There's no shortage of things to keep you amused
around the world during the month of January,
as the Globe Guides travellers discover. From
Christian festivities in Ethiopia and the Philippines, and Hindu celebrations in Malaysia to the watery
treats of the Turks and Caicos, Australia and
Florida, there's never a dull moment to be had.
First up, Ian Wright travels to Lallibella
in Ethiopia, which stages the most colourful celebration
of the Timkat Festival in which Christians
take to the streets for parades and mass baptisms.
Discovering that there's much to offer in this
resolutely off-the-beaten-track country, he takes
to the road in search of the Simian Mountain
Range, perfect trekking country in October
to March, and the traditional horse games that
have become a popular sport.
Then it's across the globe to Australia for a
spot of surf action and hang-gliding on Cape
Byron, the beautiful stretch of shoreline
that's the first place on the continent to catch
sight of the rising sun. Australia Day is celebrated on the 26th of January and is an annual celebration commemorating the first landing of white settlers in Australia. These days there's fireworks, parades, arts, crafts, food and family entertainment. It's seen as a celebration of Australian culture and way of life.
Meanwhile, Justine Shapiro sets down in
Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia for January's
Thaipusam Festival in which over a million
Hindus take part. This homage to the Lord Maruga
is a real spectacle in which avid devotees pierce
themselves in startling ways and fall into trances
as they process to caves outside the city.
January is a perfect time to dive on the Caribbean
island of Turks and Caicos with its 200
miles of coral reefs. Megan McCormick joins
fishermen free diving for conch shells, one of
the most exotic forms of fishing there is.
The festival of Ati-Atihan on the island
of Kalibo in the Philippines was originally
a celebration of a peace pact between warring
tribes; now it has a Christian significance honouring
Santa Nino. Justine takes part in this three day,
three night frenzy of music and dancing, culminating
in a big fireworks display in honour of a saint
who bequeaths good health on his worshippers.
Finally, Holly Morris rubs noses with
the friendliest monsters of the deep, the manatees
(or sea cows) of Florida who are thought to be
so placid because they have no natural predator.