PHILIPPINES
Dancing in the streets
Iloilo city, on Panay Island, has
plenty going for it: grand Spanish
colonial churches and restored
heritage buildings, a beautiful
esplanade along Iloilo river,
fantastic seafood restaurants and
easy access to peaceful Guimaras
Island. But the town really comes
into its own in January with the
arrival of the annual Dinagyang
Festival and the thousands of
visitors who come to see it. It’s both
a religious and cultural celebration,
but the main attraction is the
huge street parade. thundering
drums, energetic dance routines
and ‘warriors’ dressed in stunning
costumes can be seen along the
route. If you think it sounds a little
like carnival in Brazil, you’d be right.
exploreiloilo.comeleNaFroloVa/ShutterStock(FeStIVal); reNatok/ShutterStock(BrIDGe); NouShoNG/theGIBBoN eXPerIeNce; akraM (lakCAMBODIA Sa)
Battambang on two wheels
anyone who does a river trip
from Siem reap will end up in
the riverside city of Battambang
in cambodia’s northwest, with
its faded colonial architecture
and low-key vibe. While you’re
there, exploring the surrounding
countryside, with its tiny villages
and hilltop temples, is a must-do.
Butterfly tours offers a day-long
bicycle tour, called lives of
Battambang, that takes visitors
off the normal tourist routes. Visit
makers of noodles and rice wine,
check out eleventh-century Wat
ek Phnom and a memorial site for
khmer rouge victims, and learn
about growing rice. Best of all your
guides are local students, who
know all the people and places
along the route. butterflytours.asiaDancers at Dinagyang Festival in
Iloilo City (above); riding over a
wooden bridge near Battambang
(right); a treehouse at The Gibbon
Experience (opposite, top);
making soup at Air Itam Laksa
(opposite, below).40 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER