Loy Krathong is the Thai tradition which has been annually celebrated throughout Thailand since the Sukhothai period. For this year, in 2021, the date of the celebration should be on the 11th of November.

How people celebrate Loy Krathong

On full moon nights, Thai people normally float Krathong, small lotus-shaped floating receptacles, down rivers or canals. The main purposes of the Loy Krathong festival is to express gratitude and ask for forgiveness from Phra Mae Khongkha (the goddess of water) for throwing rubbish and polluting the water. Many also believe that it is a way to drift away misfortune and bad luck from the past.

Best places in Bangkok to celebrate Loy Krathong

In Bangkok, there are a lot of superb locations for the Loy Krathong festival. The first one is ICONSIAM, the shopping mall on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. The easiest way to get there is to take the Skytrain to Taksin Bridge station and take the Shuttle Boat to ICONSIAM. Another stunning riverside spot is Asiatique the Riverfront featuring a lot of food stalls, pop-up shops and magnificent stage shows. Similar to ICONSIAM, you can just take the Skytrain to Taksin Bridge station and hop on one of Asiatique´s free river ferry shuttles.

Besides these riverfront spots, another popular venue is Lumpini Park, a large verdant green area in the centre of Bangkok. Surrounded by lots of edifices, the colourful lights from those buildings create splendid city views for posting Instagram stories. You can get to Lumpini Park by taking MRT to Silom Station or BTS to Sala Daeng station.

If you’re in Phuket around mid-April, you will most likely notice big bikes and choppers rumbling around the island, which can only mean one thing – the island is revving up to Phuket Bike Week. Every year over Songkran, bikers from all around the region gather in Phuket to participate in Asia’s largest motorcycle event, which attracts over 10,000 enthusiasts on wheels, including those arriving on riding processions from nearby provinces. The event itself straddles the Thai New Year of Songkran, with activities happening at Patong Beach leading up to the Thai New Year, and restarting at Phuket Boat Lagoon right after.

Phuket Bike Week Festival Highlights

As the name suggests, motorcycles are the main highlight here. Bikes can be admired in all their glory at special exhibitions or at the bike parade. The festival also features a custom bike contest, and vendors selling everything from bike accessories to complementary apparel to help bikers look the part. A full line-up of entertainment provides many opportunities for family fun, including a beach party with live musical performances and food stalls selling a mix of creative snacks and traditional fare. There are also organised riding convoys around the island, an activity which is open to visitors.

How to get to Phuket

As Thailand’s premier island destination, Phuket is well connected to domestic and a number of regional destinations. During the high season, several seasonal charters also arrive at its international airport from Europe. From Bangkok, Phuket is just over an hour’s flight away on numerous airlines.

The rosy pink blooms of cherry blossom season are not reserved for East Asian destinations like Japan and South Korea. Thanks to its cooler climate and higher altitude, Chiang Mai puts on its own spectacular show of dusky pink flowers from the end of December until mid-February. While the peak of the blossom season varies slightly from year to year, January is typically the best time to head up north and make the most of the blush pink flowers. Bear in mind, the best viewing spots tend to get quite busy during weekends in January, so it’s worth factoring that into your travel plans.

Top spots for Cherry Blossom Viewing in Chiang Mai

Get into prime position for some sensational snaps of sakura flowers at Chiang Mai’s Khun Chang Khian Highland Agricultural Research Centre. Situated at the top of Doi Suthep Mountain, this viewing site is the closest to town, and offers a flowery feast for the eyes. Arabica coffee beans are also grown at the centre, so be sure to grab yourself a brew at one of the small stalls. You can also tie in a visit with the temple Wat Phra That Soi Suthep if you want to make a whole day out of your visit.

Another top spot to put on your cherry blossom viewing itinerary is Khun Wang Royal Agricultural Research Centre, nestled within Doi Inthanan National Park. You can stroll beneath a rosy canopy of blooms and take all the selfies your heart desires. There’s also the opportunity to check out other seasonal fruits at the Centre, including Chinese pears, plums and peaches. The centre is open from 8am until 4pm daily.

If you don’t mind travelling a little further afield, Doi Ang Khang is a three to four-hour drive away, and overs spectacular views across a fluffy pink blanket of blossoms.

Getting to the gardens

Many of the roads leading up and out of town to the prime cherry blossom viewing sites are narrow and unpaved. As such, the most efficient way to reach the best gardens are via songthaew from the city centre. If you want to take all the stress out of planning a trip out of the city, you can also book onto a packaged day tour of the region’s best cherry blossom sites, which usually includes a visit to some local villages and waterfalls.