The dance has been described as a form of meditation and it’s easy to see why. The dancers commit themselves so fully to the rite that the movements and noise take on a mantra-like quality. Through repetition and ritual, the monks approach a trance state.

Many of the scenes portrayed as part of the dance depict events from the life of Guru Rinpoche (also known as Padmasambhava, or Padum) and offer its practitioners the opportunity to feel a sense of unity with the most holy guru. Other dances depict specific events from the other points in the history of Tibetan buddhism.

The Tshechu, held at different times in different parts of the country, is an annual event in Bhutan and neighbouring countries, although some aspects of the celebration are banned in Tibet itself. The festivals take place over a four-day period, allowing local people to come together in celebration and religious worship. Due to the diffuse nature of Bhutan’s population, the festivals provide an important opportunity for socialising, bonding and trading to take place.

The Thimpu Tshechu is one of the largest and most impressive Tshechu events and takes place in the capital city of Bhutan in early October every year.

Why not visit Bhutan at the time of the Thimpu Tshechu? Take the trip of a lifetime with Innerbhutan, the whl.travel local connection in Bhutan. Contact them for details.

Malawi, known as the Warm Heart of Africa, is nestled in between Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania. When I first arrived here in 2005 and piled into the back of an open truck with hordes of colourfully dressed girls, the country instantly lived up to its reputation. The girls chatted with us for over four hours on our bumpy journey! We didn’t really understand each other, but the enormous smiles and happy faces were enough to serve as the basis for solid friendships during our time together on the road.

The tranquil shores of Lake Malawi are drawing more and more visitors to Malawi, the Warm Heart of Africa. Photo courtesy of Kate Webb

Malawi is perhaps most famous for its dominant geographical feature; Lake Malawi is where visitors come to enjoy local culture, warm clear water and wonderfully sandy beaches almost all to themselves. While tourism is slowly picking up along the lakeshore, visitors can still relax or go kayaking or diving without stepping on others’ toes! Of course, the appeal of this small hidden gem of Africa extends beyond the lake, all the way to the peaks of Mulanje Mountain, the highest peak in Central Africa.

Day Trips

If you are staying in the cities of Blantyre or Lilongwe, you have plenty of options for day trips away from urban hustle and bustle. Many people choose to head straight to the lakeshore or Luangwa National Park, but there is another option: village visits.

The Responsible Safari Company has partnered with some extraordinary rural communities eager to welcome travellers on day visits to their villages for close-up glimpses of Malawian culture. Visits can include an afternoon playing with the children in a small orphan care centre, visiting a community project or watching traditional dancing and sampling some local delicacies. Overnight village stays are also a possibility.

Each visit has one thing in common: it always culminates in everyone singing and dancing – and that includes the visitors! A village excursion is also a fantastic way to ensure your visit to Malawi benefits local people.

On day trips to local Malawian village communities, a highlight for visitors is always the energised drums and dance party with local people. Photo courtesy of Kate Webb

Shopping

If you are looking for a truly unique gift, check out the handful of stalls situated at the base of Mount Mulanje. Here, local artisans prepare and sell crafts made from Mulanje cedar wood. As well as smelling gorgeous, it is ideal for carving intricate patterns and inscriptions.

While the Mulanje cedar is a endangered species, we have it on very good authority that selling these items – a key source of income for local communities – helps stop villagers from getting involved in the all-too-frequent illegal logging activities that remove huge quantities of this precious wood. The amount of wood used for curios is very small and can be sustainably replaced, especially when compared to what is destroyed by logging, so we are comfortable advising travellers to support these craftsmen! Even if you are not buying it is fascinating to spend time watching them.

Another highlight of shopping in Malawi is a visit to the fruit and vegetable markets. Our favourite is Bvumbwe market. Set amidst the tea estates, this small market has some of the best produce in the country.

Restaurants

The food of Malawi is perhaps not its strongest point, unless you are an adventurous eater looking to sample the field mice or caterpillars sold on kebab sticks along the side of the road!

On Lake Malawi, you catch glimpses of local Malawian life, such as the launching of this sailing dhow. Photo courtesy of Kate Webb

Off the beaten track, though, we do have two favourite family-run places that always keep us coming back for more. The first, called Veg Delight, is in Blantyre and run by an Indian family. The owner, Aisha, is a fantastic cook who offers delicious all-vegetarian Indian and Chinese food.

The second is one of the highlights of hiking Mulanje. After your descent, you can be sure of a delicious freshly baked pizza at rustic Pizza Basilico. Positioned to give stunning views of the mountain, it delivers each and every time with some of the best food in Malawi.

For more dining options, check out our Malawi restaurant guide.

Local Treats

A river boat safari is one of the best ways to appreciate the wildlife and beauty of Malawi’s national parks.

On a recent visit to Majete Wildlife Reserve, we were passengers on a lodge boat equipped with a hamper of nibbles and gin and tonics, when we eased along the riverbank to where a group of elephants was feeding on a small island. After about 20 minutes of wonderful family interaction, the elephant mothers edged their babies toward the water. One by one they then swam across the deep river, babies dipping in and out of the fast-flowing currents and mothers doing an incredible job of ensuring everyone got across safely. Emerging on the other side, the whole family waited until reassembled and then, after a quick dry, headed off into the forest. An incredible sighting!

On a river boat safari in Malawi, you will see amazing wildlife moments such as this herd of elephants crossing the river in Majete Wildlife Reserve. Photo courtesy of Kate Webb

Night Out

Once a year, The Lake Of Stars music festival comes to Malawi. In 2004, event founder Will Jameson visited Malawi and, inspired by events like Live Aid, WOMAD and Glastonbury, dreamed of having a music festival on the shores of the lake. Lake of Stars Festival, though, would use arts-tourism to generate revenue and exposure for the country.

We have just been to the 2011 festival and it was fantastic! Under the Malawi skies, international and local bands performed right on the beach and the atmosphere was incredible. We danced the night away to the likes of Beverley Knight, The Foals and Freshly Ground.

The festival happens every October and many travellers visit Malawi at this time to combine their travels with this unique event, staying at the cool backpacker havens of Cape Maclear and Senga Bay.

All year round, for an exclusively local feel, catch The Black Missionaries, usually playing on the weekend in either Blantyre or Lilongwe.

In 2008, Matt Harding released the latest in a series of videos that show him performing a silly dance in a series of locations around the world. Previous videos had mainly focussed on Matt dancing solo, but this version was different. This time, Matt had found some dance partners.

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‘Where the Hell is Matt?’ takes an incredibly simple concept – a silly dance – and puts it in such a context that it says more about common humanity than any thesis. By performing his dance with people from around the world against backdrops of familiar cityscapes, locations of outstanding natural beauty and (especially) average looking back streets,  Matt – for an instant – brings people together in something that transcends language or cultural barriers; a silly dance can be enjoyed, no matter where you’re from.

Matt’s still travelling and he’s working on another video that promises to be even more of a spectacle than the one we’ve featured here. You can check out his website to keep track of where in the world he is and register for the opportunity to take part.

We hope that the next time we share one of his videos that you’ll be able to spot your own version of the dance.

Guests of the Wealth of Diversity project in Serbia can enjoy the warm hospitality and traditional cooking in Velebit, a village in the northern Backa plain with a Serb population that emigrated from Croatia. It is surrounded by villages with Hungarian populations. Photo courtesy of Katarina Paunovic

Origins of Diversity on the Pannonian Plain

In the Danube region of Serbia, the land’s original inhabitants are, generally speaking, newcomers. Until just 300 years ago, the region was a sparsely populated swampland. The Pannonian Plain, which bordered the left bank of the Danube River, was 80 percent covered by water and unsuitable for human habitation.

Then, during the time of the expanding Ottoman Empire, the ruling Austro-Hungarians chose to reinforce their defenses against the encroaching Turks by launching the most ambitious project of its time in Europe. They built a system of channels through the Pannonian Plain and settled it with people from all over Europe.

Belo Blato is a village in Banat, Serbia, with around 1400 inhabitants of Slovak, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Serb origin, as well as 16 other ethnicities. The villagers talk each other in four languages. Photo courtesy of Katarina Paunovic

In addition to the Hungarians, Serbs, Romanians and, to a lesser extent, other peoples who had already lived here for several centuries, the newly inhabitable land was colonised by Danube Swabians, Slovaks, Czechs, Ruthenians, Ukrainians, Spaniards, Italians, French, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Slovenes, and Serbs and Croats from Slavonia, Dalmatia, Bosnia and other parts of the Balkans. Bulgarian Catholics, Roma and numerous other smaller ethnic communities have also found refuge here since then.

A Tourism Treasure

Today these groups – more than 25 different ethnic communities with six languages in official use (a number exceeded only by the European Parliament) and numerous religious communities – constitute the indigenous population of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, which enjoys a high degree of independence in Serbia.

Ruski Krstur is a village in Serbia where Rusyns live. Rusyns are an ethnic community that usually inhabits areas of Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. They came to Vojvodina in the 18th century. Today tourists can enjoy a traditional horse-drawn carriage ride through the village. Photo courtesy of Perica Lukovic

Nowhere in Europe are there so many different peoples living in such a small region. Although the cultural wealth is made possible by their peaceful coexistence – an intertwining, mutual respect and acceptance – the different communities cultivate their unique traits in an effort to preserve their national identities. It is this wealth of diversity that has been identified as the region’s greatest asset in promoting tourism.

The Wealth of Diversity project was therefore launched at the initiative of the Magelan Travel Agency DMC and is being implemented by the Istar 21 Danube Tourism Cluster in cooperation with the government of the Province of Vojvodina. The goal of the project is to spotlight multiculturalism in the Danube region as a unified tourism product on the world market and lend this part of Serbia a recognisable brand.

Dancers perform in Deronje, a village populated with Serbs and Gypsies who have gained worldwide fame as tamburica players. This village hosts the largest festival and competition of tamburica orchestras. Photo courtesy of Katarina Paunovic

A Promising Project for Local Villagers

The Wealth of Diversity project identifies villages that best represent the ethnic mix in Vojvodina and the Danube region. Through the creation of tourism-driven market opportunities, the project will create conditions for the employment of women, young people and people on the margins of society.

Guests can enjoy traditional houses, crafts and local food, as well as rich folk-dance and musical programs, horse-and-coach rides, bike and boat tours and participation in the preparation of traditional produce. Villagers are encouraged to create authentic souvenirs and local food specialties.

In the village of Stara Moravica, the majority of the population declare themselves as Hungarians. However, their forebears are Kumans, nomadic people of Turkish origin who came to the Pannonian Plain in the 12th century from Central Asia. Photo courtesy of Biljana Marceta

The Wealth of Diversity project also involves training the local population that will be involved in providing tourism services. It will be essential to raise the quality of these services to a level that meets contemporary tourist expectations and, through modern technologies (a website, mobile apps and social networking), make promotional information accessible.

The local population, which has increasingly been abandoning the villages for better opportunities elsewhere, places great hope in the Wealth of Diversity project. Here, a multiculturalism unique in Europe can be promoted, and the survival of these communities is made possible.

Are you interested in experiencing the Wealth of Diversity in Vojvodina, Serbia? Contact Magelan Travel, the whl.travel local connection in Belgrade. The team is dedicated to growing Serbian tourism in truly beneficial ways.

Living what some outsiders would consider a feral existence is normal to the children of Yakel, a Kastom village on the island of Tanna in the Vanuatu archipelago.

The settlement is referred to locally as a Nambas village – the Nambas being the sole item of apparel worn by men, hiding their private parts. This means that the village rejects everything introduced by the Western world. The children shown in the picture below will never go to school. Their clothing, food and entertainment will be provided solely by the forest in which they live.

Visiting Yakel, or other Kastom villages in Vanuatu, is partaking in a voyage where time is of no consequence, where birthdays do not exist as there is no way of remembering this or any other event marked on a calendar – even if the residents had any inclination to record anything. One male from the village will be chosen to receive sufficient education in either English or French to act as an interpreter and guide to the outside world. Many of the Yakel villagers do not even speak Bislama, the creole language used throughout the archipelago.

The  Yakel tribe performs dances for visitors and sells handmade carvings to raise cash for basic tools such as machetes, axes, pots, pans and medical equipment, and to maintain the one old truck that services the tribe, a group consisting of around 700 people.

There’s an old story that in the past a chief was asked by his community “What do you do with all the money we collect?” The chief happily displayed his pride and joy – a mattress made of weaved Pandanus leaves and stuffed with currency notes from all over the world. He had not known what to do with all the strange-looking ‘White-Man leaves’. Rightly, he believed this was better than sleeping on the ground at his advanced age. Nowadays, the money is kept in a bank.

There are many other villages in Vanuatu where one experiences a spontaneous friendliness, dancing and indigenous art, and many of these can be visited as part of an organised tour. There are also many accommodation options that allow visitors to experience several different perspectives of life on Tanna.

The terraces had been New Zealand’s first tourist attraction, so the local Maori guides who had accompanied tourists to them needed to find something else. They decided instead to host visitors in their relocated (by the eruption) home village of Whakarewarewa. This practice is still in vigour today in Whakarewarewa and overseen by local guides who are the direct descendants of the original 19th-century guides.

The thermal pools at Whakarewarewa Village on the North Island of New Zealand are so hot that villagers can use them to cook a cob of corn in a matter of minutes. Photo courtesy of Raumati Wikaire

Warmth from the Earth

Whakarewarewa Village is inhabited by 25 families who go about their daily lives but allow visitors to move amongst them from 8am and 5pm, meet them and learn more about their customs and culture. Many visitors are particularly interested in seeing how the villagers have adapted to the environment, living in houses amidst thermal mud pools and geysers. For example, wooden boxes are built over steam vents where villages hang pots with vegetables or meat and cook meals with incredible efficiency. A frozen chicken can be roasted in one hour or a cob of corn in a couple of minutes, simply by harnessing the hot steam from the earth.

At dusk, once the village gates are closed to tourists, hot water from a thermal pool is diverted into large concrete baths. These communal tubs unite the village and families, who relax in the naturally warm water whilst catching up on the gossip of the day.

In Whakarewarewa Village, on the North Island of New Zealand, proceeds from tourism feed a public trust that benefits cultural heritage projects such as maintaining the village's buildings. Photo courtesy of flickr/Carmyarmyofme

Mirror of the 19th Century

More of what makes Whakarewarewa Village so special is that whilst the villagers have adopted modern habits and technology such as TVs, clothing, kitchen appliances, internal plumbing and heating, they still go about their daily lives doing the same things they have for over a century in a shared family atmosphere. As well as the communal bathing and cooking using thermal activity, which is unique to this region, other traditions include intricate wood carvings and artwork created by weaving and dying flax to decorate the village and local homes.

Visitors can also experience traditional singing and dancing during daily scheduled performances. Rather than something unauthentic put on just for tourists, though, these performances are part of the way local families pass on the stories and legends of yore. They even organise a regular wananga (gathering) to ensure that the original songs are passed down to younger generations.

Each day, the Whakarewarewa villagers put on a cultural performance of costumes and dance. Far more than a tacky tourist display, the performances keep Maori culture alive and intact across the generations. Photo courtesy of flickr/Seth Mazow

Villagers still rely on the medicinal properties of plants, enjoy eating the traditional hangi meal (similar to a roast dinner, but cooked by steam) and speak the Maori language. Even funeral rituals remain the same, where a body lies in a marae (central meeting house) for a minimum of three days during which all friends, family and relatives pay their respects before the burial. Although the marae is closed to the public during a tangi (funeral), the village is still open and tourists can observe the protocol.

Descendants of the Original 25

Any villagers that host the guided tours, cook and serve food in the café, dance in the performances or anything else related to the tourist experience are members of the village’s original 25 families. If an individual exhibits a skill in any particular area, he or she is then trained in that skill and financial help is provided to advance education in the chosen discipline.

Living next door to a thermal pool, the people of Whakarewarewa Village on the North Island of New Zealand never have a problem keeping themselves warm. Photo courtesy of Raumati Wikaire

Fascinatingly, each family tends to have a role or responsibility that is passed down through the generations. For example, one family may be better cooks and always do the catering, while another may be stronger in dancing and singing, so descendants tend to be the performers in the cultural demonstrations. This isn’t something the locals question; it is just the way it is now and has always been.

The younger generations show great respect toward the elders and everyone accepts the customs of Maori culture. In keeping with this, proceeds from the village tours go into a general trust that contributes to the preservation and care of the village. With the money earned, the villagers have established an herb garden, that, because of the thermal activity, has been created above ground. They are also now building houses and repairing homes to help maintain the quality of life in Whakarewarewa Village.

Are you interested in a Whakarewarewa Village tour during your stay in New Zealand? Get in contact with Raumati, Troy and the rest of the team at New Zealand Hotel Link, the whl.travel local connection on the North Island for a unique local travel experience.

Organisations like Borneo Ecotourism Solutions and Technologies (BEST) Society help the indigenous Rungus people of Borneo, Malaysia, harness the power of tourism to maintain their vibrant performing arts, customs and traditions. Photo courtesy of Borneo Eco Tours

The Remote Society of the Rungus

Borneo is home to the Rungus people, one of the island’s few remaining indigenous ethnic groups who reside in the area surrounding the former capital of Kudat. The peaceful Rungus culture revolves around the subsistence cultivation of rice and other crops, and the women are known for their weaving skills and intricate beadwork. In fact, the Rungus are famous for their distinct traditional dress: they wear black attire elaborately accessorised with antique beadwork worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Traditionally the women also wear heavy brass coils around their arms, legs and neck, accompanied by white and coral shell bracelets.

To this day the Rungus live in longhouses, which are extended single-floor structures elevated off the ground on stilts. Designed with an emphasis on community, longhouses have large common rooms but separate sleeping quarters for individual families. Many of these longhouses can still be seen in ethnic regions around Malaysia, but the sad reality is that the numbers are steadily dwindling, along with the traditions and cultures of minority groups. Kudat is one of the last remaining places to find longhouses in Sabah.

The indigenous Rungus people of Borneo, Malaysia, live in traditional longhouse structures, which are raised from the ground on stilts and shared by several families. Photo courtesy of Borneo Eco Tours

Cultural Tourism in Northern Borneo

The Rungus people lead unassuming lives, their job opportunities being limited to what is available to them through agriculture, weaving and building. They have therefore struggled to keep up with the economic demands of modern times, mindful of wishing to hold on to their traditions.

All hope is not lost, however, thanks to organisations like Borneo Ecotourism Solutions and Technologies (BEST) Society, a non-profit foundation launched by Borneo Eco Tours, the whl.travel local connection in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan, Malaysia.

BEST Society focuses on the sustainable development of Borneo’s local communities, utilising the benefits of tourism to provide opportunities for employment and income. On a Cultural Safari tour to North Borneo, for example, travellers are brought to the heart of a Rungus village, where they can stay in a longhouse with a family for a night and truly immerse themselves in the fascinating culture.

Dance performers keep traditional Rungus culture and costume alive through shows in their villages and on tour in the rest of Borneo and Malaysia. Photo courtesy of Borneo Eco Tours

In return, BEST Society helps with the maintenance of the longhouses and conducts community development programs that promote and preserve local traditions, as well as provide sustainable income. The people of these villages have learned to capitalise on their strengths as Rungus and are pleased to share their culture with travellers from the rest of the world.

Today, many of the Rungus are dispersed across major cities elsewhere in Malaysia and earning a living like everyone else. However, thanks to renewed local tourism efforts like those led by BEST Society, Rungus culture is not lost; the Rungus have been given reasons to be proud of who they are.

While the Rungus people can often be found performing in Malaysia’s cultural shows, now their traditional way of life is being reinforced in their native regions. Sometimes it is possible for the effects of modern tourism to go hand in hand with peaceful and responsible cultural development.

As part of a community-based tourism experience, travellers to Borneo, Malaysia, can stay inside traditional longhouses with Rungus families to sample their way of life. Photo courtesy of Borneo Eco Tours

For more suggestion about the sites and tours available in Borneo, check in with the experts at Borneo Eco Tours, your whl.travel local connection.

Hikers in Tiger Leaping Gorge near Lijiang, China, enjoy the views of the snow mountains. Photo courtesy of Lily Zhang

As a Lijiang local, Lily shares the top 5 things to do in Lijiang while on a Lijiang holiday.

1. Hike around Tiger Leaping Gorge and Baoshan Stone Town

Tiger Leaping Gorge is about 50 kilometres from the World Heritage site of Lijiang’s Old Town. Roughly 15 kilometres in length, the gorge was carved by a river passing between the massive Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (which reaches up to 5,596 metres) on the Lijiang side and Haba Snow Mountain (5,396 metres) on the Shangri-La side. The stunning result is a series of rapids at the foot of steep 4,000-metre cliffs, making it a contender for the world’s deepest river canyon.

Legend says that in order to escape from a hunter, a tiger jumped across the river at the narrowest point (still 25 metres wide), hence the name of the gorge. There is nothing I like better than hiking in Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Baoshan, also known as Stone Town, is located about 110 kilometres north of Lijiang. It was built in the late 13th century, when the Naxi Yu Clan (ancestors of the Mu families) first lived and flourished here, before migrating down into the Lijiang plain.

Stone Town is a truly special place, where 108 Naxi families live on huge rocks that look like mushrooms. There are only two entrances into the Stone Town, front and back gates set in a surrounding 1.7-metre-high stone wall. Throughout history, when these two doors were firmly shut, attacking armies could not enter because the town was easily guarded.

Strikingly, like the area around Stone Town, which is a landscape of steep cliffs and high mountains, the town itself has an elevation variation of 3,000 metres between its highest point (4,600 metres) and its lowest (1,600 metres). Scattered at the foot of the mountains lie small villages and terraced fields with different crops. Stone Town is bordered to the east by the Golden Sand River, which feeds into the mighty Yangt-ze River.

On a tour of Baoshan, travellers can stay with local families, listen to the stories and legends about this old town, watch the stars and fireflies shining in the sky, drink beer and chat with everyone until it gets cool, and then have sweet dreams in the quiet night.

2. Take a Nature and Culture Tour in Lashi Lake Nature Reserve and Wehai Lake

Lashi Lake lies at the centre of the Lashihai Watersheld Nature Reserve. Covering a land area of 265.6 square metres, it is a haven for 30,000 migratory birds (70 species) that come here to escape winter from the end of October to early April. It is therefore a superb place for birdwatching in Lijiang. As an abundant nature and culture resource, Lashi Lake boldly proves that nature and humanity can come together in harmony.

In the springtime, azaleas bloom everywhere in the mountains west of Lashi Lake near Lijiang, China. Photo by Chris, courtesy of Xintuo Ecotourism Company

Nearby Wenhai is a village that lies at an elevation of 3,100 metres in the area northwest of Lijiang City. It is located on the southern slope of Yulong (another name for Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) and is a part of the Lashihai provincial Alpine Wetlands Nature Reserve. The unique climate and soil in the area nourish a unique variety of plant species, including century-old forests, shrubs and meadows. There are also unique wildflowers that bloom throughout the year, including over 20 species of rhododendrons, as well as a variety of economically viable mushrooms and precious medicinal herbs.

In the Lashihai and Wenhai area, in addition to animals, plants, forests and water resources, there is a wide variety of indigenous cultures. About 30 village tribes reside here, like the Naxi, Yi, Han and a few Tibetans. The Tibetans mostly live in one of the largest Tibetan Buddhism temples in Lijiang – the Zhiyun Temple. Although the lives of these locals have been affected by the outside world, they hold tight to their traditional customs and culture.

You can bicycle, ride horses and row boats around Lashi Lake, or you can hike for 2-3 days in the area. That’s what I often did when I was little, all pleasures that never disappointed me.

The Mosuo people who live on Lugu Lake near Lijiang, China, are a Naxi minority live in a unique 'matriarchal society.' They have their own language and way of dressing. Photo courtesy of Lily Zhang

3. Experience the Matriarchal Way of Life of the Mosuo People in Lugu Lake

Lugu Lake lies 200 kilometres from the centre of Lijiang City, on the border between Ninglang County in Yunnan Province and Yanyuan County in Sichuan Province. Mystery and charm surround the lake, partly because it was once an unspoiled place and still retains much of its totally natural beauty, but mostly because of the unique culture of the resident Mosuo people.

Mosuo society is matriarchal and marriage doesn’t exist. Men stay in the women’s homes as mates called Axia and the intimate relationships last only as long as they like. Children are brought up by the women, use the surnames of their mothers and are part of families composed of matrilineal kin. Women are in charge of production and management, and hold the principal position in the society, forming a modern day ‘woman’s kingdom.’

Experience this cultural awakening on a tour of Lugu Lake. Ladies will love this place because the women are in charge, and men will like this place because there is no marriage. As for me, I like this place because of the clear blue water and the beautiful songs sung by Mosuo girls when boating on the lake.

The bars along a river in Lijiang Old Town, China, are a very nice place to just relax and enjoy the peaceful scenery. It gets busier in the late afternoon, when many people play music, sing and dance in bars. Photo courtesy of Lily Zhang

4. Go Bar-hopping in Lijiang Old Town

Bars in Lijiang Old Town are famous around China. Bar-hopping has always been a part of my life. My friends and I usually start after 9 p.m. and I always choose to go first to Sakura bar, which is the biggest bar in Lijiang. No matter what you like, be it dancing or watching shows, there’s a bar for everyone in Lijiang. There are even Thai “lady-man” shows and cultural performances by local minorities.

Of course, drinking is always an option. Cocktails, brandy, whisky, vodka, rum – you name it, Lijiang bars probably have it! Personally I like Sakura Bar the most because the DJ is amazing. Other famous bars are Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles and A Meter Sunshine.

Another famous type of bar in Lijiang Old Town is the huotang. These bars are a little quieter, where you normally find folk singers playing guitars. In winter there are braziers inside the bars, so people can keep warm while they drink and talk. These bars are in Wuyi street, where beer is generally cheaper. Usually I like to go there after a loud bar to enjoy quietly singing along and whispering with my friends. A great end to a perfect bar night.

The Impression Lijiang show at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is an amazing spectacle, especially on a perfect day with blue skies and white clouds. All the performers are locals, showcasing the local culture in Lijiang, China. Photo courtesy of Li Yuanqi

5. Enjoy a Cultural Show in Lijiang City

Impression Lijiang is a cultural show of the traditions and lifestyles of the area’s Naxi, Yi and Bai people. It takes place inside Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park in an outdoor theatre specifically designed to showcase the mist-shrouded mountain, a breathtaking natural backdrop. The show aims to provide insight into the lives of the region’s ethnic groups through song and dance. Five hundred locals wearing the costumes of 10 ethnic groups, as well as 100 horses, have been selected from 16 towns and villages in Lijiang for the daily performances of folk songs, dances and rituals for tourists. I’ve seen many people moved to tears when watching the show.

The Mountains & Rivers Show is another ethnic dancing and singing show. The Yi people’s Fire Touch Festival, Naxi People’s Stick Festival, the Bai boy’s handsome dance and the Tibetan waving girls all interpret the art of the ethnic people who have resided in these mountains for centuries. The performance is very bright and colourful, with dancing and fancy ethnic costumes. The atmosphere is very happy and light. It is my favourite show.

Seychelles is a young country. In the year 2020 we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the first settlement – a group of 15 French white people, five Malabar Indians and eight African people – established on these beautiful islands. While in the grand scheme of things this is a relatively short period of time, it does mean that Seychelles has over 200 years of music history.

A musician plays a traditional Brazilian berimbau, which is the same kind of intstrument as the Seychellois 'bomb' (sometimes spelled 'bonm'). Photo courtesy of Flickr/garryknight

Where does this history begin? The music of Seychelles is, and has always been, largely influenced by the instruments and the dance of the people who chose to make their homes here. So where did the Seychellois originally come from? Everywhere! This is why we call our country “the melting pot of cultures.”

From the arrival of our early ancestors, regardless of their origins, Seychellois were convivial people – friendly and always looking for a good time. Like our people, then, the mix of musical (and dance) styles adopted and created by Seychellois people reflects the diversity of cultures that exist harmoniously, influencing one other and often overlapping.

Instruments in Seychelles

The African settlers brought with them the bomb (also spelled “bonm”) and zez. Both are instruments with a single string. They also brought drums made of animal skin.

The bomb and zez are solo instruments. Traditionally they were most often played on outer islands, where musical entertainment had not previously existed. Songs and lyrics that accompanied these instruments were slow and soft in nature and usually described island life in that era.

The drums gave slaves and some other settlers a different outlet for self-expression. Messages and emotions in drum-based songs during the settlement period depicted the oppressive conditions in which they lived.

The introduction of the drum also inspired Sega music, which included a bare-footed dance around a bonfire.

Years after the integration of these uncomplicated instruments came the violin, banjo and guitar.

Seychelles Island Dance

After the abolition of slavery and the shift in colonial power from the French to the British in 1814, musical instruments were more common and new forms of dance appeared in Seychelles. In particular, the Seychellois saw the birth of kanmtole dancing – a dance much like a traditional Scottish reel – and the contre dance (also known as a contredans or contra dance). This latter style came from the resident French who had adopted English country dances and integrated their own steps more typical of the French court.

There are 10 distinct types of contre dance, each displaying different exemplars of elegance. History has it that if a man were to ask a girl to dance, he would have to perform all 10 dances without pausing between them, moving directly from one to the other. This surely sorted out the gifted gentlemen from the talentless womanisers!

A group of Seychellois people take part in a traditional contre dance. Photo courtesy of Pascal Esparon

Kanmtole and contre dance music is often performed by a band consisting of two guitars, a drum and a triangle. Other instruments customarily added to the band include the violin, fiddle and banjo. The maestro (known traditionally as the komander) usually plays the triangle and leads the entire room, giving dance commands to the dancers rather than musical direction to the rest of the band.

Both types of dance are still always performed by men and women in pairs (the cavalier and the dame), from two couples on up to long lines of dancing partners. Gatherings with many dancers often involve the couple at the head of the parallel lines dancing through the group to the other end so that each couple has a turn leading the movements.

Wearing traditional dance costumes, a couple of young contre dancers pairs up in anticipation of an afternoon of dance. Photo courtesy of Pascal Esparon

Dance still has a strong cultural presence in Seychelles. There are competitions for all ages held at the end of every October during the country’s annual six-day Festival Creole.

Other Musical Influences

Outside of the evolution of music motivated by dance, the most drastic changes in music in Seychelles came with the introduction of Western phenomena. Some of the most notable influences have been rock & roll, the “Twist” dance craze of the 1960s, the sensational world-famous music of bands such as The Beatles and the rise in popularity of the electric guitar during the early 1980s.

That being said, whilst unmistakably influenced by these Western musical experiences, the Seychelles’ musical culture has also maintained its individuality. It continues to adopt techniques and instruments that suit the culture and dance (synthesisers, for example, are quite popular in sega dance music), but our style differs greatly from Western genres like rap and hip-hop.

It is thanks to the Seychellois that traditional music and dance have been maintained, and thanks to the National Arts Council of Seychelles that our musical culture has been kept alive through competitions and other types of activities. Today, Seychelles’ music continues to evolve without losing the strong connection it has with the history of this country.

Why not come and experience the music and dance of Seychelles for yourself? Be sure to check in with the experts at Holidays Seychelles, your whl.travel local connection.

Local conductor and musician Sadriddin Gulovs has been working for years to preserve the traditional sounds of Bukhara and Uzbekistan. With his brother and band, Sadriddin plays traditional Central Asian instruments like the dourma and shashtar that have been used in the area for centuries. As his reputation spreads, the artist has been invited to play international sets in neighbouring Turkmenistan and as far away as Paris.

Sadriddin Gulovs plays the shashtar during a private performance in his home in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Photo courtesy of Stephen Lioy

My chance encounter with Sadriddin occurred in a local coffee shop in Bukhara. What started as an inquisitive chat between tables ended with an invitation to join him and a musician friend for a jam session in his living room. After three or four songs and a bit more conversation conducted slowly over a Russian-to-English dictionary, we parted ways, but not before he suggested that, later that night, I attend a local wedding reception at which he was performing.

The author and Sadriddin Gulovs pose with traditional instruments during their first meeting in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Photo courtesy of Stephen Lioy

The day after my first Uzbek wedding, doing my best to shake off the combined effects of all-embracing hospitality and a proclivity for vodka that seems to pop up in many post-Soviet countries, I decided to forego afternoon sightseeing in order to drop back in on Sadriddin with a CD of my favourite photos from the day and night before. In the course of that conversation and then more chats over the next week, I was invited along to three more weddings with Sadriddin and the band.

Four Weddings and a Musical

Though the people, venue and even band members changed with each wedding, all four revolved around the same two anchors: music and dancing.

Showing up as a guest of the band meant access to every part of the performance, from carrying in keyboards and speakers to the 2am tear-everything-down-and-stuff-it-into-a-car moment at the end of the celebrations. The most exciting part, though, was always the height of a wedding itself. As soon as the first guests arrived, the band started playing. For the rest of the night, they seemed to stop only for important toasts to the bride and groom.

As the band’s music began, a professional dancer commenced her rounds of the central floor, spinning to the sounds of the performers and collecting tips to be shared out later to all the members.

What started as one woman dancing in a festive but controlled atmosphere very rapidly became a massive dance party, including everyone from the smallest child in her father’s arms to the oldest babushka who could still manage to move out onto the dance floor.

It goes without saying that as the out-of-place foreigner, I was absolutely required to get into the mix early and often.

Much to the delight of the older Uzbek ladies, the author dances with abandon at the first of four weddings during his stay in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Photo courtesy of Stephen Lioy

Four weddings’ examples of overwhelming generosity, three trips to Sadriddin’s house to visit his family, two toasts in English that I’m confident only a handful of guests understood and one amazing week in Bukhara later, I finally had to flee town in order not to overstay my visa. I left Sadriddin Gulovs with a handshake, a CD of his music and an email address through which to get in touch if I ever go back.

After a week in a city famous for its giant Kalon Minaret, beautifully conserved old city and fortress, and local Jewish culture, I departed instead with memories of music, dancing and an obliging sense of welcome that leaves most others’ I’ve experienced far behind.

It’s not your usual four-step baseline, made popular (or infamous) by European electronica. The rhythms are both modern and traditional, part of a rich musical heritage that dates back hundreds of years to a time in Moldova marked by religious rituals, feudalism and overlapping empires.

True, you wouldn’t be serenaded by the wildly popular rock-laced tunes of Zdob şi Zdub, or even Gyndul Mytsey, while attending a court festival in the 18th century. Instead you’d be more likely to hear a lively brass band of Moldavian folk instruments, belting singers and, of course, the indispensable fiddler. The difference between then and now is quite remarkable, but to a trained ear, they are not so divergent in terms of melody and choice of instruments. The journey between the two styles of music is testament to Moldavian history and the rich influence of the Russian and Ottoman empires.

Strong Musical Roots

Like most folk tunes, Moldavian music is deeply rooted in national traditions. It is characterised by the use of traditional musical instruments such as the nai (also spelled ney), a multi-tubed instrument designed for solo and ensemble performances. To play the nai, a musician must be specially skilled, because the nai emits different sounds depending of the angle of the instrument.

Given the degree of difficulty involved in playing the instrument and the amount of training required, musicians proficient at the nai are deeply honoured by the community. The work of Konstantin Moskovici is widely regarded as the most beautiful rendering of the instrument and a listen to his recordings is all but mandatory for any lover of folk music.

The nai is an instrument unique to Moldova. It produces a different sound based on the angle at which the musician holds it. A high level of skill is required to master the nai. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Zserghei

Traditional folk music is also at the heart of modern Moldavian music, which is marked by a mix of Balkan rhythms and a unique tonal system, and evolved from a combination of folk, secular, academic and contemporary schools of music. One privileged place in Moldavian music is held by the Doina (a type of lyrical folk song that emerged during the early feudal period) and the Kolinda (a ceremonial song belonging to Slavic ritual tradition).

Multiple Influences

As Moldova came under the reign of the Ottoman Empire, the style and type of music changed in keeping with the Turkish, Middle Eastern and North African cultures that swept through the Balkans.

Of course, it wasn’t just music that felt the presence of the triad of influences. A stay in any historic Chisinau hotels or a tour of Chisinau reveals just how layered the architecture is and how complex Moldavian cuisine is with its rich blend of eastern flavours. Or just look at a map of Moldova or a map of Chisinau to get a sense of how the geographical location, one that fell into many powerful spheres of influence, was so important.

Folk dancing goes hand in hand with its musical counterpart, creating a physical ceremony in which listeners can actively participate. Photo courtesy of Flickr/dannmark2000

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Chisinau had become one of the largest cultural centres in the southern Soviet Union. The city was home to some of the period’s best performers including Leopold Auer, I. Hoffmann, A. Siloti, Nezhdanova, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, L. Sobinov and J. Heifetz, and F. Chaliapin.

The Contemporary Fix

Nowadays, instead of court musicians and pastoral songs, young people are getting their folk fix with the likes of internationally famous bands such as Zdob şi Zdub, a name that roughly translates as ‘the sound of impact on the drum’.

In October 2000, Zdob şi Zdub recorded a cover version of ‘Saw Night‘  to pay tribute to Viktor Tsoi’s “Kino”. The song became a hit in the Commonwealth of Independent States, topping the charts for an entire year. The album eventually sold about 1. 5 million copies, a triumph for folk rock in the digital age, and Zdob şi Zdub was dubbed the best live band in Russia (according to Fuzz magazine in 2000). Later, songs like ‘So Lucky’ and ‘Bunica bate doba’ would take Moldavian music to Eurovision and the rest of the world.

Every country needs a rock anthem, and thanks to Zdob şi Zdub, Moldova has got one too without having to forsake a rich folk heritage. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Frédéric de Villamil

Going to a concert of folk music, increasingly classified as traditional music, is becoming one of many ‘musts’ on any traveller’s list. Folk music offers a rare chance to interact with centuries-old practices, carefully passed down from one generation to the next. Folk music is something of a time capsule, moulded over the years alongside shifts in culture and traditions, all while keeping true to a sense of national identity.

For an unforgettable Moldavian experience, get in contact with UNIGLOBE Slavion Travel, the whl.travel local connection and premier travel operator in Moldova, to book unique hotels and tours.

What exactly is a flash mob? It’s a 21st-century fusion of performing arts, Internet culture and widespread fun. A group secretly choreographs a song-and-dance routine to perform without warning in a public place and to the total surprise and delight of a crowd of random bystanders. At the end, the performers disperse back into the crowd without leaving a trace, as if the whole thing were a fantastic dream.

The term ‘flash mob’ was first used in 2003, when some of the first flash mobs were organised. Since then, hundreds of have been staged all over the world. One example that has reached the highest levels of fame is the Sound of Music flash mob in the Central Station of Antwerp (Belgium).

In their purest form, flash mobs are created for the sake of dance, culture and fun. In recent years, however, communications and advertising strategists have caught on to their appeal and commercially produced flash mobs for their ‘viral video’ potential.

Whatever the reason for their existence, flash mobs in airports have helped thousands beat the boredom of long delays and layovers. Here is a roundup of our favourite airport flash mobs.

Edmonton, Canada: Unite for More Flights Flash Mob

The video for this flash mob was posted on May 26, 2011. It’s part of a publicity campaign on behalf of Edmonton International Airport (EIA) in Canada. The airport’s ‘Unite For More Flights’ effort aims to attract more flights to its destination. Strategically, the video is linked to EIA’s Facebook page, where fans can enter to win iPods and iPads.

The flash mob video comes across as commercial, especially when the dancers break out the signs around minute 3:14. Even so, the dancers capture the spirit of fun, breezing with huge smiles and flawless precision through their routine. Especially impressive are the breakdancing runway men. All and all, this video and the surrounding campaign score big points for creativity in destination promotion.

Singapore: Million Dollar Flash Mob in Changi Airport

Like the Edmonton flash mob, this production was also part of an advertising campaign. Singapore’s Changi Airport turned heads last year with its “shop at Changi airport for your chance to win a million dollars” contest.

The performance begins with a little skit. A girl has ‘won’ the million-dollar prize and the dancing is a celebration that she ignites. The music montage even has a get-rich theme to it, but the best part of this video is the way the dance mob grows and grows – what starts out as a few dancers in the beginning expands to a cast of hundreds. Well done, Changi Airport!

Portugal: Lisbon Airport and TAP Celebrate Christmas Flash Mob Style

The Lisbon Airport flash mob was produced, also a commercial production for the high traffic of the Christmas season, on December 23, 2009. The sponsors were the Lisbon Airport and TAP, the national airline of Portugal.

The video gets off to a slow (and very Christmas-y) start, but by 1:39 it warms up to a funkier beat. From there, the music montage delves into doo-wop, samba, disco, rock and even Bollywood beats before circling back around to Christmas cheer at the very end.

Lebanon: Beirut Duty-Free Rocks Airport with Dabke Dance

The funding behind the Beirut Airport flash mob, which took place in March 2011, came from Beirut Duty-Free. Its ‘Take More Back’ advertising campaign encourages travellers to spend more money in the Beirut Airport. Shopping, however, is the last thing on the minds of the lucky onlookers as the performers make everyone in the terminal want to drop everything and dance!

This amazing flash mob scores big for the fusion of dabke (traditional Lebanese dance) with hip-hop. Bravo, Beirut Duty-Free! The travellers who witnessed this incredible event will take back a once-in-a-lifetime memory of Lebanon.

Heathrow, UK: The T-Mobile Welcome Back

Weighing in as the the most virally popular of all airport flash mobs, the T-Mobile Welcome Back has hit almost 9 million views. With such a giant corporate sponsor, it is no wonder that only the most top-notch talent is on display.

Unlike the other airport flash mobs, live singing is more central to the performance than choreography. Astoundingly, no instruments were used in the film’s making. Vocals range from beat boxing to a human violin to a bass singer solo at 1:23. The musical montage is themed with songs about travel and coming home. Even better than the incredible musical skill are the expressions of complete delight on the spectators’ faces. T-Mobile wins 1st place in our airport flash mob line-up.  Worth sharing!

The young Gotipua dancers of Raghurajpur Heritage Village showed off their impressive acrobatic moves at the 2010 World Sacred Music Festival in Fes, Morocco. These dances date back to the 16th century and are dedicated to Lord Krishna. Photo courtesy of Frederic Poletti

It’s a unique gathering of the international music community. Musicians from all corners of the planet converge upon the spiritual city of Fes (in 2011, from June 3rd through June 11th) for tantalising feasts of music, culture and, of course, mouthwatering Moroccan food.

A Celebration of Human Spirit

The Fes Music Festival began in 1994 to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of Jallaludin Rumi, a 13th-century poet, sage and spiritual guide who taught of universal love and community.

The original aim of the festival was to highlight the musical talent of the Arab world, which had previously been underrepresented in the international music scene. Initially therefore open to the traditions only of the three main monotheistic religions, this world music happening today welcomes all religions and creeds. The Dalai Lama even opened the festival in 1999, testament to the celebration of human spirit that guides it.

Fes Encounters

From its modest grassroots and volunteer origins, this event of musical understanding has grown into a much higher and more dynamic level of community cooperation, so much so that in 2000, the event organisers looked beyond music. In roundtable debates known as the ‘Fes Encounters’, they assembled intellectuals, philosophers, economists, social activists and religious leaders to discuss world issues.

At the 2010 World Sacred Music Festival in Fes, Morocco, the Royal Cambodian Ballet entranced viewers with the melodic movements of Khmer classical dance that usually acts out traditional Cambodian stories or epic poems. Photo courtesy of Frederic Poletti

The discussions from past years have revolved around topics such as ‘Our heritage cities: reflections of an ancient world or an imaginative resource for the future?’ and ‘How can culture and spirituality become levers that change our attitude towards the environment?’. The focus of the 2011 gatherings will be ‘Wisdoms of the world’ under the banner of ‘One Soul for Globalisation’.

New in 2011

The 2011 festivities will once again push new boundaries and bring together an eclectic mix of surprises for both newcomers and regular festival attendees.

For concerts, there will be two main stages between which revellers can flow during the 10-day event: the intimate setting of the Batha Museum and the larger arena of the Bab Makina palace courtyard. In addition, the Dar Tazi palace will host the famous Sufi nights, and the Bab Boujloud, with its famous 11th-century tiled gate, will be the site of many free concerts. There will also be loads of educational activities, exhibitions, cultural performances and workshops.

Sufi Rhythms

The pride of this particular music festival is how the traditional Sufi rhythms of Morocco have developed a platform for more modern groups to showcase their musical interpretations, and all in the setting of the spiritual city of Fes.

During the African Spirit night of the 2010 World Sacred Music Festival in Fes, Morocco, Tanzanian rhythms took stage at the Bab Al Makina. Photo courtesy of Frederic Poletti

Little can compare to listening to an artist such as Ben Harper or the Syubbanul Akhyar Esemble from Indonesia right next to the ever-bustling Fes marketplace, where camel-selling and rug-haggling have been carried on for centuries.

As the World Sacred Music Festival spans 10 days, one encouraged practice is day trips to the areas surrounding Fes, perfectly timed for a return to the relaxed city nights and enjoyment of sweet performers’ sounds. The whl.travel local connection in Morocco, Marrakesh Voyage, is an expert in creating personalised travel itineraries around Morocco, and can also help with the booking of Fes hotels.

While accommodation and concert tickets can sometimes be hard to come by, Marrakesh Voyage can help you book in advance of arrival. For up-to-date information about the 2011 event, and all the current happenings in Fes, check in with Marrakesh Voyage.

Thousands of spectators circle the archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, near Cusco, Peru, which serves as the stage for hundreds of vibrantly costumed actors recreating the traditional Incan Inti Raymi festival. Photo courtesy of Pieter Roos

A Pre-colonial Custom

Before the arrival of Spaniards in Cusco, the Incas worshipped the sun as their main deity and source of life; the Incas, they believed, were the children of the Sun God. Each June 22 (the shortest day of the year in the southern hemisphere), the Incas would therefore summon the Sun God through a festival that came to be called Inti Raymi. On this day of the winter solstice – when the sun is at its furthest distance from the equator – the Incas invoked the sun deity, pleading for him to come closer again lest he lose himself in the deep dark universe. They prayed for a good harvest and protection against famine and hunger.

Tawantinsuyo is the Quechua term for the Cusco region. It is derived from tawa, meaning ‘four’, inti, meaning ‘sun’, and suyo, which means ‘side.’ In Inca times, Cusco was the four-sided sun empire. Only the royal family, priests and other influential people were allowed to inhabit the sacred city, but depending on the merits of a few ordinary citizens, some of the latter were permitted to enter its walls on June 22nd to take part in the religious festival celebrated on what is today Cusco’s Plaza de Armas.

At the height of the Inca Empire, around 50,000 people from outside the city would gather, bearing gifts and offerings to present to the Inca elite. In order to participate, they needed to have fasted for nine days. This was followed by nine days of great banquets and feasting on roasted meats and corn loaves. Chicha de jora (fermented corn drink) ran like rivers of laughter, and participants would chew coca leaves, so as to not get too drunk.

The Nustakunas (chosen women) carry offerings of fruits, potatoes and amulets through the Plaza de Armas in the center of Cusco, Peru, where the Inti Raymi ceremony starts. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Cyntia Mott

Spanish Suppression and 20th Century Restoration

In the early 16th century, the vast Inca Empire began to crumble. From 1524-1526, a smallpox epidemic brought to Central America by the Spanish wiped out huge numbers of natives, including both the ruler and his heir. Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro and his brothers then invaded in 1532, seeking gold and riches. Over the next several decades, the Spanish quashed native uprisings and established Cusco as the seat of their Spanish colony. Catholicism was declared the official faith and the annual Inti Raymi festival became a source of tension. Finally, in 1572 Viceroy Toledo forbade what the Spanish considered a pagan celebration.

It wasn’t until the 20th century that this lost Inca rite was restored. In 1944, Faustino Espinoza Navarro, founding member of the Peruvian Academy of the Quechua Language, brought Inti Raymi back to life. He salvaged texts from the Royal Commentaries, written by Garcilaso de la Vega in 1612, and studied fragments dealing with the ancient Inti Raymi ceremony. He created the first play based on it. “I wrote the script for 600 actors and had the privilege of playing the first Inca, a role I assumed with great pride for 14 years consecutively,” said Espinoza. Nowadays, the ceremony is actually celebrated every June 24th, both in the city of Cusco and in indigenous communities all over Peru.

The Inti Churin (Son of the Sun) is carried on his litter at the head of the Inti Raymi procession from the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, Peru, to the Sacsayhuaman archeological site a few kilometres north. Photo courtesy of Pieter Roos

The Inti Raymi Festival Today

Today in Cusco, several days of street parties and processions surround the Inti Raymi festival. On June 24th itself, the ceremony is an all-day affair involving hundreds of costumed actors recreating this ancient rite.

It all starts at 9am, when the Inti Churin (son of the sun) suddenly appears, emerging from the most important shrine – the Koricancha. He extends an invitation to the people to attend the ceremony that ends nine hours later at Sacsayhuaman, the archaeological complex about two kilometres north of Cusco.

The Inti Churin is then carried on a litter by a troupe of bearers to the city’s main plaza, the Plaza de Armas, where 100 musicians announce his arrival on pututos (seashell horns). In their midst are more extravagantly costumed banner carriers. These are all followed by a group of women using branches of cedroncillo, a leafy native plant, to sweep away evil spirits. Leading the latter group are about 30 Nustakunas, or chosen women, who scatter the yellow flowers of the retama plant. Thirty more women tote wicker baskets of fruit and edible tubers, as well as idols and golden amulets. During this grand procession, everyone dances to the music of the pututo, the quena and drums that seem to reverberate through the ground.

In the Inti Raymi festival of Cusco, Peru, the banner bearers (pictured above) form one of many ceremonial groups, along with the army, the Nustakunas (chosen women), musicians and a number of dance troupes. Photo courtesy of Pieter Roos

On the main plaza, the Inti Churin descends from his litter and symbolically urges everyone to work together for the prosperity of the people. The dancers then leap into motion, performing for everyone while the Inti Churin returns to his litter and his bearers carry him to the Sacsayhuaman ruins, which are packed with people.

At the ruins, he again steps off his litter, but this time climbs to the Ushnu or altar. He is accompanied by his court: Auqui (his son), Willaq Uma (the highest priest), Kallpa Rikuq (the prime minister), four Waminkas (generals from the empire), four Amauta Kuna (scholars) and two Kamari (temple guards). When they have found their places, the Inti Churin holds his arms toward the sun. Speaking in Quechua, he sings a hymn: “Powerful sun of eternal happiness, warm source, beginning of life, almighty father of all that is created, here we are to celebrate you!”

Once the Inti Churin has entered the field at Sacsayhuaman, north of Cusco, Peru, he stands up in homage to the sun, declaring, "We are here to celebrate you." Photo courtesy of Pieter Roos

Sacrifice and Prophecy

Meanwhile, one by one, the Nustakunas (chosen women) and warriors gathers to represent the four sides of the empire. The Inti Churin makes a toast with chicha and offers up a llama in a convincing reenactment of a sacrifice. He raises his bloody hand with the animal’s heart in it and the high priest foretells the future through the animal’s innards: “The fat, the blood, the heart and the lungs say that there will be an invasion of enemy people!”

The high priest and the military general then descend from the Ushnu carrying lighted torches, which they use to light small heaps of straw. After studying the tongues of fire, smoke and the embers, the prophecies and wisdom continue: “The empire will achieve prosperity. There are reserves of many riches, but man finds wellbeing through his labor. He must not be lazy, much less a liar or a thief!”

On the Ushnu, or altar, the Inti Churin and his court reenact the sacrifice of a llama and extraction of its heart. As part of the Inti Raymi of Cusco, Peru, they make prophesies based on the entrails of the sacrificed animal. Photo courtesy of Pieter Roos

Finally, all the Incas take communion with maize flour and blood from the sacrificed llama. The ceremony now nears its end as the sunbeams fall more obliquely and shadows lengthen. The afternoon bids goodbye to all, as does the Inti Churin and his court, making way for the dancers from Cusco’s community who have arrived with their own bands. People mix with dancers and tourists take pictures of each other in this wonderful cultural setting.

Thinking of going to Peru this June? Don’t miss the Inti Raymi festival in Cusco on June 24, 2011, and the several days of celebration surrounding it. Visitors who are planning to attend should book Cusco accommodation through Chaska Tours, the whl.travel local connection in Cusco. Contact them to arrange a guided tour of Inti Raymi, either as a group trip or a private tour that includes explanations throughout the day and preferential seating.

Vivid Carnival costumes work well against the backdrop of colourful old houses and churches on the Largo da Ordem, the old town of Curitiba, Brazil. Photo by Aline Cruz

What is the most highly anticipated and favourite holiday in Brazil? If you guessed Carnival, you’re right! Carnival is hands down the country’s biggest and most popular party.

Most people have already heard about the famous celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and other cities in the northeast like Salvador and Recife. They imagine lots of people dancing samba, wearing costumes, drinking and enjoying the parades and the awesome street parties.

Sure enough, the celebration brings all other activities in the country to a grinding halt. Carnival, however, is far from monolithic. It can be – and is! – celebrated in many ways, both in Brazil and elsewhere. In fact, every city in Brazil has different festivities, and locals take time to celebrate how they want. Some people spend the holiday on the beaches and party in the nightclubs, some celebrate in the streets with parades and bands, some go abroad, and some just like to stay home for some rest and relaxation. No matter where you are, Carnival is always a great time to be in Brazil and join in on the mass-scale fun.

A Carnival Warm-Up

In Curitiba, capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the biggest city in southern Brazil, Carnival happens a little bit differently. People sometimes say that Carnival here is not very exciting or even that the city doesn’t have a Carnival at all, but this has been changing ever since a small group of friends decided to give the Carnival atmosphere some momentum in Curitiba. They started to organise and celebrate a local Carnival back in 1998 when they founded a group called Garibaldis e Sacis that congregates in Largo da Ordem, the Old Town district. The party is called Pré-Carnaval de Curitiba, meaning a ‘warm-up’ for Carnival.

The idea was a big hit and nowadays the Pré-Carnaval take place without fail every Sunday afternoon starting a month before the official national holiday. The party starts at 4pm, right after the famous open market, the Feira de Artesanato do Largo da Ordem, closes, and then comes to an end around 11pm.

On each Sunday, the party has a theme for which everyone dresses up and joins an improvised little parade as an excellent excuse to dance, sing and drink around the city’s historical centre. According to the event organisers, the 2011 group already numbers more than 5,000 people. Most of them are students, but families, lawyers, journalists and all kinds of people participate – even little kids!

Guilherme (second from left) enjoys the fun party atmosphere of Pré-Carnaval in Curitiba, Brazil, with a group of his friends. Lara (left) is also on the whl.travel team in Curitiba

Getting into the Groove

In 2008, I moved to Curitiba from São José do Rio Preto, a rural part of São Paulo State. Since I love to party and experience new things, I had to check out the Pré-Carnaval. I loved it so much that I started going every year. I have only missed one Sunday so far because of rain, but the party still happened regardless. I really enjoy it and think it is an awesome local Curitiba event that everyone in the city should support through participation.

It was amazing to see the crowd dancing, singing, laughing and chatting, all with big grins on their faces. But what most amazed me most was the atmosphere of familiarity and joy. Every time I go I see lots of friends and also meet many new people. In 2010, I went with a friend from Recife and he said that it felt like he was in Olinda, a famous historic town in the northeast that holds one of the most famous Carnival celebrations in Brazil! He was really surprised by Curibita’s party and we had a great time.

Another curiosity about Carnival in Curitiba is that on the date of the official holiday, the city holds a psychobilly and rockabilly festival called Psycho Carnival, instead of the popular samba music and dance traditional in other cities. Now in its 12th year, the event attracts music artists and festival-goers from all over the world. In fact, ten out of the 30 bands scheduled to play in 2011 are from countries like the United States, England, Australia, Germany, Ecuador and Argentina.

Since 1998, the group called 'Garibaldis and Sacis' have helped get the Pré-Carnaval party going in the historical centre of Curitiba, Brazil

I haven’t been to the Psycho Carnival yet because it is not my style. Nor have I been to see the famous celebrations in Rio and São Paulo yet, but I would love eventually to experience all kinds of Carnivals. Every year I like to go to somewhere new: 2008 in my hometown with my family, 2009 in Ouro Preto, the historic town where college students organise an awesome party on the campus and in the streets.

In 2010 I went to Bloco Oba in Votuporanga, a small city close to my hometown, and it was the best Carnival ever. each day the party itself takes place in two parts – first from 2pm to 10pm and then again from 1am to 7am. Famous Brazilian bands get around 20,000 people pumped and partying the whole day, five days in a row. Crazy huh? I had a blast and this year I plan to spend my Carnival there again!

If you enjoy partying and Carnival, there is no better country to visit than Brazil! Every good traveller needs to experience it at least once in a lifetime.