Travel Secrets Nov-Dec 2015 | Page 78

Rainbow Serpent Festival Date:Jan 22 - 25, 2016 Place:Lexton, Australia Feel connected with the land at the Rainbow Serpent Festival, just as the Australians have done for thousands of years through music, dance and art. The festival ‘s name comes from the aboriginal dreamtime—the Rainbow Serpent is an extremely important figure in aboriginal beliefs and mythology, with the serpent having said to shape the landscape of the earth. The festival offers much more than the usual line-up of electronic music. It is a chance to truly escape the commercialisation of the modern day world and reconnect with the earth in a way the aboriginals have done for many thousands of years. Source: www.australia.com Carnevale Di Venezia Date:Jan 23 - Feb 9, 2016 Place: Venice, Italy Who is that behind the mask? Or better yet, who are you, wearing the mask? Who will you become? What is your fantasy? These are questions you’ll be asking yourself during the weeks before Ash Wednesday, when Venice cloaks itself in a veil of mystery welcoming the Carnevale di Venezia (Carnival of Venice), the world’s most elegant carnival. Socialites come out and play, disguised in 18th-century costumes, in a spectacle that transports visitors to an age of opulence. The most alluring aspect of this festival is just wandering the labyrinthine island city of historic canals and alleyways filled with costumed revellers and soaking up the one-of-a-kind ambience. Source: www.villagasparini.com 78  Travel Secrets November-December 2015