Holiday Ideas May

The Blue Footed Booby of the Galapagos Island, is one the most distinctive birds on the island. With their blue feet, long necks and sharp beaks, the birds take pride in their appearance, especially when impressing the female birds. The bluer their feet, the more attractive they are!

By day the birds can be seen at sea, hunting their prey in the water, before returning to land to nest through the night. Found on the majority of all of the Galapagos Islands in, the birds nest in large colonies breeding their young every 7 to 9 months. Together, both parents feed and care for the young once they are born until they are able to care for themselves. The Blue Footed Boobies are part of a family of birds with disinctive features that make them so unique. The Masked Booby and the Red Footed Booby can be found living on the Galapagos Islands too.

Mozambique has emerged from the turbulent years of its recent history to become one of Africa’s untouched treasures, its beaches and reefs recognised as some of the most spectacular on the continent. There are two main destinations - Quirimba in Northern Mozambique and Bazaruto in Southern Mozambique, each offers exclusive accommodation. The Quirimba Archipelago to the north boasts a dazzling chain of remote coral islands, whilst its southern shores present the protected splendours of the Bazaruto Archipelago. A holiday in Mozambique provides a wonderful add-on to a safari in any of the neighbouring countries. The rainfall is at its lowest in May, giving you the chance to take full advantage of the pristine white beaches, palms, milk wood trees, sand dunes, scrubby forests, inland lakes surrounded by crystal clear waters. These archipelagos are said to have some of the best diving in the world. You may be lucky enough to swim with dolphins or even see one of the world's rarest mammals, the dugong (sea cow).

Some five hundred people wearing ancient costumes and traditional make-up parade through the main streets of Kyoto. This festival came to be called Aoi Matsuri because aoi (hollyhock) leaves are used as decoration on the people's costumes, and even on those of the horses and cows.

This festival reproduces the procession of officials delivering the Emperor's message and offerings to the two shrines of Shimogamo and Kamigamo. In this light, the most important position held in the parade is the messenger on horseback wearing a gold sword at his side, who is followed by a train of attendants. The highlight of the procession is the parade of women accompanying the proxy of the imperial princess serving the deities. The role of this heroine is selected from among all unmarried women living in Kyoto. She must dress in the formal style of the imperial court, in other words, 12 layers of kimono, weighing 30 kg in total.

The procession leaves KyotoImperialPalace, where the Emperor used to work and reside until 1869, stops by at Shimogamo-jinja Shrine and finally arrives at Kamigamo-jinja Shrine around 15:30. Upon arrival of the procession, dance performances and horse events take place.

Santé, the Toronto wine festival and culinary event was launched in 1999 and features several hundred wines from around the world.

Among the most popular Santé wine festival events is the Ultimate Winemakers Dinner, which pairs celebrity chefs with world-class wines. Festival highlights also include international wine tasting along with Sip, Savour & Learn seminars aimed at wine connoisseurs as well as novices. Also on the menu at the Santé wine festival is the Sip, Savour & Shop event, which combines wine tasting with retail therapy in Bloor-Yorkville.

Tibet is a land of dramatic mountains, deep valleys, cascading rivers, ancient monuments and stunning palaces. Five thousand feet above sea level, nestled between the shoulders of the Himalayan and Kunlunshan ranges, lies the incredible autonomous region of Tibet. Located in the mountain fringed valley of the Kyichu River, the capital Lhasa, meaning ‘Holy Land’, is home to more than 30 ethnic groups, providing it with a colourfully rich cultural and spiritual heritage cultivated over 1000 years. Tibet has so much to offer, and a visit in May will coincide with breath-taking views of Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, as measured by the height of its summit above sea level. The mountain, which is part of the Himalaya range in High Asia, is located on the border between Nepal and Tibet, China. In May, the snow and ice are gradually thawing, and, with warm and sunny weather, views of Everest on an overland journey to Nepal are more probable.