5 of the USA's Best Halloween Destinations
In few countries are the goings on of All Hallow’s Eve such a big deal as in the United States, with various cities large and small pulling out all the stops in their public celebrations. Yes, the k
Another of the reasons I love living in Sydney is that there are events here all year round, many of them free to attend. If you are visiting the city this spring, there are some events on the calendar that you just can’t miss. You will have a fantas
It's Carnival season! And in the Western Hemisphere, the annual pre-Lenten Carnival of Barranquilla, an hour from Cartagena, is second only to Rio de Janeiro’s in terms of size and extravagance (more than a half mllion participants), but is still les
Hello and get ready to enter the world of Fantasy Fest in Key West , Florida which I have sometimes referred to as "Mardi Gras on Steroids"....without the side effects.
Also, a question I get all the time are requests to find accomodations and I hav
This lovely Italian hill town has over the years become most famous for its summer "Two Worlds Festival," but it's worth staying on afterward (or even coming back) for the marvelous sites, culture, and atmosphere of Spoleto'sUNESCO World Heritage me
Kawagoe is a traditional and lively Koedo (“Little Edo”) city just 30 minutes north of Tokyo along the Tobu Tojo Line. Its spring festival, held from late March through early May, is an annual cultural highlight
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The Land of the Rising Sun is home to an ancient culture with a sometimes tumultuous history, and through these many centuries, inevitably some of that history has been haunted with all manner of ghosts, demons, monsters, and ghouls. And in the 21
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You might wonder why this is even a question. But in fact, the Chinese-speaking world has its own big Lunar New Year celebration (in 2021, it's 12 February), and so while much of the rest of the planet makes a big deal out of New Year's Eve toni
Read more…Reknowned for its scenic beauty, with highlights including gorgeous beaches; verdant hills and forests; and a network of inland waterways plied by traditional houseboats, Kerala state - which Indians like to dub "God's own country" - is also highl
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Located halfway along the coast of Vietnam, Hoi An is famous for its delicious food, excellent tailors and one of Vietnam's most historic old quarters, dating back to the 15th century and marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And beyond its inn
It's a veritable travel boo-for-all! All Hallows Eve continues to increase its "market share" as one of the year's most popular holidays, with ever more folks hopping on a plane to take part in the fun in their favorite cities, especially in the USA
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It goes without saying that Easter (aka Holy Week) is a big deal in most countries with majority-Christian traditions (especially in my home country Spain, famous for its Semana Santa extravaganzas in various cities). But as the site of the Vatica
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Rio de Janeiro‘s greatest and most famous festival is unquestionably one of the world’s, as well, an over-the-top extravaganza of samba schools parading their raucous music, dancing, and extravagant floats and costumes over several consecutive nig
The pre-Lenten season is upon us once again, and although the Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro is the most famous, many other fun, fantastic examples abound across the Americas and Europe - including, of course, right here in Spain. Allow me to introduce
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Celebrated by the Japanese according to the Gregorian calendar only since 1873, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day have evolved their own unique set of customs. Let me share a quick primer on Shōgatsu in Japan with you - it's a festive time of yea
Read more…Like so many European cities and towns, as of the last week in November, Catalonia's capital dons its Yuletide best and does its best to transform the dark, chilly days of winter into a festive celebration, lasting through January 6 (the "12th day
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One of the all-time classic Christmas destinations is the city where Charles Dickens penned A Christmas Carol 175 years ago. And of course the London of today offers an enormous variety of holiday happenings and experiences, from the traditional V
Kashan is an ancient city of some 433,000 in north central Iran, some two hours south of capital Teheran, and its name is tied in the minds of Iranians to its carpets, silks and other textiles - but also golab (rosewater), with its annual rosewater
Mysore, the second biggest city (pop. 887,000) and cultural capital of Karnataka state in southern India, has been transforming itself into a cutting-edge city while preserving its breaktaking legacy of magnificent palaces and extravagant maharaja
