Responsible tourism is making better places for people to live in and better places to visit. Based on common sense and responsible use of environmental resources and cultural assets of each destination.
It is interchangeably referred to as Ecotourism or Sustainable Tourism.
As a tourist, you have responsibilities of environmental, social and economical in the following ways
Protect the environment, its flora, fauna and landscapes
Respect local cultures, traditions, religions and built heritage
Benefit local communities, both economically and socially
To conserve natural resources from source to destination
To minimise pollution – through the noise, waste disposal and congestion.
Dispose of your trash at the nearest dustbin. Do not litter because your litter can kill marine life.
Help to reduce plastic waste by reusing your empty water bottles.
Learn about your destination, health and safety
Purchase local goods and services
Respect Human rights
Travel in a way that minimises negative impact on the environment
Image source -Royal India Holidays Pvt. Ltd.
Around the world, initiatives are being taken for Responsible Tourism. Following are a few
Costa Rica, a pioneer in Green Challenge is on its way to becoming the first carbon neutral country by 2021. ‘Pura Vida’ is the motto of Costa Rica which means ‘pure life. It reminds us of its beauty.
Costa Rica (pixabay.com)
“Rural community tourism consists of planned touristic experiences which are integrated sustainably with the rural environment and developed by local citizen organizations for the benefit of the community.” – Costa Rican Tourism Board, UNDP and the Alliance for Rural Community Tourism, 2005.
Deer Park’s campus Waste Management System– Deer Park Institute located in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India, believes that to have a positive change in the community, it needs to begin with its own internal approach and practices. For environmentally sustainable living, following steps have been undertaken:
Recycle bins at Deer Park zero Waste campus
Segregating all waste in the campus eco-zones. Recyclables are given to local scrap dealers.
Organic matter is fed to local cows.
Deer Park’s healthy vegetarian meals are cooked primarily with foods grown in their garden or bought from local farmers.
Using solar hot water systems to conserve electricity.
The Institute raises awareness of local and global environmental issues among students and visitors through displays and information sheets posted around the campus, film screenings and workshops.
The institute has also created an eco-friendly livelihood. Under this initiative, a group of local villagers have learned to make handicrafts from recycled materials, including greetings cards made from scrap paper, and bags, wallets and other products made from cloth scraps. These products are now being successfully sold in Deer Park’s gift shop, with the profits going to the local team members. Besides the initial training, Deer Park has provided the handicraft team with a permanent workshop on their campus and support in developing new products. Two of the young women from the handicraft team are also being trained on their campus in IT, office work and other vocational skills.
Apani Dhani, Rajasthan, India– offers eco-friendly accommodation, excursions and activities with locals such as cooking lessons, initiation to traditional arts and crafts. It is also a winner of Responsible Tourism Award in the year 2013. Besides an environmental concern and a local development policy, Apani Dhani supports projects dedicated to three themes: education, environment and architectural heritage protection.
Apani Dhani Ecolodge (apanidhani.in)
Battlesteads Hotels, UK– Net zero carbon neutral three-star Hotel. From the big stuff, like the carbon-neutral heating and hot water system, the extensive gardens with two polytunnels which provide fresh fruit and vegetables for the kitchen throughout the year, to the small stuff, like locally sourced organic toiletries, the use of empty toilet roll inners for potting seedlings and the wormeries munching through kilos of food waste turning it into compost. (Source)
ITC Sonar, Kolkata, India– 5-star hotel leading light in renewable energy and resource efficiency. Situated close to the airport and just ten minutes from the Salt Lake silicon hub of Kolkata and the city’s shopping, entertainment, cultural and business districts, ITC Sonar offers an elegant oasis of luxury and warmth in an ambience that brings you closer to nature. The first hotel in the world to be registered by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for Carbon Emission Reductions, ITC Sonar delivers graciously on ITC Hotels’ promise of Responsible Luxury.
Heritage Kandalama, Sri Lanka– An architectural masterpiece by Geoffrey Bawa. Recognised as excellence in waste, water and energy management and sustainable architectural design. It has won the Best hotel Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Award in the year 2010.
Heritance Kandalama- Sri Lanka’sMost AwardedHotel. An Icon of Modern Hotel Design
To conclude, as a responsible tourist you need to remember this, TRUST Principle model which is easy to adapt –
T– Travel to eco-friendly destinations largely.
R– Recreation with responsibility
U– Use only reusable items
S– Support the effort through possible means
T– Try and reach Responsible Tourism
So, let us all join hands and pledge to become a responsible tourist.
Do you think it’s possible to travel to Thailand with ONLY $10/day? Have you ever wondered why many people travel there? Let me tell you that I have done it with only this much money daily. And I will outline how exactly did I do that. Ready?
Check out the level of ease in traveling Thailand below!
Transportation – VERY EASY. Accommodation – NOT THAT EASY (for getting hosts). Food – FAIRLY EASY (There are options if you look for cheap food)
I travelled to Thailand for a month and I spent only $200. If you haven’t travelled like this before, you might get surprised how this is possible. Thailand is one of the cheapest countries to travel in South East Asia. Read on for actionable guides you can use to plan your own $200 trip to Thailand.
Before the trip: What do you need to prepare?
Visa
First, make sure that you don’t have any visa concerns. If you are from the US or from Europe, don’t forget that you need to have a passport with at least 6 months before expiry. For Thailand, you are eligible for 30 days visit, visa-free, if you come by plane. If you come overland, it will be 15 days. You can check here, if you need a Visa to visit Thailand as a tourist.
Flight out ticket
Sometimes flight companies ask for a flight out ticket to make sure you really have an itinerary and an exact plan upon visiting a country. Also, they need to lessen the chances that you will stay there longer than allowed. So, if you are traveling to Thailand (or any other country) with one-way ticket, you have several options:
You can buy a flight ticket and ask for a refund later from the flight company. Some allow you to cancel with a refund for until 48 hours. Make sure about the conditions. Some will not refund you for 100%.
Check flight companies. Some of them will provide your booking details, and they won’t charge you until after 24 hours. So, just book the flight out, and later if you don’t pay, they will cancel anyway. But you will already have the chance to print out your booking and show to the flight company.
There are websites which will book your flight ticket for 24-48 hours. They will charge you between 5-10 USD. You can print out the booking and show to the flight company. Checkonward flights and fly onward for this option.
Check return flights. You can print out your flight out ticket. For FREE.
Your last option is to buy a cheap flight out ticket. You always have the option to use or not use it.
Currency
The official currency is Thailand Bath, 1 USD= 35 (THB), check here for more information.
Health and Safety
About vaccines, you don’t need anything to travel Thailand. They can recommend some of them about Hepatitis. Don’t forget to bring cream against mosquitoes.
About safety. Travel Thailand is safe, so that’s not a problem! Make sure you keep your belongings safe if you are traveling in crowded spaces.
The weather
There are three different seasons in Thailand. Between June and November is rainy season. Between November and February is the best season to visit Thailand, it’s not rainy, and it’s not too hot – so yes, fair weather I would say. Between March and May, the weather is very hot in Thailand. North Thailand is colder than the rest of the country. You will have to make sure you are bringing attire appropriate for cold weather .
Prepare your trip
Check your first destination in Thailand. Perhaps Bangkok, the capital, if you come by plane. Check maps, guides for prices, places to visit and what’s the situation regarding the weather. Your budget can start at $10/day. Feel free to upgrade for special instances. Especially if you go to the beaches. Travel in Thailand is one of the easiest and cheapest countries to travel in the world.
The most probable thing, is getting by airplane to Thailand. If you are traveling around South East Asia, there are cheap flight companies. If you aren’t carrying too much luggage, and just a backpack, you can check in as hand luggage and you will avoid paying extra for your luggage. Check the prices and the dates that you will travel and compare between flight companies. I usually use Skyscanner. For me, Skyscanner is the most efficient website to search for flights. Skyscanner gives me the best price, 90% times.Google Flightsis also good way to check and compare which one is the best. Remember that you will get 30 days visa if you arrive by plane.
You can come to Thailand overland from different countries: Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar. Remember if you come to Thailand overland, they will give you 15 days visa in the border.
If you want to travel Thailand in a low-budget, your luggage should be light. Forget about suitcases! I’m usually traveling with an 8-kilo luggage. That’s including the tent and sleeping bag. Traveling Thailand cheap requires light luggage. I’m bringing 3 t-shirts, 3 pairs of underwear, a pair of pants, a pair of shorts, a cup and a jacket. This is the usual way I travel. Toiletries, I always bring my own stash. Bringing a flashlight is always useful if you plan to sleep outdoors, to help you pitch the tent at night. Soap, for washing clothes and keeping yourselfclean. When you travel light, you need to wash your clothes everyday, if not, you can easily run out of clothes. If you need something else, you can buy in Thailand. Thailand has a lot of areas where you can buy really cheap clothes, for example.
About accommodation
Try to contact someone before going to Thailand. If you want to travel Thailand spending less than 10 USD, you need to get free accommodation. Yes – this is one of the easiest tricks in cutting so many expenses for your travel. Otherwise, hostels will charge you more than 5 USD for sleeping. Well, it actually depends on which part. Bangkok and South Thailand are more expensive. You will find accommodation starting at 5 USD. In North Thailand, you can find accommodation for less than 5 USD. There are websites where you can get free sleep during your trip. I can recommend you my favorite one, Couchsurfing. There is a big community of Couchsurfing in Thailand. If you want to know more about sleeping for free duringyour travels, check this link where I outlined 28 surefire ways you can sleep for free while traveling.
Transportation
Travel Thailand by train.
Transportation will never be an issue when you travel Thailand. Prices are cheap like most of the countries from South East Asia. Traveling in Thailand by bus is also very cheap. If you buy a second class ticket, trains can be cheap, too. I recommend that you try hitchhiking in Thailand. And if you haven’t tried hitchhiking ever, Thailand is a good place for you to experience hitchhiking, so you can let go of all your inhibitions about it. Why? Because hitchhiking is super easy in Thailand. You will save in transportation and you will have a great experience. Roads are really good, too. It will surely make you feelconfident about traveling this way. If you have never tried hitchhiking before, check out the step by step hitchhiking guide here.
During the trip
If you are getting to Thailand by plane, try to exchange little money in the airport. Exchange rates are usually lower than outside the airport. If you can, exchange money in banks or an official exchange office. You will get better rates. If you are bringing credit card, ATMs charge 150 Baths commission. It means almost 5 USD, every time that you try to withdraw money.
There are many options to travel Thailand. Thailand is easily one most popular countries for travelers in South East Asia.
North Thailand
If you like a real Thailand experience, I can recommend you to go to the North! You can enjoy jungle and culture in North Thailand. The North is different from the Center and South Thailand. About prices North is much cheaper than Center and South Thailand. The weather is colder and the atmosphere is more relaxed than on South and Center Thailand. Enjoy night markets on the North Thailand! If you are a person who loves quiet, nature, the jungle, and will have a problem adapting to the very hot weather in the country (if you travel during the hot months), North Thailand will be a great place for you.
Center Thailand
You can enjoy Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. There are many plans to do. There are many activities during the day. It is the big city, so if this is your type of scene, or if you just want to get acquainted with the country (in case it’s your first time), the city is for you. You can also enjoy the nightlife. You can use this place as meeting point to meet new travelers. There are many places to visit around Bangkok. You can visit Khao San Road, which is always full of people. It’s the backpacker area where you can find so many travelers, lots of places for accommodation and lots of options for food.
South Thailand
It has stunning beaches! It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the crowds and the hassle. There are many plans to do. You can try snorkeling. You can try scuba diving. Prices are expensive on South Thailand. These days around the beaches. Your budget is gonna be higher than 10 USD. You will be enjoying the beaches during the day. At night, you will enjoy party.
Accommodation
If you want to travel 10 USD per day in Thailand, you need to make sure to get a host. You can checkCouchsurfing, Bewelcome, and Hospitality Club. You don’t want to use websites to sleep free? It’s not a problem! I told you, traveling Thailand is one of the easiest and cheapest countries. You can pitch the tent to sleep for free in Thailand. Look for a quiet place where you can pitch your tent. You can sleep in train and bus stations. You can sleep in the airport. Another trick to sleep for free traveling in Thailand, to ask in temples. There are temples which let you sleep for free in Thailand. Where can you find temples in Thailand? You are lucky. In Thailand, you can find temples everywhere. If you want to spend a few days in a temple and check how Buddhist people live. It’s possible! Talk to them, maybe you can teach English to the monks a few hours everyday. In exchange , they will teach you about religion and the way they live. While you are learning about them. They will provide you food and a place to sleep for free. Buddhist people love travelers! You can also ask hostels for work. You can work for a few hours helping them and they will provide you free food and accommodation. Also you will get a great experience. If you are in the middle of your hitchhiking day. You can ask locals to pitch the tent in their garden. Maybe, they will allow you to do that. Maybe, they will invite you inside home to sleep.
Learning about Latex
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking in Thailand, it’s one of my favorite countries. I didn’t spend more than 10 minutes waiting for a ride. Waiting time for the ride was usually 5 minutes. Except North Thailand on the way to Laos. Where there was little traffic and it was hard to get a ride. Roads are good. So you can complete the day distance fast. Thailand people are very friendly. Sometimes people who are driving you will treat you for local food. You can follow a few tips and tricks to hitchhike in Thailand.
If you want to leave Bangkok. You will have to get a bus or a train. . You can check Hitchwiki. They will tell you. The best way to leave Bangkok. It depends on where are you heading to.
– When you want to ask for a ride. Make sure you walk and reach a safe place. Where cars can stop easily. Thailand drivers are crazy. If they see you and you ask the for stop. They will stop even isn’t totally safe.
– As Thailand, people are so friendly. I didn’t even make a hitchhiking sign to ask for a ride. I was carrying a map and pointing them my next destination. If you can’t get a lift. You can try to make a sign writing your destination.
– To ask for a ride. Try to move your arms up and down. Get your best smile. That’s it!
– As Thailand, people can understand about hitchhiking. They will try to drive you to a bus or train station. You need to pay attention to the road. If they leave the road. Try to let them know that you are leaving the car. If not probably, you will end in the bus station or train station. When it happens, you need to go back to the road. Try to ask for another ride.
– As a guy. For me it was safe travel Thailand hitchhiking. I met girls who hitchhiked in Thailand. They felt safe too.
– Just enjoy the experience when people are driving you. Talk to them and you will learn things from them. You will get many invitations to sleep in their place. Or just invitations to pray with them. Invitations to have lunch. Even you can’t communicate with the language. You can always use sign language.
– It’s good, if you can try to learn some basics of their language. Ask for help to a friend to write about your hitchhiking. If your friend writes in a paper what are you doing. You can show to the drivers. They will understand what are you doing.
– Petrol stations are perfect for hitchhiking. You will find everything you need there. You can have shower. You can get food. You can look for a quiet place to pitch your tent. Sometimes, you will find wi-fi. Asking for a ride in petrol stations is really good. All the cars will stop and listen to you. When you explain to them where are you going. They will drive you.
If you want to get long distances hitchhiking. You can look for a truck. They usually go far. The problem with the trucks that they don’t usually go inside the city. You will have to get a bus to reach city center.
Why is Thailand my favorite country for hitchhiking?
You can ride many different vehicles. I’ve been riding tuk-tuks, pick-up, cars, trucks, vans, motorbikes. Nobody asked me for money in those rides.
I got invitations from people to sleep at their home. A driver drove me until the border with Cambodia. It wasn’t his destination but he wanted to make sure that I can safely reach the border. He was driving an hour outside his route. Thailand people are amazing!
What’s betel nut? The nut is raw, wrapped in a leaf. They mix with calcium hydroxide. They can include more spices as cardamom to get extra flavor. When you mix everything, you can eat. You need to chew. It tastes bitter. You will get your teeth red. The effect of betel is stimulant. That’s why usually drivers are eating. Truck drivers, taxi drivers, bus drivers are usually eating betel. It’s not the only place where you can find betel. You can find betel in South East Asia, Myanmar, India and Nepal, Taiwan. If you go hitchhiking, someone is gonna offered to you. Truck drivers or just drivers who drive long. You will have the chance to try. If you check on the internet about betel.You can seehow bad is eating betel. Just try it to get a new experience.
I was hitchhiking near Ayutthaya. A guy bought me a bus ticket. He provided me food and he gave me money. I tried to avoid getting the money. But I finally had to accept. He insisted a lot. So, I was using that money for people who don’t have anything. There are some people who live outside in Thailand. They don’t have money for food. They have no place for sleep. Outside touristic places, I could find the best people in Thailand.
I was coming from Myanmar. First ride that I got in Thailand. They invited me for praying. After praying, we had dinner and beers. And finally, they invited me to sleep at their home.
Once you avoid to spend money in transportation and accommodation. You are ready to travel Thailand with less than 10 USD. You can spend some money in transportation inside the cities. Bus or a metro inside the city is cheap, less than 1 USD. If you want to avoid spending in transportation. You can walk around the city or small towns. You can get a bicycle to move around touristic places. It’s gonna be 1-2 USD. A bicycle is a great choice to go around!
You can spend money visiting museums. There are interesting museums in the cities to visit and some of them you can get for free. There are temples to visit. Some of them for free. Some of them you will need to pay. If you wanna go for free in the temples, just go inside for the way out gate. And it’s usually nobody is watching you. I didn’t try it. But some people told me that it’s working.
Eating and Drinking
I would recommend you to spend money in food. Travel Thailand is great focusing in gastronomy. I got surprised how good is Thailand gastronomy. My favorite in the world.
You can visit street markets. There are many fruits to try in Thailand. All of them are very tasty. All of them are affordable. There are smoothies and juices everywhere. Prices are 1-2 USD. As Thailand the weather is hot. Its refreshing! You can buy beer from 1-2 USD. It depends on the size.
Travel Thailand you can find 7-Eleven everywhere. You will find hamburgers, sandwiches, noodles, cookies. You can also get drinks. Prices are cheap.
When you travel Thailand, you can’t miss night markets. There is too much variety of food. Prices are affordable. You can get street food from 1 USD to 3 USD. I love Thailand food! If you travel Thailand coming from South East Asia, prices are expensive. If we compare to Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. But still cheap. When you travel Thailand doing hitchhiking and avoiding to pay accommodation. Food is delicious in Thailand! If you visit night markets are very cheap. Especially in North Thailand. Just enjoy Thailand food!
Pad Thaiis my favorite dish. You can find for 1 USD. Seafood is amazing! I loveTom Yum. A soup with prawns. Sometimes it’s very spicy. You can mix with rice. Mango with sticky rice. Noodle soups. Barbecue. Fried chicken with sticky rice. You can also try insects. They don’t look good. But when you try, it tastes good.
Travel Thailand, how to get WiFi for free?
You can get wi-fi in restaurants, hostels, malls, petrol stations. You won’t have a problem to get wi-fi in Thailand. You need to buy a local SIM card and you will get free connection at many places. Also you can get wi-fi in bus and train station. If you need to pay for the connection, no worries. It’s gonna be less than 1 USD.
Thailand people use motorbike a lot. Be careful! There are thousands of motorbikes in Thailand.
Festivals
There are some festivals for free. As Lanterns festival,Loi Krathong. They name in Thailand could be translated to float a basket. As water festival,Songkran festival. Water festival is celebrating in New Year. According to Buddhist lunar calendar.
Watch out!
Be very careful when renting a motorbike in Thailand beaches. They will take your passport. When you are returning the motorbike, they will ask your for money. They will tell you that you crashed the motorbike and that it needs some other small repairs. They will charge you a lot, more than what you would’ve paid if you had it fixed somewhere else. They know that you need your passport. And since most of the people pay, they keep doing this. So, be careful. Ask in advance for someone who has already rented a motorbike in that place. You can try checking with other backpackers if they had any problems with the company so you can avoid these kinds of problems.
Meeting Locals
I had a great experience in South Thailand. Doing Couchsurfing. I spent two weeks with a local family in the middle of nowhere. I could visit beaches which weren’t so busy. I prefer avoiding to visit touristic places. There are full of tourists and I prefer local experiences. They are worthy.
The route
I started in Trang, South Thailand. I was coming overland from Malaysia. After Trang, South Thailand. I went to Bangkok. From Bangkok, I headed to the North. Ayutthaya, Lopburi, Sukhothai, Tak and Mae Sot. From Mae Sot, I went to Chiang Mai. After Chiang Mai, I went to Chiang Rai and Chiang Kong. After these places, I went to Bangkok and I left to Cambodia. Last stop was in Aranyaprathet.
My route in Thailand. As I’ve been visiting Thailand a few times. I ‘ve been following different routes.
After travel Thailand for a month. I spent less than 200 USD in a month. I didn’t spend any cent for accommodation. I didn’t spend any cent for transportation. Landscapes and people were great. So, I can recommend to you 100 % travel Thailand in a low-budget.
Want to learn sure-fire ways you can spend ONLY $10/day to travel Thailand. Make sure you read the guide on Gamin Traveler.
So how does a typical $10 day look like? Here’s an example from my experience:
Breakfast – $2-$3 – Milkshake + Fruits, You can easily find these in Street Markets
Lunch – $2-$3 – Pad Thai
Dinner – $5 in the night market – This includes money to treat your host for a dinner
Want to spend more?
+$1-$2 – Buy a beer for yourself or share with your host Water costs 1 Baht, which is like 35 1-Liter bottles for $1
All these stories are from my real travel experience. If you are in Thailand to discover the life, integrate with the culture, meet new people and spend time with your host, then a $10 day doesn’t really sound bad. You can spend on essential things like food, and cut back to almost zero on transportation and accommodation (by hitchhiking and Couchsurfing).
I highly encourage travel in Thailand, if you are in a very tight budget. Have you tried it already? Planning to just visit? Let me know if you have questions and I’ll go ahead and answer them in the comments.
Also, share this post to extend the love. You know we all have to tell everybody they can travel now, with a very low budget. So yes, NO EXCUSES. Buen Viaje! Ruben
If you are a backpacker, then you won’t want to miss this trip. You can plan a road trip next year which connects three countries. The India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) trilateral highway will link India to Myanmar and then to Southeast Asia. It is a 3200km road link that connects Moreh (India) to Mae Sot (Thailand), via Mandalay and Yangon in Myanmar. It will boost connectivity between the Mekon sub-region and India’s northeast region. This highway shall connect Moreh in Manipur to Thailand’s Maesot through Tamu in Myanmar, Mandalay, and Myawaddy.
Three-nation highway Image source
So, if you are planning a road trip from North East region in India to Thailand, don’t forget to visit these places: Guwahati- It is the gateway of the North East. While in Guwahati, there are many interesting places to visit if you are a nature lover. Guwahati is situated on the banks of the Brahmaputra River with a stunning landscape and rich cultural background.
Kaziranga National Park– It is home to tigers, elephants, leopards, panthers, and one-horned rhinoceros. If you are a bird watcher then it is a haven as birds flock in thousands here. The best time to travel is in the month of November and April as the park is open to tourists.
Wild Indian rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park
Manas National Park– it is a World Heritage site. It is the only Tiger Reserve in Assam. There are many endangered species here. Among birds, you can spot bulbuls, falcons, hornbills, and magpie robins.
Brahmaputra River Cruise– You will be mesmerised with breath-taking views of the majestic river that flows through Guwahati dividing it into two halves.
From Guwahati to Imphal and Moreh, via Dimapur by road. This is the Asian Highway (AH-1) and is a part of the India-Myanmar –Thailand Trilateral Highway.
Moreh- It is the border town in Manipur in the northeast region of India. An important trade point in northeast India connects Tamu town in Myanmar.
Myanmar- Bagan, a city from the 9th century, was built by King Anawrahta in 1044. There are many stupas and temples built around the 11th and 13th centuries. Magnificent architecture with mural or fresco paintings. Hot air balloons can be taken over Bagan to enjoy the spectacular view of the sunset and birds-eye view of Bagan.
Bagan (Image source)
Mandalay is known as the center for Burmese culture, a city of artisans, and a trading center of goods. A hot air balloon tour can be taken over Mandalay and Inle Lake.
Yangon – Shwedagon Paya, a large golden Buddhist temple is fabulous.
The Shwedagon Paya in Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma)
Inle Lake– You can see the local fisherman use special techniques to set their nets. The fisherman row boats using their legs.
Fisherman and his net
The wide lake has villages on stilts and floating gardens. The gardens are anchored with long bamboo poles in the lake. There are flowers, tomatoes, chilies, cauliflowers, and vegetables. The best time to visit is September and October. Hapaung Daw U Festival lasts 3 weeks and Thadingyut Festival of Lights.
Phaung Daw U-Festival (Image source)
Thailand- To its north, it forms a border with Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia on its east, to its south by Malaysia, and to its west by the Andaman Sea.
Bangkok– The capital city of Thailand has magnificent palaces. Wat Phra Kaeo in the Grand Palace is among Bangkok’s major tourist attractions.
Wat Phra Kaeo (Image source)
So, do go ahead on this once-in-a-lifetime road trip.
Diwali is a festival of lights. It is the Hindu New Year. The word ‘Diwali’ originated from the Sanskrit word ‘Deepavali’. It means a row of lights. It is a joyous occasion and you could celebrate Diwali at some of the spectacular places mentioned below:
A typical scene at a Kolkata puja Image courtesy: Bodhisattva Sen Roy
Kolkata, West Bengal– Kali Puja coincides with Diwali. The celebration of the goddess Kali (Hindu goddess) is associated with creative power. A day before the Puja, little candles, diyas and colourful electric bulbs light up the ‘city of joy’.
Deepawali in Varanasi
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh– This place wears a colourful look throughout this festival. The city is known as the ‘holy city of India’. Varanasi is illuminated with thousands of diyas (earthen lamps) on the day of Diwali giving it a mesmerizing and spectacular sight for whoever is present there.
Diwali in Amritsar
Amritsar, Punjab– The Golden Temple is a spectacular sight when it is draped with lit diyas. The preparations for this festival begin weeks in advance. Every house is decorated with leaves, flowers and rangoli’s (an art form of colours and powder) at the entrance. Sweets are prepared to be shared with friends and families.
Diwali in London Image source
London– The festival of lights is not only celebrated in India but also by people of all religions and national backgrounds on the London streets, exchanging gifts and sweets. There are various venues that have Diwali events during this time. Trafalgar Square is one of them.
Diwali in Singapore Image source
Singapore– It is one of foremost destination for Indians during Diwali. There are massive decorations on the streets and homes in little India of Singapore. Many events have been planned, keeping in mind the festive spirit.
Fireworks in Macau
Macau– Another destination that Indians prefer is Macau. Villas and resorts are decorated with Diwali lighting and there are fireworks too which the guests enjoy.
Diwali Festival in Cape Town
South Africa– It is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm. Prayers are offered and sweets are prepared. The festival spirit is the same as in India.
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