David Whitley takes a look at a few of the world’s greatest parties that you might want to fit into your adventure.

A lot of planning where to go when is about the weather. But there are other factors too – not least what’s happening. And if you can catch some of the world’s greatest events and festivals while you’re on the road, it may be worth staying for a couple of days longer…

New Year’s Eve in Sydney

If there’s a better place in the world to spend Christmas and New Year than Sydney, then I’d like to see it. Family may not be there, but the camaraderie generated by hundreds of people away from home and in the same boat is fantastic.  Hit the beach or a park on Christmas Day to make a day of it, then decamp to the harbour for New Year’s Eve. There numerous vantage points for the fireworks, and some of the best ones fill up well before night falls. The secret is to head to one of the parks that you’re allowed to take your own drinks into, and come fully laden for an all-evening session.

Mardi Gras in Sydney

Arguably the greatest gay event in the world, Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has a number of attached events, but the parade is the main one. It’s a celebration of often outrageous costumes and statement-making, and the party runs long into the night. Pick a bar, any bar, along Oxford Street and just run with it. The parade takes place on the first Saturday in March.

Calgary Stampede

The only event where you’ll see more leather chaps than at Mardi Gras is the Calgary Stampede. There aren’t quite as many cocktail glasses and Kylie Minogue airings, however. This is proper cowboy stuff – it’s all rodeo, bull-riding, cow-wrestling and other completely unhomoerotic activities. But while the focus is on the boys with the big hats, it’s really an excuse for a big party. Stampede Park is full of rides, stalls and, most importantly, bars. Show up in mid-July to catch the action.

The Melbourne Cup

If you think that we go a bit loopy for the Grand National, then you’ve not seen anything yet. The Melbourne Cup is known – and not just by the people with the TV rights – as “the race that stops a nation”. The state of Victoria gets a day off for it and, thus, counterintuitively, it’s often best to watch it in one of the other states. This is because a lot of offices book a special Melbourne Cup do in a bar or restaurant and allow everyone to clock off early under the auspices of team-building. This generally means that the bars are crawling with blind drunk office workers by about 7.30pm. The big day is the first Tuesday in November, and the race shoots off at ten to three.

Hallowe’en in the US

It’s hard to overstate how mad Americans go for Hallowe’en. Think about it – every major TV series has a rubbish Hallowe’en special. In the real world, lots of bars have special Hallowe’en promotions and parties, while there will be some sort of event in every community hall. The big cities host special public bashes on October 31^st – with a massive parade and street party in New York being amongst the stars. For many, it’s an excuse to dress up. That means approximately 150 million women hitting the streets dressed as slutty cats.

Rio Carnival

Quite simply, the Rio Carnival is the biggest party in the world. Lasting five days in February or March (depending on when Easter falls) it’s the sort of thing that you either love or hate. Some local residents head for their holiday homes to escape, others throw themselves in with the wild abandon that the carnival is associated with. Expect bands, booming sound systems and some of the skimpiest costumes that are legal for public consumption – particularly around the Copacabana and Ipanema areas. Still, at least with ridiculously tiny costumes you can’t get pickpocketed…

St Patrick’s Day

It’s a curious thing, but people tend to feel their ethnicity or background more when they’re abroad. Hence St Patrick’s Day can be a far bigger deal in US cities with large Irish populations than it is sometimes is in Ireland. Boston and New York have the numbers (both of people identifying themselves as Irish and Irish pubs) and the biggest public events. But Chicago has the most impressive gimmick, going all the way and dying the river green. Oh yes, and you may just be able to find the lesser-spotted giant novelty Guinness hat.

Chinese New Year

The date changes slightly every year (generally late January or early February), but Chinese New Year is worth experiencing in any city that has a major Chinese population. San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver are excellent for it and Sydney is pretty good, but Hong Kong is probably the best place to be. It turns into a three day feast of dancing dragons, neon, parades and firecrackers. Once the barges on Victoria Harbour start releasing the fireworks, you’re in for a hell of a display, whilst a rash of sales breaks out in the shops.

Full Moon parties in Thailand

Like any such events, those who went there in the good old days will tell you that the current incarnation of the Full Moon parties on Ko Pha Ngan aren’t nearly as good as they used to be. The world has caught on to what used to be the private domain of old-school ravers, and the bars and sound systems on Hat Rin Beach are hardly off the beaten track any more. Still, if you’re in that part of Thailand when there’s a full moon, you’d be a fool to miss out.

Do you have any other festivals or events you can recommend for your RTW? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.