Myanmar, or Burma as it is also known, is a country in Southeast Asia that has, until recently, slipped under the radar of tourism for a long time. In 2011 the borders were reopened to tourists and people are now discovering the true beauty that lay hidden behind a military dictatorship for so many years.
In November of 2014, I was lucky enough to spend my honeymoon traveling throughout this wonderful country. It wasn’t long before we fell in love with this magical place. With the golden temples, the delicious street food, and the warm and welcoming local people, Myanmar has it all!
Since 2011, tourism has been rising exponentially. In 2016, it is expected that 5 million tourists will visit Myanmar, so, if after browsing the following photos you are considering a trip, book it quickly!
Each week we will be featuring a new destination here on Backpacker Travel, in the form of a photo journal. If you are interested in contributing or have a suggestion for a particular place, please get in touch here.
It is customary for the local tribe’s women to wear brass coils around their necks. This starts from as early as five years old, adding additional rings until around twenty years old. It is seen as a sign of beauty but can be a painful process.
Moving to the Middle East gave me the opportunity to travel to so many exotic countries such as Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Palestine, Bahrain, the U.A.E., and Oman. All of these countries are wondrous and gloriously beautiful, rich in culture, history, cuisine, and mystery. But it was my trip to Iran in July 2015 that really left a deep impression on my experience in the Middle East.
What did George Bush Jr. call Iran? Ah, yes, part of the Axis of Evil alongside North Korea and Iraq. So naturally, traveling to Iran for tourism sounds like a foolish and horrible idea. So why would I want to go there?
When people think of the Middle East and other Islamic countries, let alone Iran, they automatically think about religious extremism, women in black shadowy chadors, terrorism, poverty, war, human rights abuses, and anti-western sentiments. But this idea hasn’t stopped me from traveling throughout the Middle East and it didn’t stop me from traveling to Iran as a tourist.
Although tourism has picked up over the recent years, Iranians are still not used to seeing foreign tourists. So when my tour group would pull up and strut our way into each site with our canon cameras ready to capture our memories, we were a lot like celebrity spectacles. People would stare indiscreetly. Locals walked up and stood in front of us during our conversations as if trying to understand what we were talking about.
But most intriguing to them was the lone black girl in the group. Their stares towards me weren’t just indiscreet; they were hilariously shocked like they’d never seen a black person before! Come to think of it, I may have been the first black person a lot of Iranians there have ever seen in person. The only other black person I saw while I was there was myself looking back at me in a mirror.
The point of my visit was for me to unravel the mystery of Iran. Instead, I became the mystery in Iran. Wherever I went, I had children cautiously approach me then just stand there and stare at me with a big smile, and of course, I smiled back. When I said hello, they giggled in excitement and then ran off.
There were occasionally some children who even photo-bombed my selfies, had a good laugh, then ran away again! Could they tell that I was a teacher? Locals who were also visiting tourist sites approached my tour guide and asked if they could take a picture with me. Of course, it’s strange to take a photo with a complete stranger… unless you’re a celebrity!
People went out of their way to approach me from the other side of the street just to strike up a conversation and simply asked if I was enjoying Iran. Everyone automatically thought that I was American and forced their children to speak English with me; they were proud of their children and I indulged them by speaking with them for a few minutes and answering their questions.
“Where are you from?”
“How do you like Iran?”
“Are you married?”
“Can I take your picture?”
It even got to a point where people started sneaking pictures of me from their smartphones. Like a celebrity, I felt like I had no personal space and no privacy. I couldn’t just blend in and take in the sights of Iran. I had to act accordingly because I felt like I was representing black people, if not North American foreigners.
I am sure they wondered a lot about me. Is she nice? Does she speak funny? Does she rap? I could only imagine. I just hope that they found me to be pleasant.
Like most celebrities, all that attention can get too much and on one’s nerves. I remember entering the famous Azadeh Café in Esfahan. As soon as I walked in, everyone literally froze and stared at me in shock! Playfully I yelled, “Tadaaaa!” I couldn’t help it! Why not give them a show if they were treating me like one. But no one really laughed. My attempts to lighten the atmosphere failed because I could still feel their eyes burning through me. I began to feel very self-conscious and uncomfortable. I began to imagine what they were thinking or saying about me. But, I couldn’t let my new fans know how they made me feel. So, I occasionally looked up from my travel diary and nervously smiled at anyone watching me. They smiled back.
Is Iran diverse in the same sense as Kuwait, the Middle East, and the West? Sort of….locally, yes. You can see Kurds, Turks, etc. But not in the international sense where you can see pockets of Spanish, Italian, Greek, Jamaican, and Brazilian communities. Not the sort of diversity I am used to seeing in North America. Do they love and appreciate foreigners visiting their country? Yes! Everyone who randomly approached me during my two-week visit wholeheartedly welcomed me to their country and in their words said, “…wish you to see the real Iran, not the bad Iran everyone thinks it is.”
I was a big mystery to Iranians, as Iranians were a big mystery to me. Luckily, we were all pleasantly surprised by each other. To me, the mystery of Iran was solved: Iranians are not so mysterious after all.
We put up walls of isolation. Out of isolation comes mystery. Out of mystery comes curiosity. Out of curiosity comes the truth. Well here’s the truth; Iranians are just like you and me and somewhat like the rest of us trying to live in this world.
So go to the Middle East! Go to Iran! Much of the Middle East is just as safe as the rest of the world can be.
There are places you visit in your life as a traveler that resonate particularly with you and make you say “I’ll probably go back someday”. And then there’s Kenya and its majestic Maasai Mara National Reserve. A Noah’s Ark of wildlife that brings these beautiful landscapes to life. A place you end up leaving, thinking: “How soon can I go back?”
Located in the South West of Kenya, the Maasai Mara is contiguous with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Home of the Maasai people, it is globally famous for its exceptional wildlife, and for hosting one of the most incredible natural events in the World – the Great Migration. A place where Disney found inspiration for Simba (Lion in Swahili), Pumbaa (Warthog in Swahili) and all the characters and story of the Lion King.
Every day in the Mara is like a new adventure. Inside your jeep, with no protection and no particular path to follow, you drive around this incredible place that gives you a feeling of what the Earth looked like before the human race took it over. There, lions are the kings of the land. Elephants are freely roaming and breaking trees, here and there. Giraffes are graciously eating the leaves of the tallest trees. Hippos and crocodiles share the Mara River, which twice a year about 1.5 million wildebeest and zebras have to cross during the migration.
A spectacle even better than in any of your dreams!
Zebras tend to live in small harems, and are very common in the Mara. I couldn’t resist shooting this reflection of them, drinking in a water hole.
Have you had the opportunity to make it to Africa yet? If so, we’d love to hear about your experience in the comment section below. Were you as enthralled as I was? What were your highlights and where did you go?
Last month we celebrated our four-year anniversary living in San Francisco and in that time, I have managed to explore every neighborhood in this fascinating city. It’s no secret that I have fallen in love with the art, music, food, and people, which lead me to create Boutique Traveler tours in San Francisco as a way to show travelers my adopted home.
Lately, I have been working on a new tour itinerary that will take visitors on an art discovery through the streets of the famous Mission District. The following photos were taken along Clarion Alley, one of the best places to find local street art in San Francisco.
Clarion Alley is a small street between Mission and Valencia Streets and 17th and 18th Streets, notable for the murals painted by the Clarion Alley Mural Project.
This is just a tiny sample of the multitude of street art to be found in San Francisco. While the Mission neighborhood is renowned for these murals, there are pieces to be found in every corner of the city.
Now it’s your turn – Which city have you visited that had amazing street art like this?
Almost seven million people, in seventeen days, will drink seven million liters of beer. We are talking about the world’s largest festival – funfair, volksfest, piss-up, whatever you would like to call it – held annually in Munich, Germany… and what’s it called? (everybody now) Oktoberfest!
The sheer size and scale of such an event is unfathomable and must be seen and experienced for one to truly comprehend its grandiose. Various brewing families from within the city limits of Munich (that conform to the German beer purity law) serve their first-class beers in uniquely themed and decorated halls. There are fourteen large and twenty-one small beer halls, so you will always find somewhere to wet your whistle – and we are not talking a couple of blue tarp gazeboes strung up to shelter overturned milk crates, we are talking gigantic, warehouse-like venues – the largest holding up to ten thousand drunken humans!
The beer worshipping festival began in 1810 as a result of a royal wedding and continues to be held from late September to early October every year. People from all over the world join the Bavarians in their celebrations by donning dirndls and lederhosen, drinking liters of amber gold, singing German ballads and yelling “Prost!” before every sip.
Book your Oktoberfest adventure with Stoke Travel and soon enough you will be covered in beer and having as much fun as these guys below.
Stay with Stoke and you will sleep comfortably in a pre-erected twin-share tent, complete with an air mattress (fit for kings) and sleeping bag, all set up for your arrival. You will be fed a hearty breakfast and dinner at the campsite.
Did these photos excite you as much as they did us? It’s your lucky day, there’s still time to join in! Book your Oktoberfest adventure with Stoke Travel and join the action.
Stay with Stoke and you will sleep comfortably in a pre-erected twin-share tent, complete with an air mattress (fit for kings) and sleeping bag, all set up for your arrival. You will be fed a hearty breakfast and dinner at the campsite and Backpacker Travel has hooked you up with UNLIMITED SANGRIA AND BEER during your stay, and we all know that’s a pretty bangin’ deal! It’s usually €10 a day but you get it FREE when you book with the promo code BACKPACKER.
You will be surrounded by the craziest fun-loving folk that will guarantee you an unforgettable STOKETOBERFEST experience – so what are you waiting for?
“The Faroe Islands. Some may have heard of them recently lately, perhaps because of their prime location this past March when they were one of two places to witness the total solar eclipse. Or some may have heard of them when they defeated Greece in the Euro qualifiers – twice!
Belonging officially to Denmark, they lie (roughly) between the Shetland Islands of Scotland and Iceland. They were settled by Viking colonizers in the 9th century AD and were first subject to the Norwegian crown, followed by the Danish crown. In more recent history, they were overseen by the United Kingdom during WWII as Denmark was occupied by the Nazis. Nevertheless, many Faroese wish to strike out on their own from Denmark to become a fully-fledged independent nation.
So why would you wish to go to the Faroe Islands? Where to begin? The landscape is dramatic, affording huge vistas across many of the scenic roads found throughout the islands. Many of the villages feature traditional turf houses and friendly locals. Bird spotting features highly on many a visitor’s lists with the potential to get up close and personal with puffins, gannets, and more. But what is palpable when you visit the Faroes is the sense of being at the edge of Europe and subject to the raw elements of the North Atlantic.”
“As you can see, it is a remarkable place of breathtaking scenery and still reasonably free from high tourism numbers. Featured as a top destination in Lonely Planet for 2015, I would suggest planning your visit soon!”
I know a few foodies who like to plan their holidays around what they’ll eat, and where. Whilst I personally tend to stick to a strict diet of cooking wine and expired food stolen from the hostel when on the road, I can imagine that Europe, in general, is a great region for an authentic, hearty foodie holiday. But Spain distinguishes itself by being the only country in the world where you could plan an entire foodie fight itinerary.
What is it with Spaniards and playing with their food? Seems everywhere I go here, locals are throwing editable/potable projectiles in my direction as a sign of affection. Where I come from, a woman throwing wine in your face would be considered a bad date, whereas it’s par for the course at many fiestas throughout rural Spain. Whether it’s wine, grapes, bulls, or tomatoes coming your way at high velocity, you’d do well to leave your three-piece at home if you’re attending a traditional festival.
The next one on my agenda involves the latter: literal truckloads of squishy tomatoes painting the small town of Buñol red as the streets become the world’s biggest human Bolognese.
La Tomatina: slim, cobbled alleyways awash with red wine and red pulp, locals and visitors all dressed in white (but not for long). This is not so much a food fight as all-out food combat. Make no mistake: it’s a war out there; when you get to La Tomatina, be prepared. Be prepared not to eat tomatoes again for the next two years. Be prepared to smell like a waterlogged pizzeria. Be prepared to laugh at old ladies being hit in the face with older fruit. Be prepared, soldier; arm yourself with the following intel from a few veterans for the most awesome time:
Buñol is not exactly a metropolis. The central plaza is ground zero for the tomato fight, which officially begins when a man climbs a greasy pole to collect a leg of ham (don’t ask). The crowd is dense. If you don’t make it into the plaza, don’t worry; the fight takes place all over town – but if you want the full cultural experience, head in as early as you can manage to secure a spot.
The town will arm you: trucks will squeeze down the narrow streets, casually volleying wrinkled ketchup fodder out the back for all and sundry to hurl at their frenemies. You will not be short on ammunition.
You’ll see a lot of people wearing goggles. Join their rank if you’re prone to pinkeye – there’ll be a lot of that going around next morning. Big ones are best if you can wrangle them. Swimming goggles are less effective than you might imagine once you’re slick with juice. Sunglasses are not going to save you.
You’ll be pressed against warm bodies covered in warm wine and tomato sauce, all simmering in the hot sun: things get a little cozy in the saucepan that is Buñol. Clothes do get accidentally torn, removed, or borrowed. Probably best not to freeball either, gentlemen.
This one time, I went to a foam party with a friend. We had just come from the beach and had flip-flops on. Neither my flip-flops nor the friend was ever seen nor heard of again.
You’ll be wading through a literal foot of the red stuff. If you drop your camera, you’ll be joining the mile-long line at the cop shop afterward and most likely never seeing it again. Tie it to you, and double-check it’s not only water-proof but wine-proof (I put my iPhone in a condom – not only did it keep the phone safe, if gave all my pictures an adorable golden-age-of-cinema soft-lens effect). Leave any other valuables at home.
After the fight, locals will begin to hose down the streets and the combatants. There is also a river nearby, so you should have ample opportunity to get clean(ish) and dry off in the hot sun in time for your bus/taxi. But if you don’t want to reek on the commute home, bring something along to change into.
Now get out there to the Spanish countryside, make some friends with salad, and become a true food fight connoisseur.
We’ve hooked up with the folks at Stoke Travel to bring you a very special offer. Book their La Tomatina package as a Backpacker Travel community member and they will supply you with Free Unlimited Beer and Sangria at their campsite.
Book with the promo code BACKPACKER and boom, the drinks (and tomatoes) are on us!
Time. The main ingredient needed to create, evolve, erode, and adapt. To create tradition, habit, ritual, and culture. What’s cultured yogurt? Old yogurt. What’s cheese? Old cultured milk. What’s fine wine? Old fermented grapes.
So it’s no wonder that Europe, with its eons of history and civilization dating back to ancient Greece, is rife with culture. It’s been fermenting so long that it’s the finest wine you’ll ever taste. So if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in Europe for a season, you should drink and drink deeply of the traditions and festivals that seep through the land.
Here is a list of our favorites that will give you a local insight, an authentic experience, and a lot of fun.
Being predominantly Catholic for a long time, a large portion of Europe honors lent, where they give up something they love in the 40 days before Easter. Since the idea of self-denial is not that appealing, time has developed the tradition of having one big blowout just before these days of self-imposed discomfort. This blowout is called carnival and Venice does it pretty darned well.
The city is beautiful and the residents are classy and confident. They dress up in their old Venetian attire, there are masks everywhere, there’s dancing and drinking and fireworks, and for a few nights, this already surreal city takes on a hedonistic, ethereal air. Be sure to pack your wigs and book your Europe tour packages to get this party started.
Italian women are generally considered to be stylish, beautiful, strong, and feisty. It naturally follows then that back in the day when a certain guido dignitary tried to force his way with a young commoner Violetta, she wasn’t going to give in so easily. So she cut off his head. Naturally.
How this lead to an orange fight is unclear, but it did lead to a revolution of sorts. Soon the more retiring British and the slightly sentimental French were loading their purses with oranges too. Thus, a festival was born and nowadays the battle of the oranges is a symbolic fight against tyranny.
Every year in late February/early March during the carnival period, medieval war games meet food fight in the little town of Ivrea. Moral of the story: don’t mess with a guidette.
You think you’re hardcore because you went skydiving with an instructor strapped to your back? Try making a human castle without a safety rope or net and putting a 5-year-old kid at the top. This Catalan tradition is something else. The crowd is not comprised of acrobats or stuntmen, but rather normal locals who happen to build 10m high structures with their bodies on a weekend.
It’s teamwork to the highest degree – literally. And the highest degree recorded has been a 10-tier structure! It’s not all fun and games though and people (children) have died falling from these towers. This tradition is an incredibly authentic and awe-inspiring spectacle and if you happen to be in Barcelona and experience this, you will never forget it.
Long before most of these festivals existed, a small town near Gloucester in England was already playing with their food. Their weapon of choice? A roll of cheese. And if you wanted to be the big cheese of the town, you had to catch the big cheese they rolled down the hill. If that sounds cheesy, don’t be fooled – that their roll of cheese could reach speeds of up to 70mph!
That was in the 1500s and today the tradition continues in pretty much exactly the same manner with the same amount of injuries from people stumbling down the craggy hill, but probably with slightly more ambulance staff on hand. And the original cheese has been replaced by a foamy one to minimize the pain. The prize? A 9lb wheel of Double Gloucester cheese!
Which means… wait for it… baby jumping by devils. Yup, you read that right. From shaky origins, this tradition is believed to cleanse the babies of original sin and illness. So every year, the locals lay their babies born that year on mattresses in the street. Men then dress up as devils and jump over them.
Apparently, the Pope is trying to discourage this and encourage baptism instead. The man may have a point. Yet the tradition continues and all we’re saying is if you have an infant in that region at that time of year, you’d better hope those are some sure-footed devils! Perhaps some things are extinct for a reason and this tradition should follow the Dodo into distant memory.
Read more about El Colacho (Baby Jumping Festival) on Backpacker Travel
The French are big on a few things: wine, cheese, frogs legs, snails, berets… one could say they’ve got the culture thing down. In the town of Douai in northern France, however, it’s the size that matters and they’re big on giants.
Legend has it that there once was a man who was renowned for his strength and kindness. When the town of Douai came under threat, he miraculously appeared and fought them off. When he died, the town honored him as a giant, which is a big compliment.
Now they make massive statues and parade them through the town for three days in July and celebrate the big, burly, goodhearted man that saved their town. Worth a look, especially if you’re watching from a good vantage point with a glass of pinot noir and a hunk of brie in your face.
If you’re a no bulls**t kind of person, this is the festival for you. Yes, there’s dancing in the streets and excessive consumption of sangria. Yes, there are fireworks and passionate romances with fiery locals. But yes, there’s also the insane and adrenaline-spiking bolt from boulder-sized, steam-snorting, ground-pounding, all-leather-and-no-suede-bulls!
For a week in July, thousands storm Pamplona to test their mettle against stampeding herds through the constructed gauntlet that leads to the arena. A word to the wise – good running shoes and a shot of tequila will set you on the right path to get through this with your bones intact. Or you can just watch from the sidelines. Also exciting, plus less chance of getting a hoof to the head.
Ready to run? Check out Stoke Travel’s all-inclusive Running of the Bulls trips
Read more about San Fermin (Running of the Bulls) on Backpacker Travel.
Scottish New Year, which is on the same day as the calendar new year, but done sooo much better. Edinburgh lights up with pagan fire as the fireball swingers flow through the main street swinging their chicken mesh balls of burning tinder which are then cast into the harbor. This is the traditional bit.
Then there’s live music, loads of fireworks, tons of Scotch whiskey and ale, and a massive, world-renowned, televised party. They ring in the new year with ‘Auld Lang Syne’, which has now been adopted by the rest of the world as the new year tune of choice. No one is quite sure where the name of the song came from, but more than likely it was a heavily intoxicated Scotchmen muttering ‘Happy New Year’. Go local and get kilted up but leave your knickers at home because Scots don’t have time for timidity.
Celebrate the new year with Stoke Travel’s Hogmanay package!
Bareback baby. Just the way we like it. That’s bareback horse riding of course. What were you thinking? This is the culmination of the Sienese year and dates back to the 12th century. Do you want pride and respect from your fratellos and sorellas? Win the race. The only solace in losing the race on July 2 is knowing there is another on August 16 where you can redeem yourself.
The most ardent football fan is blasé compared to the burning passion these locals have for their horserace. The 17 districts have a jockey each to go for gold and even if the horse loses its rider, it can still win. As previously mentioned, they don’t have saddles, so staying on a horse as it gallops at top speed around the track is no small task. Are these Italian stallions daunted? Hells no! The pain of lost pride would be way worse than the pain of a broken arm/leg/neck.
The Dutch have a few things they do particularly well. Legalizing illegal things. Making cheese. Beers. Canals. Bicycle lanes. The color orange. And partying on boats to celebrate their current regent’s birthday.
At the end of April every year, orange is the new black and thousands of Dutchies and every other nationality under the sun take to boats in Amsterdam armed with beer and clad in their national color to celebrate their Netherlandiness. There are fireworks, hash cakes, pancakes, and croquettes and there’s a whole lot of fun to be had.
Do some Amsterdamage with Stoke Travel’s King’s Day trip
The Italians aren’t the only ones with attractively fiery tempers, and at this incredible festival in Valencia in March, we’re like moths to a flame. In the city center on every main corner, you can see giant effigies that take months to build. Everything’s a little tongue-in-cheek depicting political or social stereotypes of the year.
On the eve of March 19, they burn these stigmas to the ground in the celebration of spring and a new beginning and positivity. It’s astounding. Do you know how you get mesmerized by a flame? Imagine a flame the size of a building! Health and safety can go hide in a corner, ’cause the Spanish are gonna burn shit and we’re invited.
Go up in flames with Stoke Travel’s Las Fallas trip
Another Spanish festival (’cause these guys are the pros when it comes to original street fests). Ever wanted to partake in a food fight? Got a particular gripe with an acquaintance? Invite them to this festival in the tiny town of Buñol and you can vent your frustrations and they’ll be none the wiser.
The masses gather along the main streets into the main square, begoggled and itching to get their hands on the red fruit known as a vegetable. People compete to climb a slippery pole to reach a pork leg (don’t ask) and once someone gets it, the canons sound, and the festivities begin. Truckloads of squishy tomatoes are distributed through the crowd and the world goes red as the tomato war begins. Passive-aggressives need not apply.
Join one of the biggest food fights on Stoke Travel’s La Tomatina trip
Gone are the days of Elizabethan London where the locals were white, British folk. Now London is a myriad of cultures and nationalities all living and breathing and moving together. And a brilliant effect of this multiculturalism is the development of exotic and exciting traditions stemming from far-off roots but becoming ingrained in the local flavor.
One such tradition is Notting Hill Carnival, which has its roots in the Trinidadian community of west London. It started off as a small parade to show off the skills of the steel drum players, but as soon as the local Caribbeans heard these beautiful sounds that transported them back to their original home and culture, they took to the streets to boogie. Now this carnival is the biggest and most colorful of its kind in Europe with beautiful costumes, parades, music food, and color. This happens at the end of August each year and is an experience worth riding a packed underground for.
Eine kleine stein. Or more. This is the motherload. The festival to beat all festivals. Culture meets oompah-loompah bands meets funky, folksy outfits meets gallons and gallons of Germany’s finest beer.
There’s lovely roast chicken and steamy bratwurst and candied nuts and pretzels! Everywhere! There are Germans who, let’s face it, have a rep for being quite stern, but at this festival, there’s none of that. There are rosy cheeks and singing on benches and swaying to the music and many many Prosts (cheers in German). This is the perfect mix of culture and drunken fun. Plus there are rollercoasters. Life can’t get much better.
Join the world’s biggest beer festival with Stoke Travel’s Oktoberfest trip
This festival is quite modern and only dates back to the 18th century. It was originally just a piss-up when sailors and soldiers came home from the Napoleonic war. Gradually the locals added things and created their own festival. Now they dress up as Vikings, parade through the streets, sing songs, visit school and then burn a bloody great Viking ship for funsies. There’s a Guizer Jarl (head Viking) and Jarl Squad (Viking gang) and they make their own costumes and practice their march and put a load of effort into this little-known festival. You can catch the action 24 days after Christmas. It’s sure to be a merry time – just don’t forget your horned helmet and drinking horn!
And there it is. The complete cultural picnic basket of festivals for your enjoyment, filled with oranges, Viking horns, fire, tomatoes, cheese, masks, face paint, loads of beer, and all carried by a devil-suited giant riding bareback on a bull, skipping over babies and singing Auld Lang Syne.
Our recent trip to the Bahamas was predominantly for the Junkanoo festival that takes place in the early hours of the morning on both Boxing Day and New Year's Day. If you would like to find out more information about the festival I encourage you to check out the listing I wrote for Fest300.com – Junkanoo Festival. You can also view more of my photos here – Rushing to Junkanoo.
Want to start your New Year with a splash – literally?
Thailand does exactly that with its Songkran festival, held annually from 10 April. Depending on where you’re at, the festivities can continue for between six to ten days. Falling during the hottest time of the year at the end of the dry season (temperatures can rise to over 100F or 40C on some days), it’s no wonder that the country ushers in the New Year armed with water guns.
Originally held only in the north of Thailand, the festival is thought to have been introduced by the Burmese, who adapted it from the Indian Holi festival. Traditionally, this was a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends, and neighbors. The festival spread across Thailand in the mid-20th century; however, the most famous Songkran celebrations are still in the northern city of Chiang Mai, where it continues for at least six days.
The main celebrations, in the capital, focus on bathing rites of replicas of revered Buddha images originating from various provinces in the north, south, east, and central regions, interspersed with traditional food and dessert-making demonstrations and cultural performances. The opening ceremony will take place on the 10th of April, at Phra Chetupon Wimol Manklaram or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.
The most obvious celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water. You will find many Thai people roaming the streets with containers of water or water guns (sometimes mixed with mentholated talc), or positioning themselves on the side of roads with a garden hose to drench each other and passersby. This, however, was not always the main activity of this festival. Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends, and neighbors.
A key part of Songkran is held in a wat (Buddhist monastery), where statues of Buddha are cleansed with water and fragrances. It is believed that doing this will bring good luck and prosperity for the New Year. In many cities, the Buddha images from all of the city’s important monasteries are paraded through the streets so that people can toss water at them, ritually ‘bathing’ the images, as they pass by on ornately decorated floats.
In northern Thailand, people may carry handfuls of sand to a nearby monastery in order to recompense the dirt that they have carried away on their feet during the rest of the year. The sand is then sculpted into stupa-shaped piles and decorated with colorful flags.
But for most tourists and Thais, Songkran is essentially about a no-holds-barred water fight, with hundreds of people roaming the streets with garden hoses, water guns, and buckets filled to the brim with water ready to soak anyone (no exceptions!) that dares to come close. Sometimes the water is mixed with mentholated talc, which makes for one messy mixture!
The water throwing was originally designed to capture water after it had been poured over the bathed Buddhas for cleansing. This blessed water would then be gently poured over one’s shoulder, to bring him or her good fortune.
Nowadays, the emphasis is on fun and water-throwing rather than on the festival’s spiritual and religious aspects, which sometimes prompts complaints from traditionalists. In recent years there have been calls to moderate the festival to lessen the many alcohol-related road accidents as well as injuries from water being thrown in the faces of traveling motorcyclists.
Like many other cultures, some Thais make New Year resolutions – to change a bad behavior, or to do good things. Songkran is a time for cleansing and renewal. Besides washing household Buddha images, many Thais also take this opportunity to give their home a thorough cleaning.
The traditional greeting is (sa-wat-dee pee mai), meaning “Happy New Year”. Sawatdee is also used for “hello” or “goodbye”. However, most people say (suk-san wan Songkran) meaning “Happy Songkran Day” since pee mai is more often linked with the first of January.
Definitely a New Year with a difference and be prepared to get very, very wet!
