eXploreGuru - your travel guide…

Many tourists from all over the world visit Thailand, especially Khao Sarn Road in Bangkok during April to take part in the water festival (Songkran) festivities. To those tourists who have been in action during the friendly yearly water fights, I am sure it was very fun. I thought so too until a few years ago, when I visited Myanmar during dates coinciding with Myanmar’s version of Songkran. The Myanmese called the water festival (Thingyan). (more…)

I began my love affair with New York one afternoon a few years ago. The fantastic music of George Gerswhin was playing in the background as fireworks exploded above my head as if trying to emphasize the already striking skyline of Manhattan …and then the movie finished I knew I’d have to go. Yes, up until recently Woody Allen movies and episodes of Sex and the City had brought me as close as I’d come to the city that I love. (more…)

Margaret Island is 2,5 Km long and at its broadest part there is a huge park 500 m wide. The island is one of Budapest’s most popular places for walking, bathing, amusement and sports. It is likely the once the Romans occupies the island, for remains of villas and watchtowers dating back to Roman times have been found here. (more…)

Holland is seen by most people as a lively country, with the commercial capital Amsterdam, viewed as a party city. With its ring system of canals and waterways, and all the world-famous museums and historical sights which punctuate the city, Amsterdam is regarded as one of the most romantic cities in Europe. (more…)

The People’s Republic of China might be the world’s third largest country, but it has the largest population. Spring and autumn are certainly the best times to visit China the majority of China. However, the highlands are better seen in the summer. The weather itself is a bit extreme and ranges from very cold to very hot. (more…)

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend the Gilroy Garlic festival. This was the 28th annual festival and ran the weekend of July 28. The location of the festival is Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy. I have heard about this festival for many years and decided to accept the invitation from a friend to attend. (more…)

Have you ever heard of Peppercorn Day? A holiday in Bermuda, Peppercorn Day may be the oddest holiday in the Caribbean. Its history dates to 1797 when a group of Freemasons began renting the Old State House in St. George, for the sum of one peppercorn. In 1816, the holiday tradition began. Every year on the Wednesday closest to April 23, amidst pomp and circumstance, a horse-drawn carriage brings the governor to collect the peppercorn. (more…)

The “Irish Riviera” is the name given to the sunny south coast of Ireland, where small towns nestle next door to each other along a beautiful coastline with sandy beaches, welcoming people and fantastic food. Within easy reach of visitors arriving by air or sea, it’s the perfect holiday destination for those who want to experience a true taste of Ireland. (more…)

Tamborrada, San Sebastián

Every year on the 19th and 20th of January, the Basque city of San Sebastian prepares for the noisiest festival in the whole of Spain . From midnight to midnight the city is alive to the sound of drumming as groups of marching bands parade through the streets in honour of the city’s patron saint, pounding out rhythms on their drums and barrels. The origins of the festival are a little bit unclear but legend has it that in 1720 a local baker was filling his water barrels and started to sing and a group of passing girls began to bang on the barrels to accompany him. A crowd soon gathered and the festival was born. (more…)

Spaniards seem rarely to need much of a reason for a fiesta or festival of some sort and you can pretty much guarantee that wherever you are in Spain there will be some merrymaking going on somewhere in honour of a patron saint – I’ve decided to look at some of Spain’s quirkier, slightly less known festivals and enlighten readers as to some of the stranger practices which take place at various times around the country.
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