Festivals of the world: where to go in July

This is an excerpt from Lonely Planet’s A Year of Festivals.

Festivals are a living, dancing museum of cultures and traditions in an increasingly globalised world. There is no better place for travellers to understand a country than at an event where it proudly celebrates its individuality, whether through music, camel races or monumental food fights.

The top festivities for July are listed below.

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How to Take Better Photos on Your Phone: Instagram Tips from Photographers

Instagram has made everyone a photographer—but not all instagrams are created equal. We tapped expert and amateur photographers for their top tips on how to take a great photo on your phone.

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Milan's Secret Side: The Quiet Italian

Rome has the river, the ruins, and the religion; Florence has a Renaissance masterpiece every five paces; Milan has . . . the economy. But there's a lot more to Italy's fashion capital than capital, if you know where to look. Mark Schatzker scouts the piazzas and, between aperitivi, finds a living, breathing city that keeps its consumption inconspicuous.

Check out that woman on the bicycle up ahead, the one in the stunning azure dress. She is, hands down, the best-dressed woman I have ever seen riding a bicycle—her delicate shoes seemingly cupped by the pedals, the dimpled calves, the handbag draped casually (yet statuesquely) over her shoulder. If I could capture this moment on film—Bella donna su una bicicletta—there is little doubt it would win the Jury Prize for Short Film at Cannes.

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Celebrating 40 years of Lonely Planet with 40 amazing European experiences

Forty years ago Tony and Maureen Wheeler took an epic trip out of Europe and across Asia. Their notes, stapled together on a Melbourne kitchen table, became a wildly successful guidebook, Across Asia on the Cheap, and Lonely Planet was born. But while we might have begun by leaving it behind, Europe is one place we keep coming back to. Think of Europe and you might think of history and culture: of English kings, Italian artists, Spanish explorers and Viking raiders. And there’s no doubt Europe’s wealth and dynamism has created some simply astonishing sights, from Athens’ Acropolis to France’s Notre Dame cathedral. There’s a reason it’s the most visited continent on earth. So, for our fortieth anniversary, we’ve chosen forty of our favourites, amazing experiences that will whet your appetite for travel in Europe. There are grand castles, Roman ruins and Spanish bars here – the mainstays of many a classic trip. But we’ve also focussed on unique alternatives that aren’t screamed about by tourist boards or given the glossy treatment by style magazines.

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Discover Cartagena

It’s hard to remember, on those cold days when you pile on your heavy coat and scarf, that there are places on the planet where the sun rarely stops shining. The Colombian city of Cartagena has skies so blue and cloudless that they look permanently polarised. It’s a fine spot for a winter-dodging getaway, and it may surprise you to learn it’s closer to New York City than San Francisco by a few hundred miles.

But it’s not just the weather – Cartagena’s colourful colonial history and dramatic setting in South America on the shores of the Caribbean have started to attract savvy international travellers, but for now, it’s still just on the right side of undiscovered. You’ll still find a breezy, laidback ambience; inside the old walled city, tourists and locals alike explore historic buildings at a gentle flip-flopped pace.

Yet despite the city’s colonial roots, this is no museum, either – it’s a living, breathing place. Seafood restaurants where the dress code is beachwear? Check. Cool DJ bars atop ancient fortresses? Check. Authentic salsa joints, with bands playing like they won’t get paid unless the crowd dances? Check. From its history, to its food and nightlife, to its beaches, Cartagena’s got it all.

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Survey: Australia the 'lucky country' for a better life

Paris (CNN) -- Australia has been revealed as the world's happiest industrialized nation for the third year running, based on criteria including satisfaction, work-life balance, income and housing, a survey released Tuesday has found. The so-called "lucky country" beat Sweden and Canada to take the top spot in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) Better Life Index. The country which comes out on top can be found here, if all criteria are weighted evenly. Australia has remained largely immune from the global financial crisis, with its economy growing on average 3.5% over the last 20 years to 2012, according to the CIA Factbook. The economy of the natural resource-rich nation has been buoyed by strong demand from Asia and China, while its robust financial sector has helped combat the global downturn. Such growth is in stark contrast to recessions which have gripped Europe and the U.S. since the financial crisis exploded in 2007.

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An insider’s guide to driving in Italy

So you’re ready to go. You’ve booked your flight, arranged your accommodation and organised a hire car. Awaiting is a week of motoring through Italy‘s magical countryside. But what’s it really like to drive in Italy? Is it as nerve-wracking as it’s made out to be? Do you need the skills of a Formula One driver to cut it on the nation’s dog-eat-dog superstrade?

Certainly, driving in Italy’s main cities can be a white-knuckle experience but head out to the country and you’ll find that the pace slackens and the roads are a lot less stressful. To help you on your way here are some insights based on years of experience and tens of thousands of kilometres.

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