Amongst the new trips in 2010 from Songlines Music Travel are some fantastic musical experiences that no one else is offering. Please find below details of the exciting new destinations, including Ethiopia, Australia’s Northern Territory and Sarawak in Borneo. “I cannot think of a better way to be introduced to a country than via its music”. From a traveller on a SLMT trip to Mali. Read full article for details on the new destinations.

Ethiopia: The Sounds of Addis (March 17-27, 2010)
You’ve seen the Ethiopiques musicians on tour, or heard the amazing recordings. This trip gives you a taste of the music scene in Addis during the festival organised by Mr Ethiopiques, Francis Falseto. Time too for a trip out of town to the Blue Nile Gorge – Africa’s Grand Canyon. Great music and a taste of one of Africa’s most beautiful and dramatic countries. We then spend a long weekend enjoying the Ethiopiques music in Addis, before spending a week in the highlands of northern Ethiopia. We see Lake Tana and the Tississat Falls, the castles of Gondar, and the amazing rock churches of Lalibela – amongst the architectural wonders of the world.

Australia: Barunga Music Festival and the Northern Territory (June 6-20, 2010)
This trip, starting in Darwin, visits the annual Barunga Festival, a memorable weekend of Aboriginal music in the heart of Australia’s Northern Territory, the region of the country where Aboriginal culture is at its most vibrant. The Aboriginal population in NT is 27%. There is also the opportunity to spend a few days in the outback, visiting Kakadu National Park with fantastic natural landscapes, waterfalls and ancient rock paintings. It’s the perfect way to see Australia’s Aboriginal culture alongside the dramatic landscapes to which it belongs.

Borneo: The Rainforest Festival (July 4-18, 2010)
This two week trip takes you to Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, for the annual Rainforest World Music Festival which takes place just outside the state capital, Kuching. With a mixture of local and international artistes, the festival features music and workshops in a beautiful lakeside setting. After the Festival is over, you have another five nights to head up country and get a real taste of the rainforest. There’s trekking in Mulu National Park, a river cruise, a caving trip or an overnight stay in a longhouse, a very warm and sociable experience.

Songlines Music Travel has an extensive range of trips around the world, including the seductive music of the Indian Ocean in Zanzibar; a popular musical safari in Cuba; music on the Niger in Mali; carnival life in Recife, Brazil; desert rhythms in Morocco and the thrilling sounds of a regional festival in Rajasthan – music opens a window onto the world and its people.

With specialist music knowledge and unrivalled contacts, Songlines Music Travel creates trips for groups of around 10 people that go beneath the surface to offer intimate and memorable musical experiences. Each trip is led by a Songlines Travel Leader and nothing beats experiencing music where it belongs – with the food, the ambience and the local audience. And of course, it’s not just the music, but also the historic, cultural and culinary highlights along the way. Songlines Music Travel – taking you where the music happens.

For more information, please contact Paul Geoghegan, Songlines publisher on 020 7371 2777

Or visit the Songlines Travel website