As the New Year slowly creeps up on us, societies around the globe are getting ready to bring in the New Year with festivities and events which will be taking place in local communities around the world.  One such community, the U.S. territory of Guam, which is a tiny island located in the Pacific Ocean, will be the first territory which is part of the United States to welcome the New Year with a bang; even before the east coast of the United States!  The reason for this being Guam is the only United States territory which is located across the International Date Line, making the U.S. island one day ahead the rest of the United States.  When the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve in Guam the rest of the United States will just be starting their day of December 31st while Guam celebrates the New Year in style!

So what does Guam have to offer when it comes to celebrating the New Year?  Like many other communities around the world Guam has an annual fireworks shows which has been a New Year’s tradition as far back as the locals can remember. When the clock strikes midnight this New Year’s Day on Guam fireworks will light up the night sky in the village of Tumon, which is the center of tourism on the island and evident by the rows of hotels, shopping boutiques and restaurants lining Tumon.  During New Year’s Eve most of the island heads to the beaches and hotels along Tumon Bay a few hours before midnight, all in anticipation of the New Year’s fireworks show, creating a bumper to bumper traffic jam familiar to those who’ve been stuck in traffic in a major metropolitan city during rush hour.

In addition to the traditional New Year’s fireworks show, the island of Guam celebrates New Year’s with events and parties happening in and around Tumon throughout the night.  A list of some New Year’s events which will be taking place on Guam are listed below:

• The Tree Bar at the Hilton Guam Resort and Spa will be holding its “Carnivale” event with live salsa music from Mai Castro and friends, in addition to music from local disc jockey Hypnotic Beatz.  There is a $40 cover charge which includes all you can drink draft beer and champagne.  The celebration starts at 9pm and ends at midnight after the fireworks show in Tumon Bay.
• Top of the Reef in the Guam Reef Hotel will be hosting a New Year’s Eve countdown celebration, and every local on Guam knows the Top of the Reef offers some of the best views of Tumon and to watch the fireworks show.  There is a $15 cover charge which includes one drink.  The event starts at 6pm and ends at 12:30am with appetizers served between 7pm to 11:30pm.
• The Sheraton Laguna Resort and Spa will be hosting a New Year’s Eve Greek themed toga party called “Island of the Gods” featuring a Mediterranean grill with olives, roasted pig and barbecue.  Additionally, togas will be available at the event.  Live music will be played all night long by various local bands and there will also be a live raffle for a free trip to Japan for two.  Tickets for this event are $90 and will be available at the hotel until New Year’s Eve.  Ten free drinks are included with ticket admission.

In addition to the listed New Year’s events, there are many more events you can enjoy to celebrate the New Year on Guam, like an elegant and entertaining dinner show at the SandCastle, dancing the night away at one of the many nightclubs, drinking with friends at the various bars all along Tumon and the surrounding area, or just spending a romantic time with that special someone along the beach of Tumon Bay.  Whether you want an exciting experience or a more quiet romantic experience, the choices you have to celebrate New Year’s on Guam are endless!  Be creative, have fun and enjoy the New Year!

Travel Topics: Guam, Guam fireworks, Guam fireworks show, Guam New Year, Guam Reef Hotel, Hilton Guam, Hilton Tree Bar, New Year, New Year's on Guam, Sheraton Guam, Top of the Reef Guam, Tumon, Tumon Bay, Tumon Guam

Chao Phraya Basin is a region in the Central Plains of Thailand. As you may already know, this Southeast Asian country is one of the most often-visited tourist destinations in the world because it has something to offer a weary traveller. Whether you’re looking for budget-friendly accommodations or something more luxurious but with rates that will not burn a hole in your pocket, Thailand is definitely the place to be.  The country has an amazing culture, beautiful locals, a sumptuous native cuisine and plenty of sightseeing opportunities to offer tourists.

Now, going back to Chao Phraya Basin, this region is considered to be the historic heartland of Thailand. First time visitors would be heading towards Ayutthaya and the Lopburi archaeological sites here – which is where the annual monkey festival is held.

Getting to Know Thailand’s Lopburi

Before delving into the details of the annual monkey feast, let us first learn a bit more about Lopburi. From Bangkok, you can get to this historic city via a 3-hour drive. If you are tired of dealing with the crowd in Bangkok, Lopburi is as good a place as any to get away from it all.

It is one of the oldest cities in Thailand which has a long-winded, rich history behind it. Currently, the city is divided into the New Town and Old Town parts which are both home to some historical sites in Thailand.

When exploring Lopburi, some of the must-visit sites include Ban Vichayen, the Phra Kahn Shrine, King Narai’s Place, the Khmer-style temples in Phra Prang Sam Yot, and a multitude of other ancient temple sites.

Lopburi’s Annual Monkey Feast

Aside from the wats or temples, Lopburi is also known as being home to hundreds of crab-eating macaques. These Old World species of monkeys populate the Old Town in Lopburi, as they hang from trees and wires. If you’re not careful, you might have an unpleasant encounter with one who will steal your bag once the little creatures suspect that there is food in it. The macaques might also grab any exposed food that you might be holding or eating, so be careful when navigating the streets.

Every year, Lopbury holds its world-famous monkey buffet or monkey festival. For the event, residents lay out thousands of kilos of treats for the macaques to devour. For the 2010 monkey festival in Lopburi, the animals were able to indulge in devouring more than 4,000 kilograms of food which were carefully laid out, festival-style, for them to consume.

But what’s the story behind this unusual festival? Basically, the Lopburi monkey feast is Thailand’s version of the Ramayana legend. In the story, it is said that Rama created the ancient city of Lopburi with the help of Hanuman the Monkey King.  Since the macaques are considered to be direct descendants of the Hanuman, the festival is held in their honor.

Over the years, the annual Lopbori festival has managed to attract thousands of tourists from around the world, making it one of the most highly-anticipated and well-attended events in Thailand.

Travel Topics: Chao Phraya Basin, Lopburi, monkey festival, Thailand, Thailand travel

It’s that time of year again in Micronesia where the small island nations celebrate the unique culture and identities of their own during the Guam Micronesia Island Fair on the island of Guam.  The island nations of Micronesia which include Guam, Saipan, Rota, Tinian, Palau, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae and the Marshall Islands will unite to show their culture, food and island traditions under the theme of “Celebrating the Tastes of Micronesia” for this year’s fair.

There is something for everyone at this year’s fair which is a family-friendly event with vendors from all the islands selling their local arts and crafts, snacks, food, fesh juices, plants, and livestock among other assortment of products.  In addition, visitors can expect to enjoy a multitude of entertainment including cultural performance, entertainment, singing, chanting and dancing.

This is one event travelers who are interested in Oceania, particularly the region of Micronesia, won’t want to miss out on as this is probably the only event in all of Micronesia where you can see the unique cultures of all the islands which make up Micronesia celebrating in one place.

The Guam Micronesia Island Fair is a three day event planned by the Guam Visitors Bureau which begins on October 15 and ends on October 17.  The fair takes place at Governor Joseph Flores Memorial Park, also known as Ypao Beach Park, in the village of Tumon.  It is FREE to enter the fair and everyone is invited – even tourists and visitors!

Travel Topics: 2010 Guam Micronesia Island Fair, 23rd Guam Micronesia Island Fair, Chuuk, Guam, Guam event, Guam fair, Guam Micronesia Island Fair, Guam Visitors Bureau, Joseph Flores Memorial Park, Kosrae, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Micronesian culture, Palau, Pohnpei, Rota, Saipan, Tinian, Tumon, Yap, Ypao Beach, Ypao Beach Park

If your a lover of hot and spicy food then you’ll love this festival being held on the tiny Pacific Island of Guam in the village of Mangilao!  The First Annual Mangilao Donne’ Festival is a new addition to the various festivities and events which occur annually in various villages through the island.  Donne’, as it is called on Guam, is more popularly known around the world as hot peppers.  These hot peppers grown naturally in the jungles of the island and many residents on the island also grow the donne’ plant in gardens to use in food for adding some spiciness and hotness.  Well, not actually “some” but A LOT of hotness.

This is the first year in which the Donne’ Festival is being held on the island and everyone is invited to join in on all the events and festivities taking placing during the festival which include cooking contests using donne’, crowning of a Miss Donne’ contest, cockfighting, cultural entertainment, music and dance,  and a mini-carnival to name a few of the happenings.  The Mangilao Donne’ Festival started on September 23rd and ends on September 26th in the village of Mangilao near the mayor’s office and baseball field in the village.  So come on down for some hot and spicy fun!

Travel Topics: Donne Festival, donne', Guam, Guam Donne' Festival, Guam event, Guam food, Guam hot pepper, Island of Guam, Mangilao, Mangilao Donne Festival, Mangilao Guam, Mangilao village

Munich, Germany – The world-famous annual festival called Oktoberfest has now reached its two hundredth year. Once again, the tents have been put up, and filled up with merry-makers who want to participate in the beer-saturated fun of the event.

The festivities that began with the official opening ceremonies in the Schottenhamel tent on September 18, will last two weeks and conclude in the 3^rd of October. Lord mayor of Munich, Christian Ude had the honor of tapping the first keg of Oktoberfest beer.

The history of Oktoberfest

The Oktoberfest festival commemorates the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghause on October 12, 1810. It was started by the prince, who wanted his people to share in his and Therese’ joy. A horse race was held that first year, and vast quantities of beer were served. The celebrations were attended by about forty thousand people, which was a very great number, consider the population of the country at that time.

The Oktoberfest at present

Today, however, an attendance of forty thousand would be a sour disappointment for the people of Munich, who have now become accustomed to the patronage and participation of a much greater number of people in the yearly festivities. In fact, the Oktoberfest has become the largest festival anywhere in the world, with an average of about six million visitors annually. As for horse races, they are no longer a fixture in the celebrations, although they may still be held as an additional entertainment.

In spite of the distinctly German origins of the annual festival, the great variety of nationalities to be found downing beer and participating in the festivities shows that the Oktoberfest is not just for Germans anymore. It has now become an attraction for beer-lovers from all over the world.

The event has become highly commercialized, as it is dominated by tents selling beer, souvenirs, cigarettes, and other goods. There are also carnival rides and games, which have been incorporated in order to market the Oktoberfest as a family event. In fact, “Family Day” is observed on every Tuesday of the celebration period, from twelve noon to six o’clock in the evening.

Ways to make Oktoberfest more fun

For many, drinking immoderate amounts of beer is all the fun that they need. Others, however, take the extra effort to get dressed for the occasion, and not in the way that most may expect. Susanne Muhlbauer, press officer for Munich Tourist Office says, “Part of the fun nowadays is that you actually do dress up in traditional costume. When I was a teenager, you just wore jeans. It’s only over the last twenty years that young people won’t go to the festival without wearing traditional lederhosen.”

Muhlbauer goes on to say that even non-Germans take the opportunity to show off their traditional clothes. Peoples from all over the Alpines, such as Italians, Austrians, Poles and Swiss are all coming together “to show their traditional costumes, which vary from the length of the lederhosen to the type of feathers in their hat.”

Travel Topics: Bavaria, Beer, Festival, German festivals, Germany, Germany festival, Munich, Munich festival, Munich Germany festival, Oktoberfest, Oktoberfest festival, Oktoberfest Germany