Asia Tours

The Lunar Festival or Spring Festival is a major festival celebrated in China and other Asian countries with an ethnic Chinese population. These include Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Cambodia. The festival involves elaborate ceremonies and festivities that span several days, with traditions like family reunions, feasts, and traditional games. Another important aspect of the festival includes offering red envelopes with money to children, lighting lanterns, and setting off fireworks.

Minor traditions differ from one country to another. For instance, in Korea, people wear traditional hanboks and play traditional games, while in Vietnam, people decorate their homes with kumquat trees and peach blossoms.

Diwali, or Deepawali, is also called the Festival of Lights, and it is celebrated by millions of Indians and Hindus across Asia, including Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, Indonesia, and even Thailand. Hindus celebrate Diwali by lighting lamps, symbolising the victory of good over evil. People welcome Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Prosperity. Some popular Diwali traditions include wearing new clothes, setting off fireworks, distributing sweets to friends and family, and decorating the home with flowers and rangoli.

Thais celebrate Songkran as part of their New Year festivities. The festival now attracts tourists from around the world to witness the water fights, during which people throw water on everyone, including tourists. Water is believed to wash away bad luck from the previous year and welcome good fortune during the New Year. Besides pouring water over one another, people also bathe images of Buddha, play games, and sample traditional Thai dishes like prawn pad Thai and mango sticky rice.

Onam is a 10 day harvest festival celebrated in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August – September). It is also associated with the legend of King Mahabali, a beloved king who is believed to have visited his subjects on the final day of Oman, called Thiruvonam. People of all communities and religions gather to welcome Mahabali with Athapookolams or flower rangolis, boat races, and folk dances like pulikali, thumbi thullal, thiruvathira, and kummattikali. Oman celebrations culminate in Onam Sadya – a vegetarian feast that includes not less than 15 side dishes, 5 curries, and a minimum of 3 desserts. If you’d like to experience Onam first-hand or watch the famous boat race, check out our Kerala tour package.

While Malaysia is a multicultural society, its population is predominantly Muslim, making Hari Raya or Eid a major festival. Eid-al-Fitr marks the end of the month long fasting during Ramadan. Malaysians celebrate the festival by decorating their homes with lights, lanterns, and traditional floral arrangements called bunga rampai. This is also a great time to enjoy traditional Malay food, including rendang, satay, ketupat, and serunding. Another tradition common during Hari Raya is giving duit Raya or gift money for celebration by elders to children.

Cherry blossom season in Japan starts at the end of March and lasts until the middle of April, although it could continue until May. Hanami, or the Cherry Blossom Festival, is celebrated to welcome the fleeting beauty of the cherry blossoms. In fact, Hanami is not planned until the announcement of the blossom forecast. Hanami is deeply rooted in Japanese tradition, dating back to the Nara Period from 710 to 794. Some traditions associated with the cherry blossom festival include gathering together for a feast, handing paper lanterns on trees, and drinking sake or tea.

The Bali Kite Festival is celebrated yearly from July to August and could extend up to October. This Hindu religious festival is to thank the gods for an abundant harvest. Kite-flying fans from across the world visit Sanur in Bali to compete with each other. Kites are significant to Balinese culture, and people have passed down the art of kite-making for generations.

Nowruz is a 6th century Zoroastrian festival celebrated across Central Asian countries, including Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Iran. It is also celebrated in countries with an ethnic Persian or Parsi population, viz., Pakistan, India, and Iran. While originally associated with Zoroastrianism, this spring festival is still observed by many Muslims, especially in Turkey and Afghanistan. While traditions and customs related to Nowruz change from one country to another, certain unifying features exist. For instance, rituals involving fire and water are a standard feature.

• Holi, the Festival of Colours in India
• Dragon Boat Festival in China
• Gion Matsuri in Japan
• Nowruz – Across Central Asia
• Durga Puja – West Bengal, Odisha (India)
• Kandy Perahara – Sri Lanka
• Vesak – Sri Lanka
• Thaipusam – Malaysia
• Yee Peng or Festival of Lanterns in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

• Remove your shoes & hats before entering temples.
• Dress modestly in religious places. Some places in South India require men to remove their shirts and women to carry a shawl or scarf.
• Ask permission before taking pictures of Buddhist monks, temple deities, etc. Photography is mostly prohibited in Indian temples.
• Use your right hand when shaking hands, eating, offering or receiving a gift, etc.
• In Japan, China, and other Southeast Asian countries, always give and receive cards, gifts, or other valuables with both hands.
• Hierarchy and titles are very important across Asia, influencing many things, including dinner table arrangements and business meetings.
• Asians are afraid of sounding rude and hence say yes, even when they don’t want to say no. As a result, they make excuses to avoid confrontation.
• In Hindu countries, cow is sacred, and not everyone eats beef.
• Similarly, in Islamic countries, people do not eat pork.
• In countries where the fork is a common cutlery, remember not to place it upright as it is considered rude.
• In Buddhist countries, women may not touch the monk.
• PDAs are best avoided as most Asian countries are conservative.