If you have done even a small amount of traveling, you have doubtless had at least one experience of shelling out a lot of money for your plane tickets, only to find them cheaper a day or a week later. In order to minimize the chance of a similar shock to your wallet happening in the future, we offer some insider tips that can make your ticket-purchasing experience less stressful.
Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or a wine amateur, you can visit Napa Valley for more than just the fruity, aromatic nectar. The area is a smorgasbord for the senses. The food is varied and delectable, the scenery is beautiful, and the entertainment is lively. When you visit Napa, you feel trendy and classic all at once.
Getting off your plane only to stand at a baggage carousel waiting for luggage that doesn’t show is no way to start a vacation or any kind of trip. According, to the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2012, for every 1,000 passengers there were 3.09 mishandled bags. While, there’s not much you can do to completely prevent lost luggage there are steps you can take to reduce the risk.
Why not go ahead and combine all the traditions this year? Glue a coin to the sidewalk, sneak up on the unsuspecting person trying to pick it up, attach a paper fish to her or his back and then loudly yell “April, April!”
Cherry blossom season in Japan draws tourists from all over the world for an event that captures the ephemeral nature of beauty. Throughout the country, cherry blossoms erupt in astonishing color in the spring for a very short time, and tourists flock to various cities from January to June to view the cultural event that Japanese citizens have celebrated for more than a thousand years.
Wind, weather and temperatures affect the dates when trees begin to blossom. Forecasts for 2013 include the following dates provided by the Japanese Weather Association:
|
Location |
Begins |
Best Viewing Dates |
|
Aomori |
April 24 | April 29 to May 6 |
|
Fukushima |
April 10 | April 15 to April 22 |
|
Hiroshima |
March 24 | April 1 to April 9 |
|
Hakodate |
May 1 | May 5 to May 12 |
|
Kanazawa |
April 2 | April 8 to April 15 |
|
Kyoto |
March 25 | April 1 to April 10 |
|
Nagoya |
March 24 | March 31 to April 8 |
|
Tokyo |
March 25 | April 1 to April 10 |
Hanami is the Japanese custom of taking time to view flowers, and cherry blossoms in full bloom create one of the world’s most spectacular tourist attractions. Retirees, frequent travelers and professional couples can enjoy viewing the blossoms at different times in various Japanese cities, rekindling romances, taking part in a world-class celebration of the arts and enjoying the company of similar people who take an interest in the finer humanistic disciplines.
You can choose from formal tours, personal travel or pick a favorite hotel to combine festival visits, trips to tourist attractions and cherry blossom viewing activities to get the most from your vacation. In fact, you need not worry too much about exact dates because fast train rides can get you quickly to the best areas for viewing.
Popular festivals sites include Asukayama Park, above JR Oji Station in Tokyo, and Koishikawa Botanical Garden near Hakusan and Myogadani Stations, and both events take place in early April in 2013. Popular areas to consider for your trip include Marunouchi and Shinjuku Tokyo
and the Ginza hotel.
The Golden Route of Japan tours of Tokyo and Kyoto offer visits to cultural landmarks, shopping destinations and flowering gardens amidst historical shrines, temples and Japan’s unique architecture.
Trips to see the flowering cherry trees in spring make very romantic honeymoons and wedding anniversaries, and arts aficionados will enjoy the astonishing array of festivals, parades, cultural events and gallery showings. Blossoming cherry trees have carved their place as an enduring symbol of Japanese beauty and artistic expression.
