Hong Kong - 31 July 2006

Every year in Hong Kong, the girls and young lovers of the area come out in force to enjoy a festival dedicated to them.

The Seven Sisters Festival is held annually and is a celebration of religious rites of passage for girls and young women.

Based around an old folklore of a weaver maid who, after marrying neglected her weaving duties, this event is over 1,500 years old, but is still taken very seriously by the locals.

Various needlework competitions take place in the build-up to and during the celebration itself and all the vibrant colours of the women's work can be seen on display.

On the night of the festival, the young women make offerings to the sky such as fruit and also burn joss sticks and incense in the open air.

While many do this on their rooftops or gardens, the ritual can also be seen taking place at Lovers' Stone in Wan Chai.

Source: Hostelbookers

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Memphis, USA - 18 May 2006 to 20 May 2006

Looking for a good barbeque as the summer months approach?

Well you're bound to find something to please your palette in Memphis from May 18th to 21st, as the world championships of barbeque cooking take place.

Nicknamed the "superbowl of swine", this event hosts the best in barbeque and sees a competition to find the most impressive and delicious open-fire roast in the world.

And with $60,000 up for grabs for the winner, it is little wonder that so many people turn up to take part in the competition, which is held in Memphis' Tom Lee Park and accompanied by various entertainment on the main stage.

So for those looking for a cheap, top-quality meal while in Memphis, there can be few places better to go than the park during the three-day event.

However, anyone looking to make a late entry to the competition will be disappointed – the deadline for applications closed back in February. But with up to 90,000 visitors arriving in the park for this event every year and barbeques dolled-up in fancy dress costumes, this is a remarkable event to see.

Source: Hostelbookers

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Mumbai, India - 1 May 2006 to 31 May 2006

Mango growing in Mumbai is a very serious business.

The farmers in India still mature their mangos in the traditional way, by placing them on beds of hay in mud huts to ensure that the Alphonso mangos are the juiciest, sweetest tasting of the fruits anywhere in the world.

And in May every year, the whole of Mumbai starts to enjoy a little mango madness, as farmers keen to ensure their full crop is sold before they are past their best bring down the prices, making them wonderfully cheap.

Therefore, a trip to the city during May can prove an interesting experience, especially if you enjoy mangos!

Carts and baskets full of the fruit can be found throughout Mumbai's streets and it can at times be difficult to avoid the things, as street sellers force them upon you.

A trip to any of the markets, including the historic, 130-year-old Crawford Market, will provide mango lovers the opportunity to find the best of the year's crop.

Source: Hostelbookers

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Brussels, Belgium - 19 May 2006 to 21 May 2006

Jazz may be one of the coolest forms of music in the world and it is celebrated in style in Brussels from May 19th to 21st.

The Brussels Jazz Marathon is one of the most impressive jazz events in Europe, attracting artists from all over the world to play in both small, intimate venues and larger locations.

Both local and international groups share the stages around the city, but perhaps the most spectacular thing about the marathon is the fact that much of it takes place in the open air, with the squares being taken over by stages for concerts.

One of the most impressive must be the stage in Brussels' main square, which is surrounded by some of the oldest and most fantastically ornate buildings in the city, giving the jazz bands a perfect backdrop.

Over 50 venues will be included in this year's event, with 400 artists joining forces to give 125 concerts, all in the space of the three days over which the event takes place.

Source: Hostelbookers

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Paris, France - 1 April 2006 to 27 May 2006

You are never too old for a funfair and the Foire du Trone in France confirms this, with over five million visitors, both young and old, coming to visit the huge temporary fairground.

Boasting a mind-boggling array of daredevil rides, shows, performers and acts, the fair has all the traditional attraction such as the Big Wheel, the dodgems and the slightly-scary clowns with their extended shoes and red noses, as well as offering something a little different.

Flashing lights, constant music and 'freak' shows accompany the rides and display a less elegant and trashier side to the French capital. Statistics show that over 90 tonnes of chips are eaten during the season, while enough beer to fill an Olympic swimming pool is consumed.

The fair at Pelouse de Reuilly dates back to the 12th century and is linked to the selling of pig-shaped spice bread, a long and confusing connection which has resulted in the modern day version of the fair.

All visitors are invited to join in with all the fun of the fair, held April 1st to May 27th , and add some circus fun to their trip.

Source: Hostelbookers

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Tokyo, Japan - 19 May 2006

The largest of Tokyo's big three festivals is set to take to the city's streets this May.

The Asakusa Shrine's Sanja festival is a three day event beginning on Friday 19th May with considerable amounts of dancing, drinking and music.

The focal points of the weekend are the processions of many shrines, known as mikoshi, through the city, which are believed to bestow luck and prosperity to the inhabitants.

Around 100 mikoshi parade through the streets, in processions that attract more than two million people to the event every year.

The Friday begins with preliminary parades of people through the local neighbourhoods, with the first mikoshis seen on the Saturday.

The Sunday is by far the most eventful of the three days with three giant mikoshis from the Asakusa shrine paraded though the neighbourhoods along with their smaller brothers, in processions that begin at 6am and run well in to the evening.

If you're lucky, you may catch sight of a geisha or a member of the Japanese mafia enjoying themselves among the crowds.

Source: Hostelbookers

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STA Travel has the some of best flight deals on flights to Bangkok, especially if you are a student or you are under 26 and qualify for their 'Blue' fares. They have bargain airfares, airline tickets and flight deals with all leading airlines for everyone, not just students. To book a flight to Bangkok check out their latest and best fares.

Top Tips for finding the cheapest flight to Bangkok:

● Make sure your trip includes a Saturday-night stay.
● Don’t fly on the busiest days of the week (i.e. Friday).
● Don’t fly at the busiest times (before 10 a.m.).
● Use the same airline out and back.
● Be prepared to go via another airport en route.

Accommodation in Bangkok from £11pppn 3* hotel.

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Milan, Italy - 16 May 2006 to 18 June 2006

Martin Creed is one of the most famous and inspiring modern artists in the world.

Having won the Turner Prize in 2001, the artist has gone from strength to strength and he has enjoyed critical acclaim around the globe for his creations.

His work has already featured in London's Tate Gallery, the MoMa in New York and Paris' Pompidou Centre and his latest installation is now on display in Milan's Arengario.

The creator of the neon sign in New York's famous Times Square, Creed is renowned for his ability to use simple, everyday materials to create drawings and sculptures which can allow for any interpretation.

Creed's latest installation in Milan is aimed, like the majority of his work, at transforming the reality of his materials into eccentricity and fantasy through his creations.

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Cannes, France - 17 May 2006 to 28 May 2006

The Cannes Film Festival is one of the most famous and glittering events of the year.

Recognised around the world, the festival is second only to the Oscars themselves in terms of glitz, glamour and the number of Hollywood stars per square foot.

Renowned for the vast numbers of stars who arrive with their personal yachts in tow, as well as for the films they are promoting, the festival really does enjoy a feeling of opulence, thanks to the lavish lifestyles of the film icons.

The event is in no small measure helped by the beautiful setting of Cannes, however, as the stylish city is an attraction in itself for many of the actors who arrive for the event, which runs from May 17th to 28th every year.

But that does not mean that travellers to the city will need to pay over the odds to enjoy the cinema fun. While it is more expensive in Cannes during the festival, cheap bargains can still be found by travellers.

Running since 1939, the festival has hosted the gamut of silver screen icons, from Brigitte Bardot in the 1950s to Arnold Schwarzenegger, who arrived on a giant floating version of himself to publicise his Terminator III film in 2003.

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Take an EasyCruise

Germanwings is the best German airline. In the context of an international airline test by six European consumers protection organizations from Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and The Netherlands, who questioned around 9,000 passengers, the low cost carrier was ranked at the 14th spot among the in total 110 tested airlines. Germanwings is thus the German airline with the highest evaluation marks. Overall 36,000 flights were evaluated in the context of the test.

The participants gave detailed information on their travel experiences on board flights from July 2004 until September 2005. The experiences involved traditional airlines, charter airlines and low cost carriers. With an evaluation mark of 7.4, Germanwings was ranked at the top of the group that also included SN Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, Ryanair, Swiss, KLM, Austrian Airlines, Air Berlin and Air France. These carriers form the top group. The participants gave Germanwings a very high mark especially for the punctuality of their flights, the good relation between price and performance, the cleanness on board and the efficiency of the ground staff.

Source: Daily Travel News

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Save 15% at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne. This is a special offer for Germanwings passengers*(until 25 June 2006.

As part of its 30-year anniversary celebrations, twenty of which have been in the building between Cologne’s cathedral, main railway station and the river Rhine, the Museum Ludwig is presenting a major exhibition, running until 25 June 2006, around Salvador Dalí’s painting “La Gare de Perpignan”. Peter and Irene Ludwig acquired the monumental painting in 1978 for the museum.

The work can be seen as a painted autobiography of the artist. Various aspects of his life and his fantastic visual worlds appear as a retrospective dream vision. Salvador Dalí declared in his visionary style Perpignan railway station as the centre of the world. Many times Dalí travelled by train via Perpignan to Paris, centre of surrealism, and many other important artists travelled through this town where French and Spanish influences meet on their way to Cadaqués to visit Dalí and experience his wonderful muse, and the motherly ways of his companion.

Upon showing your Germanwings booking confirmation you will receive the following special price at the cash desk of the Museum Ludwig:

Day ticket for €6.50 instead of €7.50 (a saving of 15%)
Exhibition catalogue €30 instead of €37 (a saving of 23%)

*This offer is only valid if you show a valid booking confirmation for a Germanwings flight to Cologne. Ludwig Museum is responsible for providing this offer.

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Brisbane - 15 May 2006 to 21 May 2006

Paniyiri, an annual festival of all things Greek, has started in Brisbane. It runs from 15th May 2006 to 21st May 2006, at the Greek Club and Convention Centre and Musgrave Park.

Dating back to 1979, the week-long event, which will culminate in a major weekend celebration, will allow fans of the Mediterranean culture to indulge in some traditional Greek food and drink and enjoy some Greek arts and music.

For those who wish to hone their culinary skills, workshops will teach visitors the basics of authentic Greek cooking. Food stalls will also be showcasing the many tastes and recipes from regions across Greece.

The main stage in Musgrave Park will host up to 20 hours of entertainment, including grape stomping and olive eating competitions, Hellenic dancing, Ta Palikaria and Zorba Dancing. Visitors can even take part in the Zorbathan; an attempt to break the festival's own record of 3,300 people Greek dancing for eight minutes.

Over 20,000 people from Brisbane's Greek community gather every year at Paniyiri to showcase their culture and display their customs.

Source: Hostelbookers

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For flower lovers, there are very few places better to be than in Morocco during May.

This is because an oasis in the Dades Valley provides an opportunity for roses to grow in abundance, something which has been particularly important for the local economy.

One of the largest rose distilling plants in the world is situated in the valley, which is also known as the Valley of the Roses, and it provides the scented rose water which is used in abundance in cooking and perfumes.

It takes ten tons of rose petals to produce just a few litres of oil, so the effort put in by the local farmers is rightly celebrated towards the end of the harvest each year.

With the valley smelling divine, the farmers gather together in the El Kelaa des M'Gouna town for the rose feast celebrations, which include a market with music and dancing and of course a Rose Queen election, whose duty it is simply to reign over the year's crop.

For those wanting cheap accomodation go to hostelbookers.

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