OK all you Hound Dogs, get out them Blue Suede Shoes, practice swivelling those hips, and head down to New South Wales on January 7th – 11th.
Each year the Parkes Elvis festival celebrates the birthday of the ‘King’. There are other Elvis festivals around the world in other locations (such as Porthcawl, Wales, and Collingwood) – more of these in later articles.
Thousands of Elvis – and I do mean thousands – impersonators gather for the occasion. With each costume vying to be more elaborate and outrageous than the rest, quiffs ‘glued’ in place…it’s a sight to behold!
Lip curling and hip swivelling is mandatory, as well as copying one of his best know phrases ‘Thank you very much’ said at the end of his shows.
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Posted by Jackie Hewett on Thu 17th January 2008 at 01:19 AM, Filed in Far East, January
Like many Thai locations, you’ll find ‘Bosang’ spelt in several different ways, including Bor Sang and Bo Sang. But however you spell it, the place is now synonymous with umbrellas, and making/selling them provides a livelihood for many of the villagers.
Bosang is only 9 kilometers outside Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand, according to various legends, is a place where umbrellas have been made for centuries. Some claim the craft migrated here from China, others from Burma.
For two or three days every January the village holds a festival celebrating their local craft. In 2008, 2009 and 2010 the festival is being held on the 18th, 19th and 20th of January (It usually falls on the third week-end in January).
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Posted by Jackie Hewett on Wed 16th January 2008 at 02:58 AM, Filed in India, January
Bikaner is set in the heart of the dessert and before the advent of modern transport replied heavily on camels. In fact the Bikaner army even had an elite camel corps called the Ganga Risala who played an active part in both world wars and Indo-Pak wars. Even today, Bikaner has the only Camel breeding centre in India.
The annual camel festival is always in January, and in 2008 it takes place on the 21st and 22nd. The event is organised by Rajasthan’s Department of Tourism, Art and Culture specifically to (very successfully) attract tourists who attend in their hundreds. The festival opens with a procession of camels decked out in their ‘Sunday best’ against a backdrop of the Junagarh Fort. The procession finishes at some open sand grounds (also used a polo grounds) where most of the festival events take place.
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This three week annual festival began life in 1977 with the aim of attracting tourists to Sydney in January. Well, it succeeded! It showcases Sydney’s style and diversity with around 80 events that include theatre, music and dance in addition to a large number of free outdoor events such as an outdoor cinema. In 2008 for the first time, the festival opened on January 5th with ‘Festival First Night’ street party and other events including a free concert by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
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Posted by Jackie Hewett on Fri 11th January 2008 at 03:18 AM, Filed in January
Here are trip inspirations recommendations for places to go and things to do in January – so beat the winter blues and getaway….!
For Nature &Wildlife:
Galapagos Islands – this is a great time for seeing the giant tortoises, sea lions, penguins and marine iguanas
Chobe National Park (Savuti Marsh area) in Botswana for the zebra migration. This is the third largest park in Botswana but it the most diverse and spectacular. The park also has the highest concentration of elephants in Africa.
Kenya – for Masai Mara Safaris as it is warm and dry, although the wildebeast migration occurs from June to September but it is the rainy season and can be pretty crowded. You are advised to seek advise from embassy at the moment regarding safety. See Giraffe Manor Article and Tree Tops Article![]()
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