Travelogger

We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.

International Fashion Events Bloggers Should Not Miss

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Fashion events take place in the different parts of the world and many international cities have them every year. They feature runway shows and trade shows that showcase the latest collections of local and international fashion designers as well as new and veteran models.

But not every event gets wide coverage. There are the major ones that stand out, draw huge crowds and get more media exposure whether in broadcast, print or online.

Paris Fashion Week

The Paris Fashion Week’s pret-a-porter also known as the Ready to Wear shows are considered the most popular fashion events. It features the collections of notable designers such as Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Issey Miyake, Miu Miu, Givenchy, Emanuel Ungaro and Valentino among others. [Read more…]

Festival Hopping: A Low Cost Way of Discovering Places

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Festival hopping has been gaining popularity for the past years as a low cost way of discovering places. Travels are typically timed during the so-called festival season of a particular place or at least places that are located near each other. Festivals offer exciting reasons for visiting a place. They are not only  times of great revelry but they also provide an important glimpse to the culture and people of a particular place.

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Advantages of Timing Travel With Festivals

One of the biggest expenses in traveling is making sure that there are activities to be done during the visit. This may incur paying special fees just to get to enjoy the feel of the place. Festivals are able to provide such activities in an all-out fashion because they are actual and really happening at the very time the traveler is visiting.

The experience of being in the middle of the real thing is another advantage that will be hard to replicate during some other times of visit in the same place. What one would normally learn about through pictures and stories of travel guides will be experienced first hand. Festivals are also venues for great displays of local products. Going to one or several provides opportunities for real learning as age-old practices and beliefs are shown in all their glory.

How to Maximize Festival Hopping

Eager travelers can maximize their festival hopping adventure by checking on schedules of festivals of places of special interest to them. It would be ideal to time the visit for festivals that are scheduled to happen at about the same period. This will make it possible to experience more than one festival in a trip which is a very cost-effective option.

Some neighboring countries also hold their festivals on dates that are fairly near each other’s schedule. This is like hitting two birds in one stone as travelers get to visit two countries or even more during a single planned travel itinerary. This will result to much cheaper transportation expense or even accommodation expense.

See the World Through Festivals

Festivals showcase a place’s uniqueness and the great diversity between places in the world. Many do their festival hopping alone while others do it with groups. It really depends on the preference of the traveler. Festival hopping with family and friends may be more costly but it may provide more wonderful memories to look back to.

 

India’s Festival Season Begins: Good Travel Deals On Offer!

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taj-mahalIndia is home to some of the best attractions in the world. Some of the world’s nicest beaches, the Taj Mahal, and of course, their numerous festivals attract countless visitors year in and year out. And speaking of festivals, this season is right around the corner. As such, this is one of the best times to travel to India!

Contrary to what you might expect, there are actually good deals to be found during this season. More often than not, you would expect hotels to jack up their prices during peak season, right? The good news is that many hotels in the country are actually offering lower prices, especially for package deals. The Hindu Business Online reports:

“Average room rates have declined by approximately 30 per cent. However, the decline at leisure hotels has not been that significant,” said a spokesperson for Oberoi Group of Hotels.

On the occupancies, the leisure hotels are expected to see a 15-20 per cent increase over Dussera last year. “More so, this year with Dussera falling on a Friday, there is the advantage of a long weekend,” she added.

To capture the festive mood at luxury properties of Oberoi you could head for a 2-night stay at The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur priced at Rs 35,000 exclusive of taxes. The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra and The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur would cost Rs 36,500. The offer will be valid till September 30. Some offers extend up to December 31 too.

Perhaps the reason for this is that the travel industry has been hit by the recession as well. Hotels and airlines have been forced to adjust to the difficult times and offer more attractive rates than they did before. Whatever the reason, here’s something that travelers can take advantage of!

Chinese Spring Festival

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Are you looking for a different kind of adventure in the next month or so? You might want to head on over to China to join them in celebrating the Spring Festival, which is also more popularly known as the Chinese New Year.

We all know about the Chinese New Year, which is determined by the lunar calendar instead of the Gregorian Calendar. As a result, the date of the festival varies from year to year and falls somewhere in late January or early February. There is no doubt about it, this is the single most important holiday in all of China and for Chinese all over the world. This year, the festival begins on the 26th of January and will end 15 days later. This is called the Lantern Festival.

As early as now, the people in China are already preparing for the New Year. In fact, CCTV International reports that millions of people are already booking tickets, especially at railway stations, to get ready for the trip to their respective hometowns or wherever they are celebrating the Lunar New Year.

Preparations for the festival include thorough cleaning of their houses, paying debts, cutting hair (good luck!), and buying new clothes. The Chinese New Year is steeped in superstition and prayers to various gods.

Even if you are not Chinese by descent, the Chinese New Year is something else to experience. And if you cannot make it to China for the festival, you should consider looking for the nearest Chinese New Year celebration – there is bound to be one within traveling distance.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair

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Are you looking for something new to do this Christmas? Perhaps your circumstances might call for a change. Perhaps you are looking at not spending the holidays at home. Whatever reason you may have for wanting to do something different this Christmas, here is one good idea – visit The Great Dickens Christmas Fair.

It is being held in San Francisco so if you are near the area, you are in luck. The Great Dickens Fair brings the past to life:

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair: A holiday adventure into Victorian London, partying with hundreds of costumed players in 90,000+ square feet of theatrically-lit music halls, pubs, dance parties and Christmas shops on winding lanes. It’s a twilight evening in Charles Dickens’ London Town – a city filled with lively and colorful characters from both literature and history. Enticing aromas of roasted chestnuts and hearty foods fill the air.

Cries of street vendors hawking their wares ring out above the bustling crowd. Dozens of lamplit shops are filled to overflowing with Christmas presents. New this year: each patron receives a Victorian name, a Passport to the Past, and tokens for prizes if the Timegame is well played. And it’s all in a Holiday Humor!

Even if you are not normally into Victorian stuff, I think that the idea of spending a Christmas night in Victorian London would be quite interesting. The fair is open every weekend till the 21st of December from 11 in the morning to 7 in the evening. Tickets are $22 for adults, with discounts for seniors, military, and children.