Colours of the World

20 de September de 2013

With Spring now officially in bloom, dozens of colours are beginning to pop up all over – from the clothes people are wearing, to the flags that adorn the streets, to the colourful flowers and plants blooming around the city.

In celebration of Spring and the soon-to-be Spring racing carnival, we’d like to take this opportunity to showcase how other destinations and cultures around the world express their incredibly colourful personalities!

1. Favelas of Santa Marta, Brazil

Once no more than a common slum or shantytown in Rio de Janeiro, the favelas of Santa Marta have been transformed into a glorious canvas of colour, all in the name of creating expression and pride for its residents. The buildings here sport a range of rainbow colours, artistic murals, and celebrities like Michael Jackson and Beyonce are famed for including the favelas in their video clips. Now, the locale is a popular attraction for travellers and a walking tour of the area is recommended.

2. The Danxia Landform, China

Who ever said that life can’t imitate art? Spread across the southern regions of China, the Danxia Landform is a natural geomorphology that looks as if it has stepped right out of one of those traditional landscape paintings. Known as the ‘rainbow mountains’, these red sandstone and conglomerate cliffs feature an array of candy-striped colours that were born from thousands of years of formation, rain and wind. It’s no surprise that six of the Danxia landforms are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites – let’s hope that mother nature doesn’t get rid of them anytime soon!

3. Mount Yoshino, Japan

If you love a bit of pink, visiting Mount Yoshino during cherry blossom or ‘sakura’ season (March-May) is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in Japanese culture and experience the nation’s most remarkable colour transformation. Since the late 700s, the Japanese have perfected the art of Hanami or picnicking under the bloom of a cherry blossom tree. With over 30,000 trees, Mount Yoshino is one of the country’s most infamous and breathtaking cherry blossom spots.

4. Bo Kaap, South Africa

Nestled in the hills of Cape Town, Bo Kaap is a quaint playground of bright and friendly pastel colours that house the city’s Cape Malay and Muslim quarter. The residents here are descendant from the Asian and African slaves brought in by the Dutch in the 1700s and were finally given liberation at the end of the apartheid era. Walking tours and culinary tours in the area are popular, so make sure you book in! If you’re a history nerd, make sure you check out the Bo Kaap museum too.

5. Tulip Fields, Netherlands

It’s time to get your sneeze on! You don’t have to be a travelling genius to know that Netherland’s trademark image is one of beautiful tulips. Heading there in March-05/will allow you to glimpse row after row and field after field of magnificently coloured tulips. For a little more colour close up, try heading to a flower market or travel to coincide with one of the country’s infamous tulip/flower parades.

6. Jaipur, India

It has come to be known as the ‘Pink City’ and Jaipur is a place of vibrant cultures and engaging hues, from the clothing worn by the locals to the stunning array of colourful foods and dishes on offer. If you’re on a colour frenzy, the best time to visit Jaipur is during the Holi Hindu Festival of Colours and the Elephant Festival (around March), when locals (and tourists) flock to the streets and cheerfully spray each other with coloured powders, spices and water. Even the elephants get in on the action: they are covered in bright, regal costumes and paint and paraded around the streets, with prizes awarded to the most colourful and impressive elephant!