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British Airways Strike Called Off

The courts have ruled that the upcoming vote to strike by the cabin crews of British Airways is illegal. British Airways had asked the courts for an injunction because of irregularities in the strike vote.

This is great news for more than a million travelers who faced canceled flights through the holidays if the strike were to proceed.

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British Airways Strike Will Spoil Holiday Travel for Millions

British Airways cabin crews have voted to strike for 12 days beginning Dec 22, 2009 unless an agreement can be reached before then. This action will affect British Airways flights worldwide.

This action leaves at least a million travelers in a state of uncertainty. Although British Airways is offering complete refunds or exchanges, passengers will be hard pressed to find other available flights at this late date.

British Airways is seeking an injunction to prevent the strike, citing irregularities in the voting procedure. It is also contemplating whether it can get enough non-union members to work during this time, to provide minimal service during the strike.

The Telegraph has developed a great list of questions and answers for passengers who want to know their rights and how they can best deal with the pending British Airways strike.

The British Airways Website continues to up-date its information.

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Get a Mastercard prepaid debit card to avoid the £5 Ryanair admin fees from 01/01/10

From 1 January 2010, the only way to avoid the Ryanair £5 per person per flight admin fee is to pay by Mastercard prepaid debit card. I’ve been avoiding paying this Ryanair £5 fee until now by paying for my flights with a Visa Electron card. Ryanair did always state that this fee free payment option was a limited offer (although it’s been on the go for years).

The distinctive yellow seat backs of the Ryanair fleet

Yesterday I started searching for the best Mastercard prepaid debit card for my Ryanair usage. I tend to book the really cheap promotional fares ranging from £1 – £5 per flight several times a year. I will only be using the card for online UK based transactions as I have Nationwide Flex debit card which avoids charges for transactions made in mainland Europe.

However be aware that paying by Mastercard prepaid debit card does not offer the finincial protection of joint liability on purchases of more than £100 you’d receive if you paid by credit card.

There are two types of Mastercard prepaid debit cards either unpersonalised which have a limit of £650 load a year or personalised which have higher limits. I decided to go for a personalised card as I wasn’t sure if an unpersonalised card would be accepted on the Ryanair site as there is usually a box on the payment page where you tick to confirm that your payment card is registered at your home address.

Unfortunately I couldn’t find a card which was totally cost free. Most Mastercard prepaid debit cards charge for one or more of the following.

Four types of charges made on Mastercard prepaid debit cards:

1 Card application fee – free to £30.

2 Monthly fee – free to £10.

3 Transaction fee – free to 2.75% of transaction value (sometimes fixed lower and upper limit e.g. minimum of 50p maximum of £1.50) or flat fee regardless of transaction value.

4 Card loading fee – free to 3% of load value.

You have to decide how often you’ll use the card and the transaction values to decide which Mastercard prepaid debit card is best for you. For example if you book peak Ryanair flights for a family then you should look for a card with a fixed upper transaction charge as opposed to a percentage of the transaction cost.

With my own personal card usage in mind I narrowed my search down to three Mastercard prepaid debit cards.

Bread Mastercard prepaid debit card

1 Card purchase fee – £7.50.

2 Monthly fee – free.

3 Transaction fee – 2% of transaction value for UK transactions.

4 Card loading fee – free by bank transfer or at a Post Office with £10 minimum load.

CaxtonFX Global Card

1 Card application fee – free but £10 deposit payable to be added to initial £100 card load.

2 Monthly fee – free.

3 Transaction fee – £1.50 flat fee for UK transactions

4 Card loading fee – free online, by landline or text from your registered mobile, £100 minimum load

Escape Mastercard prepaid debit card

1 Card application fee – £10

2 Monthly fees – free

3 Transaction fee – free for UK transations

4 Loading fee – free by bank transfer or in cash at a Phones4U shop.

My rationale for choosing the Bread Mastercard prepaid debit card

I reckoned that I’ve spent £100 on 6 return Ryanair flights in the last year which would come to admin fees of £60 paying the Ryanair admin fee of £5 per person per flight. Below I’ve worked out the cost of these flights with each of three Mastercard prepaid debit cards.

Bread: £7.50 card application fee plus £2 (2% of £100) transaction fee = £.9.50.

CaxtonFX: no card application fee plus £9 (6 x £1.50) transaction fee = £9.00.

Escape: £10 card application fee plus zero transaction charges = £10.00

It was really a toss up between me selecting the Bread, Escape or CaxtonFX Mastercard prepaid debit cards.

I was put off the CaxtonFX card by the high minimum load of £100, the £10 deposit and the £1.50 flat fee per transaction when most of my Ryanair transactions are only for a few pounds. However if you book a small number of higher cost flights this card may suit you.

One of the reasons I didn’t apply for the Escape card is that there is no facility for online ID checks, so you have to either scan your documents (I don’t have a scanner) or post in a photocopy. Again if you book high cost and/or very frequnet flights this card may be the one for you.

I plumped for the Bread card as the minimum top up is £10, my ID could be checked during the online applicatioin and as my projected Ryanair spend is low the 2% transaction fee should only amount to a couple of pounds a year.

Conclusion

Whichever of these three Mastercard prepaid debit cards you select you are still likely to save on Ryanair fees. You have to estimate the average cost of your Ryanair flights, the number of separate transactions and the number of flights you’re likely to book over the year. to guage which Mastercard prepad debit card is most cost effective for you.

Warning

Please read the terms and conditions very carefully before you sign up for a card. I spent hours researching these cards but it’s quite complex and there is a lot of small print. This post is based on my personal research and spending patterns.

Follow the 2009 Travel Bloggers’ Caravan & Win Cool Prizes

We are thrilled to announce the first (and, hopefully, annual) Travel Bloggers’ Caravan! Starting today, I invite you to follow 15 top travel bloggers for a chance to win prizes in celebration of the season.

Prizes range from hotel gift cards and overnight stays to digital cameras and noise-cancelling headphones to luggage and camera bags to travel guidebooks and DVDs. Magellan’s Travel Supplies has signed on as a sponsor of this event. If you’ve got a traveler on your holiday shopping list, check out the unique gifts available at Magellan’s website.

Each day, between December 2–15, a different travel expert’s blog will be featured in this round robin event. You’ll have a chance to win one of over a dozen prizes by reading and commenting on the daily blog post.

The Caravan starts tomorrow! Simply visit the Luxury Cruise Bible blog each morning to learn about the featured Caravan “stop-of-the-day” between December 2 and 15, and then enter to win.

EuropeUpClose.com will be featured on December 14th, 2009! Mark your calendar and be sure to comment on my post that day in order to be entered in the giveaway! (Our prize is a Fujifilm FinePix J28 10MP digital camera with 3x optical zoom)

Complete Travel Caravan Schedule

December 2: LuxuryCruiseBible.com (Andrea M. Rotondo)
$100 Marriott gift card

December 3: DreamofItaly.com (Kathy McCabe)
One-year online subscription to Dream of Italy newsletter & DVD ($79 value)

December 4: NovelDestinations.com (Shannon McKenna Schmidt & Joni Rendon)
Literary Travel Prize Pack
(A tote bag, book, travel kit, note cards, tea, bookmarks, and a keychain.)

December 5: TheBrooklynNomad.com (Andrew Hickey)
Imagine: A Vagabond Story by Grant Lingel and $50 Magellan’s gift certificate

December 6: The Tranquilo Traveler (Joshua Berman)
A copy of Moon Belize, accompanied with personal travel advice from the author about your trip

December 7: CiaoBambino.com (Amie O’Shaughnessy and Kristi Marcelle)
Napa Valley Getaway
(One-night stay at the Westin Verasa in Napa, California,
plus gourmet lunch for two on the Napa Valley Wine Train)

December 8: JohnnyJet.com (John DiScala)
Alaska and Seattle Toursaver books ($198 value) and $50 Magellan’s gift certificate

December 9: What a Trip (Nancy D. Brown)
Two Otterbox cell phone cases ($50 value each)
andBaseline 20” Carry-On Expandable Wide-Body Upright ($369 value)

December 10: JtheTravelAuthority.com (Jeanine Barone)
Mountainsmith Tour FX Camera Bag ($99 value)

December 11: CruiseDiva.com (Linda Coffman)
Fodor’s The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises and a World Grounding Set (courtesy of Magellan’s)

December 12: EllenBarone.com (Ellen Barone)
Day pack from First Ascent, a new extreme adventure line of gear and clothing
by Eddie Bauer and partners ($79 value)

December 13: MyItchyTravelFeet.com (Donna L. Hull)
“Library Edition” of the most recent season of “Rudy Maxa’s World”,
including six DVDs containing 13 shows on destinations in India, Turkey, Japan, Thailand, St. Petersburg, Estonia, and Argentina ($112 value)

December 14: EuropeUpClose.com (Terri Fogarty)
Fujifilm FinePix J28 10MP digital camera with 3x optical zoom

December 15: LuxurySafariExperts.com (Andrea M. Rotondo)
Folding noise-cancelling headphones courtesy of Magellan’s Travel Supplies

If you love exploring new destinations and revisiting old favorites, you won’t want to miss the Travel Bloggers’ Caravan & Giveaway! You just may discover a few new favorite travel blogs to bookmark.

Win a Lingo 16-Language Translator

Help us kick off the Caravan right now! Follow @luxcruisebible and then tweet about the Travel Bloggers’ Caravan between December 1 and 15. Include a link to this blog post and the #caravan hashtag and you’ll be entered to win the Lingo 16-Language Translator, courtesy of Magellan’s Travel Supplies. Entrants must have a U.S. mailing address. Entries must be received between December 1–15, 2009. One winner will be randomly chosen from eligible entries on December 21, 2009. Winner will be notified via Twitter DM (direct message).

Just log onto Twitter and tweet something like this: Check out the Travel Bloggers’ Caravan. 15 travel bloggers and tons of cool prizes to win. http://bit.ly/6zfZEr #caravan

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Tamaimos interview me about No Winter Blues: Mission Iceland

There’s been quite a controversy raging in the Canary Islands about the Mission Iceland launch of the No Winter Blues marketing campaign which took place in Reykjavik between 19 – 22 October. I was in Iceland, as the UK member of the press group, reporting on the initiative.

The campaign aims to promote the Canary Islands as the preferred Winter Sun destination for Northern Europeans. One hundred Canarian Ambassadors were recruited to travel to Iceland to select one hundred Icelanders to enjoy an expenses paid trip to the Canaries. The selection of the fortunate 100 Icelanders kicked off at a Castings Party in Reykjavik Art Museum.

Tamaimos.com, a Canary Islands current affairs website, is critical of some aspects of the campaign in their post Operation No Winter Blues. Tamaimos asked for my opinion of the campaign as a European tourism expert and a first hand observer.

There’s also been some negativity about the campaign on the Icelandic marketing blog Transmit in their post Unorthodox Marketing! The Canary Islands invade Reykjavik which is mentioned in the interview.

I was interviewed over Skype by Iván Vega, co-writer of Tamaimos.com. The sound quality isn’t great especially at my end and I definitely need to work on my delivery. The interview was conducted in English, as I can’t speak Spanish and Iván speaks English very well. You can listen to the interview below (in two parts, as at one point the line went dead).

Part 1: Ivan Vega of Tamaimos interviews Karen Bryan of Europe a la Carte

Part 2: Ivan Vega of Tamaimos interviews Karen Bryan of Europe a la Carte

Ivan has orally translated the interview into Spanish so that the Spanish and English version can be simultaneously heard, the latter with the volume reduced. The interview was longer than expected, so Ivan has translated only part of it for inclusion in the Tamaimos podcast 45. Unfortunately there isn’t a transcript of the interview.

Much of Tamaimos’ criticism focuses on cost and execution of the campaign. However I’d ask them to give the No Winter Blues campaign some time to take effect before judging it. I understand that in these harsh economic times, with public spending cuts taking place, some may wonder why money is being spent on a big marketing campaign. The fact is the Canarian economy depends heavily on tourism and the Canaries have to fight for their share of the tourist market when potential visitors have so many possible destinations from which to choose. The No Winter Blues Campaign is using person to person marketing in addition to more traditional advertising.

The idea is that the 100 Icelanders who visit the Canaries will write about their trip on blogs, Facebook and Twitter which will then be passed onto all their contacts. As the Icelanders will be describing a real experience and can upload their own photos and videos, their experience will be more authentic to readers and potential visitors to the Canaries. This can start a snowball effect where the Icelanders’ experiences spread online way beyond their own personal contacts.

What’s your opinion of the Canary Islands Mission Iceland phase of the No Winter Blues initiative?

Our “Win a Free Trip to Europe” Roundup

Every year, I comb the web looking for Free trips to Europe sweepstakes. And, every year, I round up the best offers and post them for our readers. So, here you go….. why not try your luck at these contests and drawings?

Gate One Travel
Cortona Win a trip for two to Italy by just giving them your email address. The prize will be two round-trip tickets (economy class), from New York to Europe and a six nights escorted tour of Italy. Closes by Dec 30, 2009

Visit Europe
The consortium, Visit Europe, is offering two drawings:

FLANDERS: TO BRUSSELS & BRUGES
Two roundtrip economy tickets to Brussels, Belgium on American Airlines from New York or Chicago. Two nights in the uniquely decorated Hotel Welcome right in the heart of Brussels; and two nights in the Romantik Pandhotel, in Bruges; an 18th-century carriage house converted into a boutique hotel.

NORWAY: ‘FROM KING TO OBAMA’
Two roundtrip economy tickets to Oslo, Norway’s capital, on SAS Scandinavian Airlines, from New Monolitten Nancy Bundt York (Newark), Washington, DC or Chicago. Three nights at the designer First Hotel Grims Grenka, plus two Oslo passes for 3 days’ travel on all public transit, and free admission to museums and attractions, including the “From King to Obama” exhibition at the Nobel Peace Center. The Exhibition becomes all the more relevant now that President Barack Obama has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

This drawing is open only to legal residents of the United States, age 18 or older as of the date of entry. Only one entry per person will be considered. Contest ends Nov. 13, 2009 at midnight ET. Mailed entries must be postmarked by Nov. 14, 2009 and received by Nov. 20, 2009.

WIn a Trip for two to Ireland
Sponsored by Frommers and Aer LIngus Vacation Store, the prize package includes: roundtrip economy airfare on Aer Lingus for two to Dublin, six nights in a two-bedroom villa – fully equipped living room, dining room, kitchen and all the amenities, and a standard economy car rental with unlimited mileage. For this prize, you can enter daily. Sweepstakes end at 11:50 p.m. ET, October 31, 2009

Win a Spectacular New Year’s Eve Vacation in London
Tower Bridge Celebrate the holidays with unique travel experiences that you can find… only in London. In addition to round-trip travel and central London accommodations for five nights, you receive:

•A New Year’s Eve Dinner Cruise on the River Thames: Enjoy the last hours of 2009 with a spectacular evening cruise including all the amazing food and wine, live entertainment and unrivalled views of London that Bateaux London cruises have to offer. At Midnight, welcome in the New Year with a celebratory glass of champagne and experience the capital’s iconic firework display.
•A Luxury Celebrity Tour of London: Enjoy a chauffeur driven 3-hour tour of London’s most glamorous celebrity homes, famous film locations, music landmarks, and pop culture history.
•A VIP Pass to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland: Experience the dazzling festivities VIP-style! Skate on London’s largest outdoor ice rink, ride the Giant Observation Wheel, and use your complimentary tokens for many other attractions.
•A Private Visit to the Royal Academy of Arts: Get exclusive access to the galleries and a private visit to the “Wild Thing”: Epstein – Brzeska & Gill exhibition—plus take home a beautiful catalog as a memento of this unique experience.
•A Daytrip on Eurostar: Visit Paris in just two hours and 15 minutes—and when you return to St. Pancras International Station celebrate with complimentary bubbly at Europe’s longest champagne bar.
•A champagne flight on the London Eye: Enjoy a glass of Laurent-Perrier champagne served by your host while you take in amazing views of the capital.
•A VIP Tour of Wembley Stadium: Enjoy a personal behind-the-scenes tour of Wembley Stadium, one of the most famous stadiums in the world and home of English football. The tour is led by one of the best tour guides in London and includes a photo op of the replica FA Cup and goody bag.
Don’t delay. The New Year’s Eve in London Competition closes on November 19th. Enter now.

FranceGuide

louvre The official guide to France from Maison de la France has several contests for thsoe who like to play games. The contests are easy and they give hints. RIght now, there are at least three contests for free trips.

Win a Trip to Play Darts in Europe
OK, this is an odd one, but if you play darts, take a look!

Related posts:

Free Lodging in Europe …
Lufthansa Fall Sale to Europe …

Related posts:

Free Lodging in Europe …
Lufthansa Fall Sale to Europe …

Argentina Travel Guide: Celebrating The Tango

After decades of dispute and mutual outcry of cultural piracy, Argentina and Uruguay can now at least rest assured that their beloved tango will forever bear the coveted world heritage status granted by the UN’s cultural agency, UNESCO.

Dancing the Tango. A common sight in Buenos Aires, Argentina. But who invented it?

The characteristic music steeped in nostalgia, lust and betrayal and its corresponding sensually aggressive dance steps were recently given protected status, along with several other nations’ cultural treasures.

The mention of tango usually conjures up images of somewhat frenetic and costumed partners whirling, kicking and lunging across the dance floor in a dramatically passionate embrace. This is known as show tango, and can be witnessed in both countries in a multitude of hotels, restaurants and bars specially catering to the curious visitor.

But the original tango, danced in milongas – traditional tango dance halls – is far less frenzied, waltz-like, and enjoyed by everyday folk both young and old.

Up until very recently both Argentina and Uruguay have vied to be recognized as the birthplace of this sultry dance. Argentineans claimed it emerged from the working class, inner-city slums of Buenos Aires, while Uruguayan nationals swore the dance was invented on their side of the River Plate, in Montevideo, by immigrants.

Whichever the case, it is safe to say that this blend of Spanish, African and central European rhythm and its associated dance evolved within the bordellos and slums of the port neighborhoods in and between Buenos Aires and Montevideo in the mid 19^th century.

As often happens with subculture art, tango was eventually taken up enthusiastically by the middle and upper class in both countries and around the world, and by 1913 the wildly popular dance was found in elegant dance houses, no longer confined to the shadier sides of town.

Carlos Gardel, a classic Tango singer

Around this time folk singer Carlos Gardel recorded his famous first tango song, Mi Noche Triste, and cemented the now common association of tango with feelings of tragic love, as revealed in the lyrics.

Recently, with the possibility of safeguarding the traditions of tango against change or falling into obscurity, the two countries have learned, quite poetically, it takes two to tango. Recognizing their common cause, the nations cast aside their differences in favor of a united bid to UNESCO.

“While it’s good that tango is spreading around the world, alterations invariably begin to creep in. There are certain original elements that need to be preserved,” as Eduardo León Duter, director of culture for Montevideo’s city government, explains. “Obtaining UNESCO status implies a determination by both countries to implement preservation policies, such as training, diffusion and cataloguing.” On their unified front for the bid, “The dominant factor is that tango is something we share.”

Now that the passionate dance has been granted this protected cultural status by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee of Intangible Heritage, both countries are eligible to apply for financial assistance from a special UN fund for safeguarding cultural traditions. It also means both governments will be able to justify using public funds to help promote and preserve one of their most famous exports.

Catch The Tango During Your Argentina Vacations

Travelers to the region have long since been taken by the tango. The pedestrian-only street of Caminito in the multi-colored La Boca district of Buenos Aires is famous for featuring spontaneous tango demonstrations along its stone walkway. Here, visitors can stand back and admire the dancers, pose for a picture with them, and purchase tango-related memorabilia, along with wonderful pieces of art by Boca resident Benito Quinquela Martín who spent years repainting the street’s houses in the vivid colors that they are now known for.

There are also numerous authentic restaurants and bars throughout the city, usually tucked into non-assuming venues that betray the sultry glamour of what goes on inside them.

Bar de Roberto, on the corner of Bulnes and Peron in Almagro is frequented by seasoned aficionados and hosts impromptu gigs by guitarists and singers on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays after midnight.

At out-of-the-way bar/restaurant called Bar El Chino (Telf: +54 11 4911 0215, Beazley 3566, Nueva Pompeya), heavily made-up divas strut their stuff as you dine on delicious Argentine steak.

One of Buenos Aires’ most attractive cafes, the historical Cafe Tortoni (Telf: +54 11 4342 4328, Avenida de Mayo 829, Centro) comes alive with excellent shows of singers and bands on most weekends.

Dabble in wine tasting while you admire tango and other music style gigs at the Club del Vino (Telf: +51 11 4833 0048, Cabrera 4737, Palermo Viejo), where the quintet led by maestro Horacio Salgan also performs on Fridays.

Travelers not content to simply sit back and watch can strap on their dancing shoes and head to one of the many milongas, or tango dance halls, for lessons. Don’t let the dingy exterior of San Telmo’s Centro Cultural Torcuato Tasso (Telf: +51 11 4307 6506, Defensa 1575) deceive you; – fantastic dancing takes place here almost every night and gigs range from old-style orchestras to Daniel Melingo and his quartet.

If searching for a slightly hipper alternative, La Catedral (Telf: +54 11 15 5325 1630, Sarmiento 4006, Almagro) is ideal for dancers of all levels, and host Omar Viola is a tango maestro.

Finally for those on a tight schedule, consider booking an evening Tango dinner and dance excursion with a good Argentina tours operator.

Whether you’re looking to admire from a distance or personally partake in the experience, almost countless opportunities exist to enjoy tango during your Argentina vacations. And thanks to the joint effort by neighboring countries Argentina and Uruguay, and the subsequent protected status bestowed by UNECO, visitors to the area will be able to find this dance in its most authentic form for many years to come.

Peru Travel Guide: Oktoberfest On A Peru Vacation?

Forget cars and precision engineering, Oktoberfest has to be one of Germany’s most enduring German exports. Or at least you’d be forgiven for assuming so, based on the vast crowd of beer swilling Peruvians and ex-pats who celebrate this unlikely version of the event in Lima every year.

Oktoberfest organisers meeting the party goers, Peru. Photograph, Matthew Barker 2009

Never mind that Oktoberfest Peru is many thousand miles from the real thing in Munich, this four day event held around the middle of October each year, is as authentic as it gets. Organized by a group of German expats, the event is estimated to draw around 20,000 revelers and has been supported by one of the biggest breweries in Peru, Cuzqueña, who even bring out a limited edition beer for the party.

Held in the grounds of a Lima stadium and covered by a beer tent the size of a warehouse, the familiar sight of endless rows of tables packed with thousands of party goers, the sounds of live Bavarian folk music and the repeated shouts of “eins, zwei, drei, PROST!”, (one, two, three, CHEERS!) are more than enough to evoke the real thing.

Tradition is the name of the game: traditional food (sausage and sauerkraut), traditional music (yodeling and Alpenhorn) and traditional standing-on-the-table-thigh-slapping dancing. A few devotees even make the effort to come in traditional dress, with Lederhosen and distinctive Dirndl dresses a frequent sight.

How To Catch Oktoberfest On Your Peru Vacations

An Alpenhorn display at Oktoberfest Lima, Peru. Photograph, Matthew Barker 2009

Oktoberfest Peru is held during the middle of the month, starting on Thursday and lasting until Sunday. If you’re a fan of beer and boisterous revelry and find yourself enjoying your Peru vacations at the right time, head over for one of the most unusual displays of cultural fusion in Lima.

Tickets cost 22 soles for general, single night entry, or 84 soles for two people, including two free beers and a plate of sausage and sauerkraut.

The event is staged at the Videna stadium in San Luis district. Expect to pay up to 20 soles for the taxi journey from Lima’s traveler center, Miraflores.

For further details, take a look at the official website: http://www.oktoberfest-peru.com.

Peru Travel Guide: Celebrating Peru’s Mixed Naval History

Peruvians will be downing tools for a national holiday on Thursday 8 October, an annual act of remembrance for the naval disaster suffered at the hands of Chile in the Battle of Angamos on 8 October 1879.

The battle became a decisive moment in the War of the Pacific between Chile and the allied countries of Peru and Bolivia. By crippling the Peruvian ironclad the Huascar, Chilean naval supremacy was achieved, paving the way for a land attack and eventual victory.

The Battle of Angamos, Peru. Image: Creative Commons

But despite their strong sense of patriotism, Peruvians are unlikely to let history get in the way of a good holiday, and 8 October has become an excuse for a celebration throughout the country, with plenty of opportunities for visitors on Peru vacations to get involved.

A number of public events take place in Lima’s neighboring dockland city of Callao, including a ceremony at the main war memorial monument and displays by various naval units.

The events are focused around Plaza Grau, on La Punta, a peninsula that juts out into the Pacific Ocean which is home to a pleasant neighborhood of original architecture and beachfront shops, restaurants and attractive, well conserved parkland.

La Punta is home to a large Peruvian Naval School complex and is very close to Callao’s docklands, where much of Peru’s maritime history has been concentrated. The events start at around 10:00am and last for several hours.

Getting to Callao from the popular tourist district of Miraflores in Lima is best done by taxi, as the journey is a long one and can take up to an hour, passing through some fairly poor neighborhoods. Expect to pay between 20 and 30 soles for the taxi ride.

Meanwhile elsewhere in Lima and throughout Peru, families and friends take the chance to spend the day together at home, drinking their favorite brand of Peruvian beer and enjoying a typical meal of the famous Peruvian cuisine.

National holidays are a good time to explore Peruvian culture and history during your Peru travel experience, but to ensure you have the best time possible, try to remember the following key points:

- ATMs should still be functioning and street money changers will be working, but banks and other services will be closed for the day, so don’t get caught short without enough cash.

- Restaurants, hotels and public transport will be functioning as normal, but in busy areas (especially on La Punta) expect crowds, higher than normal prices, and a queue for even the smallest purchase.

- As with any crowded area in any city, exercise caution – keep an eye on your bags, don’t put your expensive cameras or cash on display and watch out for pickpockets.

Peru Travel Guide: Unique Community Hosts Unique Festival

The Selvámonos music and arts festival in Oxapampa, Peru

The jungle is a popular destination for many Peru vacations, with jungle lodges and Amazon River cruises offering an easy introduction to the wild Amazon rainforest, its unique ecosystems and its vast range of wildlife inhabitants.

But the central jungle region is a little-known and under-visited region of the rainforest and is an ideal place for travelers looking for their own Amazon adventures.

Within this region is a unique community of Germanic settlers who made an epic migration from Central Europe to Peru in the 1850s and eventually established a number of settlements in the selva alta, the high jungle, where the Andes mountains and the Amazon meet.

In the towns of Oxapampa and Pasco, the German heritage is alive and well to this day, with blond hair and blue eyes a common sight, and an old dialect of German still spoken.

This unique community is playing host to a unique new event in October, with the Selvámonos music and arts festival of Oxapampa due to begin on 10 October 2009.

The first of its kind, Selvámonos is aimed at bringing music and art together in the paradisiacal location of the selva alta. The concept is borrowed from successes in other countries, where music and arts have been decentralized from the major cities and allowed to flourish in diverse, alternative environments.

The event will be featuring a variety of national and international artists, including Jean Pierre Magnet, a well known composer and saxophonist who is inspired by the musical traditions of the Andes, along with Andres Prado, a jazz guitarist also heavily influenced by the various Peruvian styles.

The location for Selvámonos has been chosen to place emphasis on the positive elements of the region, as an example of sustainable living and development. The event is being staged at the Aníbal Ruffner Ranch, located in La Florida Avenue s/n Chontabamba, Oxapampa and the doors open at 2:00pm.

For further information see the event blog: http://selvamonos.blogspot.com/

Getting to the area is a relatively easy bus journey from Lima which takes around 8/9 hours. Timing your journey to arrive in daylight is highly recommended, as the views during the descent from the sierra into the jungle are stunning.