Hot answers tagged festivals
15
I would recommend summer.
The weather is warm but not too hot, less than in Italy or Japan. See this minimum/maximum graph in Nice (in Celsius, 25°C=77°F):
During summer touristic places are open everywhere, even in the South, the warmer the better.
During summer people working in Paris leave for the South, but Paris still has a lot of activities, even ...
7
Often Ryokans will either make dinners mandatory and exclude single guests if they feel a too big impact from this. Specially during festivals the rules might be even more strict.
If your Ryokan does not exclude single guests and does not include the dinner in the price, you are normally free to come as a single guest and also skip dinner. Of course you ...
7
The Oktoberfest homepage has some of information in English as well. Unfortunately the page about accessibility is only available in German (I'll include the information below).
Going by car is pretty much impossible. Taxis are of course a different matter and perhaps an option to you. But fortunately, the festival ground is very central and easily ...
6
It actually all depends on where you intend to go and what you want to do. France has very strong regional differences, both in weather and touristic periods.
For Paris, I'd recommend visiting it in August, where most locals have left the town. It'll be full of tourists, but there will still be less people than in other times of the year, and the weather ...
5
Holi supplies is a seasonal industry, similar to how fireworks are a seasonal industry based around Diwali. Most commercially available Holi dyes will be hard to find outside the festival season, although you should also be aware that most of them are unsafe due to presence of heavy metals such as lead and mercury! Yes it looks fun, but many of them can ...
5
August
Outside Lands Festival
Music, Food, Wine, Beer, & Art Festival in Golden Gate Park.
San Francisco Shakespeare Festival
The genius of Shakespeare in San Francisco's most relaxing setting. Admission is free every Saturday and Sunday through the month of September. Arrive early for a good seat; shows begin at 1:30pm.
San Jose Jazz Festival
With ...
5
I have heard that many people in France take their holidays during August, and hence many shops/business will be closed and many tourist accomodations will be busy and booked out.
I spent ~ 2 weeks motorbike around France in the first 2 weeks of September, and didn't have a problem with booking accomodation, I was able to just turn up at 5pm and have a room ...
4
I can't comment on Laos as I've never been there for Songkran/New Year (although it is probably my favorite place on the planet otherwise!), however...
I was in Bangkok during Songkran several years ago (2004 I think), and it was an amazing atmosphere and experience, especially around Kao San Road. If you're in a different part of the country there will ...
4
I am not sure if this will help but I am sure that some of these strange -> weird -> bizarre sports have presence and competitions in the NorthEast US. I haven't gone through all of them but you are welcome to search. :)
Complete List of Unusual Sports
Present locally:
Bike Polo
Chess Boxing
P.S. Some of these sports are painful just to read about.
4
According to this website, there is nothing special on these dates. The closest to your travel dates are the January 1st (New Year's day) and the January 11th (Independence Manifesto Day 1944). In my experience, I was a January 1st in Marrakesh and I didn't perceived any special celebration.
3
Burning Man Festival itself organises a ticket exchange programme for those interested in reselling their tickets. They call it 'STEP' (Secure Ticket Exchange Program). However, for the 2012 festival this is now closed.
The Secure Ticket Exchange Program (STEP) is an online system that
facilitates the safe resale of tickets that have been purchased
...
3
For 2012, it would seem you're out of luck by official routes. The main website describes the ticketing structure and process, and the final dates have indeed passed.
A search on ebay reveals at least one seller of tickets, but I'd be very cautious buying tickets second-hand - not that it can't be done though.
3
Many people offered useful advice but I would like to stress that both climate and things to do will depend a lot on the area you are considering. The summer (July-August) offers the warmest temperatures and the best chances of sun but that's also the season with the most visitors and long waiting times for some attractions.
I also occasionally find the ...
3
In Paris the 4th weekend in November, by far. Then there is the annual Salon du vin of the independent "vignerons". This event is massive and really worth a visit. Thousands of wine farmers present their latest harvest for you to taste.
You can get an impression of the event here
2
I attended La Tomatina 2 years ago. I'd suggest you take a few things under consideration:
1) There are a TON of people. Campers, drivers (I slept in a car), and busload after busload of drunken Australians (sorry, but there were!). As such, there will be traffic delays, and buses will be jammed.
2) While La Tomatina was fun, in Requena nearby the night ...
2
If you arrive to Valencia at 8:00 in the morning there is a regular line bus from Valencia to Buñol that leaves Valencia at 9:00 and reach Buñol at 9:55 (according to the official schedule), so if you manage to be in Valencia before 9:00 it is possible to be in Buñol in time.
Going from Nimes to Valencia by road, using a bus in your case, is a travel of ...
2
I ended up going to Luang Prabang for Lao New Year, and it was an awesome experience. From what I've heard of Songkran, it seems the atmosphere is very similar. 3 days of getting absolutely soaked with water from buckets, squirt guns and hoses and being covered in corn starch, black, orange and red food coloring. There were parades, a Miss Lao event, stupa ...
1
I don't know when you will be doing this, but try the East Coast Kinetic Sculpture race - http://www.kineticbaltimore.com/
From the website:
Kinetic Sculptures are amphibious, human powered works of art custom
built for the race. Each May, the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM)
hosts the East Coast Kinetic Sculpture Race Championship on the shore
...
1
I know this is past now (sorry I didn't see it). However, CM's Song Kran has to be experienced to be believed - so sorry you missed it (I didn't - again - but then I live here :D)
What you should have done was to do the Visa Run - there are no rules about returning within 6 months (there was an old rule about no more than 3 back to back walk-over the border ...
1
Fortunately the wonderful world of Wikipedia can help out here.
Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival
Sapporo Snow Festival (which you went to)
World Ice Art Championships
International Snow and Ice Sculpture Festival
Snowking Winter Festival
International Ice Sculpture Contest "Polar Rhapsody", Salekhard, Russia
Italian Ice Carving ...
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