Kalya Ryan

From glass igloos in Finnish Lapland to wooden spheres suspended in the treetops in Canada; geodesic domes in the Patagonian wilderness to old-school opulence at New York's Plaza Hotel; these are the ultimate in overnight experiences. Not every place is a budget buster; sometimes it's about the spectacular locations, like the gravity-defying Bivacco Gervasutti on Mont Blanc in Italy (page 50). There are places that literally disappear into their surroundings...

There's something about festivals, be it a giant, joyous party or a respectful honouring of tradition; a seemingly bizarre adherence to ritual or a celebration of a quirky obsession; it's a uniquely human thing to be involved in. We like to get together to dance, sing, eat, laugh, drink, dress up, light fires, take our clothes off, throw tomatoes at each other, roll around in mud--just about anything really, but we seem to like doing it in really...