Asia Transpacific Journeys Offers Exclusive Access to Asia's Best Festivals

Several of Asia Transpacific Journeys' signature Small Group Trips are centered around such festivals, and they unfailingly prove to be their travelers' favorite part of the journey. Custom Journeys, their specialty, can also be crafted around any festival in the Asian destination of your choice. As with all Asia Transpacific Journeys' itineraries, travelers are always accompanied by an expert local guide–a major boon to navigating the festival and understanding its cultural significance. And you can rest easy knowing that their expert Travel Specialists take care of all of your logistics, from booking lodging and transfers to and from the festival, to accommodating special celebrations on the road. You can relax and immerse yourself in your travel experience knowing every last detail of your journey has been taken care of.

Now is the time to secure your place at Asia's most fascinating festivals for the 2015/2016 travel season. In preparation, Asia Transpacific Journeys has gained exclusive access to two new luxury festival experiences:

Attend the Ardh Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India (Jan 1 - Mar 1, 2016)

Asia Transpacific Journeys is excited to announce a new luxury festival experience centered around the 2016 Ardh Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, India. Traveling with Asia Transpacific Journeys makes it possible to immerse yourself in the festivities–a chaotic swirl of vibrant colors, sacred chanting, smoldering incense, boisterous children, pungent spices and the unmistakable soul of India–without compromising on creature comforts.

Every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh Mela attracts tens of millions of devout Hindus in what has been dubbed “the world's largest peaceful gathering.” Every six years, an Ardh (half) Kumbh Mela is held, a celebration with all the charm of the Maha festival but with less overwhelming numbers. In 2016, millions of pilgrims from all over India and the world, holy men and ordinary villagers alike, will descent on Haridwar to bathe in the holy Ganges River.

Lodge near the festival grounds at the unbeatable Lakshmi Niwas tented camp. Built on the same model as the sophisticated safari camps of Africa, but with unique Indian flair, Lakshmi Niwas' attention to detail is evident in the elegant touches that envelop each comfortable, canvas tent, hand-printed with decorative motifs and featuring a private front porch. Hardwood bedframes, brass vases of fresh flowers, reading material relevant to the festival and hand-crafted, luxury toiletries create an ambiance that is equal parts exotic and luxurious.

Your guide when visiting the festival is an accomplished Advait disciple and expert in Indian philosophy and spirituality. Under her gentle tutelage, the mysterious rituals and practices of the Kumbh Mela will come to life before your eyes. Take part in a private aarti ceremony, learn to meditate or hone your photography skills–the opportunities to participate in this unmatched confluence of humanity are endless.


Celebrate Holi at Chanoud Garh, Rajasthan, India (Mar 23 & 24, 2016)

India's most colorful festival, Holi is a vibrant free-for-all celebration of springtime, love and colors of every hue. Traditional songs, dances and bonfires are accompanied by a country-wide water fight in which participants douse friends and strangers alike with water and colored powders. This year, for the first time, Asia Transpacific Journeys invites travelers to celebrate Holi at the authentic Rajput aristocratic resistance and fort of Chanoud Garh in rural Rajasthan, which has just recently opened its doors to guests.

Join local villagers at a ritual bonfire within the fort grounds to usher in the festival. Then feast on Rajasthani specialties prepared using recipes handed down over countless generations and prepared under the personal supervision of Jairaj and Mahiraj's (13th-generation descendants of the original Rajput ruler that built the palace) mother. The nightly menu is always unique, varying in accordance to the seasons and what looks best at the local market. Everything from the bread to the condiments is homemade on site and bursting with authentic, local flavor. Then retire to your spacious suite, carefully renovated to include a private en suite, bedroom and seating area, while retaining its original detail and décor.

Rise early the next morning and savor a home-cooked breakfast on the rooftop deck. Then descent into the courtyard to help welcome the villagers who congregate at the fort each Holi to pay their respects to the Garh's family, as they have for centuries. Traditional songs and dances are performed, gifts are given and an aura of bonhomie pervades the fort. Then it's time to take part in the color play. Your hosts will explain the ritual to you, then you're welcome to try your hand at flinging handfuls of technicolor powder alongside the locals. This unique, off-the-beaten-path setting lends the festival a welcome authenticity and inclusiveness, perfect for adventuresome travelers.

These unique festival experiences are best attended as part of a Custom Journey to the Indian destinations of your choice. Accommodations at both festivals are limited–book now to reserve your spot: 800-642-2742.

Seeking another luxurious and unique festival experience? Asia Transpacific Journeys offers Custom and Small Group travel to festivals all over Asia and the Pacific–from Mongolia to Papua New Guinea. For more information, please call an expert Travel Specialist (800-642-2742) or visit their website: www.asiatranspacific.com/festivals