On the evening of the full moon of the 12th month (November) of the Thai lunar calendar, the city of Chiang Mai celebrates The Thailand Lantern Festivals of Loy Krathong and Yi Peng.  It is an experience that should be on everyone’s Bucket List.  Hopefully the Bucket List Guide to the Thailand Lantern Festival will inspire you to attend this amazing festival of lights.

The Bucket List Guide to the Thailand Lantern Festivals of

Loy Krathong and Yi Peng

When is the Thailand Lantern Festival?

The city of Chiang Mai celebrates both Loy Krathong and Yi Peng festivals simultaneously over several days during the week of the full moon in November.  Actual dates in November fluctuate each year depending on the cycle of the moon.  The festivities are said to be over the course of a week but essentially the entire festival takes place over three days.  Dates for the next few years are as follows:

• Loy Krathong date in 2022 will be November 9, 2022
• Loy Krathong date in 2023 will be November 28, 2023
• Loy Krathong date in 2024 will be November 16, 2024
• Loy Krathong date in 2025 will be November 6, 2025
• Loy Krathong date in 2026 will be November 25, 2026

Want to see 1000's of Sky Lanterns soar into the atmosphere while more Floating Lanterns glide down a river? Then you need to attend the #ThailandLanternFestival! See why this amazing event NEEDS to be on your Bucket List! #YiPeng
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Enjoying the Celebration

When in Chiang Mai, we recommend you find a list of events for Loy Krathong/Yi Peng as they seem to shuffle around each year.  This will help guide you during the Thailand Lantern Festival so that you each day. That way you can participate in all of the Bucket List Adventure Activities and Experiences! But for the most part, you will fill your days with Food, Bazaars, Parades, Pageants, and of course lights!

Hot Tip: The Historic Center of Chiang Mai is a very safe place to walk around. But as in any place you travel, please use common sense and stay to main areas while exploring. Also, sometimes major festival like the Thailand Lantern Festivals of Yi Peng & Loy Krathong can be a wee bit overwhelming. We would love for you to use the Bucket List Guide to the Lantern Festival but another great option to consider is taking a private guided 1 day city tour with Viator. They can help orient you with the best sights and temples to see from the comfort of a local Tuk Tuk! Then afterwards, Viator provides you with the opportunity to release both of your floating lantern or sky lantern with other locals also celebrating Yi Peng and Loy Krathong! If an organized 1 day intro tour is what you are looking for then click here to check out the Thailand Lantern Festival 1 Day Tour by Viator!

The Lights of the Thailand Lantern Festival

During the 3 days of the festival, the city of Chiang Mai is covered in lights. Interestingly, the city still uses candles to light the majority of the lanterns used in the celebration.  To begin the festival, university students will light candles along the rivers surrounding the old town. The entire Ping River area and bridges around the old city light up with hundreds and hundreds of small candles.

Much of the surrounding old wall in the original city is dilapidated, however the university students use these ruins to set up dedication sites, where visitors can leave a candle as a devotion to someone not able to be there or whatever they wish.

Since they are free, ask some of the students for a candle. But please be respectful of others who may be praying as they leave their devotional.

The Yi Peng Pageants and Loy Krathong Activities

During the 3 days of celebration there are many activities to enjoy.  They have Handmade Krathong Contests, Yi Peng Kids contests, Boat Races, and small Hot Air Balloon Contests. The majority of these events can be seen near the Office of Chiang Mai Municipality.

The Thapae Gate, and entrance to the old city, is also a hot spot for many activities.  Here you can witness the Miss Yi Peng Pageants.  Though not unlike typical beauty pageants, what is interesting is the traditional costumes, head pieces, and dance routines.

The Lantern Festival Parade

The Loy Krathong parade is a beautiful spectacle for all ages.  Starting around sunset, many groups line up in traditional costumes with bands of flutes and drums blasting away fun and entertaining music.  You will see gorgeous floats are made to look like Krathongs floating on the Ping river. It was amazing to see the unbelievable details and thousands of lights on each float.

The parade starts at the Thapae Gate and rolls through a street route to the Office of Chiang Mai Municipality.

The Thailand Lantern Festival is definitely a Bucket List Experience! Discover what it means & how easy it is to join in this amazing adventure! #thailandlanternfestival #LoyKrathong #YiPeng #YeePeng #Lanternfestival
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Guide to Loy Krathong Floating Lantern Festival Launch

On one of the days there will be an official start of Loy Krathong.  Throughout the day there will be plenty of activities going on.  However, an official launch starts at Nawarat bridge & Office of Chiang Mai Municipality at about sunset along the Ping River.

You can easily find people selling Krathongs or “decorative floats” around the city through the day for around $5 USD.  Each one is made uniquely of a banana tree base and covered with banana leaves, decorations, incense sticks, and a candle.  Once you find one that you like, make your way down along the banks of the Ping River.  Be careful as it can be slippery on the mud and rocks along the Ping.

When at the river, light the candle, take a moment to reflect.  The modern history of Loy Krathong is  that the lights that are floated down the rivers are meant to symbolize the drifting away of bad luck and misfortune.  However, for many Thai people it is also an opportunity to honor the goddess of water.  So please remember to be respectful of the many others that will line the banks of the river with you.

Guide to the Yi Peng Sky Lantern Festival Releases

You have a couple of options when dealing with the Yi Peng Sky Lantern Release.  First, you can participate in the tourist only lantern release held at Mae Jo University in Chiang Mai that requires you to book tickets from $100 USD per person. It is by far the biggest release around with often 500+ people participating.

Another option is to participate in the melee of people releasing from around the Nawarat bridge.  You can find vendors selling the paper hot air balloons around the city for about $5-$10 USD.  They are essentially paper cylinders held together with light metal wiring.  At the bottom there will be a metal ring of cotton that is soaked in kerosene.  At 9pm you are allowed to open up and then light your sky lanterns.  It tends to take about two people to manage the balloon.  When you feel that your balloon is filled with enough hot air, let it go. You are supposed to make a wish for the new year while asking for forgiveness for the faults of the last year.

Warnings: It is illegal to fly lanterns before the city has stopped air traffic for the night.  Also, please note that these balloons are highly flammable! Therefore it is recommended to be far away from tree lines, electrical areas, or other flammable sources.

The Unbelievable Food The Lantern Festival

Thai food is arguably some of the best food in the world and Chiang Mai is no exception!  Whether its during the festival or not you will always find a great assortment of street food available for cheap.

What is unique is that these Thai chefs bring out their own little tables and set them up next to their booths so that you can join them for dinner.  Just walk up to the booth, tell them what you want, sit down, and wait to be fed!

Around the main entrance to the city (during the festival) you will find countless booths selling skewers of meat, dumplings, mixed stir fry noodles and yes even sushi.  You will also find a a small assortment of desserts like ice cream, sweet sticky rice, fried bananas, and small sweet cakes

If at all possible we highly recommend you find and try Traditional Khao Soi. When you order it, you will get egg noodle spicy curry broth mixed with chicken. Then, add crunchy pickled veggies, sliced shallots and a lime for an amazing meal.  One of the interesting things is to watch them make and cut the rice noodles from scratch.

HOT TIP: During Loy Krathong or the Sky Lantern Festival of Yi Peng there is a ton of amazing street food. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a unique bucket list experience taking a cooking class! There are a ton of fun and unique classes all around Chiang Mai that you can join. So whether you want to learn how to make normal Thai favorites, from pad Thai to tom yum soup, or try some of the regional specialties, such as the khao soi soup, you will be in food heaven. For a great list of some 20+ cooking classes in Chiang Mai CLICK HERE! But don’t wait because during the festival they will book fast!

Where to Stay in Chiang Mai

There are plenty of places to stay in Chiang Mai during the Lantern Festival that will fit any traveler’s style and budget. Whether looking for an active hostel, a family owned guest house, or a quiet luxury hotel, you won’t be disappointed in your options.

• Budget: SOHOstel is located in the old city of Chiang Mai and is convenient Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Center. With nearly 45 rooms, SOHOStel offers many choices and amenities for any budget traveler!
• Mid-Priced: If you are looking for convenience to the festivities along with a good price than check out Baan Klang Vieng. Also located in Old City, this small boutique guest house with it’s 16 rooms offers a more personal feel along with a plethora of amenities.
• Luxury: If you are looking pamper yourself, then look no further than 137 Pillars House. This luxury hotel is located in Heart of Chiang Mai, making it easy for you to walk to all the festival events. However, if you need a break from the crowds, 137 Pillars House has a beautiful pool, Spa Services, and 2 magnificent restaurants.

Book Your Stay for the Thailand Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai Today

Other Things to do in The City of Chiang Mai

In 2014, TripAdvisor listed Chiang Mai as number 24 of 25 Best Destinations in the World.  Though founded in1296, this “New City” was developed due to its location near the Ping river and many trade routes.

The old city is beautiful and easy to navigate.  With the many temples and museums there is plenty there to keep someone occupied.  Plus, a neat tidbit you will witness is that the original city was built within a wall surrounded by a small river or moat.

The Temples (the Wats) of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist temples (“wat” in Thai).  Each are open to the public and nearly all are free to enter and explore.  You will find most of the temples within the original walled city and each offer their own unique personalities worth exploring.  Here is a guide to some that we recommend that you check out during the Thailand Lantern Festival:

• Wat Muen Toom: Wat Muen Toom was built by the soldier “Toom” around 2012 B.C., or 1478 C.E.  We learned that before being enthroned, every king of Lanna Kingdom would white & visit Wat Muen Toom. They would then have a three day-retreat in order to practice meditation and participate in the Long Live Ceremony.
• Wat Pan Tao: Wat Pan Tao is one of the only wooden wats built from teakwood in Chiang Mai.  Its name, meaning “temple of a thousand kilns,” probably derives its name from the ovens used to cast Buddha images for another temple.  During the festivals they hold a beautiful night time celebration of light.
• Wat Chiang Man: Wat Chiang Man is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai.  The temple houses two important and venerated Buddha figures, one in marble and another in crystal.
• Wat Bupbharan: Wat Bupbharan is home to the largest Teak Buddha in the world
• Wat Chedi Luang: Wat Chedi Luang houses the biggest and most famous pagoda in Chiang Mai.
• Wat SriSupan: Built in 1502, Wat SriSupan is Chiang Mai’s silver temple.  The attention that was given to the detail within the silver work is amazing.
• Wat Phra Doi Suthep: Wat Phra Doi Suthep which is about 40 minutes outside of town up in the mountains overlooking the city. Famous for its 344 + steps leading to the temple, you will walk guarded by two dragons that line the stairs all the way up.

(Click on the Pictures Below to see the Wats) 

Other Tours Available in Chiang Mai or Nearby

Celebrate the Festival of Lights at the Thailand Lantern Festival

As you can see with this guide, The Thailand Lantern Festival needs to be on everyone’s Bucket List.  Whether you just want the chance to witness thousands of beautiful lanterns in the sky and floating lanterns down the Ping River or you want to participate because you need to find a way to start off the new year with a clean slate, it is definitely worth it.

The post The Bucket List Guide to the Thailand Lantern Festival appeared first on The Bucket List Project.

When it comes to travel it can often feel like there’s so much to do in such little time – and the trend of “slow travel” in someway seems a little backward, as today, we are focused on experiencing more, more, more and packing as much into our time as possible – particularly our holidays.

See, we often treat travel like a Chinese takeaway rather than a slow and luxurious Sunday Brunch; meaning we are dashing about here there and everywhere in order to satiate our quest to explore as many parts of the world as possible – in fact, we can be running around so fast that we barely get chance to enjoy our travels and truly absorb the experiences we are having.  This is where “slow travel” comes in.

Slow travel, basically means one will spend a reasonably long period of time in one place; such as a month, often working and fully integrating with the culture of the destination.  Some could argue that slow travel allows for the the best holiday possible as you get to truly know your destination, whilst for others, they might argue it’s limiting and perhaps even lazy, or boring, on the basis you aren’t experiencing the whole world – just one little pocket of it.

The thought behind “slow travel” is that by spending more time in one location, be that a few weeks or a few months, you can experience the place in more depth and perhaps more authentically, than the veneered view of a tourist.

The term “like a local” is often used to describe the enhanced experience a traveller has when getting beneath the surface of a city, however it takes time to get to this level, and isn’t something a guidebook can point out.

Slow travel, be it a few weeks or a few months, helps you experience anywhere in more depth & more authentically! Read some destination inspiration as to where to head to in order to engage in slow travel. #slowtravel #travelslow
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Whereas, if you were to spend, let’s say a month, integrating with the local culture you will experience a whole new side of the city that is much richer than the limits of the typical tourist trail.

Slow travel may or may not be up your street, but if you’re curious as to where to head to in order to engage in slow travel and integrate with the local culture, here’s some destination inspiration:

1. THAILAND:  CHIANG MAI

Many people would describe Chiang Mai as a land of temples, rice paddies, monks and natural jungle.  This is true for the areas around Chiang Mai, but the city itself can be a pretty bustling place that is like a much more relaxed version of Bangkok.

Finding somewhere cheap to live in Chiang Mai is pretty simple.  There are several modern apartments available on www.airbnb.com at a cost of just $10 per night (presuming you are renting for over a month).

Chiang Mai is a great place to have as a base whilst exploring the rest of Thailand as there are direct flights to beautiful islands such as Krabi, Phuket and Koh Samui meaning you can go on mini breaks to more exotic locations, whilst benefiting from being in the cheaper and some could argue friendlier North of the country.

2. TURKEY: ISTANBUL

Whilst there are the occasional political demonstrations in Istanbul, on the whole Istanbul is a very safe, peaceful and calm city that is tourist friendly and extremely polite.

Istanbul is a lot like London, New York and Paris – but a lot warmer, both in terms of the weather and the people.  It’s also a lot cheaper. Istanbul is unlike any other city in the world due to the fact it is separated by the Bosphorus Strait meaning the city is split into two sides, each on a different continent (Europe and Asia).

The European side offers well known brands occupying prime real estate on busy high streets with independent hipster bars and coffee shops found closer to the river, akin to the vibe one might find in San Francisco, whilst the Asian side has a much more rustic and raw vibe, where in parts, you could feel like you were in modern day Morocco.

3. MOROCCO: MARRAKECH

Talking of Morocco, Marrakech is an incredibly colourful and vibrant city that has a lot to offer tourists – yet most will visit only for a few days.

Whilst you may not choose to live in Marrakech for a whole month, it can be a fantastic place to base yourself for a few weeks whilst exploring the hidden gems of Morocco such as the Sahara Desert and Atlas Mountains.  Indeed, a more relaxed and much nicer alternative to Marrakech is Essaouira which has a far more chilled out coastal vibe akin to Portugal.

4. INDONESIA: BALI

Made famous by the film Eat Pray Love, Bali is a spiritual hotbed of hippie travelers all trying to make ends meet on the beautiful island of Bali.  That said, it isn’t all hippie creativity, there’s also a lot of pollution, congestion and club life; as Bali serves the same purpose for the young Australian crowd that the likes of Ibiza does in Europe.

Admittedly, Bali isn’t the cheapest destination in SE Asia, though it is one of the nicest – particularly if you head toward the Northern part of the island, away from the trashiness of Kuta.  Moreover, Bali is a good starting point to explore other parts of Indonesia, and these parts can be incredibly cheap yet equally as beautiful as Bali.

In fact, the lesser known parts of this country made up of hundreds if not thousands of tiny islands are in some ways even more magical than Bali because they retain their true essence without being corrupted by tourism.

5. SINGAPORE

Singapore is a melting pot of cultures with an incredible foodie scene.  Whilst Singapore isn’t particularly cheap as a place to travel long-term, you can earn a decent wage here, meaning if you were travelling long term and looking for a way to top up your travel fund this could be a good option.

Hotels can be pricey, but there are some great deals to be had on long term apartments; particularly through AirBnB.  That said, due to how polite people are in this region, it would be just as easy to live with someone on a roommate basis rather than renting an entire apartment.

Singapore makes a great place to have as a base for exploring other parts of Southeast Asia as there are very cheap flights to the majority of popular tourist destinations with flights just a few hours long.

You can ensure that you get the best out of your Slow Travel experience with a bit of simple planning. Check out some destination inspiration for a great slow travel adventure! #slowtravel #travelslow #SeeTheWorld
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Though some people might worry that slow travel could be boring, you can do a lot to ensure that you get the best out of your travel experience with a bit of simple planning. Where else would you consider as a great place for those looking to experience slow travel? Let us know in the comments below!

 Don’t forget to Pin this to your Bucket List Board!

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