The Okavango Delta is an enchanting rarity. One of the great wonders of the world, it is the largest inland delta on the planet. Half the year, the Okavango River rises and a rift in the Earth’s crust causes it to flood 6000 square miles of northern Botswana land, creating a maze of sparkling waterways, channels and lagoons, and islands teeming with wildlife.

Of all the scores of safaris I have enjoyed across Africa, the Okavango holds a special fascination. My wife and I recently returned to the Delta and it was better than ever. We stayed at two fantastic camps run by Great Plains, experts who believe in combining enjoyment, luxury and conservation. The co-founders, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, are National Geographic filmmakers, conservationists, and explorers. We could not have been in better hands.

To call their accommodations camps is to rather undersell them. From every tent and terrace there are stunning views of the floodplain with its endless parade of wildlife. Both Zarafa Camp and Duba Plains are accredited by Relais & Chateaux. The tents are 1000 square feet of sheer style with luxury amenities such as private plunge pools, spa treatments, and the latest Canon camera and Swarovski binoculars in every room. Dining is five-star. There is even a walk-in wine cellar. This place is seriously exclusive with a guest maximum of five couples.

I could spend an eternity exploring this place. Though it is known as the Jewel of the Kalahari because the desert is transformed into a vast water garden, for me, the description that best captures the spirit of this magical place, its lush habitat and boundless wildlife is Africa’s last Eden.

Buenos Aires

City of Passion

A dark-haired beauty swept through the square led by a handsome partner to the sensuous, pulsating beat of the tango. The emblematic dance which originated here defines the very rhythm of Buenos Aires. The audience claps in time, already captivated by the passion of the Argentine capital. The city is full-on.

The people – the porteños – are warm, welcoming South Americans. The streets have a sense of drama, of theater – from the milongas, the neighborhood dance joints to the parrillas, the glorious steakhouses that fill the air with the scent of grilling beef. Chorizo with chimichurri at La Carnicería in Palermo Soho was meaty magic for a carnivore like me. We stayed at the boutique Home Hotel, a charming oasis at the heart of the Palermo Hollywood hustle.

Museo Evita displays the compelling story of Eva Perón, Argentina’s tragic and iconic First Lady. Her crypt in Recoleta Cemetery is one of Argentina’s most visited sites. As I looked up at the famous balcony of Casa Rosada, the presidential palace, I could almost picture Evita making her impassioned speeches to the masses. It is from this balcony Madonna sang “Don’t Cry for me Argentina” in the film Evita.

Buenos Aires sports another legend, the soccer hero Diego Maradona, who made Argentinians cry with joy with his magnificent skill. Soccer is the city’s other great passion and attending a game at Boca Juniors stadium provides proof of this.  If soccer is too hectic, I recommend you take in a game of polo, “the sport of kings” and, Argentina’s other great love affair.

Buenos Aires certainly does not disappoint. No wonder they call it the “Paris of the South.”

Harbin Ice Festival is a True Winter Wonderland in China

December 24 to February 28, 2020

Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture festival is the world’s largest winter festival featuring the most spectacular ice installations and fun activities. The extreme cold makes the arctic-like conditions perfect for elaborate ice carving. Packing for this trip will no doubt include all your thermal underwear, gloves, scarves, hats, and boots.

The festival was first celebrated in 1999 to salute the new millennium. It was such a success that the following year in 2000, Harbin Municipal Government and Harbin Cultural Tourism built another Disneyland-like park made from ice and snow. Since then, the fairytale world has grown every year. This year marks the 36^th year of the festival and it has quickly become the world’s most popular winter attraction. It’s more attended than Quebec’s Winter Carnival, Norway’s Holmenkollen Ski Festival and even Japans Sapporo snow festival. What sets this one apart is the size and scale of the sculptures and the incredible lighting.

The festival is commonly referred to as having four key ‘mosts’: the most art attractions, the most beautiful night views, the most recreational activities and the most forms of entertainment. The ice festival is constantly evolving, and each year brings a new theme, providing visitors — around 15 million annually — a totally unique experience from year to year.

In its first year the festival’s layout was designed around the idea of ‘Prosperous China and High-flying Longjiang’, with the ice carvings depicting the rapid development of the country. In 2005, the theme was ‘Friendship between China and Russia’, and all the sculptures where fashioned around typical Russian styles. In fact there were even replicas of some of Russia’s most famous architecture, such as the East Palace, and Moscow’s Red Square – all made from ice and snow.

Of course a major highlight for any visitor is to attend the winter wonderland in the evening when multicolored lights underground illuminate the sculptures, revealing a whole new colorful dimension. The contrasts of the bright and dazzling lights against the dark night sky make the works look even more spectacular.

There are also incredible activities and entertainment inside the festival.  Visitors can not only experience the sculptures but enjoy walking through an ice maze, stopping at the ice bar or even an overnight at the ice hotel! If you love snow sports the festival also offers the chance to participate in activities such as ice rock-climbing, ice golf, and even ice archery. The activities are always based on the theme for the year, which by the way this year is “Ice Snow Integration, Happy to Go Together.”

So, if you are not afraid of blistering cold – this is the perfect winter wonderland for you.

Pumpkin Flavor Frenzy

All month long in October, pumpkins quickly become the go-to fruit; pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin fries (even a pumpkin face mask). There is almost nothing a pumpkin can’t do. It’s not just about eating pumpkins, we also delight in decorating our houses and gardens with pumpkins — even carving them into jack-o’-lanterns.

It is not surprising that by October 26^th, officially #NationalPumpkinDay, we have all been driven into a sort of pumpkin frenzy. While many of us love pumpkins for their mythical relationship with Halloween, the truth is pumpkins are even more celebrated in November on Thanksgiving Day. Americans eat an estimated 50 million pumpkin pies on this day!

But, let’s learn a little something about this incredible fruit, which is a fruit and not a vegetable like many assume. It is technically a squash native to North America. The oldest evidence of pumpkin-related seeds dates back to between 7000 and 5500 BC in Mexico, and, the word pumpkin originates from the word pepon, which translates to “large melon” in Greek.

The pumpkin is such a desired fruit that the United States produces over 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins every year, with Illinois producing more than any other state in the country. In fact, the largest pumpkin grown in the United States weighed 2,145 pounds—from a small town in Illinois—grown by Gene McMullen in 2015. However, the world’s record for the largest pumpkin ever grown was 2,323 pounds in Switzerland. They’ve retained the world record since 2014.

The amazing pumpkin is not only a delicious fruit with a slightly sweet taste, veterinarians recommend it to animals as a dietary supplement.  It’s given to dogs and cats to relieve digestive issues — even fed to chickens to maintain egg production. But, the pumpkin is not only a super food for animals it is also an incredible food for good health. Packed with vitamins A, E, C and even B, pumpkins contains the important minerals calcium and magnesium.

The best part is that vitamins C and E are known to play an important role in skin health. Vitamin C is not something our body naturally produces so it is important to ensure it is a part of our everyday diet. Sounds like you should order an extra piece of pumpkin pie.

The benefits don’t stop there.  While there is no single ‘superfood’ that can prevent cancer there is overwhelming evidence that eating a healthy diet will reduce the risk of cancer. And, some evidence suggests that the antioxidant properties of carotenoids, which is vitamin A and vitamin E, all of which are found in pumpkins, may protect against breast cancer.

If you don’t know how to truly celebrate the day, here’s a go-to pumpkin pie recipe. You can prepare it with an easy ready-made crust (or make your own). But a ready made crust means you only need twenty minutes of prep. Enjoy.

Pumpkin Pie

Simply blend canned pumpkin with milk, sugar, eggs and spice, then bake until the filling sets.

CRUST

1 refrigerated ready-to-bake pie crust (from a 15-oz box of 2)

FILLING

1 can 100% pure pumpkin

1 1/2 c. milk

3/4 c. sugar

2 large eggs

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

Pinch of  ground cloves and ginger

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Fit crust into a 9-in. pie plate. If desired, crimp or flute edges.
2. Put all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk, or even better beat with an electric mixer, until blended.
3. Pour into crust.
4. Bake 1 hour or until a pointed knife inserted near center comes out clean.
5. Remove to a wire rack and cool or refrigerate.
6. EAT!

Oktoberfest 2019

Munich – Saturday, September 21, 2019 – Sunday, October 6, 2019.

Munich is the land of oom-pah-pah bands, spectacular Alpine views, lederhosen, and voluminous beer steins. This picturesque region of Bavaria is what most tourists think of when imagining Germany. It is also the home of Oktoberfest: two weeks of non-stop beer-drinking, sausage-eating, and merry-making at the world’s largest folk festival. Locals and tourists alike all dressed in traditional Bavarian costume take one back in time to the very first Oktoberfest – a community celebration in honor of Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in 1810.

Oktoberfest runs from the second last Saturday in September, wrapping up on the first Sunday of October after German reunification day on October 5. The fest begins officially at noon when the mayor of Munich taps the first barrel at the Schottenhamel Tent, crying “O’zapft is” (It’s open). Although the festival ground is correctly known as “Theresienwiese”- named after the said Princess Therese – you will hear it referred to as “Festwiese” or simply Wies’n by the locals.

Oktoberfest is at heart a family event. Even “young children” are welcome in the beer tents amid the drinking, eating, cavorting, and singing, although children under six-years-old must leave the tents by 8pm. It is this long-standing tradition and family-friendly atmosphere that makes Oktoberfest so unique.

Entrance to the festival grounds and tents is free, but Oktoberfest is definitely not a low-budget event. Make sure you have a wad of Euros on hand: you will need it for everything as the tents don’t accept credit cards. Apart from eating, drinking, and tipping your server, there are carnival rides, attractions, and souvenirs to consider.

Oktoberfest draws around seven million merrymakers every year. Over the two weeks of the festival, visitors consume more than 6 million liters of Bavarian beer, making it the largest beer festival in the world. Germans still represent over 85% of attendees, but in recent years, more international travelers have been attracted to the festival and discovered this joyous celebration of Bavarian life.

Fourteen main beer tents cover the festival grounds. The six larger tents, which rotate up to 12,000 people per day, represent six of the best-known Bavarian breweries: Augustiner, Hacker-Poschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner and Späten.

Inside the large decorated tents you will discover the traditional Oktoberfest you’ve come for: an abundance of hearty food, folk music, sociable crowds and copious steins of beer. There’s a mouthwatering feast to eat apart from Würstl (sausages); Wiesn-Hendl (grilled chicken), Schweinebraten (roast pork) and Steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick) are crowd favorites. The prime seats are those in the center of the tents and are mostly reserved up to a year in advance.  An experienced local guide can make all your reservations, transport you to the festival and escort you around, making sure you have access to the best seating, food, and beer.

Outside the beer tents, you’ll find a carnival atmosphere with games, rides, and even haunted houses.

Oktoberfest is so much more fun when you’re wearing lederhosen! Traditional lederhosen are made of goatskin, or deerskin if you want to impress. The best are hand-made with old-style antler buttons. Bavarian ladies wear curve-flattering dirndls (pronounced dern-DULL) comprising a white blouse, a skirt, and an apron. Select your genuine heritage-style Oktoberfest gear from Stockerpoint’s top-of-the-line range, still traditionally made with techniques like hand buffing and tanning. Krüger also offers traditional and modern styles for men, women, and children.

When the party mood takes you, remember it’s ok to dance on the benches, but not on the tables.

Noch ein Bier, bitte!  Prost!

We’re all environmentalists now. No more plastic straws or single-use water bottles. Less meat, more veg. Reduce, re-use, recycle. And everyone has a compost heap or at least a bokashi bucket. It’s highly fashionable to be seen out on a bike. We’ve ditched our fuel-guzzling SUVs for a hybrid or fully electric vehicle. And yet, it still doesn’t seem enough.

Rivers are choked with waste, beaches covered in discarded plastic, our land and ocean environments are dying at an alarming rate. Statistically, nine out of ten people breathe polluted air every day. Seven million people die annually from air-pollution-related causes, including lung cancer, asthma, stroke, heart disease, and dementia. According to the 2018 World Air Quality Report, cities most affected by poor air quality are Delhi, Dhaka, Kabul, Manama and Ulaanbaatar. It’s easy to blame governments, industries, transport and agriculture for their wastefulness and inaction, but ultimately they supply to our demand. Real change comes when humans work together and find new ways to live harmoniously with our earth.

Since 1974, World Environment Day has served as the United Nation’s focal event for boosting awareness and action for the safeguarding of our natural environment. The host nation for World Environment Day 2019 is China. The theme, quite appropriately, is Air Pollution.   From now through to #WorldEnvironmentDay on June 5, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is encouraging everyone to join the Mask Challenge. Apart from wearing a mask to demonstrate our desire for clean air, we can all commit to reducing air pollution by making small but significant changes to our lifestyle.

Join your fave celebs and make use of public transport when possible, reduce your meat and dairy consumption, switch to energy saving systems at home and in the office. Challenge your friends to take action too by posting your masked-selfie with #WorldEnvironmentDay and #BeatAirPollution in your posts. Don’t forget to tag @UNEnvironment.

On the 5^th of June, post another photo or video showing the world how you have kept your promise to protect our beautiful earth. Tag @OceanBlueMagazine on @Facebook, YouTube and Insta, or OceanBlueMag on Twitter so we can cheer you on.

Traditionally a Hindu Religious Festival, Holi has become popular among non-Hindus as a celebration of joy, prosperity, happiness, and peace. Although followers observe Holi in various countries around the world, it all began in India, and this is where you will enjoy the best and most immersive Holi celebrations.

Holi is predominantly a North Indian festival. In the south, it is more subdued and centred around the religious rituals. In the Golden Triangle Tourist Circuit (Delhi, Jaipur, Agra) Holi festivities are more bright and euphoric than other regions. Mathura and Vrindavan, where Lord Krishna spent his childhood, are well known for Holi celebrations.

For single travellers and women, in particular, it is not advisable to venture into the party-filled streets alone. For your safety, join a professional tour company such as Agra Beat for a guided Holi experience.

For a regal encounter to remember forever, join in the celebration of Udaipur’s Mewar Royal Family. Bedecked horses and a royal band lead a magnificent palace procession from the royal residence to Manek Chowk at the City Palace. Afterwards, devotees burn an effigy of Holika on the traditional sacred fire.

Many hotels organise Holi parties for guests to enjoy the celebrations in a safe environment. If you’re planning to participate, prepare your skin and hair by applying coconut oil before going out to help prevent colour stains.

The essence of Holi is to commemorate the victory of good over evil. The demoness Holika was destroyed through the assistance and intervention of Lord Vishnu – Hindu god of preservation, who then transformed himself into Narasimha – half human and half lion – to kill Holika’s brother the demon king Hiranyakashyap. The bonfire lighting on the eve of Holi is called Holika Dahan and pays tribute to this event. The exuberant street party and colour throwing festivities became known as the “festival of colours” because of the young Lord Krishna’s habit of teasing the village girls with water and colours. In some regions, Holi honours the divine love of Radha for Krishna. Unlike most other festivals, the colour festival has no required religious rituals and is all about letting go of one’s restraints and just having fun, making Holi a popular celebration amongst visitors from around the world.

Holi activities begin on the evening of the full moon, with purification rituals and bonfires. The following morning, India comes alive as everyone makes their way into the streets to play Holi, with a riot of colour filling the air. The excitement is tangible as children and adults, locals and foreigners, join in the colourful party. Modern metallics and bright hues, vibrantly coloured water balloons, and coloured water now supplement the traditional natural colour powders used for centuries. Amid the joyous celebration, everyone unites in a rainbow-hued cloud, smearing coloured powders on each other’s faces and drenching the crowds with sprays of coloured water.

The dates for Holi vary from year to year. In most of India, Holi occurs at the end of winter, on the day after the full moon in March. This year, Holika Dahan (prayers and bonfires) are on the 20^th March, with the colour festival on the 21^st.

The current hustle and bustle of our daily lives can leave us emotionally and physically exhausted. Technology is our greatest weapon, but also our biggest enemy. With everything at our fingertips, and being reachable 24/7, we need a little breathing room. Do you see where this is going? Now, more than ever it’s important to seek out ways we can unwind and reconnect with ourselves.

Which brings us to the “Bali Spirit Festival” March 24-31 2019.  Nestled in the exotic rice fields of the small town of Ubud in Bali, Indonesia, it is a festival dedicated to meditation, authentic relationships, breath work, dance, and healing.

The festival started in 2008, so while it is still fairly new, it is safe to say no one will have any Fyre Festival issues.  The celebration is aimed at creating a community who can gather through dance, yoga and diversity with its vision further enhanced by being a not for profit.  Over the last ten years the event has given back over $100,000 US dollars to local organizations for children’s programs, the environment, HIV and more.

Ubud was chosen as the spot for the festival, as it is considered by many locals and tourists to be the epicenter of cultural activity in Bali. Most likely because the town’s Royal family is a patron of the arts – founding the Pitamaha Artists Cooperative in 1936 – that focuses on integrating traditional Balinese art and Western art. So, any one attending is wise to bring extra cash and leave room in their luggage for some “must have” unique shopping finds.

But, of course we are not here to shop, we are here to dance, breath and chill with Ubud acting as the perfect blissful location. With greenery and tranquility it is here you can recharge your inner self, reconnect with your real desires, focus on inner calm and have authentic conversations with like-minded people.

Bali Spirit Festival is a great time to ditch your international cell phone plan and connect with a few of the 5,000 people in attendance representing over 60 countries. The sessions are also run by a host of international experts in their fields with every night hosting a dance party.

This really is the ultimate eat, pray and hopefully love festival.