Don’t miss the Durian Festival in Malaysia taking place in June. Lovers of the ‘King of Fruits’ celebrate the season when one of the most popular fruit in Penang arrives. A must-try for all visitors!
The Dragon Boat Festival is a celebration where thousands of competitors take part in races as well as parades and other colorful activities. The annual occasion takes place in China, Hong-Kong, Malaysia (Penang) and Singapore and is usually held in June. It’s a colorful cultural festival with three distinct activities taking place; eating, drinking and racing dragon boats.
Phi Ta Khon (Ghost Mask) Festival is held every June in Thailand and celebrates the return of the Buddha-to-be, Prince Vessandorn. It is said that the people in the village celebrated so loud that it awoke the dead who then joined the celebration.
Idul Fitri (the end of Ramadan) in Indonesia and Malaysia is one of the most important holidays for Indonesian Muslims, usually celebrated for a full week with locals travelling around the country to their hometowns. Roads can become heavily congested and many restaurants and sights will close. If possible, we recommend avoiding the Idul Firti period if traveling to the islands of Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi and Lombok.
Singapore International Festival of Arts is spread over an entire month, celebrating the arts with a smorgasbord of theatre, dance and music performances taking place in the Lion City.
This month also welcomes the Bali Arts Festival with daily performances and handicraft exhibitions taking place. This is the cultural event of the year in Bali.
The monsoon slowly arrives in Southeast Asia but it’s still a good time to explore the Gulf of Thailand; especially Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Koh Samui - also central Vietnam (Hue, Hoi An, Danang, Nha Trang). Rain can also be expected in Japan with the exception of Hokkaido. For those interested in China, now is the ideal time to head west (in particular Tibet and Xinjiang). It’s also a great time to visit Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia while it is dry and sunny.
