Springtime travel with unique experiences around the world.

Walking barefoot through hot ashes - Japan

That's an experience visitors can try when participating in the Hiwatari-matsuri spring festival, held annually in early March at Yuki-ji Temple on Mount Takao, west of Tokyo (Japan). This is a festival of the Shugendo sect – a unique religion that combines Buddhist beliefs with asceticism. Fire is used by Shugendo followers as a ritual to ward off evil and also as a method for daily training of willpower and spirit.

During the festival, devotees set up pyres to burn things symbolizing evil, then perform the Goma ritual: holding sacred amulets, they walk barefoot through glowing embers and hot ashes, hoping to ward off misfortune, receive good luck and health, and pray for world peace. After the ritual ends, visitors can participate by removing their shoes and walking barefoot through the ashes to cleanse themselves of bad luck from the past year.

Festival of effigies and red flames - Spain

Taking place annually from March 1st to March 20th, Las Fallas is one of the largest festivals in the Mediterranean region, held in Valencia (Spain) to welcome spring and honor Saint Joseph. The highlight of Las Fallas is the parade of "ninots" (effigies) 6-10 meters tall, made by locals from paper, wax, and wood. Thousands gather around Plaza del Ayuntamiento to witness the earth-shattering "Mascletà" fireworks display at 2 PM each day. On the final night of the festival (March 19th), the ninots are burned one by one as a ritual to dispel the cold winter and welcome the warm spring. And at midnight, the winning effigy is set ablaze in front of the city's tallest building, illuminating the entire Valencia night sky with fire.

Having weathered many ups and downs since the 18th century, Las Fallas has now become a source of pride for the people of Valencia and Spain. In 2016, Las Fallas was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Nowruz New Year - Middle Eastern

Celebrated for over 3,000 years in Iran and other countries of the former Persian Empire, spanning from the Middle East to Central Asia, Nowruz is also known as the Persian New Year. Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the new year according to the Islamic Hijrin calendar – the official calendar of Iran and Afghanistan. Preparations for Nowruz begin in March with the sowing of beans and wheat to pray for a bountiful harvest. Following the sowing, people clean their houses, buy new clothes, food, and decorations.

During the New Year celebrations, each family decorates a Haft Sin altar with seven items beginning with the letter S, including: Sabzeh (wheat and barley grains planted in a dish, symbolizing rebirth), Samanu (sweet bread made from young wheat, symbolizing abundance), Senjed (dried bitter gourd, symbolizing love), Sir (garlic, symbolizing medicine), Sib (apple, symbolizing health and beauty), Somaq (sumac, symbolizing the rising sun), and Serkeh (vinegar, symbolizing age and patience).

At midnight on New Year's Eve, all family members gather around the Haft Sin table, dressed in new clothes, holding coins for good luck, exchanging greetings, and then visiting relatives and friends. Visitors to Nowruz can participate in sacred rituals such as fire jumping, torch processions, and dancing with the locals.

Discover Chichen Itza during the spring equinox - Mexico

The Chichen Itza pyramid, located in the city square of Chichen Itza (Mexico), is one of the many masterpieces of the Mayan civilization and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, recognized in 2007. Chichen Itza has a four-sided pyramidal shape, built in nine tiers with a small square temple at the top. Each side of the pyramid has a staircase running from the top to the base with 91 steps. The four sides of the pyramid have a total of 364 steps (4 x 91), plus the temple at the top, making it 365 – exactly the number of days in a year according to the Gregorian calendar.

This is why the ancient Maya used Chichen Itza as a sundial. On the spring equinox, March 21st each year, the sunlight and shadows along the northern staircase, when combined with the serpent head at the base of the pyramid, create the illusion of a giant serpent descending from heaven – the serpent god Kukulcan, bringing hope and signaling the arrival of a new planting season. A similar phenomenon occurs on the autumn equinox (September 21st), but at this time, Mexico is in its rainy season, making it much more difficult to observe.

Take a train ride to see the tulips - Netherlands

Every April, millions of tourists flock to Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands to admire the vibrant tulip fields. But not many know that they can also see the tulips by taking a train ride through these stunning fields. This is the Nederlandse Spoorwegen train, running on the route from Haarlem to Leiden, operated by the Dutch National Railways. While it's a daily train, during tulip season, the Nederlandse Spoorwegen becomes a special journey.

Visitors can choose an intercity train with two stops or a local Sprinter train with four stops between the two cities to admire the tulip blossoms in tranquility and serenity. Just over 30 minutes from Haarlem and costing from €12.40 for a round-trip ticket, visitors can enjoy a truly special experience on one of the most spectacular spring journeys.

Tong Hoang Ha My