The vegetarian festival in Thailand held in the month of October is an event of spirituality together with astounding religious acts that are carried out as devotions to the gods for obtaining blessings. The festival which has its origin from the Chinese immigrants who visited Thailand some time back, has today developed into a fully fledged ceremony with street shows of people in trances as well as religious rituals performed in the temples, in exclusive culinary preparations and people observing certain precepts in view of the event. Spanning over a nine day period in the ninth month of the Chinese calendar, the festival is the result of the belief that the Chinese immigrants who fell ill with Malaria, recovered due to a religious ritual they …

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej very much loved by the good people of Thailand is considered as the Father of the Thai Nation. It is on his birthday, 5th of December that is celebrated as a public holiday commonly referred to as the Nation’s Father’s Day. There are many Bangkok serviced apartments from where one could observe this national holiday but choose a comfortable serviced apartment in Bangkok such as the exclusive Ascott Sathorn Bangkok to ensure a comfortable stay. On this day of many celebrations which is also considered as Thailand’s National Day, households, private and public companies, streets and monuments are decorated with lights in true festive spirits. Sometimes also fondly referred to as  Pho Lhuang – Royal Father,  His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej will make a …

With endless street entertainment, music, fun and fancy dress parades the Halloween festival in Sheffield is happening back again. It is the time when days get shorter and nights get longer. According to locals this extravaganza, is Britain’s top Halloween carnival, drawing over thousands of locals as well as tourists to Sheffield city center. If you are heading over to England this season the Halloween festival in Sheffield is worth experiencing. This colourful celebration is always staged on a Sunday before Halloween. And this year it will be held on the 27th of October. Last year Halloween festival that took place in Sheffield was a big success. It included many fun and exciting attractions like fancy dress catwalk, urban dances, uncle fester on his moving …

Scheduled to take place between the 11st to the 3rd of November 2013 at the Energy Events centre in Tauranga New Zealand, the Rotorua Home and Garden Show is an event you should not miss if you want a new look to your home. A hotel in Rotorua will provide accommodation facilities from where you can head off to this fascinating event. The Millennium Hotel Rotorua which is a famed Rotorua hotel would be your ideal companion for a visit to the Garden Show. The show will see industry experts engaged in seminars where you will be educated on the perfect products and services to purchase while offering inspiring ideas for your home and garden. A range of garden displays coupled with delicious eatables will be on offer. Visitors …

Bali might not be the first venue that comes to mind when you think of Halloween as the township is one associated mostly with fine beaches, exquisite multinational cuisine, romance and hospitable treatment no matter where you come from. However, Bali has its own version of Halloween which is known as ‘Nyepi’, which is celebrated by the Hindus in Bali before their New Year. For Nyepi the Hindu communities get on to the streets and make different chanting like sounds, apparently with the intention of warding off evil spirits prior to ushering in the New Year. They then lock themselves indoors the following day for fear of beckoning the spirits back. Halloween is seen to be celebrated in true traditional form only by the expatriate …

Eastern Asia is one part of the world etched with rich culture and tradition. From festivities to rituals to food, each occasion, activity and cuisine is both colorful, interesting and has a symbolic history behind. Visitors to countries like Thailand never fail to be awed by the meticulous detail and fascinating stories that govern each event in the country. It is no different for the famous Hungry Ghost Festival whose name in itself is quite the crowd puller. The ‘Hungry Ghost’ festival is one interesting event that makes its way into the calendars of the Thai’s Singaporeans and the Chinese. The Chinese pay great importance to the satisfaction of their dead ancestors. They believe that their good fortune in this life rests on this deed. …