What to do in Fall 2016
Autumn’s crisp air and bright colors inspire travelers to embrace the outdoors. Cooler weather makes it an ideal time to take a hike or road trip to admire the fall foliage. Furthermore, for many countries this is also the time of the festivals and exciting activities. Let see which one you may want to join in!
1. Munich Oktoberfest (Germany)
Much copied but never bettered, the original Munich Oktoberfest runs from September 17 to October 3 and will welcome around 6 million beer chuggers from around the world.
It’s the world’s largest folk festival — you can tell by all the tourists in dirndls and lederhosen.
The fancy clothes get them in the mood to consume seven million liters of beer and literally tons of pretzels and wurst.
But there’s far more here than beer and brats.
The ‘fest’s fairgrounds are huge.
New attractions for 2015 include the Konga, Europe’s biggest and fastest swing, and the Sky Drive roller coaster.
2. Leaf-viewing (almost anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere)
No country has a patent on trees filled with russet, scarlet and golden leaves.
New England and Japan remain heavy hitters in the leaf-viewing game, but we also love Douro Valley in northern Portugal, where you can take in the view from a river cruise, explore wine-making villages and try a glass of local Port wine.
Moscow has some unexpectedly fine spots for autumn hues.
A number of former royal estates have been converted into grand public parks.
Once owned by Catherine the Great, Tsaritsyno Park has superb colors.
A 390-hectare estate on the banks of the Moskva River, Kolomenskoye is another photogenic spot.
3. Day of the Dead (Mexico)
Mexico’s El Dia de Muertos has been subject to cultural hijacking in recent years, but there’s much more to it than sugar-skull kitsch.
Respectful travelers in the country are welcomed by locals enacting ancient traditions honoring deceased children (“angelitos”) on November 1 and deceased adults on November 2.
Every ofrenda (shrine) includes pictures of the deceased, food, drinks, skull-shaped candies, candles and cempasuchil, the Aztec marigold or flower of the dead.
Day of the Dead festivals take place across Mexico and each region celebrates a little differently.
Three of the most elaborate are held in San Andres Mixquic (in Tlahuac, Mexico City), Patzcuaro, Michoacan and Janitzio, Michoacan.
Mexico City hosts the least somber of the celebrations, with a whole city of cemeteries and “comparsas” parades to explore.
4. Grizzly viewing in British Columbia, Canada
For most of the year, brown bear (aka grizzly bear) are shy around humans and can be tricky to spot.
In Alaska and British Columbia that changes in autumn months when the majestic masters of the forest food chain descend on rivers and streams to gorge on spawning salmon.
From late August until early October, we know of few better places to see this annual feed — and get virtually guaranteed closeup views of grizzlies — than Bear Camp, where migratory bears join a large resident population in reliable masses.
Located on the Chilko River in central BC, the secluded tented camp built around an authentic 1950s fishing lodge offers rustic luxury along with world-class bear viewing.
“Bear Camp is a rare place in today’s world where people and bears can live harmoniously,” say Brian McCutcheon whose ROAM adventure company operates the camp, which also offers whitewater river rafting, hiking, mountain biking and trophy rainbow trout fishing.
“Bear Camp is a wilderness playground for people and bears.”
5. Diwali Festival of Light (India)
Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights.
It’s India’s biggest and most spectacular festival, with millions attending firework displays, prayer and celebratory events.
This year the main action falls on November 11, though festivities extend over a five-day period.
In Varanasi, incredible fireworks displays explode over the Ganges.
In the “pink city” of Jaipur in Rajasthan there are illuminated markets to explore.
In Goa, they burn effigies of the demon Narakasura, with competitions to see who can build the most terrifying one.
