Sundowner: Autumn/Winter 2018

A PUGLIAN PARTY
Puglia may not be your first pick for a carnival party but in May, La Festa di San Cataldo
heralds several days of celebration. This starts with the Palio, a rowing competition, and
continues with a street food festival and a huge fireworks display. Honouring San Cataldo,
patron saint of Taranto, his statue is carried from the cathedral to bless the city.
BOOK BY: Secure your hotel in January to join the party
BED DOWN: Borgo Egnazia
REVEL IN RIO
For an Easter warm up you won’t forget, head to the streets of Rio de Janeiro between the
Friday before Ash Wednesday through to Ash Wednesday itself. This Carnival (deserving of
a capital C) is the most renowned holiday in Brazil and possibly the best known party in the
world. Music, colour and dance pervade; memories of fun and frolics will persist.
BOOK BY: 11 months in advance if you want to book a suite – the best rooms get
booked early during this busy period
BED DOWN: Belmond Copacabana Palace; Hotel Emiliano Rio
NAVIGATE NEW YEAR’S EVE IN SYDNEY
It takes 26 hours for New Year to cross all the time zones. Be one of the first in the world to
experience it at Sydney’s party to end the year. On 31 December, Sydney’s landmark sites
host massive firework and light displays over the harbour and its fleet of illuminated vessels.
There’s a 9pm family-friendly show and a midnight spectacle.
BOOK BY: March, as hotels can fill up months in advance
BED DOWN: The Langham Hotel Sydney; Shangri-La Hotel Sydney
carnivals
VENICE
Although it lasts only three per cent of the year, much of Venice’s retail trade is dedicated to
the Carnival, held around February, and the reminders it brings of the city’s decadent and
(sometimes) debauched history. Masked balls and carnivals were rife in the city at the end
of the 16th century, when it was known as the playground of the European nobility. Taking
place ahead of Ash Wednesday, the Venice Carnival is an opportunity for every visitor to
wear costumes and masks and there is even a competition for la maschera più bella – judged
by a panel of international costume and fashion designers. Many of the top hotels in the
watery city host gala balls, with an option of mask-making workshops. To see Venice in full
celebratory mode, St Mark’s Square is the place to be.
BOOK BY: Venice is busy all year round. Book at least eight months in advance to
ensure you secure the best room and the best Carnival events
BED DOWN: The Gritti Palace; Belmond Hotel Cipriani
PARTY LIKE A PRO IN BARBADOS
Sugar may not be as sweet a word as it once was, but the tradition of the ‘crop over’ in
Barbados is still worth a riotous celebration. In early August, the most famous carnival in
the Caribbean sets the island alive with calypso and soca music, as well as street parades
and dances. Rihanna books out this early August event every year in her calendar –
it’s one not to miss.
BOOK BY: February, to be sure of a hotel room
BED DOWN: Coral Reef Club
CONTACT ABERCROMBIE & KENT
For more information, or to book one of these popular holidays,
call to speak to our travel specialists on 01242 547 760.
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