A country full of vibrancy, constant movement and development – Vietnam is guaranteed to be a unique cultural experience like no other. With streets full of motorbikes transporting huge televisions and refrigerators wrapped onto them with string, there is always something unusual to witness in this fascinating Southeast Asian city. One event in particular that will fascinate and thoroughly entertain all visitors is the Vietnamese Kiep Bac Festival. This festival is essentially a pilgrimage to the Kiep Bac Temple, which honours the saint Tran Hung Dao and has been carried out for centuries. An old Vietnamese custom, this festival occurs on the 20th day of the 8th lunar month and interestingly displays a revival of a famed battle on Luc Dau River consisting of a …

The colourful celebration of Deepavali is one of the most significant festivals for Hindu communities around the world. The Hindu faithful form a significant proportion of the residents of Singapore and are concentrated in the neighbourhood of Little India. Deepavali or the Festival of Lights as the occasion is also known occurs in the latter part of the year and is much looked forward to. The festival celebrates good overcoming evil and the victory of light over darkness. There are many legends associated with this occasion. The story goes that there was once a tyrannical ruler called Narakasura who oppressed his subjects. The people appealed to Lord Krishna for help and the deity duly vanquished and killed the tyrant. To welcome the victorious Lord Krishna …

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. …

Observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, the Vinayak Chathurthi festival usually falls between 19 August and 20 September lasting for a period of 10-12 days ending on Anant Chaturdashi. Book a Pondicherry hotel during the festival to take part in all the activity and Hotel Atithi is known to offer comfortable Pondicherry accommodation allowing you to participate the festivities with peace of mind. It is said that this is the day that Shiva declared his son Ganesha as superior to all the gods and it is believed that on this day, Ganesha bestows his presence on earth for his devotees on this day. Hindus prepare for this festival several months before hand by creating clay statues of the Ganesha which are then installed in houses and public places in pandals. …