CNY 2003 (And where to spend it!)

Chinese New Year 2003 falls on Saturday February the 1st. Anyone know how much time off we’ll be given officially? I need to make reservations in the next month or so, (NEVER wait until the last minute - I speak from bitter experience), and while my schedule is flexible, my gf’s schedule is not. She’ll only be able to travel on the official holiday dates.

BTW, I’m going to the Philippines with a bunch of friends - probably to Boracay again. Maybe it should become an offical Segue event… :smiley: :wink:

Yeah, Boracay is great! Luved it.

I don’t think the Central Personnel Administration has announced it yet. You could check the website: www.cpa.gov.tw

Unfortunately, the government likes to play around with holidays, declaring certain days official holidays and then changing the dates at the last minute after people complain.

I’d like to hear more about Boracay~!

Small island near Palawan, great for diving and relaxation. 7km long, 1-3km wide and some nice hotels or chalets right on the beach.

I stayed at the ‘Lorenzo Grand Villa’, one of the better hotels, when I went there but it costs around USD100/night, sits on top of a cliff (shuttle bus service to beach provided). Not a 5 star chain hotel but more like a family business yet very nice and friendly atmosphere, expect salt water showers however.
They also have two more branches, one on the beach and one close to the beach. (I rekon the beach one)

Check out these links:

http://www.boracayisland.org/

http://www.boracayonline.com/

Not much to do there, just diving or hanging out at the beach and/or bar, just what I need from time to time.

I went to Boracay for the first time in 1989, and went several times over the next few years. Last year, after an absence of almost 10 years, I went back, expecting to find that it had been commericalized or developed beyond redemption. I was proven wrong - it’s still gorgeous. I’ve been to every significant destination in the Gulf of Thailand, and several other islands in the Philippines, so I have a good idea of what’s available in terms of island paradises. Boracay has a good balance of isolation and commericalism, quaintness and luxury. Basically, you can find what you’re looking for over there, whether it’s 5 star or 1 star.

I prefer to stay at Sand Castles, as I think it’s great value for the money, but if you think it’s too expensive, you can always try Serina’s Place. It’s spartan, but good enough. The fax number for Serina’s Place is 036-288-3224.

About Boracay, well White Beach has just about the prettiest sunsets I’ve ever seen. The water is calm, the beach has white sand as fine as sugar, and a very gentle grade, so parents can play with kids without too much worry. There’s a disco scene there too, but it’s not too raucous. The sleazy hooker thing is fairly subdued compared to almost anywhere in Thailand. If you’re looking for that kind of good time, forget Boracay, although there are always a few girls plying their trade at Bazura, the local disco.

Snorkeling is quite good, scuba diving is ok. It is a good place to learn, and if you want, there are numerous places that allow you to get your PADI in about 2 or 3 days of “intensive” class, which usually means two dives a day, and some very loose classroom instruction. Safety standards are not what they would be in other parts of the world however, so be warned.

There are numerous motorbikes for hire, which can be a fun afternnoon, especially if you go off to the Bat Cave on the far side of the island… There are no private cars on Boracay, and no motorized vehicles are allowed anywhere near the beach. If you don’t want to walk, you can take a bicycle taxi up and down the beach. It’s a great way to get home after you’ve had one too many San Miguels…

There are no cars on Boracay

I beg to differ, the shuttle bus I mentioned was a van and I remeber seeing a few other cars.
But then again there really aren’t many cars, even fewer roads (dirt tracks if I recall correctly) and most parts of the island if not all can be reached by foot.

The original point of this thread was to determine the holiday schedule for Chinese New Year in 2003.

When we ran a bushiban for many years, we also often ran into this scheduling problem. My method of research was to write a letter to the Central Personnel Administration. That usually got a definitive answer fairly quickly.

In terms of the exact dates of the New Year celebrations, I wonder if anyone can provide the lunar calendar data for the following years:
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011

After checking my World Almanac this morning, I have determined that under the solar calendar, the New Year’s celebrations will fall on January 1st in each of these years, however I am lacking the lunar calendar data.

http://www.mandarintools.com/ has a calendar convertor under Chinese Culture

Jan. 22, 2004 will be the first day of a year of the monkey.
Feb. 09, 2005 will be the first day of a year of the rooster.
Jan. 29, 2006 will be the first day of a year of the dog.
Feb. 18, 2007 will be the first day of a year of the pig.
Feb. 07, 2008 will be the first day of a year of the rat.
Jan. 26, 2009 will be the first day of a year of the ox.
Feb. 14, 2010 will be the first day of a year of the tiger.
Feb. 03, 2011 will be the first day of a year of the rabbit.

I have the date of Chinese New Year for 1,000 years on my site:
www.romanization.com/chinesenewyear/

It’s official. Chinese New Year holidays are from Friday, January 31st to Wednesday, February the 5th. You can bet that most people will also take off the Thursday and Friday of that week, giving themselves a holiday of ten days. That’s a nice round number, isn’t it? Ten days! Whoo-hoo!
See you on the beach! :laughing: 8) :smiley: :mrgreen:

They could at least have given us monday-friday off as they did the last 2 years. :imp:

[quote=“Hartzell”]
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011

After checking my World Almanac this morning, I have determined that under the solar calendar, the New Year’s celebrations will fall on January 1st in each of these years.[/quote]

This is quite possibly the best thing anyone has ever said on this forum.

[quote=“Maoman”]It’s official. Chinese New Year holidays are from Friday, January 31st to Wednesday, February the 5th. You can bet that most people will also take off the Thursday and Friday of that week, giving themselves a holiday of ten days. That’s a nice round number, isn’t it? Ten days! Whoo-hoo!
See you on the beach! :laughing: 8) :smiley: :mrgreen:[/quote]

Splendid. My 30th is on the 6th, and I intend to be in Taipei for it.

Your 30th what? Birthday???

Yup.

[quote=“Poagao”][quote=“Hartzell”]
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011

After checking my World Almanac this morning, I have determined that under the solar calendar, the New Year’s celebrations will fall on January 1st in each of these years.[/quote]

This is quite possibly the best thing anyone has ever said on this forum.[/quote]

I Agree.

Would it be wrong to think that during Chinese New Year places like Boracay, Bali and the like will be wall to wall with vacationers? The beaches will be crowded as will every other place.
Taiwan gets kind of peaceful around Chinese New Year.

[quote=“wolf_reinhold”]
Taiwan gets kind of peaceful around Chinese New Year.[/quote]

Yeah right!
Taiwan gets real peaceful with all the firecrackers, pissing rain, and clattering mahjong tiles… :unamused:

Think I’d prefer the sound of crashing waves this year.

What was that about a quiet vacation in Bali?