Travel Topics
Each March, residents of Mongolia’s Khövsgöl Lake area celebrate the Khövsgöl Ice Festival with horse-drawn sleighs, elaborate ice sculptures, traditional food and vibrant competitions including ice skating…
Rome is a city rich with history and culture. A destination filled with things to do and places to see, which can make choosing exactly what to do a little…
Mark Bibby Jackson spends a night at Hawkstone Hall and Gardens, a manor house steeped in history, thankful that he has arrived before the crowds. Spectacular. The one word describes…
A persistent visitor to Thailand’s Rose of the North, Johan Smits spills the beans about his favourite tourist-proof things to do in Chiang Mai; some of them might well surprise…
The 69th BFI London Film Festival (LFF), in partnership with American Express, returns from 8–19 October 2025 with a dazzling line-up of films, premieres, talks and immersive experiences across London…
Irene Caswell takes a sneak preview at A Rothschild Treasury, a new permanent exhibition space at Waddesdon Manor in the Aylesbury Vale, showcasing a micro collection of over 300 exquisite…
Mark Bibby Jackson journeys to the city of Lichfield where he visits the cathedral, Samuel Johnson’s birthplace and the nearby National Memorial…
Like with her previous work, Marina Shacola’s latest series, Dressing, sees the photographer again focusing her lens on the people of Turkana Kenya, but this time the work is less…
Raindance 2025: A Daring Tapestry of Global Voices and Bold Debuts From underground squats in California to the post-gangland underbelly of Berlin, this year’s Raindance Film Festival (18–27 June, Vue…
The largest independent UK film festival, The Raindance Film Festival returns to London for its 27th edition in September. Describing itself as the “champion of the underdog”…
Traditional Khmer New Year or Chaul Chnam Thmei is held in April each year. Roads across the country are lined with groups of excited Cambodians armed with water pistols and buckets…
Mike East travels to Holland’s second city and is pleasantly surprised by the things to do in Rotterdam, including its quirky architecture. I had come here at the request of…
Held in late August to early September, the Freedom Festival Hull is the flagship event in the former UK City of Culture’s festival calendar. Now in its 16th year and…
The National Folk Festival will be held in Jackson Mississippi from 7 to 9 November 2025. Artists and programme will be announced closer to the event. Volunteers keep things moving…
The annual Feria de Cali or Cali Fair in Colombia has grown into one of South America’s most important salsa festivals with fireworks, colourful parades, free music concerts…
Mark Bibby Jackson visits the university town of Poznan Poland to discover a place full of vitality where things are not always quite as they seem. “Look up there and…
Each autumn the town of Danville in Tri-Valley, California hosts the Eugene O’Neill Festival to celebrate the works of America’s premier playwright and Nobel prize winner…
It’s no less than 86 years ago since the famous Venice Film Festival first saw the light of day in August 1932, making it the oldest film festival in the…
During the third weekend of September, the annual Mothman Festival Point Peasant West Virginia attracts thousands of revellers to celebrate the Mothman mysteries with two days of music concerts, artists…
Irene Caswell visits war graves in France to pay her respects to those who fell in both World Wars and finds the trip a deeply moving experience. When I mentioned…
In a world where overcrowded museums, jam-packed beaches and busy outdoor trails and waters seem to be the rule, it’s refreshing to know that Maine still offers experiences and places…
So, you’ve been to some music festivals and now want to go to Burning Man? Throw away all your previous perceptions as this is considered a city, rather than a festival, with an…
Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah or the Festival of Lights, is one of the most popular and beautiful Jewish festivals around the world. Taking place annually towards the year-end…
Coinciding with the hundredth anniversary of the highly influential movement, Mark Bibby Jackson sets off in pursuit of Berlin Bauhaus away from the norm. Bauhaus was possibly the most influential…
For many an appreciation of the culture of the country or community that you visit on your holidays is a major part of the travelling experience, especially for the more mature traveller.
Whether you are taking a short city break to Amsterdam or Paris, or going on a longer trip to a distant and exciting land, your experience is enriched by an appreciation of the local culture.
Ideally, time your trip to coincide with a major festival. At Travel Begins at 40 we have a whole section devoted to some of the most colourful and spectacular festivals from around the world. So whether it is the whirling dervishes of Konya, Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival, the Tsagaan Sar in Mongolia or Benin’s Voodoo Festival that tickles your cultural fancy, let us guide your way.
Visiting an unfamiliar country can lead to a bit of a cultural shock, but don’t let this put you off making that special journey. Often it is when we leave our comfort zone that we reap most rewards.
Not that we always have to travel that far to have a rich and rewarding cultural experience. Hull is the current city of culture in the UK, and a trip there can be a surprisingly rewarding experience. Enjoy it.
