Festivals and Events

Sep 26, 2011 • 3 min read

There's nothing like decades of martial law to make a community long for the good times. For the residents of Kinmen Island, a frontline in the defence…

Jun 28, 2011 • 3 min read

Despite its chilly (okay, freezing) winters, Canada's summers are a sunny delight with gorgeous scenery, lively cities and festivals inviting you to make…

Jun 19, 2011 • 3 min read

Mark Twain famously said the coldest winter he ever spent was summer in San Francisco. Well, with summer here in the northern part of the world, maybe…

Jun 15, 2011 • 3 min read

The colder the country the more passionately they celebrate their summer. So it is with the Finns who revel in the months of sunshine and cider on the…

Apr 15, 2011 • 3 min read

Every week in the US is a national park week, but only this week (April 16-24) is National Park Week, when all 394 of the nation's great natural and…

Mar 22, 2011 • 4 min read

The sporting world, with its heroes and symbols, is a massive travel draw. While major international events dominate world headlines, it's often the…

Mar 21, 2011 • 3 min read

Walk through Jinghong, the capital of the Xishuangbanna region in the far southwest of China, in the middle of April and you’re likely to get wet, very…

Mar 10, 2011 • 3 min read

Even in straitened times, Ireland has never needed an excuse to celebrate. If the more eccentric end of the cultural spectrum is to your liking, here are…

Mar 9, 2011 • 3 min read

Whether it's taking in a traditional taiko drumming performance, roughing it for a few days at a festival or sweating it out in a basement to young punk…

Feb 10, 2011 • 6 min read

I’ve found myself in the perplexing position of wedding guest for total strangers several times in Taiwan and China - and if tales related by fellow…

Jan 5, 2011 • 2 min read

Mali is West Africa’s heart and soul, a country as rich in historical significance as it is blessed by an extraordinary array of sights and cultures. Some…

Dec 30, 2010 • 5 min read

The biggest 2011 travel trend is travel itself, which looks to bounce back from a quiet(er) year or two. Meanwhile, here’s 11 more specific trends to…

Dec 1, 2010 • 3 min read

Lonely Planet's authors are constantly travelling the globe, doing research to update our guidebooks. Each month Lonely Planet magazine asks them to…

Dec 1, 2010 • 3 min read

Temperatures that can dip to -30° C, ferocious winds that howl down from Siberia and a distinct lack of sunlight from the mid-afternoon on might not sound…

Nov 1, 2010 • 2 min read

Thanksgiving is the USA's greatest holiday - laid-back, big meals, football on TV, and no guilt over bad gift choices. The four-day break has origins in…

Oct 5, 2010 • 3 min read

To eat and drink in Italy often verges on the sublime, and at any time of year there are markets, shops and restaurants groaning with fresh seasonal…

Oct 5, 2010 • 2 min read

Whether pig racing, playing golf with cowpats or boulder throwing, the folk of the Swiss Alps certainly know how to enjoy themselves as Mother Nature…

Sep 9, 2010 • 2 min read

Most people would think to avoid travelling during monsoon season, but there are some unexpected advantages to travelling in Kerala at that time. Lonely…

Sep 7, 2010 • 5 min read

Mexicans love a good reventón (party), and there are celebrations galore going on now through the end of the year in Mexico to commemorate the…

Sep 6, 2010 • 4 min read

It may seem hard to maintain a ritual of cleansing in Phuket, Thailand’s centre of sin and decadence, but once a year it’s easy to join in with the Thais…

Aug 25, 2010 • 3 min read

Leeks as big as legs, best-dressed potatoes, wrestlers in white leggings and lovingly preened cows: the country show is an eclectic celebration of all…

Aug 24, 2010 • 2 min read

Rising like a ghostly apparition above the windswept prairies of western Montana, this World Heritage Site and International Peace Park is lauded for its…