As Good Friday and Easter Sunday are public holidays in Indonesia, Bali simply heaves with visitors both local and foreign who come here to enjoy the extraordinary packages offered by hotels and restaurants around the island. Flights from Australia to Jakarta are full to capacity as many try to get to Bali to enjoy the festivities as much as the sun, sea and sand. Since Bali has had Christian enclaves going back several hundred years there are many Catholic, Protestant and churches of other denominations in many parts of the island. Locals and visitors alike who are desirous of beginning the day with a religious ceremony can attend services both in English and Indonesian at St Francis Xavier Church in Kuta, St Josephs in Denpasar, …

For centuries, the written word has undergone an inexplicable process of evolution, leaving great works such as the metaphysical poetry of John Donne, the innumerable sonnets of William Shakespeare, the frequently quoted work of Dante Alighieri ‘The Divine Comedy’, Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, The Iliad by Homer, the historic novels of ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ and ‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens and the literary classics of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. For the longest time, world literature remained extremely euro-centric but the 21st century has made abundant progress in this regard and recognised works by authors such as Salman Rushdie and Shyam Selvadurai, writers from the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East, and South East Asia. Given this …

For 650, 000 years, the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere remained below a comfortable three hundred parts per million yet in the last fifty years alone, this number has increased up to three hundred and eighty parts per million. Other compelling evidence which are tell-tale signs of climate change include the rise of sea levels by a stunning seventeen centimetres, a significant increase in global temperature, warming of ocean waters, ice coverage in Greenland and Antarctica reducing drastically, glacial retreats being recorded across the world etc. The globe is now experiencing extreme climatic weather patterns in the form of tropical storms, extreme rainstorms and increased rainfall while other parts of the world suffer from a drastic lack of water. Such phenomenon supported by scientific …

Organised by the National Arts Council on annual basis, the Singapore Arts Festival is definitely worth checking out for it will offer you an ideal base on which to unearth the country’s extravagant culture and customs. Sheraton Towers Singapore which is luxury hotel in Singapore will afford pleasing accommodation should you require to holiday in the country during the time of this festival. This 5 star hotel in Singapore should be thought of beforehand. Showcasing the local arts from diverse communities in the country, the festival has been successfully held since its inaugural showing in 1977. From visual arts, dance, music and theatrical acts, the Singapore arts Festival is undoubtedly the place to be at. Bringing a host of international artists to its stage, the event is one of …

The islands of Maldives are most renowned for their stunning beaches. However the country celebrates various festivals that reflect local cultural heritage. Find a centrally positioned Maldives Island resort to base yourself at in order to make the most of your visit. Kuramathi Island offers a selection of charming Maldives villas for travellers to choose from. There are various historical and religious festivals celebrated in the islands with some incorporating traditional performances. Independence Day celebrations as well as the National Day are among the main celebrations while prominent religious events include Ramadan and EIid-Ul-Adha. Be sure to experience the vibrancy of some of the local festivals during a holiday spent in this enchanting beach destination. Thanuja Silva is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Auburn Silver. …

For all Sinhalese and Hindus, April is all about festivity. From the end of March even the environment seems to feel this heart-warming change. The trees look much greener with flowers blossoming covering up every inch making it look like Mother Nature’s decorations done specially for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. To add to this beautiful site, the sound of the cuckoo bird can be heard as the background music throughout this special time. While nature gets ready to celebrate this festival in its own way, the people in Sri Lanka too start adding their contribution to enhance the excitement. Everything is done according to an auspicious time, so when the time gets closer the astrologers in the country get together to give the …