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Thailand's monsoons arrive around July and last into November (the 'rainy season'). They can be uncomfortably, unpredictably sticky. This is followed by a dry, cool period from November to mid-February, followed by much higher relative temperatures from March to June.
By far the best time to visit is from February to March when the weather is kind and the beaches are at their finest.
The peak seasons are August, November, December, February and March, with secondary peak months in January and July.
If your main objective is to avoid crowds and to take advantage of discounted rooms and low-season rates, you should consider traveling during the least crowded months (April, May, June, September and October).
On the other hand it's not difficult to leave the crowds behind, even during peak months, if you simply avoid some of the most popular destinations (e.g., Chiang Mai, islands and beaches). This is also the prime time for diving in terms of visibility and accessibility.
Denpasar The capital city of Bali, Denpasar has many community temples called "Pura". One is the Museum called Pura jagatnatha which is dedicated to the Supreme God, Sang Hyang Widi Wasa. The statue of a turtle and two dragons (prevalent in all temples) signify the foundation of the world.
The Museum offers a fine variety of prehistoric and modern art, whereas its architectural design resembles that of a palace. The government supervised "Sanggraha Kriya Asta" has a wide variety of handicraft and works of art. The "Werdi Budaya" presents a yearly art festival between June and July, with performances, exhibitions, art contest and so on.
Sanur Sanur beach has long been a popular recreation site for people from Denpasar. The palm-lined beach curves from the Bali Beach Hotel toward the south, facing the Indian Ocean towards the east. Sanur offers many good hotels, restaurants, shops and other tourist facilities. It is only a short distance from Denpasar. Public transportation to and from the city are easily available until well into the night. Offshore reefs protect the beach against the waves to make it popular for wind surfing, boating and other water sports.
Kuta Once a lonely village on the road from Denpasar toward the Bukit Peninsula, Kuta is now a thriving tourist resort, popular mainly among the young. It is a beach for surfing although currents make it less suitable for swimming. Coast guards, however, are on constant duty during the day. Kuta faces toward the west offering beautiful sunsets.Accommodation ranges from international hotels to home stays.
The village abounds with restaurants, shops, discotheques and other tourist facilities. It is easier to find regular performances of Balinese music and dance in Kuta, staged specially for tourists, than anywhere else in Bali. Some performances are staged nightly. The village is ideal for meeting and mixing with other people, locals as well as visitors from abroad.
Nusa Dua The Nusa Dua tourist resort is part of the Bukit Peninsula in southern Bali. Some of the most beautiful and luxurious hotels are found here. The resort is known for its clean white beaches and clear waters. The surf is gentle along the northern side of the peninsula, bigger along the south. The most convenient form of transportation to and from Nusa Dua is by taxi.
Batubulan Driving northeast from Denpasar, stone figures on the roadside mark the village of Batubulan. Divinities and demons are carved from sandstone for ornaments of houses and temples. Workshops can be visited to watch artists at work.
Batuan An old and famous center of the arts, it is now known for its dancing, wood panel carving and paintings.
Celuk Northeast of Denpasar, the village of Celuk is noted for its silver and gold works of jewelry in various styles.MasThe village of woodcarvers, many of Bali's old masters still live here. Art galleries exhibit some of their best works. Visitors can wander through the Balinese style houses to view the carved wooden pillars and the artists at work or instructing apprentices who work in groups.
Ubud The center of Balinese painting, Ubud's Museum "Puri Lukisan" has a permanent collection of modern works of Balinese art dating from the turn of the century. There are also several art galleries and homes of famous artists here, including that of Dutch-born Hans Snel and the American Antonio Blanco. The "young artist" style now popular in Balinese painting was introduced by the Dutch painter Arie Smith.
In the past, other foreign painters inspired Balinese artists to adopt western techniques but traditional Balinese paintings are still made and sold. Another museum called "Neka Museum" has a wide collection of paintings both by Indonesian as well as foreign artists who used to live in Bali.Ubud has several small hotels. Located on a higher altitude with a pleasant climate.
The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) is introducing the new Long Term Pass (LTP) card - for all foreigners residing in Singapore on a long term Visit Pass, Student's Pass, Employment Pass and Dependant's Pass.
The card seeks to replace the Visit Pass endorsement in the passports of all long-term stayers. All card holders will be required to produce their LTP card during immigration clearance when leaving or entering Singapore. If they decide to ever leave the country for good, they will have to surrender their LTP cards.
The cards are similar in look and feel to the NRIC cards held by citizens and permanent residents of Singapore, but are green in colour (see sample below). They are also equipped with similar security features.
The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA) launched its direct service from Hanoi to Nagoya, the third biggest economic hub of Japan, on August 12, announced the carrier. This is the parnering route between the Vietnam Airlines and the Japan Airlines.
The direct flights linking Hanoi and Nagoya will be offered on every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday on A321 Airbus with 183 seats.
After an inaugural ceremony held in Nagoya at 10h30 (local time) in co-operation with the Japanese side, VNA’s plane with nearly 160 passengers on board for Flight No VN967 began its travel from Nagoya to Hanoi .
Vietnam Airlines is now the sole carrier to operate the Hanoi-Nagoya direct service, and Nagoya is its fourth destination in Japan, after Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.
