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
£3099
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
Bhutan small group tours
A festival and cultural extravaganza in Bhutan!
From
£4680
14 days
inc UK flights
Jambay Lakhang festival holiday in Bhutan
Experience the colourful Jambay Lakhang festival
From
£2910 to £3000
13 days
ex flights
Ghana, Togo & Benin tour, Ouidah voodoo festival
The magic of Benin's voodoo festival, plus Ghana and Togo
From
£2399
12 days
ex flights
Mongolia tour, winter landscapes and Khovsgol ice festival
Winter discovery tour with ice festival in northern Mongolia
From
US $1370 to US $1670
11 days
ex flights
Mongolia tour, mountains & nomads
Slow travel through Mongolia's northern & central landscapes
From
US $1965 to US $2345
13 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
Day of the Dead festival holiday, Mexico
Celebrate the Day of the Dead Festival in Mexico
From
£2545
8 days
ex flights
Sarawak Rainforest music festival holiday
Explore Malaysia's diverse flavours and gastronomic delights
From
£1435
11 days
ex flights
Papua New Guinea tour, cultures & customs
A small-group adventure tour to Papua New Guinea
From
£7750
19 days
inc UK 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
Tribal festival holiday in India
A tour covering two major festivals of the animist tribes
From
£2450
16 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
Diwali festival holiday in India
Join our villages in celebrating the festival of light!
From
£948
11 days
ex flights
Afrochella festival holiday in West Africa
Cultural festival holiday in Ghana, Togo & Benin featuring Afrochella
From
£2640
15 days
ex flights
Bangladesh and India Durga Puja Festival holiday
18 day group tour of Bangladesh, Sikkim & West Bengal
From
£3775
17 days
ex flights
Papua New Guinea small group tour
Stay with tribes and visit a festival in Papua New Guinea
From
£7675
15 days
ex flights
Tattooed Headhunting tribes Aoling festival in Nagaland, India
Aoling Festival of the Tattooed Heandunting Naga Tribe
From
£2250
10 days
ex flights
Mongolia eagle hunting festival holiday
Altai Mountains glaciers, nature & eagle hunting festival
From
£2725
13 days
ex flights
Wild Mongolia and Golden Eagle Festival holiday
Witness the Golden Eagle Festival in nomadic Mongolia
From
£5220
16 days
ex flights
North East India tour, Nagaland & the Hornbill Festival
The unique festivals of the tribes of remote Northeast India
From
£2350
15 days
ex flights
Hornbill Festival holiday in Nagaland, India
- Witness the Nagas celebrate their unique cultural heritage
From
€570 to €670
7 days
ex flights
Naadam Festival holiday in Mongolia
Mongolia tour with Nadaam Festival departures
From
£3999 to £4049
15 days
inc UK flights
Yucatan Day of Dead festival tour
Explore Mexican culture and history during 'Day of the Dead'
From
£2995
11 days
ex flights
Burma hot air balloon festival holiday
Tailormade Myanmar adventure combining trekking and culture
From
£2095
12 days
ex flights
Mongolia Eagle Festival holiday
Mongolia tour with Eagle festival departure
From
£4049
19 days
inc UK flights
Nagaland Hornbill festival & Kaziranga NP tour, India
Experience the cultural, inter-tribal Hornbill festival
From
£2135
13 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
£3099
16 days
inc UK flights
Small group travel:
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.
Experiencing an internationally celebrated event in its country of origin is one of those travelling adventures to tell the grandkids about.
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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