May 16th, 2013 at 2:00PM: xcode, Flickr
AKA: Vesakha, Vesak, Wesak, Visak, Vixakha and many more derivatives.
When? The second Sunday in May OR the day of the full moon in May OR the Sunday nearest to the day of the full moon in May OR the eighth day of the fourth lunar month OR if you've decided all that calendric work is too much hassle, like the Japanese, April 8.
Public holiday in: Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
holiday posts
Better Know A Holiday: Buddha's Birthday
May 16th, 2013 at 2:00PM: xcode, Flickr
AKA: Vesakha, Vesak, Wesak, Visak, Vixakha and many more derivatives.
When? The second Sunday in May OR the day of the full moon in May OR the Sunday nearest to the day of the full moon in May OR the eighth day of the fourth lunar month OR if you've decided all that calendric work is too much hassle, like the Japanese, April 8.
Public holiday in: Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, ...Better Know A Holiday: Showa Day
Apr 29th, 2013 at 9:00AM:
Formerly: The Emperor's Birthday, Greenery Day
When? April 29
Public holiday in: Japan
Part of: Japan's Golden Week, a series of four public holidays in the span of a week that sees offices closed, trains and planes packed and a mass exodus from the major cities like Tokyo.
Who died? Former Japanese Emperor Hirohito, posthumously referred to as Emperor Showa.
They changed his ...Memorial Day Travel Ideas: Consider The Source, No Cheating
Apr 18th, 2013 at 3:00PM: Memorial Day weekend begins Friday, May 24, and marks the start of the summer travel season. One of the most popular times of the year to travel, finding a destination that fulfills our three-day weekend dreams can take some work. Considering a visit to the Upper East Coast? Maybe not such a good idea to visit beaches ravaged by last October's hurricane. Or is it?
If you are looking for a quiet ...Holiday Cruise Vacation For 2013? Wait To Buy, About A Week
Dec 28th, 2012 at 3:00PM:
The holiday gifts have all been opened and some of Santa's "nice" kids received exactly what they wanted. Others, leaning a bit towards the "naughty" side, not so much. If a cruise vacation was on that gift list for you, all hope is not lost. It is indeed possible to actually buy a cruise and get it for a price that adds up to a great travel value.
We are right around the corner from what ...Dim Sum For Christmas: Creating A Holiday Tradition At Home
Dec 25th, 2012 at 12:00PM: With very few exceptions, I've spent the last 17-plus Christmases going out for dim sum. No matter where I'm living at the time, once December rolls around, I start researching the best places to indulge my har gow habit. Why? Because I've worked in the service industry for over two decades.
I've either waited tables or worked retail (usually in the food industry) since I was in my 20s. In ...Photo Of The Day: Trekking Chadar
Dec 20th, 2012 at 7:00PM:
Today's Photo of the Day sort of resembles what many of us will experience when traveling over the coming holiday week, or at least, it can feel like a trek. Flickr user arunchs shot this on the famous Chadar Trek, one of the most majestic but challenging in the world. These people are actually crossing the frozen Zanskar River in India, walking over the slippery and icy surfaces of the ...VIDEO: Merry Kiwi Christmas
Dec 20th, 2012 at 3:00PM:
Tis the season for holiday-themed marketing videos, but this one is so charming, it's already on heavy rotation in my household. Pauanesia, the wonderful Auckland shop featured in our New Zealand-made souvenirs story, has just released this "Night Before Christmas" video starring their stuffed kiwi birds. The adorable and colorful birds, retro-simple stop-motion animation, and jazzy ukelele ...
VIDEO: Turkish Tannenbaum
Dec 19th, 2012 at 1:00PM:
"On Tane Baum in Istanbul" from Manzara Istanbul on Vimeo.
Want to feel some holiday warm and fuzzies? Take a few minutes to enjoy this Turkish video from Manzara Istanbul, a vacation apartment rental agency in Turkey's most popular city. The agency is run by a German Turk, who coordinated his entire staff to sing a not-exactly-stellar but very sweet version of the Christmas carol "O ...
A Visit To Macy's Santaland
Dec 16th, 2012 at 10:00AM: This week, in between a visit to the Brazilian consulate to apply for tourism visas, and working on the Gadling family travel gift guide, I decided to make a trip to the North Pole. Or rather, the one on 34th Street, where the most famous department store Santa resides at Macy's Santaland. Visions of David Sedaris dancing in my head, I decided if we were going to do this, I might as well do it ...Video: Holiday Greetings From The National Park Service
Dec 16th, 2012 at 8:00AM: The National Park Service has released a fun little video to wish us all a happy holiday season and of course issue an invitation to visit them soon. No matter what time of year it is, the parks represent some of the best travel experiences anywhere, and we're reminded of that as the video bounces around to at least a dozen national parks and monuments across the U.S. Chances are, no matter where ...
My Own Personal Krampus
Dec 12th, 2012 at 10:00AM: I have a photo, printed from film, old school ... my husband and I are standing in a snowstorm in the Austrian alps. The flash from the camera reflects off giant fluffy flakes. The sky behind us is black – it's early evening, but an alpine evening, so it is dark. We are wearing big coats and big hats and big snow boots. We are surrounded by a group of Krampus, the alpine monster of the ...Discounted Holiday Events Make For Rich Seasonal Travel
Nov 28th, 2012 at 4:00PM:
As we make plans for travel through the first of the year, holiday events are often included. At home or on the road – traditional, old fashioned or new – different holiday events are in place for us to enjoy. Some are free to see, others have a ticket or admission price, but all aim to be a part of our holiday travel plans. Here are a few of the more noteworthy holiday ...Photo Of The Day: Thanks For Flying
Nov 22nd, 2012 at 5:00PM:
Happy Thanksgiving, and hola from the Dominican Republic, where I'm spending the holiday with family and friends. Rather than searching the Gadling Flickr pool for a turkey (or Turkey, where I spent the last two Thanksgiving holidays) photo this year, I wanted to see what came up for the term "thanks," and found this pic from our own Kent Wien, boarding an American Airlines airplane in ...Over The River And Around The Detour With Road Travel Info Sources
Nov 9th, 2012 at 3:00PM:
"Over The River and Through the Wood" is a Thanksgiving song that many travelers will be humming if not singing in a couple weeks as they hit the road for holiday events. To keep the holiday mood light, many will turn to a variety of online and smartphone tools designed to make life on the road easier.
Sigalert takes the California Highway Patrol definition of "any unplanned event that ...Send a holiday greeting from above the clouds
Dec 30th, 2011 at 4:00PM:
Procrastinated on sending Christmas cards this year? It's not too late to send a holiday greeting to say "Happy New Year" (or Mutlu Yillar in Turkish) with a travel theme. Turkish Airlines has a fun website for generating a virtual holiday greeting with a view of the wing. On Above the Clouds, you can choose a cloud image like a snowflake, Christmas tree, or angel and add a brief message ...Mutlu Yillar (Happy Holidays) from Turkey
Dec 25th, 2011 at 3:00PM:
Christmas Day has arrived, and here in Istanbul, it's just another Sunday but you could be fooled by all the festive decorations. Much of the city is festooned with colorful lights and ornamented trees, but with a Turkish twist. Most of the population is Muslim, while unlike in more conservative countries, many families will roast turkeys, decorate trees, and exchange gifts on New Year's Eve. ...Video of the day: Season's Greetings from New York City
Dec 22nd, 2011 at 6:00PM:
We at Gadling love a good time-lapse video. Whether it's at a busy airport in Moldova or the many personalities on the streets of Laos, there's something about seeing life pass by at fast (or slow) speeds that's entrancing. With Christmas a few days away and Hanukkah in full swing, we especially love feeling festive without the crowds, the cold, and the hassle. Today's Video of the Day is ...
Skype offering free WiFi access in 50 airports this holiday season
Dec 20th, 2011 at 8:30AM: Video conferencing service Skype is giving the gift of free airport WiFi this holiday season, offering travelers in the U.S. the opportunity to place video or voice calls to friends and family while on the go.
Starting tomorrow, December 21st, and running through Tuesday, December 27th, Mac, PC, and iOS (iPhone, iPad, etc.) users will gain access to third-party WiFi hotspots in 50 different ...Go ice skating at your hotel in Miami
Dec 5th, 2011 at 5:30PM:
What's better than ice skating during the holidays? How about ice skating with the knowledge that the sunny beaches of Miami are waiting for you when you're finished?
Travelers escaping the cold for the balmy climes of South Florida can enjoy a little taste of winter with the Intercontinental Miami's Holiday Ice Rink. Through January 15, 2012, the full-size rink will be open at ...Gift Guide for Warm Weather Adventurers
Nov 29th, 2011 at 8:00AM: As December approaches and the holiday season draws near, those warm summer days that we enjoyed just a few months back are already a distant memory. But no matter what the calendar says, I guarantee the adventurer on your shopping list is already plotting his or her next warm weather escape. Considering summer really is just a short plane ride away, here are some suggestions for what to buy them ...
