Knowing the best time to visit a region can truly enhance your experience. Especially for those that want to see the real life that is lived there. If you are visiting Pakistan, take note of a very special festival you may not want to miss.

The Silk Route Festival is also referred to as a cultural experience on the roof of the world. On the highest mountains with snow peaks gleaming in the sun, the most breathtaking landscapes that include green foliage and fresh fruits while streams of water that is unpolluted cascade and glisten is where you will take part in the festivities. This is what you will find in the month of September when you visit Pakistan during the Silk Route Festival.

Rich in heritage, folklore, arts and crafts, they are highlighted at this most wondrous event. Some of the highlights include Masters of their craft at work in the most documented and stunning pavilions. Artisans from the Skardu, Karimabad and Gilgit will impress you with their unique skills. Ensembles that highlight song and the folk dances of Pakistan will amaze you with their beauty and the music is sure to touch your soul. There are dancers, singers and musicians of the Skardu, Karimabad, Gulmit, Aliabad and Gilgit that will dazzle you with their style and grace.

Food from the various Northern Areas will be on hand for you to taste and discover a new world of culinary delights. If you want to see Pakistan as she really is, there are many festivals and fairs you can attend, but there is none quite like the Silk Route Festival to give a visitor a real glimpse into the ancient and modern world in which the Pakistani people live.

So if you are planning a trip to Pakistan, be sure you plan it around the time of the Silk Route Festival where you will get an authentic taste of of what it is to be Pakistani.

China is more than just a country; it is a world unto itself. It has only been recently that China has opened her doors to world commerce and tourism. China achieved the honorable distinction of being host to the 2008 Summer Olympics that will attract visitors from around the globe.

The games won’t be the only attraction in the city of Beijing. It is a thriving metropolis that is steeped in history and culture. The youth of Beijing have finally been permitted to access the outside world and are enjoying the new privileges that the new millennium has brought into being.

One can see investors from many lands, copies of designer T-shirts, mobile phone toting hipsters and expats that are ready to mix it up with the bureaucracy.

If you are planning to visit Beijing this summer, be sure you include some noteworthy sites on your itinerary. Tienanmen Square is a must see as it is steeped in history. Museums you won’t want to miss include the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum and the Beijing Natural History Museum.

If you are interested in the creatures that share our world take a trip to the Beijing Aquarium or visit the Beijing Zoo. The Beijing Botanical Gardens will be lush with plant life and at Beihai Park you can stretch out your legs.

If art is your passion be sure to visit 798 Art District and if your interests are of a higher plane then visit the Ancient Observatory or the Beijing  Planetarium for a look at the stars.

Dining and shopping options will tempt you to spend until you can’t spend anymore. There is so much to see and do while you are in Beijing for the games you may just forget that The 2008 Summer Olympics is the reason you came here in the first place.