Tag Archives: 2013

Famous in the mainstream travel circle as the land of yurts and nomads, Mongolia is perhaps best remembered as the motherland of Genghis Khan, that Mongol emperor whose conquests made him a much-feared character in world history. But even the West knows that despite the blood-tinged history associated with his …

It was not until the Y2K scare that New Zealand became prominent on the global scene. After all, Kiwis (moniker for people from down there) have always been the first in the history to see millennial sunrises and, in the digital age, the first to have suffered the Y2K glitch …

Home to the tallest mountain on Earth, Nepal separates the tough from the sissies when they start the vertical journey from Camp 4 onwards. Any self-respecting mountaineer will not have made complete their conquest if they have not reached the summit of Mt. Everest, which, according to one very famous …

Brunei Darussalam is a strictly Muslim country in a region predominated by Hinduism and Buddhism. Expectedly, Brunei’s public holidays are mainly Islamic, while the rest are celebrations related to the monarchy. Below is the list of Brunei public holidays 2013. New Years Day – Tuesday, 1 January 2013 On this …

The Muslim world literally revolves around Saudi Arabia because it is here, in Mecca, that every devout is required to make a pilgrimage at least once in their lives, a millions-strong-pilgrimage called Hajj. As expected, two out of only three Saudi Arabia public holidays are Islamic festivals, and the other …

Bangladesh maybe getting international attention for less-than-desirable reasons, but those in the know, know better that Bangladesh is an up and coming star in the outsourcing industry. With young population sufficiently educated to meet the needs of developed countries and eager for opportunities that are scarce in their homeland, Bangladesh …

Pakistan, if mainstream media would have it, is where armed conflict, political turmoil and collateral damage all go in one sentence. While there is a grain of truth in what is vividly portrayed on television, there is also the fact that Pakistan throbs with the cosmopolitan beats of Karachi. Once …

The Land Down Under is also the “Land of Long Weekends”, and yet, compared to India (which perhaps holds the most number of long weekends given their long list of holidays devoted to Hindu deities), Australia has very few public holidays. These are divided into state holidays or national holidays. …

Throughout different countries and cultures, people come together to give thanks for the blessings that they have received. One of the most common reasons for such gatherings is to give thanks for a bountiful harvest season. It is observed in many European and Asian countries whose main livelihood is by …

For seekers of the ultimate adrenaline rush (or to put it bluntly, for those who wish to harm themselves), they should head to Pamplona, Spain, during the first and second week of July to participate in what has been known the world over as the Running of the Bulls. As …

The World of Music, Arts and Dance is a spectacular universe unto itself. Dancers, musicians, instrumentalists, storytellers, thespians, fire-eaters, jugglers, sitar players, and even bit performers, all find a home – and a large audience – in WOMAD. Anything that is the expression of the spirit and manifested in tunes, …

Festivals often honor deities, as in India’s Durga Puja, or commemorate a historical event, as in the Battle of Oranges in Italy. Sometimes, it comes out of necessity, as in the Running of the Bulls in Spain. Rarely, it arises out of the simple reason to institutionalize fun, as in …