Add some local colour to your next holiday with our pick of fun and frivolous, quirky and awe-inspiring festivals.

1. Go nuts for Corsica: La Fête des Amandiers, 4-5 August

Indulge yourself in all things almond this August at Aregno’s La Fête des Amandiers. This almond extravaganza is a feast for all the senses, boasting art exhibitions, a traditional market, live regional folk music and culinary workshops where you can learn the secret to cooking tasty Corsican cuisine.

Stay at traditional Villa Tra Mare e Monti, located just outside the fashionable village of Lumio, and offering stunning panoramic views and a private pool. The price is from £3,091 per week in August, accommodation only. Call Travelzest’s VFB Holidays on 0800 171 2160 to book.

2. Live it up in Lucca: Puccini Opera Festival, 5-8 August

Around 40,000 spectators head to Torre del Lago’s Puccini Teatro all’Aperto for the annual Puccini Festival. A series of classical music concerts is performed just a stone’s throw from Villa Puccini where the composer lived, worked and is buried.

Performances include La Boheme, Tosca, Turandot, Madame Butterfly and Il Mameli. A 2-night stay in Lucca costs from £579 per person including two opera performances, flights from Gatwick, transfers and accommodation with breakfast at the 3-star Hotel Puccini. Call Travelzest’s JMB Holidays on 0800 171 2158 to book.

3. A boat race to remember: Penang Dragon Boat Festival, 10-12 June

June sees the return of this visually spectacular festival. Watch scores of traditional Malaysian boats, adorned with bright colours and beautiful dragon’s heads compete against one another to a pounding drum beat set by the Penang crowd.

There’s also time to soak up Penang’s rich cultural history and exotic cuisine, and chill out on one of its spectacular beaches. A 7-night stay at the beachfront Shangri La Golden Sands Resort costs from £1,270 per person, including flights from Gatwick and transfers. Call Travelzest’s Malaysia Experience on 0800 171 2152 to book.

4. Music Maestro: Fes’s World Sacred Music Festival, 3-11 June

Performers from numerous countries journey to this ancient city to perform in one of the world’s most celebrated and diverse music festivals, boasting a variety of styles from opera and chamber music to folk and trance.

While in Fes, why not treat yourself to a tour of one of the world’s youngest and most unexpected wine regions, where the abundant sunlight produces a sweeter grape? A 5-night stay at the luxurious 17th century Dar el Ghalia in Fes costs from £460 per person, including flights from Stansted, private transfers and accommodation. Call Travelzest’s Best of Morocco on 0800 171 2151 to book.

5. Gastronomic entitlement: Sicilian Cous Cous Festival, 20-26 September

Every September the roads and beaches of San Vito Lo Capo come alive for the annual Cous Cous Festival. Culinary passions extend beyond this traditional dish with gourmet workshops, olive oil and wine tastings on offer, all to the beat of traditional Sicilian folk music.

Stay at the hotel Baglio Oneto – a rustic Moorish farmhouse – where 7-nights’ B&B costs from £595 per person, including return flights from Gatwick and a Grade A rental car. Call Travelzest’s Tapestry Collection on 0800 171 2155 to book.