Kosmos

Culture, travel, fashion and culinary delights: the Kosmos pages of Lufthansa Magazin bring you interesting and useful tidbits from around the world

Illustration: Topless woman at the beach — © Cristóbal Schmal

Beach Etiquette

Culture clash

Beach season is coming, so what’s to stop you from tearing off your clothes and jumping into the waves? Etiquette, that’s what. A guide to the different beach rules around the world.

Dry Up

Every self-respecting Brazilian man wears a skimpy Speedo at the beach – and dries off in the sun. Anyone on the beach with a towel is definitely a tourist.

Cover Up

Topless bathing is perfectly acceptable in many European countries, but you’d better keep your top on in the USA. Not even infants and toddlers run around entirely naked at the beach but usually wear diapers.

Pay Up

Are you the type who gets up early to bag a top spot at the beach with your towel? What is frowned upon at many beaches is strictly prohibited in Italy. You could end up facing a 200-euro fine for claiming that prime position.

Jaipur, India

Palace of the windows

The Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, India, was built in 1799 for the sole purpose of allowing the ladies of the royal household to watch processions unobserved. Hence the 953 intricately screened windows in its facade.

Mr. Know It All

Daily boat

Summer and water sports are a perfect combination of fun and activity. But why not take it up a notch by building your own surfboard, sailing boat or raft? See you in the water!

Timber!

At a top speed of three kilometers an hour, a rafting trip on Sweden’s Klarälven River is a leisurely drift. But first you have to build your own raft – using whole tree trunks.

vildmark.se

Boat ahoy

Build your own kayak, row- or sailboat in only a week at the Great Lakes Boat Building School in the U.S. state of Michigan. Then set sail straight into the water sports arenas that are the Great Lakes on the doorstep.

glbbs.edu

Against the grain

Foam surfboards are a dime a dozen. At Patrick Burnett in Cape Town, you can make your own beautiful, ecofriendly, custom wooden board – and then test it at South Africa’s top surf spots.

burnettwoodsurfboards.co.za

Kultur-Themenparks

Culture clash

Exploring Indonesia, Mexico or France can take years. If you’re strapped for time why not try a cultural theme park instead?

Island hopping

At the Taman Mini park near Jakarta, you’ll find Indonesia’s over 17 500 islands in miniature format plus architecture, dances, crafts and culinary specialties from across the archipelago.

tamanmini.com

Mexico Express

Enjoy dance and music shows, watch traditional potters and smiths at work, stroll the ruins of a real Maya settlement – all at Xcaret, the Mexican culture park near Cancún.

xcaret.com

Showtime

Puy du Fou in Vendée, France, has been named the world’s best theme park multiple times. Its spectacular shows spotlight French historical and mythological heroes.

puydufou.com

Buenos Aires, Argentina

It takes two…

The best place to see and learn to dance the tango is Buenos Aires, where the sensual dance was born and where the annual International Tango Festival and world championships take place (August 9 – 22).

turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar

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Old swings, new roundabouts

Just go ahead and do it!

Dance, dance, dance

Where ideas learn to fly

„I knew the accent had to go!”

Culture, travel, fashion and culinary delights: the Kosmos pages of Lufthansa Magazin bring you interesting and useful tidbits from around the world

Culture clash

Palace of the windows

Daily boat

Culture clash

It takes two…