3 Of The Latest, Coolest Things To Do On Holiday

If it sounds like it's out of this world, it is. At the eccentric festival (The Guardian has called it "deliriously deranged") is a flurry of music acts (post-rock stalwarts Mogwai headlined last year; this year's line-up will be out Apr 6), a grand gothic Winter Feast where food is aplenty and local whisky and gin are endlessly flowing. The true essence of the festival, it seems, is found in the plethora of laser lights, eccentricity-spiked art installations, contemporary performances, late-night parties and exhibitions that explore the perennial themes of light, darkness and renewal. The festival culminates in a stupendous ogoh-ogoh parade inspired by the traditional Balinese ritual, and — wait for it — the nude solstice mass swim event in the river at the break of dawn. Yes, in the biting winter cold.

Dark Mofo is on June 15 to 24. For more info, go to www.discovertasmania.com/event/darkmofo.

Fly-fishing isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Maldives — which is why you’ll probably wanna angle for this. Guests at COMO Maalifushi, the only resort on the Maldives’ Thaa Atoll, can go on a fly-fishing expedition (US$200 or S$262 for three hours on a kayak; US$500 by boat) on crystal clear waters from January to April.

Difficult as it may be, try to pry yourself away from the resorts’ overwater villas to explore the untouched shallow sand flats — it’s just a half-hour boat ride away — that brim with marine life that are faves among anglers. Don’t worry if terms like bluefin or bonefish don’t mean a thing to you — the guides hail from a fly-fishing operator with 30 years of industry experience, so beginners and enthusiasts alike have access to the best equipment and instructors.

Rooms from US$1,350. For more info, go to https://www.comohotels.com/maalifushi. ​​​​​​​

Wakanda really exists! And it's in the US. Or is it Fiji? Black Panther has been such a smash hit at the box office that a recent study by Hotels.com revealed a 55 per cent spike in searches by adventure-seekers on the hunt for Wakanda travel experiences. Head to Wakanda Park in Menomonie, a 14,000 sq ft amusement and water park in a small town with a population of less than 20,000 in Wisconsin. The travel site even reports an increase in searches for destinations that sorta, coulda be Wakanda. There’s been a 25 per cent increase in searches for Wauconda (also pronounced Wakanda), a sleepy suburb in Chicago that’s been the subject of Black Panther memes (pictured); and searches for Wakaya in Fiji was up by a whopping 235 per cent. Unfortunately, neither Chadwick Boseman nor Lupita Nyong’o will be available as tour guides at said destinations.