» What it does: Introduces the world’s best festivals to inspire a community of "culturally curious" travelers and expand their horizons through collective gatherings.

» What’s hot: There’s big passion behind this project. Chip Conley, founder and former chief executive of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, founded Fest300 and is contributing reviews and writing about his love of festivals and festival-goers on "Chip’s Blog." When you read his posts, they resemble a collection of travelogue emails from the road, with an information-packed directory to go with them. Because I haven’t been to many festivals, I appreciated the short videos (in addition to the big photos) that helped me quickly connect with experiences I was interested in. Don’t miss "The List," which leads you to the festival directory. From Art Basel Miami to the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in Taiwan and the "Top 13 Festivals for Families" in between — you can sort by destination, date or name. Even if you’re just a voyeur, you’ll be enchanted.

» What’s not: "The Pledge" is too much "call to action" for me. It’s optional, but it asks you to sign up and say that you’re culturally curious and commit to trying one festival this year.

—Jen Leo / Los Angeles Times