Soon Muslim communities will mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan. In Brunei that means very special celebrations and Ai Lee, owner and operator of our Brunei Urban Adventures day tours, lets us know more about the local festivities…
“This year Hari Raya aidilfitri or Eid falls on 31 August or 1 September, 2011 (determined by the result of the new moon sighting). The special thing about the festival in Brunei is that Istana Nurul Iman, the world largest residential royal palace, will open to the public from the second day of Hari Raya for three days. This is a unique tradition found only in Brunei!
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When 10 March, 2012, comes around there will be one town in New Zealand that turns from a mild-mannered community into the weird food capital. From wasp larvae ice-cream to wok fried clams, Hokitika celebrates the wild food flavours of the South Island’s West Coast. Locals say to bring along your appetite for fun, but as Diana Rihl discovered, a cast iron stomach comes in handy too…
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One of the best things about arriving in a new city is to discover it awash with festivities. Not only is this a chance to join in all the fun, but as Sean Kennaway discovered on his Intrepid Patagonia trip, it also gives you an ideal opportunity to sample some mouthwatering food…
“I was lucky enough to be in Chile between 18-19 September, during Fiestas Patrias, the country’s most important national days. This is a time when the whole country erupts in celebrations to remember the beginning of their independence process in 1810.
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The Galungan festival is one of Bali’s most important religious ceremonies and the next festival will be held 1-11 February, 2012. It symbolises the victory of Dharma (Virtue) upon Adharma (Evil), and honours ancestors as well as the creator of the universe. Though it is a Hindu festival, participation of people from all castes and denominations is all part of the fun, as Erin Secomb discovered…
“Bali’s people are very religious, in the truest sense of the word – their beliefs are reflected in the way they live their lives daily and hourly, and they happily devote much of their time to preparing and giving offerings, and especially to the celebration of their favourite festivals.
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Puno is renowned as Peru’s folklore capital. It’s evident why if your visit coincides with Fiesta de la Virgen de la Candelaria in February or La Diablada, the fantastic Puno festival that Liz Foster happened upon in November…
“After spending a fantastic night, although a very cold one, on an island on Lake Titicaca, we returned to Puno. The city was in the full swing of a fabulous festival. A festival that pays respect to the ancient spirits of Lake Titicaca.
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Once a year in the holy town of Puri on the east coast of India, the Gods enter the fray of the common man to mingle with the mob. Claire Prest was in the state of Orissa to experience this frenzied celebration and Chariot Festival first hand…
“Attracting thousands of pilgrims, the annual Festival of Faith is an orchestrated riot of colour, spectacle and sweat. Steeped in folklore and mythology the origins date back centuries, but its significance as a festival ‘of the people’ reigns.
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Every city has its celebrations, but the Fiestas de Quito is one of the world’s biggest. From the end of November the streets overflow with music and mayhem and Intrepid’s Summer Davis loved being amongst it all…
“For six days in the capital city of Ecuador, every night is a public party and for two days at the finale of this independence day revelry every business closes officially. This week most Quitenos partake of at least one chiva outing (traditional open-air bus painted bright colours), squished in the vehicle amongst drunken companeros belting out traditional Quiteno music along with the popular band on the bus roof.
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This week there has been a lot of publicity about the tragic events at the Water Festival in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where over 370 people were trampled to death in a stampede as the crowd became panicked. It was a tragic incident and our thoughts are with all those affected by the event. Thankfully we can confirm that none of our travellers and staff or their friends and families were involved.
Intrepid’s Graham Stanley was in Siem Reap to visit our Cambodian office at the same time as the Water Festival…”The festivities here in Siem Reap were a lot less news-worthy and it was actually a fantastic occasion. The Water Festival is one of the largest festivals in Cambodia. The town was full of foreign visitors, as well as Cambodian tourists from other cities or the countryside wanting to be a part of the event.
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Diwali falls on the 15th day of the Indian lunar month of Kartika. The Festival of Lights is a time for positivity and joy and as Intrepid Express reader Carli Darbyshire discovered, it’s a wonderful time to be in India…
“Arriving in Delhi during Diwali festival I felt like I had entered another world. Despite the constant problems with electricity, every house was lit up like crazy with each house trying to out do their neighbours efforts. The sky was illuminated every split second with flares, Chinese fire crackers and fireworks until late in the night. The sounds ricocheted off buildings and if you closed your eyes you could believe you were right in the middle of a war zone, but open your eyes and it looks like a fairy tale!
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