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Category Archives: Beaches

Thai beaches offer mix of fun, relaxation

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A trip sampling the diversity of Southeast Asian destinations can take you from the sleek modernity of Singapore to the ancient temples of Cambodia's Angkor Wat. And then there are the beaches of Thailand: relaxing, beautiful, and for the adventurous holiday-maker, a lot more exotic than Miami. Thai beaches offer gorgeous stretches of sand, water sports, nearby outdoor activities and cheap food and drink.

Off the Andaman Sea are Phuket and Koh Phi Phi, which rose to international prominence after being featured in the Leonardo DiCaprio film The Beach. But there are also the renowned beaches along the Gulf of Thailand - Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. Each of these has its own charms and attractions, and regular boat services make it easy to travel to them. All three also have fantastic party scenes.

KOH SAMUI

This is the main transport centre for the islands, with a fancy airport. While the island boasts gorgeous beaches all over its coasts, head to Chaweng Beach for a proper holiday vibe. The beach is dotted with hotels for all budgets, open-air massage parlours, and vendors peddling everything from corns on the cob and pineapple to beachwear and decorative wooden keepsakes.

That's by day. By night, the main drag, a block away from the beach, buzzes with thumping music and busy restaurants. The laid-back daytime schedule means the venues don't become crowded until about 10pm or 11pm; in the interim, for penny-pinching students, head to Walking Street for cheap bottles of Chang beer, barbecued crocodile or fruit shakes, affordable swimwear and sarongs, and people-watching. Places like Ark Bar on the beach keep the party going until the early hours, with DJs and fire displays.

KOH PHANGAN

This island is home to the legendary Full Moon Party, but locals have realised the potential of such events and every few metres you'll find a sign advertising a Black Moon Party, a Waterfall Party or some other kind of party. Participants at these beach raves adorn themselves with neon body paint, then dance until they drop as the gentle, cerulean waters lap the shore. The Full Moon Party, especially, is notorious for drugs, but you'll see signs as soon as you disembark at the ferry port warning that marijuana and mushrooms are illegal. Be aware that travellers have ended up in Thai jails for violating drug laws.

Sunrise Beach is the cove where the Full Moon event takes place, but it is quiet and stunning during the day. There is a rickety path of wooden slats to a viewpoint restaurant, and the whole area gives off an end-of-the-world paradise impression.

There are eco-tours available that include elephant trekking (this is often only about 10 minutes atop an elephant), waterfall hiking and visits to temples or scenic beaches such as Bottle Beach and Koh Ma, a deserted island connected to Koh Phangan by a sandbar.

KOH TAO

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Thai beaches offer mix of fun, relaxation

Anti-oil protests at South Island beaches

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Anti-oil protest have been held around South Island beaches as US oil company Anadarko continues its exploration of New Zealand waters.

Greenpeace says there were more than 2000 people at 20 beaches on the Mainland on Saturday, with the biggest crowds in Dunedin, Christchurch and Kaikoura.

The numbers showed New Zealanders did not want deep sea drilling off the coast, said Greenpeace energy campaigner Steve Abel.

"We don't want to see dozens of oil rigs dotted off our coastlines - that is the awful vision of John Key and Anadarko. We want jobs for New Zealanders that don't ruin our fishing grounds or risk oil washing on our beaches."

Anadarko's chartered ship the Noble Bob Douglas is now exploring the Canterbury Basin after failing to find oil off the west coast of the North Island.

It says it will most likely find natural gas in the Canterbury Basin, rather than oil.

The Petroleum Exploration and Production Association says finding commercial quantities of oil and natural gas is not easy, but drilling can be done safely in deep water.

In November last year, six boats protested against the Noble Bob Douglas off the Waikato coast. A subsequent Greenpeace legal challenge to the exploration permit failed.

Anti-oil protesters are again planning a sea-going protest off the Otago coast.

They say deep sea drilling for oil and gas is extremely risky for the environment and question the safety record of Anadarko, which was one of the companies behind the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

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Anti-oil protests at South Island beaches

Iris Rainer Dart on Beaches at Signature

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Beaches is what Iris Rainer Dart is best known for, and if its all she ever did, her career would have reached an enviable high tide.

The 1985 novel followed an urchin showgirl and an aristocratic tyke, best girlfriends for life till death claims one of them too soon. The book begat the 1988 Hollywood hit with Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey, a multi-hankie picture immortalized by a modest little tune called The Wind Beneath My Wings.

Now Beaches is washing ashore again as a brand-new musical starting Tuesday at Arlingtons Signature Theatre. That might give you the impression that Dart has been a re-purposing one-hit wonder, but multi-purposing is more like it. Dart turns out to be a showbiz kid from way back a tap dancer, a sitcom writer, even an old hand at musical theater lyrics.

I have written in every format but fortune cookies, cracks Dart, whose early professional gigs were writing for Sonny and Cher.

Start with musicals, since song and dance have brought Dart to town. Dart, 69 and petite, her hair in dark bangs and her wrists adorned with bracelets, is writing the lyrics for Beaches to a new score by emerging composer David Austin. Shes also co-writing the script with Thom Thomas, based on her novel rather than the movies screenplay (by Mary Agnes Donoghue).

Only three years ago, Dart had another project on Broadway. The People in the Picture, based on Darts Jewish European forebears, starred Donna Murphy and featured music by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Mike Stoller. But its mixed reviews were part of why she wanted to premiere Beaches away from New York.

It was pretty high pressure, Dart says. She praises the low-key atmosphere at Signature, which she describes as safer I wish Id had that for the other show.

Her first musicals? Hardly. In the 1960s, Dart dashed off varsity shows at Carnegie Mellon (then the Carnegie Institute of Technology). Her composing partner was Stephen Schwartz, soon to be famous for Godspell and eventually the box-office titan of Wicked.

To hear her talk, it sounds like musicals have always been the goal. She was a child actor growing up in Pittsburgh, and as a teen she taught tap classes to help pay for her own dance lessons.

Shes turning 70 next month, so Mara Davi now playing what audiences will think of as the movies Barbara Hershey role (even though the characters name and back story are different in the book and musical than in the movie) asked what she could give the writer. Dart asked for a tap session.

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Iris Rainer Dart on Beaches at Signature

1419 – Beaches Of Cheyenne – Garth Brooks cover with guitar chords and lyrics – Video

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1419 - Beaches Of Cheyenne - Garth Brooks cover with guitar chords and lyrics
chords and lyrics for Beaches Of Cheyenne INTRO: G F C G G D C G D They packed up all his buckles Em C And shipped his saddle to his dad G Em And by the way ...

By: George Possley

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1419 - Beaches Of Cheyenne - Garth Brooks cover with guitar chords and lyrics - Video

We support permits for commercial activity at Rye beaches

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February 13, 2014 2:00 AM

Feb. 10 To the Editor:

We are writing with regard to Article 23, which will be on the ballot at the Town of Rye election on March 11. The article proposes beach activity permits for commercial activities on Rye's beaches.

We are in favor of public access to these beaches, but to ensure access, safety and enjoyment of the beaches for everyone, there has to be some town control over commercial beach activities. No controls on commercial beach usage will only increase the negative impact on everyone's safe enjoyment of the beaches. At Jenness State Beach and at Wallis Sands State Beach, the state of New Hampshire requires a special use permit for anyone seeking to use those beaches for commercial activity. If this is something that the state requires, and it has worked, why can't the town of Rye have a similar requirement?

The town of Rye, like all other towns, has an extensive list of controls for what can and cannot be done in town. There are zoning regulations, speed limits, parking restrictions, limits on the numbers of people that are permitted in public spaces, permit requirements for road and bicycle races, and even for fires on the beach. Zoning regulations, for instance, are not in place to prohibit persons from building in town; but when they do want to build, the restrictions are in place to set parameters as to what can be built in order to preserve the beauty of the town, enhance safety and not encroach on the rights of others. These other restrictions or permit requirements are not in place to prohibit the public from doing any of the above but to ensure that when they do choose to do one of these things, they must do so safely and not interfere with others.

Similar to the above examples, Article 23 would require a permit for commercial activities on Rye town beaches. Its purpose is not to prohibit all commercial activities on the beach; rather, its purpose is to ensure that when commercial activities are conducted, they will be done in a manner that does not interfere with the safe, enjoyable use of the beaches for everyone. The article only deals with commercial activity; it contains no restrictions whatsoever on the right to surf on Rye's beaches.

Proponents of Article 23, including us, are not attempting to put any commercial activities out of business. Instead, what we do advocate is for the town of Rye to have a minimum amount of control as to what commercial businesses can and cannot do on Rye's beaches. A permitting process will greatly help to ensure that the public's right to access and enjoy the beaches will not be hampered. We encourage Rye voters to vote for Article 23 on March 11.

Brenda and Frank McDermott

Rye

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We support permits for commercial activity at Rye beaches

Marvellous Mauritius

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MAURITIUS conjures up images of a tropical Indian Island with swaying coconut palms and coral-lined beaches.

While its palm-fringed beaches of white sands and turquoise waters create an idyllic representation of paradise, its not just the beaches that make the island so appealing as a holiday destination.

Dreamy resorts, a mountainous interior, adventurous activities and culturally diverse population add to the islands charm.

With direct flights from Kuala Lumpur on Air Mauritius, the island offers many relaxing opportunities for those who like to holiday in the sun.

Mauritius is surprisingly a large island of 2,040 sq km (Penang island is 295 sq km and Singapore 710 sq km).

While Mauritius is a former British colony, most people speak French as their first language although English is well understood.

This is because of its colonial history - Portugal (1507-1513), Holland (1638-1710), France (1710-1810) and England (1810-1968). While the English call the island Mauritius, the French know it as Ile Maurice.

BLISSFUL BEACHES One of the first things tourists notice when they arrive at their beachside resort is the rolling rumble of the breakers crashing on distance offshore coral reefs. Beyond the breakers the water quickly drops off into deep waters which are home to many fish.

Most of the island resorts are beachfront properties that offers everyconceivable watersport.

In addition to the regulation Hobie cats and jet skis, theres also a submarine ride or the opportunity to ride a seakart.

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Marvellous Mauritius

PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: Alysha Umphress and Mara Davi Rehearse Signature Theatre's Beaches

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PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: Alysha Umphress and Mara Davi Rehearse Signature Theatre's Beaches

By Joseph Marzullo 11 Feb 2014

Virginia's Signature Theatre will present the world premiere of Beaches, adapted from the 1985 novel by Iris Rainer Dart, beginning Feb. 18 at Signature's MAX Theatre. Mara Davi and Alysha Umphress will co-star in the roles originated on screen by Barbara Hershey and Bette Midler.

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Directed by Signature artistic director Eric Schaeffer (Follies, Million Dollar Quartet), the musical chronicling a decades-long friendship between two women will star Davi (A Chorus Line, The Drowsy Chaperone) as Bertie and Umphress (American Idiot, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever) as Cee Cee Bloom.

Performances will continue through March 23.

Based on the 1985 novel by Dart (later adapted into the 1988 movie with Midler and Hershey), the musical features a book Dart and Thom Thomas, lyrics by Dart and music by David Austin.

Beaches, according to Signature, "follows two extraordinary friends through 30 years of camaraderie, laughter and sorrow. Vivacious, outlandish Cee Cee and beautiful, privileged Bertie meet as children and become fast friends. From pen-pals to roommates to romantic rivals, Cee Cee and Bertie's oil-and-water friendship perseveres through even the most tragic trials. With a touching vulnerability, Beaches exemplifies the triumph of the human spirit and the bonds of sisterhood."

"We've assembled an amazing cast along with a terrific creative team to bring this special story to life," said Schaeffer in statement. "Iris, Thom and David have created a magical world of memories and friendship in this heartfelt story for the stage in a very original way."

Joining Davi and Umphress are Clifton Samuels (Follies) as Michael Barron, Matthew Scott (Sondheim on Sondheim, Jersey Boys) as John Perry, Donna Migliaccio (Ragtime) as Leona Bloom, Helen Hedman (Signature's My Fair Lady) as Rose White, Brooklyn Shuck (Annie) as Young Bertie, Presley Ryan (NBC's "The Sound of Music") as Young Cee Cee, Maya Brettell (Studio Theatre's The Big Meal) as Teen Bertie, Gracie Jones (Olney Theatre Center's Spring Awakening) as Teen Cee Cee.

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PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: Alysha Umphress and Mara Davi Rehearse Signature Theatre's Beaches

Sanya orders ban on naked beachgoers

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Wang Qian anf Huang Yiming

China Daily

Publication Date : 11-02-2014

Nude sunbathing and swimming are forbidden on public beaches in Sanya in the southernmost Hainan province, the citys mayor said.

"Police officers will patrol the public beaches, telling people to wear bathing suits, and can detain those who refuse to do so," said Wang Yong, Sanya mayor, during the ongoing annual session of the provincial peoples congress on Sunday.

Wang said nude swimming and sunbathing are uncivilised behaviour and may disturb other beachgoers.

According to a notice released by Sanya police, people who insist on swimming or sunbathing naked will be detained for five to 10 days. Since Thursday, police have posted notices to this effect throughout the popular resort destination, also known as "Chinas Hawaii".

Police said surveillance cameras would also be installed on beaches.

Luo Baoming, Party chief of Hainan province, criticised the behaviour as uncivilised and "against Chinese traditions and culture".

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Sanya orders ban on naked beachgoers


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