![\"throwing](\"https:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/throwing-water-jeep-songkran-pai.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRight at the top of the Southeast Asia bucket list for many travellers is to experience the sheer joy of getting wet at the Songkran Water Festival in Thailand. In this guide we share everything you need to know to experience Thailand’s Songkran Water Festival for yourself!<\/p>\n
Songkran is the most famous of all of Thailand\u2019s festivals and its purpose is to bring in the new year over a period of about 5 days. Water throwing is a key element of the festival as the purpose of it is to be cleansed and wash away bad luck, many other Buddhist rituals are also performed as part of this religious festival. The beauty of it is that it is celebrated slightly differently, and with various degrees of enthusiasm from region to region.<\/p>\n
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If you\u2019re not travelling to Thailand, then never fear, because these surrounding (and equally incredible) Southeast Asian countries celebrate the new year with water festivals too.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d been to the South of Thailand before and I\u2019d sworn to return, just to experience the magic of the Songkran water festival and it was completely worth it. It\u2019s one of the best travel experiences I\u2019ve ever had – and it\u2019s costs nothing to be a part of it.<\/p>\n
The name \u2018Songkran\u2019 is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word for \u2018approaching\u2019 or \u2018passing\u2019. It is a Buddhist festival where worshippers show their gratitude to their elders as well as attending temples to give offerings.<\/p>\n
Songkran is held at the beginning new year in the Buddhist calendar, which is why it always occurs in April. This is when the dry season ends so seeds are planted to germinate when the wetter months come.<\/p>\n
A word of warning is that dry season is when the land is burnt both deliberately and accidentally for land clearing so the air can be very smokey. This can affect people with respiratory conditions and the air quality was so poor in Chiang Mai that we had to wear masks. Luckily, it wasn\u2019t so bad once we got to Pai, but always check the conditions before you go on the AQI website<\/a>.<\/p>\n The festival can run from 3-10 days depending on the place, but it\u2019s usually from 12th – 16th April. This allows people to travel to where they need to be to celebrate with family as the main festivities happen on the 13th – 15th.<\/p>\n Be aware that it is designated as a public holiday so lots of businesses are closed, so plan accordingly! Some restaurants are still open but service is generally slower as there are fewer staff and demand for food is higher. Supermarkets like 7-Eleven will still be open so you can stock up on food and snacks for your room.<\/p>\n Buses and sometimes accommodation<\/a> is booked up quite far in advance so make sure to plan your itinerary in advance so you can still get to where you want to go in time to join in with festivities!<\/p>\n We got to Chiang Mai on the Green Bus so I recommend buying tickets online<\/a> if you\u2019re travelling to the north.<\/p>\n![\"bikers](\"https:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/bikers-getting-soaked-songkran-pai.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhen Is Songkran?<\/h2>\n
Related Post: <\/strong>Ultimate Guide To The Best Festivals Around The World In 2020<\/a><\/div>\n![\"soaking](\"https:\/\/wearetravelgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/soaked-songkran-pai.jpg\")
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