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Solapur

Solapur is a city in Maharashtra in India.

Understand
The name Solapur is believed to be derived from sola meaning "16" in the local language (Marathi), and pur meaning village. Those 16 villages were Aadilpur, Ahmedpur, Chapaldev, Fatehpur, Jamdarwadi, Kalajapur, Khadarpur, Khandervkiwadi, Muhammadpur, Ranapur, Sandalpur, Shaikpur, Solapur, Sonalagi, Sonapur and Vaidakwadi which are now united in Municipal Corporation of Solapur.

Solapur is famous for its chadder, handloom, powerloom and beedi industries, covering an area of, is one of the important districts in Maharashtra State of India.

It is influenced by its geography and the area is largely consists of plains. The river Bhima flows from northwest to the southeast and Sina River also flows from it. The southwest and northeast parts of the district are arid areas. Solapur is meeting ground for Maharashtra and Karnataka and from very old times the trade routes passed across Solapur district.

There are 8 famous Digamabar Jain temples at Solapur two are at Shukravar Peth, one in Kasagi, one at Shravikashram, one at Bhusari and Seth Sakharamji temple. The chief deity (Gramdevata) of the city are Shri Siddeshwar & Shri Rupabhavani

Solapur developed as a commercial center for cotton and other agricultural produce. Solapur bed-sheets have earned fame and reputation for their novel designs and durability.

History As per the mythological literary sources the region south of Godavari was covered with thick forest and was inhabited by the aboriginal. Agastya was the first Aryan who crossed the Vindhya Mountains and settled on the banks of Godavari followed by other sages who established their hermitages in the different regions of the south. In early centuries the city belonged to the Hindu Chalukyas and Devagiri Yadavas, but later became a part of the Bahamani and Bijapur kingdoms. Vairag village in Barshi tehsil situated at a distance of 23 km (14 miles) to the south east of Barshi and 50 km (30 miles) to the north of Solapur is a meeting place of saints of Nath Sect who have enunciated worldly life for meditation. Because of this particular aspect the village seems to have been named as 'Vairag'.

Road
Solapur is transport hub connecting Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is well connected by Road and Rail to major districts and cities.The national highways 9, 13 and 211 pass through Solapur city. Solapur is located on Pune-Hyderabad NH9, approximately 275 km away from Pune. Regularly buses ply from Pune. Buses from Mumbai, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, Nasik and other important cities of wester Maharashtra are available too.

Solapur is also very close to Hyderabad (305 km) in Andhra Pradesh and Vijapur (100 km) in Karnataka.

Railway
The city is located on major road and rail routes between Mumbai and Hyderabad, with a branch line to Bijapur and Gadag. It is 456 km away from Mumbai and 264 km away from Pune by rail.

By plane
No air service is available for solapur city. The nearest airports are in Pune (260 km), Mumbai (450 km) and Hyderabad (305 km)

Get around
Public transport in Solapur is primarily provided by buses operated by Solapur Municipal Transport (SMT) and auto rickshaws. Solapur is the only place in India other than Mumbai where double decker buses are in use.

See
Highlights for tourists include:

 * Temple of Lord Siddharameshwar
 * Temple of Markandeya Mahamuni
 * Hipparga Lake - a scenic nature area
 * Kambar Lake, newly named as Sambhaji lake
 * IndraBhavan - Solapur Corporation building
 * Bhui-Kot Castle - castle of 15th century and under the Bahamani period
 * Hutatma Garden
 * Mahatma Gandhi National Zoo
 * Chetana Park
 * Navi Peth - For shopping

Destinations that are further away (but great for day/weekend trips)

 * Pandharpur Vithoba Temple (70 km away)
 * Akkalkot - Swami Samarth temple (35 km away)
 * Hydra - Saifan mulk chishti dargah (near about 20 km from Akkalkot)
 * Nannaj - Bird Sanctaury for 'The Great Indian Busterd' (25 km away)
 * Tuljapur - Tuljabhavani Temple (45 km away)
 * Naldurg Fort (approx. 45 km towards Hyderabad)
 * Barshi "Bhagvant" Temple (approx. 70 km away)
 * Ramling - Beautiful natural place (90 km away)
 * Kudal Sangam - Shiva Temple (approx. 30 km away)
 * Akluj - Fort, Gardens, Sayaji Raje Park, Temples. (approx. 100 km away)

Buy

 * The most famous item is Solapuri chadar. Cotton bedsheets and handmade textile are very popular.

Eat

 * Try Nasle Shenga Chutney.

Supraja Pav-Bhaji

Pani Puri at Madhla Maruti.

Sleep
Solapur is home for some good serving hotels ranging from different budgets. Hotel Tripursundari, Hotel city park and Hotel Pratham are some well known three star hotels in the city.

Connect
PIN Code for Solapur is 41300x. STD Code is 0217 and the RTO Vehicle Registration code is MH-13.

Stay safe
You should be extra cautious while parking vehicles. Traffic Police are very strict in the city.

You need to have PUC for your vehicles or else you will be ₹50 short each time you cross the signals.

Go next

 * Bijapur
 * Badami
 * Pattadkal
 * Aihole
 * Dharwad
 * Hampi
 * Raichur
 * Ballari
 * Bidar
 * Mantralayam

title: Solapur


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Solar eclipses

A solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon in which the sun is obscured by the moon. In a total solar eclipse, the moon precisely covers the sun's bright orb, leaving the normally invisible solar corona glowing all around it, as if the sun had turned to pitchblende, coldly radiant in a twilight sky. It's a wonderful natural spectacle, worth travelling a long way to witness – as you may have to. It's only visible for a couple of fleeting minutes along a very narrow track, so you have to be in precisely the right place at precisely the right time, and be lucky with the weather. So the travel arrangements are the key to success.

Understand

The moon orbits the earth and so at "new moon", when its dark side is towards us, it lies between earth and sun – but seldom exactly. The moon is a relatively small object and its orbit tilts at a 5° angle to earth's, so most months its shadow isn't cast onto the earth's surface, it misses to the north or south. All that usually happens is that the dark moon can't be seen in the sun's glare, until a day or two goes by, it moves further from the direct line and more of its earth-facing surface returns into sunlight, and we see the first slender crescent of the waxing moon.

But once or twice a year, it does line up, and casts a shadow onto earth. Seen from earth, it's as if a dark bite has been taken out of the sun – a partial eclipse. Indeed the ancient Chinese believed that a dragon was trying to eat the sun, and so they beat gongs and drums to try to scare off the dragon. (To date this remedy has never failed.) The zone over which the shadow is cast and the eclipse can be seen might be several hundred miles wide and many thousand miles long. At the edge of this zone, the "bite" is marginal and the eclipse is short, while towards the centre, the bite extends until a high proportion of the sun is covered then reverses, with the whole event taking 2–3 hours. A partial eclipse looks odd but not wonderful. It's not in itself worth travelling far to see, unless -

In about half of these eclipses, there is a much narrower band – just as long but maybe only 50 miles wide – where the sun becomes completely covered, a total eclipse. This really is something special. The combination of the moon's movement around the earth, and the earth's surface rotating on axis, means that the "zone of totality" races west to east along a sinusoidal curving track at over 1000 mph (with some odd-shaped tracks in polar regions, where it may go east to west). Observers on the edge of the zone will see totality for only a few seconds, so you want to be as near as possible to the centre of the track. Here it might be total for a couple of minutes, bracketted by a partial eclipse for an hour or so either side. It may take months of planning and considerable expense and inconvenience to position yourself on that track, then the clouds roll in and all you get is an unusually dark gloomy day: a total eclipse is entirely capable of generating its own bad weather, as described below. Deciding which eclipse to aim for and which to pass by is a crucial first planning step.

The total eclipse is brief and spectacular because the sun is 400 times the diameter of the moon, yet is 400 times further away, so they're the same size as viewed from earth – the match is very close. (In optical terms they both subtend about 30 arcminutes, or half a degree.) But the moon's orbit, as well as being at a tilt, is also slightly off-centre of earth, so an eclipse sometimes happens when the moon is around its furthest out. Then the sun shines around all sides with the dark moon in the middle, it's not quite total, but an annular eclipse. This looks very odd ... but wonderful? Not really, because you don't get the corona and other sights of totality, described below. And the track is as narrow as for a total eclipse, so the travel planning needs to be just as precise; arguably you get the worst of it all round. Sometimes the moon teeters on the edge, creating an annular eclipse on part of its shadow track and a total eclipse elsewhere, and this is called a hybrid eclipse.

At "full moon" the line-up is reversed, and the earth lies between sun and moon. Again, it's seldom a precise line-up. But the earth casts a much bigger shadow, so generally at least twice a year there is a lunar eclipse, which in some years is total. The moon then looks red, illuminated only by light refracted through earth's atmosphere. Lunar eclipses last for a couple of hours and can be seen from anywhere on earth where the moon is risen and the skies are clear. You don't need to travel to see one, just wait for one visible from your neighbourhood and in good weather; so they're not considered further on this page.

Within the solar system, no other planet has eclipses as remarkable as Earth's. On most, the occluding body is either too near or big, so it simply creates night, or is too small or far out. We have the lucky coincidence of a sun and moon that look roughly the same size to a viewer on the surface. The moons of Mars orbit in the same plane as that planet, so they frequently appear to cross the sun, e.g. as visualised by the NASA rover Opportunity; but Deimos just appears as a small dot, while Phobos creates an annular eclipse lasting 20 seconds. Saturn occasionally has total eclipses from several of its moons, but the sun out there is only 3 arcminutes, a tenth of its apparent size from Earth. Altogether they're not worth travelling for.

Get in

First decision is which eclipse to try for and which to leave alone. It needs to be a total eclipse, in a locality that you can physically travel to, and with decent amenities and good viewing prospects. It may involve intercontinental travel, in which case you're committing to a trip of a week or two – is there enough else to see and do there for a satisfactory trip? For instance, the last eclipse visible from Europe, on 20 March 2015, was only partial on the mainland. It was total across the Atlantic but made landfall in the Faroe Islands. These do have transport, accommodation etc which is limited and expensive, yet logistically practical – but the Faroes in March?? Viewing prospects were poor, lots of people went regardless, but the sky was heavily clouded that day and all they experienced was an extra dose of winter night. As it happened, the sky was clear in Jan Mayen Island way up in the Arctic Circle, so a few hardy souls there saw a good eclipse, but no-one could have planned on that basis.

Because total eclipses, especially those viewable easily from land, are fairly rare, there are two problems with getting in: to find transport to the location at all and then to book it before everyone else does. Solar eclipses can attract hundreds of thousands of viewers, overwhelming the local transport and accommodation. For a well-resourced tourist area (like the 2012 eclipse in Cairns, Queensland Australia), you should book many months in advance but there may be some availability close to the event. If the eclipse is off the beaten track, make arrangements a year or more ahead. Expect at least peak season pricing. Hotels and car rental companies may not accept bookings just for one or two nights but impose a longer minimum period. Crowds and bookings are especially high on the path of totality, and even cities near the path may get more crowded than usual in the days leading up to the eclipse. Even for annular eclipses, hotels get booked up and small towns fill up with visitors. If you waited too long and everything seems to be booked, there may be work-around solutions, e.g. people may hire buses or rent out their backyards to campers. But the event may also encourage flaky providers, who dishonour bookings when someone else offers them better money.

Sometimes transport companies offer special trips by plane, boat or land to reach the path of totality. Cruise ships may have special itineraries, and some flexibility to sail into a cloud-free viewing area – for polar regions they're the only realistic option. Aviation can get you to the right area but is not a good platform for viewing the eclipse: aircraft climb above the clouds but then you're behind windows, which in airliners are small and thick, with few seats getting any view. Light aircraft and helicopters are likely to be booked out to Celebs and VIPs (with their entourage all in impressive sunglasses) and those that aren't booked out don't have a licence to fly passengers, probably for a reason. Ballooning sounds cool but they can't climb above the clouds, they're highly weather-dependent, and have less manoeuvrability for the view than you would on a bicycle.

Plan lots of extra time to get in and out. Especially in small towns that are good viewing locations, you can expect horrible traffic jams and crowded trains and buses. There will be lots of road accidents caused by extra vehicles, fraught drivers, and shunts into tailbacks. Aim to arrive at your viewing location extra early and leave late. Make contingency plans in case you're unable to get back to base. Carry extra food and water, and be topped up on fuel. Expect long lines to use toilets that may be squalid. Don't rely on your cell phone for communication or navigation, the local cell towers may be overwhelmed, if indeed the area has coverage at all. That extra clothing, just for the eclipse, may turn out to be your bedding as you're forced to sleep in the car.

Bring
Some things to consider bringing with you:

 * Eclipse glasses
 * A straw hat or colander to create crescent-shaped shadows
 * Green and red clothes (these colors look different in the otherworldly light just before totality)
 * An extra layer of clothing (the weather will cool down when the sun is obscured)
 * Extra food and water (travel may be congested, especially leaving the path of totality after the eclipse ends)

The next total eclipse
The next total eclipse is in the evening of Wednesday 12 Aug 2026. Northern Spain is the best place to see it, with a duration of two minutes. It’s sure to draw large crowds, as it’s the first across the west European mainland since 1999, and it occurs at the peak of the holiday season.

It starts at 16:58 UT, sunset in the Laptev Sea north of the Taymyr Peninsula in Russia. By the quirks of polar daylight, the sun effectively rises from the west as totality tracks north over the Pole. The eclipse courses south to flank the east coast of Greenland, a remote area of glaciers that even a Greenlander would struggle to reach. Its first landfall in an inhabited area is the west coast of Iceland, where it crosses the West Fjords and Snæfellsnes peninsulas at 17:44 local time. Reykjavik gets a minute of totality and Keflavik almost two, but there’s only a 20% chance of clear skies.

The track through the northwest Atlantic crosses cruise liner routes: Cruise Norway is one company that will position a vessel to watch.

Totality reaches the Asturias coast of Spain at 20:26 local time, and is visible from towns such as Gijon, Oviedo, Leon, Soria, Burgos, Valladolid and Zaragoza, crossing into the Med south of Tarragona at 20:30. This region is well-developed for tourism and easy to reach, with 80% chance of clear skies. Santiago de Compostela is near the edge of totality, and Madrid and Barcelona miss out, but these cities are within an hour’s drive of a good view. The western part of this track has slightly better chances as the sun is fractionally higher. It clips the edge of Portugal, but blink and you’ll miss it.

It reaches Palma de Mallorca at 20:31 and is total over all the Balearic Islands, but by now is teetering on the horizon, with sunset at 20:35 (18:35 UT). This ends the spectacle out to sea towards Sardinia.

The following total eclipse is on Monday 2 Aug 2027, over Gibraltar and south Spain, hugging the North African coast through Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Egypt, then along the Red Sea through Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia.

Future eclipses

 * 2024, Oct 2 (annular). Mostly over the Pacific Ocean, but the path also crosses Argentinian and Chilean Patagonia. (NASA chart)
 * 2025 has no annular or total solar eclipses. There are partial eclipses on March 29 over NW Africa, Europe and Russia, and on Sept 21 over S Pacific, New Zealand and Antarctica.
 * 2026, Feb 17 (annular) over Antarctica. (NASA chart)
 * 2026, Aug 12 (total) over the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain and the Balearics (NASA chart)
 * 2027, Feb 6 (annular) over Chile, Argentina and the Atlantic. (NASA chart)
 * 2027, Aug 2 (total) over Morocco, Spain, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia. (NASA chart)
 * 2028, Jan 26 (annular) over Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Suriname, Spain and Portugal. (NASA chart)
 * 2028, July 2 (total) over Australia and New Zealand. (NASA chart)
 * 2029 has no annular or total eclipses. There are partial eclipses on Jan 14 over North and Central America, June 12 over the Arctic, Scandinavia, Alaska, and far north of Asia and Canada, July 11 over southern Chile and Argentina, and Dec 5 over Argentina, Chile and Antarctica.
 * 2030, June 1 (annular) over Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Greece, Turkey, southeastern Bulgaria, southeastern Ukraine, Russia, northern Kazakhstan, northeastern China and Japan.
 * 2030, Nov 25 (total) over Botswana, South Africa and Australia. (NASA chart)
 * 2031, May 21 (annular) over Angola, Zambia, Congo, Tanzania, south India, Malaysia and Indonesia.
 * 2031, Nov 14 (hybrid). Total over the Pacific and Panama. (NASA chart)
 * 2032, May 9 (annular) over the south Atlantic. (NASA chart)
 * 2032, Nov 3 (partial) over Asia and Eastern Europe.
 * 2033, Mar 30 (total) over parts of Alaska and Chukotka. (NASA chart)
 * 2033, Sep 23 (partial) over the southern parts of South America. (NASA chart)
 * 2034, Mar 20 (total) over Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and China. (NASA chart)
 * 2034, Sep 12 (annular) over northern Chile, southwestern Bolivia, northern Argentina, far southern Paraguay, and Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul. (NASA chart)

 * There are also NASA tables and maps of eclipses: table from 2021 to 2030, table from 2031 to 2040, and map from 2021 to 2040.

 * The very last total eclipse might be in 620 million years. That's because the moon is speeding up as it draws tidal energy from the earth, moving into higher orbit and receding by 3.8 cm per year; meanwhile the earth's day gets longer as its spin is braked. Once the moon has receded by 23,000 km, it can no longer cover the sun when viewed from earth's suface. Total eclipses will be shorter, replaced by annular, until a last totality occurs for a split-second in an otherwise annular eclipse. Its time and position cannot yet be calculated even approximately, and perhaps it's a bit early to plan for. (Some calculations indicate eras with and without totality over twice that time span, until 1200 million years hence.) Still it's a prompt to seize the day, and view one of the examples above.

See

 * First contact: the first little nick taken out of the sun. Until this point, you've been planning and travelling and spending all for the sake of a mathematical prediction. Now here's the first physical proof that it's really going to happen.
 * Partial eclipse: this is where you need eclipse-rated glasses or other protection, as described below. The eyes have a strong natural reflex to avoid being blinded by the sun. Your iris constricts, your eyelids close, you flinch and turn away. As the eclipse deepens, there's less light and the reflex can be overcome. You can gaze directly at the sun but at your peril, because damaging amounts of visible light, infra-red and ultra-violet are being focussed onto your retina. The damage may be permanent and severe.
 * The weather: what's it doing? With perhaps 20 minutes to go, is the sun in a clear sky, are the clouds dragging over, does it look like you could realistically improve your viewing chances by moving a few miles? You are searching (probably along with several thousand frantic fellow-observers) for a good big hole in the cloud cover. A little chink is not worth chasing, it will close up. In a damp climate, the eclipse creates its own bad weather because the shadow and loss of sunlight cools the air, and clouds form; these further shade and cool the air beneath, so the cloud layer thickens. This gloom approaches from the west, regardless of the direction of the wind and pre-existing cloud. The temperature will go down, even if the day remains clear, so make sure you have an extra layer of clothing.
 * The dark tower: with a minute or so to go, the shadow of totality is a great dark column hurtling towards you, especially if there's mist and cloud. It's spooky, almost scary. It always approaches from the west so if you're looking east at a morning eclipse, it will come from behind like an ambushing dark genie.
 * Totality: wow! Now and only now you look directly at the sun. Its orb is completely dark but surrounded by the cold glow of the corona. So cold that until 1724, observers thought the glow was from the moon not the sun; yet paradoxically it's the hottest thing in view. The sun's visible surface is a mere 5500°C; the corona is at 1–3 million°C, yet being so tenuous it emits far less light. Just how it gets to be so hot is complex and still a matter of debate. The size of the corona varies with the 11-year solar cycle, but even during a "minimum" it's an impressive sight. You may be exceptionally super-lucky and see a solar flare or prominence within the corona, but these are brief phenomena that rarely coincide with a total eclipse.
 * The twilight world: take a few moments to look around at your strangely-lit surroundings. Birds and animals may react as if night has fallen. This is partly a quirk of the sudden totality, as eyes don't have time to fully adapt to the dark. The light intensity corresponds to mid-twilight on an ordinary evening, when if the sky is clear, you can still perceive colours, whilst if it's heavily overcast, it will be night. It's a downer if at this point the local streetlights and house driveway lights are triggered into life.
 * Baily's beads are little bright dots around the moon's edge, where chinks of sunlight are passing through vast lunar canyons and craters. They may look red, like sunrise or sunset. They're mostly seen near the beginning and end of totality, when the moon is only just covering the sun, and are especially numerous in the total phase of a hybrid eclipse.
 * The diamond ring is seen as a group of Baily's beads suddenly coalesces and goes thermonuclear, a thin crescent of light cloaks the dark moon, and totality ends with a sunburst. Look away now while you put your eye protection back on. The same effect occurs in reverse at the start of totality, but is less spectacular as the sun is fading not rejuvenating, and you'd still be wearing eye protection.
 * The tail-end partial eclipse is the least interesting, least observed part of the event. The main show is over, and there follows an anticlimactic hour or so as the sun returns to its full circle and strength. At this point you're thinking about how to spend the rest of the day and the trip. Keep an eye on the traffic and give it a chance to disperse. Anyone who's crocked his eyesight will be in denial, and will be trying to drive off while rubbing eyes and squirting the windscreen to make those dark floaty things go away.

Do

 * Citizen science: scientists have made all sorts of observations during eclipses. Most famously, Einstein's theory of relativity was tested during the 1919 eclipse over Príncipe, when the sun's gravity was observed to bend starlight. Present day travellers and amateurs may still be able to contribute: this is most likely where there's a strong tradition of public engagement in science, such as in the US eclipse of 2017, but other countries may appreciate volunteers. And there's much more than astronomy: what about animal behaviours? Do responses differ between daytime and nocturnal species? How are weather patterns affected? What about the business impact of eclipse tourism, the economic effects, the profile and sociology of travellers? Can we quantify the benefits and harms to the communities along the eclipse path? How should public services (such as traffic police or local schools) plan for such an event? Start looking months ahead for mass projects you can join in, and plan years ahead for any enquiry that you personally could lead.
 * Photograph the eclipse, only if you are capable of taking a decent photo of the moon, and only if you have solar filters. Most efforts don't work, even on regular cameras let alone mobiles, as the moon is so small. Hold your hand at arm's length and move your little fingernail across the moon - it will easily cover it, that's how small your target is. Good shots mean high magnification, so a giant moon seems to roll above the trees and chimney-stacks. But high magnification of sunlight spells the instant obliteration of your eyesight and equipment, unless you have proper solar filters, available from an astronomy supplier.
 * Look at the strange crescent-shaped shadows during a partial, total, or annular eclipse. You can project the eclipse through a pinhole camera or similar homespun device. Take two sheets of cardboard and make a small hole in one, so that sunlight projects through that hole onto the other sheet. The circle cast on the second sheet will change shape as the partial eclipse progresses. A similar trick is to bring a straw hat with a loose weave or a colander; each of the holes acts as a pinhole camera, so you can use it to produce dozens of the little crescents.

Stay safe

Never look at the sun with the unaided eye or with a camera or telescope, not even for a second and not even if only 1% of the sun is visible. This may seriously damage your eye and even make you blind. Always use an approved solar filter either directly over your eyes for unaided viewing, or over the lens of a camera or telescope. You can use:
 * Eclipse glasses: These should be CE certified or conform to ISO 12312-2 or EN 1836 & AS/NZS 1338.1. They're usually simple cardboard glasses costing US$3–$5. Beware of fakes! Some unscrupulous manufacturers put the CE/ISO logo on glasses that are way below standard. Don't trust street vendors, buy from a reputable source. Glasses from science museums or astronomical organizations are almost certainly good to go; the American Astronomical Society also provides a partial list of reputable vendors. A single pair between two or three of you may suffice, as the partial eclipse takes an hour.
 * Welder's goggles rated 12–14, the highest ratings for blocking radiation – nothing lower.
 * Solar filters for cameras and telescopes, available from astronomy shops. The lens itself must be protected. It's not sufficient to use eclipse glasses to look through the viewfinder, as the lens has magnified the sun's power and you could still damage your eye. The sun will also destroy camera sensors if you haven't got a filter on the lens.

Do not use:
 * Anything designed for vision or photography in normal bright light, such as sunglasses or standard camera filters. These are far, far less protective than proper solar filters.
 * Lesser rated welder's goggles (most welder's goggles fall into this category).
 * Any stacked lesser protections.
 * Any non-certified protections.
 * Eclipse glasses with damage such as scratches or tears.

It is a good idea to test solar eclipse glasses indoors beforehand. Only bright lights should be visible through them, and they should appear faint; everything else should be pitch-black. If they pass this test, then try using them outdoors without looking directly at the sun, but at any reflections of the sun on shiny surfaces; again, they should be comfortably dark and everything else should be black.

As the moon fully obscures the sun during total eclipses it becomes safe to look without a filter and see the beautiful corona (the sun's atmosphere). Have your eye protection ready for the end of totality.

If you are planning to stay out for the entire duration of the eclipse, make sure to apply adequate sun protection, since even a partially- or annular-eclipsed sun is not much darker than the uncovered sun.

It is safe to drive during a solar eclipse, but don't let the phenomenon distract you from driving – and if your eyes feel odd, then rethink the idea.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Solar eclipses


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Soldeu

Soldeu and El Tarter lie in the parish (administrative division) of Canillo some 17 km north-east of Andorra's capital between Andorra La Vella and the French border at Pas de la Casa (2085 m). Arguably the best known area in Andorra for skiing, Soldeu and El Tarter (neighbour villages) are lively, good value for money, modern and friendly, with great skiing and snowboarding facilities. In summer, Soldeu is popular with walkers and golfers who make the most of the beautiful scenery. In winter the Soldeu weather conditions change dramatically with excellent snow conditions providing excellent terrain for skiing and snowboarding.

Get in
Take the CG1 direction Soldeu, Pas de la Casa and France. There is no train service in Andorra, so to get to Soldeu you need to drive or take a bus. If you are travelling by plane the closest airports serving Andorra are Barcelona, Girona and Toulouse. There are limited flights to Lleida.

Once at the airport you can hire a car, take a taxi/minibus or use a private transfer service. The transfer time is approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes from Barcelona or Girona, and approximately 3 hours from Toulouse.

Get around
The national bus service runs through Soldeu both in the direction of Pas de la Casa and the French border, and in the direction of Andorra la Vella (the capital city of Andorra) where there are frequent connections nationally and internationally. There isn't a train service in Andorra and there is no airport, the closest being La Seu d'Urgell in Spain, although this is very small.

There isn't a taxi rank in Soldeu, the nearest being in Andorra la Vella.

See
Wonderful scenery and skiing at these resorts.

Skiing
The skiing in Soldeu is good for all levels, and there are some advanced descents for the more experienced skier through the powder fields below Pic d'Encampadana.

For snowboarders, Soldeu’s half pipe and an additional natural half-pipe makes the resort a popular choice. Also has an excellent bumps stadium for the advanced skier.

Hiking
Outside of the ski season there is some great hiking to be had in the mountains surrounding this area. It is an ideal place for starting off from.

Eat
The traditional local food is Catalan so is very hearty 'mountain' food of which one of the most popular is a blood sausage with pale beans. Outside of the local food, Soldeu restaurants cater for the tourist trade therefore there is a wide selection of flavours and influences from around the world.

Sleep
Hotels in Soldeu and El Tarter.
 * Hotel Euro Ski, +376 673 6666. or maybe +376 736 666
 * Sport, +376 870 600.
 * Hotel Austria, +376 735 555
 * Hotel Naudi, +376 739300
 * Hotel Naudi, +376 739300

title: Soldeu


text:
Soldiers Grove

Soldiers Grove is a town in the state of Wisconsin.

title: Soldiers Grove


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Soldotna

Soldotna is a city on the banks of the Kenai River, in the center of the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.

Understand
Soldotna is named after nearby Soldotna Creek. It was incorporated as a town in 1960.

With its central location, Soldotna is a good place to "home-base" while exploring the Kenai Peninsula.

Get in
Road access is via the Sterling Highway, which runs from the Tern Lake junction with the Seward highway, through Cooper Landing, Sterling, Soldotna, and down to Homer. Soldotna has a small airport, most scheduled commercial flights come in at the nearby Kenai Airport. Neither Kenai nor Soldotna have a deepwater port and are not serviced by ferries or cruise lines. The nearest deepwater port is at Nikiski, but it is a purely industrial port servicing resource extraction operations such as oil rigs and tankers in the Cook Inlet area.

Get around
There is a sort of hybrid public transit system known as CARTS in this area. Routes are not scheduled, you must call ahead M-F 8AM-5PM at for pickup and be somewhat flexible with regard to timing. You must purchase a fare card ("punch card" at the CARTS office on K-Beach, on the website and through the mail. Punch cards are not sold on board. Fares are charged by zone at $2 50 per zone (May 2020).

There are several local taxi companies. For longer distances there is the "Stage Line", a scheduled van shuttle service traveling between the Peninsula and Anchorage. Rental cars are also available.

Do
The Kenai River Festival is a free annual three-day event held in early June. It grew out of the Kenai Watershed Forum's desire to provide a free, fun setting for the community to celebrate the river that is central to the livelihood of the local community. At the festival there are opportunities to learn how to give back to the river by keeping it healthy and productive. Legendary festival highlights include 20-foot-long Luq'A the salmon, pioneer salmon dinners, Run for the River 5/10K race, free live music riverside and more than 20 free children's activities. The Kenai River Festival is brought to the community by the generosity of local businesses and organizations. More than 10,000 people attend each year.

Buy
If you are heading on towards Homer, Soldotna is your last chance at a "big box store" in the form of the Fred Meyer store located on the highway. Nothing local or unique about it, but a good place to stock up on food or fishing and outdoor gear. Sweeny's, located about quarter mile down the Kenai Spur Highway, is another place to shop for outdoor clothing and gear.

Eat
Soldotna is the biggest town on the Kenai Peninsula and it shows. Most nationwide fast food franchises have a store in Soldotna, but there are some local eateries as well.

Acapulco restaurant, located on the Sterling highway on the outskirts of town has great Mexican food and excellent views.

Sleep
There are a few mid-range hotels in Soldotna, including the Best Western King Salmon and the Aspen Hotel, which has a few rooms with jacuzzis.

As with all Alaskan towns of any size there are dozens of bed-and-breakfast establishments around Soldotna that vary greatly in price and amenities.

Camping is available at Centennial Park, on the banks of the Kenai River.

Go next

 * Homer, further south on the Sterling Highway (Alaska Highway 1)
 * Kenai, via the Kenai Spur Highway
 * Nikiski, via the Kenai Spur Highway

title: Soldotna


text:
Solebury

Solebury is a city in Bucks County in the state of Pennsylvania.

Understand
The area was first settled by the Turtle Tribe of the Lenni-Lenape people (which means "original people"). The area was ceded to European settlers in 1686.

Solebury has historical sites from pre-revolutionary America, colonial times, and the industrial revolution.

Get in
Solebury is located off U.S. Route 202. Not many buses come through Solebury: most people travel by private cars.

You can get to Solebury by the Pennsylvania Turnpike but you must get off in Doylestown.

There are no direct trains however to Solebury.

See

 * New Hope-Lambertville Winter Festival in late January. Concerts, Chili Cook-Off, Winter Fest Blues & BBQ event, and the Revolutionary Pub Crawl.
 * Washington Crossing State Park: Near this park you are able to visit the house of Thompson-Neely house, the old Grist Mill, and Bowman’s Tower.
 * Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope offers plays of various famous musicals.
 * Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope offers plays of various famous musicals.

Do

 * Magill's Hill: a 5-acre (3-ha) site of steep sloped hills which can be used for sledding or other winter activities.
 * The Trail has a connection to the electric company power line. This line is along U.S. Route 202 which provides outdoors activities for nighttime. Baseball games during the night.
 * Delaware River: outdoor water activities, such as, fishing, tubing, and canoeing. A 60-mile long path along the river for cycling, walking or running, while enjoying the view of historical villages.

Eat

 * The Eagle Diner 6522 Lower York Road, New Hope
 * The Centre Bridge Inn 2998 North River Rd, New Hope
 * The Black Bass Hotel 3774 River Rd, Lumberville
 * Inn at the Lambertville Station 11 Bridge St, Lambertville NJ 08530
 * Inn at the Lambertville Station 11 Bridge St, Lambertville NJ 08530

Sleep

 * Bridge Inn Centre Bridge Inn 2998 N River Road, New Hope, +1 215-862-9139
 * Rodeway Inn New Hope (formerly Ramada Inn, and The Nevermore) 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope +1 215-862-5221
 * 1740 House 3690 River Road, Lumberville, +1 215-297-5661
 * The Woolverton Inn Bed and Breakfast 6 Woolverton Road, Stockton, NJ, +1 609-397-0802
 * Holly Hedge 6 Woolverton Road, Stockton, NJ, +1 609-397-0802
 * Motel In the Woods 400 York Road, New Hope, +1 215-862-2800
 * Hotel Du Village 2535 River Road, New Hope, +1 215-862-9911

title: Solebury


text:
Soledad

Soledad is a city in Monterey County in the Central Coast region of California. It's located in the Salinas Valley, 25 miles south of Salinas. The town is home to one of the 21 Spanish missions found throughout the state and is the gateway to Pinnacles National Park, which is located ten miles east of town.

By car

 * US 101.svg El Camino Real passes through town between Salinas (( north) and King City ( south). San Jose is another  north of Salinas on US Hwy 101
 * California 146.svg to Monterey County G15.svg Metz-Soledad Rd runs parallel with US Hwy 101 between Soledad & King City via Metz. The turn-off on Shirtail Canyon Rd (CA-Hwy 146) towards Pinnacles National Park is south of town via Metz Rd.
 * Monterey County G16.svg from California 1.svg Carmel Valley Rd to Elm Ave. County Rd G16 begins/ends as Elm Ave at US Hwy 101 at south of town in Greenfield. From Greenfield, County Rd G16 winds around, through Carmel Valley, to Carmel by the Sea south of Monterey. It begins/ends as Carmel Valley Rd at its intersection with CA-Hwy 1

By bus

 * 23 comes from Salinas to King City via Chualar, Gonzales, Soledad and Greenfield on US Hwy 101. Passengers transfer to other MST bus routes in Salinas. Going south from King City the #84 continues towards Paso Robles. Nearest connections to Amtrak and Greyhound are in Salinas. Greyhound also have another stop in King City.
 * 23 comes from Salinas to King City via Chualar, Gonzales, Soledad and Greenfield on US Hwy 101. Passengers transfer to other MST bus routes in Salinas. Going south from King City the #84 continues towards Paso Robles. Nearest connections to Amtrak and Greyhound are in Salinas. Greyhound also have another stop in King City.

Do
There are several wineries in the area (see ), making wine tasting a popular activity.

Go next

 * Pinnacles National Park - Ten miles east of Soledad, rising out of the chaparral-covered Gabilan Mountains, are the spectacular remains of an ancient volcano. Massive monoliths, spires, sheer-walled canyons and talus passages define millions of years of erosion, faulting and tectonic plate movement. Hiking through the impressive rock formations is the primary recreational opportunity, although bird watchers will enjoy the possibility of seeing the highly endangered California condor.
 * Salinas - Located 26 miles northwest of Soledad, fans of Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck will want to visit the National Steinbeck Center and soak in the sights that were the inspiration for much of the author's work. The historic downtown dates back to the town's founding in the mid-1800s, while the surrounding countryside is filled with vineyards and both floral and vegetable cultivation. Events include the California Rodeo, which is held during the third week of July.
 * King City - King city is located 21 miles south of Soledad on Highway 101. While the town might just be a place to spend the night while driving along Highway 101 for most travelers, those who visit in early May can attend the Salinas Valley Fair, an event which offers a rodeo, livestock competitions, and a chance to experience the agricultural character of the area.  The town is also home to the Monterey County Agricultural & Rural Life Museum, which offers a history of the area's agricultural development and the opportunity to tour a historic school house and rail depot.

title: Soledad


text:
Solentiname Islands

The Solentiname Islands (known in Spanish as the Archipiélago de Solentiname) are in Nicaragua on the southeastern corner of Lake Nicaragua (known locally as Cocibolca). It's a remote area popular with artists that lies near the San Juan river and was historically important as a point on the Ruta del Tránsito, the most practical way to cross the American continent until the Panama Canal made it obsolete.

Understand
The Solentiname Archipelago is in the south of the Lake Nicaragua near San Carlos in the Rio San Juan Region. The islands are really remote - don't expect things like grocery stores movie theaters etc. On the Isla Mancarrón is a little Pulperia with the most necessary stuff. There are 36 islands but just five are inhabited. The biggest Islands are Manacrrón and San Fernando.

Get in
The only way onto the islands are via boat. Private boats can be chartered for around US$100 per day. Otherwise collective boats leave from a pier in San Carlos near the current construction along the seawall. The schedule is San Carlos to Solentiname Tuesday and Friday 1pm for C$80 and returning the same days at 4:30am for the same price. You might be lucky and find someone from the island running around in San Carlos and giving you a ride to the islands. A good place to ask about boats leaving for the islands is MiniCyber Ortega or the alcaldia.

Get around
There is no motorized traffic and you should be able to walk anywhere you want. Transport between the islands is only possible by boat, and as there are hardly any public boats, it will cost you unless you can get a small group together.

See
There is still some intact nature on the islands even though the people do farm the land. There are also petroglyphs on the islands.

On Mancarrón you can visit the church that Ernesto Cardenal built, Nuestra Senora de Solentiname. He sometimes goes there to preach, but you would need time or luck to catch that. The church itself is a charming and colorful building inspired by his misa campesina (peasant's mass), which is still sometimes held there.

Isla Mancarrón

 * Hospedaje El Buen Amigo Cabins for US$5-6

Do
Visit the museums on the main islands.

Eat
Some of the hotels have a restaurant as well that also serves outside guests. If you self cater, there are a couple of small ventas with a limited selection. Most likely you will eat at your hotel anyway.

Stay safe
There are no worries about safety on these small islands. There used to be bull sharks in Lake Nicaragua and the Rio San Juan, but unsustainable hunting has all but exterminated them, making pollution your bigger concern when swimming.

title: Solentiname Islands


text:
Solihull

Solihull is a town near Birmingham in the West Midlands county on the River Blythe in the Forest of Arden area. It offers a mix of urban centres and rural villages. Many people visit Solihull for events at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC).

Understand
Solihull is often regarded as the 'posh' part of Birmingham even though it isn't in Birmingham. Surrounded by leafy suburbs and expensive mansions, it is home to some of the Midlands' wealthiest. It is the site of the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and Birmingham Airport, and is also well known for being home of the world-famous vehicle manufacturer Land Rover, whose plant is a couple of miles from the town centre.

The Metropolitan Borough of Solihull includes towns and districts of Castle Bromwich, Dorridge, Hampton-in-Arden, Hockley Heath, Knowle, Marston Green, Olton, Shirley, and the small village of Meriden. In 2021, it was home to 127,000 people.

 * Visit Solihull website

By plane
A free people mover, Air-Rail Link, connects the airport passenger terminal with Birmingham International rail station between 5:15AM and 2AM; it runs every two minutes and the journey time is less than two minutes.

A day ticket (Daysaver) for all NXWM buses is available for £4 (£4.60 before 9AM), but it can also be purchased for on any airport service. Exact change is required. If a group is travelling together, a Group Daysaver for £8 will cover up to 5 people for unlimited journeys for a day.

National Express coaches serve the airport every half hour during the early hours of the morning which is very handy for morning flights, as the trains don't usually start until later in the morning. The fare varies depending on whether it is booked in advance, although tickets can be purchased on the coach subject to seats being available.

A taxi from the airport into Solihull town centre will cost about £15.

The National Exhibition Centre is adjacent to the airport and can be accessed by the Air-Rail Link via Birmingham International Station.

By bus
Solihull is well served by Travel West Midlands buses. The following services go from Birmingham city centre to Solihull town centre: 4, 6, 37, 57 and 57A. The 966 and 966A services connect Solihull town centre with the Airport, NEC and Birmingham International rail station. Adult single fares cost £1.90 on all TWM services.

By car
For Solihull town centre leave the M42 motorway at junction 5. For the NEC and Airport leave at junction 6.

By taxi
Solihull has an abundance of taxi ranks all over the town, the best-served being Solihull Town Centre. Hackney carriages (black cabs) and private hire vehicles (minicabs) are easy to find, but you should exercise usual caution and not get into an unmarked car or one you haven't booked.

Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest times due to clubbers going home en masse, and there can be waits of over an hour.

Popular providers include: Solihull is covered by the app 'Uber', which is often a cheaper alternative to a taxi service
 * Solihull Taxis, Online Booking System.
 * A2B +44 121 733 3000.
 * Able Radio Cars, Newbrough Road, Solihull, +44 121 694 6666.
 * Senator Cars, Oxhill Road, Solihull, +44 121 430 7000.
 * Royal-Ambassador Cars, Stratford Road, Solihull, +44 121 706 8888.

Get around
Solihull town centre is small enough to walk around on foot and much of the central area is pedestrianised. To visit attractions further afield Solihull is well served by buses and rail - see above.

Do

 * Watch football at Solihull Moors FC, who play soccer in the National League, the game's fifth tier in England. Their home ground is Damson Park, capacity 5500, two miles north of town towards the airport.
 * Solihull Ice Rink is 10 minutes north of town centre - take the 71 or 72 bus.
 * 9-screen Cineworld cinema in the Touchwood shopping centre with ten surrounding restaurants.
 * Take a walk around Brueton and Malvern parks - feed the ducks, visit the nature centre and see the arboretum.
 * Take a walk around Brueton and Malvern parks - feed the ducks, visit the nature centre and see the arboretum.

Buy
One of the main reasons for visiting Solihull has to be for shopping.
 * is near Touchwood shopping centre.
 * is near Touchwood shopping centre.

Eat
In Solihull town centre, there is a range of food outlets ranging from McDonald's on the High Street to Nandos, Wagamama and TGI Friday in Touchwood to expensive restaurants and brasseries at the top of the High Street near the church. All 3 department stores (M&S, Beatties and John Lewis) have cafes and there are many pubs in and around Solihull that serve excellent food. The Fieldhouse pub just outside the town centre in the Hillfield area is particularly notable for good food and a great atmosphere.

Drink
There are plenty of pubs in Solihull town centre including a JD Wetherspoon pub called the White Swan, the modern Bar Censsa, and the Masons Arms near the entrance to Touchwood. There are also 'wine bars' such as the Town House.

Sleep
If the main reason you are visiting Solihull is for the NEC there is a good range of hotels on the NEC site including a Hilton, Crowne Plaza, Premier Travel Inn and Holiday Inn Express. In Solihull town centre are the Ramada hotel, the Renaissance Hotel and a Holiday Inn. There are also many B&Bs in the local area.

Go next
Solihull is an excellent base for visiting the surrounding West Midlands. As well the UK's second largest city, Birmingham, other places to see nearby include Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon and Coventry.

title: Solihull


text:
Solina

Solina is a village in the Subcarpathian Voivodship in Poland, near the shores of artificial Lake Solina. It is a popular spa town and water sports centre. Solina lies in the Bieszczady mountains.

By plane
Krakow International Airport is located northwest of Solina and Rzeszów International Airport is located north of Solina.

By train
Solina can be reached by train from Krakow. The place is south of the Nowy Sącz - Sanok railway line. In Zagórz you have to change to the bus.

By bus
Regional buses go to Rzeszów and the surrounding areas.

By car
The connecting road leads down the river to Sanok or up the river to the Bieszczady National Park. The road DK 28 leads north past the place.

Get around
The place is easy to explore on foot or by bike. It is best to have your own mobile stand for exploring the area.

See
The largest dam and hydroelectric plant in Poland.

Do
Go hiking and cycling in the nearby mountains, and in the cold season do winter sports.

Drink
The nightlife is more likely to take place in the nearby Polańczyk spa port.

Sleep
Guest rooms and pensions are available. The choice in the nearby Lesko, Sanok der Polańczyk is larger.

Go next

 * Lesko
 * Sanok

title: Solina


text:
Solingen

Solingen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Solingen is world famous for its century old tradition of making knives and swords and you can still get a high quality blade here, but expect to pay good money for good quality.

Understand
Sitting in the hills between Wuppertal and Düsseldorf at the edge of the Bergisches Land region, this city of 160,000 people (2022) is well known for its history of knife production. It's not quite the most exciting place but it can be a good place to stay if Düsseldorf is too expensive.

By train

 * sees regional and local train services to Wuppertal, Düsseldorf, Cologne and further, in addition to the occasional ICE stopping here. The station is at the edge of Ohligs district, about from the city centre, but well connected with Solingen trolleybuses and regular buses including to Düsseldorf.
 * is a small local stop near the city centre, placed on the winding railway to Remscheid and Wuppertal.

By plane
Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Dortmund, and Frankfurt are all within close proximity to Solingen.

By trolleybus
Solingen is one of only three remaining cities in Germany to still have buses driven by overhead wires. The other two German cities to retain such systems (as of 2020) are Eberswalde and Esslingen. The network consists of 8 lines, all within Solingen, except for line 683 which runs to Wuppertal-Vohwinkel station. All trolleybuses meet at and are run by the municipal transport bureau under VRR fares.

By bus
Besides the trolleybuses, a few regular buses cross the city on their way to the neighbouring cities. From Solingen Hauptbahnhof, buses run to Haan and Düsseldorf, from Grad-Wilhelm-Platz to Wuppertal, Leverkusen and even express services to Cologne.

By bike
The local geography is not exactly calling for dutch levels of bike traffic, but it's possible, and there are bike routes like the Korkenziehertrasse, an old rail alignment to Wuppertal.

Go next

 * Cologne
 * Düsseldorf
 * Wuppertal
 * Remscheid

title: Solingen


text:
Solo

 * For solo travel, see Travelling alone.

Solo the short name for Surakarta, is a major city in Central Java. Together with Yogyakarta, these two great cultural centres are heirs of the Mataram kingdom that was split in 1755. Both centres are good bases for trips to nearby UNESCO World Heritage sites like the temple complexes of Borobudur and Prambanan.

Understand
Solo lies some south of Semarang and some  east of Yogyakarta. As the 'twin' brother of Yogyakarta, this city looks much like the latter. But because Solo is not a provincial capital, this city has preserved much of its Javanese character. This also means that Solo is less touristy than Yogyakarta. The town is a centre of art and education and offers some good shopping. It is said to be the least westernised city in Central Java.

The formal name for the city is Surakarta. Less formal but widely used is Solo. From time to time you may see it written as Sala. This is because of a pronunciation quirk in Javanese that means final and penultimate -a are pronounced -o as in hot.

History
Historically, the Kasunanan Kingdom was the true heir of the Mataram Sultanate which ruled all of Java from the 16th century to the late 17th century. In 1745 the Sultanate moved its court to Solo. However, by the end of the 18th century it suffered from internal court intrigues, rebellions and foreign manipulation by the Dutch East India Company (VOC). In 1755 the Sultanate split, with the Kasunanan Kingdom ruled by the reigning sovereign (Pakubuwono II) based in Solo and the Yogyakarta Sultanate, led by the rebel prince Mangkubumi (later Sultan Hamengkubuwono I), in Yogyakarta. In 1757, another rebel prince, Raden Mas Said, formed the Mangkunegaran Principality, motivated by disappointment with the king, who had collaborated with the VOC. During the following Dutch colonial rule the kingdoms, called Vorstenlanden (Land of the Princes) in Dutch, enjoyed a certain degree of autonomy and were recognized as vassal states of the Dutch empire.

Like Yogyakarta, Solo is one of the few Indonesian cities that is still ruled by a traditional monarch, in this case known as the Susuhunan. The current Susuhunan of Solo is Pakubuwono XIII, who has reigned since 2004.

Culture
Solo is a centre of Central Javanese culture, notable for performances of wayang kulit (shadow puppet plays) and wayang wong (tales from the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics performed by actors on stage), accompanied by the traditional gamelan orchestra.

Population
Today's Solo is a bustling economic centre of around 550,000 people, with 800,000 including suburbs.

Climate
The weather in July and August is hot and humid, with temperatures up to. Humidity levels are normally between 75% and 100%.

Talk
The languages primarily spoken in Surakarta are Javanese and Indonesian. Public signs are written in Indonesian, occasionally with English, and occasionally with Javanese script. English is not widely spoken, although hotel and airline staff generally speak an acceptable level of English.

By plane

One-way flights from Jakarta cost around Rp 500,000. Up to 20 flights per day from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports operated by Garuda, Citilink, Lion Air, Batik Air, and Nam Air.

Getting into the city

 * Bus — the rapid transit bus Batik Solo Trans goes to the city centre, calling at the train and bus stations. It operates daily from 06:00-18:00 and costs Rp 20,000 per trip. It departs about every 20 minutes.
 * Taxi — there is a fixed fare service, booked at the taxi counter. Name your destination, pay, and you will be assigned a taxi.
 * Airport Train — The train goes from the airport to the main station Solo Balapan for 20 minutes. Ticket costs Rp 7,000.

By train
Surakarta is almost midway between Jakarta in the west, Yogyakarta in the south, and Surabaya in the east. Train from either Jakarta or Surabaya takes 6-8 hours, while a commuter train from Yogyakarta only takes 1.5 hours. Semarang is the northern metropolis from Solo, and it's around twice as far as Yogyakarta.

You will arrive into one of Solo's four railway stations:

Yogyakarta and Solo are connected by the KRL commuter train. In Solo, it stops at Balapan and Purwosari stations. There are eleven trains every day in each direction. A one-way trip costs Rp 8,000. To ride the train, you can use a refillable multi-trip card that can be purchased at a ticket counter or vending machine at the station for Rp 30,000 (initial balance contains Rp 10,000). The multi-trip card is also valid for KRL commuter trains in Jakarta. Electronic money or bank-issued prepaid cards are a better alternative, as any credits are also usable for purchases at major retailers and convenience stores, the toll road, parking, and other public transportation (MRT and Transjakarta in Jakarta). Bank Mandiri's e-money or e-toll card, BCA's Flazz, BNI's tap-cash, BRI's BRIZZI, or Bank DKI's JakCard, are obtainable at the respective banks and minimarts such as Alfamart and Indomaret.

By bus
You will arrive at:

From Jepara, multiple companies have minibus to Solo like Bejeu and Rimbaraya. about Rp 120,000, 5h duration, multiple times a day but if after ferry, only departure around 17:45.

By car or motorcycle

 * From Semarang/Salatiga/Boyolali via national route 16, go to Kartasura or Surakarta.

 * From Jakarta via the Trans-Java Toll Road, then exit towards Solo.

Get around
The city's main avenue, Jalan Slamet Riyadi has pavements (sidewalks) courtesy of Mayor Jokowi (who is now the president of Indonesia). On Sundays, it is closed to traffic between 06:00 and 09:00 for various leisure activities for the town's citizens. Many hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and tourist attractions are on this street. At the end of the street is the entrance to the alun-alun (palace square) and the royal palace complex.

Because it is still quite small, travelling within Solo is relatively easy, but quickly getting frustratingly slow due to the weight of traffic.

By ride-hailing app
Go-jek and Grab are all active in Solo. It is worth getting an Indonesian SIM card with data, to allow you to use the apps. It is also good to have a little Indonesian or Javanese, as the driver will normally call you after taking the job, to confirm your location.

By taxi
Taxis are cheap, and you can book for the whole trip. You can negotiate for the price. Ask at your hotel reception if they can arrange one for you. Taxis are available on the airport and train stations.

Flagfall for the first kilometre is Rp 5,500 and Rp 3,750/kilometre. Minimum payment Rp 25,000 for order by phone.

Their phone numbers are:

By bus
The Batik Solo Trans (BST) bus network is subsidized by the local government, and is the cheapest transport in town, Rp 4,500. There are eight corridors.

By car
Driving in Indonesia is rarely rewarding, especially in Java. Either opt with a taxi or rent a driver to easily navigate within the city.

By becak, ojek and andong
These pedicabs, motorcycle taxis and horse-drawn carriages are found across the city, and used for short journeys. Becaks and andongs are also popular for leisure jaunts. The ojek ride-sharing service, such as Go-jek and Grab, are available in Solo, with booking through an app.

Kraton complex

 * Pamedan Mangkunegaran, or the Mangkunegara's ground.
 * Pamedan Mangkunegaran, or the Mangkunegara's ground.
 * Pamedan Mangkunegaran, or the Mangkunegara's ground.
 * Pamedan Mangkunegaran, or the Mangkunegara's ground.
 * Pamedan Mangkunegaran, or the Mangkunegara's ground.

Events
Solo holds numerous events and festivals every year. Listed below are major, routine events which showcase the city's unique value (exact date and venue may vary, but the information shown would be quite close to assume future events)

Do

 * Mandi lulur A traditional skin-care done by rubbing special spices to the skin to exfoliate it. Very relaxing. Many hotels offer this service. Or ask your hotel reception for a reputable place.
 * Sepoor Kluthuk Ride in an old train, with stops at Loji Gandrung and Kampung Batik Kauman, costs about Rp 100,000. Check the schedule at the Tourist Information Centre.
 * Masangin (masuk antara dua beringin = passing two ficus trees). This simple and fun game is held at South Alun-alun (Sultan's square). The participant is blindfolded and he/she must walk straight to pass two ancient ficus trees. Even though it sounds like an easy task, most participants usually fail. After that, you can go to the food stalls around the corner, relax a bit and have a sip of warm Wedang Ronde (ginger drink).
 * Sunday Morning at Solo Car Free Day (or Solo CFD), every Sunday, the wide main boulevard of Slamet Riyadi in Solo is crowded with thousands of people doing all sort of things. Wake up early at 5-7AM and head to the Slamet Riyadi to do a bit of exercise. After that, you can taste many kind of foods sold by stalls there. The menu includes Liwet Rice, Bubur Ayam (Chicken Porridge), and Soto. Don't forget to check the batik stalls nearby.
 * Becak or Andong ride, take a short trip around the town using Becak or Andong cart.
 * Shop at Traditional Market, witness local habits by visiting Solo's traditional market such as Pasar Gede and Pasar Klewer.
 * Reflexology, achieve soothing experience by having a short reflexology massage.

Batik
You can buy anything made with batik in Solo, in fabrics from silk to cotton. Hand drawn batik (tulis) is more expensive than those made using 'stamp' (batik cap).

Antiques

 * Ngarsopuro Saturday Night Market, Jl Slamet Riyadi. Night Market with beautiful lamps. Located at the same place with Windujenar above. (Only open every Saturday night)
 * Ngarsopuro Saturday Night Market, Jl Slamet Riyadi. Night Market with beautiful lamps. Located at the same place with Windujenar above. (Only open every Saturday night)
 * Ngarsopuro Saturday Night Market, Jl Slamet Riyadi. Night Market with beautiful lamps. Located at the same place with Windujenar above. (Only open every Saturday night)

Malls
The older malls are in the centre of town:

The newer and more upmarket malls are in the southern expansion area for Solo, Solo Baru, including

 * Solo Center Point, Jl Slamet Riyadi 373. Computer Market with Condotel by Aston
 * Singosaren Plaza, Jl Gatot Subroto
 * Luwes Mall, Jl Veteran
 * Ratu Luwes, Jl S. Parman
 * Sami Luwes, Jl Honggowongso
 * Gading Luwes, Jl Veteran

Eat
The food of Solo can be typified through the use of frying, coconut milk, and a mix of sweet and savory flavours. Some dishes may be plant-based (e.g. pecel) but being vegetarian cannot be guaranteed due to the widespread use of shrimp paste (terasi). The selection of meat available, and the preparation, will be based on halal precepts. Solo's culinary life is 24 hours, with some stalls only opening at 02:00 and being sold out by 05:00. Nasi Liwet, similar to "Nasi Uduk" from Jakarta or West Java, is rice cooked in coconut milk. Jl Keprabon is famous for it, particularly Bu Lemu.

Solo offers a rich varieties of snacks, from dry: (onde-onde ceplus, kripik cakar, kripik paru, kerak nasi goreng) to keleman (fresh snack) (solo, wajik, jadah, kue ku, lapis, cara bikang). Sosis Solo is chopped beef with spices wrapped in a thin egg pancake. You can find many varieties of traditional fresh snacks in Pasar Gede.

For those that need it, there are fast food outlets, Kentucky Fried Chicken on Jl Jend A Yani, McDonalds on Jl Dr Rajiman, Pizza Hut on Jl Slamet Riyadi and Oishi Bento in Solo Grand Mall.

Budget

Soto is a sort-of clear soup made from vegetables, spices, chicken or beef. You can find various kinds of soto in Solo:

 *  Nini Thowong, Widuran
 *  Nini Thowong, Widuran
 *  Nini Thowong, Widuran
 *  Nini Thowong, Widuran
 *  Nini Thowong, Widuran

Drink
Because of Islamic dietary laws, most eating places do not offer alcohol, and only few licensed hotels and restaurants will offer national and international brands of beer and wines. Solo's local alcohol is called ciu, a local adaptation of Chinese wine, made from rice. Drink it at your own risk.

The folks of Solo love sweet drinks combining natural fruits with coconut water or coconut milk, and palm sugar. Dawet (known as cendol in West Java and Jakarta) adds little green jelly worms into the mix. Usually served with ice.

Gempol plered is made from coconut milk with rice flour balls, with a sweet and slightly salty taste.

Connect
The local area code for Solo is 0271.

Internet
There are many internet cafes which offer access to the internet. Some hotels provide wifi in the lobby. There is free wifi on Jl Slamet Riyadi.

The 24-hour Indomarts and Alfamarts sometime offer free wifi and charging points, but can be a little noisy.

Emergency

Hospitals with 24 hr emergency room (Ruang Darurat)

Services for handicapped people
Solo has a long history of supporting handicapped people, and was designated as the host of ASEAN Paralympic Games 2011. It has handicap-friendly bus stops and walkways, something rare in Indonesia, and is home to the Dr. Soeharso Hospital, a centre for Training on Rehabilitation for Physically Handicapped Persons, which shares information with other developing countries.

Smoking
Smoking in government buildings is banned in Solo.

Go next

 * Prambanan temple complex is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia. It lies 50km to the west, just before entering Yogyakarta.
 * Yogyakarta (old spelling: Jogjakarta) is a more tourist city located close to Solo. The easiest is by car, or charter a taxi (approx. 90 - 120 min) depending on traffic. Taking the train can also be an option, the KRL commuter train leaves frequently during the day (usually catering for the commuter workers) from Solo Balapan and Purwosari Station. The ticket costs Rp 8,000 one way. The train ride is about one and half hour with around 10 stops in between Solo-Jogja, including to Prambanan. The last stop will be in Tugu Station in Yogyakarta right on the northwestern side of Malioboro.
 * Borobudur Temple Compounds is a series of three Buddhist temples, most famous of them is Borobudur Temple, which is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. The main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa. A particularly scenic route would be to travel through the Selo and Ketep Pass in Boyolali, located between Mount Merapi and Mount Merbabu with breathtaking views of both mountains and directly to Magelang, without going through Yogya. The whole journey should take around 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours with a rented or private car.
 * Tawangmangu, a hill station located on the slopes of Mount Lawu, a dormant volcano that straddles the border between Central Java and East Java. It is an hour drive from Solo, and is a popular weekend getaway for the Solonese. Tawangmangu is also famous for its natural scenery, with waterfalls (Grojogan Sewu and Jumog Waterfall) and breathtaking views. For those who are not faint-hearted, it is also possible to climb to the top of Mount Lawu (3,265 m) from Tawangmangu, which is a 7 hours hike to the peak. Located near Tawangmangu, Candi Sukuh and Candi Cetho are atmospheric Javanese-Hindu temples built in the 15th century, high on Mount Lawu. Candi Sukuh is 900m above sea level, and Cetho is higher still at 1,500m.
 * Mount Merapi, an active volcano looming over the city.
 * Wonogiri, see the largest dam in Central Java, Waduk Gajahmungkur.
 * Semarang, the largest city north of Solo. Located in the same province, and the seat of province capital of Central Java.
 * Jakarta, Bandung to the west. Located in West Java.
 * Surabaya, Malang to the east. Located in East Java.
 * Bali to the east of Surabaya. Travel by plane, or rent a car from Surabaya.

title: Solo


text:
Solok

Solok is a city in West Sumatra, Indonesia.

Understand
Solok is on the Trans Sumatra Highway, 64 km from Padang and 76 km from Bukittinggi. The town has some fine examples of Minangkabau architecture with hornshaped roofs and outer walls of wood, completely carved and painted in brilliant colours. 60 km from Solok are the twin lakes ( Danau Di Atas and Danau Di Bawah ), which are becoming popular as holiday resorts. Cool mountain air and beautiful landscapes, with impressive thea plantations as far as you can see, have made this spot extraordinary. One of the lakes, set only 1 km apart, is on a slightly higher elevation than the other. The spot offers an impressive panorama of the surrounding countryside and offers excellent opportunities for camping and hiking.

Eat

 * Pepes bilih Singkarak
 * Gulai ayam hitam (Black chicken curry)
 * Pangek Sasau (Acid or spicy acid cuisine with Sasau fish)
 * Ampiang Dadiah (Fermented buffalo milk)
 * Kalio baluik tapak leman
 * Galamai karucuik
 * Samba lado masiek patai cino (Balado-style Chinese patay)
 * Panyiaram pisang
 * Randang pangicuah
 * Balado cangkuak karupuak jangek.

Connect
Telephone area code for Solok city is 0755.

Go next

 * Kerinci Seblat National Park, Sumatra’s largest national park. It consists of a 345-km-long stretch of mountainous highlands in Bukit Barisan.

title: Solok


text:
Solola

Sololá is a city in a state (department) of the same name in the Western Highlands region of Guatemala.

Understand
Spanish- some indigenous people, particularly women, may not speak Spanish.

Kakchiqu'el- the indigenous language spoken in this area (several languages are spoken around Lake Atitlán)

Get in
All buses arrive at Central Park.

From Guatemala City:
 * Direct buses available. Take a bus to Sololá. Or, take a bus to Panajachel and get off 10 minutes prior to reaching Pana, since the bus drives through Sololá. You can get on this bus at the main bus depot or wait for it to come at the bus stop across from Tikal Futura.
 * 1 transfer bus- take any bus toward the Western Highlands (e.g. Xela) and get off at Los Encuentros (approximately 2.5 hours, Q40 in July 2024). This is a fork in the road with terrible toilets and a lot of greasy food stalls. Generally a bus to Sololá or Panajachel is waiting, and departs every 20 minutes or when enough people are on it. From here, it takes approximately 20 minutes to arrive in Sololá, and cost Q5 as of July 2024.

From Antigua:
 * Since both Antigua and Pana are major destinations, it is best to get on the bus at the bus depot to ensure you get a seat. The ride takes approximately 3 hours.

From Panajachel:
 * Bus- approximately 10 minutes (Q5 in July 2024)
 * Pick-up- approximately 7 minutes

Get around
Sololá is a small town in terms of the central downtown area. You can stroll all around it in about half a day. Since this is the departmental capital you will notice government offices for natural resources, education, and forestry.

Central Park:
 * South side- Catholic church. If you walk downhill on the west side of the church you will arrive at the cemetery and have a fantastic view of the lake.
 * North side- This is the route buses take to leave town to go to 4 Caminos, Antigua, Guatemala City. If you go to the northwest corner of the park and walk north a few blocks you will come to the Public Library on the left side of the street. It is upstairs. It is very different from Panajachel's public library. Walk up further to arrive at a bakery on the right side of the street.
 * East side- market and food vendors
 * West side- directly across the street is a friendly typical food restaurant. If it is crowded on a market day you may have to share a table. Great salsa!

See
Cemetery with amazing view of Lake Atitlán

Do
Hike from Sololá to Panajachel.

Take a pick-up to a more remote village and hike for the day. Ask about return times in advance, since some pick-up routes run on a limited schedule. There are few to no hotels in the villages. It is possible to hike to (one of the villages on the lake) which does have a hotel.

Enjoy Central Park in the evening, when the music is playing through the speakers and the fountains' water is lit with colored lights

Visit Universidad del Valle and walk on the nature trail. Learn about the agricultural practices; birding. Take the bus from Sololá's Central Park and ask for "Universidad del Valle". It takes about 10 minutes and costs 2Q (2004). Try to get a spot on the bus near a door, since it is one of the earlier stops. This might be easier if you enter from the back door and sit in a back seat. Then you can also exit via the back door.

Buy
Flowers- an amazing selection of flowers are available at the Sunday (?) market. Arrive early in the morning for the best selection.

Textiles- since each town has its own colors and patterns for textiles, travel directly to Solola if you desire the red stripes worn by women or the black and white wool worn by men.

Tofu- the tofu factory is not open to the public. It supplies tofu for all of Panajachel's restaurants, and is also sold in the tofu store in Sololá along with soy ice cream. Sololá's tofu store is near Central Park. From the northwest corner of Central Park walk north. It is on the right-hand side approximately 2 blocks away.

Eat

 * Food stalls: wonderful soups and dishes of meat, beans, and rice with fresh handmade corn tortillas.
 * Food stands:
 * Fried chicken and french fries. Watch for a few minutes to wait for a fresh batch to come out of the fryer
 * Tacos with fried onions
 * Churros are more prevalent during the annual feria
 * Corn on the cob- ask to have it the same as the person in front of you, with ketchup and mayonnaise or salt and lemon
 * Bakeries
 * Various for bread, cakes, and desserts
 * Tortillerias

Drink
This is not a tourist town, so mainly men go to bars. Women do not tend to frequent bars, although they may drink at home among their family.

Sleep
Various small, clean hotels. Mainly cater to the traveling salesmen. Prices similar to those in Panajachel.

Go next

 * Lake Atitlán

title: Solola


text:
Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands are a South Pacific archipelago east of Papua New Guinea. They sit in the sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea. There are six major islands and over 900 smaller islands. The Solomons offer all the great attractions of Melanesia. Idyllic island scenery with perfect sandy beaches and splendid nature —in their rainforest, lagoons and waterfalls. For those who like to dive, underwater life is as stunning as that above. There's an abundance of wildlife to discover and amazing, colourful cultural traditions to see.

History
The Solomon Islands are believed to have been inhabited by Melanesian people for thousands of years. It is believed that Papuan-speaking settlers began to arrive around 30,000 BC. Austronesian speakers arrived circa 4,000 BC, bringing cultural elements such as the outrigger canoe. It is between 1,200 and 800 BC that the ancestors of the Polynesians, the Lapita people, arrived from the Bismarck Archipelago with their characteristic ceramics.

The first European to visit the islands was the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira, coming from Peru in 1568. The people of Solomon Islands were notorious for headhunting and cannibalism before the arrival of the Europeans. Missionaries began visiting the Solomons in the mid-19th century. They made little progress at first, because "blackbirding" (the recruitment of labourers through coercion, deception, or kidnapping for plantations in Queensland or Fiji, where they were paid poorly, if at all) led to a series of reprisals and massacres. The evils of the labour trade prompted the United Kingdom to declare a protectorate over the southern Solomons in June 1893.

In the Second World War, there was fierce fighting between the Americans and the Japanese in the Solomon Islands campaign of 1942–45, including the Battle of Guadalcanal. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. The Solomon Islands is a constitutional monarchy with the British monarch, Charles III, as the head of state, and a governor-general representing the King in his absence.

In 1998, ethnic violence, government misconduct, and crime undermined stability and society. In June 2003, an Australian-led multinational force, the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), arrived and restored peace, disarmed ethnic militias and improved civil governance. It also led to the development of facilities catering to the expatriate workers.

The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. However, severe ethnic violence, the closing of key business enterprises, and an empty government treasury have led to serious economic disarray, indeed near collapse. Tanker deliveries of crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation) have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the nonpayment of bills and by the lack of technical and maintenance staff, many of whom have left the country.

In 2019, the Solomon Islands severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan and recognised the People's Republic of China instead. This has re-ignited inter-island tensions, with the strongly pro-Taiwan province of Malaita declaring their intention to secede. Things came to a head in 2021 when pro-Taiwan protesters from Malaita rioted and burnt down Honiara's Chinatown, with the Australian military having to be called in to restore order. In 2022, in a move strongly opposed by the United States and Australia, the Solomon Islands signed a security agreement with China that allowed China to deploy their military at the request of the Solomon Islands government to perform policing duties.

Geography
The Solomon Islands is a wide nation: distance between the westernmost and easternmost islands is about 1,500 km (930 mi). The Santa Cruz Islands (of which Tikopia is part), are situated north of Vanuatu and are especially isolated at more than 200 km (120 mi) from the other islands. Bougainville is geographically part of the Solomon Islands, but of Papua New Guinea for now, although it is set to become independent by 2025.

The Solomon Islands archipelago is part of two distinct terrestrial ecoregions. Most of the islands are part of the Solomon Islands rain forests ecoregion. These forests have come under great pressure from forestry activities. The Santa Cruz Islands are part of the Vanuatu rain forests ecoregion, together with the neighboring archipelago of Vanuatu. More than 230 varieties of orchids and other tropical flowers brighten the landscape. The islands contain several active and dormant volcanoes with Tinakula and Kavachi being the most active. The highest point is Mount Makarakomburu, at 2,447 meters. Many low lying coral atolls dot the region.

Climate
The islands' ocean-equatorial climate is extremely humid throughout the year, with a mean temperature of 27 °C (80 °F) and few extremes of temperature or weather. June through August is the cooler period. Though seasons are not pronounced, the northwesterly winds of November through April bring more frequent rainfall and occasional squalls or cyclones. The annual rainfall is about 3050 mm (120 in).

Visitor information

 * Visit Solomon Islands website

Talk
The islands are home to more than 70 indigenous Melanesian languages, with most citizens speaking Pijin as a lingua franca. English is the official language, but spoken by only 1 or 2% of the population.

Entry requirements
Everyone needs a passport, onward ticket, and sufficient funds to cover their stay in the Solomon Islands. Since October 2016, EU citizens do not require a visa.

Citizens of the following nationalities can get visitor's visas on arrival: American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bonaire, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Cook Islands, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Fiji, French Polynesia, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guyana, Iceland, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Montserrat, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Singapore, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna.

Citizens of other countries except Belarus, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Montenegro, Palestinian Territories, Serbia, South Africa, South Sudan, Timor-Leste, Vatican, Zimbabwe can obtain a visa on arrival if they have a confirmation that a visa has been approved before departure.

If you have a visitor's permit, you are not allowed to engage in work, business, religious vocations, or professional research. If you wish to do any of those things, you must get a business permit.

By plane
The Solomon Islands has two major airports. Honiara International Airport is 11 km (7 miles) east of the capital, Honiara. Scheduled flights depart from Brisbane, Australia most days. There are also flights between Port Vila, Nadi, Port Moresby, and Sydney.

There is also Munda Airport in the Western Province, next to the town of Munda.

By sea
Cruise ships occasionally visit Honiara.

It is also possible to travel from southern Bougainville in Papua New Guinea by boat into the Solomon Islands western province, as locals routinely travel between the Solomons' Shortland Islands and Bougainville.

Auki Ferry
This runs most days from Honiara Wharf to Auki on the island of Malaita across the Slot from Honiara. In 2012 the fare as SI$300 one way or SI$580 return. The ferry travels through the Florida Islands channel which is worth seeing and there's a high chance you'll see plenty of flying fish if you look off the front or sides of the boat. The catamaran ferry is a former Auckland Harbour ferry so is not designed to be ocean-going. This means that when it's rough, it's rough so be prepared. The ferry has plenty of comfortable seating, air conditioning and a big flat screen which shows films during the journey. You can buy drinks and snacks on the ferry although it's best to buy this on the way out from Honiara as supplies run low once the boat is heading back. There is a toilet.

Boarding is at 07:30 for an 08:00 departure. Buy your ticket from a vehicle parked outside the jetty gate in the wharf car park. It'll be the one swamped with people getting tickets at 07:30. Boat stops in Tulagi (09:30) in Florida Islands and leaves ten minutes later for Boromole (arr. 10:30) which has a beautiful beach and water. It reaches Auki at 12:30 and leaves to return to Honiara via the same route at 14:00 (boarding from 13:30). Return to Boromole is 15:30 and Tulagi at 04:30 before arrival in Honiara at sunset or around 18:00.

Fly
Solomon Airlines offers numerous flights around the islands.

See

It's also one of the places where you can see the artificial islands this country is known for. Some date back to the 16th century, but new ones are created even now, using stones and coral materials.

Follow the slightly challenging but beautiful path to the bubbling mud of the Reoka hot springs or, for serious hikers, consider a 2-day hike to the top of the volcano Kolombangara. Easier but more beautiful is the path to the Mataniko Falls, with underlying caves that served as a hide-out for soldiers in World War II, and the Tenaru Falls. They are close to Honiara, the country's capital, and also home to the National Museum and Culture Centre.

Money
The currency of the country is the Solomon Islands dollar, denoted by the symbol "SI$" (ISO currency code: SBD). The currency is divided into 100 cents. Banknotes are issued in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100, and coins issued in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 cents, $1 and $2, with only the 5 cent coin being absent.

ATMs are available in Honiara. Australian dollars are accepted at some hotels and resorts, and in some cases, preferred as it was once the official currency before 1977.

Eat
Allow SI$35 for a meal in the basic restaurant. Tips are not customary.

The archipelago's food differs little from that of other South Pacific islands. There's poi, fermented taro and the usual tropical fruit mix. An important source of starch is cassava. The tuna caught here, also an important export product, is often served with chillies and pasta or rice. Especially in the shops in the country you often only find canned spam or tuna.

Drink
The local brewery is Solbrew, which is made near the capital.

Stay safe

The Solomon Islands are located along the Pacific "Rim of Fire" and prone to earthquakes—including some rather large quakes! An 8.1 magnitude quake in 2007 off Ghizo Island (in the New Georgia Islands) resulted in a tsunami up to 12 m, killing 52. An 8.0 magnitude quake in 2013 near the Santa Cruz Islands resulted in a 1 m tsunami (fortunately, the epicenter was deep enough underground that a large tsunami wasn't generated) that killed fewer than 10 people. In addition to these two, quakes above magnitude 7.0 occur rather frequently (every year or two). Should you experience an earthquake, immediately seek higher ground!

While not as bad as neighbouring Papua New Guinea, crime rates in the Solomon Islands are high. Travel after dark is dangerous, especially in Honiara, and muggers have been known to target tourists at the Japanese War Memorial on Mt Austin even in broad daylight.

Ethnic tension between Guales (residents of Guadalcanals) and Malaitans, as well as between everybody and the Chinese, continues to simmer. Australian troops have been in place since 2003 to keep things in check, but this did not prevent violent rioting in Honiara in 2006 from destroying large parts of the city.

Stay healthy
Malaria is the biggest health issue in the Solomon Islands. Travellers to the area should take anti-malarial pills before, during and after their stay.

Saltwater Crocodiles are relatively common (in comparison to other islands in the South Pacific) in the Solomon Islands and great care should be taken while in or near any body of water. Knowledge is the best defense for yourself and for the protection of the crocs themselves. While by no means anywhere even close to crocodile levels in Northern Australia and New Guinea, the population is still considered relatively healthy on the Solomons in comparison to much of the species' Southeast Asian range. This is especially true of the islands closest to New Guinea, which hold the highest populations in the Solomons.

Visitors are advised not to drink the water straight from the tap. Boil it first or drink bottled water.

Connect
There are 2 cellular providers on the island Our Telekom and Bmobile. More info here. Since its an island all internet is routed through satellite so connections are slow. There is wifi at some hotels and restaurants.

title: Solomon Islands


text:
Solomons

For the island chain in the South Pacific, see Solomon Islands.

Solomons (Solomons Island) is a resort area in Southern Maryland, near the Patuxent Naval Air Station. Solomons within a two-hour drive of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Annapolis. Solomons is also close to the Calvert Cliffs State Park, which is fun for fossil hunting. Located where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay, it is a popular destination for fishing and boating. Solomons also has a nice, short boardwalk at the tip of the peninsula and a lively restaurant scene.

By car
Solomons Island Rd (Route 2/Route 4) is the only road in and out of Solomons. Route 4 connects Solomons with Washington, D.C., and Route 2 connects Solomons with Annapolis.

South of Solomons, Route 4 connects with Route 5, which continues east to St. Mary's City and west back to Washington, D.C. Route 5 westbound also connects with Route 301, which leads south to Interstate 95 in Virginia just south of Fredericksburg.

By boat
The three primary marinas on the island are, , and , all of which are on Back Creek/Solomons Harbor, and offer long- and short-term dockage.

Go next

 * Just southeast of Solomons is the historic St. Mary's City, one of the very first British settlements in North America.
 * The chalk cliffs at Calvert Cliffs State Park, a few miles north of town, are a fun spot for fossil hunting. The park is very popular, and its public beach is usually picked over by noon; however, even casual visitors can expect to find common fossils.  The park also offers an elaborate playground constructed from used tires and excellent wildlife spotting along its marsh.
 * To the north, in Lexington Park, you can visit the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

title: Solomons


text:
Solor Archipelago

Solor Archipelago is an island group in Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. It comprises three main islands (Adonara, Lembata and Solor) as well as numerous smaller islands, just east of Flores and west of the Alor Archipelago.

Towns

 * Lewoleba — Lembata's main town is also a regional centre and has some useful facilities (transport connections, ATMs, internet)
 * Waiwerang — the main town Adonara

Villages

 * Lamalera — a small village on Lembata, known for its whale-hunters

Talk
English is not widely spoken, so it's helpful to learn a little Bahasa Indonesia. However, even the national language is not spoken everywhere. The local language is Lamaholot.

By plane
TransNusa operates flights from Lembata Airport to El Tari Airport in Kupang (West Timor), which has good connections to the rest of the country.

By boat
A daily wooden ferry links Larantuka on the eastern tip of Flores to Adonara (stopping at Waiwerang, Rp 12,000) and Lembata (stopping at Lewoleba, Rp 30,000). There is also a speed boat several times a day connecting Larantuka and Lewoleba (Rp 100,000) via Weiwarang in 1 hour. Another ferry connects Lewoleba to Kupang (ekonomi class 70,000 including small meal, 12 hours). Pelni ships also serve the area.

Go next

 * The Alor Archipelago, further east, is renowned for its diving
 * Flores to the west offers some beautiful scenery, such as the colourful lakes of Mount Kelimutu

title: Solor Archipelago