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Home » Destinations » Asia » Thailand

Paradise Defined

Published: Aug 5, 2008 by Dave Lee |

Thong Nai Pan Noi, Koh Phangan (shhh, it's our secret)

It was on Thong Nai Pan Noi that I concluded my personal paradises are qualified by one shared characteristic: they are island beaches, specifically tropical islands (sorry Ireland).  There must be time spent amidst a blue sky with wispy (or puffy) white clouds, varying shades of turquoise water, fine white sand, and a background of green palm trees and jungle.

I've come to this conclusion after extensive research - Hawaii, Belize, French Polynesia, Indonesia, and now Thailand.

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About Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 68 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.

Comments

  1. Debo Hobo says

    August 05, 2008 at 3:20 pm

    That is totally my image of paradise, I mean that is exactly what paradise looks like to me. :lol:

  2. Debo Hobo says

    August 05, 2008 at 8:20 pm

    That is totally my image of paradise, I mean that is exactly what paradise looks like to me. :lol:

  3. Pokin says

    August 06, 2008 at 3:32 am

    Ahhh...yes paradise indeed. I feel the same way. I admire cold places like Iceland for the aesthetics, but somehow paradise = tranquility to me and shivering my butt off while taking in sweeping scenic views of snow-clad mountains doesn't quite qualify for that. :) What a beautiful view! I am *thoroughly* jealous.

    • Dave says

      August 06, 2008 at 2:49 pm

      Well said! I'm not missing the shivering off the my trek in Nepal.....or the death-defying climb up an Indian mountain pass. So happy to be at sea level.

  4. Pokin says

    August 05, 2008 at 10:32 pm

    Ahhh...yes paradise indeed. I feel the same way. I admire cold places like Iceland for the aesthetics, but somehow paradise = tranquility to me and shivering my butt off while taking in sweeping scenic views of snow-clad mountains doesn't quite qualify for that. :) What a beautiful view! I am *thoroughly* jealous.

    • Dave says

      August 06, 2008 at 9:49 am

      Well said! I'm not missing the shivering off the my trek in Nepal.....or the death-defying climb up an Indian mountain pass. So happy to be at sea level.

  5. Sonia says

    August 06, 2008 at 1:52 pm

    Amen, brother! My own personal Happy Place was a balcony overlooking the sunset and volcanic beaches on Montserrat. But I'm looking forward to doing my own *extensive* research on this topic in the coming months! Rock on!

    • Dave says

      August 06, 2008 at 2:50 pm

      Hurry up and get out here. The world is waiting!

  6. Sonia says

    August 06, 2008 at 8:52 am

    Amen, brother! My own personal Happy Place was a balcony overlooking the sunset and volcanic beaches on Montserrat. But I'm looking forward to doing my own *extensive* research on this topic in the coming months! Rock on!

    • Dave says

      August 06, 2008 at 9:50 am

      Hurry up and get out here. The world is waiting!

  7. Karl (from Dewey) says

    August 06, 2008 at 3:23 pm

    So if you had to pick your favorite island beach so far, which one would it be?

    • Dave says

      August 07, 2008 at 3:34 am

      Hard question because I've enjoyed them all for different reasons. If forced to choose (just from this trip), I'd go with Gili Trawangan in Indonesia because it was the smallest - no pavement, cars, motorbikes. And I got to enjoy it with some really cool people. :)

  8. Karl (from Dewey) says

    August 06, 2008 at 10:23 am

    So if you had to pick your favorite island beach so far, which one would it be?

    • Dave says

      August 06, 2008 at 10:34 pm

      Hard question because I've enjoyed them all for different reasons. If forced to choose (just from this trip), I'd go with Gili Trawangan in Indonesia because it was the smallest - no pavement, cars, motorbikes. And I got to enjoy it with some really cool people. :)

  9. Suz says

    August 11, 2008 at 7:29 pm

    Isn't it interesting that a beach is almost always included in what people define as paradise? I wonder if that's the impact of the media or if it has something to do with some primevial urge to be near water...

  10. Suz says

    August 12, 2008 at 12:29 am

    Isn't it interesting that a beach is almost always included in what people define as paradise? I wonder if that's the impact of the media or if it has something to do with some primevial urge to be near water...

Dave at Ahu Ko Te Riku on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile.

Hi, I'm Dave

Editor in Chief

I've been writing about adventure travel on Go Backpacking since 2007. I've visited 68 countries.

Read more about Dave.

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