Burmese new year water festival (mid-April). The whole country slows down for several days.

Inle Lake's grand festival with a golden royal barge and leg-rowers. Lunar dates, usually Sep–Oct.

🌙 About 18 days in the Burmese month of Thadingyut (September–October), ending around its full moon.

Lights and lanterns mark the end of Buddhist Lent. Lunar dates, usually October.

🌙 Three days around the full moon of Thadingyut, the 7th Burmese month, which ends Buddhist Lent (in October).

Hot-air balloon competitions, dazzling in Taunggyi near Inle Lake. Lunar date, usually November.

🌙 Full moon of Tazaungmon, the 8th Burmese month (in November); Taunggyi's balloons fly in the days before.

Three-day new year (mid-April). Cities empty as locals head home; many shops and services close.

Ancient royal rite in Phnom Penh marking the start of the planting season. Usually May.

Fifteen days honouring ancestors; Phnom Penh empties as people return to home provinces. Lunar dates, Sep–Oct.

🌙 The 15 waning-moon days of the Khmer month of Photrobot (the 10th), ending on the new moon of late September or October; the last three are public holidays.

Boat races on the Tonlé Sap draw huge crowds to Phnom Penh. Lunar dates, usually November.

🌙 Three days around the full moon of the Khmer month of Kadeuk (the 12th), between late October and late November.

Lively in Jakarta's Glodok and especially Singkawang (Borneo). Lunar dates, late Jan–Feb.

🌙 First day of the Chinese lunar year: the second new moon after the winter solstice, always between 21 January and 20 February.

Bali shuts down completely for 24h — no flights, no going out, even the airport closes. Lunar date, usually March.

🌙 New year of the Saka calendar: the day after the new moon of the 9th Balinese month (Tilem Kesanga), in March.

End of Ramadan and the huge 'mudik' homecoming: transport booked out and closures nationwide. Moves ~11 days earlier yearly.

🌙 First day of Shawwal, when the crescent moon is sighted at the end of Ramadan. The Islamic calendar is purely lunar: it moves about 11 days earlier each year.

Buddhist Vesak: monks and lantern releases at Borobudur temple. Lunar date, usually May.

🌙 Full moon of the month of Vesak, usually in May; in years with an extra lunar month it can move to late April or June.

Bali's most important festival, streets lined with towering penjor bamboo poles. Recurs on the 210-day Balinese calendar.

🌙 Recurs every 210 days on the Balinese Pawukon calendar: Galungan always falls on a Wednesday and Kuningan ten days later.

Water-splashing new year, biggest in Luang Prabang (mid-April). Book transport and lodging well ahead.

Home-made rockets fired to summon the rains, with music and dancing. Usually May.

End of Buddhist Lent: candlelit offerings float down the Mekong and boat races follow. Lunar date, usually October.

🌙 Full moon of the 11th Lao lunar month, the end of Buddhist Lent (in October); the boat races are the next day.

Vientiane's largest religious festival around the golden stupa. Lunar dates, usually November.

🌙 A week of celebrations culminating on the full moon of the 12th Lao lunar month, in November.

Dramatic Hindu festival at Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur. Lunar dates, usually late January–February.

🌙 Full moon of the Tamil month of Thai, on the day it meets the star Pusam; between mid-January and mid-February.

Major holiday with closures in Chinese-majority areas and packed transport. Lunar dates, late Jan–Feb.

🌙 First day of the Chinese lunar year: the second new moon after the winter solstice, always between 21 January and 20 February.

End of Ramadan: mass homecoming travel and closures. Moves ~11 days earlier each year (around Mar–Apr in the mid-2020s).

🌙 First day of Shawwal, when the crescent moon is sighted at the end of Ramadan. The Islamic calendar is purely lunar: it moves about 11 days earlier each year.

Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death, marked with temple processions. Lunar date, usually May.

🌙 Full moon of the month of Vesak, usually in May; in years with an extra lunar month it can move to late April or June.

Penang's month-long arts and culture festival across the UNESCO old town. Usually July–August.

Hindu festival of lights, vivid in the Little India districts. Lunar dates, usually October–November.

🌙 New-moon night (amavasya) of the Hindu month of Kartika, between mid-October and mid-November.

The festival of colours, joyously messy in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Lunar date, usually March.

🌙 Full moon of the Hindu month of Phalguna: in March, sometimes late February.

Bhaktapur's new-year chariot festival with a giant tug-of-war. Around mid-April.

Nepal's longest festival (~15 days). Shops, offices and services close and transport is packed. Lunar dates, Sep–Oct.

🌙 Fifteen days of the Nepali month of Ashwin: from the day after the new moon to the full moon (September–October).

Kathmandu's great street festival with masked dances and the Kumari chariot. Lunar date, usually September.

🌙 Eight days starting on the 12th day of the waxing moon of the Nepali month of Bhadra (September).

Five-day festival of lights honouring animals and siblings. Lunar dates, usually October–November.

🌙 Five days around the new moon of the Nepali month of Kartik (October–November).

Vibrant January street festivals in Cebu and Kalibo, among the country's biggest. Third week of January.

Baguio's month-long flower festival with grand float parades. Usually February.

The country largely shuts from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday; transport booked out. Dates late Mar–Apr.

🌙 From Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday. Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring.

Davao's thanksgiving harvest festival celebrating fruit, flowers and indigenous culture. Usually August.

Bacolod's 'City of Smiles' festival of smiling masks and street dance. Usually October.

The Philippines keeps the world's longest Christmas season; December brings peak demand and busy transport.

Striking Hindu procession from Little India to Tank Road. Lunar date, usually late January–February.

🌙 Full moon of the Tamil month of Thai, on the day it meets the star Pusam; between mid-January and mid-February.

Singapore's biggest holiday; Chinatown lights up but many shops shut for two days. Lunar dates, late Jan–Feb.

🌙 First day of the Chinese lunar year: the second new moon after the winter solstice, always between 21 January and 20 February.

Singapore's 9 August celebration with a major parade and evening fireworks over Marina Bay.

The F1 night race fills the city; hotels near Marina Bay are scarce and pricey. Usually September.

Hindu festival of lights, vibrant in Little India. Lunar dates, usually October–November.

🌙 New-moon night (amavasya) of the Hindu month of Kartika, between mid-October and mid-November.

January procession at the Kelaniya temple near Colombo, marking the Buddha's visit to the island.

🌙 Full moon of the Sinhala month of Duruthu, usually in January.

Island-wide new year (mid-April). Shops close and transport is very busy for several days.

The most sacred Buddhist full moon, streets lit with lanterns and free food stalls (dansala). Usually May.

🌙 Full moon of the month of Vesak, usually in May; in years with an extra lunar month it can move to late April or June.

Spectacular ten-night procession of drummers, dancers and decorated elephants in Kandy. Lunar dates, Jul–Aug.

🌙 Ten nights of processions ending on the full moon of the Sinhala month of Esala (July or August; a month later in years with a leap month).

Three days of flower floats and parades in Chiang Mai, first weekend of February.

Bangkok's Yaowarat Chinatown and Phuket light up; expect crowds and higher prices. Lunar dates, late Jan–Feb.

🌙 First day of the Chinese lunar year: the second new moon after the winter solstice, always between 21 January and 20 February.

Nationwide water-fight new year (13–15 Apr). Transport and hotels fill up; many businesses close for days.

Rocket festival across Isan praying for rain before planting, boisterous in Yasothon. Usually May.

Nine days of Taoist rites and street processions in Phuket. Lunar dates, usually late September–October.

🌙 The first nine days of the 9th Chinese lunar month, which begins with the new moon of late September or October.

Festival of floating lights and sky lanterns, spectacular in Chiang Mai. Dates follow the lunar calendar.

🌙 Full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar, between late October and late November. Yi Peng in Chiang Mai is that night and the one before.

Vietnam's biggest holiday. Widespread closures for up to a week and transport booked out; dates late Jan–Feb.

🌙 First day of the lunar year: the second new moon after the winter solstice, always between 21 January and 20 February. The first three days are the main holidays.

Back-to-back national holidays (30 Apr–1 May) trigger a domestic travel peak; book ahead.

Biennial arts and heritage festival in the old imperial capital, with royal re-enactments. Usually April.

Weeks of international fireworks competition over the Han River in Da Nang. Usually June–July.

Lantern festival with mooncakes and lion dances, lively in Hoi An. Lunar dates, usually September.

🌙 15th day of the 8th Chinese lunar month: the full-moon night between mid-September and early October.