The Transcarpathia region of southwest Ukraine is a unique area, a tourism pearl sometimes called "Little Switzerland." Photo courtesy of Iloveukraine/Tetyana

Today, this grand state beckons travellers to explore its intricate church architecture and delicate frescos, bustling cities and authentic rural villages, and gorgeous natural resources. Along the way, you will discover that there are plenty of cultural myths and stories, the kinds about unique local archetypal characters that will capture your imagination and keep you coming back for more local travel experiences in Ukraine.

Here are just three stories with which to whet your appetites.

The Babushkas of Ukraine’s Cities

Babushka (in Russian) or babusia (in Ukrainian), as Ukrainians call their elderly ladies, are an inevitable sight in any city or town in Ukraine, no matter where you go. Stroll along the cobbled sidewalks in Lviv and you will see them, chatting and singing folk songs in front of the impressive Opera Theatre. Hop on a train headed east and you will be greeted by their curious eyes and voices selling homegrown apples and freshly baked buns with jam or poppy seeds. Head further east and you will find them sitting on every street bench, letting the world pass by in the greenery of Kharkiv’s parks, or selling everything from sunflower seeds to flower bouquets in Donetsk.

Kyiv (Kiev) is the capital city of Ukraine. Photo courtesy of IloveUkraine/Marynka

The cultural phenomenon of babusia in Ukraine is directly tied to the country’s troubled history. The 20th century saw an epic tug of war waged between five empires parceling up the country, two world wars fought on Ukrainian territory, tragic famine and a repressive communist regime. Together, these afflictions laid waste to most of Ukraine’s men, leaving behind the now-familiar crowds of babushkas. It is the stories of these women that make Ukraine so different from other cities in Central Europe.

But there is much more to Ukraine’s cities. Charming Lviv will leave you with the smell of freshly ground coffee, the memory of cosy cobblestone streets in a World Heritage-listed town centre and the air of jazz and classical music. Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine, has the ruthless bustle of a teenager, but also wide promenades and maple trees, the sparkling golden domes of St. Sophia Cathedral and painful insights at the National Chernobyl Museum. Further east and south, grandiose Tsars’ palaces pop up along the Black Sea shore, Tatar mosques call for prayer, and statues of Lenin and Karl Marx crowd the streets of like Donetsk and Odessa.

The Hutsul highlanders of Ukraine are an ethno-cultural that group that still uses ages-old traditional practices and wears traditional clothing for major celebrations. Photo courtesy of Igor Melika

The Traditional Hutsul Highlanders

Far from the urban scapes of Ukraine’s cities are traditional rural villages dotting the hills of the Carpathian Mountains. Lush pine forests and hard-to-access trails make it difficult for many travellers to explore the countryside of the Hutsuls, an ethno-cultural group of Ukrainian highlanders. Unlike more heavily explored areas in Central Europe, Ukraine’s Carpathian Mountains remain largely cut off from the main tourist routes. You will find few marked walking trails; organised campsites are virtually non-existent. Most highland roads can only be reached via four-wheel-drive vehicles, on foot or by the horse cart. Few if any people speak English, and most still live by the centuries-old customs of their ancestors.

Hutsul society was traditionally based on forestry and logging, as well as cattle and sheep breeding. Right up until the present day, the month of May marks the Hutsul’s most exciting and colourful celebrations, a time when Hutsul shepherds leave their homes to spend three months herding flocks of sheep and producing delicious cheese known locally as brynza.

Stepping into a Hutsul house in Ukraine is a trip back in time. One of the joys is a taste of delicious homemade cheese known locally as 'brynza.' Photo courtesy of Igor Melika

Stepping into a rural Hutsul house is a trip back in time: you can sample delicious homemade bread, enjoy fresh water from deeply-dug wells, taste vegetables from the local fields and even try on colourful Hutsul clothes, still worn on major village celebrations.

Hutsul people are also famous for their incredible craftsmanship. At the local bazaar, you may find beautifully and intricately decorated eggs, ornate clothing and delicate woodwork.

Travellers lucky enough to spend a day or two in the Hutsul villages during traditional holiday celebrations will come away mesmerised by the whirlwind of colours, timeless customs, plentiful dinners and authentic culture carefully preserved on the outskirts of Europe.

The Carpathian Mountains of Ukraine in winter. Photo courtesy of Igor Melika

The Vast Expanses of Nature

The Dnieper – Ukraine’s largest and Europe’s second-longest river – is bested only by the Danube. So great is its presence, ”Rare is the bird that flies to the middle of the Dnieper,” wrote Nicolai Gogol, a well-known Russian and Ukrainian writer. And while the Dnieper is definitely not the majestic waterway it was during Gogol’s lifetime, it remains an impressive and imposing sight, a symbol of Ukraine’s stunning natural landscapes.

Beyond the Dniepr, due to the sheer vastness of the territory, Ukraine can satisfy even the pickiest nature lover. Dense forests in the north hide countless rivers, marshes, lakes and swamps. In the west the gentle peaks of the Carpathian Mountains tower over the lush valleys, underground caves and World Heritage-listed beech forests boasting an abundance of wildlife. The south brings the warm sunshine, pebbled beaches and the grand Black Sea.

The Dniepr River is Ukraine's largest and Europe's second-longest river. Photo courtesy of Iloveukraine/Yevgen Pohulaylo

Whether you choose to go hiking in the Carpathian highlands, kayaking along the winding rivers or just enjoy sipping your morning coffee at the artsy cafes of Lviv, don’t forget to listen to the background stories of caring babusias, welcoming Hutsuls, cheerful women, ambitious youngsters, fearless Cossacks and countless others that form an eccentric and yet truthful-to-the-core mosaic of Ukraine, Europe’s largest unexplored frontier.

For an up-close glimpse of local Ukrainian culture – the unique combination of a proud and cosmopolitan European past, eclectic communist history and newly reasserted independence – try the wide range of Ukraine holiday packages available though Gunyah, a marketplace of authentic local experiences and tours for independent travellers.

We are nevertheless once again proud to present our Photos of the Year – the travel pictures of the year 2011 that most captured the imagination of The Travel Word team and a group of expert external judges. Unlike our Photo of the Year 2010, this year (2011), we had a tie for first place.

Click on the image below for more information about them. See further below for the judges’ comments about them and the rest of the shortlist.

Krishna Mandir on Krishna Janmashtami, Patan, Nepal

Cheetahs Posing, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

About the Photo of the Week and the Photo of the Year

A bit more than two years ago, we started featuring one picture each week (or, lately, every other week) on The Travel Word. We spotlighted favourite images pulled from our growing collections on Flickr.

We then asked the photographer or owner of each selected Photo of the Week to submit a short and revealing text about it – covering the subject of the photo, the general location, the experience of taking the picture, technical aspects of photography etc.

These text-image combinations have proven to be very popular. We believe that this has a lot to do with the special emphasis we have placed on the honesty of the images, all taken or sourced by our partners, who are local travel experts in their destinations. Through their eyes, and given their knowledge of what makes their homes unique, we felt confident that were discovering something special.

The Shortlist

Our methods were decidedly unscientific. For each month, The Travel Word team singled out one photo of the month. To this list of 12 we added afew wild cards that had made a particular impression on us. This shortlist is what we sent to a group of five skilled photographers for their assessment.

Below are the nine images, ranked in order, that caught the judges’ fancies along with their comments. We thank the judges for their contribution and encourage you to learn more about their work.

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+ WINNERS: PHOTOS OF THE YEAR 2011: Krishna Mandir on Krishna Janmashtami, Patan, Nepal AND Cheetahs Posing, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Comments about Krishna Mandir on Krishna Janmashtami, Patan, Nepal, photo and text by Navin M. Shrestha:
“This photo does an excellent job of capturing both the manic movement of the crowd and the ethereal nature of the temple.” — Mike Richards

“Here’s a unique image of the Durbar Square of Patan that not only does a good job of displaying the beauty of the temple of Lord Krisha, but bringing the square to its full cultural context by choosing to photograph it on Krishna Janmashtami (the birth anniversary of Krishna), full of devotees, prayer and a long enough exposure that bleeds the light and gives the scene a more spiritual climate.” — Arog Vila

“This picture is amazing for the fact that at first glance it could reflect a scene dating back centuries. Truly a timeless shot.” — Matt Stabile

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Comments about Cheetahs Posing, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, photo by Ward Graham, accompanying text by Shafina Bandali:
“Luck is the final element, together with well-studied technique, good planning and plenty of patience, that results in this gorgeous golden-hour capture of two cheetahs looking back at us. This image has a rich tonal range accentuated by a pronounced vignette, which in this case does more than spotlight the cheetahs, it completes the interplay of light within the frame.” — Arog Vila

“Great light, composition and pose, it’s almost tells the viewer that these wild cheetahs are longing for some patting.” — Rafael Pinho

“From a technical perspective, the depth of field and vignetting are just right to single out the pair of cheetahs. They appear curious, ominous and regal all at once.” — Mike Richards

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+ RUNNERS UP: Church of Tisco, Arequipa, Peru AND Beautiful Waters of the Bocas Islands, Panama

Comments about the Church of Tisco, Arequipa, Peru, photo by Alberto Gonzalez, accompanying text by Mariel Gonzalez:
“Travel photography at its best evokes faraway experience in a single image, and this shot of a remote Peruvian church does just that: the totemic ochre ornamentations and roaming landscape transport the viewer to the high fields, far from home.” — Linus Gelber

“Just the right amount of grunge and color provide a contemporary artistic take on a classic stone structure.” — Mike Richards

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Comments about the Beautiful Waters of the Bocas Islands, Panama, photo by ATP, accompanying text by Melissa:
“Transparent green water makes any destination appealing, even if it’s all there is to it. This image portrays the dream-like environment all urbanites long for.” — Rafael Pinho

“I’m a sucker for visions of tropical paradise, probably because I so rarely experience tropical paradise. A jetty with amenities, lifted above clear entrancing waters, with balmy skies above – does it get better than this?” — Linus Gelber

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OTHER FAVOURITES OF OUR JUDGES:

+ Sleepy Lions, Kidepo Valley National Park, Uganda, photo by Steve Cunliffe, accompanying text by Nicola Swann

Comment:
“As anyone who has gone on safari knows, finding lions is the ultimate reward, and to find them in such a natural state must have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Oddly enough, this also looks like my family’s living room after Thanksgiving dinner.” — Matt Stabile

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+ The Children of Yakel Village, Tanna, Vanuatu, photo and accompanying text by John Nicholls

Comment:
“Seven strange children range along the ladder entrance to a treehouse home on Tanna Island; they may never hold an Xbox controller or argue the merits of teen fashion, but they smile, gaze, consider and go about their business just like children anywhere else. The wild differences highlight that we are, at heart, pretty much the same.” — Linus Gelber

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+ Smile from a Little Girl, Cusco, Peru, photo by Pieter Roos, accompanying text by Fernando Carrasco

Comments:
“This heartwarming portrait of a little girl is technically sound and beautifully communicative of the colorful personality beyond the girl’s colorful costume. An image that is very easy to connect with, well done!” — Arog Vila

“This girl’s amazing smile reminds me of what is truly great about travel: the people.” — Matt Stabile

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+ Migratory Birds, Lijiang, China, photo and accompanying text by Lily Zhang

Comment:
“A skein of geese, which might have just recently taken off, before forming a V, makes this a chaotic but amusing composition where each element has a certain clumsiness to it.” — Rafael Pinho

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The Judges

We sincerely thank our five judges for the time and effort taken to review our shortlist. We value their opinions and their readiness to share them with us. Please take a moment to check out their work.

Linus Gelber is a photographer from New York City, where he shoots cityscapes and live performances (notably burlesque) and sees way too many movies, if such a thing is possible. His work is represented by Getty Images. Linus would like to go to Antarctica one day, and if you knew how he felt about New York winters you’d think that was weird too.

Born in Brazil, Rafael Pinho took up photography after finishing his architecture studies. He set out as a freelancer in 2005 in Belo Horizonte and spent the following years between Berlin, New York, Reykjavík and São Paulo. His work has been shown at the Florence Biennale (2011) and the Biennale di Roma (2012) and appeared in the The Wall Street Journal, Modern Painters (US), Forum AID (Sweden), FFW Mag! (Brazil), Nýtt Líf (Iceland), Trip and Tpm (Brazil).

Mike Richard is the editor of Vagabondish. He lives in Rhode Island – a spit of land in the northeastern US - where he is a professional web designer and travel junkie with an unhealthy addiction to backpacking, camping, hiking and seeing the world. He enjoys knit hats, small, declarative sentences and speaking in the third person.

Matt Stabile founded and runs TheExpeditioner.com, through which you can read his writings, see his videos, purchase the book he co-edited or contact him via email at any time.

Arog Vila is a New York-based photographer who developed his unique aesthetic and rule-breaking composition studying at the International Center of Photography, the New School and the School of Visual Arts. He delivers crisp and edgy images of photojournalistic human narrative, pointing his camera on the expected from an entirely new angle, then turning to the unusual and connecting it to something familiar and beautiful.

Such too were the reasons why whl.travel, the global online travel-booking network of mindful local travel experts, stepped up to sponsor it, working from within its extensive network of local partners to find fitting ecotourism prize material for the winners.

Participants were given a limit of 1,000 words and five evocative photographs through which to tell their stories. They were also required to provide tips about ecotourism in their selected destinations or reflections about how they might help better preserve that particular destination through ecotourism practices.

See the promotional video here:

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And now the winners have been identified. From dozens of submissions, a shortlist of 10 finalists (determined by public vote) was reviewed by a panel of judges that included representatives from The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), Tourism Concern, MyNatour and the WHL Group, the parent company of whl.travel.

Ethan Gelber, the Chief Communication Officer of the WHL Group, said (see the video directly below) that he was looking for three qualities when determining the best of the ecotourism travel blog contest finalists: the first was “how much time and effort was taken by the person to think about what an ecotourism experience is”; the second was “how carefully they made a choice of the experience they wanted to live through”; and the third was “whether or not the experience was as rich as they thought it would be.”

And now the winners have been announced and decided on their prizes:

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FIRST PLACE: A Garden Lady in India’s Cold Mountain Desert by Shivya

As her prize, Shivya will escape to the highland region of the Albanian Alps. Hosted by Outdoor Albania, the whl.travel local connection in Albania, Shivya will set off on a five-day guided trek through some of the country’s most vivid scenery. With overnights spent in the traditional houses of the Albanian highlanders, daytime activities include a ferry trip along Lake Koman, a visit to the Valbona Valley and a trek to the Theth Valley surrounded by high mountain passes and peaks.

SECOND PLACE: Reef to Rainforest by Hobbers

Hobbers will head deep into Estonia’s Soomaa National Park (soomaa translates more or less as ‘land of the bogs’). Surrounded by vast floodplains and crisscrossed by rivers, she and a companion will enjoy a wilderness experience in an area known for its canoeing, ‘bog-shoeing,’ beavers and berry-picking – all courtesy of Soomaa.com, an operator based out of Estonia.

THIRD PLACE: My Trip to Mali – Halt in Terya Bugu by Mario Difra

Mario will travel from his home in Italy to southwest Laos, a region replete with jungles, raging rivers and outstanding cultural heritage. Once there, he will embark on a high-flying treetop adventure by zipline, followed by a Mekong cruise to the World Heritage Site of Wat Phou – all made possible by Teamworkz, the whl.travel local connection in Laos.

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The three ecotourism packages that were not selected were a rainforest adventure in Ecuador made possible by the Yachana Lodge, the whl.travel local connection in Quito; a Galapagos Island tour through Yacu Amu Experiences, the whl.travel local connection in the Galapagos; and a visit to Sana’a and Soqotra in Yemen with Eternal Yemen, the whl.travel local in Yemen.

The author grates zucchini under the watchful eye of Koula Barydakis, the chef-instructor who believes that the food of Crete, Greece, is the healthiest in the world. Photo of Heather Rath

Koula Barydakis, our ebullient chef instructor, began our local cooking lessons by pouring a shot of raki for herself and her students as we toasted the traditional Cretan diet, one of the healthiest in the world, which is a quality Barydakis makes clear in her book, Foods of Crete: Traditional Recipes from the Healthiest People in the World.

Cretan Cuisine Through the Eyes of a Local

“We Cretans eat abundantly but simply, consuming much olive oil, olives, seasonal fruits and vegetables including wild mountain greens (horta), yogurt, cheese, lentils and beans,” Barydakis explained to us. “We eat meat once a week and on special occasions. We always drink a lot of mountain tea (malotera, good for the stomach) while eating bread and olives.” It doesn’t hurt that the food is routinely flavoured with native herbs like oregano, thyme and sage, and that red wine commonly accompanies lunch and dinner.

Even cats have something to contribute to food sustainability in Crete, Greece. Photo courtesy of Heather Rath

When it comes to food, Barydakis even proudly proclaims that Crete has practised sustainable living without using the name. Raki is derived from the residue of grape pressings. Most fruits and vegetables consumed are seasonal, not imported from faraway places. Crops are grown naturally without fertilisers and pesticides, just as they have been for generations. In Barydakis’s village, goats make short work of any scraps of food. Chickens are free range and their fresh eggs contain bright orange yolks. Even the scavenger street cats of Crete are part of the solution!

Modest Origins, Modest Practice

Barydakis recalls how her parents sent her to hairdressing school to learn how to earn a living unaware she also attended cooking school, where she refined the culinary skills learned from her mother and grandmother. At 16, she left Crete to travel abroad but spent most of her new life as a chef in Toronto, Canada’s Greektown before her “blessed island” lured her home again.

Delicious handmade dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with rice) are typical of the cuisine on Crete, Greece. Photo courtesy of Heather Rath

Now she conducts her cooking classes under a patch of cobalt blue sky in an old olive oil press building renovated 10 years ago in Vamos, a traditional Cretan village. In case of rare inclement weather, she moves to a house.

During our session, we chopped, grated, mixed, pressed, formed – and dined on – rooster with Cretan pasta, kalitsounia pies (a sweet cheese pastry), grape leaves with rice (dolmades), zucchini fritters, Greek salad and garlic beets with yogurt salad washed down with liberal amounts of village wine.

A Greek Island Full of Grace

Cretan cooking is not the only lesson Barydakis taught us. She is an exuberant ambassador for her island.

“Crete is a beautiful island filled with bountiful food.’ she enthused. “The wild, natural beauty of the mountains and the ocean make you think that when God created Crete, He created all the beauty the human mind can imagine. The land is so rich with olive, lemon and orange trees, and gardens, the smell alone can make you drunk. The wide variety of herbs and flowers from ancient times found on Crete is still used to cure pains and diseases. Writers, explorers, scientists and tourists all come to Crete to see it, study it, eat the tasty foods, drink the raki and get high on its immortal wines. The people of Crete live simply and always win your heart.”

The market of fresh greens in Crete, Greece, help to make the local cuisine so rich in variety of and nutrition. Photo courtesy of Heather Rath

Barydakis lives her philosophy. Following my lesson, our weekends in Crete soon featured Saturdays with Barydakis. Each week we met for coffee in a different place of Chania, the ancient city on the island’s western shore, after which she took us on a leisurely walking tour to show us excellent local restaurants, and markets, and pointed out where to purchase good local wines. She led us to special churches, monasteries and gave us a thumbnail sketch of Cretan feast holidays. Our education included the island’s Second World War history and how it affected her village and family.

A Dish to Savour: Cheese and Spinach Pie

The dough
Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup raki (Barydakis says white wine or lemon juice can be used instead)
a pinch of salt
warm water (as much as needed)
½ cup olive oil

Directions
Mix the ingredients and knead them well. The pastry must be a little soft. Leave it to ‘rest’ for half an hour, covered with a towel.

Zucchini fritters frying in olive oil in Crete, Greece. Photo courtesy of Heather Rath

The Cheese stuffing
Ingredients
Equal amounts of ricotta and feta cheese
2 eggs
chopped sprigs of fresh mint
salt

Directions
Mix all the ingredients together and place on the pastry as below. Roll the dough until it is not more than 1-2 mm thick and then cut it into round shapes of about 8 cm in diameter. Put in a little stuffing and fold in a half moon shape. Seal the edges with a fork. Fry in hot olive oil. When they are browned on both sides, remove and serve.

Kali oreksi, enjoy your meal!

This Buddha statue was added to the Wat Phou complex in Champasak, Laos, when it was converted to Theravada Bhuddism at the turn of the 14th century. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Adam63

Surrounding the temple complex is the province of Champasak, once a bustling region of enormous historical significance, both political and spiritual, as it was a seat of Khmer imperial power. Today, however, within a stone’s throw of Wat Phou, the little colonial town of Champasak, a quaint village with French colonial-era buildings, sees little intrusion from outsiders and displays none of the area’s immense 13th-century splendour. The ruins nevertheless continue to attract pilgrims and visitors, who marvel at the ancient stone sculptures and majestic carved boulders.

A Well-Deserved Status

In 2001, due to their unique cultural significance and beauty, the Wat Phou ruins were classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This status sparked renewed interest from the Lao government, and, since 2007, both the Lao Information Ministry and the French Cultural Ministry are engaged in archaeological studies, as well as renovation of both the structures and their decorative engravings.

A carved boulder depicting a crocodile was supposedly used to perform human sacrifices over a 1,000 years ago at the Wat Phou complex in Champasak, Laos, before the beginning of the Khmer Empire. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Mattun0211

The 390-square-kilometre complex – which includes the smaller Tao Tao, Nang Sida and Tomo temples – is exceptional testimony of the Khmer practice of Hinduism. In addition to the surviving stone-carved evidence of this dating back to the 6th century, the site itself perfectly portrays the Hindu vision of symbiosis between nature and the human soul, the temples being isolated within the confines of the forest.

This unique natural sanctity is enhanced by the alignment of the edifices at the lower and middle levels of the complex with the mountain summit. Nowadays, the bottom-to-top climb holds tremendous spiritual significance to Buddhists, who leave prayers and offerings on the way up and at the temple on top of the hill.

Divine Natural Manifestations

The great Phu Kao Mountain looms over the site and is believed to be one of the primary reasons for the establishment of Wat Phou. The mountain’s silhouette is said to resemble a linga, a universal symbol of Lord Shiva, and a river descending from the mountaintop symbolises the stream of life that flows from Lord Shiva’s head (mimicking the reasons for the reverence of Mount Kailash in Tibet). Fittingly, an abundance of tales and folklore illustrates the divine powers that lie in these grounds: the temple is said to have cured people made wretched by illnesses and brought prosperity to those who sought blessings.

Looking back towards the Mekong river from the top of the hill where the main Wat Phou sanctuary is located in Champasak, Laos. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/mattun0211

After so many centuries, the surrounding voracious forest seems to be reclaiming what once belonged to it; trees and dense vegetation encroach on and around the grounds of the site. The effect is incredible, full of unexpected beauty. “From a tourist perspective, you walk up the centuries-old stone staircase of Wat Phou, under the frangipani trees that push directly out of the rock, to emerge before panoramic views of the surrounding area,” recalls Lee Sheridan, General Manager of Teamworkz, the whl.travel local travel connection in Laos. “The bird’s-eye view from the top of the hill takes in the temple ruins below, which are assumed to be prayer rooms. Beyond this you have two lakes, beyond which the Mekong River drifts silently past.”

Definite Must-See in Laos

Wat Phou is best enjoyed over a few days, and the best bet for nearby accommodation is in the town of Champasak. That said, a day trip can also be made from Pakse, the largest city in southern Laos.

In addition to the site’s clear historical appeal, a trip to the ruins is essential for visitors with spiritual inclinations: the calm surroundings, the inherent mysticism and few visitors make it a great place to meditate. “Wat Phou is primarily a pilgrimage place,” explains Alexandre Tsuk, Managing Director of the Inthira Group, which manages the Inthira Hotel, an excellent-value lodging set in a former Chinese shop house in Champasak town. “You can buy flowers to offer at the temple and you don t have the impression you’re in a tourist site at all.”

This carved pediment on the south side of the sanctuary at Wat Phou in Champasak, Laos, shows Krishna killing Kamsa and dates from the site's early days as a Hindu site. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Markalexander100

After exploring the ancient ruins, a visit to the on-site museum reveals sculptures and relics removed from their original locations in the complex to avoid destruction from erosion.

Travellers with a few days to spare might enjoy arriving at the site after three tranquil days on a Mekong River boat cruise to Wat Phou. A full moon at Wat Phou is also special, as 10,000 candles are spread at night over the ancient ruins. This is in contrast to the first week of February, when the annual multi-day Wat Phou Festival brings the normally quiet site alive with ceremonies, games and processions of monks. Throughout the year, more adventurous travellers can join guided explorations of caves found on Phu Kao Mountain.

To plan a real local experience in Wat Phou, get in touch with Teamworkz, the whl.travel local connection in Laos. They’ll help you make the best of Wat Phou, but if you’ve got more time, also try other travel adventures in Champasak.

Historically Fraught Forts and Castles

The World Heritage forts and castles of Ghana were built along the entire coastline of the country between the 15th and 18th centuries by various European nations competing bitterly with one another for a slice of the lucrative but abominable trade in chattel slavery. This dark commerce forcefully trafficked millions of Africans to the New World and beyond in what became known as triangular slave trade.

The Elmina Castle is one of the best-known and most touristed of around 70 castles and forts in Ghana that have collectively earned UNESCO World Heritage status. Its relevance to the 15th-century slave trade is what gives it high historical value. Photo courtesy of flickr/erikkristensen

With time, this coming together of people of different racial and cultural backgrounds brought about an unprecedented cultural shift of a global dimension. Hence the importance of the forts and castles as points of pilgrimage for thousands of Africans in the diaspora who return each year to Africa to discover where the journeys of their ancestors began. The 1979 decision by UNESCO to place the forts and castles under its wing was primarily to conserve them as World Heritage Sites of universal value.

In addition to that, UNESCO wants the forts and castles to be seen not only as symbols of a historical reality that has been ignored for far too long, but also as a cue for today’s world. By helping us reexamine history, the monuments represent issues of today such as Africa’s struggle with racial and human rights. They pave the way for reconciliation, development and peace.

Each year, people of African origin from all over the world sojourn to castles like Cape Coast in Ghana to commemorate the starting point of the slave trade diaspora. Photo courtesy of flickr/Adam Jones, Ph.D

Though only two of the best preserved structures – the Elmina Castle, built by the Portuguese in 1482, and the Cape Coast Castle, initiated by the Swedes in 1669 – are popular with tourists and well known since their elevation as World Heritage Sites, the 30 other surviving structures, including those in abject ruin like Koromantse and Keta, are no less important in the roles they played. They memorialise some of the most important events to shape human history in the past 500 years. For that reason, UNESCO has commemorated all the forts and castles as common heritage sites for Ghana and the European nations that built them.

Before the UNESCO initiative, most of the existing forts and castles were open to public viewing and even used as guesthouses. The UNESCO stamp of approval in 1979 has brought them even more prestige, enhancing their tourism appeal. It has also sharpened the commitment to save them from total obliteration and has aided the cause to release those now serving as prisons or offices. For example, in Accra, Fort Christiansborg, also known as Osu Castle, is the central office of the Ghana Museum and Monuments Board (GMMB).

Original Ashanti architecture, with its intricate and complicated 'adinkra' symbols, is so rare that the best examples are found in drawings from the 19th century. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Thomas Edward Bowdich

Ashanti Traditional Houses: Dying Architecture

The Ashanti Traditional Houses of Ghana won the approval of UNESCO in 1980 as testimony to the complex architectural and artistic expression of native Africans. Sadly, only a few of the structures remain today.

Found in the Eastern and Ashanti regions of Ghana, these mud-walled Shrine Houses with woven palm-branch roofs are most remarkable for the fine geometrical designs and stylised animal emblems found on them. Each of the symbols, known as adinkra, are also used in the design of a popular local cloth of the same name and as carvings in traditional regalia like linguistic staffs. Each adinkra has a special meaning, representing specific cultural concepts or aphorisms.

Despite the lofty reputation of Ashanti Traditional Houses as UNESCO monuments, the GMMB and Ghana’s tourism authorities have more work to do with regard to education concerning the spectacular traditional architecture of Ghana.

This house in Ghana is a replica of a traditional Ashanti house. Very few genuine examples still remain. Photo courtesy of flickr/Berry FIne

UNESCO Status Needed: Lake Bosomtwe

There remains one Ghanaian asset of immense cultural and scientific value that needs inclusion on the UNESCO list to save it from destruction. This is Lake Bosomtwe, the sacred lake of Ashanti famed for its scenic splendour and as a puzzling geological landmark for scientists around the world.

The problem with this intriguing lake is that many of its unique qualities, such as fossil records of scientific importance, remain largely unknown. Created by a falling meteorite, 1.07 million years ago, Lake Bosomtwe can be compared with another body of water of similar origin in Africa called Lake Tswaing, near Pretoria, South Africa, which, even though it possesses fewer attributes, has been adopted by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Ghana's fragile and scenic Lake Bosomtwe has much to lose if drastic measures such as UNESCO protection aren't undertaken soon. Photo courtesy of flickr/jntolva

The dangers facing Lake Bosomtwe include the abandonment of time-tested traditional methods of navigation and fishing; and the setting aside of customary ceremonies that once protected the lake from excessive exploitation and threats to an endemic species of fish, Chromis bosomanus, which is named after the lake. The lake’s environs have been stripped of original forest vegetation and there is risk of stoppage of a peculiar phenomenon that released accumulated gases and avoided stagnating. It would take nothing less than the intervention of UNESCO to save the lake from drying up and to protect the ancient cultures of those living near this geological wonder.

Following media promptings, the GMMB appealed to the World Heritage Council in September 1998 at its meeting in Porto Novo, Benin Republic, to recognise Lake Bosomtwe as a World Heritage Site. The request was acknowledged, but Ghana must now pursue the matter more vigorously to win the UNESCO endorsement.

An angler on Lake Bosomtwe still uses the traditional single-plank fishing method. The degradation of the lake has put at risk the guarantee of his catch. Photo courtesy of flickr/jntolva

Such a move will enhance the prestige of this miniature inland sea, helping to save it from destruction and opening the door to more research and greater ecotourism opportunities.

To encounter the history and culture of Ghana’s treasured world heritage, visit Lake Bosomtwe or take an Ashanti culture and history tour with M & J Travel and Tours, the whl.travel local connection in Ghana.

This footage captures the moment hundreds of lanterns are released into the skies above Chiang Mai, Thailand. The ultra-light paper body fills with hot gas and sends each lantern soaring skyward, the suspended flame propelling its glowing form into the night. As the huge group lifts into the air, the breeze catches the lanterns and carries them peacefully into the night, each light gradually fading to a bright speck, one of many points of light in the evening sky.

The tradition is a major annual event in Chiang Mai as well as in other parts of Thailand. The release of lanterns is part of a festival known as Yi Peng, a holdover from the ancient kingdom of Lanna which used to cover most of what is now Northern Thailand. The ritual has Buddhist origins and the release of lanterns is believed to bring good luck to those who take part.

In addition, the timing of Yi Peng has come to coincide with another major Thai festival – Loi Krathong. The two are now often celebrated simultaneously at the start of November, leading to major celebrations. The festival of Loi Krathong involves the launching of small rafts as an offering. These rafts often contain flames of their own, so both the rivers and skies of Chiang Mai are filled with light during the festivities.

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.

While each of these elements is an important trait of the region’s larger personality, no single feature of the Cape Winelands stands on its own. Rather, they form a complex web of connections: the gorgeous nature is related to the local agriculture, which is in turn connected to a history of colonisation and cultural development that continues to affect social and environmental issues today. The Cape Fold Mountains, for example, provide a scenic and geologically rich border to the region, and the vineyards are the basis of South Africa’s wine industry, but those vineyards are deeply dependent on the environment and climates created in part by their mountainous shelters, not to mention the people who devote attention to them.

At the Chamonix Cellar in Franshhoek in the Cape Winelands region of South Africa, excellent wines and shnaaps are ready for tasting. Photo courtesy of WineLands Experience

Nature, Ecology and Culture Noted by UNESCO

UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) took into account all of these overlapping spheres of the Winelands when it recognised the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve as a special Man and Biosphere (MAB) reserve. The aim of the MAB program is to strengthen the relationship between society and the environment through sustainability and conservation, all by considering the unique ecological, environmental, social and economic components of a place.

Parts of the region have also been recognised for their intangible cultural heritage; the Cape Winelands Cultural Landscape has been on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2009. From diverse styles of architecture to a four-centuries-deep tradition of winemaking, the cultural heritage of the Winelands is an inseparable part of the larger ecological and social spheres of the region.

Of course, the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve is particularly famous for its biodiversity. In fact, cutting through the heart of the Reserve is the Cape Floral Region, another UNESCO-protected World Heritage Site. One of the world’s richest plant areas, it is home to nearly 20 percent of Africa’s endemic plant life – on only 0.5 percent of its land.

Nearly 80 percent of the flora in the Cape Floral Region is shrub-like Fynbos vegetation (fynbos means ‘fine bush’ in Afrikaans) that thrives in rocky and nutrient-poor soil found in coastal and mountainous regions with a Mediterranean climate.

The fynbos plant, which thrives alongside grapevines in the rocky soil of the Cape Winelands, helps make the region a remarkable biosphere. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Abu Shawka

Agricultural, Historical, Colonial and Cultural Connections

As at home as fynbos in the region’s rocky soil are the local grape vines. This agricultural twist was first exploited by 17th-century Dutch colonists, who imported the European tradition of winemaking to the region. The first bottle of South African wine was produced in 1659; within 30 years, over 100,000 vines had been planted in the Constantia Valley. Over time, colonial agricultural practices were superimposed onto this land of already abundant biodiversity.

Today the Cape Winelands region is divided into subregions, each notable for the variety of soil types that support different kinds of grapes and thus lend themselves to different winemaking practices. This ecological diversity, further influenced by nuanced climatic distinctions, gives the Cape Winelands an upper hand in the cultivation of grapes and production of wines that have met with great success in global markets.

Stellenbosch, for example, is widely acknowledged as the Winelands’ foremost wine-producing region. It has both limestone- and granite-laced soils that sustain white and red grapes. The Paarl region, with a slightly hotter climate and higher elevation, focuses on other varieties of red.

Intertwined with the history of agriculture and winemaking is the rich mix of cultural traditions just as diverse as the land and the grapes. Towns like Paarl have been shaped by Khoisan and East-African slave traditions, Dutch and French Huguenot customs and architecture, immigrant traditions from Eastern European Jewish communities and Italian migrant groups, and the practices and habits of Xhosa migrant labourers.

The Beyerskloof vineyard in Stellenbosch is an example of the vineyards that make Stellenbosch the country's foremost wine-producing region. Photo courtesy of flickr/Mark Turner

Environmental and Social Connections

UNESCO designation doesn’t stop at simple recognition for the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve and Cape Floral Region. A number of environmental and social challenges are being addressed with the help of UNESCO funding and international awareness.

For example, even though large tracts of the Winelands Reserve are doubly protected by the Cape Floral Protection Zone, much of the land is still privately owned and over-farming threatens some of the endemic plant life with extinction. The region’s agricultural history also has a darker past of ecologically unsound practices, and the use of pesticides has harmed local birds and animals, including the blue crane, raptors and owls.

It goes without saying that the country’s tumultuous political history has had an impact on the region’s current state of affairs. A number of communities within the Reserve, many of which are rural, struggles against the effects of poverty, unemployment and urban migration.

When asked to comment on UNESCO’s involvement in the Cape Winelands region, a spokesperson for Winelands Experience, the whl.travel local partner in the Cape Winelands, was optimistic, especially given the company’s active participation in the community as local business owners:

“[UNESCO status] creates local and international interest and awareness of the region as a biosphere reserve and fulfills a marketing and educational function on both the national and international levels. It also empowers local communities and economies by bringing more visitors to the area, which results in the inflow of capital and investment to these regions. A UNESCO designation also focuses on local, provincial, regional and national government attention, and ensures that social, economic, environmental and biodiversity conservation issues are placed on the national and international agendas of the relevant agencies… Education of local communities [will] result in positive and workable solutions to complex regional issues.”

UNESCO’s attention is an important step for the Cape Winelands, as its communities move toward reconciling a turbulent past with progress toward a future in which the diverse and overlapping spheres of ecological, agricultural and cultural heritage are appreciated and fully utilised for the larger wellbeing of the Western Cape of South Africa.

Taste the wine and absorb the layers of heritage in the Cape Winelands for yourself. To plan an experiential trip to the region, get in touch with Winelands Experience, the whl.travel local connection in Cape Winelands, South Africa.

Will the world end? Probably not. This date is simply the end of a 5,125-year-long cycle on the Mayan calendar. While many people believe that its finish portends major astronomical phenomena, which have been largely misinterpreted and misunderstood as ‘end times’ prophesies, other new-age interpretations of the date herald it as the end of one spiritual era and the beginning of another – we will undergo a transformation, they say.

The highest points of Tikal's pyramids rise above the surrounding rainforest canopy. Tikal is a Mayan must-see ruin in Guatemala. Photo courtesy of Journey Adventure

Rather than preparing for the apocalypse, though, why not plan a 2012 tour of the Mayan pyramids and prophesies in Guatemala? Explore the grand ruins of ancient Mayan civilisations. Meet a traditional living Mayan community of today and find out firsthand what they are thinking and doing as you take part in sacred rituals and ceremonies.

Visit Ancient Mayan Ruins of Tikal and Cancuen

On one such itinerary – an eight-day short break offered by Gunyah – the final visit is to Tikal, one of the most famous and visited ruins sites in the western hemisphere. Nothing short of resplendent, it is the archaeological site with the most restored pyramids in Guatemala. Its towering monuments and sprawling acropolis are some of the highest structures in the Americas from the Classic Period of 200 to 900 AD, when the Mayan civilisation was at its prime. Tikal was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

Before reaching Tikal, there’s a chance to take in one of the lesser-known Mayan heritage sites like Cancuén. Cancuén has no pyramids to compete with Tikal; rather, its ancient inhabitants are believed to have lived in the woods and caves nearby, while the royalty lived in the palaces whose ruins are a highlight for visitors today. Cancuén is unique as an archaeological site because its local indigenous community remains intact. Through sustainable tourism initiatives like the Gunyah experience, local guides are working together with archaeologists to stay connected with their heritage and share it with visitors.

At the heart of the Gunyah pyramids and prophesies tour is interaction with local Mayan people - a Q'eqchi community - to share their culture, traditions and even a ceremony or ritual. Photo courtesy of Journey Adventure

Experience Mayan Ceremonies and Legends Firsthand

Any pyramids-and-prophecies tour should take you directly into a local Mayan community, where you can interact with the people and participate in a traditional ritual. One day of the Gunyah experience is dedicated to sharing in a ceremony with the community. What ritual it will be depends on the time of the year; for example, it could be a ceremony in the dry season asking for rain.

The Maya people have ceremonies for almost all aspects of daily life. Carried down through the generations from ancient teachings, these ceremonies are sacred and it is rare that outsiders are allowed to participate. However, the community shares its unique ceremonies with travellers in order to explain their importance. This way, visitors can learn about Mayan beliefs. It’s a chance to ask questions!

Beyond the End Times Prophecies

If you plan a pyramids and prophecies tour to coincide exactly with December 21, 2012, in hopes of seeing the world implode from its Mayan epicentre, you may be disappointed. More than apocalyptic rumours and hype, the Gunyah short break is about experiences with real local Mayan people in Guatemala, the Q’eqchi. It’s a chance to coexist with them and take part in their living culture – their traditions, their ceremonies and their daily life. By sharing meals and stories, you can see directly how they apply their sacred calendar and cosmic vision of the world to their everyday lives.

Beyond the ancient Mayan ruins and local culture, the Gunyah pyramids and prophesies tour itinerary is full of magic moments in Guatemala's wild green outdoors. Photo courtesy of Journey Adventure

The Gunyah Pyramids and Prophecies experience is also a great way to make the most of eight days in Guatemala. In addition to the visits to two ancient ruins and interactions with a local community, the itinerary packs in highlights and surprises like special lodging in the colonial city of Antigua, a tubing trip through the Candelaria Caves and a boat tour down the Pasión River.

Looking for more local and authentic trips in Guatemala and all over the world? Gunyah short breaks combine the mind-blowing spontaneity of independent travel with the convenience of a package holiday vacation for people who want real experiences when they travel.

It is said that you haven’t really visited Mexico until you’ve tried at least one of the delicious dishes that have made our gastronomy famous worldwide.

Without a doubt, Mexico as a country is rich in both natural beauty and living traditions that reflect centuries of history and ancestral cultural legacy. It is known as a place where people receive their guests with incomparable warmth and enormous smiles, always willing and eager to show a little more of what makes Mexico unique.

Nonetheless, Mexican cuisine is indisputably the main attraction that captivates locals and visitors alike.

In coastal Los Cabos, Mexico, tacos de pescado (fish tacos) are the local variation of the national favorite 'tacos al pastor' with grilled meat. As always in Mexico, add a little salt and lime.

What Makes Mexican Food Famous

Who has never tried enchiladas, guacamole or tacos? I would venture to guess that everyone who has visited Mexico, no matter what regions they have found themselves in, has tried at least one of these famous traditional dishes. Surely they were surprised by the richness, flavours and textures that they possess, not to mention the colourful presentation that, thanks to the special blend of ingredients, forms an attractive picture as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate.

Our cuisine is a mix of different cultures, recognised worldwide for the masterful way it mixes spices, intense seasoning and a vibrant presentation. Above all else, our cuisine is appreciated for the way many of our dishes – the majority of which usually start with a base of corn, beans, spices, chilli peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic – still preserve their pre-hispanic origins and are truly unique.

There’s Nothing Like Mole Poblano

Among the delicacies to be sampled while visiting Mexico, we find the classic mole, a chocolate-coloured salsa (sauce) made of a mix of around 20 ingredients, including a few varieties of chilli peppers such as the pasilla and mulato, spices, seeds and chocolate.

'Mole poblano' has been named the "National Dish of Mexico" and is often served at traditional family celebrations and parties.Photo by Mi Casa Restaurant, Los Cabos Mexico

Mole is a dish with huge regional variations; some are sweeter, some are spicier, some are more reddish or yellow in colour, and they all go by different names depending on their tint and most dominant ingredients. For example, mole rojo has a red hue and mole almendrado has a distinct almond flavour. A mole dish consists of some kind of meat (generally chicken) bathed in the sauce, all accompanied by rice and tortillas.

Without a doubt, the most famous mole is mole poblano, with its characteristic taste and exquisite aroma, which has earned it the title of “national dish of Mexico.” For special celebrations such as birthdays, weddings and family reunions, mole poblano is often served as the main course.

Chile en Nogada

Another highlight from Mexican cuisine is chiles en nogada, which is prepared in a way that resembles the flag of Mexico. Its origins are traced back to the year 1821, when the nuns of the Santa María Convent in the city of Puebla made it for the first time as a tribute to Agustín de Iturbide, the first leader of Mexico after the Independence Movement.

This dish mixes the sweet with the savoury, and is known throughout the world for its beautiful presentation and the wealth of textures and flavours that it offers to even the most discerning palates.

Garnished with pomegranate seeds as one of the sweet flavours among the savoury, 'chiles en nogada' is meant to resemble the Mexican flag and has a fascinating history. Photo courtesy of flickr/A30_Tsitika

Regional Diversity and National Pride

Mexican cuisine is as varied and diverse as its geographic territory. In each of the different states that form the whole of Mexico, you’ll find distinct ingredients, flavours and cooking styles. The coastal states prepare their dishes differently than the mountainous highlands regions or the desert regions. To visit each region is to cross a new gastronomic boundary that takes us to a new adventure with every bite.

Proudly, Mexican cuisine was in 2010 listed by UNESCO for its Cultural Intangible Heritage, gaining Mexico recognition for its traditional dishes that retain the names, ingredients and cooking practices dating back to the pre-hispanic era and incorporate influences and contributions from other cultures.

For that reason and many others, you can’t travel to Mexico and miss the opportunity to try the specialties of each region, from the mole poblano and chiles en nogada of Puebla to the Tikinxic (Mayan barbecue-style fish) of Cancun, the fresh fish of Veracruz and the special Damiana liquor of Los Cabos.

Dare yourself to discover the boldest flavours that Mexico has to offer!

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EN ESPAÑOL / IN SPANISH:

Gastronomía Mexicana: Patrimonio Intangible de la Humanidad

Se dice que no has visitado México hasta que no has probado al menos uno de los deliciosos platillos que han hecho famosa a nuestra gastronomía.

Carne tampiqueña es un corte de carne acompañado de guacamole, arroz, frijoles refritos y entomatadas, es un platillo mexicano muy comùn que mezcla sabores mexicanos en todo su esplendor. Photo por Jazmin Restaurant, Los Cabos Mexico

México es sin duda un territorio rico en bellezas naturales y tradiciones que se observan incluso hasta ahora y que reflejan los siglos de historia y legado cultural de nuestros antepasados, por su gente quienes reciben a todos los visitantes con una calidez incomparable y su enorme sonrisa, siempre dispuestos a mostrar un poco más de aquello que nos hace únicos. Más sin embargo, es indudablemente la gastronomía Mexicana la principal atracción que cautiva a locales y visitantes por igual.

Lo que hace famosa la gastronomía mexicana

¿Quién no ha probado las enchiladas, el guacamole o los tacos? Puedo aventurarme a decir que quienes nos visitan no importando la región donde se encuentre, han probado al menos uno de nuestros platillos típicos y han quedado sorprendidos de la riqueza de texturas, sabores y olores que poseen, no olvidando la colorida presentación que gracias a la mezcla de los ingredientes forma un atractivo cuadro a la vista y obviamente, un deleite al paladar.

Nuestra cocina es una mezcla de diferentes culturas, apreciada mundialmente por la magistral manera de mezclar especias, sabores intensos, su colorida presentación y sobre todo, porque muchos de nuestros platillos aún conservan sus orígenes pre-hispánicos y son verdaderamente únicos. La base de la mayoría de los platos usualmente incluye maíz, frijoles, especias, chiles, tomates, cebolla y ajo.

Mole poblano ha sido denominado el "plato típico de México" es comùnmente servido en fiestas tradicionales o familiares. Photo cortesía de flickr/avlxyz

No hay nada como el mole poblano

Entre las delicias que podemos probar al visitar México, encontraremos el mole, una salsa de color chocolate que es mezcla de alrededor de 20 ingredientes, entre los que podemos encontrar diferentes chiles como el chile pasilla y el chile mulato, especias, semillas y chocolate. Hay una variedad muy grande de Moles, algunos de sabores dulces, otros de sabor picante, algunos de colores rojos o amarillos y todos reciben un nombre diferente dependiendo de su color o el ingrediente que más predomine en la receta (mole rojo, mole almendrado, etc.). El platillo consiste en la salsa bañando algún tipo de carne que generalmente es pollo y acompañado de arroz y tortillas.

El mole más famoso sin lugar a dudas, es el conocido como mole poblano de un sabor tan característico y exquisito olor, que ha sido llamado el “Platillo Nacional de México.” Es muy común que en las celebraciones como cumpleaños, bodas y reuniones familiares se sirva el mole poblano como platillo principal.

Chile en Nogada

Otro de los platos que ha hecho famosa la gastronomía mexicana es el chile en nogada de colorido decorado que semeja la bandera de México y tiene sus orígenes en 1821, hecho por primera vez en Puebla por las monjas del Convento de Santa María en homenaje a Agustín de Iturbide, la primera persona que gobernó México después del Movimiento de la Independencia.

Chiles en nogada es un colorido platillo mexicano que hace honor a la bandera mexicana en los colores de su presentación. Su receta data de 1821. Photo por Mi Casa Restaurant, Los Cabos, Mexico

Este platillo mezcla los sabores dulce y salado y es conocido alrededor del mundo por su hermosa presentación y la riqueza de texturas y sabores que ofrece y deleita a los paladares más exigentes.

Diversidad regional y orgullo nacional

Y así como diverso es nuestro territorio Mexicano es nuestra cocina, que varía de ingredientes, sabores y formas de preparación en cada uno de los diferentes estados que forman el país. Las costas preparan sus platillos de diferente manera que las zonas montañosas o las desérticas. Al visitar cada territorio, cruzamos una frontera gastronómica que nos lleva a una aventura nueva con cada bocado.

Orgullosamente, la gastronomía mexicana recibió en el 2010 el reconocimiento de Patrimonio Intangible de la Humanidad reconociéndose así que aún sus platos mantengan nombres, ingredientes y formas de preparación que datan de la época pre-hispánica y que hayan incorporado con el paso del tiempo aportaciones de otras culturas.

Por esto y más, si viaja por el territorio mexicano, no puede dejar pasar la oportunidad de probar las delicias tradicionales de cada región, desde el Tikinxic (pescado al estilo barbacoa Maya) de Cancun, el mole poblano y los chiles en nogada de Puebla, el pescado a la veracruzana o tomar un poco de licor de Damiana de Los Cabos.

¡Atrévete a descubrir los sabores que México tiene para ofrecerte!

However, it is the BBC’s work in the field of documentary films that has, perhaps, been most impressive of all. With such luminaries as Sir David Attenborough acting as long-time contributors, the organisation has to be recognised as one of the greatest – and most loved – producers of documentaries of all time.

Human Planet, which originally screened in the UK in January 2011, was another worthy contribution to the BBC’s documentary legacy. The eight-part series focused on examining what it refers to as “the most remarkable species of all” – humankind.

When compared to other species on the planet, humans are truly unique. The sheer range of habitats and environments in which we’re able to make ourselves at home is extraordinary. We have adapted to life in some of the world’s harshest environments.

Human diversity is unrivalled. We differ so greatly and yet, ultimately, we are all driven by the same basic necessities and requirements. Human Planet reminds us to appreciate what makes us unique, but to also recognise what binds us together.

At Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, the inside of the biertzelt (beer tent) is packed and lively. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Gutsul

But only Munich, Germany, is the home of the original Oktoberfest, where festival-goers begin gathering in front of immense beer-branded tents in the early hours of the morning, eagerly awaiting their turns in packed communal drinking areas. It’s the Mecca of brew, imitations of which have sprouted all over the globe, even in places as far away as Canada, Vietnam, Australia and Argentina.

In a tribute to Oktoberfest, The Travel Word brings you a selection of seven special brews from different parts of the world. Although beer is the world’s most widely consumed alcoholic beverage, finding hidden gems requires a bit of digging, so we asked some of our WHL Group local partners across the globe to bring forth their beers of choice. Here are seven of the more surprising ones.

(For more just-as-surprising information about local drinks – and lots about local eats, check out our Culinary World Tour of Local Food.)

Baja Blond is the local's favourite beer in Los Cabos, Mexico

Mexico’s Cerveza of Choice

According to Karem Matamoros, the WHL Group local partner in Los Cabos, Baja Blond is the Mexican beer locals love. The fledgling brewery opened in 2007 in the Mexican state of California Sur and has already made its marks in the highly competitive world of brewing. Their hallmark is the Baja Blond “Cream Ale,” described as having a light golden colour, a whole-bodied flavour and a good balance of sweet and bitter. Locals abide by it and take great pride in promoting the only brewery in their state.

Travel to Los Cabos, Mexico, the home of Baja Blond, with Karem.

A local enjoys a fresh brew of artisanal 'pito' from a calabash shell in Ghana. Photo courtesy of Marian Thompson

Ghana’s Ethnic Beer

Marian Thompson, the whl.travel local partner in northern Ghana, gave us the scoop on pito, which is Ghana’s artisanal, village beer. It is brewed from fermented sorghum (also known as guinea corn) in the northern parts of the country, where it is very popular and widely consumed. Its production methods have remained traditional and are therefore quite labour-intensive, providing a number of people with a local livelihood. Traditionally, a calabash bowl is used to share pito, the ultimate refreshment under the scorching Ghanaian sun.

Travel to Northern Ghana with Marian, who can introduce you to pito, as well as other qualities of village life.

Cisk lager is a best-selling brew on the island of Malta. Photo courtesy of Marco Attard

Malta’s Favourite Malt Beverage

If you’re wandering through Malta’s history-imbued villages, do stop at a bar to try some brew. Simonds Farsons Cisk PLC is the Maltese beer company that Marco Attard, the WHL Group local partner in Malta, swears by. The veteran brewery opened in 1928 and has never changed the recipe or production process of its best-selling Cisk Lager, a golden-coloured, bottom-fermented beer with a distinctive and well-balanced character.

Travel to Malta with Marco for a taste of Cisk Lager.

Birra Tirana has a billboard display in downtown Tirana, Albania. Photo courtesy of wikimedia/Rainchill

Albania’s Best Brew

When in Albania, do as the Albanians do, which is drink lots of local brew. Albania’s Birra Tirana is the beer that the WHL Group’s local travel expert, Laura Payne, prefers. Only the freshwater sources of Tirana’s surrounding mountains are drawn upon to manufacture this prized drink. Critics seem to agree it has a nice colour with moderate carbonation. The aroma is smooth and richly malty.

Travel to Albania with Laura, who also knows the Albanian Alps from which Birra Tirana’s waters flow.

Itaipava is a big hit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, especially when served ice-cold in the summer. Photo courtesy of Luiz Renato Malcher

Brazil’s Carioca Beer

Luiz Renato Malcher, the WHL Group local expert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, says that Cariocas (people from Rio) love their pints of Itaipava beer. Why? For starters, it is lighter than the others and can be drunk in larger quantities on a hot sunny day without making you feel full. It is best served trincando, as locals say, which means near-frozen. Known to be a light-bodied, soft and rounded beer, it is distinctively sweet and grainy on the palate. To enjoy a chilled Itaipava on Rio’s beach strip with a nice view of the sea is a classic Rio moment.

Travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with Luiz and learn where to get the best Itaipava.

Pilsener, one of two very popular beers in Quito, Ecuador, competes with Club for #1 status. Photo courtesy of Maria Fernanda Cabascango

Ecuador’s Draft Duo

A palpable rivalry reigns between Ecuador’s two best lager beers. Even Maria Fernanda Cabascango and Sebastian Sierra, the WHL Group local partners in Quito, Ecuador can’t come to a consensus. Maria vouches for Pilsener, whereas Sebastian is a staunch defender of Club. Pilsener pours with a pale yellow colour and a creamy white head. It is brilliantly clear and has a distinct corn edge to its flavour. Club beer, while also a clear lager, picks up a noticeable earthy and peppery flavour from the hops. Guess you’ll have to visit Quito to decide for yourself!

Travel to Quito, Ecuador, with Maria and Sebastian, and plan for Pilsener-or-Club blind taste test.

A window display of craft beers at Oktoberfest in Villa General Belgrano, Argentina. Photo courtesy of Cynthia Ord

The Argentinean Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest in Argentina – a country known more for its fine wines than its beers – is one of the largest outside of Germany. At this time of year especially, the village of Villa General Belgrado (in the province of Cordoba in the Argentine Pampas) draws large crowds interested in its cervezas artesanales (craft beers). Wandering the streets of Villa General Belgrado with giant beer steins (or mass as the Germans call them) in hand, Oktoberfest-goers are transported into a little piece of Germany in the southern hemisphere. The town was founded by two Germans in 1930 and their influence is obvious; buildings have characteristically Bavarian facades, shops sell handmade strudel and chocolate, and microbreweries supply craft beer.

Cynthia Ord, the manager at WHL Assist, is currently headquartered in Argentina and reports that the variety and quality of local craft beers is impressive; you can find lagers, stouts and all sorts of creative brews. During the two-week Oktoberfest celebration, when hordes of people enjoy spring weather and asado (barbecue), the goal is to keep your stein full of something until the small hours of the morning, reminding you that you are in Argentina after all.

The Monte Toboggan on Portugal's Madeira Island is just one of many ways locals have created to get from one place to another, ways that we believe are a vital part of a local travel experience

We believe that the different forms of local transport are unique qualities of a place that, when experienced, are a vital part of a local travel experience. To know a place is to get around it the way local people do: cramming yourself into a chicken bus in South America, throwing caution to the wind in a tuk-tuk in Southeast Asia or boarding a ferry in Africa. We dare you to give them a try! We’re sure you will find these rides to be a brilliant bonding experience with locals.

To inspire you… and in honour of our recent focus on local transport, we asked our network of local travel professionals all over the world to give us a glimpse of the best local conveyances in their destinations. Their responses are as varied as they are colourful – everything from trains and boats and buses to animal power and bicycles and three-wheeled wonders.

We’re pleased to present this gallery of the best of local transport inside the whl.travel network.To make it work:
+ Click on a thumbnail to open a preview.
+ Click the name of the photo to be taken to the full written entry supporting it.
+ Click the photo itself to close the preview.
+ Use the arrows to navigate through previews.

Trains on the Right Track

(click here to read more)

Bicycles Worldwide

(click here to read more)

Buses Not to Miss

(click here to read more)

Muscle Power

(click here to read more)

Transport on the Water

(click here to read more)

Three-Wheeled Wonders

(click here to read more)

“Load up quick, bad weather, come very quick!”

These are the last words you ever want to hear when you are a passenger in a tiny 20-seater plane flying into the rainforest. As the engines whirred into life, I wondered for a split second whether or not I’d bought enough supplies to last a trek to the nearest village should the plane crash. Risky or not, the flight into the interior of Sarawak only served to highlight the nature of the trip that was to come – remote and, at this point, reckless.

Ceremonial first tree planting of the project "Picnic with the Penan" in Borneo. Photo courtesy of Picnic with the Penan

Last month I headed out on a tiny plane into the interior of Borneo to spend 10 days with the Penan. The Penan are one of the indigenous peoples of Sarawak and were, until recently, the only people to live a nomadic lifestyle within the rainforest. Today, most Penan have settled in villages where they primarily cultivate the land yet still utilize their hunter-gatherer skills to supplement their diet.

I visited two villages that are part of a project called Picnic with the Penan (PWTP). PWTP is a community tourism project that is run by the Penan, and which helps to fund a tree-planting project in areas that were badly burnt in El Nino fires in 1998. In the summer mass fruiting of 2009, there was a once-in-10-year opportunity to easily collect thousands of seeds to plant – knowing that this was coming, the villages sought outside help to fund a nursery and labor costs.

Penan elder making a blow pipe. Photo courtesy of Picnic with the Penan

They realized that by planting species of Meranti, Kapor and some Shorea species, in the future they would be able to selectively use some of the new trees for building, therefore leaving untouched the rare old-growth forest that still exists further from the villages. This project has gone from strength to strength and many saplings are now ready to plant, but the longevity of the project depends on consistent funding and PWTP is still seeking help to ensure the success in this project.

The PWTP projects are facilitated by volunteers who live outside of the villages and have access to the internet and phones, completing administrative tasks that cannot be done in the villages due their remote location. However, all the money that is spent goes directly to the Penan themselves, meaning that you pay your guide/porter/host directly rather than through a middleman. What is interesting about this initiative is that it is run as a co-operative; there is no hierarchy and all decisions are made in village meetings whereby each villager has an equal voice. This serves to create a sense that the project truly belongs to everyone.

One of the many perks of this particular trip is that it remains off the beaten track. With the PWTP program, it is unlikely that you will cross paths with any other travellers for the duration of your stay. Travellers should keep in mind that tourism is new to this area, so if you are expecting five-star amenities, think again! However, if you can approach this unique experience with an open mind, and are willing to make do with relatively basic conditions, then you will surely find it to be enriching and extremely enlightening.

My plan was to enjoy this trip solo, although I did have some concerns about travelling to this remote place on my own (getting on the aforementioned plane didn’t help). However, as soon as I arrived in the village and was greeted by my guide and porter, I realized that I had nothing to worry about. Even though they spoke only a bit of English, my friendly guides successfully managed to make me forget my initial trepidation about our adventurous 3-day trek to the villages.

The Penan may be quite shy when you first meet them, but based on my experience they will open up after a few hours. Soon they will be proudly showing you around the local forests, demonstrating their incredible span of knowledge. In fact, during one of our hikes, I was shocked to find out that my guide had never walked the route we were taking before – he seemed to know where the trails were even when there was no discernible track to follow!

My guide, Paul, was very eager to show me the medicinal plants used by the Penan and it seemed that they were everywhere – almost every small shrub we walked past had some use. It’s not surprising then that the Penan do not see the forest as a monetary resource so much as their whole life, their larder and their hospital. As such, the forest must be kept intact so that future generations and their culture can survive. In a much wider sense, this need to preserve the world’s rainforests can be extended to all of humanity.

Punting down from the Penan village. Photo courtesy of Picnic with the Penan

In this regard, PWTP has empowered the villages, and increasingly there is a real sense that they can do something about their own destinies. PWTP has provided these two villages with an income, which means that in time, there will be more of an incentive for the younger generation to stay in the villages and maintain the traditional connection the Penan have with the rainforest.

Though they have lived a subsistence lifestyle for so long, money has become a necessity in recent years. Ironically this may be the resource that allows the Penan to maintain their way of life. With the funds from the ‘community fee,’ the villagers can decide together how to improve their lives, whether be by replanting hardwoods in areas of damaged rainforest or creating wet rice paddies to provide a stable food supply.

After many years of hearing disheartening news about the Penan, it is really encouraging to see that this Penan-run project is bringing about positive changes that will, in time, provide the stability needed to continue their traditional way of life for future generations.