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Exploring Papua New Guinea

by Miles Clarke, Travel Writer

A local promotion leaflet sums it up well: “PNG - where tourism isn't an industry.”
Introduction

Papua New Guinea welcomes but a fraction of the international visitors enjoyed by other South Pacific nations.

Most conspicuous by their absence are Australians, while the notoriously fickle and safety-conscious Americans are to be found in droves lapping up the unique diversity of cultural and environmental attractions of this land just five degrees south of the Equator.

The magic and traditions of Thai New Year (Songkran)

There is no better place to celebrate “Songkran” than Thailand, where the many unique rituals and festivities, which for centuries have celebrated the significance of water in Thai culture and society, will charm and delight visitors old and new to the kingdom.

Mr. Thawatchai Arunyik, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said, “Thailand boasts many hundreds of years of rich history and traditions. Much the kingdom’s culture comes from the ethnic Thai people, whom represent more than two thirds of the kingdom’s nearly 70 million citizens. This ethnic Thai group can be divided into several sub-groups that differ slightly in their tradition, language and culture while being united by the Buddhist principles that the majority of Thais share.

“In many ways, it is this combination of cultures and diverse ethnic Thai groups and other minorities, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Khmer, Raman (Burmese-Thai) and various hill-tribes that gives Thailand its strong sense of national and cultural identity. This is because certain traditions, practiced for centuries are held in common, including Songkran.”

Songkran is considered to be the most magical festival of all, as it creates the important bonds of unity between families and communities that bring the Thai people together. It is not just about throwing water at each other, but about the traditions of hospitality, love and relationship in Thai families. Children who have moved away from home for work return to their families to bask in the love of their parents and elder relatives.

The word “Songkran” comes from Sanskrit, meaning transformation or change; to be specific, the changing of the zodiac signs. Timed to coincide with the rising of Aries on the astrological chart, the auspicious festival is a period when people cool off in the mid-summer heat, show respect to family elders and receive their blessings in return and also pray for loved ones who have passed away and cannot be present.





Another Songkran tradition is when sand is brought into the grounds of temples and used to create sand pagodas as a way of making merit. It is believed that during the year, Buddhists inadvertently take earth from temples away on the soles of their feet or shoes when they have paid their respects. So the sand is returned at the Thai New Year in the form of these mini pagodas.

The local temples are central to the Songkran festivities, and it is traditional for everyone celebrating Songkran to make at least one visit there or to a blessed area to pay respects to and purify Buddha statues. At the temples, merit is made and water poured onto the hands of family elders (people above 60 years old) to show respect and seek their New Year blessings. The water throwing, so often associated with Songkran is normally enjoyed by young people and children though people of all ages tend to join the fun at some point.

This year, the date of the Maha Songkran or the ‘New Year’ is set for 14 April, when day and night are of equal length. This will be followed by Nao Day (Middle day) on 15 April, and the New Year itself on 16 April.





Songkran 2014 celebrations in Thailand last from 5-20 April, depending on the local culture and traditions in different areas of the country. For example (click on the event’s name to read more details):

Thailand-Laos Friendship Songkran, Nong Khai, 6-18 April;

Sukhothai Songkran Festival 2014, Sukhothai, 7-19 April;

Songkran Prapeni Pi Mai Mueang Chiang Mai, 11-16 April;

Songkran, Sand pagoda ceremony & Lai Day in Chon Buri, 11-19 April;

Chang Wonder Water Land @ UD TOWN Songkran, Udon Thani, 12-16 April;

Pleasant Songkran, Thai-Lao New Year, Nakhon Phanom, 12-15 April;

Songkran Splendours, Suphan Buri, 12-14 April;

Songkran ‘Nang Dan’ Parade, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, 12-14 April;

Joyous Songkran Splendours, Bangkok, 13-15 April;

Songkran 2014 in Sangkhlaburi, Kanchanaburi, 13-18 April;

Songkran in the ancient capital city, Ayutthaya, 13-15 April;

Songkran 2014 in Phra Pradaeng, Samut Prakan, 18-20 April.

Top tips to get the most out of Songkran:

• In the morning, make merit and listen to temple sermons to understand and benefit from the spiritual side of the festival. Remember that during the New Year festival, the temple activities are the most important aspects of the celebration.
• To purify the Buddha or other statues, water should not be poured directly onto the head of the relic, rather on other parts of the statue’s torso.
• The custom of pouring water onto the hand of elders’ (people above 60 years old), is to show respect and seek their New Year blessings.
• Water used to splash on others should be clean or mixed with Thai traditional fragrances. Avoid throwing water aggressively or using high-pressure water guns or hoses.
• Women should be wary of wearing tight clothes or ones that are light in colour and/or made of thin fabric. When wet, such garments can become quite revealing, raising the risk of sexual harassment.

Morocco & Nagaland Tours | Ladies Only South Africa Tour | Travel Deals

Hello everyone Can you believe it’s already April. 2014 is flying by! With half the year almost gone it’s time to start planning your end of year travels and we have two fantastic new tours for October and November as well as some enticing travel deals.   If you plan on travelling sooner and escaping winter then we have a fantastic 'Ladies Only South Africa tour'. Also if you're planning on travelling to Western Australia, the Northern Territory or Queensland this winter then it’s important to book sooner rather than later as flights are filling up quickly and accommodation booking out. If you're not sure where to go over the winter we also have quite a few fascinating tours to warmer destinations from May-July that might interest you, click here for the full selection. Update on our office move: Our new office fit out is continuing and a few setbacks have us planning to open late April. We’ll keep you updated. Happy Travelling! Robert Fletcher ACTIVE TRAVEL DIRECTOR NEW TOUR: Souks & Kasbahs of Morocco After an over-whelming response to last years Morocco tour we will be running this tour again this October.  You will experience the Morocco that stirs the imagination on this superb escorted tour. See traditional art and crafts, meet local people, be entertained with a night in a Berber tent, take a camel ride through the desert and more.   Click here for more info. NEW TOUR: Gorkhaland, Nagaland and the Hornbill Festival The north-east tribal lands of India hold mystery and fascination as well as stunning scenery and welcoming people. This year we have extended our popular Nagaland Hornbill Festival tour to include Gorkhaland, the Eastern Himalayan region surrounding Darjeeling - the area famous for its lush green hills and delicious tea. Click here for more info. South Africa – Ladies Only Tour from $3995 Including Airfares Join a group of like-minded women on a ladies only tour to South Africa supporting Breast Cancer Research.  This unforgettable 15 day tour travels throughout South Africa visiting Kruger National Park, Swaziland, Zululand, the Garden Route, Cape Town and more. This is a great option for all you adventurous women travelling solo.  Click here for more info. Up to 20% off Mekong River Cruises Enjoy a leisurely cruise along the Mekong between Saigon and Siem Reap on the Toum Tiou I or Toum Tiou II at a fantastic discounted price.  If you book a low season October departure then you receive 10% off and if you book and deposit by 30 June 2014 then you will receive an additional 10% early bird discount. Click here for more info. Etihad: Buy Business Class Fly First Class Book a business class ticket on Etihad to selected European destinations and be upgraded to first class, subject to availability. The deal is valid for travel between 1 April 2014 – 30 November 2014 and must be booked by 18 April 2014. For more details on this deal please speak to our Travel Planners. Contact Us for more information. VIEW BROCHURES Like Active Travel on Facebook!

Brigadoon reappears in NSW Southern Highlands

 

A REEL HOOT, THAT'S BUNDANOON'S BRIGADOON

David Ellis

 

DRIVE into picturesque little Bundanoon about half way between Sydney and Canberra on Saturday April 5, and if not forewarned you could be excused for thinking that as you rounded that last corner, you are being somehow transported into the Highlands of Scotland, rather than the postcard-perfect Southern Highlands of NSW.

 

Or that again, somehow, some Scottish superpower has mystically taken over the place, time-warping you back to the Dark Ages and a time of the Saxons, the Normans and the rampaging Vikings….

 

For today the air will be filled with the skirl of bagpipes and the beating of drums, the streets alive with folks dressed in kilts and tartans, and on the town's oval knights in ancient armour and wielding mighty swords will have you reminiscing over days of childhood history books and a time when men fought not only over land, but chivalrously over the love of a lady…

 

And off-setting all this, your nostrils will be seduced with the wondrous aromas of  steaming hot Scots mutton pies, drop scones, fresh-baked Highland shortbreads and Abernethy biscuits, gingerbreads and butterscotches, blood pudding and haggis.

 

Because this day, April 5 is when 21^st century Bundanoon loses its identify for a day, and like in the Hollywood movie, as the Highlands' mist rises in the morning a transformation miraculously takes places – and Bundanoon is Brigadoon for a magical 24-hours.

 

Bringing the diverse tastes and experiences of Scotland to this little community of around 2,500 folk who enjoy the peace, tranquillity and lifestyle of the NSW Southern Highlands, Bundanoon is Brigadoon has become so popular that now in its 37^th year it's expected to attract around 12,000 visitors, which makes it one of the largest gatherings of all things Scottish outside Scotland.

 

Even the railways get in on the act, replacing Bundanoon's station signboards with Brigadoon for the day.

 

And those 12,000 visitors will have plenty to keep them amused, including the Sydney-based Danelaw Medieval Re-enactment Group whose members use real weapons and armour in action-packed displays of how combatants fought in the era from the early Dark Ages through to the Renaissance.

 

As well, the always-popular Tartan Warriors will be making their 22^nd annual appearance at Bundanoon is Brigadoon, the strongmen group competing to see who amongst them will be the fastest to lift the five Stones of Manhood weighing 100kg, 115kg, 125kg, 140kg and a whopping 165kg onto five wine barrels five metres apart.

 

The lifting of such stones dates back to earliest Scottish times when a boy was welcomed into manhood if he could lift to waist-height a "testing stone" that weighed two imperial stone, or 12.7kg.

 

There'll also be caber tossing using what look like scaled-down 6m power poles, a hay toss, shot putt and kilted races.

 

And less hernia-inducing, hurling water-filled balloons seemingly-impossible distances for partners to catch without getting a drenching if the balloon bursts in the catch (the record is 49.4 metres,) or more bizarrely tossing fresh eggs across an oval for another to equally deftly catch without suffering gooey consequences  – with the longest-ever for this, an amazing 59.6 metres.

 

There'll also be Scottish Country and Highland Dancing demonstrations – with visitors invited to join in reels and jigs – and a Street Parade with over 20 pipe bands, colourful floats, and marching Scottish Clans and Societies

 

And for wee lads and lasses 5yrs and under, a Bonny Bairns Highland Dress Competition, and organised games for older children.

 

Plus some 100 arts and crafts stalls, Scottish and Tartan specialty stalls, and around 30 Clans and Societies will have information stalls helping visitors about possible Scottish ancestry.

 

And plenty of food outlets dispensing all those things wonderfully Scottish…

 

Then finally as the sun sets and the crowds drift off into the gloaming, or stay on for Ceilidh (dancing) in the local hall, and as Auld Lang Syne ultimately rings out, Brigadoon will slip into sleep once more for another year, Bundanoon will revert to its quiet self... and the local railway station will once again become, well, Bundanoon.

 

Entry $20 adults, $10 children, $18 concessions and $50 for a family of two adults and two children, with a discount if you book online: visit www.brigadoon.net.au.

For general information about Bundanoon is Brigadoon, phone (02) 4883 7471.

 

                                                          

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

 

[] THE hills of the NSW Southern Highlands come alive on April 5 with music of another kind. (Jeff McGill)

[] GETTING into the reel swing of things at Bundanoon is Brigadoon. (Alaistair Saunders)

[] NOT the time to joke about what's under the kilt… (Alaistair Saunders)

[] I'LL toss you takes on a different meaning with these scaled down power poles. (Jeff McGill)

[] STALLS a-plenty with all things Scottish in souvenirs and food. (Tourism Southern Highlands)

[] EVEN Bundanoon Station morphs into Brigadoon for a day. (TrainLink)

 

 

 

Yogyakarta, among NY Times recommended "52 Places to Go in 2014"

Yogyakarta, among NY Times recommended "52 Places to Go in 2014"

The city of Yogyakarta in the cultural heartland of Java was chosen at no. 20 by The New York Times among the paper's recommended "52 Places to Go in 2014".

Embellished with a large panoramic photograph of the mighty Borobudur temple, The New York Times had this to say:

"A volcano, a temple, a shrine and now a place to stay."

This central Javan sultanate draws crowds for its proximity to bewitching attractions: the monumental, wedding cake-esque Buddhist temple Borobudur, the soft-serve-ice-cream-shaped Hindu shrines of Prambanan, and pre-sunrise hikes to summit Indonesia's friskiest volcano, Mount Merapi (which most recently erupted in 2013). But finding a decent room has never been easy, until now. Thanks to tax breaks for hotel development, 20 new starred hotels, to complement the city's existing 30, will open through 2015. Among them are Zest Hotel (a Swiss-Belhotel brand) in 2014 and, according to a director of the Tourism Promotion Agency of Yogyakarta, three new properties from Accor, whose brands include Sofitel and Ibis.— SANJAY SURANA"

Located in the shadows of the active Merapi Volcano, Yogyakarta is a pleasant city, seat of the Sultan of Yogya. Imbued with Javanese cultural traditions, Yogya's royal palace carries a visitor back to a past era of refined behaviour, of deep philosophical thoughts, grace and serenity.

Today surrounding the palace, Yogya is a bustling university town and also a popular tourist destination, great for its culinary dishes and shopping for hand-drawn Batiks and fine silverwork.  A few hours ride from here is the wonderful Buddhist Borobudur temple on a hill that was a site for pilgrimage.  And a little further away are the elegant Hindu Prambanan temples built in the 9th century. Here, the magnificent Ramayana epic is re-enacted on a giant stage every dry season, with as background the full moon slowly rising above the slender temple structures.      

Mount Merapi which erupted violently in 2010 has now also become a favorite adventure destination where tourists can witness first hand lava flows and the devastation wrought by one of nature's most awesome powers.

More info: http://indonesia.travel/en/destination/457/yogyakarta

©Photo Courtesy Justin Mott for The New York Times

   Visit Indonesia Tourism Office AU | www.indonesia.travel

 

 

TripAdvisor - 150 million posts in the past year.

The most photographed attraction by TripAdvisor
reviewers is the Eiffel Tower with 9,181 photos

More Than 500 Million People Can View TripAdvisor Content on Third Party Sites Each Month

TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel site*, today announced it has reached a new user-generated content milestone making it the first travel site to offer consumers 150 million reviews and opinions – a 50 percent increase year-over-year.

TripAdvisor collects more than 90 user contributions a minute that allow travellers worldwide to make informed decisions based on the personal experiences of other travellers. More than two billion unique worldwide visitors a year** visit TripAdvisor to research, plan, and book their travel at more than 3.7 million accommodation, restaurants, and attractions.

More than 500 million people worldwide are also able to find TripAdvisor ratings, reviews, and opinions on the websites of almost 1,000 brands every month. Partners include hotel groups such as Wyndham and other leading online travel suppliers.

The review celebrated as the 150 millionth piece of content posted on TripAdvisor was written by TripAdvisor member Erin S. after a Valentine’s Day weekend retreat with her husband. It's the first review she has written on TripAdvisor. The review titled “A warm and inviting retreat...you'll want to return!” is of the Cameron House Inn, a bed and breakfast in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, USA.

"Fourteen years ago, TripAdvisor saw an opportunity to help travellers help each other make informed travel decisions by sharing their first-hand experiences, reviews, and photos," said Steve Kaufer, co-founder and CEO of TripAdvisor. "Now, the internet and user-generated content have completely changed the way we plan, book, and share our trips."

The power of a review

According to a recently commissioned report conducted by PhoCusWright*** on behalf of TripAdvisor, more than half of global respondents do not want to make a booking commitment until they read reviews and find out what other travellers think about a property.

More than 80 percent say the site’s reviews help them feel more confident in their travel decisions, and help them to have a better trip.

The survey also reveals some interesting findings about why travellers write reviews and how they use them when planning a trip.

Why do travellers write reviews?

The majority of respondents write reviews for positive reasons, with 74 percent of travellers stating that they ‘feel good about sharing useful information with other travellers’ and 70 percent of respondents stating that they wanted to share a good experience with others.

How to use reviews

When researching places to stay on TripAdvisor, 80 percent of respondents read at least 6-12 reviews before making their decision, and they are most interested in recent reviews that will give them the freshest feedback.

“Travellers keep coming back to TripAdvisor because they find the user-generated content useful,” said Kaufer. “It’s so helpful that hundreds of other travel and lifestyle brands see the value in integrating our content onto their sites. We thank our passionate community for sharing their travel experiences on TripAdvisor and helping other travellers plan their perfect trip.”

FUN FACTS

· 24,710 TripAdvisor members have contributed more than 100 reviews.
· For a hotel in the top 500 most searched destinations on TripAdvisor, the average number of reviews is 174.
· The most reviewed hotel is the Luxor Las Vegas with 13,677 reviews.
· The most photographed hotel is the Majestic Colonial Punta Cana with 16,274 photos.
· The most reviewed restaurant is Mon Ami Gabi in Las Vegas with 4,729 reviews.
· The most photographed restaurant is Mama's Fish House in Hawaii with 1,196 photos.
· The most reviewed attraction on TripAdvisor is the Eiffel Tower with 24,413 reviews.
· The most photographed attraction is the Eiffel Tower with 9,181 photos.