Jalan Jaksa in central Jakarta is a historic street that housed students of the Jakarta Law Academy during Dutch times. In the late 1960s the street developed in quite another direction when it became famous among international backpackers and the first budget hotel in the country was established there. With the addition of several more hostels and cheap hotels it became the central point from which backpackers took off to other destinations in the country. In the mid 1990s a street festival was started to popularize the area further and to celebrate the culture of the Betawi people who are indigenous residents of Jakarta. The 400 meter road now has 27 budget hotels and hostels and hundreds of rooms rented by local residents, restaurants, money …

Vietnam is a country which has a vibrant culture and a combination of very friendly and hospitable people. The amount of places and festivals with a cultural value are wide and varied. One of the major festivals celebrated in the country is the Mid Autumn Festival. This festival is celebrated by both Chinese and Vietnamese people, but the celebrations are not exactly similar in both cultures. Normally the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar is the day that the celebration takes part. This is grandly celebrated in Vietnam by families as a tradition. Folklore from Vietnam mentions that the adults in the community were very busy with the harvesting process and the children had to play alone. So to make up …

An administrative district of the People’s Republic of China, the global business hub of Hong Kong celebrates the onset of summer in a sizzling fashion. An annually held event, the 2012 production saw the celebrations take on even greater spirits with shopping promotions, live music and all in all, a truly fun weekend. Last year, visitors to the Summer Spectacular were treated to a shopping extravaganza like no other with beautiful clothing items being sold at amazingly low prices. To add to the frenzy, a Visa sponsored draw was made with the winner receiving a stunning HK$200,000 and spending credit were given to ten additional shoppers. As if this wasn’t a good enough reason to embark on a great shopping expedition, Visa also rewarded their …

Of all the seasons, autumn is one of the most magical given its resounding colour schemes and crisp weather in many parts of the world. In New Zealand, Arrowtown was once a gold mining town that emerged in 1862. The miners and settlers who arrived in the town from all across the world planted many deciduous trees of European origin, resulting in the fact that every year around April the leaves of these trees burst into riotous red and gold hues, which in turn sets the entire surrounding scenery on “fire”! This change of scenery and colour is greeted and celebrated with much pomp and pageant by the residents of Arrowtown each year, for the past 28 years since the inception of the Arrowtown Autumn …

Eaton Smart, New Delhi Airport Transit Hotel is one of the Hotels in New Delhi Airport offering comfort and relaxation to all transit passengers. This New Delhi Airport Hotel is set up in a way that passengers feel refreshed after an exhilarating journey, and makes it easier for them to continue their journey. If you’re dropping by in India during the months of February and March, a must see festival is the Holi festival. This is one of the biggest celebrated festivals in the country. Main purpose of this festival is to celebrate spring. The spirit of celebrating the festival remains the same within all ages throughout the country. The entire environment changes with festivity during this season. Loads of different food is cooked for the family members as …

Ever since its commencement in 2001, the enthralling King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament in Thailand has acquired a reputation as a unique and highly entertaining sporting event. Visitors from across the globe visit the country to observe this amazing display of common endeavour from human and elephant. The proceeds of the tournament are donated to charity, primarily for the overall benefit of elephants in Thailand. As one might expect in an event organized for this objective, the welfare of the elephants who take part is considered to be of paramount importance. Stringent guidelines have been implemented to ensure that the pachyderms are humanely treated at all times. This can be achieved effectively as Thailand uses a sophisticated system of micro-chipping all legitimate domesticated pachyderms, so …