By Nikki Bayley
The summer music festival season is almost over, but if you’ve got a taste for seasonal celebrations, there are plenty of amazing events all around the world to take part in. Here’s a few of our favourites.
Best for families: Leaf Peeping in New England
Who can do it: Absolutely everyone but especially good for photographers.
Let’s go! Across the six New England states, the fall forest scenery is word-famous for its amazing blaze of vivid colours. It starts in the north in mid-September and moves south during October. Enjoy the New Hampshire hospitality and stay in a cosy home from home at the North Conway Private Apartments which have fully fitted kitchens, spacious living and dining areas plus private decks with gorgeous views. Perfectly situated, it’s 5 minutes away from North Conway, which boasts the state’s biggest tax-free factory outlet shopping, and less than 30 minutes away from woods, mountains and of course, all those colourful leaves!
Top tip: Twice a week leaf peepers update the foliage network so you can plan your days out to see the most spectacular bursts of colour.
Best for Party People: Carnival in Mexico
Who can do it: If you love to dance, feast and party all night long, this one’s for you...
Let’s go! Every year the whole of Mexico goes carnival crazy and celebrates with a week of fiestas, parades, music and dancing before settling down to the more solemn business of Lent. One of the best places to enjoy the Carnival is on the beautiful island of Cozumel, just east of the Yucatan peninsular opposite the popular destination of Playacar. Stay in Playacar at the all-inclusive Sandos PLayacar Resort and Spa, where you can try out a variety of free water sports from kayaking to windsurfing in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.
Stay at the Occidental Grand Flamenco Xcaret, which is on a private beach on the Caribbean side of the country. It’s all-inclusive, with 11 different restaurants, 10 bars and 5 pools with an incredible array of on-site entertainment. Buzzing Playa del Carmen is just 10 minutes away and you’re also close to some of nature’s marvels from dolphins and turtles to the rain-forest.
Top tip: The ferry runs hourly from nearby Playa del Carmen to Cozumel. It takes around half an hour and a return trip is about a tenner. It’s a fun trip and throughout carnival, you’ll be sharing your journey with excited locals in costumes!
Best for Adventurous Foodies: The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket
Who can do it: Some of the rituals can be fairly grisly, so this is not for the faint-hearted!
Let’s go! A world away from the beaches and the bars, the Phuket Vegetarian Festival is a serious affair for its devotees, the ‘Ma Song’, who follow a ten day vegetarian diet in late September/early October. They take part in various sacred rituals such as body piercing, walking over hot coals and climbing ladders with sharp bladed rungs to gain luck and attain enlightenment. There are amazing street processions and rituals on the beaches, so it’s spectacular to watch, and definitely a holiday to remember. Stay at the All Seasons for a relaxing and peaceful break. It overlooks the pearl white sands of Nai Ham beach and is just 15 minutes from the famous Kata beach.
Top tip: Take part in the festival by eating vegetarian food at the many street stalls and markets. You’ll be able to spot it by the yellow flags with red Chinese or Thai writing.
Best for nature lovers: The Hermanus Whale Festival in South Africa
Who can do it: Anyone who loves the great outdoors!
Let’s go! Take advantage of the exchange rate and head to South Africa in September for a luxury break at budget prices! The Hermanus Whale Festival is the only enviro-arts festival in the whole of South Africa, held each year at Hermanus, known as the best land-based whale watching place in the world, to celebrate the return of the Southern Right whales to the waters of Walker Bay. You can enjoy everything from music, cabaret and African rhythms every night with the whales as the stars throughout the day.
Top tip: Stay at Auberge Burgandy, which is just 50 metres away from Walker Bay, so you’ll have unrivalled views of the whales from the moment the sun rises. Make sure you have binoculars and a camera with you to enjoy these astonishing animals.
Best for Shopaholics: The Dubai Shopping festival
Who can do it: Bargain hunters and fashionistas!
Let’s go! For four weeks between January and February, Dubai celebrates its annual Shopping Festival with an extravaganza of fashion shows, entertainment, celebrities and, of course, whopping bargains galore! The event attracts over 3 million visitors each year with its huge discounts, prize draws and daily competitions like the chance to win a luxury car or a bar of gold! Stay at the Novotel Deira, which is just opposite one of the world’s biggest shopping malls, the Deira City Centre, within the historic district of Port Saeed and close to Dubai Creek and the gold and spice souks.
Top tip: Shopped till you’ve dropped? There’s a free twice daily shuttle to the Jumeirah Beach Park, so you can soak up the sun, enjoy the beach and maybe do a bit of celeb spotting too, recent visitors include Ben Stiller and Jessica Alba.
Want to see a far flung festival? See our worldwide offers now!
Nikki Bayley is a freelance travel writer. She writes regularly for the Daily Express and Sunday Mirror. Her favourite cities are San Sebastian, Mexico City and San Francisco.