Songkran - The Water Festival

So hot and humid in the mid April, what else would you be doing in Thailand to keep yourself fresh and cool. No problem, as virtually wherever you are the Water Festival is the answer. With the temperature potentially rising up to 40 degree centigrade and with presumably ample amount of fresh water despite the dry season, water plays a big, central role throughout the country -- Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pattaya, Phuket, you name it! Starting already from as early as the beginning of the month, people in provincial towns throw water to passerby on major streets. But, the real festivities are on April 13th - 15th when the Thai people travel purposefully to see their families. The Water Festival is also considered the traditional Thai New Year with its legacy dated back to more than 10 centuries. The Thai New Year had been practically used as the start of the year in Thailand until 1940, when it adopted the solar calendar system. Traditionally, this festival teaches people to respect the elderly by paying a visit, to express gratitude to those having fostered them, to make boon (according to the Buddhism's doctrine), and in short just to be with the family. I personally find this well compares with Christmas in the West, though the climate differs greatly. So, we throw water to other people out off the bowl, splash off the bucket, squirt off the hose, yet most mobile, shoot off the water pistol; and thereby, cool ourselves down.

The Water Festival is just so much fun, so much water, so much wet, and so much cooling you down as you would like to expect!

Now, let's take a glimpse of the Water Festival "Songkran" at this official invitation footage 2006:



Contrast to to the Thai traditions, see how Westerners and also some Thais enjoy water fighting. Here is a clip from Koh Samui:



Sincerely,
Boone (http://smilingland.blogspot.com)

Chiang Mai Night Safari

A safari is an expedition to observe or hunt animals in their natural habitat, which usually refers to the dark continent. Chiang Mai Night Safari is however not a place to hunt beasts right in their natural home; but it is a place to observe, study and learn to love wild lives in imitated jungle environments which somehow blends very well to the hosting hilly landscape of Chiang Mai. This night safari is claimed to be the largest and the third of its kind with more than one thousand nocturnal animals.

These night-owl animals are living, eating and reproducing in their closest natural environment. The whole extensive foothill area is spreading along Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, covering 3 districts of the province of Chiang Mai. It is a real big piece of Chaing Mai's land, and it has a lot to offer. There are three main routes: Jaguar Trail, Predator Prowl and Savanna Safari. The ticket price is only 500 Baht (or roughly 10 EURO) for all thrilling and awesome routes and yet more. Right behind the main entrance stands the majestic view with the thumping surround sound of the gigantic fountain laser performance. This is so beautiful and attractive that I spent an hour to see it three times. Make sure that you arrive just after dusk (around 6-7pm and a bit earlier during the winter time) to make the most of Chiang Mai Night Safari.

Sincerely,
Boone (http://smilingland.blogspot.com)

Royal Flora in Chiang Mai

In a perfectly similar sense for Phuket, the northern province of Chiang Mai also has a nickname - "The Rose of the North". Some tourists give it an even broader credit as the Rose of the Southeast Asia, in particular, after the biggest exhibition it ever hosted. Not only biggest in Thailand, the Royal Flora is reportedly the largest plant exposition in Southeast Asia. To add to this magnitude it is also the largest international horticultural exposition as well. It was just so big that no-one would ever have seen every spot in fine detail. This might be one of the reasons why the event had been planned for 92 days. To show the scale in short, it requires 80 hectares (almost a square kilometer) of overall space with more than 7 kilometers of strolling path, swirling around 30 international gardens and 80 domestic gardens. These one-hundred-and-ten gardens take up only less than a third of the area. More than two million visitors have come to witness this, to witness how faithful the Thais love their King. This event was organized by Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives Department of Agriculture Horticultural Science Society of Thailand in respect and honor of His Majesty the King. The main aim was to highlight HM invaluable contributions to Thai agriculture that have helped advance technologies, increased the agricultural productivity, and shaped the way of life of the people in this country at large.

Though the event is over, many still remember and smile at what they have experienced. Thanks to YouTube, here is a nice video clip of the exposition.



Sincerely,
Boone (http://smilingland.blogspot.com)