July and August Festivals in Europe

Rainforest Challenge Set To Be Tourist Attraction

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 5 Dec 2009 18:49:00 -0800

Rainforest Challenge Set To Be Tourist Attraction

JOHOR BARU: The thrills and spills of Malaysia’s biggest 4x4 competition, the Johor Rainforest Challenge (RFC) is set to be a tourist attraction for the state.

“This event is a World 4x4 Council sanctioned event and has attracted many participants from other countries to participate,” said Johor Tourism Action Council manager Jabar Tahir.

The first RFC competition was held in Terengganu last year.

This year, 300 participants and 150 specially tuned 4x4 vehicles are taking part.

Jabar spoke to reporters after the Raja Muda Johor Tunku Ismail Idris Tunku Ibrahim Ismail flagged-off the participants at the Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim here yesterday.

Meanwhile, 45-year-old competitor from India D.Jesu said that he was excited about taking part in the event.

He added this was his first time participating in the challenge, adding that he could not wait to drive his modified Mitsubishi Pajero through the forests.

“I have heard many wonderful things about the lush rainforests and wildlife here,” he said.

Jesu’s fellow team mate S. Meganathan, 48, said that they had been taking part in various 4x4 events and tournaments in India for the past 9 years.

The convoy of vehicles will make their way to Sedili where they will have to travel 18km through the Ulu Sedili forest reserve to their first campsite.

The RFC challenge route include Ulu Sedili forest reserve, Selai national park, and the forests of Segamat before making their way back to Johor Baru.

The RAINFOREST CHALLENGE is a time to live your off-road adventure dreams.

article source: http://thestar.com.my

Related links in Rainforest Challenge Set To Be Tourist Attraction:

Rainforest Challenge
4x4 Philiphines

Malaysian World Salsa Congress 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 1 May 2009 11:48:00 -0700

Malaysian World Salsa Congress 2009

Dear everyone,

Malaysia will be having its third salsa congress in May this year. Please check the following website for details.

http://worldlatinsalsacongress.com/

I am not involved with the organisers; but can help to put you in touch with them. Alternatively, you can get the contact details from the website.
The Malaysian World Salsa Congress is known for its great LIVE Salsa bands and amazing performers from Latin America!

2009, the tradition continues with…

The 3rd Malaysian World Salsa Congress 2009
Date : 30 April - 3 May 2009 Exciting activities awaits you this coming Salsa event at Sunway Intergrated Resort City.

Date	Time	Activities	Venue
30th April 2009	8.30pm onwards	Salsa Dance Performance	Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall
1st May 2009	10.00am -4.30pm	Dance Workshops	Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre
	8.30pm onwards	Latin Night Extravaganza

2nd May 2009	10.am- 4.30am	Dance Workshops	Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre
	7.00pm onwards	Latin Heat Beach Party	Surf Beach, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park

3rd May 2009	10.00am-4.30 pm	Dance Workshops	Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre
	8.30p.m onwards	Latin Fiesta Night

Sabor Colombiano Junior in Salsa Que Te Pasa 2008

Coreografia Pelotera Alex e Valeria Sabor Colombiano

Enjoy and welcome to Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia....!!

Related links in Malaysian World Salsa Congress 2009:

Malaysia World Salsa Congress 2009

1st Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 09:07:00 -0700

Welcome To 1st Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2009

Malaysian Sport Aviation Federation (MSAF) and AKA Balloon Sdn Bhd will be co-organising the 1st Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2009 on the 19th until 22nd of March.

    * MSAF was formed in May 2003 and AKA Balloon’s (registered MSAF member) managing director, Khairudin Abdul Rani, is the Vice President for Lighter Than Air.

    * AKA Balloon had previously been the co-organiser during The News Straits Times 150th anniversary celebration where they organised an ’NST International Hot Balloon Fest 1995’. A total of 20 hot air balloon pilots from around the globe participated in the event.

    * As the Federation in Malaysia, MSAF is more than credible to organise an event of such great stature.

Objectives

    * To turn Malaysia into one of the International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta destinations – for the avid balloonists around the world.

    * To turn the event into an annual prestigious event to promote Malaysia and attract more tourists hence making Malaysia well renowned in the world.

    * The Fiesta would also, inevitably increase the local economy, and Malaysia would be at par with other well renowned balloon destinations such as Albuquerque in the USA, Bristol in England and Saga in Japan. i.e.; Saga, a small farming village in Japan, had attracted over a million tourists to witness their yearly hot air balloon fiesta.

And below is the itinerary of the event that I copied from its official website.

Please check out the event’s official website here.
Date    Time    Venue    Activities
19/03/2009

Thursday
   7.30 am    Site    Arrival of VIPs and guests
   7.45 am    Site    • Free flight with VVIP/Media

• Motorised para glider display

• Remote control flying aircraft display
   2.00 - 5.00 pm    Site    • Motorised para glider display

• Remote control flying aircraft display
   5.00 - 7.00 pm    Site    Balloon Fun Fly
20/03/2009

Friday
   7.30 am    Site    Arrival of guest or VIP
   7.45 am        • Free flight

• Motorised para glider display
• Remote control flying aircraft display
   2.00 - 5.00 pm    Site    • Motorised para glider display
• Remote control flying aircraft display
   5.00 - 7.00 pm    Site    Balloon Fun Fly
21/03/2009

Saturday
   7.30 am    Site    Free flight with VVIP/Sponsors/Media/
   7.45 am    Site    • Motorised para glider display

• Remote control flying aircraft display
   2.00 - 5.00 pm    Site    • Motorised para glider display

• Remote control flying aircraft display
   5.00 - 7.00 pm    Site    Balloon Fun Fly
   8.00 pm               Site    Arrival of VIPs and guests
   8.45 pm               Site    Night glow with music for 30 minutes
22/03/2009
Sunday    7.45 am    Site    • Free flight with VVIP/Sponsors/Media/ public

• Motorised para glider display

• Remote control flying aircraft display
   2.00 - 5.00 pm    Site    • Motorised para glider display

• Remote control flying aircraft display
   5.00 - 7.00 pm    Site    Balloon Fun Fly
   8.00 pm              Banquet    Dinner and prize giving

Related links in 1st Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2009:

My Ballon Fiesta
The Star Online

Chinese New Year Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:04:00 -0800

Chinese New Year Festival

The Chinese New Year that is celebrated for about fifteen days is one moment in the year when the whole nation feels united as they can imagine each other's enjoyment. The Chinese New Year gets determined by the chinese new year calendar and therefore it is sometimes called the Lunar New Year. In 2009, the Chinese Lunar Year Festival would start from 26 th of January. As every one is aware of its significance, the working people in china can take weeks of holidays so that they can join the company of their near and dear ones and a feast with their family members on the chinese new year eve or Lunar New Year's Eve. Although with the changing times and increasing mobility of the people the celebration of Chinese New Year Festival has undergone some changes, everybody still very fervently follow all the customs that their elders have taught them.

Chinese New Year Celebration Around the World

Hong Kong	Singapore
Beijing	Malaysia
Canada	USA
Australia	London

The stars tell so much about us. Get to know what the different animal signs, Chinese zodiac sign forecasts about your New Year and make a fresh start to your life as the 2009 Chinese New Year Festival knocks on your door.

0X-Zodiac

Feb.19,1901 to Feb.07,1902
Feb.06,1913 to Jan.25,1914
Jan.25,1925 to Feb.12,1926
Feb.11,1937 to Jan.30,1938
Jan.29,1949 to Feb.16,1950
Feb.15,1961 to Feb.04,1962
Feb.03,1973 to Jan.22,1974
Feb.20,1985 to Feb.08,1986

The Chinese animal signs are a 12-year cycle used for dating the years. They represent a cyclical concept of time, rather than the Western linear concept of time. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, and is constructed in a different fashion than the Western solar calendar. In the Chinese calendar, the beginning of the year falls somewhere between late January and early February. The Chinese have adopted the Western calendar since 1911, but the lunar calendar is still used for festive occasions such as the Chinese New Year. Many Chinese calendars will print both the solar dates and the Chinese lunar dates.

Chinese New Year In Singapore

Chinese New Year In Nagasaki-Japan

Chinese New Year In Sydney

Chinese people in cities across the world are also marking the festival - with lanterns, incense, lion dances and firecrackers lighting up places as far apart as London, Jakarta and Vancouver.

Related links in Chinese New Year Festival ;

Chinese Zodiac
Chinese Astrology
City Of Sydney
BBC News

Tango Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 5 Jan 2009 08:08:00 -0800

Tango Festival

Get ready to slip on your dancing shoes when the Annual Buenos Aires Tango Festival starts off in late February. For ten days, this city comes alive with music and dance as experts from around the world join unparalleled local dancers in the birthplace of the Tango. Amateurs and locals alike can watch the show, take a free dance class or simply join the crowd and dance on the street!

The Tango is considered by some to be the most passionate form of dance and music in the world. It embodies romance, lust, yearning, and sorrow. Its origins can be traced to the lower classes of the nineteenth century, and its long history has followed Argentina's political and economic turmoil. The "Tango Renaissance" began in 1983, at the end of a brutal military dictatorship which had pushed it underground for decades. Today, the art form flourishes, infused with the soul of Argentina and is inextricably linked to the national identity. To understand the culture of this country, you cannot miss the chance to see a local couple dance the Tango at the Buenos Aires Annual Tango Festival.

Buenos Aires Annual Tango Festival
From February 28th to March 8th, 2009, the city of Buenos Aires will open its streets to dancers from around the world. One can feel the energy of dance in the air during this festival, almost as if the presence of all the Tango talent in the region has left the entire city charged with excitement.

England Tango Festival
No need to worry about finding this beautiful remote and peaceful venue tucked away in the English Countryside. Just get on a bus, a train or and aeroplane and we will be there to catch you at this end. Sit back and relax, come and thoroughly enjoy yourself. Once you are here it is not like many other places, all the dance floors and all the bedrooms are in the same group of buildings that make up Bylaugh Hall.

New Zealand Tango Festival
The longest running Tango event in New Zealand, this festival features:
* free beginner tango workshops
* over 40 workshops with international tango teachers
* world-class performances by tango maestros
* live tango music
* 4 wonderful nights of dancing
* and the very popular pre-festival immersion courses, starting 25th May.

The 2009 Toronto Tango Festival
The first Toronto International Tango Festival was held in June 2005 and was an amazing success.The expertise of the instructors and the large number of very talented dancers made it a truly wonderful 4 days. This year will be even better than last year so start planning and now and we'll see you in June.

River Tango
The first River Tango took place in September 2006 and immediately became the biggest and most important open-air tango event in the UK. We are delighted to announce that the organisers of River Tango (Connect-ar Ltd) have this year joined forces with Negracha Tango Club and Zero Hour “The Dome”, two of the most popular and influential tango clubs in the capital, to create a unique festival of true international stature.

Copenhagen Tango Festival
Come and try the Argentine tango for yourself. Listen to the beautiful music. See how hundreds of dancers come together from all over the world. Enjoy a show done by some of the best performers in the world.

International Tango Festival Berlin
The next Tango Festival Berlin will take place from May 28th to June 1st 2009 - like every year on Whit Sunday. Due to the great success we decided to extend the festival by one day. You get the possibility to meet more Tango artists at the festival in Berlin. Already Friday you'll have the chance to attend workshops at our Tango specialists. Thursday will be the additional day with the opening milonga with live music. In addition to the workshops and shows of the dancers and musicans in 2009 there will be readings about Tango poesie and its history. The performing orchestras are Las Bordonas, Otros Aires, Sexteto Milonguero, Stazo Mayor with Marcucci. The dancers Eugenia Parrilla y Pablo Inza, Gastón Torelli y Moira Castellano, Maria Mondino y Ismael Ludman, and Mecha Espinel will perform and teach.

Related links in Tango Festival :

Buenos Aires Annual Tango Festival
England Tango Festival
New Zealand Tango Festival
The 2009 Toronto Tango Festival
River Tango
Copenhagen Tango Festival
International Tango Festival Berlin

July and August Festivals in Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 11:18:00 -0800

July and August Festivals in Europe

Festivals and cultural events are to travel what condiments are for cooking: without them the experience is much less exciting. The Internet has brought world culture within the reach of our computers, and there are many websites that not only list festivals and events around the world, but also provide in-depth cultural background information to help travelers gain an understanding of local traditions, beliefs and values that underlie these celebrations.

Although there are many European festivals which are famous worldwide, yet some of these are just too good to not get a mention. The Redentore festival - Venice, is marked with fun, feast and festivities. Celebrated on the third Sunday of every July, this is one of the most beautiful and spectacular festivals of Europe. Another ancient festival that has been going on for ages is the the Festa Della Madonna Bruna, which takes place in Italy towards the end of July. This festival is full of crackers, crowd, feasts and eloquently dressed horsemen.You would also love to go to the Ghent festival, which is the largest open air and cultural festival in Europe and takes place at Ghent towards the end of July. If you are a food and football freak, The National Eisteddfod of Wales, lasting from July to August is the right place for you to be. Termed as the festival being visited by most of the travelers around, this is definitely worth a visit.

Here are some recommended festivals in Europe, the ones you won't want to miss if you're going to be close by. These are the best of the large festivals, you'll find smaller fetes, sagre, fiestas and parades all over Europe most of the year, so keep an eye out for event posters and flyers on your vacation.

July and Festivals in Europe

Festa Della Madonna Bruna- Italy
This is a unique festival held in southern Italy in July. The festival's highlight comes when a Carro carrying the Madonna is destroyed. The Carro is made of papier mache and takes an entire year to create. Making the Carro is a skill passed down from one generation to the next.

Festival d'Avignon
The Festival d'Avignon, or Avignon Festival, is an annual arts festival held in French city of Avignon. Founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, it is the oldest extant festival in France and one of the world's greatest. check out the Festival d'Avignon July 8-27.

Ghent Festival
With almost 2 million people attending the festival in 2008 in Ghent, Belgium, the festival became the largest open-air cultural festival in Europe by distance.

L'Ardia di San Costantino- Italy (Sardinia)
If you are searching for a popular festival in Europe, why don't you try visiting the city of Sardinia, Italy for some horse action? The L'ardia Di San Costantino is one of the largest celebrations in this continent. It re-enacts the Christian figure Constantine and his conquest at Mulvian Bridge.

National Eisteddfod of Wales
The National Eisteddfod is the largest and oldest celebration of Welsh culture, unique throughout Europe as each year it visits a different area of Wales. Eisteddfod literally means a sitting (eistedd = to sit), perhaps a reference to the hand-carved chair traditionally awarded to the best poet in the ceremony 'The Crowning of the Bard'.Late July to early August.

Palio di Siena
The Palio di Siena (known locally simply as Il Palio), the most famous palio in Italy, is a horse race held twice each year on July 2 and August 16 in Siena, in which ten horses and riders, dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten of the seventeen Contrade, or city wards.

Redentore - Venice
The festivity reaches its climax towards midnight with fireworks that are set off from pontoons spread along a 400 meter stretch between St. Mark's Basin and the Giudecca Canal. Since 1978 they have been accompanied by music and are unanimously considered to be among the most spectacular in the world. Once the fireworks are over, the boats head for the Lido where, in keeping with tradition, their occupants await the sunrise.

Roskilde Festival - Denmark
Roskilde Festival’s audience is a unique gathering. They come is all colours and shapes. They are big, small, ugly, beautiful, happy and dirty people. Women, girls, boys and men sharing a sense of companionship as well as the music,made Roskilde Festival 2008 unique.One of the largest rock festivals in Europe. Late June-Early July.

Salsburg Festival
Huge arts festival. Late July-August.

Jazz Festivals
Summer brings lots of Jazz festivals to Europe. The two biggies: Montreux in Switzerland at the start of July, and Umbria Jazz, held in Mid July. Also see: Nice Jazz Festival.

August Festivals in Europe

Edinburgh Festival
One of Europe's best known fine art festivals, mid August to early September.For the opening concert of the Salzburg Festival 2008 there are two extraordinary artists meet the legendary Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at the Great Festival Hall: Daniel Barenboim, 'one of the few musicians in the world today who could accurately be described as ledgendary' (The Times) and Pierre Boulez, the most significant French composer of his generation, as well as a noted conductor and music theorist who championed the work of 20th-century composers.

Helsinki Festival
"Finnish and international performing and creative arts, while featuring artists, ensembles and exhibitions of the highest level." Mid August to early September.

Puck Fair - Ireland
Held without fail on 10th, 11th and 12th August every year with 12 hours of free family street entertainment including horse fair, parade and coronation ceremony of King Puck, open air night concerts, fireworks display, children's competitions, street entertainers and dancing displays.

Tomatina Festival-Spain
Revellers hit the streets of Bunol, Spain, for the annual tomato fight.The part of the fair and Parties of Buñol in late August, you get to pelt everyone with the excess of tomatoes that appear in August.

Filled with cultural exuberance, Europe is at the peak of its festivities during the summer months, between late June to early September, and a carefully planned tour can definitely end you up in being a part of all the fun and the frolic that the locals and tourists enjoy and love so much here.

Times, dates, and locations of events are sometimes changed or even cancelled. Always remember to check with organizers and local authorities before booking tickets and making travel plans.

July and August Festivals in Europe