Fight of top pilot in every country in the world in the sky!

          The Saga International Balloon Fiesta is held at the beginning of November every year in Saga Prefecture, Japan. In 2009 it will take place between October 30 and November 3.

The fiesta is held just outside of Saga City, along the Kase River. It has grown from a gathering of 5 hot air balloons to a competition where over 3500 people volunteer, and has gained a reputation as one of the top ballooning competitions in the world. It is also a popular time for tourists as the Karatsu Kunchi Festival is held at the same time in Karatsu City. Since 1980 the launch site has been visited by over 10 million spectators.

          For the duration of the event, a temporary JR station (Balloon Saga Station) ferries passengers between Saga City and Kubota.

History

          The fiesta started in 1978 in Amagi City, Fukuoka Prefecture, as a smaller ballooning event, the Balloon Fiesta in Kyushu. In 1980 the Fiesta was moved to the outskirts of Saga City, where there is more room. In 1984 it became an international competition and was given its present name; in the same year the first Japanese National Hot Air Balloon Championship was held, and balloonists from all over Japan came to the grounds.

          Since 1984 there have been approximately 640 balloons from overseas participants (nearly 3000 crew and pilots). In 1990 the first Pacific Championship was held in Saga. Between 1990 and 1996 women from around the world gathered to participate in the Ladies World Cup. Saga was the first place to have a competition of this kind.

Beginning in 1992 a category for special shaped balloons, called Balloon Fantasia was created. Also started at this time was the La Montgolfier Nocturne (The Night of Hot Air Balloons); tethered inflated balloons light their burners in a choreographed manner, illuminating their unique shapes. This is a highlight of the fiesta.

          In November 1997 the 13th Hot Air Balloon World Championships were again held in Saga. With numbers rarely seen outside of the United States, this event was attended by over 38 countries and territories. There were 112 balloons present for the World Championship and together with the balloons that were competing in the Honda Grand Prix Final Battle, Balloon Fantasia, and official balloons there were 170 balloons flying through the skies of Saga.

          In 1997, special days during the Fiesta were established for people to experience the balloons. These include Heartful Day, a day geared toward handicapped members of the community; and Kids Day, a hot air balloon classroom for children.

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Koh Samui Dream Tropical Island!

"Welcome To Samui Island Guide..."

          Koh Samui the second largest island in the Gulf of Thailand has undergone significant transformation sine 1970 as a hideaway of European Backpackers to become an inrnational Tourist Paradise to day. Koh Samui offers white sandy beaches,glittering sea,lush green vegetation and friendly people. Accommodation ranges from simple Hotel and Resort to luxurious Villa to Five-star Hotels some the finest in Southeast Asia

Weather and Climate

          Located in the Gulf of Thailand, Samui has a tropical monsoon climate. Hence, checking the weather is an ideal. Samui has hot, dry and wet seasons. During rainy season which is from September through November may not be the best time to go snorkeling or diving. Although the downpour happens only 30 - 60 minutes a day. Sunshine can be expected throughout the day. In this section, temperature, amount of the rainfall of each month and the best time to visit are shown to help you plan the best time to visit Samui including actual time and temperature, sunrise and sunset time. Check out the full moon, half moon and dark room to plan a party. Beach webcam shows different beaches.

Nightlife in Samui

          Samui has one of the most vibrant nightlife in Thailand. When the sun goes down, all the illuminated signs of night clubs, pubs and bars are alight along the beaches like on Chaweng, Bophut and Lamai. A wide variety of venues to choose from, such as bars, pubs, discos with local and international DJs to spin the tune. Themed bars and theme party such as ice bar, foam party are recently added to Samui to add the fun to the night. Be entertained by an extravaganza and glamour of the cabaret shows on Chaweng and Lamai beaches. Those who prefer enjoy the night with live music, there are some leading venues to serve good music from local musicians as well as musicians from all over the world whether it is jazz, rock and blues. Not everywhere in the night in Samui would be so boisterous, a quite night in a pub can also be sought. They range from beachfront or side street bars, great for watching passer-by to luxurious hotel bars overlooking the serene sea at night.

Getting there

          Although Samui is located in the Gulf of Thailand with the distance of 35 km from the mainland in Surat Thani, getting to Samui is no hassle. There are different options of travelling there. The fastest way to get to the island is by plane. Samui has an international airport with flights from Bangkok and overseas. Flights from Bangkok take only about 60 – 90 minutes. There are also buses running from Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok to Surat Thani which takes around 12 hours, then take a ferry to cross over to the island. There are different types of buses to choose from. The cheapest way to get there is to take the train. Then take the local bus to the pier and pier to take the ferry. Information on the flights with flight schedules from Bangkok to Samui and from Samui to Bangkok, airport information, bus information, ferry schedules from different companies and some useful travelling tips are provided in this section.

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Portobello Market, London

          Portobello Market in West London is one of the most famous street markets in the world. It is a populart destination for Londoners and tourists alike.

          Portobello Road goes straight through the heart of Notting Hill, the trendy area of London made famous by the film. Indeed, so famous is the film Notting Hill that I find scarcely a week goes by without someone or other asking me about the various set locations: the blue door, the travel bookshop, the garden fence and so on.
          So why do they ask me? Well, because I work on the market - so now you know that the information here is straight from the 'orses mouf, as the cockneys say - actually I'm really quite posh, but I didn't want to dispell your image of what a market trader is like!

          Portobello Market takes up most of what is actually more properly called Portobello Road, it stretches for around two miles, although on a crowded saturday afternoon it takes quite a while to walk from end to end.

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