WITH MORE THAN 200,000 Thais expected to converge on Bangkok to witness the Royal Cremation of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej from October 25 to 29, finding a place to stay in the immediate area presents an enormous, if not insurmountable, challenge.

Some individuals have drawn on their experience of the long queues faced while waiting to pay respect before the Royal Urn over the past few months and have booked hotel accommodation around Rattanakosin Island well in advance to ensure they have a fast-track pass to the event and can pay a final tribute to their beloved monarch.

Among them is Supris Netekien, who drafted his itinerary for the royal funeral early this year and reserved a one-night stay in a Bt9,000 Family Room at the Inn A Day boutique hotel.

Inn A Day boutique hotel on Maharat Road (near Tha Tien pier) has 11 rooms, all of which have been reserved since April.

“I came to pay respects to the Royal Urn in March and got an idea of how Sanam Luang would be during the royal funeral. I started looking at accommodation around the area but even that early and before the exact dates had been announced, places were fully booked. It’s worth paying that much to be so near to the Royal Palace, Sanam Luang and Tha Tien pier and I will share a room with three friends. Thanks to its prime location, this hotel is very convenient for us to come back and recharge our batteries before the Royal Cremation starts on the evening of October 26 and of course it also solves bathroom problems,” says Supris, the public relations director of Supremo Company.

“This trip is driven by our heart. King Bhumibol wrote in his diary-style work entitled ‘When I Left Siam for Switzerland ‘that ‘my place in the world is to stay amidst my people’. So, I’m coming to attend the ceremony as his people. Actually, we can watch the ceremony on TV but the feeling is different. This is the last chance to pay respect to our beloved King.”

Unlike with major sporting or entertainment events, most hoteliers and guesthouse owners have obviously felt it inappropriate to up their room rates during this time of mourning.

Entrepreneur Veraus Chinitsarayos, who transformed his family’s coconut sugar shop and factory into the Inn A Day boutique hotel three years ago, says he has stuck to his flat rate.

In keeping with the surrounding Tha Tien community, his property offers 11 rooms on different themes with beautiful view of the Chao Phraya River and Wat Arun and is very popular with foreign tourists.

“During the week of the Royal Cremation, occupancy is 100 per cent. All the rooms havebeen booked by Thai customers since April, especially for the period October 25 to 27. Most of my guests are foreign tourists, interested in the Thai lifestyle because our location offers easy access to many landmarks like Wat Pho, the Royal Palace and Wat Arun,” Veraus says.

“The prices are fixed at the same rate all year round. We’re a small boutique hotel and have no extra benefits – early check-in and late check-out are impossible because all rooms are already booked, although we do allow guests to drop off their luggage with us before check-in time.”

The breakfast buffet is served from 7.30am and guests needing to leave earlier are given a complimentary snack box.

Chanyut Pawakang, a reporter with the Nation’s sister paper Kom Chad Luek, says he found a room in Samsen Road but was unable to book anything nearer. He’ll be paying Bt2,000 for two nights in a small room but says it’s more than worth it for what it will save in travel time.

“The room rate is higher than usual, normally it’s Bt500 to Bt600, but we have no choice. Our schedule will start in early morning and we have to make sure we arrive at the ceremony on time. This is the best way to shorten the distance and save time,” he says.

“We have to capture every moment of the cremation for the people who are unable to attend. It’s also our last chance to work for the late King Bhumibol. It’s an honour.”

With a prime location near Bangkok’s thriving backpacker scene and many of the city’s bestknown landmarks, the newly opened Ibis Styles Bangkok Khaosan Viengtai hotel has been fully booked since April.

A 10-minute walk from Sanam Luang, the rebranded Ibis Styles Bangkok Khaosan Viengtai has been enjoying near full occupancy since its opening in April. Particularly popular with Asian tourists, it offers 215 well-designed rooms in three categories priced from Bt2,300 to Bt3,000.

“We are fully booked from October 24 to 26. Our rooms range in floor area from 28sqm to 80sqm and we provide parking for 50 to 100 cars as well as restaurants, a bakery, meeting rooms and a swimming pool,” says general manager Pierre-Yves Viou.

“We’re creating special lunch boxes, which guests attending the ceremony can order one day in advance. They’ll be available from October 24 to 26. Requests for late check-out will be considered case by case and we will provide an updated map so that guests can design their own route.”

The four rooms offered by A Day in a Life Home & Gallery on Tanao Road have been reserved since March. The guesthouse is planning to provide “survival” bags for its guests and members of the public.

Hostels and guesthouses have sprung up all over the Trok Sake and Rajdamnoen area in recent years, among them A Day in a Life Home & Gallery on Tanao Road, which is housed in a converted Thai wooden house built in the reign of King Rama VI.

Run by Siriporn Thongyou and her boyfriend, who operate a restaurant in Phra Nakorn district, it offers two shared rooms (Bt950 per person) and two private rooms for couples and families (Bt1,200 and Bt2,500).

“Foreign tourists like our house. We have air-conditioning but no television in the room. Guests also share a bathroom, a living room, an open kitchen and a dining area in the courtyard. Thai customers don’t really understand our style but we have accommodated many Thais from the countryside who have come to pay their respects to the Royal Urn. We just finished turning an old medicine room into a private guestroom with en-suite bathroom,” Siriporn says.

“Our house is full during the ceremony. We plan to create a collection of survival bags packed with herbal inhalants, water and a funeral wood flower for guests and other mourners who want to attend the ceremony.”

Hanu Hostel Bangkok on Trok Sake has a long waiting list for its seven dorms and three private rooms. 

Opened just six months ago, Hanu Hostel Bangkok on Trok Sake, offers dorms and private rooms ranging in prices from Bt379 to B2,200 including breakfast.

“We have a choice of mixed and female-only dorms, equipped with 70 comfy beds with lockers and a shared bathroom. All rooms and beds have already been reserved by Thai mourners, probably because our room rates are affordable. In recent months, guests have come to take advantage of the bathrooms and lockers after paying respect to the Royal Urn,” manager Ployprom Chunthapun says. “During the ceremony, early check-in and late check-out can be considered case by case.”

And in what is bound to become a life saver for many, the Thai-Japan Bangkok Youth Centre will open its doors and welcome a maximum of 500 to 600 guests to stay overnight for free on October 25 and 26. The accommodation is available on a first-come, first served basis – no advance bookings. The centre is also one of the funeral sites allowing mourners to place the funeral wood flower for the late King Bhumibol.

To enter the contest, which is open for registration through Friday (October 13), come up with a detailed poster or a video clip no more than one minute in length along with three questions and answers.

Ten qualified student teams, who will be announced on October 19, get a chance to participate in knowledge-building workshops on community-based tourism by expert speakers. Students will be given the opportunity to develop their routes with Local Alike’s help for the community tourism destinations selected to bring their vision to reality. The winners get Bt30,000, three round-trip tickets and a wonderful trip package from Local Alike.

Local Alike is a social enterprise dedicated to sustainable tourism development or “community-based tourism”.

It believes that every community has its own unrivalled charm and is a tourist attraction in itself. Their unique ways of life, cultures and traditions are precious gems that can be unearthed only through community-based tourism. Local Alike believes each community can develop and fulfil its tourism potential if equipped with the right knowledge of tourism management.

Find out more at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSenqaWHX-A1F-nwjizD_hvd2HdD7-L4ILGXA39PR2QWqqXUMw/viewform.

Known as Formula One Air Racing for over seven decades, this year the three-day tournament will also feature the World Muay Thai Angels 2017, an Aerobatics Show plus exhibitions of aviation technology and super cars.

It is considered the purest form of air racing with eight airplanes competing directly against each other. Pilots attempt to cross the finish line first after eight laps of high-speed, low-altitude flying around a tight five-kilometre circuit at 450kph just 10 metres off the ground.

Thailand became the first country in Asia Pacific to hold a pylon air race when it hosted an Air Race 1 Thailand demonstration event sponsored by Chang last November. To mark the 50^th anniversary of ASEAN, the 10-day International Fleet Review 2017 will be hosted from November 13 to 22 in Pattaya and Sattahip too.

Find out more from the TAT Pattaya Office at (038) 427 667 or visit www.TatNews.org.

With more than 1,000 daily transactions in its second week of operation, Noppol Toochinda, General Manager for Thailand, says the results have been much better than expected with both Phuket residents and tourists eager to ride the bikes and help reduce pollution levels.

“I think we started at the right place and at the right time. Since launching on September 20, our users have increased more than 30 times. The special campaign “ofo Trial, No Deposit” which gives everyone free service for one month starting from October 1, is expected to stimulate numbers even more,” Noppol added.

Service locations in Phuket include Phuket Merlin Hotel, Pearl Hotel Phuket, Bang Neow Shrine, Phuket Rajabhat University, Suan Luang Rama 9 and Talang Road. Find out more by emailing bdthailand@ofobike.com.

Floral floats shaped into mythical creatures can be seen along the banks of the Tapi River and Naris Bridge, as well as around town. This year too, a procession of brightly decorated boats and trucks from more than 100 temples are pull the revered Buddha images along the river while monks mark the end of the three-month Buddhist Lent by receiving alms in a traditional Kathin ceremony.

The annual Surat Thani boat races are also being held with teams from all southern Thailand taking part.

Other highlights are a Phum Pha Pa contest, local handicraft fair, a photo exhibition and cultural performances.

Learn more by calling the TAT Surat Thai office at (077) 288 817-9 or visit www.TatNews.org.

Recognised as the Sufficient Economy Village Prototype in 2012 and a Village for Health Tourism in 2015, Baan Pong-Huai Lan in Thailand’s north offers a unique opportunity to enjoy community-based tourism.

The village is one of four communities – the others being Rim Nam Chanthaboon in Chanthaburi, Baan Nong San in Sakon Nakhon, and Nong Yai Area Development Project in Chumphon – under the “Follow the King’s Philosophy towards Sustainable Tourism” project, which is being implemented by the Tourism Authority of Thailand in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to create the sustainability in tourism by applying His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s principles of understanding, approaching, and developing local communities.

“The TAT introduced the ‘Local Experience’ to its marketing in early 2017 and we have seen an increase in the numbers of both Thai and foreign tourists travelling to the provinces. We are confident that the popularity of this concept will continue to grow. In addition, the government has instructed agencies to apply the King’s sufficiency economy philosophy as the economic foundation for the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. So the TAT is applying the late King’s philosophy in managing tourist areas by focusing on community-based tourism for sustainable growth,” says Yutthasak Supphasorn of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

“We are very honoured to cooperate with TAT. The main mission is to develop the communities in order for them to generate income on their own and enjoy a sustainable way of life,” adds Nadia Rasheed, the management representative of UNDP Asia and Pacific.

The Baan Pong-Huai Lan community is part of the royal initiated Huai Lan Area Development Project in San Kamphaeng district, 25 kilometres from downtown Chiang Mai. A poor area, the villagers were resigned to their meagre lives until the late King visited in 1987 and initiated the Huai Lan Area Development Project under his royal initiatives project as well as forest and fishery stations and a reservoir.

Today, the community can boast economic growth, the well¬being of its residents and look forward to a sustainable future. It is also attracting an increasing number of tourists eager to experience sustainable tourism through a “package” that allows them to stay for two days and one night.

A group of Bangkok-based journalists visits the community on a recent trip to Chiang Mai, stopping off first at the Royal Forest Department of the Huai Lan Area Development Project to hear the late King’s ideas on how the land and area should be properly managed to ensure sufficiency and to admire a programme that seeks to conserve the art of oriental lacquerwork and revitalise Thai wisdom initiated by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

The visit also takes us to Huai Lan Reservoir where we watch cattle eating grass and drinking water from the reservoir while villagers fish nearby, with neither man nor beast troubled by the other.

Lunch, which includes Northern specialities jin som mok khai, kaeng khae moo and phad phak chiang kha, is eaten at the home of Wanna Kaewsupang, which also offers homestay accommodation, before a stop at the house belonging to Som Kamrangsi. Aunty Som, as she says to call her, proudly shows us her organic farm which features more than 30 herbs and vegetables such as parsley, pandanus leaf, bok choy, peppermint, manao ho, and phak khee hood. We are puzzled at the sight of eggshells covering wooden sticks in the garden until she explains that this is a good way of protecting her crops from insects.

“The most important thing is growing and caring for the vegetables with love,” says aunty Som. “If we are sufficient in ourselves, vegetable farming can help us to make a living. We can sell them and at the same time make fermented pickles.”

The next stop is at Aree Jaiwong’s house, home to the Aree Pha Tor: Baan Pong Weaving Group, where we get to see a demonstration of traditional handloom weaving. We also get some hands-on experience of handloom weaving methods such as thread spinning and learn about this ageold craft from the ladies who are making sure it doesn’t die out.

We watch a demonstration of making wicker for rice baskets and other utensils as well as weaving fish and birds from bamboo filaments, rattan, and coconut leaves. We’d like to have a go too but time is marching on and we content ourselves with creating windchimes from several small sticky rice containers, bamboo fish and colourful tassels while munching on a local dessert, called khanom khee maew and drinking butterfly pea juice with lemongrass.

As we wrap up what has been a fascinating look at community-based tourism, we learn the slogan the community has coined to describe the tour.

It reads: Nee wiang ma long dong meaning “escape from the city and be fascinated by nature.”

How apt.

TALES FOR THE COUNTRYSIDE

– Find out more about Baan PongHuai Lan and the other three communities – Rim Nam Chanthaboon, Baan Nong San and Nong Yai Area Development Project – under the “Follow the King’s Philosophy towards Sustainable Tourism” project in an exhibition showing today and tomorrow at Emporium Gallery on the Emporium’s M Floor.

Once ignored by the tourist trade because of an unfortunate perception that it wasn’t safe, Nakhon Si Thammarat is working hard to clean up its reputation. Crime has fallen dramatically as development assistance has poured in and the city is opening its arms to visitors looking for a break far from the madding crowd.

“We are removing the unhealthy images of Nakhon Si Thammarat and replacing them with ones that better represent what we are,” says Chacrit Sungkanit, director of Tourism and Sports for the province.

“Last year’s police operations have led to a major decline in violence as evidenced by the peaceful Songkran celebrations. We feel confident in saying that Nakhon Si Thammarat is a safe city,” he tells members of the press who have travelled south to take part in the “Nakhon Si Dee Dee” (“Nakhon Si Awesome”) campaign. In fact, the campaign was initiated in 2012 to promote tourism through a series of romantic and adventurous activities including a Valentine’s Day celebration atop Khao Men, the third highest mountain in the province. The new governor, Chamroen Tipayapongtada, decided to breathe fresh life into “Nakhon Si Awesome” this year in the hope that the province could earn some much-needed tourist dollars.

“We have put a lot of effort into cleaning up our natural attractions and we are very proud that the Tapee River has been voted by the Pollution Control Department as the least polluted of all rivers in the country, measuring between 77-93 on the water quality index. Visitors will feel comfortable and safe thanks to our great climate and clean water. I believe coming here allows you to live longer,” he says.

“We have spent more than Bt300 million in beefing up security, purchasing closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) and installing them at all tourist destinations. Nakhon Si Thammarat has tremendous potential for tourism. And we are determined to be good hosts so have trained many guides at all levels,” says Chacrit.

The airport too is getting an upgrade to international standards in a Bt1 billion-plus project scheduled to run for three years, and a new road is being built from Khao Plai Dam to Khanom district at a cost of Bt105 million. A further Bt10 million will be spent on constructing a bike path in parallel with the new road.

The province is also being promoted overseas, with the city fathers signing memoranda of understanding (MOU) with Bali in Indonesia and with Chengdu in China.

“Nakhon Si Thammarat and Bali share a richness of culture and nature and we are working with the Indonesians to promote tourism, culture, economy and education. For Chengdu, which has a population of 96 million people, we will be emphasising such attractions as the pink dolphin, fish spa and mud spa at Baan Laem Homestay and fruit orchards. Another selling point is religion. Our temples, especially Wat Chedi, are well known amongst tourists from Malaysia and Singapore,” Chacrit continues.

Another sacred site bound to appeal to Chinese tourists is Wat Khao Khun Phanom in Phrom Khiri district, where we climb the 245 steps to the cave in which King Taksin the Great is said to have stayed until his death. Today it is home to 30 bronze Buddha images and a bronze Buddha’s footprint. Leaving the cave I walk towards an ongoing temple fair and watch a group of young boys putting on a shadow play.

Our next stop is Prom Lok Community-based Tourism Centre. Set up 11 years ago, it offers visitors a range of interesting activities including trekking on Khao Luang, at 1,850 metres the highest mountain in the Southern region. Homestays can also be arranged as well as cycling tours around the village passing such attractions as Wat Khao Khun Phanom, farms and mangosteen orchard. Packages are priced at a very reasonable Bt1,800 for two days.

“We can support groups of 20 tourists and have welcomed visitors from Scandinavia, France and England. They’ve taken advantage of the homestays to learn about the local ways of life and our arts and culture including the traditional Thai dance known as manorah. This year, we have reintroduced our traditional folk games mark kep (pebble tossing), ri ri khao sarn (a form of catch) and mark khum, which can all be enjoyed at the folk game museum,” a member of the centre’s staff explains.

We also spend time in Khao Luang National Park, one of the most important areas for nature tourism in Southern Thailand. It has been visited by members of the Thai royal family over the years including Their Majesties the King and Queen who came to Phrom Lok Waterfall in 1959.

Time doesn’t allow for a trek to the top so instead we spend time walking on the Phrom Lok Waterfall Nature Trail, which meanders 600 metres through the evergreen forest to a soundtrack of birdsong. We stop briefly to admire the engravings of the emblems and initials of Their Majesties the King and Queen.

Another attraction likely to appeal to tourists is whitewater rafting at Khlong Klai in Krung Ching. The first section is ideal for beginners with easily navigable rapids though sufficiently tiring to ensure that we will all enjoy a good night’s sleep.

We start the next day high up with our heads in the mist at Khao Chang Lon before heading to Hong Cave in Tha Sala District. Part of Khao Nanthi National Park Protection Unit, the cave is entered through a narrow entrance and visitors need to crawl under the ceiling of stalactites to reach the waterfall that cascades down.

In the afternoon, we visit Khao Kha archaeological site, home in the eighth and ninth centuries to the Hindus of the Sawai Nikai Brahman order. Three ancient Hindu temples have been restored and a museum houses artefacts used during religious rites as well as holy water pipes and even an ancient pond. We end our day at Wat Chedi, which is packed with pilgrims making a wish at the wooden statue of temple boy Khai, a follower of revered monk Luang Pu Thuad who died at his age of nine.

Talet Bay is our final destination and while we don’t see the pink dolphins, we do get to admire the freshwater pond shaped like a foot on Koh Nui Nok before ending our trip at the fish spa in Khanom district’s Suan Ta San.

IF YOU GO

– Both Nok Air and Thai AirAsia have daily flights from Bangkok to Nakhon Si Thammarat. The province is also accessible by long-distance bus from the Southern Bus Terminal.

The new sites can be found in every corner of the world, from icy Greenland to the Kalahari Desert, and from the mountains of the Andes to the temples of Cambodia. To celebrate the induction of these new cultural and natural wonders, the travel website Booking.com has selected a few of the most exciting new sites and despite many of them being in remote locations, the online booking chain has still found some great places to stay nearby.

Los Alerces National Park (Argentina)

The Los Alerces National park is located in the Andes in Chubut Province. It is one of the new natural World Heritage Sites on Unesco’s list. The park owes its name to the many alerce trees that can be found there. Besides vast forests the landscape consists of alpine meadows and beautiful lakes and rivers. The park is also home to several endangered animals like the huillin otter and the Patagonian huemul and pudu deer.

Where to stay: Laguna Larga Lodge Lago Futalaufquen

Laguna Larga Lodge is located on a 120-hectare estate in the national park. It is about 4.8 kilometres away from the magnificent Futalaufquen Lake, and just a couple of steps from Laguna Larga. It boasts its own beach and pier and cosy Alpine-style accommodation with lake views. Horse riding trips through the beautiful landscape can be arranged as well as fishing trips.

Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk, Archaeological Site of Ancient Ishanapura (Cambodia)

Isanapura was the capital of the Chenla Empire that flourished in the late 6th and early 7th centuries. To this day, the ruins of dozens of temples and buildings can still be admired at the archaeological site Sambor Prei Kuk in the Kompong Thom province. The architecture and art developed here laid the foundations for the unique Khmer style of the Angkor period. Highlights are the unique octagonal temples and the beautifully decorated colonnades, lintels and pediments.

Where to stay: Sambor Village Hotel Kompong Thom

Overlooking the scenic Stung Sen River, Sambor Village Hotel is located 650 yards from central Kompong Thom, a 40-minute drive from Sambor Prei Kuk. Rooms at Sambor Village Hotel come with a cable TV, personal safe, minibar, spacious veranda and outdoor seating area. You can use the free bicycles to explore the area at leisure and cool down in the pool.

Gulangyu, a Historic International Settlement (China)

Gulangyu is a small island located on the estuary of the Chiu-lung River, off the Xiamen coast. When the port of Xiamen opened for international trade in 1842, foreigners started to come to Gulangyu. In 1903 it even became an international settlement. This cultural exchange is visible in the exceptional architectural styles on the island, like the Amoy Deco Style. Gulangyu is a popular tourist attraction, with more than 10 million visitors a year, but does not allow cars or bicycles. The island can be reached by ferry from downtown Xiamen, which only takes five minutes.

Where to stay: Flower Yard Inn Xiamen Gulangyu Anhai Garden Branch, which is located on Guilangyu, less than 1.6 kilometres from Huangu Ferry Marina. All rooms have a TV, a private bathroom and complimentary Wi-Fi. The inn is just a couple of kilometres from Nanputuo Temple and there is a tour desk that can help guests arrange excursions.

Taputapuatea (French Polynesia)

Taputapuatea is a commune of French Polynesia on the island Ra’iatea. It is considered the centre of the Polynesian Triangle and consists of Avera, Puohine and Opoa. Opoa is home to the marae, a communal and sacred place that served as a ceremonial, political and funerary centre for the Ma’ohi people. It was established 1,000 years CE and restored in 1994. It consists of a large paved courtyard overlooking the sea, a large upright stone and several tiki’s. It is one of the largest and most important marae of the world.

Where to stay: Fare Oviri Lodge Opoa

Fare Oviri Lodge overlooks a private white sandy beach and offers Polynesian-style bungalows with a private patio and lovely views of the mountains and sea. It features free snorkelling, canoeing equipment and free Wi-Fi in public areas. Oviri lodge Raiatea is only five kilometres from the Taputapuatea marae.

Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of the town-island of Sviyazhsk (Russia)

Sviyazhsk is an island and town in the Republic of Tatarstan in the Russia. It was founded in 1551 by Ivan the Terrible who used it as an outpost for his conquest of the Kazan Khanate. Originally it wasn’t an island, but when the Kuybyshev Reservoir was created, the lands around it flooded. However, a road still connects Sviyazhsk to the mainland. On the island you will find the Assumption Monastery and Assumption Cathedral, both dating back to the 16th century. The original frescoes of the cathedral have been preserved and are some of the rarest examples of Eastern Orthodox mural paintings.

Where to stay: Hotel Complex Dejavu Innopolis

Innopolis Hotel Complex Dejavu is situated in Innopolis, a technology park that got its town status in 2014. The hotel is a 30-minute drive from Sviyazhsk and Kazan. It has an outdoor pool and spa centre, as well as Finnish and Turkish sauna and guests can enjoy a drink at the bar or a meal at the restaurant. In the winter, you can enjoy the nearby ski slopes and in the summer, you can play golf 550 yards from the property.

Khomani Cultural Landscape (South Africa)

The Khomani Cultural Landscape is located in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa on the border with Namibia and Botswana. The nomadic Khomani San people were considered to be the first inhabitants of South Africa. They learned how to adopt to harsh desert conditions and other geographical features of their environment. You can visit the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park if you want to get an idea of the Khomani Cultural Landscape.

Where to stay: Xaus Lodge Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Xaus Lodge is located in the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park which is part of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The lodge is owned by traditional South African communities and the chalets are designed like their own traditional dwellings but with a private bathroom. The lodge features a swimming pool and a restaurant and you can enjoy the view of many animal species at the water pan. You can go on guided bush walks or visit to the San people in their village.

The new version of A Symphony of Lights will be performed from 8pm every evening, with the 10-minute multi-media light show above Victoria Harbour incorporating a variety of exciting lighting effects including coloured searchlights, laser and beam lights sent out in rhythm from more than 40 buildings on both sides of the harbour.

The performance will also for the first time feature LED panels on a number of harbourside buildings displaying interactive images and messages to encourage audience participation. The light show will be complemented by music from Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, providing visitors with a thrilling and unforgettable sound-and-light experience.

For more information, visit http://www.DiscoverHongKong.com