The Phaung Daw U Festival

If you have ever dreamed of visiting Inle Lake, the magical expanse of water nestled between two mountain ranges in the remote Shan States of Burma, the very best time to do so is coming up soon.  A sacred Buddha image is taken on a pilgrimage from lakeside temple to lakeside temple, spending one night in each.  Every day for about three weeks, a mile-long flotilla of huge, ornately-decorated boats accompanies the image to another temple for that night's vigil.  The armada scythes through the still water, propelled only by young men who use their muscular legs to work the oars. This is truly one of the great sights of Asia. This year the festival spans September and October, so take a look at Utopia's lakeside package http://www.purpledrag.com/inlelake.htm and plan a tranquil holiday away from the world's woes.

"Rainy" Season in Southeast Asia

One of the biggest myths about travel in Asia (often recounted by "travel professionals" who should come and see for themselves) is that the rainy season is always to be avoided.  Nothing could be further from the truth. Torrential rains and howling winds are a Hollywood invention (a la Joan Crawford's Rain, 1932). In reality, we get a refreshing 45 minute downpour most afternoons. It is for this reason that many savvy, experienced travelers will often deliberately visit Asia during "the Monsoon."  Prices are lower, crowds are smaller, and nightspots are filled with locals rather than visitors. In Thailand, there is a really enjoyable and cooling rainy season from August to October, and the Thais themselves love that time because they know their family farms in the provinces are being nourished and the fields are fresh and green. The mornings are often sunny, and clouds give plenty of notice before they appear for their brief afternoon performance.  Because the showers are so predictable, visitors will use the afternoons to catch up on the book they're reading, see the films that are showing back home, or indulge in a delicious massage.  Come to Southeast Asia just once during rainy season and you'll be hooked.

Back to Bali

Six months have passed since a pointless act of violence that killed many people, mostly visitors, on Bali. Earlier this month Purple Dragon Director Douglas Thompson visited that island paradise. In part, here is what Douglas had to say:

"Besides those who died, the real victims of the bombing are the people of Bali, an island that is heavily dependent on tourism. I visited twenty-two hotels in five days. Many of them were really spectacular, but all of them were practically empty. Many people have lost their jobs and virtually everyone living there has been affected economically.'

"Frankly, it makes no sense to me that people are not flocking to Bali. Are you afraid to go to New York since 911? Despite six months of bad times, Balinese smiles are still genuine. The weather and beaches are glorious. Whether you choose a funky warung or a trendy fusion restaurant, the food is fantastic. I had to buy an extra bag for all the shopping I did.'

"There is probably no better time than now to visit Bali. Prices are low and nothing is crowded except Q-Bar after midnight. And Bali could not be safer or more peaceful than it is right now."

To read about our Bali programs click here.

You need to join Club Sanook today!

Hey, are you still not a member of Club Sanook! You can join free! Member privileges include access our virtual "VIP lounge", specially-priced packages not on our "public" website, and access to our library of "before you go" information. Club Sanook Members will earn points on Purple Dragon travel to redeem for future discounts and freebies!

Current specials include free nights and hotel upgrades in Bangkok, free goodies in Chiang Mai, hot deals in Saigon, and new additions every day.

It takes two minutes to join. Just click here.

Of Shoes and Ships and Sealing Wax, of Darika and SARS

Our recent bulletin about SARS in Southeast Asia brought a lot of comment from our friends. It was almost entirely positive, except for remarks about Darika's "radioactive prostate probe."

One reader commented "If we mention Malaria,  this kills about 1500 to 2000 people per annum. You do not seem to hear about this in the papers or the TV do you??????" Another friend said he had read that alcohol is lethal to the SARS virus, which made Darika very, very happy. (Darika did point out, however, that Malaria kills about 2000 people every day in Africa, according to a recent BBC story.)

Despite a little light hearted humor, we take SARS very seriously and we want all of our friends to remain healthy. We also want you to know that no country in which Purple Dragon operates (as of 28 April) is on the World Health Organization's list of "affected areas."

We update our SARS information regularly. To read it, click here.

May and June Holidays and Festivals in Paradise

CHINA

• May 4 CHINESE YOUTH'S DAY

• June 3 TUEN NG FESTIVAL (Hong Kong)