This arctile is about the Tibet tours and you can find some helpful information in it if you are planning your trip to Tibet now.
The Main Tibet Tours
Lhasa is the capital of Tibet and is the politics, ecomony and culture center of Tibet. It will take you at least 2 or 3 days to see this unique Tibetan city. I reommend that you plan a 7 days’ trip for your Lhasa travel . 2 or 3 days for the “Sky Lake” and 3 to 4 days for Shannan or Rigazhe. You can experience the unique culture of Tibet in these areas. What attract millions of tourists here is the religious culture of Tibet and it will be a pity to miss these traditional Tibetan places if you are alreay in Tibet. There are six notable areas for tourists in Tibet and they are: Rigazhe, Shannan, Naqu, Ali, Linzhi and Changdu. Here are the most popular tours for your Tibet travel:
(1). Lhasa – Rigazhe – Lazhi – Zhangmu. This is a traditional tour for the foreign tourists and is recommended by most Chinese travel agents. You can visit the second largest city of Tibet – Rigazhe in this trip for your Tibet travel. The brilliant Zhishilunbu temple and Banchan Palace is in Rigazhe. Other attractions in this tour are: Yaluzhangbu River, Shaga Temple, Mount Forest. The whole trip will take 8 to 12 days.
(2). Lhasa – Rigezhe – Lazhi – Cuoqin – Gaizhe – Geji – Shiquan River – Pulan. This tour is not an easy one. But it is very attractive. You will go throught the Aligaoyuan(it is called the roof of the world), Mount Sanmubati, Snow Mountain Balingang, Mysterious Guge Palace. Now this tour is becoming the most popular one in Tibet travel because you can experience the unique culture and natural scenes of Tibet in it. Although it is a tough trip, it is still the first choice for thousands of adventure travellers. This tour takes 3 weeks. ( I will choose this trip for my Tibet travel, it is an exciting one )
(3). Lhasa – Jiangmu – Rigezhe – Lhasa. This tour will go through the Qushui Bridge, Mount Gangbala, Yangzhuoyong lake. When you arrive Jiangzhi city, you can visit the famous Baiju Temple(It is also called Wanfota). This trip focuses on the Tibetan religion and culture and the total time it will cost is about 2-4 days.
(4). Lhasa – Shannan. Shannan is called the “Birth place of the Tibetan nation” and it was the center of an old civilization named “Yalonghegu”. The attractions of this trip are: Shangye Temple – the first temple of Tibet, Changzhu – the fist Buddha hall of Tibet, Suodang – the first farmland of Tibet, Yabulakang – the first palace of Tibet. They are all telling tourists the old Tibetan culture and history. This tour is mainly about the history of Tibet and 2-3 days will be enough for it. ( A good choice for your Lhasa travel or Tibet travel if you are interested in the Tibetan history )
(5). Lhasa – Naqu – Germu. This is a trip along the Qingzang road and focuses on the scenes of the Tibetan grasslands and snow mountains. The main attractions for this trip are: Chubu Temple, Yangbajing, Namucuo Lake, Mount Lianqingtanggula and Naqu. This trip is about 1200 kilometers long.
(6). Lhasa – Linzhi – Shannan – Lhasa. The most attractive place for this tour is Linzhi. It is called a place like Heavan in Tibet. The famous Lalvzhangbu Valley is right here in Linzhi. It is a very attractive place for the scientists and adventure travellers. The total length of this trip is about 2000 kilometers and usually it will take 4-7 days.( I like the beautiful Linzhi. It is another good choice for your Lhasa travel or Tibet travel )
Some tips: You will have a comprehensive understanding of Tibet if your plan for the Tibet travel is more than 2 weeks. A jeep or SUV will be helpful for your Tibet tours.
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You have probably heard of “free miles.” These are free tickets that frequent flyers may avail if they earned enough points. Earning the reward points is easy, especially if travelling is already your way of living.
Businessmen and those who to travel for the thrill and adventure of it are the frequent flyers. The airline companies target these as their main markets in “free miles” promos. These are the very clients who keep the airlines alive and kicking. It is only right that these passengers are treated with the full services; and give back to them even a little for helping their company grow.
Of course, we pay much to the companies in order to deserve such rewards. We pay for the fare and the services but even so, it is even better if we can get something from the business.
Also, the world today faces economic downturns. People cut back on their travels to save. The airline companies are greatly affected because of this. And this is why they try to come up with ways for clients to stay loyal to their services. This is where the rewards program came in.
Rewards can be acquired by getting points every time you board the plane. With this, passengers can experience having another plane ticket for free because of a trip that they needed in the first place. Some are even paid by the company.
As people have different reasons why they board planes, whether it is for a business trip, a family vacation, visiting a friend or family, there are also different kinds of programs to suited for you.
In looking for the perfect program you would want to join, there are certain things you must consider before signing up to become a member of the frequent flier card. First of all, investigate on the quality of the program being offered. To do this, you may want to search the net or ask some friends or even read some testimonials.
If you know for a fact that you are a frequent traveler, it is advisable to join a program that will allow you to merge your overall miles. Usually, the airlines that offer this kind of merging are those famous around your area. Consider also the flights and the places that you can have access to once you decide to use your free plane ticket.
For the people who do not have much opportunities to travel (the infrequent passengers), it is advisable to choose a program that will give you the best opportunities to earn and accumulate points or miles for all of your activities other than flying. An example of this is booking hotel rooms, shopping at selected allied companies of your chosen air card or even renting a car. Make sure that you check their affiliations and decide if you are able to fill the opportunities.
To redeem your rewards, it is usually an easy and smooth process. Most of the time, they will ask for your frequent flyer identification so might as well keep it handy. Purchasing a ticket using your reward points is just the same as you would use your cash. The company is going to check the identification number you have given and they will give you information about the places that you can avail your free miles with. Then, the ticket shall be sent via mail or as an e-ticket.
However, before redeeming this, there are a few important issues that you should consider. Neglecting these can affect how and when you use your miles in the long run. There are actually quirks in the miles or points redemption process. The monetary value is normally 2 cents for every frequent flyer mile (reported as the airline industry average).
As an example, to redeem 25,000 miles for a free ticket, the number of miles multiplied by 2 cents per mile is $500. As some industry researchers have noted, it may be smarter to save your miles and purchase a lower costing ticket to your destination.
There are approximately 3,000 Peru holidays and festivals celebrated each year. Peru celebrates the widely known holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, Christmas and New Year, but most of the celebrations are for a particular saint. Most of these saints are a combination of Catholic and Andean religious traditions.
The typical work-week in Peru lasts for six days, which is probably one of the reasons why there are so many holidays. Many Peruvians get the day off on holiday, called feriado, which is usually spent drinking one of Peru’s top beers: cristal, cusqueña or pilsen.
Most Peruvians love to drink. They’ll treat personal celebrations and events with as much fervor as national holidays. Drinks are passed around on birthdays, family and friend gatherings, baptisms, sporting events, weddings, baby showers and even at funerals! It is very common to find fiestas throughout Peru, accompanied by not only drinks, but traditional and modern dances.
When planning a vacation to Peru you may wish to include Peru holidays in your itinerary. There are Peru holidays and festivals throughout the year, with those in June and July in Cuzco being the most popular with tourists.
January
Of course New Year is celebrated in Peru, especially as it is one of the Peru holidays that provides an excellent opportunity to drink. The party starts on December 31st with rounds of beer and lots of food. At the stroke of midnight there is champagne and a toast, accompanied by hugs and goodwill. Twelve grapes are eaten by each person, one for each month of the year, with a secret wish. Then the fireworks start and the beer drinking begins anew for most of January 1st.
February
For eighteen days Puno celebrates the Fiesta de la Virgen de la Candelaria. Hundreds of groups of musicians and dancers accompany huge amounts of food and fireworks on February 2nd when a procession carries the virgin image through the city. The dance of the demons has dancers wearing devil masks make offerings to Pachamama, the Earth Goddess. For the farewell the dancers are followed into the cemetery to pay homage to the dead.
Carnival is a National holiday celebrated for the entire month of February. This is when people get wet, really wet. People arm themselves with squirt guns, water balloons and buckets of water with the goal to get as many people wet as possible. In most places it is illegal to celebrate carnival on weekdays as people going to work would complain to the government about getting soaked. Cajamarca is especially enthusiastic about carnival, organizing several activities for Peru holidays during two weeks in February.
Lunahuana hosts the International Festival of Adventure Sports. People from all over the world come to see and participate in kayaking, rock wall climbing, paragliding and other adventure or outdoor sports. The festival’s dates change, but it is always held in February.
March – April
In March or April Peru holidays center around Semana Santa, or Holy Week, which generally begins on the Thursday before Easter Sunday and continues through Easter. Traditionally, drinking is shunned during Semana Santa except for wine, and meat should not be eaten except for fish. Several stores will not sell alcohol on these four days, but many Peruvians still find a way to drink, especially on Saturday and Easter Sunday. There are Holy Week processions in most Peruvian cities starting from the Plaza de Armas or Main Square. Ayacucho hosts the most famous Semana Santa celebrations which start on the Friday before Palm Sunday. In Ayacucho it is traditionally believed that Christ is dead during the week until Easter Sunday, therefore sin does not exist during that time.
Cuzco celebrates the Lord of the Earthquakes on Easter Monday which blends Christian and Andean traditions. The Procession is to pay homage to Taitacha Temblores, as it is believed that an oil painting of Christ stopped an earthquake in the year 1650.
May
On the 1st of May el Dia de los Trabajadores (Labor Day) is celebrated Nationally by taking the day off from work and drinking. From the 2nd to the 4th Puno holds the Alarcitas Handicrafts Fair Dia de Santa Cruz. At this time hundreds of sellers gather together to sell thousands of handmade items like alpaca wool sweaters, jewelry, paintings, tapestries, wood crafts and scores of imaginative items from Peru and Bolivia.
June
This month is when Peru holidays really start to pick up. Corpus Christi is a national holiday which has basically been taken over by Cuzco. Hundreds of people crowd around the Plaza de Armas to see several Processions including the Processions of the Saints and of the Virgins accompanied by dancers in various traditional dress.
Inti Raymi celebrates the Inca Sun God on June 24th. Beginning early in the day at Koricancha (the Temple of the Sun) and the Plaza de Armas in Cuzco city, the celebration then moves to the Incan Sacsayhuaman structure at about noon. Thousands of people gather to see the recreation of an ancient Inca celebration of dances and worship to the Sun God in which two llamas are sacrificed.
July
In the town of Paucartambo, just a few hours from Cuzco, La Virgen del Carmen is celebrated for five days, with it’s main day being July 16th. Traditional dances, costumes and homage to the dead are observed.
July 28th to the 29th marks Peru’s Independence Day which calls for more drinking and fireworks across the country. The large water fountain at the Plaza de Armas in Lima is filled by the Municipality with 2,000 liters of the alcoholic drink Pisco for everyone to enjoy for free.
Cuzco is especially crowded during most of June and July to celebrate. There are several Peru holidays in Cuzco with processions, artisans lay out their handicrafts, street vendors sell a huge assortment of food and bands make live performances. During these times Cuzco gets so crowded that it can be difficult to walk just a couple of blocks.
August
In the seventeenth-century a Lima resident named Isabel Flores de Oliva earned fame for caring for the sick and shunning sin. Those searching for a miracle visit her shrine in downtown Lima. Her festival, El Dia de Santa Rosa de Lima, is celebrated on August 30th throughout the country, especially in Santa Rosa de Quives in the department of Lima.
September
From the 22nd to the 25th Juliaca celebrates Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes in honor of the town’s Saint Patroness in which fairs, dances and folk acts are held.
Trujillo organizes the International Spring Festival in the 4th week of September. Once again, there are drinking, folk shows and dancing, but this time there are visits from American and European beauty queens. Bullfighting and the Peruvian Stepping Horses contests are also held.
October
On October 8, 1879 a naval battle was fought between Peru and Chili. This National holiday is remembered as the Combate Naval de Angamos.
From the 18th to the 28th is El Señor de los Milagros (The Lord of Miracles), the most important of all the Peru holidays in October. This is largely a procession in honor of a slave from Angola who drew the image of a black Christ in Pachacamilla near Lima. Although there had been several attempts to erase it, the image stubbornly stayed on the wall. Tens of thousands participate in the procession every year. Believers carry two tons of remains that bore the painting and walk for twenty-four hours starting from the church Las Nazarenas, through downtown Lima, and finally to the church La Marced in Barrios Altos. Bullfighting season also starts in October to commemorate The Lord of Miracles.
La Noche de Las Brujas, or Halloween, is loosely celebrated on October 31st. Some attention is paid to trick-or-treating for the children.
November
All Saints Day is celebrated on the first, with All Souls Day following on t
he second. Peruvians may attend mass and visit cemeteries in memory of the dead, especially loved ones.
Puno, the folkloric center of Peru, has many Peru holidays. It’s founding is celebrated on the 4th and 5th called Puno Days. There are military parades, drinking and dancing. A procession of masked dancers celebrate the Inca legend of when Manco Capac, the first king of Cuzco, and his sister and wife Mama Occlo, rose out of Lake Titicaca.
December
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception on the 8th is celebrated by two of the things that Peruvians love most – great food and lots of beer. Christmas celebrations begin on the 24th when the drinking starts. At midnight the official party begins, sometimes gifts will be exchanged, but there will always be a round of champagne.
