PANAGBENGA FESTIVAL – A FLORAL CELEBRATION
Also known as the “Blooming Flower Festival” this annual flower festival is held in Baguio City, Philippines. The term “Panagbenga” is derived from the word, “Kankanaey” which means ‘season of blooming’. The festival is all about the values, history and traditions of Baguio and the Cordilleras. It lasts around a month and the highlight is the Grand Float Parade featuring marching bands and beautiful floats made of bright coloured flowers. The Panagbenga Festival is one of Baguio’s top attraction sites. The flower festival was held in the early 90s to cheer people up after a devastating earthquake. The festival witnessed floats decorated with blossoms and also lively dancers wearing colourful…
THINGYAN WATER FESTIVAL, MYANMAR
The traditional Thingyan Water Festival, also known as the Myanmar Water Festival is held in Yangon, Myanmar. The festival is celebrated by dancers in colourful costumes performing their dance moves for the crowds. The celebration takes place after a hot season, which leads to the Myanmar New Year and is the most expected celebration of the Burmese people. Besides Myanmar, the festival is also celebrated as Songkran in Thailand and also Laos, and Chaul Chnam Thmey in Cambodia. The Thingyan Water Festival is held yearly for around three to five days. The meaning of Thingyan, in Sanskrit language, means “transit of the Sun from Pisces to Aries”. The legend of…
HOI AN, VIETNAM
Located in central Vietnam, Hoi An is an ancient riverside town filled with bars and restaurants. Merchant houses line the river and lanterns are decorated in the town while beaches are located a few kilometers away. Interestingly, the main mode of transport to travel around on land is by bicycle while colourful wooden boats are available for people travelling across the river. The town is also known for its diverse and delicious food, which are a mixture of Japanese, Chinese and Portuguese cuisines. The ancient town of Hoi An is filled with many heritage buildings and sites such as the Japanese-covered bridge, wooden shop houses, French-colonial houses, Chinese temples and…
AFT Unique Asian Spas
A spa is a location where a mineral spring is used to give medicinal baths with health-giving properties. Spas are popular worldwide and it is no exception in Asia. Individual spas have their own properties and features. The highly customizable experience that can be offered and clear health benefits contribute to the high interest in spas. AFT takes a look at its list of the top ten world-class and unique spas that have captured the imagination and attention of spa-goers. Banyan Tree, Phuket, Thailand Located in Phuket is the flagship of Banyan Tree, a worldwide operator of 70 spas. Banyan Tree is a benchmark spa in Asia that has been…
Kuala Lumpur Metro Group To Build Lexis Hibiscus 2 In Port Dickson
Kuala Lumpur Metro Group, in a joint venture with Menteri Besar Incorporated (Negeri Sembilan government investment arm) recently announced the development of its latest resort, Lexis Hibiscus 2, in an official signing ceremony, witnessed by YB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Member of Parliament for Port Dickson. Scheduled to open in 2024, the 5-star luxury resort which will be situated adjacent to Lex-is Hibiscus in Port Dickson, has an estimated gross development value of RM 500 Million and will feature 760 rooms, comprising of 582 water villas and 178 sky pool villas. Just like the Lexis Hibiscus, each villa at the Lexis Hibiscus 2 will come with its own private dip…
