Frieze Art Fair London, 2023
Frieze Art Fair London is one of the most influential contemporary art fairs in the world. It is held in October in The Regent’s Park. It only focuses on living artists and contemporary art…
Travel Topics
Frieze Art Fair London is one of the most influential contemporary art fairs in the world. It is held in October in The Regent’s Park. It only focuses on living artists and contemporary art…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise travel to Dublin and Cork inspired by James Joyce and other literary giants of Ireland. It’s one o’clock on day two of our stay in…
The Barbados Crop Over Festival, or Barbados Carnival, is an annual event held each summer in the Caribbean island. The festival is spread over three months, concluding with the Grand…
Gothenburg’s 400 anniversary will be celebrated with a programme of events across the Swedish city throughout the summer of 2023. The programme will commence with…
The symbolic power of light has always played a powerful role in the world’s many cultural and religious traditions. But apart from their traditional significance, festivals of lights are also…
Maria Boyle enjoys a first-time long weekend in Berlin to learn about its rich history and discovers it really is Europe’s coolest city. “It’s one of THE best cities I…
In the second of two photo essays from Varanasi India we discover the cremation rituals at the burning ghats on the banks of the Ganges river. Read the first article…
The first of two photo essays from Varanasi India exploring life and death in the holy city along the banks of the Ganges river. Varanasi is also known by its…
Cuba is a country located in the Caribbean known for its music, cigars, and rum. However, due to its troubled past, entry into the country can have rather tricky travel…
London’s Southbank winter festival returns to the UK capital on 3 November, running through to the New Year. The Southbank Centre Winter Festival is a highlight…
The Hoi An Lantern Festival is celebrated once a month on the full moon, and most significantly on the first full moon of the lunar new year. On these days the pretty little town of Hoi An…
James Clark becomes an Honorary Newfoundlander by joining in the Screech-In ritual in the capital St John’s. After devouring cod, chips, and gravy at a traditional Newfoundland kitchen party, it…
Visit Valencia has partnered with The World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage (WTACH) to host the world’s first tourism summit dedicated to the protection and preservation…
The Netherlands is a country with so much to offer tourists, from its stunningly beautiful tulip fields to its quaint and picturesque windmills. If you’re looking to get off the…
Marion Ainge takes an intoxicating wine tour and recalls a teenage romance while visiting Italy’s Piedmont region. In Italy‘s Piedmont region, I’m introduced to ‘Jesus’. During the bi-annual Easter Passion…
Jonathan Hiltz discovers the amazing things to do in Plymouth in the south west of England. There’s something to be said for getting into the outer areas of a well-known…
Mark Bibby Jackson returns to the German capital to go on a walking tour in Berlin through Spreefeld, Spreeacker and Teepee Land. We are standing in the remains of the…
Mark Bibby Jackson follows a stretch of the old pilgrims’ way from New Alresford to Winchester, on the recently opened St James’ Way. Perhaps it was all the Chaucer I…
An art trail of giant puffins across Hull and East Yorkshire has proved so popular that the 42 sculptures will now stay in place until 2023. Launched in July 2022…
Mark Bibby Jackson takes an alternative view of tourism in the Austrian capital, going on a tour looking at sustainable things to do in Vienna. It is towards the end…
Mark Bibby Jackson takes a cultural excursion to Valais Switzerland reaching new heights. It is somewhere as we are approaching 3,000 metres and the distant refuge that we have been…
When looking at cities to travel to next, you might be thinking of somewhere in Europe, such as Paris or Rome. Maybe instead, your eye is more drawn to those…
Best-selling author Helen Fields provides her selection of ideas on what to do on the Isle of Mull Scotland, a place she knows well and will soon be the setting…
Jordan is a small nation with a lot to offer in terms of hospitality, ancient history, and modern culture, as well as being home to multiple UNESCO World Heritage Sites…
For many an appreciation of the culture of the country or community that you visit on your holidays is a major part of the travelling experience, especially for the more mature traveller.
Whether you are taking a short city break to Amsterdam or Paris, or going on a longer trip to a distant and exciting land, your experience is enriched by an appreciation of the local culture.
Ideally, time your trip to coincide with a major festival. At Travel Begins at 40 we have a whole section devoted to some of the most colourful and spectacular festivals from around the world. So whether it is the whirling dervishes of Konya, Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival, the Tsagaan Sar in Mongolia or Benin’s Voodoo Festival that tickles your cultural fancy, let us guide your way.
Visiting an unfamiliar country can lead to a bit of a cultural shock, but don’t let this put you off making that special journey. Often it is when we leave our comfort zone that we reap most rewards.
Not that we always have to travel that far to have a rich and rewarding cultural experience. Hull is the current city of culture in the UK, and a trip there can be a surprisingly rewarding experience. Enjoy it.