Songkran – April 13 – 15 – Chiang Mai

I hailed a tuk tuk to take me from Chiang Mai airport to my hotel.  The three-wheeled taxi raced through a labyrinth of side streets, all vacant.  This was not my usual first encounter with a Thai city, where every street, alley and sidewalk is bustling with fiery woks, tantalizing textiles and a Thai woman yelling at her Thai man.  Then I caught a glimpse, through the rearview mirror, of the tuk tuk driver smiling at me.  “Songkran,” yelled a young Thai boy, and in an instant I was assaulted by a bucket full of ice cold water, a welcome relief from the oppressive summer heat.  I had reached the periphery of the Old City, a square kilometer area surrounded by a moat and ancient fortified walls.

I was suddenly engulfed in tens of thousands of Thai and foreign revelers, at once the largest water gun fight on earth and a spiritual time of cleansing before the New Year begins.  Celebrating Songkran in Chiang Mai is why we travel.  It is everything we expect when we recline in our office chairs and dream of escape – welcoming locals, exotic locales, delicious food and a festival beyond belief.

Songkran, which means “when the sun enters the sign of Aires or the Ram”, allows us to experience New Year’s in a new way.  While we make resolutions, the Thais douse each other with bucket after bucket of water. Many also visit temples, cleanse Buddhist images in water, and give food to monks.

The holiday is celebrated all over the country, from the Southern islands to Bangkok to Chiang Rai in the North, but Chiang Mai remains the best place to celebrate the Thai New Year, and cleanse your soul.

Suggested Itinerary:  Bangkok and Chiang Mai

Loy Krathong – Nov. 28 – Bangkok

As the sun sets on Bangkok’s skyscrapers and temples, a new light emerges during Loy Krathong.  Thousands of lotus wreaths light the river and countless sky lanterns, called Kongming, blot out the sky.  Loy Krathong is a festival of lights.

The Loy Kratong ritual is a simple one. Light the joss sticks and candles on the wreath, make a wish, and let it float off into the river.  Many Thais also release small fish into the river to secure their wishes for the upcoming year. It is tradition that your wishes only benefit others.

The festival, one of the best for romantics, is accompanied by parades and live music.  Although the festival is celebrated all over the country, Bangkok’s Chao Phyra River offers one of the most scenic settings.

Suggested Itinerary: Bangkok with Kanchanaburi and Krabi

Bon Om Thook – Oct. 30 – Nov. 1  – Phonm Penh

Occurring on the full moon of the Buddhist month of Kadeuk, when the Tonle Sap River reverses flow, Bon Om Thook is an out-of-this-world festival. Millions of Cambodians and tourists descend on Phnom Penh and Lake Tonle Sap for the three-day festival.

The festival dates back to the Angkorian King Jayavarman VII as a celebration to begin the fishing season.  Today, Bon Om Thook is a must-see experience. Evening boat parades, dragon boat races, traditional dance, food and music are all part of fun.

Suggested Itinerary: Siem Reap and Phnom Penh

Chinese New Year – Jan. 23(year of the Dragon) – Vietnam & Singapore

Enter the Dragon.  As the year of the Rabbit comes to a close, Chinese, and many others, will celebrate the New Year on Jan. 22nd and 23. Originally tied to the lunar-solar Chinese calendar, the holiday was a time to honor household and heavenly deities as well as ancestors. Those born during the Dragon are said to be brave, passionate and innovative, like Salvador Dali and John Lennon.

Chinese New Year is celebrated with decorations, family reunion dinners, fireworks, traditional shows and all-night card games.  Two of the best places in South-East Asia to experience the Dragon are Vietnam and Singapore due to their large Chinese population.

Suggested Itinerary:  Singapore with Kuala Lumpur and Batang Ai with Kuching or  Hanoi and Halong Bay with Central Vietnam and Saigon 

Tags: