If you’re lucky enough to get some time off work at Christmas time, why not use the opportunity to plan where to go next year? With 197 sovereign countries in the world, the possibilities are endless! Our travel writer, Lerease, shares five destinations that should be on your list.
I always like a visual reminder of the places I have visited or intend to visit and so I use apps like Mark O Travel or Been which serve as a reminder of where I’ve been. Shockingly my 22 countries only account for 6.8% of the world!
I’ve wasted no time in booking my destinations for next year, so I’ll be using my Christmas downtime to research the destinations and arrange what I plan to do while I am there. However, even as a seasoned traveller, it can be daunting to know when is the best time to visit a destination and with so much choice, I have put together a little list to give you some inspiration about where to visit next year. Consider these places to experience some of the very best destination events globally.
February: Trinidad and Tobago Carnival
Taking place between 27 – 28 February.
Carnival has a long history in the region and each year the celebration just gets bigger. It’s a celebration of Soca music with a number of mas bands, “playing mas” with either a DJ, a steel band or a soca band through the streets of Trinidad in bright beautiful carnival costumes. There are a number of “fetes” (parties) that take place in the lead up to the day with an emphasis on partying.
For more information about both the carnival and the beautiful islands of Trinidad and Tobago visit: http://gotrinidadandtobago.com/
March: Holi Festival of Colours
Taking place between 12 – 13 March.
It is a Hindu celebration that takes places across the whole of India and marks the beginning of Spring. My advice would be to head for the cities up north like Delhi. Wear old clothes and be prepared to get covered in both water and coloured powder and get involved in the atmosphere. Many Hotels also offer packages which include Holi Festival celebrations.
More info about the significance of the festival can be found here: http://www.holifestival.org/
May: St Lucia Jazz Festival
Taking place between 5 – 14 May (TBC)
Presented by the Saint Lucia Tourist board, the jazz festival is a culmination of events happening island-wide with an stellar line up of international music artists specialising in Jazz and R&B as well as other music styles. In 2016 the festival celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Information is likely to be appear here over the coming months. http://saintluciauk.org/
June: Full Moon Parties in Thailand
These parties, as the name suggests, take place when a full moon occurs and are all night beach parties playing a mix of music. It’s an event that is but mostly attended by tourists who happen to be travelling in the South East Asia area. They’ve been taking place since the 80s and are hugely popular.
Information on some of the upcoming dates can be found here: http://www.fullmoonpartykohphangan.com/schedule_dates/
November: F1 Grand Prix – Abu Dhabi
Taking place between 24 – 26 November
There are a number of packages you can buy which include different levels of access and may feature the performances by some international superstars and some of the star studded events that take place around the three races. Visitors can expect to take part in a truly amazing nightlife during the grand prix weekend with high class music live acts, Yacht parties and Allure at Cipriani at Yas Marina.
For more information check out: https://www.grandprixevents.com/f1-races/abu-dhabi
Copyright/Image Credit (- All Images): 123RF Stock Photo.