Festival holidays advice
GEREWOL FESTIVAL ADVICE
Gerewol Festival advice
Jim O’Brien from our specialist supplier Native Eye:
“We don’t participate, but we camp near the Wodaabe for several days. As the dances usually take place in the mornings and evenings only there are plenty of opportunities for travellers to meet and interact with the Wodaabe and learn a little more about their traditional customs. As for packing – definitely bring loose, light clothes as it’s hot, and spare batteries and sim cards for your camera, as you’re likely to take more photos than you think.”
Our Festivals Holidays
Ethiopia tour with Timkat festival departure
Take Ethiopia's greatest religious celebration, the Timkat Festival
From
£2849
16 days
inc UK flights
Gerewol festival holiday in Chad
Witness one of Africa's most colourful traditional festivals
From
£2249
8 days
ex flights
Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in China
Cities of snow and ice twist
From
£2529 to £2599
13 days
inc UK flights
Jambay Lakhang festival holiday in Bhutan
Experience the colourful Jambay Lakhang festival
From
£2790
13 days
ex flights
Ghana, Togo & Benin tour, Ouidah voodoo festival
The magic of Benin's voodoo festival, plus Ghana and Togo
From
£2475
12 days
ex flights
Rio Carnival holiday, Brazil
Join the the greatest party on earth at the Rio Carnaval
From
£1740
6 days
ex flights
Mongolia tour, winter landscapes and Khovsgol ice festival
Winter discovery tour with ice festival in northern Mongolia
From
US $1090 to US $1695
9 days
ex flights
Music festival on the Niger River, Mali
Discover the music and magic of Mali’Festival of the Niger.
From
€1650 to €2050
16 days
ex flights
Day of the Dead festival holiday, Mexico
Celebrate the Day of the Dead Festival in Mexico
From
£1902
7 days
ex flights
Papua New Guinea tour, cultures & customs
A small-group adventure tour to Papua New Guinea
From
£6845
19 days
inc UK flights
Sarawak Rainforest music festival holiday
Explore Malaysia's diverse flavours and gastronomic delights
From
£1475
11 days
ex flights
Mongolia tour, mountains & nomads
Slow travel through Mongolia's northern & central landscapes
From
US $2165 to US $2350
13 days
ex flights
Mali festival on the Niger holiday
Special tour and festival of the Niger tour, Mali
From
€1750 to €2050
10 days
ex flights
Tribal festival holiday in India
A tour covering two major festivals of the animist tribes
From
£2450
16 days
ex flights
Mongolia adventure trekking holiday & Naadam Festival
Summer time trekking and Naadam adventure through Mongolia
From
US $2450 to US $3640
16 days
ex flights
Mongolia Lunar New Year tour, Tsagaan Sar
Traditional festival experience - Mongolia's Lunar New Year
From
US $720 to US $1005
5 days
ex flights
Hemis Festival in Ladakhs, India
Journey along the spectacular Leh to Manali Highway
From
£2150 to £2399
18 days
inc UK flights
Nadaam Festival holiday in Mongolia
Mongolia tour with Nadaam Festival departures
From
£3849
15 days
inc UK flights
Nomads’ Day Festival holiday in Mongolia
Authentic Mongolian Experience with Nomad's Day Festival
From
£2208
10 days
ex flights
Diwali festival holiday in India
Join our villages in celebrating the festival of light!
From
£948
11 days
ex flights
Ethiopia Genna Festival & trekking holiday
Experience the most important celebration of the year!
From
£1399
9 days
ex flights
Maslenitsa winter festival in Russia
Slavic holiday of Maslenitsa – exciting winter festival!
From
€1370
7 days
ex flights
Mongolia Eagle Festival holiday
Mongolia tour with Eagle festival departure
From
£4049
19 days
inc UK flights
Mongolia Naadam Festival holiday
Join in Mongolia's most impressive festival this year!
From
£1499
9 days
ex flights
Ladakh and Kashmir tour, The Hemis festival
Experience the colourful Hemis festival
From
£1695
11 days
ex flights
Eagle hunter homestay in Mongolia
Eagle hunter homestays & eagle festival, west Mongolia
From
US $1925
11 days
ex flights
Northern Pakistan holiday
Dramatic landscapes and unique traditional cultures
From
£2499 to £2699
16 days
ex flights
TRAVELLING TO BENIN
Travelling to Benin for the Voodoo Festival
Jim O’Brien from our supplier Native Eye:
“No one comes to West Africa as a first time visitor to the continent; everyone tends to start off with East Africa or Southern Africa. West and Central Africa are much harder, and the attractions are less well defined, so you have to look for it and you have to be prepared for a bit of adventure, and to be honest a fair few problems along the way. We do our best to mitigate any problems that there might be but we always tell people to travel to Benin with a sense of humour and expect things to go wrong from time to time – and be patient while we sort it out!”
PACKING ADVICE FOR BHUTAN
Packing advice for Bhutan
Rajat Kumar from our supplier, ExplorIndya:
“Make sure your packing includes the following: micro fleece jackets or pullovers – more than enough to add a solid layer of warmth, without adding weight, for a typical trip through Bhutan unless one is seriously hiking up in the north; tablets for headaches that you’re comfortable with and use at home; I like to keep a small canteen flask in which I can keep some black or lemon tea hot and close to me when I hike, especially at altitude; a sturdy day pack to lug around walking essentials like water, fruit and chocolates or biscuits; most dzongs at some point expect that visitors take off their footwear, so if you’re a person who doesn’t like their feet getting dirty or dusty, then I recommend packing extra pairs of fairly cheap socks that you might not mind throwing away at the end of the trip.”
Our top Festivals Holiday
Ethiopia tour with Timkat festival departure
Take Ethiopia's greatest religious celebration, the Timkat Festival
From
£2849
16 days
inc UK flights
Small group travel:
2020: 10 Jan, 15 Jan
2020: 10 Jan, 15 Jan
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Festivals or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
WHAT TO BRING TO MONGOLIA
What to bring to Mongolia
Jess Brooks from our supplier, Eternal Landscapes:
“Bring layers – for warm days, loose-fitting, lightweight cotton materials. For cold days, thermal layers, fleece tops, jumpers, and for inclement weather, a waterproof/windproof jacket. In case you go horse or camel trekking wear trousers (not shorts) and make sure they are not too loose otherwise they may rub. Safety helmets are rarely provided so check this before you arrive.”
WHAT TO EXPECT
What to expect at an eagle festival
Jess Brooks from our supplier, Eternal Landscapes, shares her tips for Mongolia’s famous festivals:
“At the festival you get eagle hunters, you get horsemen and you get members from the local community as well – the children, the mums, the grandparents, the people coming in from the provincial capital, it’s a really good day out; it’s great fun. So it’s probably a bit like a summer fete, that’s a good way to look at it.”
HEALTH & SAFETY ON A FESTIVALS HOLIDAY
HEALTH
SAFETY
FESTIVALS TIPS FROM OUR TRAVELLERS
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often... other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do – and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful festivals travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday – and the space inside your suitcase.
Don’t hesitate to go. It will surpass your expectations. 
– Frank Keen in Benin
“Be prepared for a hot climate and remember to respect the local customs.” – Fredrik Stenström at the Gerewol in Chad
“Arrive a day earlier to acclimatize as it is a very hot destination and it is better to be well rested before the start of the trip. I arrived a day earlier and left Chad later than most of the people and it meant being rested and enjoying the pool in the hotel in Ndjamena.” – Tony Camacho at the Gerewol in Chad
“Make sure you wash your hands regularly. Make sure to ask if you can take a person photo and share the photo. Smile and be friendly. Understand that things move slower and don't get upset. We met people and shook hands, smiled and shared their festivities. I have a better understanding of the people of that part of the world.” – Dawn Taylor in Benin
“We experienced many memorable events but the Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin was the most exciting. It was very colorful and spontaneous. Numerous people went into trances and engaged in wild dances. Don’t hesitate to go. It will surpass your expectations. Don’t worry about security. It felt very safe. But be ready for heat and humidity.” – Frank Keen in Benin
“Arrive a day earlier to acclimatize as it is a very hot destination and it is better to be well rested before the start of the trip. I arrived a day earlier and left Chad later than most of the people and it meant being rested and enjoying the pool in the hotel in Ndjamena.” – Tony Camacho at the Gerewol in Chad
“Make sure you wash your hands regularly. Make sure to ask if you can take a person photo and share the photo. Smile and be friendly. Understand that things move slower and don't get upset. We met people and shook hands, smiled and shared their festivities. I have a better understanding of the people of that part of the world.” – Dawn Taylor in Benin
“We experienced many memorable events but the Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin was the most exciting. It was very colorful and spontaneous. Numerous people went into trances and engaged in wild dances. Don’t hesitate to go. It will surpass your expectations. Don’t worry about security. It felt very safe. But be ready for heat and humidity.” – Frank Keen in Benin
Have patience going through the visa process at Kathmandu airport.
– Trish Nancollis in Bhutan
More about Festivals
The best time to go to a festival is, basically, when it’s on! Happily, throughout the year, you can find some part of the world rocking to a festival beat or rolling out a ritual.
Attending a local festival in a far flung country provides a fascinating insight into a culture – as well as being fantastic fun.
From Chad to China, Benin to Bhutan, find out where the most exciting events and celebrations take place around the world, with our festivals map and highlights page.
Bhutan festivals are colourful, sociable, spiritual events and, happily, there’s one happening somewhere in the country throughout the year.
From an indigenous Mexican commemoration, to a UNESCO-acclaimed cultural highlight celebrated around the globe, Mexico’s Day of the Dead festival has come a long way in its 3,000-year history.
A huge and relatively new event, the World Nomad Games is the Olympics of the nomadic world, featuring traditional sports from Central Asia and beyond.
An ancient courtship ritual in which tribesmen dress up and wear makeup to attract a wife or a lover, Chad's Gerewol festival is an extraordinary spectacle...
The Nadaam and Eagle festivals in Mongolia are wonderful sporting and social events, offering the chance to delve a little deeper into Mongol culture...
Drawing in musicians from all over the world, the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak is a fun, friendly celebration that features big stage performances and small afternoon workshops.
Turning freezing winter into an excuse for a festival, the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, China, features snow and ice sculptures carved from blocks of the frozen Songhua River.
Rhythmic drumming, extraordinary costumes and performers channeling spirits – the Voodoo festival, Benin, is an otherworldly cultural treat.
Ethiopia’s Orthodox Christian celebration, Timkat, takes place 19 and 20 January every year and, although it does attract tourist spectators, it is an authentic religious festival, with a lot of colour, singing, drumming and splashing.
The Rio Carnival, held every year in the week before Lent, is the world’s biggest party, with millions of revellers taking to the streets to watch as flamboyant dancers parade alongside floats and bands.
Attending a festival isn’t without its responsible tourism concerns, so we take a look at how to travel responsibly.
protection
Photo credits: [Page banner: Arian Zwegers] [Woodabe tribesmen: Native Eye Travel]
[Benin elders: Native Eye Travel]
[Bhutan guide and tourist: Prbuckley1]
[Horse riding Monglolia: Kyle Taylor]
[Boy and bird: Tiarescott]
[Bhutan performance: Anja Dussledorp]
[Mongolian wrestlers: Bernd Thaller]
[Voodoo statues: Native Eye Travel]
[Bhutan Airlines plane: Stefan Krasowski]
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