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Amarante

Amarante is a beautiful city in Northern Portugal, and a popular pilgrimage destination. Amarante sits on a hill overlooking the bucolic river Tamega. In the distance stands the gorgeous mountain, serra do Marão.

Understand
Amarante (uh-muh-RUHN-t(ih), /ɐ.mɐ.ˈɾɐ̃.tɨ/) has a city population of over 11,000 (2011), with over 56,000 residents in the entire municipality. Since 2017, it has been a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for music.

By plane
The most convenient airports for Amarante are (in order of distance):
 * Aerodrome of Vila Real - The small airfield in the neighbouring city of Vila Real receives some domestic flights.
 * Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport - Porto - Porto is served by Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport  - which receives frequent flights from major European cities, including London, Madrid, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Brussels, as well as some destinations within the country, such as Lisbon and Madeira/Funchal. TAP also has a daily direct flight from São Paulo and another one from Rio de Janeiro.
 * Portela Airport - Lisbon, the largest Portuguese airport, has air connections with the main cities in Europe and some in North and South America, Africa and Asia.

By train
There is no train.

By bus
The bus station is about 3 minutes from the city centre. There are buses arriving from various destinations across the country and departing for as many.

Twice a day, every week, Rodo-norte operates a bus service between Lisbon and Amarante, one at 11:00 and the other at 18:00, for the price of €18. In addition to these buses, Rodonorte also has buses from Porto (5 times a day, at 07:00, 14:30, 16:30, 18:00 and 21:20; price: €6.40) and Viana do Castelo (Monday to Friday, at 08:30); price €10.80), among other destinations. See the website for more information.

By car
The best way to drive to Amarante is using the A4 motorway if you are coming from Porto or the IP4 Expressway if you are coming from the north or Spain. Just take any exit towards Amarante and you will be 5 min from the city centre. The city is about 1 hour from Porto and 5 hours from Lisbon.

On foot
Amarante is a small town and you can easily see all its monuments on foot - in addition, cars cannot enter most streets in the historic centre, and you can see the city much better on foot.

By car
Driving is a bad idea in Amarante. At some times of the year, Amarante is invaded by visitors, who fill the streets, creating an impossible traffic, and occupy the car parks, of which there are only a few. Nor is it necessary to take the car, as the city is so small that it can be covered entirely on foot.

Events

 * Romaria de São Gonçalo First weekend in June. The city's visiting card, it is celebrated in honour of São Gonçalo, a matchmaker saint whose cult is associated with fertility and who lived in Amarante. It is customary for single women to embrace the saint and ask him for a husband. At the same time, there is an annual fair, a folklore festival, a competition for drums, bullfights, livestock competitions, a festival and fireworks held simultaneously.

Activities

 * A beautiful view of the city. Cross the bridge to the south side (for reference, the monastery is on the north side) and go to the river bank. From here you have a great view of the bridge, the monastery and the houses that are on the river bank. If you prefer a more "aerial" view, go up the stairs to the Church of São Domingos, from where you enjoy a beautiful view of the monastery, the river and the opposite bank, and go along Rua Frei José Amarante until the Santa Clara square, from where he enjoys the best view of Amarante, seeing the south bank of the river, a good part of the north bank, and the entire monastery, including the cloisters, where the Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Museum is installed.
 * Pedal boats: On the river bank (go down Alameda Teixeira de Pascoaes until you reach some pedestrian walks; go down until you reach a strange looking building, the market; go to the back of the market and go to the river bank) you can see a series of pedal boats that you can rent, and that offer a great view of the river and the bridge. It doesn't have a good view of the city, but you can still see some of its buildings, like the monastery. A good way to pass the time.
 * A beautiful view of the city. Cross the bridge to the south side (for reference, the monastery is on the north side) and go to the river bank. From here you have a great view of the bridge, the monastery and the houses that are on the river bank. If you prefer a more "aerial" view, go up the stairs to the Church of São Domingos, from where you enjoy a beautiful view of the monastery, the river and the opposite bank, and go along Rua Frei José Amarante until the Santa Clara square, from where he enjoys the best view of Amarante, seeing the south bank of the river, a good part of the north bank, and the entire monastery, including the cloisters, where the Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Museum is installed.
 * Pedal boats: On the river bank (go down Alameda Teixeira de Pascoaes until you reach some pedestrian walks; go down until you reach a strange looking building, the market; go to the back of the market and go to the river bank) you can see a series of pedal boats that you can rent, and that offer a great view of the river and the bridge. It doesn't have a good view of the city, but you can still see some of its buildings, like the monastery. A good way to pass the time.

Buy
There are no shopping centres in Amarante. These are your options.

 * The historic centre of Amarante is full of shops, mainly in the area around the monastery. Throughout the centre you can find shops and traditional drugstores that are quickly disappearing in big cities.
 * Market Every Wednesdays and Saturdays. Here you can find a little bit of everything, mainly clothes, but also fabrics, food and all kinds of trinkets, depending on the day you go.
 * Rua do Capitão Augusto Casimiro. A beautiful modernist building, surrounded by trees, where you can find various types of food, but little else.

Eat
The geographical location of the city, between the Minho/Douro Litoral and the Trás-os-Montes (although officially belonging to the Douro Litoral) directly influenced the Amarantine gastronomy, which contains characteristics of all these provinces. Nowadays, the Amarantine cuisine is based on hypercaloric dishes (bad destination if you are making a fortune or if you are vegetarian) such as the mountain goat, the arouquesa and maronesa veal, the feijoada, the tripe, the Portuguese stew, the cod, etc.

Particularly famous is the codfish from Zé da Calçada and Custódia, which were once the two most important restaurants in the city, vying for customers and trying to present the best cod. (Custody cod is no longer known by that name). Also common is chicken rice, whose main ingredients are chicken, rice and chicken blood. Amarantine sweets are also famous, namely egg sweets, which combine very well with Douro wine, produced not far from the city. Throughout the city, you can see pastries filled with delicious sweets, such as the papos-de-Anjo, the rockets, the lilies and the breezes of Tâmega. Also on the edge of the monastery, on small stands you can find typical sweets from the region, including phallic sweets, which (supposedly) serve to encourage young people to seek love,

Drink
The city is full of cafes and pastries filled with delicious sweets typical of the region.

 * Spark, Avenida Alexandre Herculano, Amarante. Located in front of the Tâmega River, it has a young atmosphere, despite being frequented by people of several generations. Bar with background music, very well frequented.
 * Spázio Ciber Café, Rua Cândido dos Reis, Sao Gonçalo de Amarante. Good music in a bar with internet available to customers and great air with a great atmosphere.

Go next

 * Vila Real
 * Chaves
 * Douro valley
 * Lamego
 * Porto
 * Guimaraes
 * Braga.

title: Amarante


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Amarapura

Amarapura is a city in Mandalay Division in Central Myanmar. It was the capital of Burma in the early 19th century and is the home of a famous bridge.

Understand
Literally meaning the "immortal city", Amarapura was the capital of the Konbaung Dynasty from 1783 to 1859. Today the township is a popular day-trip destination from Mandalay for its dependence of silk, cotton weaving and bronze casting.

Sleep
Though there is a small town at Amarapura, and there are a few hotels, none are licensed for foreigners. Amarapura is usually visited on a day trip from Mandalay.

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

title: Amarapura


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Amarillo

Amarillo, which means "yellow" in Spanish, is the center of the Texas Panhandle at the edge of the Great Plains.

Understand
Amarillo offers a true Western heritage, a unique geographical area with wide open spaces and breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. Amarillo is also the gateway to Palo Duro Canyon, America's second largest canyon. With its relatively mild climate, the city is rated as having some of the cleanest air in the country.

Indians, conquistadors, buffalo hunters, settlers, cowboys, adventurers, lawmen, gunfighters, and the railroad all contributed in many ways to the development and growth of the area. That heritage is still felt here, where "cowboy" is still an honorable profession. Here you can enjoy the very best of the Old and New West!

Founded in 1887, the city charter was adopted in 1913. Amarillo is one of the first cities in the nation to use the City Commissioner-City Manager form of government. Now home to approximately 198,000 residents, the city features excellent accommodations, a spacious convention/civic center, symphony, ballet, little theater, opera, and is the home of Amarillo College.

Though it is on the very northern tip of the Llano Estacado Plateau, Amarillo has closer ties with the High Plains region, serving as its economic, industrial, transportation, and cultural hub.

By car
Amarillo is located on:
 * Interstate 40 east of Albuquerque, New Mexico and west of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
 * Interstate 27 north of Lubbock, Texas.
 * U.S. Highway 60 west-southwest of Pampa, Texas.
 * U.S. Highway 287 south of Boise City, Oklahoma.
 * Amarillo also straddles historic Route 66.

Get around
The N-S avenues in central Amarillo are named for the presidents of the United States in order of when they served, from Washington just west of downtown through Cleveland to the east. Most of the E-W avenues are numbered, from N 24th through S 58th.

Old Route 66 crosses east to west through Amarillo, named Amarillo Boulevard. It passes just to the north of the airport, downtown, and the medical center, connecting US-60 on the east side with I-40 on the west side.

Loop 335 has been designated, but has not yet been developed into a limited access loop as in other cities. It comprises Soncy Road on the west (near Westgate Mall), St. Francis Avenue on the north, Hollywood Road on the south, and Lakeside Drive on the east (near the airport).

Local bus service is provided by Amarillo Transit.

See

Eat

Drink
The main nightlife district in Amarillo is South Polk Street downtown, between 7th and 8th avenues

Sleep
There are many motels along Interstate 40 on the city's west side.

Go next

 * Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, 35 miles north near Borger. A prehistoric quarry that produced widely traded flint stones.
 * Canyon, a few miles south on US 87, is home to the largest historical museum in Texas, the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum.
 * Conway is a very small town a few miles east of Amarillo. If you enjoyed the Cadillac Ranch, stop here to find a similar art project done with Volkswagen Beetles. If that's not enough, you can find a version done with 12 wheat combines on FM 1151 near Canyon.
 * Carson County Square House Museum, a few miles to the east in Panhandle, has an interesting collection of early pioneer and railroad artifacts.
 * Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, 30 miles northeast near Fritch.
 * Palo Duro Canyon, 27 miles southeast near Canyon. The second largest canyon in the United States. The Palo Duro canyon is roughly 120 miles long and has an average width of 6 miles (10 km), but reaches a width of 20 miles (30 km) at places. Its maximum depth is 800 feet.
 * Vega, 28 miles west, and some nearby ghost towns have a number of well-preserved Route 66 sites.
 * Wildcat Bluff Nature Center, 3 miles (5 km) north of I-40 on Soncy. Learn about the plants and animals of the Great Plains and go for a hike!

title: Amarillo


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Amarna

Amarna (el-Amarna) is a significant archaeological location in Middle Egypt, in the modern Egyptian province of el-Minya. Amarna sits between the east bank of the river Nile and the high plateau of the Eastern Desert, some 58 km (36 mi) south of Minya, 402 km (250 mi) north of Luxor and 312 km (194 mi) south of the Egyptian capital Cairo.

Understand
The diverse and scattered archaeological sites at Amarna represent the remains of the short-lived capital of Akhenaten, the "heretic" Pharaoh of the late 18th Dynasty.

Amarna has, since 1982, been the target of nearly annual archaeological excavations by a team from the University of Cambridge, England.

Get in
Road and rail links with Amarma are accessible only on the opposite (west) bank of the Nile, making a river crossing necessary (an eastern access by a feeder road from the Cairo-Asyut desert highway is reportedly planned).

For the northern and central parts of Amarna (including the North Tombs), the tourist ferry to should be used. This can be reached by tourist car/taxi from Mallawi (which has a railway station) or from Minya. Vehicles are available for hire at el-Till. This is the usual means of tourist access.

For the South Tombs the ferry to el-Hagg Qandil is an alternative, if perhaps somewhat risky. This is accessible by vehicle from Deir Mawas, along the road which passes the village of Beni Amran. From Deir Mawas to the ferry the distance is about 1.75 km (just over one mile). Deir Mawas also has a local railway station. Transport is far less likely to be available for hire from el-Hagg Qandil.

Because of security issues, foreign visitors are escorted around the site by representatives of the Tourist Police who are based at the el-Till ferry. For this reason, use of the el-Hagg Qandil ferry by foreigners is discouraged. If you take this route, you may be escorted to el-Till or be taken back to the train stations at Mallawi or Minya.

Get around
El-Till ferry to the North Tombs: 3.2 km (2 mi); el-Till ferry to the North Palace: 2 km (1 1/4 mi); el-Till ferry to the Central City: 2 km (1 1/4 mi); North to South Tombs: 5.6 km (3 1/2 mi); el-Till ferry to the Royal Tomb: 11 km (7 mi).

See
Usual tourist itineraries: from el-Till to the Northern tombs, nos. 3-6 (1 and 2 require an extra excursion), returning to el-Till via a detour to the Northern Palace. The Central City can be added as a further detour. This can be accomplished in half a day or less. The Royal Tomb can be reached by an extension to the asphalt road, in a 30-min drive from the Northern Tombs. A much longer excursion can be taken to the Southern Tombs, along the road beside the cultivation, which passes through much of the ancient city. The greater part of a day should be allowed for this extended trip.

Eat and Drink
There is a small, privately-run tourist kiosk with toilets at the foot of the slope beneath the North Tombs. A second has been built below the South Tombs but is reportedly not yet in operation. Prudence would suggest that you bring food and water with you (and maybe some toilet tissue as well!)

Sleep
There are no accommodation options at the site of Amarna. Travellers are generally advised to seek accommodation in one of the nearby cities of Mallawi or Minya.

title: Amarna


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Amasra

 * Not to be confused with Amasya in Central Karadeniz region.

Amasra is a small harbour and beach resort on the Black Sea, 310 km north of Ankara in the Western Karadeniz region of Turkey. In 2021 it had a population of 6098, with about another 8000 in its outlying villages. It's the most attractive town on this coast and is mobbed in summer by tourists from Istanbul or Ankara.

Understand
The ancient Greeks called the town Sesestrus, and Amastris (Ἄμαστρις) referred to its confederation with two other towns. It was the best defended of the three, on a small island which by their day had already fused to the mainland by a tombola isthmus. This island was fortified into a citadel or acropolis by successive occupants, most recently by the Genoese in the 14th / 15th centuries, and fortifications bridged a narrow channel onto the adjacent island now called Boztepe. The isthmus created natural harbours on either side, the larger being to the east.

The hinterland has patches of industry, as this area is part of the Zonguldak coalfield. The coal strata are within the mountains and can be reached by tunnelling sideways or even slightly upwards, which makes drainage simple. The closest mine is 5 km west and its surrounds are one big mess. On 14 Oct 2022 an explosion in this mine killed 42 and injured 27, one of Turkey's worst mining incidents.

This industry mostly affects Bartın the provincial capital and transport hub. Amasra is little affected and its narrow streets within the citadel ramparts are traffic-restricted. There are no big hotels and international visitors seldom come this way, but in summer it's very busy with tourists from Ankara and Istanbul, both within a day's drive. October to May is very quiet and many businesses close for winter. Shoulder season in early June or in September are good times to visit.

Get in
By bus, travel to Bartın 16 km south of Amasra then take a dolmuş: these run every 30 min at the height of summer, every two hours in winter, and take 20-30 min.

Buses run to Bartın from Istanbul (6 daily, 8 hours, 600 TL in 2024), Ankara (8 daily, 5 hours) and Samsun (twice daily, 9 hours).

Local buses ply to Bartın every hour or so from Kastamonu (4 hr 30 min), Safranbolu (75 min) and Karabük.

Bus lines are Metro Turizm, Kamil Koc (now part of Flixbus), Efe Tur and Lüks Bartın.

the bus station in Amasra is just an open square west side of the bay.

is on D010 five km south of Bartın town. Dolmuşes to Amasra run from here.

By road from Istanbul take O-7 / E80 east, and from Ankara E89 north, to Yeniçağa junction. From there follow D750 then D010 north via Bartın.

Get around
The town is compact enough that you can walk everywhere.

See

 * the "lighthouse" is just a simple harbour light (the long-distance light is atop Boztepe), but it's at the end of a breakwater with views back over town.
 * Amasra Citadel (kalesi) refers to all of the old town, with stretches of defensive wall here and there.
 * Fatih Mosque just east of Kemere bridge was built as a Byzantine church in the 9th century. It was converted to a mosque when the town was captured by the Ottomans in 1460, and remains in use.
 * is a photogenic single arch across the narrow channel to Boztepe island. It was built in Roman times and kept in repair since; pity about the ugly water pipe along the parapet. An ancient gatehouse at the island end blocks any vehicle much bigger than a Segway.
 * meaning Big Island is uninhabited. It's also known as Tavşan Adası, Rabbit Island, the same as just about any rocky, scrubby islet around Turkey's coastline. The scraps of its Byzantine monastery have been carried off by souvenir hunters.
 * is 1 km south of town by the police base. It was a Roman palace built around 100 AD, but became a bedestan or caravanserai when travelling merchants camped overnight within its stout walls. These remain but the area is sadly neglected.
 * (Kuşkayası) is a Roman monument on D010 four km south of Amasra. It was carved when the Romans built a road to the coast around 50 AD in honour of Emperor Claudius - his reign greatly expanded the empire and needed improved transport links to control it. The monument has been hacked about down the years but its figures are still distinct.
 * (Kuşkayası) is a Roman monument on D010 four km south of Amasra. It was carved when the Romans built a road to the coast around 50 AD in honour of Emperor Claudius - his reign greatly expanded the empire and needed improved transport links to control it. The monument has been hacked about down the years but its figures are still distinct.

Do

 * Beaches: Büyük Liman east and Küçük Liman west are both sandy, but become crowded and grubby at the height of the season.
 * Boat trips from the main harbour (east) putter out to Büyükada and along the rugged coast.

Buy
There's a slew of stores along the main street Cumhuriyet Cd. Karadeniz Market is the biggest, open daily 09:00-21:00.

Eat

 * East by the marina are Carlos, Nurşen Hanım'ın Yeri, Tuana, Balikcinin Yeri, Çeşmi Cihan and Lotis Balık. On boats moored by the marina are Vapur, Amasra Balık and Pirate of Amasra.
 * Along west beach are Barba Bianca, Mustafa Amca'nın Yeri, Günbatımı Balık and Çınar Balık.

Drink

 * Most cafes serve beer and wine. Bars include Kupa Pub, Amasra Rıhtım Cafe and Cafe N Bistro.
 * Ayran is a traditional cold drink, diluted yoghurt with salt added.

Sleep

 * Balkaya Pansiyon has clean small rooms. It's by the harbour on Mithat Ceylan Cd.
 * Yağmur Pansiyon is a rental apartment on Kemere Sk near the bridge.

Connect
As of Jan 2024, Amasra has 4G from all Turkish carriers, but the signal on the approach highway from Bartin is patchy. 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

Go next

 * East, a series of small resorts are strung along the coast of Bartın province: Çakrazşeyhler, Hisarköy, Kurucaşile, and part of Kapısuyu. This village 45 km east of Amasra is divided by a stream that forms the boundary with the next province Kastamonu, so the two sides elect different mayors and on landlines have to dial the area code to call their neighbours across the stream.
 * Gideros 57 km east of Amasra is one of the more attractive resorts along the Kastamonu coastline. Eventually this road leads to Cide, İnebolu, Sinop and Samsun.
 * Safranbolu is 100 km south on the road to Ankara. It's a well-preserved old Ottoman town.
 * The road west from Bartın swings away from the coast. Zonguldak is a grubby industrial harbour for the coal and quarrying industries.

title: Amasra


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Amasya

Amasya is a city in the Central Karadeniz region of Turkey. It was the hometown of Strabo, an ancient Greek geographer and historian.

By train
The Hattı train runs three days a week from Sivas, which has fast trains from Ankara, and slow trains from the east of Turkey. It sets off around 08:30 and take 5 hours to Amasya, continuing to Havza and Samsun. The return to Sivas leaves Amasya at 11:40. Another leaves Amasya early morning and takes 3 hours to Samsun, returning late afternoon - this is shown on the regional or Bölgesel part of TCDD timetables, while the Hattı is a mainline or Anahat train.

This line was closed for years for track upgrading, with the promise of speedy journeys once the work was complete. Passenger services resumed in April 2023 but are as slow as ever; it's not clear if further work on the line is in hand to improve this.

If on the regional train from Samsun you can get off at the tiny station near the Kings tombs if you move to the front of the train, as it only pauses very briefly. This stop is convenient for many small riverside hotels. If you get off at the main station turn left and walk for 5 or 10 minutes then continue along tiny Yalı Sokak rather than crossing the river. There are many guesthouses on Yalı Sokak, but you may want to carry your suitcase rather than making a racket wheeling it over the cobbles.

(Amasya Garı) is in the west part of town. If you are catching the very early train to Samsun you will probably find a guy on the platform selling samovar tea and simit.

By bus
Many bus companies serve Ankara and Istanbul throughout the day. Most of these lines will offer you a free shuttle service to the town square. There are also a few buses every day going to and from Antalya, Çorum, Izmir, Kayseri, Malatya, Tokat and Trabzon.

To come and go from Samsun, the nearest city on the Black Sea coast, there are small Metro minibuses that leave several times a day.

Get around
Once you get a bus service or taxi to the town square, everything is within easy walking distance. If you are going on day trips to other places in the province, you can find small privately-owned buses that come and go if you ask around.

If you are interested in a day trip, for example to Hattuşa the Hittite capital, there is car rental.

See

The major sights of the city include the whitewashed Ottoman houses lining the river and the ancient Pontic rock tombs carved into the side of the mountain overlooking the city.

Harşena hill
High above the city on Harşena hill there is a castle. However, this hill has much more to offer. The climb begins at the Kızlar Sarayı.

City center
Ziya Paşa Bulvarı on the south bank of the Yeşilırmak river has some pleasant waterfront with busts of former crown princes but is still blighted by traffic, as is the parallel shopping street of Mustafa Kemal Paşa Caddesi. Perhaps they will be improved when the bypass is completed. There are many sights from the historical past of Amasya around these two streets. From east to west:

Amasya was a religious and political center for central Anatolia, and there are many small mosques that date back to pre-Ottoman times.
 * There are two separate wax museums, one dedicated to the 7 Padishahs and one dedicated to Anatolian life in the 16-19th centuries.
 * There are two separate wax museums, one dedicated to the 7 Padishahs and one dedicated to Anatolian life in the 16-19th centuries.
 * There are two separate wax museums, one dedicated to the 7 Padishahs and one dedicated to Anatolian life in the 16-19th centuries.
 * There are two separate wax museums, one dedicated to the 7 Padishahs and one dedicated to Anatolian life in the 16-19th centuries.
 * There are two separate wax museums, one dedicated to the 7 Padishahs and one dedicated to Anatolian life in the 16-19th centuries.
 * There are two separate wax museums, one dedicated to the 7 Padishahs and one dedicated to Anatolian life in the 16-19th centuries.
 * There are two separate wax museums, one dedicated to the 7 Padishahs and one dedicated to Anatolian life in the 16-19th centuries.
 * There are two separate wax museums, one dedicated to the 7 Padishahs and one dedicated to Anatolian life in the 16-19th centuries.
 * There are two separate wax museums, one dedicated to the 7 Padishahs and one dedicated to Anatolian life in the 16-19th centuries.

 * In front of it there is
 * There is a "house of suffering" that you can get to if you walk up the hill from the town square, which was an important Alevi pilgrimage spot, as its founder's turbe (tomb) is nearby. You can go into the "suffering house" now that it's no longer in use, and explore the small cells men would live in for months at a time, with little food and water and outside contact, simply reading the Qur'an and meditating on it.
 * In front of it there is
 * There is a "house of suffering" that you can get to if you walk up the hill from the town square, which was an important Alevi pilgrimage spot, as its founder's turbe (tomb) is nearby. You can go into the "suffering house" now that it's no longer in use, and explore the small cells men would live in for months at a time, with little food and water and outside contact, simply reading the Qur'an and meditating on it.

Geothermal spas
Taking advantage of the North Anatolian Fault there are several geothermal spas in Amasya Province, however those in neighboring Havza and Çorum are more accessible by public transport. If you can't stand the heat of the water in Havza try:

Do

 * Stroll along the river walk along with Amasya's townspeople. In the summer months, the street is closed at night because so many people are out.
 * Amasya has several very old, nice hamams. They are all single-sex, open to men from 06:00-10:00, women 10:00-17:00, and men again 17:00-00:00. There are special days in the week for working women to come at night, and the weekends are generally reserved entirely for men. Check with the hamams ahead of time; if you are staying at a hotel they can call and ask for you.
 * Hiking. Mountains surround the city on all sides and can easily be walked.
 * Hiking. Mountains surround the city on all sides and can easily be walked.
 * Hiking. Mountains surround the city on all sides and can easily be walked.
 * Hiking. Mountains surround the city on all sides and can easily be walked.

Drink
Generally, all the places in Amasya to go out at night have live music, with the exception of the three or four pubs.

Ali Kaya overlooks the entire city on its southeastern side, and offers great views at night. Mostly plays Turku, Turkish folk music, with a combination of classical and modern instruments.

Eylul Bugusu, Grand Pasha, Emin Efendi and Mithridat are all basically indistinguishable bars and restaurants in the old part of town. You come, get a table, and drink or eat there while listening to covers of Turkish pop or folk music, depending on the night. If you are there on a weekend, a reservation may be required. If you're traveling around the old city during the day, the best thing to do is pop in the various local joints, pick which one suits your taste the most, and ask for a reservation.

For Turkish tea time, there is a local chain called Yesil Ev (green house) that you'll see around town. For a more interesting experience the Municipal Tea garden is on the riverside near the clock tower: at night in the warm months there is generally live music. If you are a large party and you'd like to relax for a while, order the Semaver Cay which is the Turkish version of the Russian Samovar, and you'll be drinking tea for hours. According to locals, though, the best tea and Turkish coffee is to be found at Gamasuk Cay Evi, which is on the main road, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk Caddesi, called Ust caddesi (high street) by locals. Men and women are welcome at all of these places.

Sleep
There are many small “konak” hotels on the north bank of the river below the rock tombs. Unless the town is particularly crowded (for example if parents are visiting for a graduation ceremony) you can usually just walk along Yalı Sk. and Hazeran Sk. and choose one.

Go next

 * Sivas —
 * Hattuşa —

title: Amasya


text:
Amazônia National Park

Amazônia National Park is in the state of Para of Brazil. The easiest access to the park is from the nearby city of Itaituba.

Get in
The Trans-Amazônia highway runs through the park. To get there, take a bus from Itaituba to Jacareacanga and ask the driver to let you off at the park entrance. The highway is paved as far as Itaituba but other parts are unpaved earth roads topped with gravel that deteriorate during the rainy season, November to April, and need much repair work each May and June. The park can be accessed from Santarém, Pará, which is at the confluence of the Tapajós with the Amazon River. Santarém has an airport. Any roads usually require four-wheel-drive vehicles and river transport is normally used in this region.

Bus from Itaituba around 10:00. Bus to Itaituba around 14:00. About R$30, one way.

Car rentals in Itaituba are about R$100 per day, plus insurance.

Taxi from Itaituba is about R$150.

Fees and permits
You must obtain permission from IBAMA/ICMBio to visit the park. They have an office in Itaituba.

Address: Av. Mal. Rondon, s/n - Liberdade, Itaituba - PA, 68181-010. (IBAMA/ Parque Nacional da Amazônia).

Pay the park rangers/guides about R$50. (Ask at IBAMA if that is still correct.)

Sleep
There is a cabin near the park entrance with very basic accommodations for free. There is a kitchen there that visitors can use, but you should bring all food from outside the park, as there are no places to buy food in the park.

title: Amazônia National Park


text:
Amazon (Ecuador)

The Amazon is a region of Ecuador.

Provinces
The Amazon basin spreads over 6 Ecuadorian provinces: Sucumbíos, Orellana, Napo, Pastaza, Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe.

Cities
Arranged by province.

Napo

 * , the provincial capital of Napo
 * , the provincial capital of Napo
 * , the provincial capital of Napo

Orellana

 * , the provincial capital of Orellana, officially named Puerto Francisco de Orellana after the Spanish explorer who was the first to cross the South American continent traveling down the Amazon River in 1541-42.

Sucumbíos

 * , the provincial capital of Sucumbios

Understand
The Ecuadorian Amazon is mainly tropical rainforest elevated 400 m above sea level.

The Amazon region of Ecuador is one of the few places in the world where its probably best to travel with a group, with a guide or through a jungle lodge. Unless you are studying, teaching English or consulting on a project in the Amazon, you are unlikely to have enough knowledge about the area to stay safe and, most importantly, to learn about the plants and animals that make the area so special.

If you have more than a few days and you're not on a super tight budget, staying and traveling with a jungle lodge can be very rewarding. You're based right in the midst of the jungle, and, at the better lodges, you're in an area that's protected from farming, logging and drilling. You usually have 2-3 activities per day including birding hikes, canoe trips and fishing for piranhas. Again, at some of the better lodges, you usually have an indigenous guide that speaks English, French, etc. This ensures that you really get to see some amazing things like five different species of monkeys, caimans, tarantulas and lots and lots of birds.

For hard-core birders, most of the lodges offer special sight-seeing activities with much earlier wake-up calls.

Typically, you pay one daily fee that includes transportation to/from the airport, accommodations, meals and guides, and then snacks, alcohol and tips are over and above the fee.

Fees range from under $100 to well over $250/night depending on how you booked your stay. If you book directly with a lodge or if you book through an Ecuadorean travel agency, you generally get a better deal than one if your home country is USA.

Visiting indigenous communities is usually really expensive and very hard to reach. They are usually really deep in the jungle and access to them is only available by small Cessna planes. There are also some luxury lodges which were foreign investments but now are owned by the community.

By bus

 * Lago Agrio is an entrance by road and plain to the Ecuadorian Amazon about 7 hour by bus from Quito.
 * Tena is an entrance point by road to Ecuadorian Amazon about 6 hours by bus from Quito.
 * From Tena it is another 5 hours to get to Coca, the province capital of Orellana.

By plane

 * There are three daily flights between Lago Agrio and Quito, except on Sundays. Flights take about 30 minutes.
 * There are two daily flights between Coca (Francisco de Orellana Airport ) and Quito, except on Sundays. Flights take about 25 minutes.

Get around
This depends mostly on how much money you have to spend. If you're staying at one of the jungle lodges, you'll be picked up at the airport (either Quito or Coca). Depending on how deep you're going, your boat ride will be anywhere from 3–6 hours long.

If you're not staying at a jungle lodge, you can usually hitch a ride on one of the boats plying the rivers. Just be sure to bring a rain poncho to protect against frequent afternoon storms. If boating's not your thing, there is a system of buses to get into the interior, but the trips are very long.

Do
You can travel alone or get some of the tours that the tourist agencies offer for this region of Ecuador.
 * Birdwatching
 * Jungle trek
 * Canoeing
 * Visit the communities

title: Amazon (Ecuador)


text:
Amazonas

There is more than one place called Amazonas

Brazil

 * Amazonas (Brazil) — a Brazilian state

Colombia

 * Amazonas (Colombia) — a department of Colombia

Ecuador

 * Amazon (Ecuador) — a region of Ecuador

Peru

 * Peruvian Amazon — a region of Peru

Venezuela

 * Amazonas (Venezuela) — a state in Venezuela

title: Amazonas


text:
Amazonas (Brazil)

Amazonas is a state in the North of Brazil. It is the largest state of Brazil by area. Amazonas' territory is 98% covered by rainforest. The exuberance of the tropical rain forest, associated with hot and humid climate, are responsible for the largest biodiversity on Earth. The state is known worldwide for its giant rivers and the fascinating Amazon rainforest. The destination offers boat trips along the rivers (including the Meeting of the Waters), direct contact with nature and native peoples, in addition to the typical gastronomy of the region, which brings together a variety of tasty fish and Amazonian fruits.

The visitor can count on guided visits to the museums and historical heritage of the cities of Manaus, Parintins, Tefé and Itacoatiara, which date back to the Belle Époque, a time when the Amazon experienced an era of great prosperity with the rubber economy.

Cities

 * — the capital of Amazonas state is the chief commercial and cultural center of the upper Amazon region and an important river port
 * — on the border with Peru, it is in an area inhabited by Ticuna Indians, and has a museum about them
 * — a town of 29,000 in the Juruá-Purus moist forests ecoregion
 * — a town of about 15,000 established during the height of the rubber trade. It is a poor and relatively sleepy town on the Purus river about 130 km (80 miles) of Porto Velho. Labrea was once a leper colony and is still a primary place for the study of leprosy. Labrea is reached by boat from Manaus that takes from 4 days to a week depending on the season, by car from Porto Velho in a long day of driving that includes numerous river crossings by self-service barge, or by scheduled air service several times a week
 * — a centre for ecotourism
 * — a small town (15,000) on Negro River, 120 km from Manaus, in front of Anavilhanas Archipelago and near Jau National Park, surrounded by nature and fresh beaches, no mosquitos, Novo Airao claims to be the 'Ecological HotSpot' of that region
 * — famous for the Boi Bumbá festival that celebrates the Amazonian culture
 * — the best waterfalls and adventure activities
 * — home of many Indian tribes and the Pico da Neblina, the highest mountain in Brazil
 * — on the border with Colombia and Peru
 * — on the shores of Lake Tefé
 * — a convenient stopping point for trips along the Amazon River

Other destinations

 * — a national park protecting the world’s second largest fluvial archipelago
 * —  a world heritage-site that preserves many fine examples of Amazonian fauna and flora
 * — it offers excursions with local guides in channels, lakes and trails inside the forest, and visits to local villages at the rivers margins

Understand
It is named after the Amazon River. Its capital, Manaus, is a bustling modern city right in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest. The Amazon Rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world and is of great ecological significance, as its biomass is capable of absorbing enormous amounts of carbon dioxide. Conservation of the Amazon Rainforest is a major global issue. Amazonas is home to the highest mountain in Brazil (Pico da Neblina). Its economy was once reliant almost entirely upon salt; today it has wide and varied industries, including the farming of cassava, oranges, and other agricultural products. It is estimated that the Amazon Region shelters about 2.5 million species of insects, thousands of species of plants, approximately 2,000 species of fish, about 950 species of birds and some 200 species of mammals. It rains a lot from December to May, embellishing the city's waterfalls. For the rest of the year, when there is less rain, fluvial beaches are formed on the Negro River. Amazonas is also the home of around 200,000 Brazilian native Indians.

By plane
The Eduardo Gomes International Airport receives domestic flights and flights from some Latin America cities, Miami, Orlando and others.

Tabatinga International Airport

By car
Road access from the south, southwest, midwest, and northeast regions is to Belém, capital of the State of Pará. From there, the trip takes 96 hours by boat or river ferry to Manaus, over the Pará and Amazonas rivers. There is a paved road connecting Manaus to Boa Vista, capital of the State of Roraima, and to Venezuela. In most places in the north, trips are made by boat and by plane using regional airlines. There are also road connections between Manaus and neighboring cities.

Get around
There are few roads. Most of the time you will have to take a boat or, where possible, fly.

See

 * The Amazon forest. The ecological tourism is the great attraction of the tours through the Amazon. The most sought-after tours include the Reserve of Mamirauá and Humaitá, where the greatest attraction is the sport fishing in Roosevelt River. The tours include boat rides, overnight at forest lodges and forest hikes. Most of the tours has a specialized guide.
 * Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve. It is one of the largest flooded forest reservations in the world, with 1.1 million hectares, and  up to 80 continuous kilometers of flooded area. In this reservation, more than 300 species of fishes were identified, including ornamental fish such as the acará-disk. In addition, about 400 species of birds and at least 45 species of mammals live in the reservation's area. Among other protected animals is the white uacari monkey (Cacajao calvus calvus), which can only be found in this area. This  reservation  shows important tropical hard wood species such as sumaumeiras and assacus, which  can reach up to 40 meters in length.
 * Rio Acajatuba. Acajatuba River, a tributary of the Rio Negro (Black River), in the city limit of Iranduba, approximately 41 km (32 miles) away from the capital Manaus. It is near the world's largest complex of river islands, Anavilhanas Archipelago (over 400 islands) and the legendary Boiaçu Bay, which according to the legends, is the home of a gigantic snake. Transportation is mainly through regional boats. It takes approximately 3 hours by boat.

Do

 * Check local arts and crafts. The Forest inhabitants and members of Indian tribes produce baskets, hammocks, knick knacks and ornaments using regional seeds, vines, fibers and wood. There are many places, specially in Manaus, where one can find arts and crafts stores.

Eat
Local cuisine is rich and varied and can be found in many Amazon cities. You may try tapioquinha, a glutinous pancake made from manioc starch, usually buttered and filled with tucumã palm fruit and farmer's cheese. Or tacacá, an Amazon local soup. Or pamonha, made from green corn and coconut milk boiled in corn husks. Or bolo de macaxeira, a tasty but heavy glutinous translucent oily cake made from manioc. Or sugar cane juice, a favorite drink among locals. The region is also known for its exotic fruits like creamy white capuaçú and iron-rich açaí.

title: Amazonas (Brazil)


text:
Amazonas (Venezuela)

Amazonas state is a huge state in southern Venezuela. The Amazonas State is located in southern Venezuela, where Bolivar state boundaries to the north, the Republic of Brazil, the state of Bolivar and Brazil to the east and the Republic of Colombia to the west. Its name is due to its geographical location, which corresponds to the Amazon region, which in one way or another, is composed of all South American countries, with the exception of Chile. We can say that this zone is perhaps the greatest lung of our planet, covered with forests and high rate of rainfall.

Cities

 * – the capital and the largest city of the state

Other destinations

 * – a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, part of the Alto Orinoco-Casiquiare Biosphere Reserve
 * - Forest reserve
 * - Forest reserve
 * - Forest reserve

Understand
Amazonas state is immense and consists mainly of unspoiled tropical rainforest. The total population, including indigenous settlements, is thought to be around 130,000. The natives of the region for about 17 ethnic groups, highlighting among them, the Yanomami, Guahibo, Piaroa and Yekuana, each with their language, religions, traditions and customs. Their handicraft are manifested in basketry, pottery, musical instruments, hunting and typical houses.

National parks and natural monuments occupy 34% of the state. The landscapes of savanna and forest, the presence of several rivers of clear water and black jumps and rapids, the table mountains and hills. Its forests are part of what has been called the "Green Lungs of the Planet" and is the most prodigious reserve of natural resources in the world. *Its rain forests are older than 75 million years and together with similar ecosystems along the equatorial belt green globe through Africa and Asia, interacts with the polar climate balancing the planet. At just 100 km2 of forest are 1500 species of plants other than flowers and 750 species of trees, 400 species of birds (1,800 in all of Amazonia), 150 species of mammals, 100 reptiles and 50 amphibians. A veritable "garden of Eden."

Talk
Spanish

Get around
There are few roads and most transport is by river or air.

See

 * Tepuys - table-top mountains like those found in the Gran Sabana region.
 * Casiquiare canal - a natural canal, or bifurcation, linking the Orinoco and Amazon rivers.
 * Training Tepuyes (shared with the state of Bolívar)
 * Mount Autana-Puerto Ayacucho
 * Stone Cocuy-San Carlos de Rio Black
 * Stone Stone Painted Turtle
 * San Juan de Manapiare.

Stay safe
Malaria is prevalent in the area so precautions should be taken.

title: Amazonas (Venezuela)


text:
Amazonia

Amazonia (sometimes called Pan-Amazonia) is a huge region covering about 40% of the South American continent. It encompasses most of northern Brazil, parts of northern Bolivia, eastern Peru, eastern Ecuador, southeastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, southern Guyana, southern Suriname and southern French Guiana. It is one of the world's most diverse biological areas and is fed by rivers taking their offspring in the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia and running into the Atlantic ocean in east Brazil.

Cities

 * — Cozy riverside destination on the Tapajós river.
 * — The last big city before the Amazon reaches the Atlantic ocean, south of Marajó island.
 * — the capital of Orellana province of Ecuador, officially named Puerto Francisco de Orellana after the first Spanish explorer to cross the South American continent, traveling down the Amazon River in 1541-42.
 * — The largest city of the world that can't be reached by road.
 * — Brazilian state capital north of Marajó island.
 * — The largest city and chief port in the Amazon region, and an important jumping off point for expeditions into the rain forest.
 * — Excellent bird watching in an Ecuadorian cloud forest setting.
 * — A Brazilian state capital.
 * — A Brazilian town on the confluence of the Tapajós river and the Amazon.

Other destinations

 * — in Colombia
 * — in Ecuador
 * — in Venezuela
 * — in Bolivia. Six remote towns of the Gran Chaco founded by the Jesuits in the 17th and 18th centuries. The region the towns are in is called Chiquitania and is well worth a visit not just for the Missions, but for the beautiful nature as well.
 * — in Ecuador
 * — in Bolivia. Impossibly remote and even more impossibly beautiful park, home to the stunning Cataratas Arcoiris waterfall
 * — in Venezuela
 * — in Ecuador

Stay safe
You should always buy a snake bite kit, mosquito repellent. It is also important to stay hydrated and never go far from your tour guide.

title: Amazonia


text:
Amazonia (Colombia)

Amazonia is the southernmost region of Colombia, blanketed by the green sea of trees spanning over 400,000 square kilometers—well more than a third of the country. The impenetrable jungle provides for Colombia's most remote and least populous departments, home to an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, natural beauty seldom touched by mankind, rivers shared by fantastical pink dolphins and horrific river monsters alike, and unique human cultures that have barely had contact with the outside world.

Amazonas department

 * is the main Colombian port on the Amazon river bordering the Brazilian port of Tabatinga. No road leads to that common urban area and it can be reached only by boat or by plane from both countries.
 * is a quiet village upriver from Leticia with very eco-conscious inhabitants.

Talk
The number of indigenous languages here is pretty staggering—a good 60 or so. Ticuna is the language you are most likely to encounter, as it is spoken by some 40,000 people in the Tres Fronteras region around Leticia. It is more frequently heard the further you get into the jungle, naturally, and it is quite possible to run into older people in more remote areas who speak limited Spanish. Spanish will always work, though, unless you have somehow gotten to some extraordinarily remote area, which usually means that you are traveling with a guide anyway. Ticuna is not related to any other language.

Beyond Ticuna, you are looking at very obscure languages with no practical travel application outside a few villages that you probably won't be able to reach anyway without a guide. For the linguistically very curious, though, the second most spoken languages (by around 4,000 people each) are Tucano and Cubeo, both Tucanoan languages, and found in Vaupés along the Vaupés River and its tributaries. Locals there tend to be local polyglots, speaking several indigenous languages, so you should be able to try out one if you somehow manage to get there!

By plane
For most of the region, flying is the only viable option of arrival, as most destinations are not connected by road to... anywhere. For the most popular tourist destination of Leticia, there are direct flights from Bogotá through LATAM Airlines and Copa Airlines. Satena Airlines also offers flights there, but the extremely wacky three-leg route through the unknown lands of Araracuara and La Chorrera makes this a terrible option unless you are visiting those areas as well.

For the rest of the region, Satena Airlines is the only option, with flights to all of the department capitals, as well as some more obscure/remote Amazonian towns. Most of these routes have infrequent service, with all to frequent multi-day delays and generally weird experiences. That is to say, if you are trying to fly to some crazy place like Mitú or Inírida, consider it a bold trip and include extra days in your schedule for flight disruptions. Amazonian weather does not help. Note that it's usually necessary to go through Satena's Spanish website, as for unknown reasons many flights are not displayed on the English language site.

By land
Overland transport is not a good option for visiting the Colombian Amazon. It is possible to reach western Putumayo and Caquetá by bus, and possibly San José del Guaviare, but these are very dangerous destinations both along the route and at the endpoint, and should be excluded from any independent travel itinerary. The rest of the region is not connected to northern Colombia by road.

By riverboat

Rivers are the real Amazonian highways, and it is very much possible to travel down the Putumayo or Guaviare Rivers, but not safe due to rebel/terrorist activity. If you are going to Leticia, you will likely find more foreign visitors arriving by boat from Iquitos, Peru than by plane from Bogotá! This is obviously a fun option too, since you'll get to explore the Amazon along the way. As Leticia is right at the center of Tres Fronteras, the region where Peru, Colombia, and Brazil intersect, and is thus a hub for international travel in the Amazon. Border crossings and at-border visas are easy, and tourists there often "border hop" just to collect passport stamps.

See

 * Chiribiquete National Park — a mixed world heritage site in the states of Caquetá and Guaviare. The national park is famous for prehistoric rock pictographs.

Do
While short on movie theaters and golf courses, the Colombian Amazon has its fair share of possibilities for outdoor activities. Fishing is likely the regions favorite sport (but followed closely, of course, by football), with piranha fishing being especially popular with the visitors. Boating the rivers provides incredible opportunities for wildlife spotting: river dolphins, tapirs, caymans, golden eagles—with the immense biodiversity of the rainforest, you will hardly scratch the surface. It is quite worthwhile to do some trekking in the jungle as well. Although trekking is not as great for wildlife spotting, a good guide will help you identify the interesting flora and sounds of the jungle, and may be able to take you to a local village or a maloca. Swimming in the jungle is also a lot of good fun, although fears of the legendary candirú, caymans, snakes, piranhas, etc. do often dissuade the weak-kneed.

Eat
Most of the Colombian Amazon (including Leticia!) is so remote and isolated that food will have to be local, and thus having fewer and more expensive vegetables, less meat, and far less dairy. On the upside, this means that you will be eating lots of fresh food, like fish and fruit, and on the downside, you might wind up eating a certain amount of canned food as well. For fish, look out for local favorites like pirarucú and dorado. The former is leaner but delicious and the latter very fatty and rich. Piranha is another common local food, since the Amazon is really full of them. While too small to make for an easy meal, piranha meat is actually quite tasty.

Drink
It's very hard to find (it's a little more common in the Peruvian Amazon), but drink aficionados should seek out chuchuhuasa, a spirit made from the bark of the eponymous plant mixed with aguardiente. Tasting much like a sweeter version of bourbon, the drink is more popular with locals inside the jungle, rather than in the towns, where it is generally not commercially available. It's actually pretty great for a jungle trek, as the plant contains a strong stimulant (and, reputedly, aphrodisiac) effect, in addition to conditional medicinal benefits, treating ailments such as diarrhea, arthritis, menstrual irregularities, and upset stomach.

Yagé (pronounced yah-HEY, with a very soft h) is a drink, known better in other countries as ayahuasca, uniting virtually all the multitudinous and disparate indigenous cultures of Amazonia. A strong hallucinogen, its primary use is religious, for divination and healing. As it is potentially harmful, it should only be drank under the guidance of a shaman, who will both monitor your health, help you "see" more, and chant in the dark for hours on end. On the first use, yagé is likely to induce pretty serious vomiting and diarrhea. If you are very interested in the drink, culture, and tradition it may be worthwhile to schedule two nights in a row with a shaman, which will really boost your chances of experiencing something more interesting.

Stay safe
You might assume that the remote jungle lands of Colombia might be the refuge of the FARC, but the fact is that much of it is too remote for even guerrillas to operate. The extreme south is very safe (aside from natural dangers like snakes and insects!), and visitors should not worry about violence on a trip to Leticia. The area around Leticia, in particular, would be an impossible target for militants even if they were interested in traveling so far south—the Colombian military presence in its tri-border region with Peru and Brazil is immense. Western Putumayo and Caquetá, as well as northern Guaviare, however are real hotbeds of guerrilla activity and should be left off all itineraries. The conflict may impact trips to other remote capitals, but the extreme problems of mass assaults on towns and frequent hostage-takings seem to have died down in the last ten years.

Travel to Amazonas department carries risks: there are a lot of diseases, especially those transmitted by mosquito bites. Take the necessary medical measures before travelling, get shots against the probable diseases you may encounter, and carry mosquito repellent.

Go next
The Colombian Amazon is pretty remote. While bordering Pacifica and Orinoquía to the north, travelers are far more likely to be visiting the southern tip, which is cut off from the rest of the country, and more connected with adjacent towns and regions of Peru and Brazil.

title: Amazonia (Colombia)


text:
Amazonia (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Amazonia:

South America

 * Amazonia — A region of South America which includes portions of nine countries.

Brazil

 * Amazônia National Park — a national park in Pará (Brazil)

Colombia

 * Amazonia (Colombia) — The rainforest region of Colombia.

title: Amazonia (disambiguation)


text:
Ambaji

Ambaji is in northern Gujarat, near the Rajasthani border. It is home to an important Hindu Temple, Shri Arasuri Ambaji Shaktipith Mandir.

Understand
The town is home to one of the 51 Shaktipeetha temples important in Shakta, the goddess tradition, of Hinduism. There is a legend associated with the place.

By road
Ambaji can be reached by road from Palanpur which is 100 km away or 100 km from Himatnagar and 50km from Khedbrahma.

Get around
Autorickshaws are other main local mode of transport. Shuttles are available to move around in city. Private vehicle is the best for moving around the town.

Go next

 * Mount Abu
 * Khedbrahma
 * Idar
 * Palanpur
 * Ahmedabad

title: Ambaji


text:
Ambala

Ambala is a city in Haryana in North India.

Understand
Ambala is essentially a twin city consisting of Ambala Cantonment and Ambala City, 3 km apart, which between them are home to around half a million people. Established in 1843, it is one of the oldest cantonments in India and one of the oldest district of India: the first commissioner took charge in 1855. It is famous for its food, wholesale and cloth markets.

By plane
Ambala does not have a civilian airport; the nearest civil airport is at Chandigarh which is well connected by air to other Indian cities, approximately 40 km away via the Ambala-Chandigarh Expressway.

By train
Ambala Cantonment junction is one of the most famous and biggest junctions of north India. It is connected by the high speed rajdhani, shatabdi trains to all major cities of India. It is the headquarters of division railway which spans four states. Four broad gauge rail lines serve Ambala.
 * 1) towards Delhi (via Panipat)
 * 2) towards Delhi (via Barara, Yamunanagar, Saharanpur, Meerut) also connects to Dehrudun, Haridwar etc.
 * 3) towards Kalka (for Chandigarh and Himachal)
 * 4) towards Amritsar/ Jammu also connects to Patiala, Bathinda, Sri Ganganagar

By car
Ambala is situated on a confluence of major highways. Most important is NH 44 Delhi - Amritsar, apart from this NH22 from Ambala to Shipkila international border via Shimla starts here. same way Ambala-Jodphur NH 152 originates here which goes up to Pali. NH 7 to Dehradun via Himachal and NH 344 also goes past Ambala.

By bus
Ambala Cantonment bus stand is situated on the main national highway. It is just opposite the railway station of Indian railway system which makes it most appropriate. It is well connected interstate bus terminus. Here one can get buses from Udhampur in Jammu to Kota in Rajasthan or Gwalior or Bhind in Madhya Pradesh. All sorts of luxury, AC, video coach buses are available round the clock for all destinations in north India.

Get around
In Ambala local transport depends upon in which part of city you are. Both government and private buses run on all of the major roads, and both auto and cycle rickshaws are also easy to find.

By taxi

 * Mahajan Cabs

title: Ambala


text:
Ambala Division

Ambala Division (Punjabi:ਅਮ੍ਬਾਲਾ ਦਿਵਿਸਿਓਂ) is in Haryana, India.

Cities

 * — Ambala is essentially a twin city consisting of Ambala Cantonment and Ambala City
 * — many interesting landmarks are located in this city, among the Kaithal Fort and Badi Devi Mandir
 * — City name derived from pundrik rishi with many temples
 * — city name derived from Kali with everal temples and gardens. The Kalka Shimla Railway is a UNESCO World Heritage site
 * — holy city of Srimad Bhagwat Gita
 * — a town located in the Morni Hills
 * —

title: Ambala Division


text:
Ambarawa

Ambarawa is a small town in the mountains south of Semarang, in Central Java province, Indonesia.

Orientation
Ambarawa is a small town located in the highlands of Central Java. It lies at the junction of several larger cities, such as Semarang, Yogyakarta, Salatiga, and Surakarta. It is directly adjacent to several districts including Bawen, Banyubiru, and Jambu. It has served as an economic and military hub town for centuries. The town is large enough to have a shopping center of its own, yet small enough that the shopping center lies less than a mile away from rice paddy fields.

Geography and climate
The town is at the edge of a natural depression between Mount Telomoyo, Merbabu, and Ungaran that centers on Rawa Pening Lake. The town's climate is somewhat cooler than the low-lying Semarang in the north. The town is divided in two, with the urban north having a hilly terrain, and the agricultural south being much flatter, and in rainy seasons, occasionally turning into a swamp (rawa).

Scenery
To the north, you can see Mount Ungaran, while to the south, Mount Telomoyo and Merbabu are also visible, especially in the morning, before clouds move in to cover their peaks. You can also see Rawa Pening Lake and the wide paddy fields to the south and southeast.

By car
Ambarawa is Semarang. Visitors coming from Semarang to Yogyakarta or Magelang (or vice versa) will pass this particular town en route to their destination. Visitors from Salatiga will be provided road signs to Ambarawa. If you use Trans-Java Toll Road, you may exit at Bawen toll gate to go to downtown of Ambarawa.

By bus
There are three options for getting to Ambarawa via buses:

 * Local, un-ticketed buses where one pays on the spot for a ride. Smaller buses can pick-up or drop passengers anywhere, while larger buses usually stops at haltes (bus stops). Common routes for these buses include: Ambarawa-Ungaran, Semarang-Bawen, Semarang-Salatiga, Semarang-Magelang.
 * Local, un-ticketed buses where one pays on the spot for a ride. Smaller buses can pick-up or drop passengers anywhere, while larger buses usually stops at haltes (bus stops). Common routes for these buses include: Ambarawa-Ungaran, Semarang-Bawen, Semarang-Salatiga, Semarang-Magelang.
 * Local, un-ticketed buses where one pays on the spot for a ride. Smaller buses can pick-up or drop passengers anywhere, while larger buses usually stops at haltes (bus stops). Common routes for these buses include: Ambarawa-Ungaran, Semarang-Bawen, Semarang-Salatiga, Semarang-Magelang.

By prona/isuzu
A prona/isuzu is the local term for a large angkot (an Indonesian type of shared taxi, not unlike the Philippine jeepney) which, despite the name, is made from repurposed Mitsubishi shuttle vehicles. Visitors to Ambarawa may directly hitch a ride with one of these at roads where they pass through. Routes passing Ambarawa (or nearby places) are: Ungaran-Ambarawa-Jambu, Ungaran-Bawen-Salatiga, Salatiga-Banyubiru-Ambarawa.

By angkot
Angkots are an Indonesian type of shared taxi, not unlike the Philippine jeepney. A ride costs around Rp5,000 to Rp10,000 in cash (paid directly when one arrives at the destination), depending on the distance taken and the types of angkot used (regular or prona/isuzu). There are several regular angkot routes in Ambarawa, differentiated by color, listed below:

 * Yellow angkot with red bottom: Praja Market - Dr. Cipto Statue - Gamblok - General Sudirman Square - Indonesian Railway Museum - Ambarawa Police Precinct - Palagan Museum - Ambarawa Terminal and Grand Mosque - St. Joseph's Catholic Church - Jambu - Palagan Museum - Hok Tik Bio Chinese Temple - Dr. Cipto Statue - Praja Market
 * Yellow angkot with blue bottom A*: Praja Market - Dr. Cipto Statue - Gamblok - General Sudirman Square - Banyubiru - Brongkol - Banyubiru - General Sudirman Square - Indonesian Railway Museum - Ambarawa Police Precinct - Palagan Museum - Hok Tik Bio Chinese Temple - Dr. Cipto Statue - Praja Market
 * Yellow angkot with blue bottom B*: Bawen - Praja Market - Dr. Cipto Statue - Gamblok - General Sudirman Square - Indonesian Railway Museum - Palagan Museum - Hok Tik Bio Chinese Temple - Dr. Cipto Statue - Praja Market
 * Light Blue Angkot: Kebonsari - Kerep Marian Cave - Ambarawa Terminal and Grand Mosque - Palagan Museum - Ambarawa Police Precinct - Indonesian Railway Museum - General Sudirman Square - Ambarawa Hospital (and vice versa)

as well as two Prona/Isuzu (large angkot) routes, listed on the angkot's windshield:

 * Ambarawa-Banyubiru-Salatiga route
 * Ungaran-Ambarawa-Jambu route

Ask the driver "Banyubiru" or "Bawen" to determine route. Route A is for "Banyubiru," and route B is for "Bawen".

By ojek
Ojeks are an Indonesian motorcycle taxi, whose service can be obtained at local ojek stops (Pos/Pangkalan Ojek) where drivers rest. As with the angkot, ojek drivers accept cash on arrival, with prices being dependant on how long the route is. However, nearly all ojek drivers have very limited knowledge on English, and many usually spike prices up on foreign tourists. An online version of ojek exists, as listed below.

By online ride-hailing apps
Two online ride-hailing services operate in Ambarawa, Go-Jek and Grab, known to locals as "Ojek Online". Visitors may use to hail a motorcycle or automobile taxi, and both accept cash or in-app payments. As the price for a trip is set before the driver is hailed, the price of a trip is fixed and constant, and is known to locals for being cheap. Both apps are available in English.

By rickshaw (becak)
Rickshaws can be commonly found at Lanang Market (Pasar Lanang), in front of the entrance to the Indonesian Railway Museum. Rickshaw rides provide a touristy, old-timey feel to Ambarawa, yet since the seat is in front of the driver, one must consider whether the motorcycle and car exhaust is worth it, especially if one's route passes through a lot of large roads. Not to mention how

By horse carriages (delman/dokar)
Horse carriages, much like rickshaws, can be found near the entrance to the Indonesian Railway Museum. As another 'vintage' way to travel around Ambarawa, a horse carriage is a better, although a more expensive, alternative to a rickshaw, since a passenger won't be the direct target of a car's exhaust.

On foot
Walking around Ambarawa presents some challenges of its own. Although Ambarawa is somewhat cooler than the rest of Indonesia, midday temperatures are still high enough for one to have heat stroke if one does not take rest. Walking a short distance, on the other hand, is okay, since there are quite a lot of trees providing some shade in the streets. However, as with much of Indonesia, the sidewalks are very narrow and may be a shock to those who are not used to it.

See

 * R.K. Kerk Ambarawa.jpg
 * R.K. Kerk Ambarawa.jpg

Do

 * Riding a classic train using an old diesel loco with several wooden coaches from the Ambarawa station to Tuntang station with the beautiful sight of Rawa Pening Lake, or make a reservation for an old steam loco trip to Bedono station in a hilly area with a steep grade railway using a rack-and-pinion railway.
 * Go fishing on Rawa Pening Lake using the local "Swamp Rod" (Pancing Rawa) using algae (lumut) as bait. These can be purchased at the local tackle shops (Toko Pancing) or rented from vendors at the edge of the lake.
 * Swimming at Eling Bening's Pool with a view of the mountains and fields. Also, in with refreshingly cool water.

Eat

Connect
The telephone area code of Ambarawa is 0298.

Go next

 * North
 * Ungaran
 * Semarang

 * Close by
 * Bandungan — A mountainous district with resorts and villas. 8 km away. 15 min ride.
 * Salatiga — A vibrant small city. 20 km away. 35–45 min ride.

 * Southwest
 * Temanggung

 * South
 * Magelang
 * Borobudur — The biggest Buddhist temple in the planet.

title: Ambarawa


text:
Ambato

Ambato is a city in the central Andean Highlands of Ecuador.

Understand
Ambato is an important industrial hub in Ecuador and as such, most tourists won't see much more than the bus terminal as a stopover on the way to Baños.

Get in
Given its central location in the country, Ambato is well connected to all parts of the country. Buses run from Quito (2.5 hr), Baños ($1, 1 hr), Cuenca ($6, 6 hr), Riobamba ($1.25, 1 hr), and many others.

Go next
Baños

title: Ambato


text:
Ambergris Caye

Ambergris Caye is the largest of several hundred cayes ("keys") in the northernmost waters of Belize, Central America. This island is a top destination in Belize for tourists worldwide and its lack of high-rise hotels or big city public transportation gives the island a relaxed, laid-back feel.

The July/August 2008 issue of Islands Magazine featured a list of the Top 10 islands around the world that are most desirable to call home. Here's an excerpt on why Ambergris Caye made the list:
 * "The budget-friendly properties available a few flip-flop steps away from the beach, an exuberant expat community and the vibrant streets of San Pedro earned this Central American island a place on our list. It's pretty easy to move here, too, since immigration policies are friendly, the locals speak English and it takes about two hours to reach Belize from Florida. Once there, life on Ambergris Caye entails lazing the days away on star-white beaches, spending afternoons snorkeling the world's second-largest barrier reef and enjoying nights at beachfront barbecues with newfound friends."

By plane
You can head to the airport in Belize City and book a flight which will take about 20 minutes. You can also fly to Ambergris from the Phillip Goldson International Airport. There is also air service from Corozal, Belmopan and Caye Caulker, Belize.

By boat

From Mexico and the Yucatán Peninsula Chetumal, Quintana Roo The connecting hub from Mexico to Belize is Chetumal, Quintana Roo. From Chetumal, take the San Pedro Belize Express water taxi from Muelle Fiscal (Municipal Pier). The boat leaves Chetumal en route to Ambergris Caye every day at 15:00 and ticket cost is US$60, one way. From Chetumal there goes San Pedro Watertaxi/ (Water jets international) at 10:00. Usually it's sold out, so it's smart to book in advance.

From Belize City San Pedro Belize Express has daily runs to Ambergris Caye from Belize City. Departure times are 09:00, 11:00, 12:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:30. Tickets are one way US$15/BZ$30, round trip US$27.50/BZ$55.

From Caye Caulker San Pedro Belize Express has daily runs to Ambergris Caye from Caye Caulker. Departure times are 07:00 (Connection to Chetumal), 09:45, 11:45, 12:45, 13:45, 15:45, 16:45, 18:15. Tickets are one way US$10/BZ$20, round trip US$17.50 US/BZ$35.

From San Ignacio To get to Ambergris Caye from San Ignacio, take the bus or plane from San Ignacio, a taxi to the water taxi and the water taxi from Belize City. Shuttles are also available.

Get around
There are three main north-south streets, and several that link them, running east-west. Barrier Reef Drive is closest to the two- and three-storey apartment buildings that face onto the beaches.

Only some of the roads are paved with cobblestones, and in the rainy season, many can fall into poor condition from traffic and rain erosion, and provide numerous potholes which are sufficient to slow the bicycle and golf cart traffic. There relatively few cars licensed on the island, and they are not needed because you can get to most places walking, by bike, golf cart or water taxi.

Golf carts are the dominant form of transportation, and can be rented by the hour or day. As of August 2020, around US$15 for a 4 hours or US$25 a day is a reasonable rate for golf carts. Advertised rates may be intentionally overpriced, so a polite haggle may result in savings. Prices may also relate to the condition of the golf cart. For travelling throughout the island, good tyres and working headlights and rear lights are a must. There is a BZ$5 toll for crossing the bridge north of San Pedro, but the bridge is often unattended in the later hours.

There are plenty of companies which will deliver your golf cart to either the San Pedro Airport or Water Taxi terminal free of charge. Most companies limited you to 7.5 miles north of Ambergris Caye, this is to ensure that the petrol powered golf cart don't need to be towed back to town.

Bikes can also be rented throughout the island, but are less preferable for those staying further away from San Pedro.

Water taxis may be offered by beachside resorts. Dive shops in particular may offer water transport free of charge with a paid diving excursion.

Walking is the most common way of getting around within San Pedro. There's a great deal of good quality hotels, and many resorts are less than a mile away.

See
Wherever you are staying, you will be able to book tours that go all over Belize and even into Guatemala. Ambergris Caye is a great place to relax, and you can see a lot of what Belize has to offer with the trips that you can book wherever you are staying.

Do
The beaches are coral sand beaches and you may need watershoes or sport sandals. There are many piers (every 330 feet/100 metres or so) where a tourist can rent a boat for diving, deep-sea fishing, or sailboating to other islands.

Snorkeling and diving are a must if you are going on the island for a couple of days. The spectacular Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the longest in the Western hemisphere, offers superb coral reefs and marine wildlife. Several marine reserves are also close by. The bigger and more reknown diving locations include the Turneffe Atoll and the Great Blue Hole, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Both require a large group, around 8 to 10 divers, in order to make the day trip. Dive shops often coordinate with other shops to ensure enough divers are able to attend, and midweek (not the weekends) are the most common days for large diving excursions.

 * Hol Chan Marine Reserve, 4 miles (6.4 km) south of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, +501 226-2247 (E-Mail: hcmr@btl.net), . Has been protected for longer than the local reef, and so it usually has more mature marine life (i.e. bigger fish) as well as more people, although it's never terribly crowded.
 * Bacalar Chico Reserve on the border with Mexico.
 * Do not miss the Coral Gardens in front of Caye Caulker, Shark Ray Alley, or a fishing expedition to Mexico Rocks.

On weekends, there are very entertaining football matches at the small stadium near the airport.

If you visit the island during early July, take the water taxi to nearby Caye Caulker for the annual Lobsterfest. Great spiny lobster and coconut rice.

Drink rum on the beach.

Buy
San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, is a bustling town with several small and one large Gringo style supermarkets where you can buy pretty much anything. However, imported items can be very expensive. Fresh fruit and vegetables are readily available. There are several bakeries and butchers shops that sell all sorts of meats.

Eat
All food on Ambergris Caye is inexpensive. Eating "street food" or catching and cooking your own are part the adventure on this island.

 * Elvi's This is one of the top 3 places to eat on the island. Their black bean soup is incredible, the lobster is like nothing you'll find anywhere else and the service is great.  Two people can have a very nice meal with appetizers, desserts and drinks for less than US$100.
 * Papi's Diner "To Go the food delivery service in Ambergris Caye. Delicious, made to order dinner meals are their speciality. Great, local inexpensive food. Try their Tropical Chicken or Crispy Chicken Burgers among the many other items available. For orders or more information, call +501 626 9207.
 * Caramba's, in San Pedro, off of Pescador Street. The food is great, cheap and plentiful. The seafood is always same-day fresh, and the bar staff are highly entertaining. Don't let the flashy exterior fool you, it's one of the cheaper options.
 * Estelle's. Breakfast by the sea. BZ$15 for the breakfast combo. Try the fry jacks and bloody mary.
 * Waraguma is a hole in the wall on middle street (closer to the southern end) with good burritos. Local Central American cuisine.
 * El Papusaria is across the street from Waraguma and specializes in papusas, a cheap and filling Salvadoran street food.  At BZ$2.50 each you can easily have dinner and a drink for under BZ$10. Undoubtedly the best cost-to-dollar ratio in San Pedro.  Papusas are made fresh on the street after 17:00.
 * El Patio. Just around the corner from Waraguma on the way to the beach. Good food and a great atmosphere. Sand floor and beach furniture. A varied menu with options for all. Not as expensive as the Blue Water Grill.
 * Sandra's Deli is a lunch spot with nice meals for BZ$12, popular mostly with locals. The fried chicken with rice and beans and the beef soup are recommended.
 * My Secret Deli is an unassuming lunch spot popular with locals and expats. The prices are about average at around BZ$15 per plate, but the portions are huge. On Caribena between middle and back street just north of Caramba's.
 * Blue Water Grill. Restaurant on the beach. Nice food and drinks. If you want to treat yourself, this is the place.

Drink
The water in San Pedro is safe to drink, but on the mainland and smaller islands, use bottled water to be safe.

Many piers have bars where you might order a rum drink with a parasol in it. For a nice laid back bar on the beach try BC's. The Tacklebox makes a mean mojito.

The local beer is Belikin, which can be bought everywhere.
 * The Sand Bar is a great option for cheap drinks on the beach. BZ$3 local rum drinks on Thursdays, and BZ$20 handmade thin crust pizzas. Just east of the roundabout north of town, across the beach from Wet Willies.
 * Palapa Bar is a two-storey, open air bar built at the end of a dock with the best ocean view on the island. About 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the bridge, it's the place to go if you want to spend the afternoon staring at the sea. Drinks can also be delivered via bucket to one of the many innertubes floating by the dock.
 * The Sand Bar is a great option for cheap drinks on the beach. BZ$3 local rum drinks on Thursdays, and BZ$20 handmade thin crust pizzas. Just east of the roundabout north of town, across the beach from Wet Willies.
 * Palapa Bar is a two-storey, open air bar built at the end of a dock with the best ocean view on the island. About 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the bridge, it's the place to go if you want to spend the afternoon staring at the sea. Drinks can also be delivered via bucket to one of the many innertubes floating by the dock.
 * Palapa Bar is a two-storey, open air bar built at the end of a dock with the best ocean view on the island. About 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the bridge, it's the place to go if you want to spend the afternoon staring at the sea. Drinks can also be delivered via bucket to one of the many innertubes floating by the dock.

Sleep
You should call ahead to make reservations, but you can usually find accommodation without them.

 * SunBreeze Suites. A cozy 20-suite hotel with entrance on the Main Street and bar & grill on the beach side. It is within walking distance from restaurants, bars, discos and minutes from the San Pedro Airport. They are affiliated with PADI Dive operator, so they can help you if you are looking for scuba diving in the cayes.
 * Xanadu Hotel. By far the best pool on the island, and the owners treat you like family. Stay in any of the rooms in the hurricane proof huts, all have views of the ocean or the tropical garden pool. Easy walk to town, or take one of the complimentary bikes. The staff can arrange diving, snorkeling or fishing trips.
 * Conch Shell Hotel. A clean, quiet, friendly hotel. It's basic, no air conditioning or TV but the ocean breezes blow in, it's on the beach and it cost only US$25 per night in July (it doubles in the high season). Everything is nearby. It is at the foot of the dock of the main water taxi between Ambergris Caye and Belize City.
 * Mata Chica Resort. A more intimate, relaxing atmosphere, on the northern part of the island. Accessible by boat from San Pedro, this small resort offers a limited number of thatched casitas right on the beach. A great place if you are looking to get away from it all for a few days.
 * Mata Chica Resort. A more intimate, relaxing atmosphere, on the northern part of the island. Accessible by boat from San Pedro, this small resort offers a limited number of thatched casitas right on the beach. A great place if you are looking to get away from it all for a few days.
 * Mata Chica Resort. A more intimate, relaxing atmosphere, on the northern part of the island. Accessible by boat from San Pedro, this small resort offers a limited number of thatched casitas right on the beach. A great place if you are looking to get away from it all for a few days.

You can rent fully furnished and stocked homes by the week or more, for less than what it costs to get a hotel room for the same amount of time.

A small pool and two hot tubs. Tour operators are familiar with the CV and can pick you up in the morning from the dock. The office also arranges tours. Prices are listed in the office or in the info book in each room. The villas have kitchens so you can cook your own food instead of paying the outrageous restaurant prices. There is also a small bird sanctuary behind the villas that shield you from the noisy street. Grocery stores and restaurants are a short stroll away. There are no TVs in the room and the free WiFi is spotty. Mastercard and Visa accepted, but not American Express.
 * Caribbean Villas. On the far southern edge of San Pedro, offering multi-bedroom villas and single bedrooms nestle right up to one the few swimmable beaches on Ambergris Caye. A thatched bar on the beach and inclusive breakfast (fruit, cinnamon buns, coffee and orange juice) complete the experience.
 * Caribbean Villas. On the far southern edge of San Pedro, offering multi-bedroom villas and single bedrooms nestle right up to one the few swimmable beaches on Ambergris Caye. A thatched bar on the beach and inclusive breakfast (fruit, cinnamon buns, coffee and orange juice) complete the experience.
 * Caribbean Villas. On the far southern edge of San Pedro, offering multi-bedroom villas and single bedrooms nestle right up to one the few swimmable beaches on Ambergris Caye. A thatched bar on the beach and inclusive breakfast (fruit, cinnamon buns, coffee and orange juice) complete the experience.
 * Caribbean Villas. On the far southern edge of San Pedro, offering multi-bedroom villas and single bedrooms nestle right up to one the few swimmable beaches on Ambergris Caye. A thatched bar on the beach and inclusive breakfast (fruit, cinnamon buns, coffee and orange juice) complete the experience.

North of San Pedro, Portofino Beach Resort, info@portofinobelize.com Tel: +501 226 5096, sits on a stretch of white sandy beach, away from the hustle and bustle of San Pedro Town. The resort offers various types of accommodation, each offering amazing views of the Caribbean Sea and the barrier reef. Each room has a porch with chairs and hammocks. To the rear of the property lies the lagoon, home to an assortment of rare tropical birds and the occasional crocodile.

Decorated with local artwork and custom made furniture, each room showcases the exotic woods native to Belize. Complete with air-conditioning, ceiling fans, cable TV, DVD/CD player, mini refrigerator, hair dryer, bathroom amenities, potable bottled water and free wireless internet. Facilities include a gorgeous swimming pool, a full service restaurant, beach bar, and on-site dive shop. Guests can use complimentary kayaks, canoes, snorkeling gear, movies and books. Activities include guided snorkeling tours, scuba diving and instruction, day trips to archaeological sites, caving, sailing and fishing, to mention a few.

Go next

 * Caye Caulker
 * San Ignacio

title: Ambergris Caye


text:
Amberley

There's more than one place called Amberley:

New Zealand

 * Amberley (New Zealand) - a town in North Canterbury, South Island

United Kingdom

 * Amberley (Gloucestershire) - a village in the Cotswolds, in Gloucestershire, England

 * Amberley - a small town in West Sussex, in South East (England)

title: Amberley


text:
Amber Road

The Amber Road (German: Bernsteinstraße, Italian: Via dell Ambra) is an ancient trade route which connects the Baltic Sea with the Adriatic Sea. The Amber Road leads from Aquileia near Venice to Saint Petersburg and passes through Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Russia.

Understand
One of the largest amber deposits is in the Baltic region. Accordingly, amber trade prospered and a number of trade routes emerged. We don't exactly know when the "Amber Road" was established, but findings from prehistoric times prove that trade along this corridor existed long before the Roman Empire. Near the mouth of the Morava River, the Amber Road traversed the Danube.

At this meeting point of the trans-European North-South route and the old East-West route along the Danube, the Romans erected the Legionary camp of Carnuntum. There, after about 2,000 kilometers of paths and unpaved trails which led south from the Baltic Sea, the Amber Road joined the huge network of Roman roads connecting all parts of the Empire. Huge and wealthy cities like Scarbantia (Sopron, Hungary) and Savaria (Szombathely, Hungary), Poetovium (Ptuj), Celeia (Celje) and Emona (Ljubljana, Slovenia) prospered along this road.

The last section of the road was the Via Gemina which connected Emona with Aquileia, the Roman capital of the Venetians and most important Adriatic port of the Roman Empire. Sections of the Roman Amber Road can still be seen in the Austrian province of Burgenland, in Hungary and Slovenia - and of course in Aquileia/Italy.

title: Amber Road


text:
Amble

Amble is a sleepy coastal town on Britain’s north Northumberland coast. It is famed for its breathtaking scenery, wildlife, small fishing boats, independent shops and history.

Understand
During the 19th century, Amble developed as a port serving the coal mines of neighbouring Northumbrian villages. Fishing also played its part in the economy of the town, and many locals are still related to the original fishing families, although the fleet is now much reduced.

Nowadays, visitors hire boats out of the harbour for fishing expeditions or take a Puffin Cruise to see the famous Roseate terns, puffins and seals on RSPB-maintained Coquet Island, about a mile offshore. The town is also home to a beautiful Marina which welcomes visitors from all around the UK, as well as from across the North Sea.

Amble is a haven for bird watchers, walkers, cyclists and those seeking a breath of fresh air. The town is a stone’s throw from medieval castles, nature reserves, long golden beaches and is gateway to the majestic hills of Coquetdale, historic town of Alnwick and all the wide open splendour Northumberland can offer.

The town is family and dog friendly, and if the weather is inclement, there is a large indoor play centre for children. There is a luxury swimming pool, sauna and gym facilities at The Granary Leisure Complex and a funfair and indoor amusement arcade.

Also known as "Amble By The Sea" and "The Friendliest Port" there are plenty of comfortable bed and breakfast accommodation, cosy holiday cottages, good quality restaurants, and welcoming bars and cafés.

Get in
Amble is easily reached by car and lies on the A1068 Coastal Route, approximately 10 miles north of Morpeth and 10 miles south of Alnwick. The nearest train station is at Alnmouth, around 20 mins away. The Marina can even accommodate your yacht.

By bus
Amble is served by the Arriva X18 from Newcastle upon Tyne, Alnmouth, Alnwick, Seahouses and Berwick-upon-Tweed. The bus runs about once per hour. An alternative route is the X20 service which is also every hour and runs from Newcastle via Ashington and Druridge Bay. Both of these serve Alnmouth station; if you are travelling by train to Alnmouth you can buy a "PlusBus" ticket which covers your journey to Amble.

Get around
The town is most accessible by foot, but pedal bike hire is available. Amble is home to two Sustrans cycle routes; the National Route 1 and the Coast and Castles cycle route.

Parking along Queen Street, the main shopping street, is free for one hour. (Not on the yellow lines.) There are car parks at the Tourist Information Centre and at the harbour. There is also a car park in Coquet Street which is owned by Amble Marina. There is a pay and display car park at the Little Shore which is owned by Warkworth Harbour Commissioners.

Arriva buses operate an hourly service, north to Alnwick and beyond, south to Morpeth and Newcastle (X18). There is also a bus to Widdrington and Ashington (20).

Travelsure runs an hourly daytime service to Alnwick via Shilbottle (472).

Please check with bus companies for exact timetables.

Taxi services also operate in the town.

Buy
The main shopping street is Queen Street, which boasts more independent shops than any other small local town. Here you will find good quality produce, competitive prices and our famous friendly welcome.

Sleep
Accommodation in Amble is exclusively self-catering. The nearest hotels are in Alnwick.

Connect
As of July 2021, Amble has a patchy 4G signal from all UK carriers. 5G has not reached the village.

Go next

 * Alnmouth
 * Morpeth (England)

title: Amble


text:
Ambler

There's more than one place called Ambler:

United States of America

 * Ambler (Alaska) - a city in Northwest Arctic Borough, in the Arctic Alaska region of Alaska
 * Ambler (Pennsylvania) - a borough in Montgomery County, in the Philadelphia Region of Pennsylvania

title: Ambler


text:
Ambleside

Ambleside is a town in Cumbria. It is located at the head of Windermere, England’s largest lake, within the Lake District National Park.

Get in
Ambleside is an easy bus trip from Windermere and you can also catch a boat from various destinations on Lake Windermere.

Get around
Ambleside is a small village so most places can be visited by walking around.

Do

 * Feed the swans near the jetty.
 * Zeffirelli's is an independent cinema at 2 Compston Rd in town centre, with a restaurant.

Go next

 * Rydal Mount – home of William Wordsworth

title: Ambleside


text:
Amboise

Amboise is a town in the Indre-et-Loire department of central France, 20 km east of Tours.

Get in
Amboise is served by regional trains, nearby Tours is connected with the national high speed network.

See

Go next

 * Blois
 * Orleans
 * Tours

title: Amboise


text:
Amboli

Amboli (Marathi: आंबोली) is a hill station in the South Konkan coast of Maharashtra that lies in the Western Ghats of Western India. At an altitude of 690 meters it is the last hill station before the coastal highlands of Goa and a relatively unexplored one.

Amboli receives the highest rainfall in Maharashtra and remains pleasant all around the year. The best season to visit Amboli is during the monsoon between June and July where there are heavy rains. During non-monsoon seasons, the town wears a deserted look and leads life with a lazy approach.

Given its placement on the Ghats and being the recipient of highest rainfall, Amboli remains pleasant all round the year is a treat to visit. It's this characteristic of the town that attracts many visitors from the neighbouring cities of Goa and Belgaum on weekends.

Get in
Amboli can be reached easily from Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.

By Train
The nearest rail heads are; Sawantwadi Road - 28 km, Kolhapur - 110 km, Sangli - 148 km, Belgaum - 70 km, and Miraj -140 km

Both Sawantwadi and Belgaum are well connected with all the important rail heads from all parts of the country.

By Bus
There aren't any luxury buses that ply to Amboli. There are general buses both from Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation that ply frequently (every half hour) between Belgaum and Sawantwadi Via Amboli and charge ₹51. It takes between 2-3 hours to reach Amboli from Belgaum.

By plane
The nearest airport to reach Amboli would be the Dabolim Airport, Goa at 57 km or Sambre Airport, Belgaum at 70 km.

By Road
Amboli is on the SH 121 that connects Belgaum and Sawantwadi. The roads we decent in terms of the current state of State Highways, however the roads gets comparatively better on the Maharashtrian side.

See
There are quite a few places in and around Amboli that one can visit. All of these are pretty close by and would not take more than a day to visit all of them. You can pick a tourist direction maps provided by MTDC from any of the hotels you check in.

Towards Sawantwadi

Do
1. Enjoy the nature.

2. Eat Kanda-Bhaji and Vada Pav from Amboli hill stalls.

Buy

 * Handmade Wooden Toys.
 * No hotels or shops at Amboli accept cards. Its recommended that you carry adequate cash for your trip. Also, there are 2 ATMs at Amboli BOI & Sindhudurg Bank.

Eat
The food style of most of the eating joints are synonyms to the cuisine that one can taste in other parts of Maharashtra. You can find numerous eat outs in the 500 meter distance between the main bus stand and the police check post with all of them serving similar cuisine.

For those with interests in branded food can visit Vithal's Kamath near Sunset point. The hotel offers good seating with ample car parking and a good view of the mountains. They are priced reasonably higher compared to the other prices in Amboli.

Drink
You would hardly find any shops that serve you fruit juices. There is only one store near the main bus stand that serves sugarcane juice.

Refreshments like Tea and Coffee and other bottled/aerated drinks are available in all stores that dot the highway between the bus stand and the police check post.

There is one alcohol store near the main bus stand which maintains a pretty good stock of Spirits. The store is open from 9am to 9pm.

Sleep
A series of small and medium hotels/resorts are available at Amboli on the highway between the main bus stand and police check post. All of these are medium priced and offer services like Hot water baths, Room service and have attached restaurants. Its recommended that one makes an advance booking during the monsoon season (June–July) and on the weekends.

Some of the hotels one can try are;

Connect
Airtel does not provide connectivity in the core of Amboli Town, however it does work at all tourist attractions around Amboli.

There are two public phone booths on the Highway between the main bus stand and the police check post that once can use if required

Go next

 * Belgaum
 * Sawantwadi - 30 km

title: Amboli