Be good to yourself with veal stew, tagliatelle with Brocciu (fresh ewe's or goat's cheese), a cheese platter and luscious local tipples.

Walking between the gorge's 20 castles and fortified, Unesco-sanctified villages, there are plenty of beer gardens and Riesling vineyards en route for anyone who likes to keep their spirits up with a glass or two of the local tipple.

Either the batch had been spiked with a little too much hydraulic alcohol, or the local tipple was pretty mild.

We roll out of the hotel with full bellies and head to low-key local bar La Botica, which serves 15 different kinds of mescal, a local tipple caustic enough to strip paint.

Nothing much has changed here since the 19th century and the local tipple certainly has a kick.

Apart from the opportunity to sample the local tipple, it's the scenery that appeals to visitors here; the region's volcanic past is evident at first sight of the conical green hills.

By late afternoon, the Ifugao have drunk too much rice beer and so have I. Once coaxed into trying the local tipple, I soon find myself wrapped in a tolge and performing the wood-cutting dance.

B Map One of the largest cellars in Slovenia, this is the place to go if you want to buy wine, especially local tipple such as Haloze Chardonnay, Šipon or Laški Rizling.