Bangkok, Tokyo & Taipei top 3 destinations for Lunar New Year

BANGKOK, Tokyo and Taipei are the top three most popular destination for Asia Pacific travelers over the Lunar New Year period in 2019, according to booking data from Agoda, one of the fastest growing digital travel platforms. 

This year, Osaka, slips from third spot in 2018 to sixth, while Taiwan scoops three of the top ten destinations with Taipei in third, and Kaohsiung and Taichung in fifth and seventh respectively. Overall, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand will benefit most from travelers celebrating the Lunar New Year.

Travels during the Spring Festival tend to be reserved for family bonding and indulging in food and leisure activities that the whole family can enjoy. It is thus not surprising that most travelers in the region has chosen gourmet and retail paradise in Bangkok, Tokyo, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore among their top ten destinations.

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Blooming Marvellous

THE Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, named by Architectural Digest as one of the "15 Breathtaking Botanical Gardens to Visit This Season," presents Dallas Blooms, the largest annual floral festival in the Southwest, from February 23 to 

April 7. 

Themed "Life's A Picnic," the spring festival showcases an explosion of color from more than 500,000 spring-blooming blossoms, thousands of azaleas and hundreds of Japanese cherry trees. Presented by IBERIABANK, Dallas Blooms features an extraordinary, larger-than-life, picnic scene topiary comprised of a stunning 40'x40' picnic blanket, a vase of flowers, a picnic basket with pie and a giant picnic ant—perfect for photo opportunities.

The nationally acclaimed eight-acre Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden features 17 indoor/outdoor galleries, 150 interactive science games and an abundance of themed adventures throughout the Dallas Blooms festival.

www.dallasarboretum.org/blooms

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Celebrate with The Three Little Pigs

DISNEYLAND Resort rings in the Year of the Pig this Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure Park, Friday, January 25 to February 17. During the 24 days of celebration, live entertainment and musical performances, including an enhanced "Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession," can be enjoyed. Even the Three Little Pigs join in the fun with a rare appearance.

Experience Asian culture through inspired food, music and entertainment all to welcome another year of good fortune. Lunar New Year, traditionally celebrated within Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures, commemorates the moment when both the sun and the moon begin their journey for another year.


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Fill your bags with Emirates

SHOPPERS can fly higher with this year’s Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) thanks to a special offer from Emirates, the world’s largest international airline. Economy class ticket holders can enjoy additional baggage allowance on return flights during the biggest shopping festival of the year, running until 2 February. 

Emirates passengers booked on an Economy class round-trip ticket to #Dubai can shop without limits, and return home with the latest fashion bargains at no extra costs incurred, affirming Dubai #Shopping Festival as the city’s most generous mega sale.

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Countdown to the the New Year in Auckland

AUCKLAND will be the first major city in the world to welcome in 2019, and is planning a visual and entertainment extravaganza to light up Auckland’s cityscape this New Year’s Eve. 

For the first time, Vector Lights on #Auckland Harbour Bridge will join the celebrations with a sparkling display from 9pm, before building up to a countdown to midnight where it will pulse in time with the Auckland Sky Tower.

At the stroke of midnight, Vector Lights will explode into a five-minute spectacular designed to complement SKYCITY’s fireworks display, then continue until 1am. Those lucky enough to be down at Silo Park for the Wondergarden Festival will have a perfect view of the bridge and the fireworks alongside world-class international and local acts.

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An event festival goers shouldn't miss out on

BORYEONG is famous for their wide mudflats formed along the west coast of South Korea, and the high-quality mud at Boryeong is well known for its therapeutic qualities with high levels of germanium and minerals, as well as for its high levels of far-infrared radiation. Boryeong city have been developing, producing and selling mud based cosmetic products since 1996, and have been hosting the Boryeong mud festival with the clean, purified, commercial grade mud since 1998.

The festival, hosted by the Boryeong City, will hold over 60 different events for its visitors including the grand mud baths, the super slide, the mud basket, the air bounce experience, colour mud painting, mud mob scene, mud flat marathon, the mud run, festival exhibitions, yacht experience and oceanic adventure. Along with the various programs, there are also night time K-Pop concerts planned providing guests with a plethora of different genres including hip-hop, EDM and k-pop idol concerts.

The 22nd Boryeong Mud Festival, will be held for 10 days from July 19-28, 2019 on Daecheon Beach in Boryeong, South Korea, with the slogan "Go! Boryeong, Play! mud."


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Picture Credit:Hypnotica Studios Infinite Mud Fest 2008 via photopin

Celebrate the New Year Down Under

RING in the New Year surrounded by seahorses, penguins and sea stars at Sea Life Melbourne where you can roam from the Coral Caves to the Crocodile Lair with a drink in hand and music pumping through the air.

Revellers have full access to the underwater wonderland and its thousands of marine creatures, as well as panoramic views of the Yarra River and the city’s spectacular fireworks display.

Silver, Gold or Platinum tickets,Platinum ticket holders have exclusive access to Sea Life Melbourne’s outdoor deck, which faces the Yarra River and the sparkling Southbank skyline.



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Illuminating The Palm Beaches

THE Palm Beaches is a collection of 39 cities and towns stretching from Boca Raton to Jupiter and Tequesta, with 47 miles of pristine Atlantic Ocean beaches and sophisticated art and culture. The destination has more than 200 cultural organizations that produce 42,000 events, exhibitions and performances annually.

This holiday season, travelers looking to ditch the cold for a sunny, culture-filled getaway are headed to Florida's Cultural Capital to experience an incredible selection of cultural programming for all ages and interests. A sampling of holiday happenings in the Palm Beaches includes:

Handel's Messiah – The Benjamin School (Palm Beach Gardens)
On Friday, December 14, celebrate the holidays with Masterworks Chorus of The Palm Beaches' presentation of G.F. Handel's Messiah. Tickets are $25/person; $10/students.

Garden of Lights – Mounts Botanical Garden (West Palm Beach)
Through Sunday, December 30, visitors of Mounts Botanical Garden can gaze in awe as thousands of lights illuminate garden areas, with live dance performances and musical presentations will be held on select nights. The garden is open daily from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and tickets are available online or at the gate.

Photos with Santa – Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society (West Palm Beach)
Jolly old Saint Nick takes time out of his busy schedule to spend quality time with visitors at the zoo through Saturday, December 22.

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical – Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (West Palm Beach)  The 'Most Famous Reindeer of All' comes to life on Sunday, December 23 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Families can enjoy all of their favorite characters as the beloved classic soars onto the stage for two performances on Sunday. Tickets start at $20 and are available for purchase online and at the venue.

A Very Jewish Concert on Christmas Day – Adolph and Rose Levis Jewish Community Center (Boca Raton) Led by Aaron Kula and featuring the sounds of Klezmer, Yiddish, Israeli and Chassidic music from Second Avenue and beyond, the renowned Klezmer Company Orchestra will perform on Tuesday, December 25 at 3 p.m.


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News from Top French Cities

WHILE the Top French Cities of Orleans and Tours celebrate the French Renaissance year round, mark your calendars for these upcoming developments:

In late March the city of Saint-Etienne will hold its 11th Design Biennial, curated by American Lisa White.

Starting April 27, 2019 and through early December, the great Northern city of Lille will be effervescent —indoors and out—with contemporary art exhibits, installations and other events. A great open-air kick-off will launch "Eldorado: Lille 3000," a huge citywide fete held every three years.

Lille will also host March 13 to June 11, 2019 a major Giacometti retrospective featuring over 150 works at its Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Sports fans must know by now that France will be hosting the FIFA Women's World Cup from June 7 to July 7 in 9 cities. Six of the 9 host stadiums are in the Top French Cities: Grenoble, Le Havre, Montpellier, Nice, Reims, and Rennes; from which of course the French team will try to match their male counterparts and win. 

Elegant Montpellier will welcome a new contemporary art center in July which will be known as Le MoCo.

Nice will be now be accessible via direct flights from New York on La Compagnie from May through October.


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Top Christmas Destination

HAVING been named the world’s number one Christmas city, #Helsinki is more than ready for another festive holiday season. The unique appeal of the Finnish capital is obvious also during the Christmas season, the warm atmosphere, fun activities, stunning nature and other Christmas elements are described in detail on the MyHelsinki.fi website. 

Helsinki has been highlighted as a top destination this Christmas by numerous international media outlets, The Guardian listed Helsinki has one of Europe’s best Christmas getaway destinations. Christmas in Helsinki is a mix of new and old traditions. A Christmas atmosphere is guaranteed all the way from late November through to Epiphany at the start of the New Year. The holiday season is rounded off by the popular Lux Helsinki light festival, which presents brilliant light art throughout the city centre from 5 to 9 January 2019.

The most anticipated architectural grand opening of the year takes place around Finnish Independence Day at the start of December, when the internationally acclaimed Helsinki Central Library Oodi opens to the public. The grand opening programme includes dance, music and theatre performances over two days on 5 and 6 December.

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Festive experiences and year-end celebrations in Dubai

EMAAR Hospitality Group is all set to mark the festive season and welcome the New Year with an unparalleled array of extraordinary #festive experiences and sensational year-end events in the heart of #Dubai.

The incredible host of celebrations include over 100 offerings at more than 15 destinations across the city, to offer residents and visitors a truly delightful holiday season.

Offering the best of Dubai, visitors and residents can explore diverse offers under the five easy-to-navigate categories - Festive Season, New Year's Eve, Corporate Events, Festive Treats and Stays at http://www.myfestivedubai.com.

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GFEST 2018

THE annual November LGBTQI+ entertainment and cross-art event GFEST – Gaywise FESTival will be launched on Monday the 12 November at Alexandra Palace, Palm Court. GFEST 2018 events will be listed on the website: https://gaywisefestival.org.uk

This year’s festival theme is #SociallyEQUAL and the organisers are proud to present a free entry entertainment evening full of live acts presenting music, dance, acapella, performance poetry at the launch.


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Brewing up some Halloween fun

LOOKING for scary good fun? The travel experts at The GO Group, LLC found these events brewing across the U.S.

The Ken's Korny Corn Maze is N. Carolina's first and longest operating corn maze. The Maze opens September 28 and runs every weekend until November 10.

In Philadelphia, test your nerves at Eastern State Penitentiary's Terror Behind the Walls, a spooky haunted house inside an abandoned prison. The event includes Hollywood-quality special effects and lighting, digital sound, animatronic creatures and custom props. Open until November 10.

Boo at the Zoo in St. Louis offers kid-friendly events with haystacks, pumpkins and souvenir T-shirts complete with a costumed grizzly bear dressed as Wonder Woman. 

On Halloween for two decades, Voodoo Authentica, New Orleans, has hosted Voodoo Fest in the French Quarter. On-site priests will speak and teach Voodoo, Louisiana's version of the faith, and the music and spirituality associated with the Lwa — the spirits of the Voodoo pantheon.

Get your frightening fill of creepy creatures and underwater Halloween happenings at SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium in Dallas. Watch trained costumed divers compete to see who can carve the best jack-o-lantern underwater surrounded by sea creatures on Wednesdays and Saturdays, October 17-31. Plus, trick-or-treat alongside sharks, crocodiles and other eerie creatures on October 31.

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Wuzhen Theater Festival

IN the sixth Wuzhen Theater Festival, which will be held from October 18 to 28, 2018, in addition to the list of theatrical performances specially invited to the event, represented by masters of the world theatrical and operatic, there will be an Outdoor Carnival that will be presented to more than 100 companies and performances that will perform more than 1800 works in the district of Xizha in Wuzhen during the 11 days of the event.

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The Musical North East

THE Hartlepool Folk Festival is celebrating its fourth year with a newly-announced grant from Arts Council England. The festival, which has sold out for the last two years, is also upscaling its mainstage events from the 400-seat Hartlepool Town Hall Theatre to the 1200-seat Borough – a testament to the event’s popularity, artistic quality, and its contribution to the region’s cultural life – and will take place from 19th – 21st October.

Those who prefer jazz to folk are encouraged to head to Middlesbrough Town Hall’s Jazz Weekender, which takes place on the same weekend as Hartlepool’s Folk Festival. Programmed by Gateshead International Jazz Festival’s Ros Rigby, the Jazz Weekender will include a nod to the past, but also firmly look to the future, the festival is set to be an action-packed weekend in celebration of the genre.

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Barcelona opens its doors

BARCELONA invites you to visit all of its architectural to observe, understand and question the value architecture and its relation to Catalan society and culture with 48 H Open House Barcelona. The festival opens in the first week of October. This event is free for all and will include guided tours, information guides for visitors to explain each of the houses they’re visiting.

Some of the houses include famous landmarks like Casa Vicens, el Mercat de Sant Antoni, while there are also some lesser known sites in the ten other neighborhoods of #Barcelona. Mark your calendars for 27 & 28 October 2018. The event promises visitors an appreciation of the value of good architecture and urbanism, opening over 200 great buildings of different styles, forms, and sizes to the public.

The program is built around the broad network of buildings that will open their doors to the public and it is set within the six Barcelona boroughs (Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Vilassar de Dalt, Sant Joan Despí, Badalona and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat). 

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Picture Credit: By cstnow - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2541708

Journey of discovery at The Lakes Distillery

JOIN the The Lakes Distillery,near Bassenthwaite Lake, for the Lakes Autumn Whisky Festival and celebrate all things whisky. Our tour guides are ready to take you on a journey of discovery as they guide you through our whisky making process right up to spirit being laid to rest.

Not a whisky fan? You can take part in spirit tastings, sample our BBQ, dine alfresco and meet our herd of alpacas, or watch the Border Reivers Re-enactment.
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It's Infectious

PREPARE yourself for a takeover! Nova 6 Marketing and the city of Altoona, Pennsylvania will be bringing back the dead as ZombieTown USA returns October 5 & 6, 2018. The Railroaders Memorial Museum and Downtown Altoona will be the scene for a weekend of family friendly entertainment.

This year’s event will feature even more opportunities to participate as ZombieTown USA has added new vendors, entertainers and events to make this year even bigger than the last. Live music throughout the weekend will provide the backdrop for Zombie flash mobs, marches, survival challenges and many more interactive zombie-themed activities. This is an all-ages encounter that encourages everyone to participate.

www.zombietownusa.com

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Slovakia lights up the sky

AT the Rostec International Fireworks Festival in Moscow, Slovakia was the  winner of the festival which is one of the world's greatest events related to fireworks. Second place went to Greece, and the USA took third place. All three teams took part in the festival in Moscow for the first time. 

The Rostec International Fireworks Festival was held for the fourth time this year and teams from Austria, Andorra, Bulgaria, Italy, the UK, Greece, Slovakia and the USA took part in it.

The teams presented programs consisting of two parts: fireworks in the colors of a national flag with national music, which was a participant's presentation; there was also a free program on the theme of goodness and magic.  A world-class jury monitored the technical aspect of the performances including eminent pyrotechnicians from the USA, Romania, Portugal, Canada and Spain.



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San Antonio celebrates like no other

WHEN it comes to Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, there's no place in the United States that observes this traditionally Mexican holiday quite like San Antonio. This year, as the city celebrates its Tricentennial anniversary, there will be more than 20 unique events from October 20 through November 3 -- more than any other city in Texas, and likely any other city in the country. 

Mexican roots run deep in San Antonio (which is a previous colonial capital of New Spain and state capital of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas). The city is a three-hour drive from the U.S.-Mexico border, and more than 60 percent of the city's population is of Mexican descent. This cultural heritage is evident through San Antonio'sunwavering celebratory spirit -- the city hosts a seemingly endless roster of festivals and events each year, including the 10-day-long Fiesta San Antonio in April -- and also is distinctly felt when it comes to Día de Los Muertos.

This year's events run the gamut, from small gatherings with traditional altars and face painting to multiple-day festivals featuring live music, stilt walkers, Mexican cuisine and festive parades. In addition to official celebrations, restaurants and cafes across San Antonio will showcase altars, customary décor and fresh-baked pan de muerto, a popular type of sweet bread that is also used as an offering to loved ones who have passed. This collective spirit offers an unforgettable way to experience the city, as well as to gain insight into this unique, historic holiday which views death with lightness and humor rather than fear. Most events are family friendly, allowing children to learn about the rich traditions of the holiday, helping it continue for generations to come.


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