Local Festivals and Holidays: All They're Cracked Up to Be?

A lot of people like to time their travel to hit local festivals and holidays. That can be a great way to learn about a people and a culture. After all, no one's so much themselves as when reveling in the streets at 2 am! It's always interesting to check out the food, colors, sounds, and spectacles associated with local festivities.

On the other hand, you can rest assured that every other traveler in the vicinity has the same idea. When I lived in the sleepy little mountain city of Takayama, Japan -- population approximately 70,000 people -- the famous April spring matsuri resulted in the population TRIPLING overnight! It was literally unbelievable: people everywhere, hotels booked months in advance, streets crammed with tourists. Even as someone who lived there, I found it a bit much. If I'd been on holiday, wanting to see the sights and really soak in the culture, I would have been sorely disappointed.

So what's to do? Should you bar yourself from ever taking in the sites and sounds of a local festival? Not if that's your thing. Maybe you love the crowds and parties, and that's great. But if not, my advice to you is to seek out a smaller festival and go then. For example, in Takayama they have a smaller version of the spring festival in October. You get most of the same sights with about a quarter of the people.

If you're looking for local flavor without the crowds, sometimes it pays to do a bit of planning!

Internet Travel: Making Technology work for YOU!

We all have different opinions about the internet and the advance of technology, and many of them conflict. On the one hand, almost all of us use the internet to make our lives easier (after all, you're reading a blog, aren't you??). On the other, many people feel that an increased focus on technology has made our lives more hectic, more dangerous, and less certain.

That's why you have to find the internet resources that work for you! Fortunately, internet travel is one of those resources. Sometimes it's really nice to be able to cut out the middleman -- not have to talk to travel agents, compare airline prices by phoning every airline, contact hotels and try to work reservations. Online travel agencies are, in fact, one of the best things the internet has to offer!

If you've never used one, you don't know what you're missing. You can research an entire holiday -- flights, hotels, and often attractions -- with the click of a mouse. Many travel agencies let you compare costs side by side. There are just a few things to be aware of:

-Location, location, location! For instance, if you look for a Las Vegas holiday, you'll pull up some amazing deals -- on hotels thirty miles from the Strip. Make sure you check out where you want to be: the cheapest deal isn't always the best.

-Flying from major airports is always cheaper. If you're looking for the best deal, you should probably book a vacation from the nearest major airport and arrange alternate transportation to get there (ground transport or local discount airlines are best). Make sure you leave plenty of time between arriving at the airport and departure: airlines aren't sympathetic if you miss their flight because of competitors' delays!

-Don't automatically assume the cheapest deal is the best. Sometimes, it's worth paying a bit more for higher quality.

Regardless, internet travel agencies are by far the greatest innovation for travelers since the airplane itself! Check them out -- Direct Line is a good place to start -- and plan your holiday today!