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!