Monthly Archives: January 2019

5 Must-See Festivals in Asia

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Asia is a mixing pot of different cultures and religion, each countries have its own festivities to celebrate. Tourists are already noting these special dates because they’re including it on their itinerary. The experience of witnessing these festivities firsthand doubles the fun for every visit. Here are the 5 must-see festivals in Asia.

HOLI FESTIVAL (INDIA)
Holi Festival is, also known as, the Festival of Colors because everybody will be, literally, colorful. People throw paint, dye and colored powder in celebration of the arrival of spring and the triumph of good versus evil. Each color has its own representation with red as the primary color for it symbolizes love and fertility. Green represents spring, nature and new beginnings. Blue is a holy color because it signifies the Hindu God Krishna. Yellow is mostly from turmeric which is very abundant in the country and symbolizes knowledge, happiness and peace.

BOUN BANG FAI / ROCKET FESTIVAL (LAOS)
A three-day festivities complete with music, dancing and merry-making, but on the third day is where the climax is, because locals will showcase their homemade rockets. A healthy competition arises for whoever can fire the highest rocket up in the sky. This festival may seem too be ruckus but this actually has a spiritual connotation because the rockets are a wake-up call to the God of Rain to water down their dying crops during dry season.

NYEPI (BALI)
Unlike other festivals which is loudly celebrated with lively music and partying, Nyepi is commemorated with utmost silence. Nobody is exempted on this “Day of Silence”, even tourists are required to stay in their rooms and contemplate in silence. From 6 AM until 6 AM the next morning, everyone is obliged to reflect, meditate and fast.

LOI KRATHONG (THAILAND)
This Festival of Lights is a majestic occurrence in the Kingdom of Thailand every November. Loi means to float and Krathong is a piece of banana trunk decorated with candles, flowers, and incense. Originally, they let banana trunks float in the river but in modern days, they substitute it to bread since it is eco-friendly. They, usually, include a photo, a token or any remnant of the past which they want to forget and say goodbye to. These is done annually to, also, give thanks to the goddess of the river for their agricultural blessings.

PING XI LANTERN FESTIVAL (TAIWAN)
Thousands of magnificent paper lanterns inscribed with sincere wishes light up the sky during the Taiwanese Lantern Festival, this is ritually done in the hopes that their ancestors will read their well-wishes and, eventually, answer their prayers. This northern village in Taipei is the only place where the lantern festival is allowed because its waters and mountains provide a safety harness and prevents the lanterns to stray too far away.

Hiking With Your Kids

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There is no doubt that hiking with kids is one of the best ways to get them connected to the outdoors at a young age. Living in close proximity to the mountains has allowed the owners of a Calgary garage floor coating company to enjoy hiking with their kids at a very early age.

Although hiking with kids is never a bad thing to do, it can be a pretty tough task for many parents out there. When it comes to preserving wilderness for future generations, one of the best things that you can do is teach your kids to appreciate and enjoy nature. In order to do this, you have to keep the whole trip both easy and feature-friendly. What does this mean? This means that you need to select a hike that is not too strenuous or too hard, because for kids, hike is about the experience.

It would be great if you could find a trail that has some interesting features, such as a stream, waterfall, lake, or pretty much anything else that would keep your kids occupied and give them a goal to reach. One thing that you need to keep in the back of your mind at all times is that hike is about the journey, not the destination. With this in mind, if your kids are more interested in getting down on their hands and knees to explore an otherwise unreachable area, let them do just that, even if you had other plans in mind.

Prepare For Anything
It is safe to say that this rule applies to every kind of hike out there. Regardless of whether or not your kids are going to be involved in the experience, one thing is certain – you need to be prepared for anything and everything. If your kids are going to be involved in the experience, make sure to pack some kid-friendly items, including binoculars, tissues, cameras, and safety whistles.

Time Is Your Friend
When hiking, time is your friend, so make sure to use it wisely. Kids are natural explorers, which is one of the main reasons why they always want to touch pretty much everything. That being said, make sure to give your kids some time to explore the surrounding area. It will make the whole trip much more interesting for them.

Have Fun
The key to having a successful hike is to keep the kids motivated. Come up with a game or two that you can play with your kids without having to return to your camp. What we are trying to say here is that you need to make the trip fun for your kids – no matter how you do it!