Winter blues getting you down?0:16
Then why not head to some of the world's most exciting winter parties?0:18
Here, travel writer Noel Starr talks to 4 people who did just that.0:24
A. Mountain Trout Ice Festival, South Korea.0:43
If you ever get the chance to go to the Mountain Trout Ice Festival in South Korea, all I can say is go!0:52
The festival puts on over 40 different events, including sledging and ice soccer, but the main attraction is ice fishing.1:00
Thousands of holes are drilled into the thick ice covering the Huacheng River, and each day of the festival, 32 tons of mountain trout are released beneath the ice for people to fish.1:09
The real entertainment is the bare hands fishing, A pool is built beside the river, trout are put into it, and people climb into the icy cold water and attempt to grab the fast-moving squirming fish with their bare hands.1:22
No one watching can keep a straight face.1:39
Cooking centres are scattered all around the festival venue, and chefs prepare the fish right in front of you.1:42
B. Fairbanks Ice Festival, Alaska.1:49
If you can cope with freezing temperatures and are looking to see some incredible artwork, head for the Fairbanks Ice Festival in Alaska, as every year the world's largest ice art competition the World Ice Art Championships takes place.2:06
It's a chance to see more than 100 international sculptors create incredible statues of ice before your very eyes.2:20
I really enjoyed watching the sculptures take shape.2:28
In many ice art competitions, artists work on commercially manufactured blocks of ice.2:31
In Alaska, the ice blocks used are taken directly from local ponds.2:37
The festival is a month-long event during February to March, and is well worth going to.2:42
You'll never forget the incredible icy creations you see.2:48
Sapporo Snow Festival, Japan.3:00
Last year, I happened to be in Japan during February.3:10
When the Sapporo Snow Festival takes place.3:14
I'd heard from friends that it was one of Japan's most popular festivals, so I decided to take a look.3:17
From Tokyo, I travelled north to Hokkaido, the second largest of Japan's 6,800 or so islands, where Sapporo is located.3:25
When I arrived, the festival was already in full swing.3:36
Every year about 2 million people come to see the hundreds of elaborate snow statues and ice sculptures that teams of sculptors from as far away as Hawaii and India fly into Japan to create.3:42
The statues, which are illuminated at night, are spectacular.3:57
The tallest reach 50 feet in height., and all take weeks to create.4:02
The festival isn't just about icy works of art though—there's music, a huge ice maze, and a wide variety of regional foods.4:09
There's even a ski jump, where snowboarders thrill festival-goers with their incredible skills.4:18
D. Quebec Winter Carnival.4:26
If you're looking for a family-friendly festival, then you needn't look further than Quebec's annual Winter Carnival.4:42
From snow rafting, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and outdoor banquets to snow competitions, dancing, and magical night parades, there's a huge variety of events.4:50
The streets of Quebec City are decorated for this 10-day event, and special events are put on in the city's restaurants.5:01
The mood is so friendly, and the locals are the perfect hosts.5:09
My favourite festival experience was sitting out in the open among snow-covered pine trees under a dark night sky in a hot spa.5:14
Québec's Winter Carnival claims to be the biggest winter festival in the world.5:24
I don't know if that's the case, but it surely must be one of the best.5:30
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