Located just south of India is the beautiful tropical island nation of Sri Lanka. Known for its rich heritage and blissful scenic beauty, Sri Lanka is a great place to visit if you are looking for vibrant and colourful cultural experience. With its many historic landmarks, pristine beaches and coastal features, lush forests and exotic wildlife, thriving hospitality and tourism industries, and diverse society, Sri Lanka is a land that offers you a range and experiences and opportunities. Located in the southern city of Galle is the Galle Fort, one of Sri Lanka’s most famous cultural historic landmarks. Declared as a world heritage site by the UNESCO, this fortress is known for its many cultural attractions and highlights which have dazzled both locals and tourists. …

The much anticipated Vishu Festival is celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm in all sections of Kerala, an Indian state located in the southern region of the country. All over Kerala, people of all ages involve themselves in the festivities of this distinctive and elaborate festival. As the occasion is considered to feature light and sound, Keralites illuminate their homes with decorative lights and enthusiastically light bunches of firecrackers. Many interesting festivities and rituals are associated with this event. The central ritual of the festival is the time-honoured Vishukkani, which is a special arrangement of a number of auspicious items considered to symbolize prosperity. These include vegetables and fruits, rice, arecanut, leaves of betel, yellow konna flowers, a metal mirror, coins and sacred texts, which …

The remarkable Aoi Festival is a unique event conducted in the Japanese city of Kyoto. This event which falls on the 15th of May is counted amongst the three biggest festivals in this city. The festival is centred on the Kamigamo and Shimogamo shrines, both of which are involved in the activities of the festival. Officially called the Kamo Festival this distinctive event originated in the middle of the 6th century. The ruler of the time Emperor Kinmei decreed that a ceremonial celebration be held so as to placate the gods and thereby end a disastrous famine. The objective of the festival was achieved and since then this celebration has been conducted each year, becoming especially popular amongst the wider public during the Edo era. …

Rice constitutes a staple in most South Asian countries and while in nations such as Thailand, rice is only a component of a meal, in countries such as India and Sri Lanka, rice tends to be the primary focus of any meal and all other curries are considered subsidiary or complementary. Given the radical importance placed by most South Asian and South East Asian countries on this type of grain, it is no surprise that a number of traditional ceremonies conducted throughout centuries tend to focus on the ploughing season. Most such nations place a great degree of importance on celebrating the beginning of the season, the reaping of the grain and often, communities pledge the first meal made from rice, to the gods or …

Starting out in the Mickey Mouse Club as a child and moving onto the hit 90’s boy band N’Sync and thereafter releasing hit singles, Justin Timberlake has managed to rocket to fame in a short period of time for his music and lately for his acting career as well. 2013 saw the 33 year old singer/actor dominate the global charts with his bestselling album 20/20 experience and 20/20 experience 2 of 2. The du Arena at Yas Island Abu Dhabi will feature Timberlake bringing this thrilling album as part of his World Tour to an eagerly awaiting audience on the 23rd of May 2014. Timberlake last visited the UAE in 2007 as part of his Justified Tour which was staged at the Abu Dhabi Emirates …

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 …