has been built into the rocks and is so narrow in some parts that is impossible for two vehicles to pass each other.

I filmed the entire 2.5 km drive through the Weizklamm and quite often I had to stop and let one of the many transport trucks that frequent this road pass. Mirrors in the corners help drivers see whether there is traffic approaching, and the locals are very used to driving on this narrow road in between the rocks. On top of the rock cliffs there is a hiking trail called the Jgersteig (Hunters Trail) which provides great views over the surrounding mountains and the gorge.

Past the gorge there is a fork in the road: on the left side you will reach the country village of Passail, and on the right side you continue beside the river to a small hamlet called Schmied in der Weiz. I turned right and decided to take a steep country road up to the mountain village of St. Kathrein am Offenegg, a popular tourist destination with several hotels, restaurants and bed and breakfasts.

St. Kathrein offers many hiking trails, an educational forest trail, a publicly accessible herb garden as well as skiing in the winter. Settled already in Celtic-Nordic times, German settlers moved into the area in the 11th century. A church was mentioned as early as 1295 and the current church was modified and enlarged several times over the centuries. I walked around and into this small country church which is surrounded by a cemetery and offers a beautiful view westwards towards the Passail Basin.

Texas is a large state with a lot of great qualities and features. It’s hardly surprising to learn that Texas is home to plentiful and productive bass fishing opportunities. Fishing in Texas is often affectionately called big water fishing. There are many really big lakes in Texas that are also renowned for both the size and great quality of bass fish to be found there. However, since it is such a huge area, Texas bass fishing can seem overwhelming to those you don’t know where the best fishing spots are, or who don’t know how to navigate the vast Texas bass fishing waters.

If you are not familiar with Texas bass fishing waters, the first think you should do is seek the assistance of a professional guide. There is no reason to stumble around on your own when you can enlist the services of a professional guide. Many of these guides have excellent reputations for taking fishers to the best locations for catching bass fish.

Once you’ve learned more about the waters with a guide, you will then be in a better position to return on your own for more fishing. Don’t forget to tip your guides, too, as they are so helpful in starting your Texas bass fishing endeavors. A good guide who worked well with the customers should be rewarded accordingly, with a tip of perhaps one hundred dollars. Remember that you may be on vacation, but this is the guide’s life’s work.

Another way to learn more about Texas bass fishing is to ask around at local bait and tackle shops. The local anglers are great resources because they fish the waters themselves regularly. If they’ll share their secrets, local can lead you to where the best fish are to be found. You can also use a topographical map of the lake bottom to try to find fish populations. No matter which approach you choose, Texas bass fishing can be great fun and very productive. By preparing on the front end, you can have a great day on the water.

While examining the great benefits of Texas bass fishing, remember to take special care to avoid potential risks. The Texas bass fishing waters are so large that some people have forgotten how to find their deck and have ended up spending uncomfortable nights on the boat when they got lost and/or ran out of fuel. For more info see on Bass Fishing.

The weather can also be a great challenge to Texas bass fishers. Swells can develop quickly and grow to such size and strength that the lake starts feeling like an ocean. Constantly keeping track of weather reports, water and clouds can protect you from the possibility of rough water conditions and perhaps even capsizing, which is never a good thing for fishermen.