The (northern hemisphere) summer holiday season is now well and truly upon us, complete with major celebrations. Independent travellers with a particular penchant for direct, deep and engaging discovery – something sometimes called experiential travel – of new lands and cultures often wrap their travel plans around these happenings. Here are some of our favourites.

In Malawi, getting engaged is quite different from the one-kneed question-popping and ring-exchanging of many Western cultures. Here, two people are considered officially engaged only after completing a traditional engagement ceremony, known as Chinkhoswe in the central and southern regions of the country and Malowolo in the northern region.