Travel Secrets Nov-Dec 2015 | Page 79

black book Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival Date: Feb 2016 Place: New Taiwan City, Taiwan While Chinese New Year tends to get all the attention, one of the more subtle and beguiling celebratory days in the Chinese calendar is the annual Sky Lantern Festival. In a blaze of luminous glory, 100,000 to 200,000 hot air balloons emblazon a full moonlit sky. Although the holiday is celebrated all across Asia, nowhere in the world is it more recognized than in Pingxi, a remote mountain town an hour-long drive from Taipei. Source: www.alfa-img.com Rio Carnival Date: Feb 5 - 10, 2016 Place: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rio Carnival is one, big exercise in metamorphosis—from ritual to festivity and religion to recreation. The famous parade takes place at the Sambodromo, designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, with more than 70,000 enchanted spectators lining the route for the Samba Parade, where samba schools compete like there’s no tomorrow. Attending Carnival is the ultimate rite of passage for global festival lovers. Go, and you’ll understand why the Cariocas (Rio’s enthusiastic locals) affectionately refer to it as “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Source: www.fest300.com Jaisalmer Desert Festival Date: Feb 20 - 22, 2016 Place: Jaisalmer, India The Jaisalmer Desert Festival is an annual event organised by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation each February at the beautiful desert city of Jaisalmer in the state of Rajasthan, India. This three-day extravaganza was started as a marketing idea to attract local and overseas tourists interested in exploring the rich and colourful heritage of Rajasthan and its folk culture in a short period of time.The festival begins with a ceremonial procession, Shobha Yatra where local Rajputs and other clans dress in their traditional attire. Thousands of visitors from across the globe make the desert trek to enjoy the various events that take place during the festival such as the moustache contest, turban tying, and Miss Moomal and Mister Desert competitions. Source: www.theholidayindia.com November-December 2015 Travel Secrets  79