Want to add a cultural twist to a winter getaway? These sunny spots are home to some fascinating festivals, finds Alice Barnes-Brown
Winter sun doesn’t have to mean lying on a beach – from carnivals in the Caribbean to cherry blossoms in Japan, this season is packed with fun-filled festivals, offering unparalleled cultural insights and the chance to take part in some of the world’s most famous parties.
Colourful costumes, street parties and traditional foods are everywhere, and clients will come back from their trip with exciting stories to tell – so why not incorporate one of these events into their next sunshine escape?
1. Tobago Carnival, Trinidad and Tobago
The Caribbean is famed for its anything-goes festivals, with Aruba, St Kitts and Saint Martin among the islands whose streets fill with parades and parties at various points during winter.
Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is one of the biggest, running from March 1-4 this year – but for a more accessible alternative, Tobago’s first standalone carnival was launched in 2022 and takes place from October 24-26 this year.
It features vibrant floats of feathered and sequinned costumes, stomping soca beats, calypso concerts and free-flowing rum punch, so clients can expect to see Tobagan musical icons and folk-inspired characters. If they want to dance along with other islanders in the parade, agents can purchase a masquerade package via a local ‘band’ (group of dancers) complete with costume and fun activities. But watching from the sidelines is just as exciting, with the chance to cheer on each band and admire their costumes as they pass by – plus clients can return to their resort to relax whenever they need a break from partying.
Book it: Caribtours sells a seven-night stay on a room-only basis at Castara Retreats Tobago from £1,499 per person, based on two sharing a Firefly One Bedroom Apartment. Includes luggage, transfers, UK lounge access and flights on October 21.
caribtours.co.uk
2. Las Fallas, Valencia
Valencia’s main square, Plaça de l’Adjuntament, becomes a show of fire, fizzing and popping from March 1-19. At 2pm each day, around 120kg of gunpowder is set off as part of a synchronised firecracker display called mascletà – part of the city’s annual Las Fallas celebrations.
Known as fallas, around 800 effigies are displayed throughout the city from March 15, offering commentaries on everything from politics to pop culture. The main burning event takes place on March 19 – suggest clients head to the square in the early evening to get a good vantage point.
Book it: EasyJet holidays sells a three-night room-only stay at Vincci Palace for £685 per person, including flights departing Gatwick on March 17.
easyjet.com/holidays
3. Diwali, India
Jaipur is recognisable for its pinkterracotta-hued palaces, but visit during Diwali (October 20) and clients will find the city awash with even more colour – plus the chance to get away from the UK in favour of sunny skies and fantastic food.
Exoticca’s Golden Triangle tours feature special departures taking in Diwali. Landing in Delhi, visitors can settle into the rhythms of India before transferring to Jaipur. There’s plenty of time to explore the city – both with the group and independently – and see all the Diwali decor, from street illuminations to intricate rangoli (coloured powder) patterns on the floor of its markets. There’s also an opportunity to spend the Diwali evening itself with a Rajasthani family, taking part in their household rituals and watching the fireworks together.
Book it: Exoticca sells the eight-night Golden Triangle and Indian Festivals tour from £1,349 per person, based on two sharing. Includes transport, breakfast, listed activities and flights departing October 16.
exoticca.com
4. Rio Carnival, Brazil
The world’s biggest carnival in Rio de Janeiro, from late March to early April, is an experience like no other.
In the purpose-built Sambadrome, parades are led by groups of samba dancers. Each group has 75 minutes to make its way through the stadium, giving clients plenty of time to admire the eye-boggling floats, sparkly costumes and intricate choreography.
When not sipping caipirinhas, clients can explore Brazilian culture on a self-guided itinerary. Journey Latin America’s 10-day Rio Carnival Holiday spends the first couple of days seeing the city’s sights, from Sugarloaf Mountain to Christ the Redeemer, before watching the first night’s parade at the Sambadrome.
Then, it’s two recovery days in Rio before spending the final part of the trip relaxing at the low-key beach resort of Búzios.
Book it: Journey Latin America sells the tour from £5,030 per person, based on two sharing. Includes breakfast, land transport and listed excursions, but excludes flights, based on a departure date of February 27.
journeylatinamerica.com
5. Songkran, Thailand
The Thai New Year festival, known as Songkran and marked from April 13-15 this year, is a wet and wild celebration that brings the country’s culture to life. Sprinkling water over others is the traditional way to wash off the year’s misfortunes, but it’s far from a light touch – think buckets and water pistols that offer not only a respite from the heat but also a fun way to get involved in the revelry.
Chiang Mai kick-starts the party a day earlier than the rest of the country, and clients can incorporate visits to Buddhist temples, waterfalls and Elephant Nature Park – an ethical home for rescued elephants.
Many operators can build itineraries that include Songkran in Chiang Mai, before transferring to the resorts of Thailand’s tropical coastline to unwind after the festivities.
Book it: Bamboo Travel can arrange a bespoke itinerary featuring four nights in Chiang Mai and seven in Khao Lak from £3,490 per person, based on two sharing. Includes breakfast, a Chiang Mai tour, a visit to Elephant Nature Park, all in-destination transport, plus flights departing April 11.
bambootravel.co.uk
Best of the rest
Venice Carnival, Italy
The celebrations feature Baroque-inspired masquerade outfits – think glittering gowns and gaudy jester masks, which clients can hire.
Hanami, Japan
A time to get together under the fresh blooms of cherry blossoms. They flower in mid-January in subtropical Okinawa, then late March and early April in Kyoto and Tokyo.
Junkanoo, Bahamas
This colourful event unites the Bahamas each Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Expect drums, cowbells and West African-inspired costumes.
PICTURE: Tobago Tourism Authority; Shutterstock/Toa55; Rio Tourist Board
