Celebrating its 63rd edition in September 28, 2013, everything is set and ready for the Miss World 2013. Widely known as the world’s biggest beauty contest, the Miss World title is considered as the highest recognition which could be received by a beauty contestant. Together with other competitive events including Miss Universe and Miss Earth, this beauty pageant is known as the most publicized beauty contest in the world. Originated by Eric Morley in 1951, Miss World pageant is the oldest existing competition we get to witness in present day. Surrounded by breathtaking landscape and magical natural scenery, the Sentul International Convention Centre, on the outskirts of Jakarta is the perfect location for this international event. Playing host to some of the prime international events …

Phuket is known for its heavenly beaches and is a much loved tourist destination. However, few people realise that Phuket is actually a highly spiritual place. Although not very big in size, the Thai island is home to a fair number of temples and there is always some type of function going on. Travellers who are interested in learning more about foreign customs and cultures can do so by participating in the local celebrations. There are several interesting options depending on the time of the year. Those visiting between August and September may get a chance to take part in the Por Tor Festival. The Por Tor Festival, more popularly known as the ‘Hungry Ghost Festival’, is a Chinese festival that falls on the seventh …

China is a country that has so much cultural and ethnicity in everything that surrounds it. At almost any time of the year you can see some sort of cultural celebration that is happening there. China, the most populated country in the world, sets aside a fine set of tourist attractions each and every year. Some of their very unique festivals are the DuanWu Festival, which is a series of dragon boat races and where a traditional dish, Zongi is served; also the End of the Earth Moon Happy Festival which is an event that has folk singing, folk dancing and a host of other competitions. A truly unique event that China hosts is the Longevity Culture Festival in the region of Sanya. The event …

An eminent scholar, nationalist, philosopher, freedom fighter, yogi, guru and poet, Sri Aurobindo is a much celebrated character in India. His birth anniversary which falls on the 15th of August sees quite a lot of festivity, pomp and fanfare all over in India, particularly in Calcutta and Pondicherry where he had spent a significant amount of his lifetime. Pondicherry accommodation is not difficult to find if intending to participate in these celebrations as Hotel Atithi is a Pondicherry hotel known to offer the most comfortable abodes in town. There are many events taking place on the day of his birth, particularly at the famous Aurobindo ashram located in the area. This is a favourite spot among Sri Aurobindo devotees who make it a point to celebrate his birthday with much pride …

Thousands flock to Thailand every year enticed by its exciting shopping, cultural diversity and of course, its iconic islands such as Phuket. Phuket’s location at the tip of Thailand provides it with an amazing and unobstructed ocean view which coupled with a tropical monsoon climate makes it a tourist paradise. However, natural beauty is not all that this island paradise has to offer as it provides insight to the history and culture of ancient Siam through many cultural performances, one such being the Siam Niramit. The Siam Niramit is a performance that fuses the cultural heritage of the country with the artistic ability of the people which culminates in a show like no other. Performed by over 100 persons, the recital is composed of three …

The annual Miss World Pageant takes centre stage this September with pomp and splendour as contestants from eighty one nations are expected to flock to Indonesia where one of them will be crowned “Miss World 2013”. While the history of the competition can be traced back to 1951 where the first pageant was conducted as part of the Festival of Berlin, now, over half a century later, the pageant still continues to attract contestants from all parts of the world. As a result, the 2013 edition will witness delegates from states such as Brunei, Guinea, Uzbekistan and even Kosovo. It is also the first time Indonesia will host the pageant and it is also the first time a Southeast Asian nation has been selected to …