The Backpack Adventures

Suna Matsuri or Sand Festival  ( 白浜砂祭り )  is an annual festival held every May in Shirarahama Beach in Shirahama , Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Shirahama, for those who are unfamiliar with the place, is a coastal resort town on the southern coast of Wakayama Prefecture. The town is famous for its onsen(s), rock formations, and of course Shirarahama Beach . Suna Matsuri  or  Sand Festival  ( 白浜砂祭り ) Suna Matsuri (Sand Festival) Details Speaking of Shirarahama Beach , it is the venue of the annual Suna Matsuri (Sand Festival) held every May. The highlight of this festival is the Sand Art Contest that is modeled after the Snow Festival of Hokkaido. This competition features around 30 - 60 pieces of three-dimensional artworks made from the sand of the beach. These artistic mounds measure around 15 feet by 15 feet and are at least 6 - 10 feet tall. Suna Matsuri Festival - Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture Taking a closer look... Is that Snorlax? The entries for the cont

Probably the most popular festival in Quezon, San Isidro Pahiyas Festival or more commonly known as Pahiyas Festival is a harvest festival celebrated in the town of Lucban every 15th of May. It is held in honor of San Isidro Labrador who is the patron Saint of farmers.  Pahiyas Festival Pahiyas Festival Details The San Isidro Pahiyas Festival is famously known for houses that are adorned with colorful leaf-shaped decorations called  kiping.  San Isidro Pahiyas Festival 2016 - Lucban, Quezon For those who don't know it yet, kiping is made from rice paste (thus it's edible) and is quite similar to that of a tortilla (even tastes like one). The uniqueness of using kiping as decoration made the festival one of a kind. Aside from that, it adds this Instagram-ready feel to the houses which is an effect that adds promotion to the celebration through social media.  Intro: How to make kiping The word  pahiyas  is from the Filipino word  hiyas  or jewel and when added with t

Relatively still in its infancy stage, Quezon's Niyogyugan Festival was launched only in 2012 with the aim of promoting the main agricultural product of the province which is the coconut. However, it has evolved into one of the must-experience and must-see festivals in the Philippines is only a few years.  Niyogyugan Festival 2016 Niyogyugan Festival details Niyogyugan Festival - Lucena City, Quezon The name niyogyugan came from the words niyog which is the Filipino word for coconut and yugyog which means to shake, move, or dance. Schedule of activities for Niyogyugan Festival 2016 Held in and around the Quezon Capitol Compound in Lucena City every August 18-27, Niyogyugan Festival is dubbed "Quezon's Grand Festival" for it covers the 39 municipalities and 2 cities of the province. These municipalities and cities compete with each other by means of the dance, float, and booth competitions. They also have beautiful delegates competing for the title and cro