48 Hours in Yangon
Marissa Carruthers ventures into Myanmar to take you through some of the former capital’s top attractions and more during 48 hours in Yangon…
Travel Topics
Marissa Carruthers ventures into Myanmar to take you through some of the former capital’s top attractions and more during 48 hours in Yangon…
A photography exhibition that pairs the words “London” and “nights” might too easily be dominated by the hedonistic or noirish aspects of the capital, but London Nights at the Museum…
When on 7 July 2008 UNESCO granted World Heritage status to Penang’s capital George Town, the local government marked the event by declaring it a public holiday…
From exploring the culture in Malta, to listening to the opera in Verona, experiencing an elephant rehabilitation centre in Sri Lanka, and relaxing in the Cotswolds or visiting a girls…
The historic city of Winchester offers a wealth of music and literature throughout the year, including the Winchester Festival. Sadly, Carol Butler, Festival Director…
The Winchester Festival returns for its 21st year from 6 to 14 July. The historic city’s week-long celebration of all things cultural takes in music, talks, drama, visual arts, and…
The former East German state of Saxony has a wealth of history and a totally different feel to it as Mark Bibby Jackson discovers on his trip to Dresden and…
The ruins of Reading Abbey are to re-open to the public following an extensive £3.15 million restoration scheme, Reading Abbey Revealed, on June 16…
Travelling around the lost counties of Hidden England, Mark Bibby Jackson discovers a land rich with history, the spectacular Lincoln Cathedral, a Tudor home and castles from the Norman conquest…
The 50th anniversary of the Isle of Wight Festival in 2018 has given rise to a wider ‘Festival Island’ campaign on the Island this summer. In addition to the Isle of Wight Festival…
From Jive Talking to Hakuna Matata, film fans are in for some extra treats this summer when one of the UK’s most picturesque outdoor cinemas returns with five days and nights of silverscreen…
Despite a terrible recession, Venezuela’s Margarita Island still has much to offer as Mark Heath realised when he visited…
The Inti Raymi is considered by many to be the most famous festival in Peru and other parts of South America. It celebrates the Inca Festival of the Sun. It was suppressed by the Spanish…
May 6-12 marks the week-long event of National Travel and Tourism Week in the US. Whilst many know the well-trodden tourist spots, there are local art, food and cultural favourites distinctive to destinations…
Leading tour operator in Japan, Walk Japan has launched the latest in its series of self-guided walking tours, the Basho Wayfarer – a six-day, five-night tour offering a comfortable…
The V&A’s landmark Frida Kahlo exhibition Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up opens in June, presenting an extraordinary collection of previously unseen personal artefacts…
The Commonwealth Games are now only a couple of weeks away. For those inspired by the games, Tourism and Events Queensland have unearthed just some of the top…
A new, £36m music and conference centre is set to open this summer as Hull continues to build on its 2017 City of Culture success – a title it retains until the end of 2020. Yorkshire’s maritime…
This series of landmark exhibitions includes major shows by Linder at Nottingham Contemporary and Chatsworth, a delicate range of lithophanes…
The temporary exhibition “Mummies in Bruges – Secrets of Ancient Egypt” will be inaugurated on 31 March at the Oud Sint-Jan Exhibition Centre in Bruges. This fascinating…
The Caribbean island of Barbados is to host the Barbados Celtic Festival, from 12 to 15 May, in the capital Bridgetown; a celebration of Celtic and Bayan music and rum. …
Johan Smits explores Kazakhstan’s former capital Almaty and discovers an overlooked city destination full of cafe culture and a respect for its former Soviet heritage waiting to be discovered by…
Sir Hotels is this month, March 2018, launching Sir Explore, giving exclusive access to cities and ‘in-the-know’ personalities in Ibiza, Hamburg, Berlin and Amsterdam…
Launched this month, the new highly anticipated BBC Arts series Civilisations, inspired by Kenneth Clark’s groundbreaking 1960’s namesake, is being… …
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.