D - B r i e f

Wa t e r

Ma

rc

h

20

11

D - B r i e f

Bangkok, 31 March 2011

Dear Partner,

With Songkran, the annual Water Festival, just around the corner, the March 2011 D-Brief

will introduce you to the significance of water in the Region. This edition highlights what

water really means to local people and how it affects the destinations you and your

customers travel to.

In Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia the New Year celebrations include much more

than just splashing water. The Ganges in India, the holiest river on the subcontinent, plays

an integral role in the life of millions of Hindus, acting as a spiritual place of worship. With

no streams or freshwater lakes, the Maldives, on the other hand, is challenged to secure

freshwater in an economically sensible and environmentally sustainable way.

Explore more about these fascinating topics with us over the coming pages.

Happy Songkran and best wishes to all of you.

Sincerely yours,

Victoria Sertic

Chief Sales Officer

Diethelm Travel Group

March is the month everyone in Myanmar,Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, young andold, prepare for the Water Festival andNew Year celebrations in April. Whilst forthe older generation, this is a time toreflect and give merit, for children, it‟s atime for fun! They prepare their weaponsof choice for the water fights, which gohand-in-hand with the festivities. In this D-Brief, we look at additional rituals andtraditions which might not be known toyou yet.

Whilst water is considered the source oflife all over the world, it has a specialsignificance in India as an aid used toattain physical cleanliness and spiritualwell-being. One of the holiest and mostwell known bodies of water in India is,

without doubt, the river Ganges. Discoverhow this sacred river touches the life ofevery Indian.

The Maldives, faced with water shortagesand rising sea levels, is dealing with waterin a completely different way. The islandnation, which has been dependant, forcenturies on groundwater resources andrain water, is faced with the challenge ofsupplying an increasing amount offreshwater to its residents and visitors.Find out more on how they do this in theMaldives section.

New Year & Water Festivals

Freshwater – A Scarce Commodity

Water – India‟s Rhythm of Life

Water

The most interesting place to experience the Lao New

Year, called “Phi Mai” in Laotian, is Luang Prabang.

Here, the celebrations can stretch out over seven

days and include next to the traditional rituals, the

colourful New Year Parade and the Phi Mai Beauty

Queen Pageant. Even though Miss Phi Mai Lao (Miss

Lao New Year) contests take place in many cities

around Laos, the pageant held in Luang Prabang is

the most prestigious. Of the seven contestants taking

part, each single one symbolizes one of King

Kabinlaphom‟s seven daughters.

Over the years the legend of King Kabinlaphom (see

opposite page) has developed into the ritual of

pouring water on elders and monks to pay their

respect. Watch out when visiting Laos around New

Year, as nowadays, it is common to not only soak

strangers and passer-bys with water, but also cover

them with white powder and shaving cream. A very

messy affair!

If you happen to be in Luang Prabang during Lao

New Year and are more interested in the timing of

Luang Prabang‟s festivities visit this link.

Lao New Year

Once there was a very wise and most intelligent

teacher who was well-know all over the land. It‟s

said that King Kabinlaphom went to look for the

teacher, Thao Thammapaala, to ask him a riddle. If

Thammapaala could solve the riddle, the King would

behead himself, but if he failed his head would be

cut off. The teacher was able to solve the riddle and

the King kept his promise. However, before he

beheaded himself, he called his seven daughters and

gave them instructions: “I will cut off my head to

pay homage to Thammalaapa‟s wisdom, but if my

head falls on the earth, it will cause hellish fire. If it

is thrown in the air, there will be no rain. If it is

thrown in the sea, the sea will go dry. So, you must

place my head on a tray and bring the tray to a cave

in Kailash Mountain”. All was done according to his

instructions and each year, upon the anniversary of

his death, the seven daughters would go to recover

the father‟s head and wash and clean it. Then, they

would go in a procession around the mountain to

pray for happiness and good weather.

The Legend of King Kabinlaphom

Khmer New Year

In Cambodia the New Year is called “Chaul Chnam

Thmey”, and over the three-day duration, the Khmer

like to have some fun. A variety of games, which

have been passed down from generation to

generation and involve much singing and dancing,

are played all over the country during the New Year

period. For teenagers and young adults the games

are a welcome occasion to flirt and get to know each

other in a traditional way:

• Bos Angkunh is played by a group of girls and

boys. Three or five angkunhs, large inedible vine

nuts, are placed on the ground. Each team then

tries to hit the nuts on the ground with their own

ankunhs. The winners of the game are then

allowed to knock the losers‟ knees with a nut. Two

options of doing this are available: “Bai trachheak”

means that a nut is placed on the opponent‟s knee

and hit with another one. “Bai gadao” means that

two nuts are hit together in the same manner as

before, however this time, a cracking sound need

to be produced. If the winner fails to make this

sound, the hit person can hit the winner back.

• Laek Kanseng is another favourite among thetraditional New Year‟s games. To start the game, akroma, a traditional Khmer scarf, is tied into acloth ball. All participants then sit in a circle,facing inwards and are not allowed to turn aroundor look behind them. One player walks around thecircle, and while singing a song, secretly tries todrop the kroma behind someone sitting in thecircle. If the tricked person does not realize whathas happened and misses to pick up the ballbehind his or her back, they will become therunner and have to try and trick somebody else.

• Chol Chhoung, translated means “throwing thekroma”, is played by two groups of 10 or 20people each. The two teams, one girl‟s and oneboy‟s team, stand in two rows opposite eachother. A member of the first team then throws thecloth ball at the other team. Whoever manages tocatch it must then chase the initial thrower and tryto hit him or her with the cloth ball. If the chasedperson gets hit, the thrower can then ask him orher to sing a song or dance. Traditionally, CholChhoung is played on the first evening of theKhmer New Year.

Traditional New Year’s Games

Burmese New Year

The New Year festival period in Myanmar, also called

“Thingyan”, is the favourite time for parents to send

their sons to join a Buddhist monastery as a novice.

Regarded as the coming of age ceremony, a

novitation ceremony is one of the most important

events in the life of every Burmese man and a unique

tradition to Myanmar. A family usually sponsors the

novitation for their own son, but if a boy‟s parents

cannot afford the ceremony or if he is an orphan, rich

families will take over the obligation.

The first novitation in history was performed by the

Buddha himself, before passing the legacy on to his

son Rahula. It is said that Buddha asked his son to

derobe from his royal dress, change into a simple

gown and, after having shaved his head, follow him

to his monastery. This is why traditionally Burmese

people believe that their lives are incomplete, if they

themselves or their sons have not gone through the

same ritual. Celebrating this rite of passage around

the time of New Year is a suitable for a boy who is

about to live through an event that will have a lasting

effect on his life.

Shinpyu, the novitation ceremony, begins early in the

morning. Boys aged between 9 and 12 years old, who

are about to become novices, join a procession to the

village‟s spirit house. Dressed in prince-like attire, the

boys are accompanied by parents and family

members carrying colourful gilded umbrellas and

offerings. The boys are carried by horses in more

rural areas and by cars in Yangon, ending the

procession at the Shwedagon Pagoda.

In the late afternoon, the families proceed to the

monastery where the boys‟ heads are shaved, by

monks and a close family member catches the hair

that falls with a white cloth. The boys then, wrapped

in white robes, recite verses in order to ask for the

saffron robe. At the end of the ceremony, the boys

are given an alms bowl and a palm-leaf fan for their

upcoming stay with the monks. They say goodbye to

their parents, probably for the first time ever, and

stay at the monastery for at least seven days. During

this time, the fresh novices have to follow the set

rules of Theravada Buddhism, studying holy

scriptures and making the most out of their stay.

Shinpyu – Novitation Ceremony

Every March, as snow melts in the

Himalayas, India‟s rivers bring fresh spring

water to the vast deltas. With water comes

life, trees and flowers bloom and corn

grows. Hinduism sees itself as metaphor

for this cycle of life and it is thus not

surprising that the word „Hindu‟ originates

from the Persian name for the Indus River.

While Hinduism covers a variety of

different beliefs, water has a special

significance for all Hindus in that it allows

attaining physical cleanliness and spiritual

well-being. Water connects the living and

the dead, as is used to purify, but also to

aid the dead on their path to heaven. One

of the holiest and most well known bodies

of water is, without doubt, the river

Ganges.

Over the next pages you will explore how

this sacred river touches the life of every

Indian.

Water – India’s Rhythm of Life

"The Ganga, especially, is the river of India, beloved of her people, round which are

intertwined her memories, her hopes and fears, her songs of triumph, her victories and

her defeats. She has been a symbol of India's age-long culture and civilization, ever

changing, ever flowing, and yet ever the same Ganga.“

'Discovery of India„ by Jawaharlal Nehru, First Prime Minister of India

The river Ganges, also called Ganga, plays an integral

role in the life of millions of Hindus in India.

Here are some interesting facts about the holy river:

• The Ganges covers a distance of around 2‟506 km

and is the second largest river on the Indian

subcontinent. The river originates at Gangotri

glacier on the southern slopes of the Himalayas.

• Major pilgrimage cities along the river are:

Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi and Prayag

(Allahabad)

• The plains on the banks of the river are very

fertile and, hence, are one of the most densely

populated areas in the world, with half of India's

population living near and depending on the

Ganges.

• An important ecosystem is flourishing in the River,

with the Ganges river dolphin being on the top of

the food chain. Loss of habitat due to the creation

of dams and irrigation projects, the current

population is said to be less than 2‟000. These

dolphins are on the list of endangered species.

The Ganges River

Many legends describe “Mother Ganga” as having

heavenly origins and illustrate the river‟s descent to

earth in various ways, all involving a connection to

the important Hindu gods Brahma (god of creation),

Vishnu (god of protection) and Shiva (god of

destruction).

In one legend King Sagara‟s sons deeply offend the

great sage Kapila, who, in anger, burnt them to ash.

A descendent of Sagara later meditates for the

salvation of the souls of his ancestors. After

centuries of meditation Ganga decided to grant this

wish and to descend to earth and washed away the

ashes, of the sixty thousand sons of Kind Sagara. In

doing so, she purifies and frees their souls. Lord

Shiva agrees to assist Ganga and let‟s her fall into

his matted hair so that she can follow it down to

earth.

All accounts show the importance of Ganga‟s

heavenly, divine nature and due to her descent from

heaven to earth, she became a continuous link

between the earthly and heavenly realms. It is

because of this link that the river Ganges became

the holiest of all rivers and place of pilgrimage.

Myths & Legends

Hindus believe that life is incomplete without taking a

bath in the Ganges at least once in their life. For this

reason, one of the most sacred and basic rituals in

Hinduism is taking a bath in the holy water of the

Ganges. Many pilgrims travel to the holy cities along

the Ganges to wash their sins away. The best time to

perform this ritual is in the early morning when, as

the sun is rising, the bathing pilgrim offers prayers to

the sun. Then right after the bathing, gifts consisting

of flowers, fruits and sweets along with more prayers

are offered to the different deities.

Another important ritual, which can be observed in

the evenings along the river, is the Aarti. For this

Hindu ritual, priests carry large lamps filled with ghee

(clarified butter). After lighting the lamps, the priests

swing them in unison with one another,

simultaneously saying prayers and singing. The fire

represents the spiritual light and is a symbol of

knowledge. Aarti allows believers to return the love

and light which God gives to them every day. After

the ritual, hundreds of candles and flowers are

released on the water of the Ganges.

Religious Rituals

Although there are a number of important pilgrimage

cities along the Ganges, Varanasi is the only one

called „The Holy City‟. It is said to be one of the

oldest continuously inhabited cities of the world and

is a significant place of worship for Hindus. With

more than 1‟000‟000 pilgrims visiting each year, the

city has hundreds of temples and ghats, wide

staircases that lead down to the river.

In Varanasi, these ghats are used for both daily

activities such as laundry and for religious rites such

as bathing and the Aarti ceremony. It is here, where

for thousands of years people have been descending

to the river at dawn to offer their morning prayers to

the sun.

Varanasi, also assumes a special significance as the

cremation ground of devout Hindus. At devoted

ghats, called “Shamshan” ghats, bodies are burnt

water side in order for the holy water to wash away

the ashes. It is believed that if people die in

Varanasi, they will be cleansed of all their sins and

go straight to heaven.

Varanasi – The Holy City

The Maldives, a tropical paradise of

approximately 1‟190 islands, is home to

the most luxurious resorts on the planet.

While gazing out onto the crystal clear

turquoise water and sipping your

champagne, have you ever wondered

where the freshwater you use to shower,

brush your teeth or for your laundry to be

washed comes from?

There are no rivers on any of the islands

and only a very small number of

freshwater lakes and wetlands for a

population of 390‟000 and a total of 88

tourist resorts. Even though 99 percent of

the country is made up of water, only a

small percentage is actually drinkable.

While in the past the residents of the

islands depended on ground water or rain

water to cover their needs, these sources

no longer provide enough fresh water to

keep both, the tourist and locals in supply.

It is almost ironic that this tiny nation,

which experts say might soon be washed

away by the rising sea level, lacks fresh

water resources. Join us to learn more

about the Maldives‟ water struggle, how

they tackle it and what you can contribute

to do your bit.

Did you know?

Apart from rainwater, groundwater and

desalinated water, the only other source of

water on the Maldives is bottled water.

While some of the bottled water is

imported, a significant part of it is

produced and bottled by Coca-Cola

Company on the island of Thulusdhoo. It is

the only factory in the world making Coca-

Cola from seawater!

Freshwater – A Scarce Commodity in the Maldives

The Maldives‟ natural fresh water resources consist of

groundwater and rainwater. Traditionally, Maldivians

use collected rainwater as drinking water and ground

water for other needs.

Groundwater Resources

Maldivians access groundwater from narrow bands

below the surface only a few metres wide. However,

because these „reservoirs‟ are not very big, the

natural balance between fresh and the surrounding

saltwater is easily damaged by over extracting

drinking water. Another threat for the Maldives‟

groundwater resources comes from the global rise in

sea level.

Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater is collected from roofs and stored in

private household or community tanks. Rainwater has

been gathered in the Maldives for centuries; however,

nowadays its purity is questionable. Due to

congestion and over population, it is not possible

anymore to harvest rainwater safely in densely

population areas such as the capital city Male.

The Facts

With an increasing population and less and less

natural water resources available, the only

alternative is to produce fresh water through

desalination.

How does it work?

Most desalination plants on the islands use reverse

osmosis to turn seawater into freshwater. In the

process, saltwater is pressed through a membrane

which filters the salt, while the pure water passes to

the other side. Desalination is energy-intensive and

thus becomes, using fossil fuel to power the plants,

an expensive alternative to using natural freshwater

sources.

It is necessary for resorts to have a desalination

plant as they cannot rely purely on a natural water

supply. In 2009, the Maldivian government

announced that the entire nation aims to be carbon

neutral within the next decade. This means that all

desalination plants will have to be powered by wind

generated energy or solar power. Hotel companies

are facing big investments to achieve this goal.

The Solution

Maldivian hoteliers recognized that powering a

desalination plant uses a lot of energy. In an effort to

reduce their energy consumption and the associated

negative impact on the environment, leading resorts

follow strict water conservation policies.

Desalination needs to be practiced with the

combination of rain harvesting and sustainable use of

groundwater resources.

Alila Villas Hadahaa for example makes sure that no

direct sewage is released into the sea and soil. A

waste management plan ensures that sewage is

treated and only clean water goes into the ground.

They also use rainwater harvesting and practise water

saving by only installing water efficient appliances to

restrict the use of desalinated water.

In addition to doing all of the above, Soneva Fushi‟s

also assures that all of the resort‟s swimming pools

are filled with filtered seawater and they only grow

native plant species in the jungle areas, as these do

not require additional irrigation.

Hotel Best Practices

Do not just leave your good eco-habits at home

when travelling to the Maldives. You now know that

every drop of water used for drinking and domestic

purpose has to be produced by a desalination plant.

These simple steps will enable you to do your bit to

save water and help to protect the environment.

• Stay at a resort that makes a real effort towards

safeguarding the environment and uses best

practices when it comes to fresh water

production, recycling and waste management.

• Instead of ordering imported branded water

which has to be shipped over miles, drink locally

produced and bottled water.

• Each towel you send to wash uses precious

fresh water too. Additionally, the dirty laundry

water is often still flushed into the sea, which

poses a big threat to the coral reefs and marine

life. Use your towel more than once.

• Try to reduce the amount of water you spend

per day. For instance, turn the tap off whilst

brushing your teeth and do not shower longer

than necessary.

Do Your Bit To Save Water

Source: Taste, www.taste.com.au

How to Make Pad Thai:

1. Place noodles into a heat-proof bowl. Cover with hot water. Stand until tender. Drain and rinse under

cold water.

2. Combine lemon juice, fish sauce and sugar in a jug. Whisk with a fork to combine.

3. Heat a wok over high heat. Add oil. Swirl to coat. Add chicken. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until golden.

Add prawns, onions and chillies. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until prawns turn pink. Add noodles.

Stir-fry for 2 minutes.

4. Add lemon juice mixture to wok. Toss to combine. Slowly pour eggs over noodles. Stir-fry for 1

minute. Add sprouts. Toss well.

5. Spoon the Pad Thai onto plates. Sprinkle with peanuts and coriander leaves. Serve with lime or

lemon wedges.

Recipe of the Month

Ingredients:250g packet rice stick noodles

2 lemons, juiced

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced

500g green prawns, peeled, deveined

3 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally

2 small red chillies, deseeded, finely chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup bean sprouts, tails removed

1/4 cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped,

optional

1/2 cup coriander leaves

lime wedges, to serve

Pad Thai

Visa & Borders

Sri Lanka

point of time is in the process of implementing anew visa regulation, which will require allnationals to obtain visas prior to entering SriLanka. When this is implemented visas can beobtainable in 5 different ways:

• Online, by filling in a simple application form.The estimated time for granting a visa will be3 days and if urgent visas (within 24 hours)were required, it could be obtained at aslightly higher fee.

• Through the tour operator• Through the local agent• As a group on line• On arrival at a higher fee

The unconfirmed fee expected to be charged isUS$ 10 per visa. No official announcement hasbeen made yet as to when the new visaregulations will become effective.Watch this space for more information on SriLanka‟s new visa regulations.

Entry into Sri Lanka is quite easily obtained. Atourist visa, valid for 30 days is issued at theport of entry without a visa fee. Nationals fromSouth America, Cambodia and Vietnam need toobtain their visa, by prior approval.

Visitors need proof of sufficient funds for theirstay in Sri Lanka (bank statements or creditcards). Passengers must also hold return oronward flight tickets and have 2 passport sizedphotographs. It is highly recommended,passports have as least a six month validityremaining after your date of departure.

All nationals who intend to visit Sri Lanka formore than 30 days need to obtain, priorvisas/landing endorsements from the Sri LankanMission abroad or from the Controller General ofImmigration and Emigration by requesting alocal sponsor to apply on their behalf.

However, the Sri Lankan government at this

Unbeatable Special

offers – „PASSPORT‟

"Passport" provides you

with exclusive value and

savings, negotiated on

your behalf.

Visit our website at

www.diethelmtravel.com

to read, down-load or

print a copy.

Newsline

The most important breaking travel news,

updates, information and special promotions from

our 12 countries. Make sure to update your profile

– just click on the link in our newsline.

Not receiving our mail yet?

Go to www.diethelmtravel.com, look for “Join Our

Mailing List” on the home page and sign up!

Keep in Touch, Be Informed!

Are you on Facebook?

Join us! Diethelm Travel has created a Facebook page and we would love for all our

partners to join in and „become a fan‟ on www.facebook.com/diethelmtravel

We are sharing our own travel experiences, product updates, hotel reviews and give

you handy tips and hints on what is hot.

PASSPORT

S u m m e r 2 0 1 1

D - B r i e f

Diethelm Travel GroupKian Gwan II Bldg, 14/F140/1 Wireless Road,

Bangkok 10330, ThailandPhone: +66 2 660 7000 / Fax: +66 2 660 7027

E-mail: sales@diethelmtravel.com

www.diethelmtravel.com