Festival vacations advice

2 min summary When to visit Top festivals Bhutan Festivals Gerewol Festival Nadaam and Eagle Festivals Rainforest World Music Festival Harbin Ice & Snow Festival Voodoo Festival Day of the Dead Timkat Festival Responsible tourism

Festival vacations advice

GEREWOL FESTIVAL ADVICE

Gerewol Festival advice

Jim O’Brien from our specialist supplier Native Eye:

“We don’t participate, but we camp near the Wodaabe for several days. As the dances usually take place in the mornings and evenings only there are plenty of opportunities for travelers to meet and interact with the Wodaabe and learn a little more about their traditional customs. As for packing – definitely bring loose, light clothes as it’s hot, and spare batteries and sim cards for your camera, as you’re likely to take more photos than you think.”

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TRAVELLING TO BENIN

Traveling to Benin for the Voodoo Festival

Jim O’Brien from our supplier Native Eye:

“No one comes to West Africa as a first time visitor to the continent; everyone tends to start off with East Africa or Southern Africa. West and Central Africa are much harder, and the attractions are less well defined, so you have to look for it and you have to be prepared for a bit of adventure, and to be honest a fair few problems along the way. We do our best to mitigate any problems that there might be but we always tell people to travel to Benin with a sense of humour and expect things to go wrong from time to time – and be patient while we sort it out!”

TRAVELLING TO BENIN

PACKING ADVICE FOR BHUTAN

Packing advice for Bhutan

Rajat Kumar from our supplier, ExplorIndya:

“Make sure your packing includes the following: micro fleece jackets or pullovers – more than enough to add a solid layer of warmth, without adding weight, for a typical trip through Bhutan unless one is seriously hiking up in the north; tablets for headaches that you’re comfortable with and use at home; I like to keep a small canteen flask in which I can keep some black or lemon tea hot and close to me when I hike, especially at altitude; a sturdy day pack to lug around walking essentials like water, fruit and chocolates or biscuits; most dzongs at some point expect that visitors take off their footwear, so if you’re a person who doesn’t like their feet getting dirty or dusty, then I recommend packing extra pairs of fairly cheap socks that you might not mind throwing away at the end of the trip.”

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WHAT TO BRING TO MONGOLIA

What to bring to Mongolia

Jess Brooks from our supplier, Eternal Landscapes:

“Bring layers – for warm days, loose-fitting, lightweight cotton materials. For cold days, thermal layers, fleece tops, jumpers, and for inclement weather, a waterproof/windproof jacket. In case you go horse or camel trekking wear trousers (not shorts) and make sure they are not too loose otherwise they may rub. Safety helmets are rarely provided so check this before you arrive.”

WHAT TO BRING TO MONGOLIA

WHAT TO EXPECT

What to expect at an eagle festival

Jess Brooks from our supplier, Eternal Landscapes, shares her tips for Mongolia’s famous festivals:

“At the festival you get eagle hunters, you get horsemen and you get members from the local community as well – the children, the mums, the grandparents, the people coming in from the provincial capital, it’s a really good day out; it’s great fun. So it’s probably a bit like a summer fete, that’s a good way to look at it.”

HEALTH & SAFETY ON A FESTIVALS HOLIDAY

HEALTH

Visit your GP or travel clinic at least 6-8 weeks before departure to ensure you have all the necessary vaccinations and that they are up to date. Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and emergency repatriation. Medical facilities in festival destinations may be poor. Bring a basic first aid kit, all prescription medicines and any over the counter drugs you think you may need. Check whether it’s safe to drink the tap water – if tap water is available at your festival location. Bring a water filtering device such as a LifeStraw and be careful with unpeeled fruit, salads, ice and so on which may have been washed or prepared with unsanitary water. In hot destinations where festivals take place, such as Chad or Benin, wear high factor SPF, and cover up as much as possible, even on overcast days. Keep well hydrated, too.

SAFETY

Keep up to date on border and political issues on the FCO travel advice website. Most festivals are safe and friendly environments, but when traveling to and from them, take the usual basic precautions. Don’t carry valuables and use a money belt. Avoid walking round cities alone at night and dress conservatively. Homosexuality, even if legal in the festival destination you’re traveling to, may still be frowned upon. Same sex couples should act discretely. Roads may be poor and driving standards low in festival destinations, so be careful crossing the road and join a small group tour with an experienced driver.

FESTIVALS TIPS FROM OUR TRAVELLERS

At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do – and opinions about what not to.

We have selected some of the most useful festivals travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation – and the space inside your suitcase.

Don’t hesitate to go. It will surpass your expectations.

– Frank Keen in Benin

“Be prepared for a hot climate and remember to respect the local customs.” – Fredrik Stenström at the Gerewol in Chad

“Arrive a day earlier to acclimatize as it is a very hot destination and it is better to be well rested before the start of the trip. I arrived a day earlier and left Chad later than most of the people and it meant being rested and enjoying the pool in the hotel in Ndjamena.” – Tony Camacho at the Gerewol in Chad

“Make sure you wash your hands regularly. Make sure to ask if you can take a person photo and share the photo. Smile and be friendly. Understand that things move slower and don't get upset. We met people and shook hands, smiled and shared their festivities. I have a better understanding of the people of that part of the world.” – Dawn Taylor in Benin

“We experienced many memorable events but the Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin was the most exciting. It was very colorful and spontaneous. Numerous people went into trances and engaged in wild dances. Don’t hesitate to go. It will surpass your expectations. Don’t worry about security. It felt very safe. But be ready for heat and humidity.” – Frank Keen in Benin

Have patience going through the visa process at Kathmandu airport.

– Trish Nancollis in Bhutan

More about Festivals

When to visit festivals

The best time to go to a festival is, basically, when it’s on! Happily, throughout the year, you can find some part of the world rocking to a festival beat or rolling out a ritual.

Festivals travel guide

Attending a local festival in a far flung country provides a fascinating insight into a culture – as well as being fantastic fun.

Top 10 festivals to visit

From Chad to China, Benin to Bhutan, find out where the most exciting events and celebrations take place around the world, with our festivals map and highlights page.

Bhutan festivals

Bhutan festivals are colourful, sociable, spiritual events and, happily, there’s one happening somewhere in the country throughout the year.

Day of the Dead in Mexico

From an indigenous Mexican commemoration, to a UNESCO-acclaimed cultural highlight celebrated around the globe, Mexico’s Day of the Dead festival has come a long way in its 3,000-year history.

World Nomad Games

A huge and relatively new event, the World Nomad Games is the Olympics of the nomadic world, featuring traditional sports from Central Asia and beyond.

Gerewol Festival, Chad

An ancient courtship ritual in which tribesmen dress up and wear makeup to attract a wife or a lover, Chad's Gerewol festival is an extraordinary spectacle...

Nadaam and Eagle Festivals Mongolia

The Nadaam and Eagle festivals in Mongolia are wonderful sporting and social events, offering the chance to delve a little deeper into Mongol culture...

Rainforest World Music Festival Sarawak Borneo

Drawing in musicians from all over the world, the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak is a fun, friendly celebration that features big stage performances and small afternoon workshops.

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival China

Turning freezing winter into an excuse for a festival, the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, China, features snow and ice sculptures carved from blocks of the frozen Songhua River.

Voodoo festival, Benin

Rhythmic drumming, extraordinary costumes and performers channeling spirits – the Voodoo festival, Benin, is an otherworldly cultural treat.

Timkat festival in Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s Orthodox Christian celebration, Timkat, takes place 19 and 20 January every year and, although it does attract tourist spectators, it is an authentic religious festival, with a lot of colour, singing, drumming and splashing.

Rio Carnival vacation in Brazil

The Rio Carnival, held every year in the week before Lent, is the world’s biggest party, with millions of revellers taking to the streets to watch as flamboyant dancers parade alongside floats and bands.