Vayama Travel Blog

From its pagan Celtic origins in the festival of Samhain (Summer’s End), Halloween is now celebrated all over the world. Discover the best international destinations to celebrate your own Halloween getaway in an appropriately spooky fashion: From Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania, to Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris and everywhere cool spooks reside.

Halloween Inspired Getaways

By Max Milano *

November and early December’s chill is ideal for a Halloween inspired getaway. Check our top five destinations to get you in a spirited mood.

1-Paris
Paris has its charms all year around, it’s just that the city’s charms change with the seasons. Once the leaves begin to turn on the Bois de Boulogne (Paris’s Central Park), you know it’s time to dress up in retro-black before hitting an Absinthe bar. Once appropriately in the mood, take a tour of the Paris Catacombs or head for a spirited climb up Notre Dame’s famous bell towers in search of Quasimodo (Victor Hugos beloved hunchback). Save a full day to explore the antiquaries of Village Saint Paul (for Victorian era mourning rings and top hats) before visiting the tombs of Père Lachaise cemetery, a veritable who’s who of France’s 19th and 20th century literary and artistic luminaries (from Moliere to Edith Piaf, plus illustrious ex-pats Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison).

Père Lachaise Cemetery: It's Wilde.

Discover Paris for less with Vayama’s cheap flights.

2-Prague
Prague is custom made for Halloween inspired explorations. Start early in the morning from Prague Castle’s hilltop balcony, for a bird’s eye view of the city’s gothic and medieval spires waving in and out of the mist. Then walk downhill from the Castle to Franz Kafka’s house, while reading a passage from “The Metamorphosis” to set the mood. Head on to Prague’s Old New Synagogue to hear about the legend of the Golum (a Frankenstein type mud-monster said to live in the attic and come alive during times of crisis). Finish your tour in Prague’s Old Jewish Cemetery; this mound of crooked 17th century tombstones in the heart of Prague’s Jewish quarter, for a picturesque Memento Mori experience.

Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague.

3- Transylvania
Transylvania is Rumania’s historical central region; it can be reached by a three hour train ride from Bucharest. Transylvania’s jagged Carpathian Mountains, dark wolf and bear infested forests, fortified churches, medieval citadels and Saxon castles set the perfect mood for Halloween inspired travels. The area’s rich folklore was the inspiration for Bram Stokes Dracula, so follow in the footsteps of Vlad the Impaler with a visit to Bram Castle (a.k.a Drakula’s Castle) and the medieval walled city of Sighișoara. Round up your trip with a visit to the Merry Cemetery of Săpânţa, for its colorful tombstones with naïve paintings that celebrate life.

Bran Castle, Transylvania.

Discover Rumania for less with Vayama’s cheap flights.

4-London
London is perfect for a Halloween inspired getaway that will equally satisfy children and adults. From Madame Tussaud’s wax exhibits, to night walking tours of Whitechapel, following in the footsteps of Jack the Ripper. The kids will love a scary-fun visit to the London Dungeon, for lively recreations of many gory and macabre historical events in a comedic ‘gallows humor’ style (from the Plague to Sweeney Todd and Bloody Mary’s hapless victims). For a more historically accurate experience, visit the Tower Of London, home to the Crown Jewels and the execution place to many disloyal royals.

London: To the Tower!

Discover London for less with Vayama’s cheap flights.

5-Tokyo
The Japanese have elevated the American style cheesy theme restaurant into an art form (and their forte is horror inspired themes!). Visit the Vampire Café, in Tokyo’s glitzy Ginza district for a horrifyingly fun evening of coffin shaped desserts and blood inspired drinks. For an even more other worldly experience, visit Yurei Bar in the Kichijoji district for cocktails that glow in the dark and “pool of blood soup.” Of course, the wait staff is all done up in ghostly makeup, and you’re even allowed to dress up yourself!

Dinner is Served: Vampire Cafe, Tokyo.

Discover Tokyo for less with Vayama’s Cheap fligts.

* Max Milano is a world traveler, travel blogger and published author.

Head for the Southern Hemisphere this Holiday Season and enjoy the hottest Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations on the planet; from Rio’s Ipanema Beach parties to Hobbits in New Zealand, the holidays are hotter than ever this year.

By Max Milano

The holidays are upon us, it’s the happiest time of the year and a perfect reason to visit friends and family. Another great way to celebrate the holiday season is to take your loved ones on a holiday they will never forget. How about the Southern Hemisphere?

Southern Holidays
The Southern Hemisphere offers world class destinations, breathtaking landscapes and amazing wildlife. Enjoy spring and summer (this fall and winter) in these hot Southern Hemisphere destinations.

Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is hot all year around, but nothing tops New Year’s Eve on Copacabana beach (only the Rio Carnival matches it). The locals dress all in white; eat traditional New Year’s food (farofa), dance the samba and light floating candles on the beach. And just when you think nothing can top this amazing celebration, the skies above Copacabana Beach will light up with the biggest fireworks display of the year. So head down to Rio for the Holidays, it will surely be a holiday to remember.

Rio's New Year's Eve Fireworks

Cape Town
Summer in Cape Town during the Holiday season means sunbathing with the penguins on Boulder Beach, hiking to the top of Table Mountain for one of the best views in the world, wine tasting in Stellenbosch (South Africa’s premier wine region), or going on a lion safari in a private game reserve. But nothing beats Cape Town’s ‘Kaapse Klopse’ carnival on New Year’s Day. The whole town pours into the streets to dance and sing in colorful costumes and painted faces. Join in the fun and find out why Cape Town is one of the top holiday destinations of the Holiday season.

Cape Town's ‘Kaapse Klopse’ Carnival

Auckland
Auckland is called ‘The City of Sails.’ It’s a beautiful port city of gorgeous bays, beaches and inlets, world class restaurants, a spectacular skyline, suburban wineries, and bungee jumping right downtown. The locals celebrate Christmas with a traditional ‘Santa Parade’ and New Year’s with a fireworks display above Sky Tower (the Southern Hemisphere’s tallest structure). But nothing can match spending the holidays in Middle Earth. Tolkien may have been inspired by Iceland and the British Midlands when he wrote his Hobbit sagas, but thanks to Kiwi director Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit movies (all filmed entirely in New Zealand), you can now wonder through the streets of Hobbiton, and even drive to the top of Mount Doom. The town of Matamata, just a two hour drive from Auckland, has preserved the entire Hobbiton set used in all the movies. Tours are offered daily and the remoteness of the location (you can pan 360 degrees and never see a modern structure) will have you convinced that you’ve just landed in Middle Earth. A bit further south of Matamata rises Mount Ruapehu, a massive stratovolcano that stood in for Mount Doom in the Lord of the Ring movies and the highest point of the North Island. Doesn’t a holiday in Middle Earth sound perfect for the Holidays?

Welcome to Hobbiton

 

Max Milano is a world traveler, travel blogger and published author.