Thailand, a land of rich traditions and vibrant culture, hosts a plethora of festivals throughout the year, each offering a unique blend of spirituality, colour, and joy. Dive into the heart of Thai celebrations with these unmissable festivals that showcase the country’s cultural diversity: Loy Krathong | img via flickr 1. Songkran: Thai New Year Water Festival When: April 13-15 Where: Nationwide Highlights: Experience the world’s largest water fight as Thais and visitors alike come together to celebrate the traditional Thai New Year. Water splashing symbolizes purification and cleansing for the year ahead. You can witness this from anywhere including serviced apartments Bangkok such as Chatrium Residence Riverside Bangkok. 2. Loy Krathong: Festival of Lights When: November (date varies) Where: Nationwide, with grand celebrations in Chiang Mai …

Celebrating the love of reading and storytelling, the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival is the largest literary event in Southeast Asia. Hosting over 150 writers, the festival pays homage to the Balinese Hindu Godess of learning Saraswati and is therefore a culturally significant event that is held every year. In the past, the festival has boasted award winning authors such as the 2003 Pulitzer Prize winner Jeffrey Eugenides (author of the world renowned book the Virgin Suicides) and prolific journalists such as John Pilger. This year featuring acclaimed writers such as Amitav Ghosh, Sjón and a line of popular Australian writers the festival is as invigorating as ever! Keen Literary fans and book lovers searching for a luxury retreat, Bali offers Uma by COMO Ubud that is located …

The capital of Japan, and the largest metropolitan city in the world, is the bustling and energetic city of Tokyo. Considered to be the most populous city in the whole world, Tokyo provides a fusion of rich oriental tradition with modern day chic design and lifestyle. One of the most iconic and culturally significant landmarks of Tokyo is the Kabuki-za Theatre. Know as the principal theatre which showcased Japan’s unique ‘Kabuki’ genre of theatre, this landmark is a symbol of Japan’s cultural heritage and prowess is the visual arts, and thus is well worth a visit by any lover of the arts, or anyone who visits Tokyo to experience its rich traditions and customs. Originally built in 1889 by Fukuchi Gen’ichirō, the Kabuki-za Theatre is …

For all you bookworms out there, there’s no better event to mark down on your diary than the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2014. Tipped as one of the grandest festivals in the region, this spectacle can be accessed by choosing the comfort of an Abu Dhabi city hotel such as Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi. Ranked amongst some of the finest Abu Dhabi hotels in the area, this property could be considered when one is planning to holiday in this part of the world. Held with an objective to promote reading in Abu Dhabi, this book festival has been rated as the fastest growing event of its kind in the Middle East and Africa linking the Arab world with the global publishing community. Many literary works covering a range …