Spain, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka: World's Best Festivals
Luxurious hotels and beach getaways might mean a well-spent holiday, but if you want to immerse yourself in local culture, there’s nothing like joining in a city’s celebrations.
July: Go Mad for Mud in Korea
Get dirty this summer on the western shores of South Korea. The Boryeong Mud Festival is back, and it’s celebrating its 19th year with an extra splash. Boryeong’s mineral-rich mud is acclaimed for its cosmetic qualities, so hit up the Self Massage Zone and get mudded up for that signature flawless Korean face. Brace yourself to be splashed by strangers, or get dragged to the Mud Prison for a head-to-toe mud wash. Afterwards, you’re in for a dirty ride as you go barreling down the enormous Mud Pool Slide. Challenge friends to a mud wrestling tournament before leaving with bags full of Boryeong mud skincare products.
August: Feel the Bite of Sri Lanka
Be transported back in time at the Esala Perahera, a 235-year-old festival that honors a sacred relic of Buddha’s tooth. The story goes that the left canine of Buddha was smuggled into Sri Lanka from India some 1,700 years ago. Today, you’ll see the streets of Kandy enlivened with spearmen and dancers dressed in lavish costumes, with the procession growing larger each day. On the last night, make way for the grand Maligawa Tusker elephant carrying a replica of the relic, followed by a parade of elephants in extravagant costumes tramping down the streets to the rhythm of the drums.
Aug 8-18. Sri Dalada Maligawa, Sri Dalada Veediya, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Free.
September: Get Fired Up in Spain
If you love to party, La Mercè in Barcelona should be on your bucket list. With origins tracing back to the 1600s when the Virgin of Grace is said to have delivered the city from a plague of locusts, this Catalonian fiesta is an energy-packed parade that lasts well into the night. Fuel up on sangria, then join the throngs as you cheer on eight-story-tall human towers and papier-mâché giants. Make sure to cover up before the Correfoc, or “fire run,” in which devil-costumed revelers set off streams of fireworks, showering the crowd with sparks.