It's fiesta time
01-Jul-06
The "Woodstock of the mind" is how Bill Clinton once described the UK's annual Hay Festival. His presence at the event highlights not just the calibre of visitors who make the annual literary pilgrimage to the Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye every May, it also underlines the importance such occasions have traditionally had in travel decisions.
The feel-good nature of festivals such as Hay, which celebrates great writing in Britain and internationally with a blend of bookshops, boho food and high-quality lectures, makes them attractive focal points for discerning visitors.
Interest from people actively planning their trips around festivals has grown to the extent that Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) has introduced a festival calendar to its website (www.abercrombiekent.co.uk). Other online options include www.whatsonwhere.com and www.national-holidays.com for worldwide information on festivals and events.
And new events are also vying for attention, such as the 10-day Hobart Antarctic Midwinter Festival, which takes place in Tasmania and celebrates the winter solstice (www.antarctic-tasmania.info).
Kay Durden, A&K's head of planning, acknowledges that the "range of festivals is as wide and varied as the interests of the personalities who travel." She adds: "Many of the more unusual festivals that take place around the world are steeped in culture and history and these represent value and interest for the luxury traveller - something to build into trips." Over and above these, she says, are the events "that have the scale, and brag factor, that make them reasons to travel in their own right". Kuoni's Anne-Marie Hansen agrees: "The Jazz Festival in St Lucia, the Rio Carnival in Brazil, the Venice masked ball at Christmas, and even whale-watching in different parts of the world, have become must-dos."
Whether it is the Mardi Gras or the annual Maralal Camel Derby in Kenya, music or mayhem that entices, the pull of festivals has grown to such an extent that luxury travel operators including A&K, Kuoni and Hayes & Jarvis have world class options lined up and ready to go 12 months of the year.
WHAT TO SEE, WHERE TO STAY, WHERE TO CELEBRATE
JANUARY
Festival: Harbin Ice and Snow Festival (5 January-5 February 2007)
Where: Warbin, China
Client fit: The hardy and warm-blooded - temperatures can go as low as -40 degrees.
Best spot to view: All over the Zhaolin Park, where the extraordinary ice sculptures are spotlit.
Best rest: Shangri-La Hotel for downtown convenience.
Sample price: US$220 (£119) for deluxe room.
Best place to chill: In the restaurants and bars around the pedestrianised Central Street, or on the banks of the Songhua River.
Contact: www.shangri-la.com; www.harbin.gov.cn/english
FEBRUARY
Festival: Rio Carnival (18-19 February 2007)
Where: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Client fit: People looking for culture, music and fun. Not for the faint-hearted, as Carnival goes on into the early hours.
Best spot to view: Sector 9 on the sambadrome. Tickets for seat in the grandstand: £250. A six-seater private box (frisa): £445 per head.
Best rest: Copacabana Palace (Orient-Express).
Sample price: £3,115 per person for minimum five-night Carnival stay.
Best place to chill: By the hotel pool - the best in Rio - or Ipanema and Copacabana Beach.
Contact: 0845 0700 614; www.copacabanapalae.com.br
MARCH
Festival: La Diablada - Carnival of the Devil (Saturday before Ash Wednesday)
Where: Oruro, Bolivia
Client fit: Insomniacs - the procession starts at 7am and reaches the Sanctuary of the Virgen del Socavon at 4am the next day.
Best spot to view: Around the Plaza de Armas.
Best rest: In Bolivian capital La Paz, at Hotel Presidente or Radisson Plaza hotel.
Sample price: US$185 (£100) for a suite at Hotel Presidente.
Best place to chill: In the dry and Turkish sauna at the Presidente, or browsing the Calle Sagarnaga market stalls.
Contact: www.hotelpresidente-bo.com; www.radisson.com/lapazbo
APRIL
Festival: Spring arts festival (Printemps des Arts) (30 March -28 April 2007)
Where: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Client fit: Culture vultures, with leanings towards classical music and its history and ballet fans.
Best spot to view: Performances are staged in various venues, and the tourist board can advise on best seats.
Best rest: Hotel de Paris, in Casino Square, opposite the beautiful Salle Garnier opera house.
Sample price: Doubles from 395euros (£270), full presidential suite 8,000euros (£5,467).
Best place to chill: Monte Carlo Beach Club, and its classic sunset cocktail Sea Lounge, linked to the Hotel de Paris.
Contact: 020 7352 9962 or visit www.visitmonaco.com
MAY
Festival: St Lucia Jazz Festival (3-14 May 2007)
Where: St Lucia, Caribbean
Client fit: Jazz and rhythm and blues fans who can take very late nights.
Best spot to view: The tourist board or hotel will advise on best seats depending on performance.
Best rest: The Coco Palm hotel, Rodney Bay.
Sample price: US$245 (£133) for a pool view suite.
Best place to chill: Spa, beach or shopping ranging from Castries market for local crafts, to Pointe Seraphine for duty free.
Contact: www.stlucia.org; www.coco-resorts.com
JUNE
Festival: Haro wine festival - Batalla del Vino (29 June 2007).
Where: Haro, Spain.
Client fit: Fun, feisty winelovers.
Best spot to view: At the top of the hermitage of St Felices for those who want to be in the thick of the action.
Best rest: Four-star Hotel Los Agustinos for the night before the festival, five-star Hotel Carlton in Bilbao for the rest of stay.
Sample price: Los Agustinos: 200euros (£137); Hotel Carlton: 1,500euros (£1,025).
Best place to chill: For tapas, the "Horseshoe" defined by Saint Thomas Street, Church Square, San Martin and Bilibio.
Contact: www.haro.org; www.aranzazu-hoteles.com
JULY
Festival: Antigua Carnival (28 July-7 August 2007)
Where: Antigua, Caribbean
Client fit: Enthusiasts of West Indian music and those who want to be involved in dancing to the sounds of calypso.
Best spot to view: Carnival City2, Antigua Recreation Ground, and, for the processions on the final two days, the main streets.
Best rest: Blue Waters, a picturesque, stylish property on the north coast, a 20- minute drive into St John's.
Sample price: Standard room from dollars US280 (£151) a night, plus tax and service, for two.
Best place to chill: The Cove, elegant new restaurant near Blue Waters, with the same owner.
Contact: www.antigua-barbuda.com
AUGUST
Festival: Annual Maralal Camel Derby (Early August)
Where: Maralal, Kenya
Client fit: Adventurous voyeurs - though the more active can take part in the novice camel races.
Best spot to view: On the starting 'blocks' at the Yare Camel Club, 3km north of the Maralal township.
Best rest: Samburu Intrepids Camps.
Sample price: US$770 (£416) per night, per tent, full board and including two game drives. Best place to chill: Overlooking the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River, watching elephant, buffalo and zebra herds taking their daily drink.
Contact: www.heritage-eastafrica.com
SEPTEMBER
Festival: King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament (4-10 September)
Where: Golden Triangle region, including the seaside town of Hua Hin, Thailand.
Client fit: Adventurous activity, sports and adventure enthusiasts.
Best spot to view: As close to the Royal enclosure as possible.
Best rest: The Anantara Resort Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai. The resort manages its own elephant camp.
Sample price: From US$215 (£116) per room per night for a deluxe room.
Best place to chill: On your private balcony or by the swimming pool overlooking Laos, Burma and Thailand.
Contact: Contact: www.anantara.com
OCTOBER
Festival: Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights (20-21 October)
Where: Mumbai, India
Client fit: Hindu philosophy is to live and let live, so all are welcome.
Best spot to view: Along Marine Drive and at Banganga Tank.
Best rest: Taj Mahal Palace, central Mumbai.
Sample price: US$2,180 (£1,179) for luxury city suite.
Best place to chill: Jiva Spa at the hotel.
Contact: www.tajhotels.com
NOVEMBER
Festival: Water Festival - Bonn Um Tuk (early November)
Where: Cambodia
Client fit: For the sociable - Phnom Penh's riverbanks get very crowded with people wanting to watch the riverboat races.
Best spot to view: Near the Royal Palace on the banks of the Phnom Penh river.
Best rest: Hotel Le Royal (part of the Raffles group).
Sample price: US$2,000 (£1,082) for Le Royal suite.
Best place to chill: Raffles Amrita Spa.
Contact: www.raffles.com
DECEMBER
Festival: Pirates in Paradise Festival (30 November-3 December)
Where: Key West, Florida, USA
Client fit: Budding thesps. Key West has a long history as a pirate hotspot, and is now a venue for pirate re-enactments.
Best spot to view: All over Key West, there are activities going on.
Best rest: Hilton Key West Resort & Marina hotel
Sample price: Sample price: US$329 (£178)
Best place to chill: Heart of the historic Old Town Key West and the famous Duval Street.
Contact: www.hilton.com.
