As far as only sport goes, Pattaya offers horse riding, swimming, diving, wind surfing, golf, tennis and jet skiing among others. However, unlike most sporting towns or cities, it does not start to go to sleep when the sun goes down.

The bars, restaurants, discos and strip bars begin to open in profusion at around four o’clock. The bars are of each persuasion to suit each niche market.

There are Welsh bars, American bars, Irish bars, Lady Boy bars and each other type of bar you can think of. Likewise with the restaurants, there are specialized restaurants for every country. There are bush game restaurants, Chinese, Japanese, American, French, German and fish restaurants. In fact there are thousands of restaurants and bars all trying to become unique.

I am certain that you could remain in Pattaya for months without going the same bar or eating the same type of food twice. This is just as well because there are representatives from every country in the world there too. You will hear English, Russian and every European and Asian language spoken in Pattaya on a regular basis.

Pattaya receives over one million visitors a year. Most of these visitors are men, but the local government is trying to do more to appeal to women and families by moving the girlie bars back away from the beach.

Despite it being fairly big, you can stay in your favourite part of Pattaya and find nearly everything you want near-by. However, if you do have to travel about, nothing could be simpler. Most individuals just hop on a ‘Baht Bus’. These small open-backed pick-ups can be seen going about the city by fairly predictable routes when you understand the layout of the city.

The ‘fixed fare’ is ten Baht for as far as you want to go on the route, although some drivers will strive to trick more out of you if you go a long way. Thais pay five Baht. If you do not feel confident enough to forecast where the bus is going, you could get on one of the thousands of motorcycle taxis.

They are dearer at about forty to sixty Baht, yet they will go anywhere you like. Ask for a quote before you leave to avoid disappointment on both sides. If you do not want to hire a car, there are other alternatives. You could rent a motorcycle or motorbike. A motorcycle costs about 100 Baht a day at the cheapest, but beware the traffic in Pattaya it can get pretty chaotic.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on numerous topics, but is now involved with Songkran – the old Thai New Year. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Package Holidays to Thailand.

If you are simply looking for a quick round of golf then you can choose from many of the great 18-hole courses that are on offer. If you are looking to stay and play, there are many gorgeous golf resorts where you can go for your vacation. Here are a few courses that are quite popular and can help you make the right decision about where totee off.

Panther Lake – This course has sprawling meadows, native pines, lakes and wetlands that are simply breathtaking. Playing golf in and around the natural surroundings of nature makes the game even better (if that’s possible!). There are no housing or strip-mall developments near the course so you will never be distracted by traffic or other annoyances. You will most likely encounter several species of wildlife and native birds during your round of golf, though. There are sloping fairways that are guarded by strategically placed fairway bunkers, and water hazards and trees frame the holes to give golfers a clear line of play. It’s a great course!

Crooked Cat Golf Course – This golf course is a vast wonderland full of wide landing areas, native heather and so-called framing fairways, which make it one of most attractive courses in Orlando. This course is far from any ordinary connect-the-dots course, and you are free to roam around the course and venture to different areas. However, there are some things to be aware of when the shots you make veer off course, as balls can end up in some precarious places such as the grass bunkers.

Waldorf Astoria Golf Course – This small but truly exceptional course is designed with a five-tee system for all levels of playing ability. It is, however, quite challenging. The 18-hole Reese Jones-designed championship course is over 7,108 yards with a par 72, and gets a 74.6 rating for the professional tees it offers. Jones was always mindful of the natural elements and environmental issues of the area, and so built the course using all of the land’s existing contours. The club’s location is adjacent to the Waldorf Astoria Orlando and was the first Waldorf Astoria built outside of New York, with 498 rooms and suites. However, there are still other Orlando hotels to choose from that are close to many of the courses.

Dubsdread Golf Course – This is an historic course that has been popular since its debut in 1924. It continues to be a favorite among locals and visitors from all over the world. The golf course received a complete overhaul in 2008 as a part of the Little Lake Fairview Restoration and Dubsdread Golf Course Renovation Project. The new and improved golf course includes lighted driving ranges, a very large putting green and two bunker areas. The city has also taken steps to improve the club facilities by making several improvements and upgrades in the surrounding area.

The Metro West Golf Club – This golf course is located only two miles from Universal Orlando Resort. This magnificent course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and is one of the most beautifully landscaped courses in Orlando. The club has earned several awards for the beauty of its course as well as the excellence of its service.

Hunter’s Creek Golf Course – This course happens to be surrounded by spacious fairways, tall pine trees and 13 lakes. You can find the course less than 20 minutes away from the Orlando International Airport and Disney Resorts. With over 7,200 yards of green playing field this course is an absolute golfer’s dream come true. This course has won awards and served as the home base for several major tournaments that include the U.S. Open from 1989-1994.

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For this reason, this list is the culmination of personal experience of several golf holidays in Portugal and a variety of forum surveys. The courses chosen are selected for their location, quality of greens & fairways and the sheer variety of game play they can offer through 18 holes of golf.

On a hot summer’s day the 6000 yard Estoril course is an enjoyable treat. The course requires skill around the 18 holes to navigate the well placed bunkers and difficult rough.

The Penha Longa course is finally playing host to the Portugal Open (in 2010) so has been receiving some recent modifications to tighten up the course design. Amateurs will enjoy the scenery around the course as some holes play through ancient ruins.

For fans of links golf for whom budget is not an issue, then the pricey Vale do Lobo Royal and Ocean golf club offers a championship golfing experience. The scenery of the neighboring 5 kilometer beach complements the well kept fairways and greens throughout the courses 18 holes.

Many day-trippers from Lisbon gravitate to the challenging Praia Del Rey. This is one of the newer links-style courses that provide a combination of forested fairways with ocean views and some holes with unforgiving bunkers and dunes waiting to punish errant shots.

A great many golfers will base themselves in Vilamoura town for their golf break. The highlight of such a stay would have to be playing the Vilamoura Old Course. The course has an array of trees running the length of some fairways, placed there to capture poorly placed drives and channel the gusting winds around greens. As one of the older courses in the area it probably has the smoothest & fastest greens in the region.

Given the range of courses in Portugal, and the proliferation of clubs in the Algarve, a top 5 list of courses will always be quite subjective. Hopefully this list gives you food for thought about your next golf break.

Looking for European golfing breaks? For the perfect golf holiday, the Algarve, Estoril and the other Portuguese regions have it all. Visit the Golf Holidays Portugal website to learn more.

This resort town is seeing a resurgence in popularity of late principally for the fact that it has held on to its old style charm and not given in to the waves of fast-food restaurants and caf bars. This factor has drawn in Irish & foreign visitors looking for a more traditional Irish experience.

The brunt of tourism to the area is drawn to the family-friendly beach and secondly to the local golf courses.

The central focus of the town in summer is the main beach. It is a family friendly beach with plenty of space and good quality sand. The local surf school has become popular in recent years offering equipment rental and surfing lessons for all levels (the waves are not particularly high so it is an ideal spot for beginners).

When the beach is crowded in summer, many visitors partake of the enjoyable cliff walk to take in the sea views and also visit some of the other beaches in the area. The ‘Nuns’ beach, with its overlooking nunnery, is a particularly nice spot for whiling away a relaxing summers day.

Ballybunion Golf Club, which consists of the Old Course and The Cashen course, is renowned as one of the most prestigious golf courses in Ireland, regularly making the top 25 courses in the world according to most golf magazines (and certainly in the top 5 of the world links-style courses). This links-style course was founded in 1893 and has panoramic views on all holes out across the Atlantic Ocean. Prices can fluctuate depending on the time of year and booking ahead is certainly recommended during summer. As is bringing good protective waterproof clothing!

Possibly the most famous visitor to Ballybunion has been former president, and golf enthusiast, Bill Clinton who played a round of golf here in 1998. The town was so proud of this fact that a statue now appears in the town main street of Mr. Clinton teeing off.

The town’s remote location does however result in a lack of Ballybunion hotels and guesthouse options. This has been touted as a principal reason why the Irish Open Golf Championship has not been played there. As a result, many visitors base themselves in hotels in the nearby towns around Kerry, Clare and the Dingle Peninsula.

In summertime the town and surrounding area has a number of festivals and fares which are well worth visiting. Details are usually available from your hotel or from the Ballybunion tourist office (located on the main street).

Visit the Ballybunion Hotels HQ website for independent advice about hotels, amenities, day trips and Ballybunion Golf Club

This list brings together courses from all corners of Portugal rather than just focus in on the Algarve region. As air travel and city breaks become more economical the Estoril and west coast area around Lisbon is fast becoming a golfing hot-spot.

Praia D’El Rey: Just a short drive from Lisbon, this tough links course provides challenges on each hole. Some are wide open to the Atlantic Ocean breezes. Others are partly sheltered by forestation. The quality of the greens throughout is consistent and this makes for a great setting on a summers days.

Porto Santo: Host to the 2008 Madeira Open, this course winds its way around the tropical island through a variety picturesque golf holes. The main challenge is not being distracted by the steep cliffs and trying to predict how the swirling wind will catch high-flying shots.

Monte Rei: Fans of Jack Nicklaus will savor playing this course on the East Algarve. Jack designed this course to make best use of the hilly terrain and it proves to be a tough course to play, even from the short tees.

Quinta do Lago: This estate sports 2 golf course, both of which regularly make the top 25 of courses in Europe. The one to play though is the links-style south course with its Atlantic views (and consequently, breezes) and well aged greens and fairways.

Parque Da Floresta: This is partly notable as being the most westerly course in Portugal. But once played, it will be the memory of how the courses 18 holes run along a steep hillside with magnificent views that will remain with you.

When it comes to having perfect golf holidays Portugal has the sun and scenery to complement the great courses that have sprung up over the past two decades. All holidaying golfers should make a point of including some of the above ‘showcase’ golf clubs as while the green fees can head north of 100 Euro, they are each memorable and at a par with many of the great championship courses around Europe.

Discover golf holidays in Portugal. For the perfect golfing holiday Algarve, Estoril and the other Portuguese regions have it all.

Wellbeing: Prepare a simple first aid kit for the trip with headache tablets, sun block, indigestion/diarrhoea tablets, plasters and insect repellent. Even minor injuries can worsen when golfing over a number of days as they don’t receive enough time to recover/heal.

Most of these could be picked up on arrival but doing that would eat into your holiday time. A worthy addition is heat packs and cold packs as the muscle strain involved in golfing daily may prove more than your body can take.

Course bookings: Confirm the tee-times of your bookings at your holiday destination. Print them out along with directions to the course, exact tee-time and any booking references that may be needed. If a tee has been booked via an online agency then these details should have been sent to you by a confirmation email. If you book rental clubs/buggies then also check these are confirmed.

Garments: Pack enough layers of tops, t-shirts, polo shirts and socks for your trip. Factor in the possibility of being rained on given the destination and ensure you have enough clothing to last the trip. Layers work better than bulky clothes as you can add/subtract a t-shirt/top depending on the weather.

Pack your rain gear in with your golf bag so that it is always there (don’t leave it in your suitcase). Repair any broken cleats on your shoes. Pack away sunglasses warm woolen hats (if needed) and baseball caps. Make sure all clothing, especially shoes, is clean and free of soil (see below).

Documentation: Check the club websites you are visiting for any dress codes they may have (some of the bigger courses will have codes, especially in the club house). Pack your PGA handicap if you are playing courses with a minimum handicap rule. Prepare any course information regarding tips on how to play the course, out-of-bounds, etc.

Golf Equipment: Count and clean your clubs prior to departure. Airport Border control at some countries (British Isles, New Zealand, Australia) are rightly concerned about contaminated soil containing remnants of mad cow disease so are prone to checking visitors sports shoes and equipment for soil. If soil is found then they will provide cleaning facilities before allowing you entry to the country.

Then there is the regular golf paraphernalia to stock up on. Check you have plenty of pencils, tees, golf balls and gloves.

The goal of this list is to ensure you can enjoy your golfing holiday to the utmost from the first to last day.

Looking for European golfing breaks? Discover the top 10 course in Portugal. Visit the Golf Holidays Portugal Guide website to learn more.

In the past thirty years the Portuguese golfing industry has really taken off and is finally maturing with a number of regions containing excellent golf resorts and a high caliber of courses to play.

The main golfing holiday regions are centered on the Lisbon region in the south west, the Algarve region in the south, the island of Madeira and the Oeste region.

Lisbon and the Estoril coast region offers the fullest range of accommodation price-wise, combined with the wonderful backdrop of the Sintra mountain range. Combine this with an array of dining options that you’d expect from a modern European capital.

For some, the Algarve region is the real home of Portuguese golf given its warm climate (making it an ideal year-round location) and the standard of resorts, villas, restaurants and golf clubs. Western Algarve has the added challenge of Atlantic breezes to contend with so clubs like the scenic Boavista, the Penina Championship Course and the two Oceanico courses (designed by Nick Faldo & Christy O’Connor) provide real golfing challenges.

Of all its areas, the courses and range of hotels around Vilamoura are some of the most popular – quite justifiably given the beauty of the region and standard of courses and hotels that are available.

The island of Madeira is something different in terms of golf holidays Portugal has on offer. Its location, 500 kilometers west of the Portuguese coast in the Atlantic Ocean, is something that could put some golfers off.

The Santo da Serra is a 27-hole course that can be played in 3 combinations which does offer some variation in the courses played. For most golfers though, it is the wonderful scenery that is a backdrop to the golf clubs that offers a unique golfing experience. Steep mountains cliffs surround the island and its isolation makes for a unique laid back atmosphere.

The one region that is lagging behind the others is the Oeste region which doesn’t have the championship clubs and plush resorts found elsewhere. But if you are seeking some tranquility then the pleasant golf clubs, scenic drives and charming villages could make for a relaxing golfing break.

On the subject of green fees, the cost can vary widely across the country. Expect to pay a minimum of 50 Euro for a regular quality course in low season and around 80 to 90 Euro during the high season (July & August).

The majority of courses can be booked online and it is highly recommended to book in advance. Dress codes are usually informal but it is worth checking club websites online.

Looking for European golfing breaks? For the perfect golf holiday Algarve, Estoril and the other Portuguese regions have it all. Visit the Golf Holidays In Portugal Guide to learn more.

If you have picked up the hobby of golfing, good for you! You have just signed on a life long enjoyment of a sport that can be used to relax and make friends. You may have thought of how neat it would be to travel to other regions to experience the sport. As it turns out, courses can vary quite a bit.

Vacationing in the United States can be just as outlandish as going to another country to play golf. An area such as Las Vegas, Nevada has many replica golf courses to try out. Las Vegas also has a wide variety of golf courses that are nationally recognized as a must-play for any professional golfer. Key locations such as Florida are also worth a visit during your quest for a good game of golf.

Playing golf at high altitudes is possible by traveling to South America. In the location of Morochocha is a golf course that is one of the highest elevated golf courses in the entire world. The high elevation has been known to making breathing hard; senior citizens and those who have trouble breathing should ask a physician before proceeding.

Golf courses that stick around through the years are seen as successful and a joy to play through. Following that ideology, you could say India has some of the best courses as one course is well over a century old. For over 150 years, a famous course in India has been allowing golfers to get their fix on the green grasses of the age-old field. You will experience more than just a good game of golf, but perhaps even a history lesson.

Your heroes in golf have all visited Japan to see the highly regarded golf courses in the area. Japan golf courses have many that feature natural traps that make the game of golf about strategy rather than driving the ball as hard as you physically can. Japan courses will make you think, use every ounce of golf knowledge you have, and engulf you in a beautiful environment filled with beauty.

For more history lessons, travel to China- you can play on one course in particular that will have The Great Wall in your sites while on hole one. The scenery is quite a sight to behold, and is quite unlike what you would find on your average United States golf course. The land also makes for great natural traps if you find the right golf course to visit.

In Conclusion

Having fun and relaxing is what golfing is all about. It’s not surprise, then, that golfing is also paired with traveling more often than not. Try to work some trips to a golf course into your next vacation- you won’t regret the unforgettable experience it will provide.