Author Archives: pushpitha

Beijing International Art Exposition – A Celebration of the Creative Spirit

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Art offers a unique insight into not only local artistic talent but a country’s cultural heritage as well and when in China’s capital the Beijing International Art Exposition lets you do just that. Art lovers in search of Beijing accommodation that give you a chance to enjoy the very best the city has to offer while visiting the art expo, can consider Ascott Beijing. This luxury apartment in Beijing can be found in the Central Business District making it ideal for those looking to mix business with pleasure.

Generally taking place at the Beijing Exhibition Centre, the Beijing International Art Exposition looks to bring together art galleries, collectors and lovers of art to share in the joy of creative expression. It is a great place to view both traditional as well as cutting edge works by well known artists from around the world. Most of all, it is an ideal place to view artworks from China which give you an opportunity to see the depth and variety that is on offer by Chinese artists, who each have their own stories to tell.

Mazayina Dhafra Camel Festival (Camel Beauty Show) – Calling all camel lovers!

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Visitors to the impressive emirate of Abu Dhabi will find a range of excellent Abu Dhabi hotels to choose from, but to truly enjoy a holiday in one of the grandest desert states, consider staying at one of many luxury hotels Abu Dhabi. One option is the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara. Its traditional Arabian setting with state-of-the-art modern conveniences make it the ideal property to enjoy the wonders of desert culture.

Set amidst the rolling sands of the Arabian Desert that birthed numerous myths, legends and occasional movie settings, Abu Dhabi is a magical emirate to venture into. In addition to hosting events such as film festivals, Abu Dhabi also hosts an event that venerates and celebrates an important aspect of desert culture: the impressive and at times irritable camel. This noble “ship of the desert” is honored in an annual festival that showcases the most “beautiful” camel, in the Mazayina Dhafra Camel Festival, otherwise known as a camel beauty show. The festival is held in Zayed City in Al Gharbia, and it provides a glimpse into traditional Arabic desert culture, as well as bridging the gap between the country’s generations. The main event is the camel beauty contest, which features the Asayel and Majahim camel breeds vying for the beauty crown. For those interested in adding one of these magnificent beings to their family, there is also a camel auction. Other notable events at the festival feature a traditional bazaar straight out of Arabian nights, a handicrafts market featuring the best of Arabic arts and a dates presentation competition that highlights the best offering of these sweet treats. To set the atmosphere, there is also folklore music that hearkens to the time of Aladdin, a poetry competition and other activities that spotlight the splendid Arabic heritage. So come and sample the best of the Arabian Desert culture at the Mazayina Dhafra Camel Festival!

Merdeka Day Parade 2013 – Long live Malaysia’s independence!

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Malaysia is a country steeped in a rich tradition and culture. Visitors to this splendid Southeast Asian nation will have no problem finding a quality Kuala Lumpur hotel to cater to their needs. A wonderful hotel in Bukit Bintang to consider is the Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur. This well-appointed property offers a range of modern amenities and its central location close to business, shopping and key cultural attractions makes it a great choice for business and leisure visits.

August 31, 1957 is the day that Malaysia gained its “merdeka”, or independence from the then-crumbling British Empire, and stood strong as an independent sovereign nation. Of the country’s vibrant Independence Day celebrations swathed in the national colours blue, yellow and red, the most iconic event is the Merdeka Day Parade. Usually held in Merdeka Square, over the years it has been hosted in other areas around the country to bring it to more parts of the country. Putrajaya, the country’s administrative centre has hosted the parade over the past few years. The parade features splendid military displays such as the march past and fly past, but its most popular attraction are all gorgeously coloured the floats, sponsored by various businesses and organisations. The floats feature a range of creative designs, and are large enough for paraders to ride. Teeming with onlookers on both sides of the road, the Merdeka Day Parade 2013 is a beautiful glimpse into Malaysia’s most historically and culturally significant event: the birth of a nation.

Festivals in Koh Phangan – Soak in Thailand’s island culture

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Take a well-deserved break on the beautiful island of Koh Phangan, nestled in the sparkling blue waters of the Gulf of Thailand, and indulge in some of the intriguing events and festivals happening throughout the year. To make the best of luxury by the sea, superb options reside in the beach resort town of Hua Hin, home to a premier range of Hua Hin Hotels. One of the finest Beach Hotels Hua Hin Thailand has to offer is the Anantara Hua Hin Thailand Resort, a perfect place to relax and unwind in the lap of luxury after fully absorbing the sights and sounds of tropical island culture. Koh Phangan, located to the South of the Thai mainland, hosts some vibrant festivals for the culture vulture. The party-heartiers better think twice about leaving before sampling the exciting half-moon festival held twice a month every month, with a decadent dish-out of pounding beats and pumping rhythms to propel the party-hoppers out of this world. A fun-soaked experience comes in the form of the Songkran Festival, the Thai New Year, which is heralded by water fights featuring super-soakers, water guns, hoses, buckets of water, basically anything that can make a splash! The water signifies the washing away of negativity and bad luck, so grab anything you can find, fill it up and get soaking! For the independent soul looking for something more “meta”, Koh Phangan is home to the Phangan Film Festival, which offers a range of interesting independent films with a focus on nature and spirituality for viewing and appreciation. Whatever one’s brand of fun, you’re sure to find something to tickle your entertainment bone in Koh Phangan.

Phuket Race Week – an exhilarating regatta filled with fun, challenges and entertainment

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The Phuket race week is an award winning regatta that welcomes an international fleet of boats and sailors to the southeast coast of Phuket. It is known to be one of the best tourist attractions in Thailand. The Phuket race week stands out not only as an excellent sailing event but it is also popular for its extravagant parties and entertainment off shore.

The Phuket race week was prestigiously awarded the best Asian regatta of the year at the Asia boating awards 2011 which recognizes the topnotch of Asia’s marine industry under twenty three categories. It is the only Regatta in Thailand to be presented with this award.

The race takes place for a period of nine days with four days of yacht racing and five days of great beachside partying. The race offers opportunity for competitive racers as well as those who are less serious about the contest and takes part for fun. The regatta offers six to seven classes of races, which includes cruising, bareboat and charter yachts. Apart from being recoginsed for its internationally accepted competition strategy, the race week is known for its legendary evening parties which participants say “keeps getting better and better each year”. The race has successfully completed a decade with a steady growth in participants to compete and attend the races. It is one of the biggest in Phuket and attracts a large gathering of tourists from around the world. In 2013 it will take place during the month of July and this year’s event will be bigger and better since it will be its 10th successful year.

Phuket is all about having a good time and enjoying the sunny beaches of Thailand and what better way to celebrate the oceanic beauty than being a part of a regatta. Holiday-goers can indulge in the most hospitable lodging, mouthwatering cuisine, entertaining nightlife and enjoy the beautiful beaches that the country is known for.

The Thanyapura hotel is an ultra modern boutique hotel in Phuket that is conveniently located with access to many of the city’s prime locations. This sports hotel Thailand would be the ideal getaway if you are attending the Phuket race week or not. It is a unique hotel that will make your holiday an unforgettable one awakening your heart, mind and body.

Witness the Ramadan Festival in Maldives

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Located within a very short distance from the Male air port is Kurumba Maldives, the first private resort among all Maldives Resorts. The beautiful and tranquil surrounding and lush greenery will relax and refresh you during your stay. The Maldivian hospitality blended with modern amenities makes this resort one of the best among all luxury hotels Maldives.

The lifestyle of the Maldivians revolves around tropical beaches and serene retreats. Apart from this during your vacation in this paradise you might come across various festivals celebrated by the locals. One of the most important festivals that you would find is the Ramadan Festival. This is celebrated during the Ninth month in the Muslim calendar. This is also known as the Rorda Mas and has a lot of religious respect. During this time the Muslims fast for a 30 day period in the daytime. The normal working hours are altered too during this season.

The Eid-al-Fitr Festival in Maldives

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The Kurumba Maldives is one of the most beautiful luxury hotels Maldives that you would come across while searching for accommodation in this amazing nation. The beautiful surrounding and the friendly staff and the modern amenities make this resort one of the best Maldives resorts.

Maldivians have a very attractive and vibrant culture. While spending your vacation in paradise experience some of the most important cultural festivals that are celebrated in high scale. The Eid-al-Fitr is a very important festival which takes place at the end of Ramadan. It normally falls on the first day of Shawwal, the month following Ramadan. All Muslims gather in the mosques to perform the Eid prayer. After that celebrations begin, where family members and friends are visited and gifts are exchanged. In Maldives a three day vacation is declared for the entire country. You will be able to witness people wearing new clothes, preparing special meals and enjoying various entertainment activities. The entire environment would be full of fun and frolic. It would be a very unique experience that you would get during this blessed time!

Witness the Buddhist festivals in Bhutan

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Festivals are a resplendent affair in the land of the Thunder Dragon with people dressed in the finest hand woven material, coral and turquoise jewels. One of the most significant festivals is the Tsechus which is held in all districts once a year on auspicious days of the Bhutanese calendar in honor of Guru Rinpoche who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th century. The dance dramas and masked dance rituals last up to as long as four days with hundreds or even thousands of Bhutanese gatherings at monasteries to watch.

Monks as well as community dancers gather to form the parade of masked dancers. The monks prepare for months in advance in deep prayer and meditation and perform special mystical dances that are believed to be inspirations of enlightened beings in history. Bhutanese believe that watching these dances are essential to gain enlightenment and try to attend at least once during their lifetime and consider it a blessing to attend. Families from all over gather at dzongs or fortresses or at monasteries donned in their best clothes and resplendent jewels with packed picnic baskets in traditional bamboo baskets to watch the festival and so is a good place to meet your family members and have a good time.

Tsechus is a traditional way of passing on the knowledge, values, spiritual beliefs and mythology through oral forms such as music and dance. On the dawn of the final day a giant silk tapestry called the thangkha painting is unfurled amid prayers and offerings. Most of these appliqué thangkhars depict one or other of an important Buddhist deity such as Guru Padmasambava. The dromchoe, a festival dedicated to protective deities are celebrated at certain monasteries such as Paro and some re-enact the war against Tibetans and archery contestants complete with victory dances and cheerleaders to support. The fire dance or Thangbi Mani is a ritual practiced in central valley to purify the soul and the Drum Dance celebrated in the Eastern hills celebrates Guru Rinpoche.

It would do well to check on the local festival dates before booking your Bhutan Hotel to include the festival during your stay, especially if staying at a Paro Hotelwhere the festival is celebrated with vigor in the city. One can watch the parade re-enacting the 17th century war against Tibet at Paro and after a busy day head back to the comfort of Uma Bhutan.

Royal Ploughing Day – A festive event in Thailand

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Thailand is a country that has a very rich culture. One of the many reasons that tourists come to this country is to experience this unique lifestyle of the Thai people. If you visit any place in the country you would definitely come across a vast number of temples and other important historical locations or culturally important sites that would awe you. The number of cultural events or festivals that a foreigner would get to experience in this beautiful country is countless. The Royal Ploughing Day is one such unique festival.

This is one of the most important royal festivals celebrated in the country during the month of May each year. The main purpose of holding this is to give an auspicious beginning to the new planting season. This had been celebrated from the ancient times in Thailand. The festival is interesting to watch and is very vibrant.

It takes place at Sanam Luang which is an open field and a public square. The “Lord of the Festival” will arrive at Sanam Luang and will be offered three choices of cloth which are cut in three different lengths. It is believed that if the “Lord of the Festival” chooses the shortest piece of cloth that there would be plenty of rain throughout the season. The longer the piece of cloth the less chance there would be rain. Following this, the Phraya Raek Na or the Lord of the Festival would plough a piece of land to begin the ploughing season.

The entire environment is filled with festivity. There is a red-and-gold consecrated plough drawn by bulls decorated with flowers, sacred women taking gold and silver baskets filled with rice seed, drummers dressed in green playing enchanting tunes and Brahmas chanting throughout the process to bless the ceremony. Rice seed, sesame seed, beans, hay, water, maize and liquor would be presented to the bulls and according to what they choose from these foods there are many beliefs on what would happen to the harvest. At the end of the festival the spectators get the opportunity to rush to the field and collect one of two sacred grains of rice for good luck. There is a special dress code for the event so make sure that you are in line with it before taking part.

Enjoy a unique time at this event and go back to your favourite Patong beach resort and relax and pamper yourself in the luxuries provided. Millennium Resort Patong Phuket is an elegant Phuket resort that you would come across while on the lookout for the perfect accommodation spot. The modern amenities and the friendly staff at this hotel would make sure that you have the perfect vacation that you planned for and the delicious range of international cuisine prepared by the experts would add more value to your stay.

Poson Festival, a significant milestone in Sri Lankan history

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mihintale

Mihintale Rock by Jolle~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The Poson Festival natively referred to as Poson Poya in Sri Lanka celebrates the introduction of Buddhism to the country during the third century BC. It is a significant historical event to the country where majority of people practices Buddhism as their religion.

The Mihintale rock plays a significant role during the Poson Festival which is held during the month of June, since it is said that it was in Mihintale where King Devanampiyatissa of Sri Lanka was converted to Buddhism by the Arahat Mahinda who came from India. With this legend Mihintale has become the main site for festive activities during Poson and many locals and foreigners visit Mihintale during this season to perform religious rites as well as for leisure.

There are many religious activities organized during the period of Poson including Sil Campaigns and Bodhi Poojas in temples in which only Buddhists participate. Dansal which are set up with the aim of giving away food and beverage to people sees the participation of all religious and ethnic groups.

Generally a Dansala is organized by a group of people or an individual and various food such as rice and curry, sandwiches, boiled chickpeas as well as tea, coffee and fruit juices are served to those who visit the Dansala free of charge as a charitable act.

There are several other rituals that come with Poson. Devotional songs are sung by Buddhists in every nook and corner while Poson Pandols which are colourfully lit illustrations from the 550 Jataka Katha or the 550 past life stories of the Lord Buddha can also be seen in plenty in every city of the country. These pandols are veritable sights glistening at night and many people from around the country come to see them in the late evening till past midnight.

Sri Lanka is a country that is rich in tradition and culture; you will find that the people are hospitable and easy to talk to. There is much to see in this beautiful island and the mouthwatering local cuisines must be tasted if you make a visit to the country.

Travelling in the country is quite safe and you will find Sri Lanka car rental services such as the Malkey rent a car that offers vehicles that are comfortable and in good condition to travel to any part of the country. You will be able to hire a vehicle for airport transfers Sri Lanka as well but make sure you go to a reliable source since you wouldn’t want to miss your flight!