The enthusiastically celebrated Cheung Chau Bun Festival is one of Hong Kong’s most joyously celebrated festivals. As its name indicates the event is centred in the island of Cheung Chau and many people of the island who work elsewhere return to the island for this celebration. The origin of this occasion is rooted in Taoist tradition and it is considered to be one of the customary Taoist Da Jiu celebrations. The Bun Festival draws many thousands of tourists from local areas as well as overseas to the island. The event is dated according to the traditional Chinese calendar and usually falls in the early part of May. This date coincides with the celebrations for the birthday of the Buddha. The Bun Festival originated as a …

Barong Dance is the most popular of all the Balinese Dances. It depicts the typical traditional dance form; where a story -typically a myth or legend- is narrated through a series of choreographed movements and expressions. Indonesian myth and legends have links to the religion that precedes the island; Hinduism. Their tales are so powerful that when emulated in the form of dance it becomes almost hypnotizing. The Barong Dance is one such performance; powerful and intense this dance is the very epitome of the battle between the good and the evil. The Barong Dance is purely classical and is comprised of a series of traditional moves. The tale narrated through this dance is actually a very interesting one. The dance begins with the beast …

Celebrating the birth, enlightenment and the death of Lord Buddha, Vesak is a veritable celebration of light. Celebrated by Buddhists all over the world, Sri Lanka cloaks itself in bright lights, lanterns and much festivity during this time of the year, enveloping the whole of the country in a sense of joyful celebration. There are many Sri Lanka hotels which offer guests accommodation during this time amongst which Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara offrs the additional advantage of treatments of Ayurveda Sri Lanka is quite famous for. Vesak in Sri Lanka falls on a full moon poya day in the month of May and is celebrated for a period of two weeks. During this time, entire families get together to make colourful lanterns and gigantic pandols decorated with multicoloured lights …

Scheduled to be held over three days, from 5th to 8th May 2014, the annual Arabian Travel Market or ATM is the premier travel & tourism event that assists travel and tourism professionals to gain access to the inbound and outbound travel market in the Middle East region. The trade show is one of the biggest travel events in the world. The Dubai International and Convention Centre will play host to more than 16,000 participants and showcase more than 2,000 products from over 70 exhibitors related to the travel and tourism industry in 23,500 sq metres of space. New products relating to the industry have been successfully launched at previous events therefore there is reason to believe several new products will be released this time …

Paying tribute to a millennial tradition, the Lotus Lantern Festival held with the aim of paying tribute to Buddha’s coming into the world, is a grand and vibrant event celebrated over a period of 3 days. It would be a good idea to seek out an appropriate Seoul apartment to fully soak in the activity during this period. Somerset Palace Seoul is a recommended Somerset Palace Seoul offers comfortable Seoul serviced apartments that would prove to be ideal for the purpose. According to Buddhist beliefs, lanterns, more importantly light signifies wisdom. Therefore, the lantern festival is held in respect for the Lord Buddha, who brought immense wisdom and enlightenment to his followers. Bringing throngs of foreign and local tourists together, Seoul sees hundreds and thousands of magnificent lotus lanterns …

The vibrant metropolis of Bangkok is a hotbed of culture, leisure, commercial aspects and colourful festivals. If in search of Sukhumvit accommodation, a preferable choice is Anantara Baan Rajprasong Bangkok which offers a selection of elegant Bangkok serviced apartments. Every year, a wide range of unique art installations, sumptuous food festivals, colourful temple fairs, spectacular stage productions and fabulous sales take place in the city, catering to the whims and fancies of locals and visitors. Apart from the Chinese New Year, Loy Krathong and Songkran, there are numerous other fantastic annual events including Bangkok International Jazz Festival, Royal Ploughing Ceremony and Moon Festival noted for their fascinating cultural aspects.   Thanuja Silva is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Auburn Silver. She has a …