Celebrating the birth, death and the attainment of enlightenment of Lord Buddha, the Vesak Festival is of utmost importance to Buddhists all across the globe. Observe the many festivities that take place on during the season while lodging at one of the Sri Lanka hotels such as Heritance Ahungalla known to be one of the most sought after Sri Lanka beach hotels ideal for a holiday in this exotic location. Falling on a full moon poya day, typically on the 5th or 6th luna month, this festival of light blows full blast upon the island as glittering lights wink along the roadways and multicoloured lanterns gleam, gently swaying in the breeze. A common sight during this time are gigantic Vesak pandols depicting stories from Jataaka stories colourfully illustrated and …

Mad about fashion? Can’t stop shopping at big labels in the industry? Well then Hong Kong is calling! The Hong Kong Fashion week for spring and summer 2013 will be held in July from the 8th to the 11th. The event will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and will feature high end fashion labels from all over the world. Buyers are offered a mind blowing shopping experience and a fantastic spread of the most talked about collections for spring and summer this year. Accessories and garments that would be the limelight in fashion industry during these seasons this year would be on grand display at the Fashion Week Hong Kong. The highlight of the gallery are the ‘Brand name Gallery’ …

As the bright blue sky fills up with a myriad of colors and shapes, a sense of joy dawns upon the entire village. Young, old, rich poor step out to their porches to witness this beauty. Cheers of competitors echo through the streets and the sense of thrill and happiness in this event is infectious. There is only one event that brings out such a lot of spirit; it is none other than the Bali Kite Festival. Every year Sanur Beach booms with life as the Kite competition takes place and every year the vigor is the same; the fun is the same and every year tourists are drawn to this little beach to bask in the spirited ambience of this festival. The kites you …

Proving an excellent opportunity for all those in denial that the mountain biking season is over, the Mophie mountain bikes is a great race to witness. The race guarantees thrills and spills to the ardent and extreme sports fans and an adrenaline pumping adventure for the participants. If you are in for some fascinating action when competitors take out some serious tyres, a killer attitude and some exciting downhill racing on mountain bikes, the Queenstown Winter Festival is the place to be this June. Part of a tradition that started back in 1975, the Queenstown Winter Festival is a hearty affair that marks the beginning of winter in great spirit. Now the festival is the southern hemisphere’s largest winter celebration with street parties, mardi gras …

All those who witness Wonder Full, the amazing light, water and sound show lighting up the skies and water around the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort in Singapore is not going to forget it ever. For 13 spellbinding minutes occurring twice daily and three times a day on Fridays and Saturdays, viewers are getting wowed by this show that has no equal. Not only is this visually beautiful, but this is the first time that lasers, video projectors and other paraphernalia has been used to tell a story so compellingly. Lighting up the 20 ha area around Marina Bay Sands with a sound, light and water show titled “Beacon across the Bay” it is a novel way of encouraging more people to visit the integrated …

The Korean cartoon and animation film industry is currently enjoying an upswing with about 120 animation studios collaborating with US and Japanese animation companies to provide input to TV shows and movies. A spate of recent animated feature films made in Korea proved to be huge family hits such as the 2011 movies “Leafie” and “A Hen into the Wild” and the more recent “The King of Pigs,” “Penguin Pororo” and “Mashimaro” helped boost Korea’s animation industry to third place in the world. The country’s first full length animated movie “Hong Gil-dong”, released in 1967, set the stage for animated movies. With the popularity at home of Korean cartoon and animated movies and with Korean animators and artists being increasingly involved in international hits, the …

Often regarded as the most colourful and grandest cultural melees in Sri Lanka the “Festival of the Tooth” is no ordinary religious procession in the island of Sri Lanka. Held annually during the months of July/August this larger than life display of performance art forms is a highlight in the country’s tourist calendar each year. Attracting visitors from around the world the Esala Perahera as it is locally known takes centre stage in the country’s hill capital Kandy and is one of the oldest cultural processions in the nation’s history. Hosting a monumental cultural display each year the Esala Perahera is a Buddhist festival at heart and commences with the Esala Full Moon Poya Day in July and culminates with the Nikini Poya Day in …

It is on the 17th of August that the Indonesians celebrate their independence day. Weeks before the actual date the preparations begin, with much fluff and fanfare. In order to take part in these joyous celebrations, seek serviced accommodation Jakarta that best fits your needs. Among the many serviced apartments Jakarta, many prefer Somerset Grand Citra Jakarta which offers comfortable accommodation for travellers of all sorts. Streets are decorated with red and white flags and banners while people flock together and engage in community games such as greased pole climbing (panjat pinang), sack race (balap karung) and cracker-eating (makan kerupuk). The spirit of nationalism permeates through the air while various TV shows and theatre plays demonstrating the struggle for independence are aired during this time. A time …

If you happen to be in New Zealand during the season of snowflakes and snowmen, this is one event to look forward to. The unique race takes place from one sand peak to another powder white mountain summit, namely the Remarkables Ski Area to the Coronet Peak in Queenstown New Zealand. The event coincides with the school holidays of the local schools, making it a popular event that kids look forward to annually. The competition includes mountain biking, running, paddling, skiing and snowboarding between the peaks. The organizers have all the gear and equipment you require, therefore you only need to sign up and be present on the day to join in the fun. Competitors can enrol individually, in pairs or in groups of five …

Kiwi art is quite unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before, and every year, local artists come together to showcase their brightest and boldest creations, hopefully for a profit or just for appreciation by peers and art admirers. Visitors to New Zealand should consider contemporary accommodation at a Luxury hotel Queenstown can offer the discerning art appreciator. One quality Queenstown hotel designed to provide modern comfort with elegant interiors is the Millennium Hotel Queenstown. The New Zealand Art Show 2013 will be celebrating ten years of spotlight kiwi art during July 26-28 so free up your calendar for a truly unique experience. The art show is the perfect venue to find original creative works by local artists who have used a wide variety of media and …