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Kasane

Kasane is a city in the Okavango-Chobe region, the northeast corner of Botswana. Set on the south bank of the Chobe River, it faces Namibia's Caprivi Strip to the north. Zimbabwe and Zambia lie nearby. Kasane is a tourist hub, a jumping-off point for the Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls.

Get in
By car or bus: There are paved roads entering Kasane from the east Zambia or Zimbabwe. south Nata and west Katima Mulilo Namibia, paved roads from Zimbabwe (notably Victoria Falls), and within Botswana from Francistown, Maun, and Gaborone. from Katima Mulilo Namibia. Kasane is closly located to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, which are all possible to reach oveland.

Mahube express buses has buses from Kasane going to Francistown two times a day 13:30 and 15:30. there are also minivans to/from Kasane to Katima Mulilo in Namibia. There are also buses from Francistown going to Lusaka Zambia via Kasane.

By air: Kasane International Airport (BBK) has a few scheduled flights, e.g. Air Botswana service to Gaborone and South African Airlines to Johannesburg. Many of the charter operators from Maun will also accept charters to or from Kasane. While the distance from the airport to the town looks walkable, elephants roam the land, so ensure you have your transport arranged from the airport.

Get around
Kasane is laid out along the south bank of the Chobe River, and the main road follows the river's course. Thus the city is pretty linear.

There is not much public transport in Kasane. Many destinations (between Chobe Safari Lodge and Mowana) are within 2 km of each other, so you can get around well by foot. If you need a ride, you are best off with your own vehicle. Or, your lodge or safari operator may offer a transfer.

Many many taxis were seen in the city branded with a specific Kasane taxi organisation label. It should not be hard to get a taxi during the morning or daytime (June 2023).

Another tip is to get the number of taxi drivers and call them later if and when you need the lift.

See

 * Game drives in the Chobe National Park just to the west. It seems like every lodge offers game drives, so there are many to choose from. They typically last three hours to all day. There is a fee to enter the park, which may be included in the game drive fee.
 * Self-drive game drives are also possible. Be sure you have a proper 4x4 vehicle, proper gear, enough water and fuel, and campsite reservations for the park.
 * Day trip to Victoria Falls, 70 km away in Zimbabwe and Zambia, are offered by many operators. Expect P400-500 for an unguided trip. Allow an additional visa fee per person (US$30-55/adult depending on citizenship), US$20/person for Victoria Falls park entrance, and further money for lunch, activities, and shopping.
 * Day trip to Victoria Falls, 70 km away in Zimbabwe and Zambia, are offered by many operators. Expect P400-500 for an unguided trip. Allow an additional visa fee per person (US$30-55/adult depending on citizenship), US$20/person for Victoria Falls park entrance, and further money for lunch, activities, and shopping.

Buy

 * The Chobe Safari Lodge has a gift shop opposite its reception desk which offers maps (including the valuable Shell Map and Infomap of Botswana), field guides to birds and plants, plus T-shirts, carvings, and other souvenirs.
 * There is a well-stocked Shoprite and a smattering of ATMs (FNB, Absa, Bank Gaborone).

Eat
Many of the hotels have in-house dining rooms offering breakfast and dinner.

 * The Mowana has a fine buffet dinner, with a total cost of about P200/person including drinks and tip. It includes a selection of game meats, and Botswana specialties like pap and shredded beef.
 * The Chobe Safari Lodge also offers an outstanding buffet dinner, with game meat, and stir-fry cooked while you wait. Set in an open room overlooking the river, with outstanding service, it makes for a fine evening. About P180/person including drinks and tip.

Drink
The major hotels all have bars.

Splurge

Another option may be the Chobe Game Lodge within Chobe National Park.

Go next

 * Chobe National Park is immediately to the west.
 * Directly to the east is Kazungula, near the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi rivers, where Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe meet. The newly built bridge takes you directly to Zambia. Note that you can not walk across but need to use your own car or a cab. You need a special cab with a permit to cross over and that cab will only take you to the border, from there you will need to find a new cab, of which there are plenty. There is also a road into Zimbabwe. Beyond this river crossing is Victoria Falls.
 * Nata is accessible via a paved road to the east and south. This road connects further to Francistown, Maun, and Gaborone.
 * There are roads leading west to the Okavango Delta and Maun, but they are not paved and require a 4x4.

title: Kasane


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Kasaoka

Kasaoka (笠岡市 Kasaoka-shi) is a city in Okayama Prefecture, about 40 minutes away from Okayama City by train. The most frequent reason for visiting are its islands, especially Shiraishi Island, which you can visit by ferry.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a bilingual guide site.

Get in
Kasaoka Station is the only station within city limits, located along the JR Sanyo Line 15 minutes from Fukuyama and less than 45 minutes from Okayama. For drivers, Route 2 travels through Kasaoka. There are also buses that come and go from Fukuyama Station, Ibara, and Yakage.

Get around
On foot, visitors can easily go to the ramen shops, Kasaoka Port, and the art museums. Most of the cities other attractions are further away and are best reached by bus or taxi. Of course the islands must be reached by boat from Kasaoka Port.

Eat

Arguably more famous than any of the town's sites is the Kasaoka ramen. Kasaoka is nicknamed the "Ramen Town". The ramen restaurant boom occurred long ago due to its popularity among the sailors who docked here and has withstood the test of time to remain the city's most popular dish.

Sleep
See the Shiraishi Island article for information on accommodation there.

Go next

 * Shiraishi Island — A quiet island of roughly 600 inhabitants mostly visited for its summer activities: swimming, sea kayaking, windsurfing, and lounging on the beach.
 * Satosho
 * Asakuchi
 * Fukuyama
 * Ibara
 * Yakage
 * Kurashiki
 * Okayama
 * Onomichi
 * Mihara

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

title: Kasaoka


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Kasaragod

Kasaragod is a town in Kasaragod District at the northern end of Malabar, Kerala in India.

Understand
Kasaragod is renowned for its hills, forts and water bodies. Kasaragod is often described as the land of seven languages: Malayalam, Beary, Tulu, Kannada, Konkani, Marathi and Hindi are understood here.

By plane
The nearest airports are Mangalore 60 km away and Kannur International Airport (CNN)112 km away.

By train
Kasaragod has a major railway station connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kochi, Chennai, and Bangalore.

By bus
Direct buses are available from Mangalore, Kochi, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai and Mysore.

By road
The roads are fine, but the traffic is heavy and tiresome. NH 17 goes through Kasaragod.

Get around

 * Autorickshaws charge ₹30 per km
 * Buses charge ₹13 for every three km. Local buses start from New Bus Stand and long distance buses start from KSRTC bus station, 04994 230677.
 * Taxi - Comfortable air conditioned taxis and jeeps are available for ₹2,000 per day.

See

Do

 * Thurthi Dhweep is a scenic island on the Chandragiri River. It is privately owned and accessible with the permission of the owners.
 * Thurthi Dhweep is a scenic island on the Chandragiri River. It is privately owned and accessible with the permission of the owners.
 * Thurthi Dhweep is a scenic island on the Chandragiri River. It is privately owned and accessible with the permission of the owners.
 * Thurthi Dhweep is a scenic island on the Chandragiri River. It is privately owned and accessible with the permission of the owners.
 * Thurthi Dhweep is a scenic island on the Chandragiri River. It is privately owned and accessible with the permission of the owners.

Eat
Kasaragod is famous for its sweets such as Holiga. Here is a partial list of some popular dishes.

Steamed food items like Puttu, Iddali, Idiyappam, Ada, and Kalthappam are also popular. Some people prefer fried bananas, bajji and Holige for tea.

Stay safe
Kasaragod is the one of the best places in Kerala. People are very helpful and cooperative to help. You can access the railway station and main busstand within 2 kilometres.

Go next

 * Bekal fort on Bakel beach, 16 km.
 * Kanhangad beach village, 29 km
 * Kannur beach city, 102 km.
 * Madikeri little cute hill station, 109 km.
 * Mangalore major beach city, 53 km
 * Thiruvananthapuram — There is a jet service from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram operated by KSRTC. The bus leaves Kasaragod by 8.00 pm and reaches Thiruvananthapuram by morning.  Online reservation is available at http://www.keralartc.com/
 * Ullal beach village, 38 km

title: Kasaragod


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Kasauli

Kasauli is a small town in the state of Southern Himachal Pradesh located at an altitude of 1,927 m. The town is 77 km from Shimla and 70 km from Chandigarh.

Understand
Kasauli is a hill station that was developed by the British Empire during its peak period in India. Despite its beauty, it has yet to find itself prominently on the tourist's map. In fact, it is very good for all those who yearn to spend some time alone with their family or with themselves.

Legend says that it came into existence after Lord Hanuman placed his feet here in order to advance onto the Sanjeevani hill. The place where the lord actually kept his feet is believed to be at a hillock which is 300 m high.

If you happen to visit the town during the off-season (November to February), it is quite likely that you will not come across any person for a long while on your walk. For those who are looking for fun and adventure, Kasauli will be a disappointment as there is hardly anything to do. There are some small attractions within and around the town that will keep you somewhat busy.

By bus
Buses ply quite frequently from Chandigarh and Delhi to Kasauli.

By road
For those driving from Delhi, take NH 1 to Ambala, and cross Sonepat and Karnal. From Ambala, take NH 22 for Kasauli. The route will pass Zirakpur, Panchkula, Pinjore, Parwanoo, and Dharampur. From Dharampur, a narrow hill road will take you to Kasauli. Or from Parwanoo, a narrow hill road will also take you to Kasauli via Jangeshu, Manoan, and Mashobra. (This road is part of the old Hindustan–Tibet Road, under heritage protection.)

By train
The nearest railhead from Kasauli is Kalka, 40 km away.

By plane
The closest airport to Kasauli is Shimla, 35 km away. Also, you can travel by air to Chandigarh, 65 km away.

Do

 * Hiking – Kasauli has many outdoor trails where one can experience the natural serenity. Some of the better round-trip ones are located off Upper Mall Road and originate near the BSNL quarters located within the Indian Army premises. One such trail leads to Hanuman Point. There are other trails on the Lower Mall that will take you towards Gharkhal. The trails are safe and easy.

Eat
One can have tasty bunsams at any chai shop along the cobbled street. The young boy's shop on your right just before the street bends farther down to the left is the best.

Go next

 * Chandigarh
 * Solan

title: Kasauli


text:
Kashan

Kashan is a city in the Isfahan province of Iran. Kashan is the first of the large oases along the Qom-Kerman road which runs along the edge of the central deserts of Iran. Its charm is thus mainly due to the contrast between the parched immensities of the deserts and the greenery of the well-tended oasis. Archeological discoveries in the Sialk Hillocks which lie 4 km (2.5 miles) west of Kashan reveal that this region was one of the primary centers of civilization in pre-historic ages. Hence Kashan dates back to the Elamite period of Iran. The Sialk ziggurat still stands today in the suburbs of Kashan after 7000 years. After well-known Iranian historical cities such as Isfahan and Shiraz, Kashan is a common destination for foreign tourists because of its many historical sites.

By plane
Kashan has its own airport, but the only flight that serves it as of April, 2019 connects the city with Mashhad. Other nearby airports are in Tehran and Isfahan. A taxi to Tehran Airport cost 1,200,000 rials in April, 2017.

By train
Kashan is well-served by trains, as it's a stop on the main line between Tehran and Isfahan. There's up to 10 departures from per day in each direction. Additionally, overnight trains between Tehran and cities in central and southeastern parts of Iran, such as Yazd, Shiraz and Kerman.

By bus
Kashan is situated around 250 km south of Tehran. A bus ride from Tehran's South Terminal (Terminal-e-jonub) takes at least three hours. From Isfahan, the distance is 220 km, there are frequent buses from the Kaveh terminal, 2.5 hours.

Buses tend to drop passengers at or, particularly for transit buses merely passing Kashan on their way to another destination. Expect enough taxis hanging around.

For leaving Kashan, head to the.

Get around
Most historical houses and the Agha Bozorg mosque can easily be reached on foot. A taxi to the Fin Garden should not cost more than 80,000 rials (Jan 2016). For sights further outside the city, consider hiring a taxi.

Nearby

 * , a famous, historic Iranian village is in Natanz County, near Kashan. With a unique reddish hue, the village is one of the oldest in Iran, attracting numerous native and foreign tourists year-round, especially during traditional feasts and ceremonies. The village has been called an entrance to Iranian history. The local clothing, for example, is in a style of great antiquity. An Abyunaki woman typically wears a white long scarf (covering the shoulders and upper trunk) which has a colourful pattern and an under-knee skirt. Even the most immediate villages' women have different dress style so that one could tell if she is from Abyaneh or not. Climb up a hill just outside the village to enjoy a fantastic view on Abyaneh. The village can be accessed on a day trip from Kashan, or you can hire a driver to take you to Abyaneh, Natanz (100,000 rial entrance), and drop you in Isfahan (US$50 per car including toll and gas).
 * In the small town of, you can visit the fire temple dating back to Sassanian times, a man-made cave, a Qajar palace, a waterfall, a bathhouse from the Safavid era, a water mill, and the village itself, of course. While none of the attractions is overwhelming by itself, it is a leisurely half-day trip.
 * In spring, the little town of is worth visiting. It is the biggest center in the Middle East for producing rose water.

Maranjab desert
A trip to the sand dunes of the Maranjab desert, a salt lake and a caravanserai is on the list of many Kashan visitors (US$40 per car). It can be combined with a visit in the small town of Noushabad with its underground city (a shelter people dug to take refuge from the Mongolian invaders) and the mud castle and the Holy Shrine of Helal Ali in the town Aran va Bidgol. It is also possible to have an overnight stay in the caravanserai arranged, but don't expect too much comfort; also it can get pretty crowded with tourists during high season; US$30 per person including taxi ride (as of 2017).

Do
There are a few must-dos in Kashan: make sure to visit the traditional bazaar and walk around a bit in the neighbouring streets to catch the feeling of an Iranian town on the fringe of the desert. Make sure to visit Fin garden and, if you happen to visit Kashan in the right season, the rose gardens in the suburb. And, of course, visit one or two of the historical houses.

For many travellers, Kashan is the first stop after busy and noisy Tehran. It is well worth to plan an extra day in Kashan, as its traditional hotels, the tea houses, and its gardens will inspire you to linger around, take a rest and recharge your batteries. For this purpose, the attractions are best visited without a guide.

Buy
Carpet and rose water are the two well-known products of the city. You will see numerous shops trying to sell rose water and other aromatic liquids to tourists.

Traditional cookies.

Eat
The traditional hotels of Kashan all have decent restaurants where lunch and dinner are available. Apart from this, there are traditional restaurants near the sights, and several garden restaurants line on the road next to Fin Garden. All of them serve Persian food only. Fast food shops can be found in all busier streets.

Sleep
Kashan is a small town where the tourism infrastructure is not yet fully developed. Accommodation should be reserved well in advance if you travel in the tourism season. In the high season, locals offer private rooms.

Go next
Kashan is located on the Tehran - Qom - Natanz - Isfahan route. Thus, Tehran and Isfahan are the two logical next stops of most visitors.
 * Kashan can be your last stop in Iran before flying home. It is possible to bargain with taxi drivers for a trip to Imam Khomeini airport of Tehran, expect to pay less than 1 million rials (in January 2016). Alternatively, driver-guides can take you to the airport with a stopover in Qom to visit Iran's second holiest place, the Shrine of Fatima-al-Massumeh. If you choose this option, be sure to dress as conservatively as you can.
 * Na'in is another desert city, to the south. It's a small and quiet town at the edge of desert. A perfect pattern of a desert town. Everything you like to see in a desert town you can find there. Take the buses to Yazd or Kerman or Zahedan and ask the driver to let you off in Na'in. There is an easier way; be on "Avarezi" check point to get the Tehran-Na'in buses which cross there at 13:00 and 20:00.
 * Mashhad Ardehal

title: Kashan


text:
Kashgar

Kashgar (Chinese: 喀什 Kāshí; Uyghur: قەشقەر Qeshqer) is in the extreme west of China and the southwest extreme of Xinjiang. The city has been an important trading centre since the days of the Silk Road, and still is today; it is said to have the largest bazaar in Asia.

The local population is a colourful mixture of Uyghurs, Han Chinese, Kyrgyz, Tajiks and Uzbeks, with ethnic Uyghurs forming the majority. It is considered by most people to be the main center of Uyghur culture in China.

Understand
The Silk Road route from Eastern and Central China branches after Dunhuang; one route runs along the north edge of the Taklamakan Desert, the other along the south. Kashgar is where the two branches meet again in the western part of the desert. From there, the main route continues west into toward the Ferghana Valley and Samarkand.

Another former caravan trail has now become the Karakorum Highway leading south into Pakistan; Kashgar is its northern terminus.

Historically, Kashgar has often been the capital of an independent kingdom — Marco Polo mentions one that existed before the Mongol conquest; the most recent was under Yakub Beg (originally from Kokand) in the late 19th century — and at other times part of various empires including Mongol, Persian and Chinese. It has usually been under Chinese control since the Qing took it in 1759, though there have been several revolts; the last ended in 1934. Today it is China's westernmost city.

Talk
Due to its large ethnic Uyghur majority, Uyghur is the main language spoken in Kashgar. That said, younger people who have been to school generally speak Mandarin as well.

Get in
Travelling in this area has several options, with a direct relationship between how much you are willing to pay and how fast you want to get to your destination. Trains are the slowest and only leave a few times a day, but are also almost always the cheapest option.

By plane

A taxi to the city should cost about 30-¥100 by meter. Shuttle buses leaving from the International Hotel at People's Square are available for ¥10 per person. The airport has its own shuttle bus that goes from the airport into any location in town (just tell the driver where you are going) for ¥15. There is also a public bus that goes to/from the airport to most locations in town, the line 2, for ¥2. To get to the public bus, you must walk straight out of the front entrance of the airport, past the airport gates and turn left. The line 2 buses wait at the side of the street, about 20 metres to the left.

By train
Kashgar Railway Station (喀什火车站; Kāshí Huǒchēzhàn) is the main railway station in the city. It is on Renmin East Road (人民东路; Rénmíndōnglù). Although it is east of the town centre, the distance is too far for walking. Bus 28 connects the city including Renmin Square (人民广场; Rénmín Guángchǎng), to the railway station. From the railway station, walk out and turn right and you will probably see a bus waiting there already. The fare is ¥1 and is paid onboard. If you do not know where you are going, get on bus 28, get off at Renmin Square and figure things out from there; the city centre is walkable and at Xinhua Bookstore (新华书店; Xīnhuá Shūdiàn), next to the main square, you will be able to purchase the best maps of Kashgar for about ¥5-8 (although these maps are only in Chinese).

From the railway station, Qinibagh and Seman Hotels can be reached a couple of stops after Renmin Square on bus 28 and then walking uphill for about 5 minutes; the people on the bus can probably help you and most people on the street know where these places are.

Kashgar is at the end of the Urumqi-Kashgar line. Destinations of interest include:
 * Korla - takes about 13–16 hours
 * Kuqa - takes about 9–11 hours
 * Urumqi - Fast train K9788 - takes 24 hours, departs at 13:15, Train 7558 - takes 32 hours, departs at 08:15
 * Turpan - about 22 hours by the fast train

Kashgar–Hotan Railway has been completed and is now also open. Stops include but are not limited to:
 * Yarkand - takes about 4 hours
 * Hotan - takes about 10–12 hours

By bus
International Bus Station is at 5 Jicheng Road

 * Korla- takes about 16 hours
 * Kuqa- takes about 11 hours
 * Urumqi- takes about 24 hours
 * Sost, Pakistan- daily buses, which includes an overnight stay at Tashkurgan required at own expense. In Sost, there are connections from Gilgit.
 * Hotan- takes about 10 hours. If you take the night bus, it takes about seven hours, letting you out in front of Hotan's Jiaotong Bingguan (Traffic Hotel) at 3:30am.
 * Tashkurgan- takes about 8 hours
 * Yecheng- takes about 4 hours
 * Ili- takes about 26 hours

From Kyrgyzstan

 * To Osh: Two weekly direct sleeper buses (M and F) leave at 10:00 (Beijing time), and the trip takes about 18 hours. The trip is pricey at ¥550 and the buses depart from Kashgar International Bus Station (north of town on the road to the airport).

It is less expensive, and maybe even faster, to get to Osh, or at least to Sary-Tash in Kyrgyzstan using a combination of service taxis and trucks. At Kashgar's International Bus Station, get a taxi around 08:30 (Beijing time) for the 2 hour journey to the immigration point near Wuqia (they'll want 300Y but you can bargain down to 150Y). If you want to take a shared taxi to Wuqia (25Y), go earlier to make sure you're at the immigration checkpoint when it opens at 11:00. From Wuqia, stick to the main road and flag down passing vehicles westwards or get another taxi for the five-minute journey to the immigration checkpoint. There, immigration officers will even help you to get on a truck or into a car - they all go at least to Sary-Tash. Trucks might require a small payment. If you're lucky to get a seat in a car, you may be in Sary-Tash before 17:00. From there, it's only 3 hours to Osh (2000-2500 Som for a private taxi). There is no special permit (other than a Kyrgyz visa) required for this border.

 * Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan- You will need a special permit if you're a foreigner. Most foreigners use the services of a travel agency. There is a direct bus, which takes about 16 hours including overnight stay (you must have PSB permit and valid visa for Kyrgyzstan).

By car
The Karakoram Highway runs from Pakistan into China. Kashgar is the nearest major town on the Chinese end.

Get around
Most of Kashgar including the bus station, bazaar, main square, downtown (with the notable exception of the animal market) can be reached on foot within 15–20 minutes of each other if you are not carrying huge amounts of baggage. The railway station is too far to walk but is reachable with public bus 28 which, among other places, stops at Renmin Square (人民广场; Rénmín Guángchǎng), the main square. The international bus station is near the city and walkable.

The old town and narrow alleyways are pretty much only explorable on foot.

Cross streets carefully in Kashgar as no pedestrian crossings are available.

Cycling is an option but the traffic is somewhat dangerous, so only do this if you are experienced with this kind of traffic environment. Bicycles can be rented at major hotels such as Qinibagh for typically less than ¥30/day.

Taking a taxi with Didi or just by flagging one down is the easiest method of traveling around.

Buy
The price of everything is negotiable in Kashgar, adding to excitement of shopping. Be polite in bargaining, but be mindful that merchants will overcharge you as a foreigner especially if you do not speak Uyghur or Chinese; so bargain hard. Price differences between locals and foreigners can easily amount to several hundred yuan so be careful. Local specialties include kilims (carpets), and colourful Central Asian hats (doppa, kalpak).

Eat
There are plenty of good local restaurants and street food.

It may be wise to avoid anything with ice as the ice in Kashgar is usually carried in large blocks and frequently placed on the ground so they may not be clean, but there are places around Id Kah where the ice is clean and safe, and well-known all around Xinjiang. During the summer months there are huge heaps of melons and watermelons - cheap, tasty and refreshing. The going price for a hami melon (哈密瓜; hāmìguā) is around ¥1 per kilogramme, so in total, it costs ¥2-5 per melon depending on the size. Buying, washing and cutting it yourself is probably the most hygienic way to eat these fabulous tasty fruits. It would be wise to have the melon seller to cut the melon for you, as it will be hard to find a knife.

 * Altun Orda Restaurant is the local restaurant with reasonable prices. It is not only good place to taste some local dishes but also to see the local architecture of Uighur people. Try the specialty pollo or rice pilaf with raisins. Tel: +86 (998) 2583555

Drink
There are not as many places serving alcohol in Kashgar as in other areas of China.

Go next

 * Karakul Lake - Scenic alpine lake, located on the road to Tashkorgan and Pakistan. A mini bus departs at 11:30 (Beijing time) from the main bus station, costs 35Y & takes 4 hours. However, a permit is required for all non-PRC citizens. This can be very difficult to arrange on your own, but all travel agencies in Kashgar are familiar with the process. Before arranging your own transportation to Karakul Lake (or any location on the Karakoram Highway), make sure you have a permit, as there are checkpoints along the highway. No one without a permit can go past the checkpoints, which are real military checkpoints, complete with armed soldiers. One must show one's permit and passport at the checkpoints. A couple hours past the lake is the tranquil Tajik city of Tashkurgan, which provides beautiful mountain vistas near the border of Tajikistan. Spend the night there before heading back down the Karakoran Highway and enjoy the quiet town and its peaceful pastures.
 * Kashgar is also near the border with Kyrgyzstan, which can be accessed via the Irkeshtam and Torugart passes.
 * Khunjerab Pass is along the Karakoram Highway, allowing access to India and Pakistan.

title: Kashgar


text:
Kashi

There is more than one place called Kashi:

China

 * Kashgar - A town in Xinjiang province.

India

 * Varanasi - A holy town on the Ganges historically known as Kashi or Benares.

Japan

 * Kashii - A district of Fukuoka

title: Kashi


text:
Kashid

Kashid is a city near Alibag, India.

Get in
Kashid can be reached from Alibag by road. The 30-km drive is scenic and small winding roads pass through beautiful small villages.

If you're coming from Mumbai, then as soon as you enter Alibag, take the left road at the trisection with the temple, and take the first left. After some distance, a road will branch off towards the right. Take this road to go to Kashid. When the road emerges from the villages, you will encounter a bridge after a toll post, with the VIKRAM ISPAT steel loading/unloading setup to your right and the plant to your left. Turn right immediately after you cross the bridge. Here onward the sea, and the beaches will be on your right.

You can recognize Kashid by tall trees and an open view to the sea.

Buses plying regularly between Mumbai central - Murud halts at Kashid. Buses plying regularly between Thane - Murud halts at Kashid. Frequent service are available for Alibaug from Mumbai, Thane. From there buses are available for Murud which halts at Kashid village.

Ferry service from Gateway of India (Mumbai) to Mandava beach. From Mandava beach take a MSRTC bus to Alibaug. From Alibaug station private shared tempo (mini bus, 20 seater) to a naka (road junction) near Kashid. It would take approximately 1 hour to reach here. From this naka change tempos to reach Kashid in 25 minutes.

Get around
The 3 km-long Kashid Beach combines all the elements of a perfect beach holiday. Murud Beach in the old fishing village of Murud, a few km away from Kashid, is another option for beach lovers. While Kashid Beach has crystal clear blue waters, Murud Beach has clear green water. Janjira Fort right in the middle of the sea is a sight-seeing highlight. Ferry boats are available to the fort. Other places worth visiting include Nawab's Palace, Ganapati Pule Temple and the beautiful Birla Temple. Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary, 10 km from Kashid Beach is home to several types of birds, butterflies and snakes, as well as leopard, sambhar and barking deer. Other places of interest include the Portuguese Revdanda Beach Fort, almost in ruins and the hilltop Datta Mandir, 8 km from Revdanda with sweeping views of the entire coastal belt.

See
The vast stretches of beach would probably be the only best thing to see in Kashid. Some beach areas are really deserted with no humans in sight. However they are quite safe to be walked on during the evening.

Many people rent bicycles to ride along the long strip of road. Its a beautiful sight during the early mornings because you get to see the most beautiful lush greenery on either side of

Do
This is a paradise closest to Mumbai, also called "poor man's Goa". It is the ideal place for a beach getaway from Mumbai and Pune. Even though there is not much you can do there in terms of activities but a suitable place for folk who like to runaway from the hustle bustle of the metro. Its virgin beaches always have something to explore and the enchanting atmosphere always is very welcoming.

Eat
Kashid has small stalls which serve snacks like eggs (omelette) and poha (made from flattened rice or beaten rice cooked in oil and spiced with turmeric and mustard seeds). These stalls are open from 8 AM in the morning till dusk. If you travel 1 km ahead of Kashid towards Murud, there are places where one can find sea fish preparations.

Drink
We can get cold drinks and famous Coconut Water near beach stalls.

Sleep

 * Prakruti Resort.
 * Kashid Beach Resort.

Besides these luxury resorts in Kashid a lot of local people let out there make shift shacks and rooms to stay, you would never be disappointed as there is space for everybody.

The idea is to stay in the same place and eat there because there are no restaurants to offer you 'a la carte' service.

There is also this homestay in Borli Mandla, 10.5 km up the coast:

title: Kashid


text:
Kashihara

Kashihara (橿原) is a city in located in the north-western part of Nara prefecture.

Tourist information sites
The local tourist association has a bilingual guide site, with some ads inserted.

The city government's tourism section is clean, but Japanese-only with integrated Google Translate.

Get in
Kashihara city's two main train stations are Yamato-Yagi (大和八木) to the north, and Kashiharajingu-mae (橿原神宮前) to the south. Both are served by Kintetsu.

Yamato-Yagi: This is a major train station for Kintetsu, as it is where the Osaka and Kashihara lines intersect. From Kyoto, there are two limited express trains per hour, one of which reaches Kashiharajingu-mae (see below). The Limited Express runs to Yamato Yagi in 45-50 minutes. Slower express trains also leave twice per hour, reaching Yamato-Yagi in about an hour. The fare is ¥860, plus ¥870 if on the limited express.

Most trains from Osaka leave from Uehonmachi station. Express services leave three times per hour, reaching Yamato-Yagi in 35 minutes (¥540).

Kintetsu limited express trains also operate from Nagoya. Services run hourly (half-hourly during the evening) from Kintetsu Nagoya, running to Yamato-Yagi in approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. The cost of this trip is ¥3520. This is the best way from Nagoya, as taking a bullet train to Kyoto and then taking a Kintetsu train from there would take the same amount of time, but would cost double.

Kashiharajingu-mae: Hourly limited express runs operate from Kyoto Station, reaching Kashihara in 50 minutes. Slower express trains run more frequently and make the run in about 75 minutes. There are usually two direct trains to Kashihara, or else change at Yamato-Saidaiji station. The fare is ¥860, plus an additional ¥870 if travelling on the limited express.

Trains from Osaka leave from Kintetsu Abenobashi station. Express trains depart twice an hour towards Yoshino, running to Kashihara in 40 minutes at a cost of ¥610. Limited express services to Kashihara take 35 minutes and require an additional ¥500 surcharge.

Go next

 * Sakurai
 * Asuka
 * Takatori
 * Yamatotakada
 * Tawaramoto
 * Uda
 * Yoshino
 * Katsuragi
 * Oyodo

title: Kashihara


text:
Kashima

Kashima (鹿島市) is a city in Saga Prefecture, Japan.

Understand
Don't confuse this city with Kashima City (鹿嶋市) in Ibaraki - both have famous shrines.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a bilingual guide site.

By plane
The closest airports are Kyushu-Saga International Airport (九州佐賀国際空港) and Nagasaki Airport. Fukuoka Airport is the nearest airport with the greatest number of international connections, so it's also worth considering.

By train
Kashima is located along the Nagasaki Main Line which runs from Tosu to Nagasaki. There are four stations: Hizen-Kashima, Hizenhama, Hizen-Nanaura, Hizen-Iida. Express trains stop only at Hizen-Kashima.

Do
Kashima Gatalympics is held every May in a small town called Hama, near Kashima City. This event involves playing a variety of sports in the mudflats of the Ariake Sea.

Go next

 * Ureshino
 * Tara
 * Takeo
 * Shiroishi
 * Saga
 * Isahaya
 * Unzen
 * Omura
 * Nagasaki

title: Kashima


text:
Kashiwa

Kashiwa (柏市 Kashiwa-shi) is a city in Chiba prefecture, Japan. It is locally known as "Little Shibuya" due to the shopping.

Tourist information

 * The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

Get in
From Tokyo

Kashiwa is served by the JR Joban Line (JR常磐線 Jōban-sen) from Tokyo's Ueno station. Rapid services take approximately 30–35 minutes from Ueno (some mid-day services take 25 minutes) at a cost of ¥450. The Joban Line serves 3 station in Kashiwa city - Minami-Kashiwa, Kita-Kashiwa and Kashiwa stations. Kashiwa station is main and is served by all type of trains on the Joban Line.

Local trains continue onto the Chiyoda Line (千代田線 Chiyoda-sen) of Tokyo Metro(東京メトロ Tōkyō-metoro), with some going all the way to the Odakyu Line (小田急線 Odakyū-sen) on the other side of Tokyo. Given the number of stops and routing combinations, taking the local service will be reasonable only if your starting or ending point on the Chiyoda Line. In other cases, taking rapid or special rapid trains on the Joban Line and transferring from/to other lines at major stations in Tokyo (Kita-Senju, Nippori, Tokyo, Shinagawa) will generally make the ride faster and easier.

Another major line connecting north-western part of the Kashiwa city with Tokyo is Tsukuba Express. There are only 2 stations, main one being Kashiwanoha-campus station (served by up to commuter-rapid trains), another one is Kashiwatanaka station (served by only local trains). Since the line is quite new and private, and also starts only from Akihabara station, fares are relatively high. Using Tsukuba Express will make sense only if you are coming from Akihabara/Asakusa area or you need to get exactly to north-western part of the city (with university campuses, Kashiwanoha stadium, baseball field and National Cancer Center).

From Funabashi/Chiba or Omiya/Saitama

There is also another line that connects the Kashiwa city with another cities of Chiba Prefecture and with Saitama Prefecture, avoiding Tokyo. Tobu Urban Park Line (東武アーバンパークライン), formerly known as Tobu Noda Line (東武野田線 Tōbunoda-sen), connects Funabashi station in Chiba Prefecture with Omiya station in Saitama Prefecture, making stop at the Kashiwa station (in fact, in most of cases you will have to change the train). Since this line goes from the south-east to north-west, repeating the orientation of the city, it has the biggest number of stations in Kashiwa city - Toyoshiki, Kashiwa (transfer to JR Joban Line), Shin-Kashiwa, Masuo, Sakasai, Takayanagi stations.

From Narita International Airport

The fastest way of getting from thr airport to Kashiwa station by train is taking the Keisei Narita Skyaccess to Shin-Kamagaya station and then transferring to Tobu Urban Park Line. Another way would be taking Keisei Line to Keisei-Narita Station and transferring to train on the JR Narita Line heading to Kashiwa station. It will take 10–20 minutes longer, but around ¥200 cheaper than first way.

Get around
By train

While Kashiwa is serviced by three different train lines, usage of trains for getting around will be fairly limited. Especially considering that all three lines run by different companies and have different fare systems. For example, getting from Kashiwanoha-campus station to Kashiwa station by train (using only 2 lines) will cost you ¥380, while same route by bus will cost you only ¥210. Or getting from Kashiwanoha-campus to Kita-Kashiwa using all 3 lines will cost you whopping ¥510.

By bus

The bus system offers highest coverage for public transport at fairly competitive price. But it might be a little bit confusing for unprepared person, so better use Google maps/NAVITIME.

By car

Since, except areas around the stations of Kashiwa and Kashiwanoha-campus, most of Kashiwa city is thriving suburbs, getting around by car might be best option.

By bicycle

Even though Kashiwa city does not have dedicated bicycle lanes (except the area around Kashiwanoha-campus station), bicycle probably is one of the best ways to get around. Most drivers are polite as in the rest of Japan, but it is good to be careful riding a bike.

The city operates a rent-a-cycle service at Kashiwa and Nishikashiwa stations.

During weekends and holidays from April to November, it is also possible to rent a bike near Teganuma lake, but it is more for recreational purposes rather than for getting around. There is an 18-km cycling course around Teganuma lake, and the Edogawa and Tonegawa cycling roads pass through the west and east of Kashiwa city.

Do
Football - J-league 1 team Kashiwa Reysol play their home games in two stadiums located out of the city centre. Built in the clubs most successful spell the newer Kashiwa no-ha stadium is used for higher profile matches. The clubs original Hitachi stadium is used for the rest and despite being smaller has no athletics track thus a better atmosphere. On match days, buses to Kashiwa no-ha stadium leave from the Bus stops on the West side of Kashiwa station and buses to the Hitachi leave from the East side, the large no. of yellow clad supporters should be a good indicator of where to queue. Tickets can be bought outside the stadium on match day or from the club shop before, if you can get a seat behind the goal prepare for uniquely Japanese coordinated singing.

Kashiwa Festival Usually held the last week of July or first week of August. Expect large crowds, an assortment of food stalls, Taiko drumming performances, and the locals decked out in their summer kimono.

Buy

 * Vintage and second hand shops These shops have high quality retro apparel but generally do not buy clothes.
 * Vintage and second hand shops These shops have high quality retro apparel but generally do not buy clothes.
 * Vintage and second hand shops These shops have high quality retro apparel but generally do not buy clothes.

Go next

 * Matsudo
 * Abiko
 * Nagareyama
 * Noda
 * Shiroi
 * Toride
 * Moriya
 * Ryugasaki
 * Ushiku

title: Kashiwa


text:
Kashiwazaki

Kashiwazaki (柏崎) is a city located in the center of Niigata prefecture. It has a long coast along the Japan Sea.

Tourist information

The association has a Japanese-only guide site with integrated Google Translate.

Get in
It is about 300 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, and takes about 3 hours via car by the expressway or minimum 2 hours by the JR Joetsu-Shinkansen bullet train.

Go next

 * Joetsu
 * Itoigawa
 * Myoko
 * Tokamachi
 * Kariwa
 * Nagaoka
 * Izumozaki
 * Tsunan
 * Uonuma

title: Kashiwazaki


text:
Kashmiri phrasebook

Kashmiri (कॉशुर, کٲشُر Koshur) is a northwestern Indo-Aryan language spoken primarily in the Kashmir Valley in India and Azad Kashmir in Pakistan. It has about 4,611,000 speakers: 4,391,000 of whom reside in India and 105,000 of whom reside in Pakistan. While Kashmiri belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family of languages it is sometimes placed in a geographical sub-grouping called Dardic. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India.

Just after Hindi, Kashmiri is the second fastest growing language of India, followed by Meitei (Manipuri) along with Gujarati in third place, and Bengali in fourth place.

Writing
Kashmiri has remained a spoken language up to the present time. Though some manuscripts were written in the past in the Sharada script, and then in Perso-Arabic script, Kashmiri is now written in either the Perso-Arabic script (with some modifications) or the Devanagari script. Among languages written in the Perso-Arabic script, Kashmiri is practically unique, in that it regularly indicates all vowel sounds.

Literacy in Kashmiri is continuously neglected for political reasons and due to lack of formal education in it. It is now mostly relevant in its spoken form, and the speakers of this language are also decreasing in number. Note that the primary official language of the state of Jammu and Kashmir is not Kashmiri, but Urdu. Some Kashmiri speakers use English or Hindi as a second language. In the past few decades, Kashmiri was introduced as a subject at the university and the colleges of the Kashmir Valley. Attempts are being made to include Kashmiri in school curriculum.

Pronunciation guide
There are 17 vowels and 27 consonants in Kashmiri.

Vowels

 * ė: As in Open
 * ë: Extended ė
 * å: Same as e in perturb
 * ä: Extended sound of a
 * a: same as u in up
 * ā: As u in up
 * i: as i in sit
 * ī: as ee in see
 * u: as u in put
 * ū: as oo in zoo
 * ê: as e in ten
 * e: as a in pay
 * ō: as o in oh!
 * ö: as wo in swot
 * o: as o in home
 * ņ: as n in sing
 * ~: as i in sip spoken faintly

Consonants

 * k: same as c in cat
 * kh: same as kh in khan
 * g: as g in got
 * c: as zz in pizza
 * çh: sounds like ts as in huts
 * c: same as ch in chin
 * ch: same as ch in church
 * j: same as j in jug
 * th: as in thatch
 * d: like th in then
 * n: as n in no
 * ţ: like t in teacher
 * ţh: as th in thug
 * đ: as d in did
 * p: as p in pen
 * ph: as f in fall
 * b: like b in boy
 * m: like m in man
 * y: like y in yes
 * r: like r in red
 * l: like l in leg
 * v: as v in van
 * sh: as sh in she
 * s: as s in so
 * z: as z in zoo
 * h: as h in how

Basics

 * Hello : Talking to a Muslim (Assalām ‘alaikum), Talking to a Hindu (Namaskār)
 * Hello (informal): halo
 * How are you?: Toh chiv väri ?
 * Fine, thank you: Ähansa, Me-Hur-Ba-e-Ni
 * What is your name?: Çê kyāh chuy nāv ?
 * My name is ______: Be chus _____
 * Nice to meet you: Tö-hi Mel-Yiţh Gā-Yi Ma War-Yah Kush-Ti
 * Please: Ba-Lai La-Gai
 * Thank you: Me-Hur-Ba-e-Ni
 * Yes: Ên
 * No: Na
 * Goodbye: Talking to a Muslim (Assalām ‘alaikum), Talking to a Hindu (Namaskār)
 * I can't speak Kashmiri: Mê chunė käshur tagān
 * Do you speak English?: Çė chukhė aņgrīz bolān ?
 * I don't understand: Mê chunė phikrī tagān

Problems

 * What is this ? : Yi Kyāh chu ?
 * What do you want?: Çê Kyāh gaçhiy ?

Numbers

 * Zero: Siphar
 * One: Akh
 * Two: Zė
 * Three: Trê
 * Four: Çor
 * Five: Pāņçh
 * Six: Shê
 * Seven: Sath
 * Eight: Äţh
 * Nine: Nav
 * Ten: Dāh

Time
What is the time?: Vakhėt kyāh āv? or Kāç bajeyi?

Clock time
The time is five o clock: Vakhėt chu pāņçi baji

Days

 * Sunday: Āthvār
 * Monday: Çāņdėrvār
 * Tuesday: Bomvār
 * Wednesday: Bödvār
 * Thursday: Brêsvār
 * Friday: Jumāh (Talking to a Muslim), Shakurvār (Talking to a Hindu)
 * Saturday: Baţėvār

Colors

 * Black: Krūhun
 * Blue: Ņyūl
 * Brown: Dālcīn
 * Colour: Raņg
 * Orange: Saņgtar
 * Red: Vözul
 * Yellow: Lyōdur
 * Dark: Shokh
 * Green: Sabėz
 * Grey: Sūr
 * Light: Halkė
 * Purple: Lājėvār
 * White: Saphed

Bus and train
Where from does the bus leave?: Bas kati pêţhė chi nerān?

Directions

 * Left: Kho-vur
 * Right: Daçhyan
 * How many kilometres?: Kaç kilomitar dūr?
 * How far away is the city?: Shāhr kotāh dūr chu?

Taxi
Where is the taxi?: Taxi kati chu?

Lodging
Where is the hotel?: Hotel kati chu?

Eating
Where is the restaurant?: Restaurant kati chu?

Money
How much is it?: Yi kotāh chu ?

Authority
Who is the boss (officer) here?: Yêti kus chu aphsar?

title: Kashmiri phrasebook


text:
Kashmir Valley

The Kashmir Valley, or more poetically the Vale of Kashmir, is a large valley in the Himalayan mountains and an administrative division of Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Cities

 * — summer capital of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the largest city in the Kashmir region

 * — the second largest city in Kashmir Valley

 * — city in Kashmir and famous for having one of the world's highest cable cars

 * — a city in Kashmir Valley

 * — a town in Kashmir Valley

 * — a hill station

 * — a town in the Baramula District of Jammu and Kashmir with the river Jhelum flowing through it

Other destinations

 * — home to the critically endangered Kashmir stag (hangul). Grasslands, alpine meadows, waterfalls and craggy cliffs provide a home for various species of mammals such as the Himalayan black and brown bears, jackal and leopard and birds such as the woodpecker, pygmy owl and cinnamon sparrow.
 * — a famous tourist destination which attracts many tourists mainly for the purpose of trekking and enjoying the snow in the months of the summer season.

Understand
The Mughal Emperor Jehangir is said to have once written about Kashmir: Agar firdaus bar rue zamin ast hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin ast! ("If there be paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here!"). He was writing about the Kashmir Valley, a land divided between the northern half of Jammu and Kashmir in India and Azad Kashmir in Pakistan. Torn by war, terrorism and violence since 1948, this beautiful valley has long been considered a dangerous place to go to, but tourism is slowly coming back to the valley as militancy, which began in the early 1990s (as a means of protest against what some describe as forceful Indian occupation) has come down.

The most famous places to visit in the Kashmir Valley are Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg. Other places include Sonamarg and Verinag. There are various trekking routes available across the whole of Kashmir. Adventure sports in the form of water rafting and paragliding, among others, are available at various tourist locations. The Royal Springs' Golf course in the heart of Srinagar on the shores of the world-famous Dal Lake is one of the most beautiful golf courses around. There is a small 18-hole golf course in Gulmarg.

During the peak of militancy in 1995, 6 western tourists were said to be kidnapped by a hitherto unknown terrorist group. Later a book named Meadows was published which talked about the complicatedness of the state in the rescue operation of tourists. One managed to escape; however, another was beheaded and the others have never been found and are presumed dead. Mainstream separatists denounced this act and terrorist organisations based in Pakistan denied any involvement. In 2006 a campaign of grenade attacks in Srinagar claimed the lives of 6 tourists and wounded 40 on 11 July. The targets included a tourist bus and the Tourist Reception Centre. A similar attack on 31 May against a tourist bus injured 21. An explosion in a tourist bus in Shalimar Gardens on 29 July 2007 killed six and wounded 21. In the summer of 2008, a controversy arose in which Kashmiris resisted the transfer of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board created by the government of India, fearing dilution of the Muslim majority demography of the state. During this period, a grenade attack in Gulmarg killed one tourist and injured five.

In the summer of 2014, there were new skirmishes between the armies of India and Pakistan across the Line of Control.

Talk
The official languages of the union territory used in the valley are Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri (or Koshur). The younger generation speaks English quite well. Most of the signboards and directions are written in English.

By plane
Almost all the domestic airlines in India fly from Delhi to Srinagar's Sheikh ul Alam Airport which is now an international airport as well.

By train
The nearest railway station is at Jammu. The rest of India is connected by rail with Jammu; however, a rail link from Jammu to Srinagar is being built and is not expected to be complete before 2021 at the earliest.

By road
From Jammu, various places in Kashmir are 6-8 hours by road. You can also hire a taxi or take a bus from New Delhi. The travel time by road is about 20 hours from New Delhi. The landscape tends to get very interesting from Jammu and it is mainly because of this reason travellers prefer the road trip (especially from Jammu). The Jammu-Srinagar highway is extremely treacherous in the winter and blocked by landslides for most of the winter. On the way from Jammu to the valley do not forget to relish the famous rajmah chawal in Peerah and pattisa (sweet made in ghee) in Kudd.

Get around
The best way to travel across the known destinations in Kashmir is to hire a taxi for about US$60 a day. If you want to visit high-altitude lakes and mountaineering destinations you can hire a horse to carry your stuff up the mountains.

The tourism department also provides guides, maps and equipment to mountaineers and trekkers.

See

Spring is the time when Kashmir bursts into a riot of colours and millions of flowers carpet the landscape. A good idea would be to visit the "Tulip Garden", one of the largest of its kind in Asia. The Tulip Garden is opposite the main Boulevard Road on the shores of the Dal Lake. Although work on the garden started a couple of years back, each season it is expanding rapidly and is fast becoming a major tourist attraction in spring.

Angling in the many freshwater streams is an attraction in spring as well or if you missed out on skiing in winter, you could go skiing in Gulmarg which offers excellent opportunities till late March.

Summer brings a lot of tourists to the valley, especially those from the Indian plains which experience unbearably hot temperatures during the summers.

Gulmarg is a perennial favourite. Gulmarg means 'the meadow of flowers and is 56 km southwest of the city centre, Srinagar. The slopes of the Apharwat hills (of the Himalayas) at Gulmarg are one of the highest ski slopes in Asia. Due to its' unique geographical location, Gulmarg gets some of the heaviest snowfall in the Himalayan region. This hill resort is served by a cable car that goes all the way to Apharwat peak, on which is claimed to be the highest gondola in the world (4,080 metres).

Pahalgam or the village of Shepherds is a very popular resort 90 km south of Srinagar. It has some magnificent plains (like Baisaran) where horse riding can be indulged in. Again, some fantastic angler opportunities as well and a lot of trekking routes (including the one that goes to Amarnath, a Hindu pilgrimage shrine deep in the Himalayas)

84 km from the state capital Srinagar at an altitude of 2,900 metres, Sonamarg lies in the valley carved by River Sindh, surrounded by towering snow-capped mountains. Sonamarg literally means "Meadow Of Gold".

The skiing season in Gulmarg, the world-famous ski resort in Kashmir, lasts for about four months, but with the Thajiwas Glacier and the upper reaches of the Sonamarg valley covered with snow practically all through the year, skiers can thrill themselves for a longer period.

Sonamarg has a certain "raw" unspoiled beauty about it. The mountains look tall and haughty and the vista whichever way looked at consists of meadows, imposing mountains and streams. Sonamarg is the gateway to Ladakh so if you're planning to go to Ladakh by road you'll be enthralled by its' charms.

Do

 * Enjoy a Shikara ride in the Dal Lake. You can also swim in the lake.
 * Stay in a houseboat.

 * Take a walk on the streets of Old City [downtown Srinagar].
 * Go trekking.
 * In winter you can go on a skiing/snowboarding adventure at Gulmarg.

 * If you are lucky enough to find the lakes frozen during winter, take a walk on Dal Lake. But be careful.
 * Enjoy white water rafting at Pahalgam and Gulmarg.
 * Visit the gardens made by Mughal kings on the banks of the Dal Lake in the foothills of the Zabarwan mountains.
 * During the spring season visit Asia's most extensive tulip garden.
 * See the endangered Hangul and the snow leopard at the Dachigam National National Park, 12 km from Srinagar.
 * In Oct-Nov, you can take home a unique and lifetime experience of saffron cultivation in Pampore, on the outskirts of the city.
 * Go fishing in any of the lakes in Srinagar. The license to fish costs about $5 per day during the summer. The resort of "Aharbal" offers excellent fishing opportunities: there's a great waterfall too. "Daksum" is very famous for its scenic mountain beauty and clear, sparkling streams with bountiful catches. Then there's "Frislin" in Pahalgam and Yousmarg to name a few.

 * If you are visiting high-altitude lakes (some of the few zero pollution lakes on the planet) don't forget "Tulin Lake" at an altitude of approximately 4000 m above sea level. The 25-km trek starts from Pahalgam. Tulin Lake is just one among the many high-altitude lakes in Kashmir.
 * Use the state-owned JKTDC transport whenever you can. They are sincere and reliable.
 * Rafting in Pahalgam in Liddar river
 * Shankaracharya temple
 * Golf club in Pahalgam and Gulmarg.
 * You can visit the Shah Hamdan khanqah (place of religious learning), Hazratbal Mosque or dargah, as it is commonly called, and even the Jamia Masjid and see the unique architecture of Kashmir, a confluence of indigenous, Central Asian and Mughal architecture.

Buy
Kashmiri handicrafts, shawls and carpets are world-famous. Shahtoos or Ringshawl as it was known was exclusively made by hand in Kashmir and was worn by celebrities and high-profile dignitaries. This shawl is so soft that it can pass through a ring! However, it has been banned by the Government after animal rights campaigners objected because it involves killing a baby antelope in the high regions of Ladakh and making the shawl from its hide.

Although the Shahtoos shawl has been rightly banned it shouldn't stop you from buying the famed Kashmiri Pashmina.

Pashmina is exclusively Kashmiri and a good quality Pashmina shawl (including one that is hand embroidered by Kashmiri artisans) can cost more than US$450.

The intricacies of hand-made Kashmiri carpets are well known. Most take months, some even a couple of years to make. The history of the Kashmiri carpet dates back to the period of Hazrat Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (1341-1385 AD) - the famous Sufi saint of Persia who came to enlighten Kashmir with his spiritual guidance and brought along with him highly skilled artisans through the silk trade route.

Kashmir witnessed a phenomenal rise and growth in all things artistic in the golden reign of Sultan Zain ul Abideen, popularly known as Budshah (Great King) in the 15th century. Emperor Akbar in the 16th Century is said to have encouraged the art of carpet weaving by bringing in more skilled artisans to the Kashmir valley.

An original Kashmir carpet can be very expensive but the right one can be as prized or treasured as any work of art.

Eat
Rich and redolent with the flavour of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and saffron, Kashmiri food is suitable for all palates. Predominantly non-vegetarian, "Wazwaan", as it is called, is the royal cuisine of Kashmir. As described by the author Salman Rushdie in his book, Shalimar the Clown, Wazwaan is a banquet of 36 courses minimum and 60 courses maximum. It's a preparation of a number of spicy meat dishes served with traditional rice by professional chefs called "Was". Kashmiri wazwaan has its origin in Persia and is almost always served at Kashmiri marriage parties. It also has some interesting vegetarian options like dum-aloo, haak, palak and 'chaman' (cooked cheese). Among the popular non-vegetarian delicacies are curd-based gushtaba, chilli-flavoured rista and roganjosh.

Drink
Kashmiris celebrate the first snowfall of the season by socialising over a barbecue. They relax in the cold crisp evenings with a cup of warm kahwa, black tea brewed with cinnamon, cardamom and honey. Also, a perennial favourite is the pink-coloured nun chai made with special salt.

Most hotels in Srinagar serve liquor and other alcoholic beverages, but as most residents of the Kashmir Valley are Muslims, few drink alcohol, themselves.

Stay safe
The past decade of turmoil has left traces in the Valley. If you plan to travel in the Kashmir Valley, it is important that you register with the Foreigners’ Registration unit of the Tourism Department. The registration counters are at Tourist Reception centres at Srinagar Airport, Srinagar City, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam and some other places. At Srinagar Airport there is a kind lady tourist officer who can give you some helpful and safe tour advice.

In case of an emergency, you can contact the nearest tourist police office or a police station. The emergency number of the Police Control Room is 100.

Personal safety
Kashmiris are considered very hospitable people. The Amarnath Yatra in which Hindus annually visit a cave situated deep in high-altitude mountains in Pahalgam (supposedly the abode of the Hindu God, Shiva) has been going on peacefully for more than a hundred years and Kashmiris have been known to provide all help to the yatris, sometimes even braving harsh mountain weather (which is not that rare considering it's a high-altitude pilgrimage.)

However, Kashmir is an area of conflict, and the danger of being killed or kidnapped by combatants, though lower than in some years past, is not to be taken lightly. It is always best to check for current conditions before you visit.

title: Kashmir Valley


text:
Kaskikot

Kaskikot is a beautiful village in the lap of Annapurna in Nepal. Before the unification of Nepal there were 24 small principalities in west Nepal. Kaski was one of them. The ruins of old palace of the rulers of Kaski can still be seen in Kaskikot. Kulmandan Shah was one of the rulers who established his Kingdom in west Nepal. His descendant Drabya Shah was first to establish Gorkha, source of the legendary Gorkha warriors.

Get in
It is very near from Pokhara (8 km by car) full of cultural heritage and beautiful scenes. It takes an hour walk to the west from Sarangkot.

Get around
Kaskikot is great to ride a bike around.

See

 * Phewa Lake is the most famous lake just below Kaskikot. It covers an area of 4.4 km2. A stream called Harpan Khola enters the Lake from the western end. There is a forested hill on the southern side of the lake, which includes the Peace Stupa. The temple of goddess Barahi is situated in the middle of the lake. Large number of hotels and restaurants are located along its northeastern shore. Boating and fishing are major attractions of Phewa Lake. There are 22 native species of fish in the lake, some of which are served as delicacies at restaurants in Pokhara.
 * Mountain views Clearly the most stunning of Kaskikot's sights is the spectacular panorama of the Annapurna range which forms its backdrop. Stretching from east to west, the Annapurna massif includes Annapurna I to IV and Annapurna south. Although the highest among then is Annapurna I (8091 m), it is Machhapuchhre which dominates all others in this neighborhood. This fish-tailed pinnacle is the archetypical snow-capped, needle-pointed mountain.
 * The view of the Annapurna Himalaya from Kaskikot is almost a religious experience. From here, you can see a panoramic sweep of Himalayan peaks.
 * The main village is just below the ridge, but a set of concrete steps leads uphill to a dramatic viewpoint in the ruins of an ancient kot (hill 1788 m).

Do
Trekking, and sightseeing are the major things that can be done in Kaskikot Village.

Buy
You can buy local agricultural products like ghee, honey, vegetables and different kinds of fruits.

Eat
Nepali food is the stable food in Kaskikot. Beside it foreign food is also available in tourist hotel.

Drink
Milk, Beverage, local wine and beer.

Sleep
There are abundant tourist hotel in Guntechour, Deurali, Maula, Mandhare Dhunga and all over Kaskikot. Even local people are happy to keep you in their home.

Go next
Local bus and taxi are available. You can reach to Pokhara within 1 hour drive from Kaskikot. Even you can go to Naudanda by 45 minutes walk.

title: Kaskikot


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Kaslo

Kaslo is a village of almost 1,000 people (2016) in the West Kootenays of British Columbia. It is sometimes called the Switzerland of the Americas.

Understand
Kaslo was designated as a sawmill site in 1889, and grew on the silver boom of the 19th century. It retains much of the history from its mining days. The town today relies mainly on the industries of forestry and tourism. Kaslo was incorporated as a city on August 14, 1893, making it the oldest incorporated community in the Kootenays. It was an important center for shipping and silver ore mining. After the silver rush Kaslo's fortunes faded but it was re-incorporated as a village on January 1, 1959.

By car

 * Kaslo is about 65 km north of Nelson (British Columbia) along the west side of Kootenay Lake. The easiest way to get to Kaslo is by vehicle as there is very limited public transit in this area.

By plane

 * There is a small paved air strip near town which is used by small private planes but no commercial airlines land here.
 * The closest airport with commercial airline service is in Castlegar, almost 2 hours away.

By bus

 * Operates two days per week between Kaslo and Vancouver with stops in Balfour, Nelson, Castlegar, Christina Lake, Grand Forks, Greenwood, Rock Creek, Osoyoos, Keremeos, Princeton, Manning Provincial Park, Hope, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Langley, and New Westminster. Travel time to Nalso from Nelson is 1 hour, from Castlegar is 1.75 hours, from Grand Forks is 3.25 hours, from Osoyoos is 4.5 hours, from Princeton is 6.25 hours, from Hope is 8 hours, from Abbotsford is 9.25, and from Vancouver is 10.5 hours.
 * Operates once per week between Calgary and Kaslo with stops in Okotoks, High River, Claresholm, Fort Macleod, Pincher Creek, Sparwood, Fernie, Cranbrook, Creston, Salmo, Nelson, and Balfour. Travel time to Kaslo from Calgary is 10.75 hours, from Sparwood is 6 hours, from Cranbrook is 4 hours, and from Nelson is 1 hour.
 * Operates two days per week between Kaslo and Vancouver with stops in Balfour, Nelson, Castlegar, Christina Lake, Grand Forks, Greenwood, Rock Creek, Osoyoos, Keremeos, Princeton, Manning Provincial Park, Hope, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Langley, and New Westminster. Travel time to Nalso from Nelson is 1 hour, from Castlegar is 1.75 hours, from Grand Forks is 3.25 hours, from Osoyoos is 4.5 hours, from Princeton is 6.25 hours, from Hope is 8 hours, from Abbotsford is 9.25, and from Vancouver is 10.5 hours.
 * Operates once per week between Calgary and Kaslo with stops in Okotoks, High River, Claresholm, Fort Macleod, Pincher Creek, Sparwood, Fernie, Cranbrook, Creston, Salmo, Nelson, and Balfour. Travel time to Kaslo from Calgary is 10.75 hours, from Sparwood is 6 hours, from Cranbrook is 4 hours, and from Nelson is 1 hour.

Get around
Kaslo is small enough to be easily walkable and the main "shopping district" is only about a block long. Park your vehicle on a side street and wander. "Lower Kaslo", as the name suggests, is closest to Kootenay Lake and is where stores and shops can be found. "Upper Kaslo" is mainly residential with great views of the village's natural setting.

Buy
Kaslo has most of the essential shops available, including a grocery store, an organic food store, a bakery, liquor store, post office, a couple of gas stations and a selection of shops selling flowers, clothes and souvenirs.

Sleep
There is a good number of places to find overnight accommodation, including a hotel, a motel, many B&Bs and several campgrounds in the area.
 * Two campsites ( and ), 25 and 30 km respectively, north of Kaslo on Hwy 31 towards Meadow Creek.
 * Two campsites ( and ), 25 and 30 km respectively, north of Kaslo on Hwy 31 towards Meadow Creek.
 * Two campsites ( and ), 25 and 30 km respectively, north of Kaslo on Hwy 31 towards Meadow Creek.
 * Two campsites ( and ), 25 and 30 km respectively, north of Kaslo on Hwy 31 towards Meadow Creek.
 * Two campsites ( and ), 25 and 30 km respectively, north of Kaslo on Hwy 31 towards Meadow Creek.

Connect
Internet access can be obtained at several locations in town:

WiFi Hotspots

 * The Kaslo Hotel (see listing under "Sleep") has free Wi-Fi access.

Go next
If you really want to get out, consider going on a challenging backcountry hike. There are many to choose from and they've been keeping lots of the locals busy for years. These aren't always easy to find and they are challenging, so you need to be prepared. Arm yourself with a copy of the trail guide Where Locals Hike in the West Kootenay, the latest copy of the Backroads Mapbook of the area, possibly a topographic map, a high clearance vehicle and some knowledge of how to conduct yourself in mountainous terrain where bears live and visit some of the truly stunning destinations available in the area. Some examples would include Monica Meadows, Macbeth Icefield trail, Whitewater Creek (not anywhere near the ski hill, despite the similar name), Fry Creek Canyon, Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park.

title: Kaslo


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Kassala

Kassala is a city in Kassala State (Wilayat Kassala) in Sudan. It is market town that is famous for its fruit gardens. Kassala is an important trading centre because it lies on the main highway between Khartoum and Port Sudan.

Understand
Many of its inhabitants are from the Hadendawa people.

Get in
Buses leave Kassala for Khartoum (7 hours), Gedaref (3 hours) and Port Sudan (7 hours). The better bus companies tend to get booked up early, so if you want a comfortable journey book tickets a few days in advance. Otherwise, turn up at the bus station and take one of the more ramshackle options.

Smaller buses and minibuses head to destinations around Kassala, like Halfa al-Jadida, Khashm al-Ghirba and Aroma.

You need a permit to enter Kassala, and these are checked thoroughly at the entrance to the city, just before arriving at the bus station. You can get a permit from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs in Khartoum (close to Khartoum University), which can take a couple of hours or several days depending on their mood. If you leave the city on a day trip, you may well have trouble getting back in. As of March 2010, the permit to Kassala can easily be obtained at the Permits Office across from Dandas Hotel (southeast corner of the intersection) with one photo, three copies of your passport and Sudanese Visa, and a form you fill out on location. The whole process is free and takes about 5 minutes.

To Eritrea, the border is apparently open, and the place to head for is Souq Tesenei, a small bus station in the 'Aamiriya district.

Get around
Souq ash-Sha'abi is Kassala's bus station, just off the main Khartoum-Port Sudan highway and quite a distance from the centre of town. Local buses and taxis meet most bus arrivals.

Al-Mowgif al-'Aam is the central bus station, a large square in the middle of the souqs. Buses a tourist might need to use include Khatmiya (for the old quarter of Khatmiya, Tomb of Seyid Hassan and the cafes on Totil Mountain), Souq ash-Sha'abi (for the inter-city bus station), Banat (for the Gash river and colonial railway quarter), and the lorries to Sawagi Janubiya and Sawagi Shamaliya, the two areas of farmland to the south and north.

Kassala does not have many taxis and no rikshas.

See

The souqs are lively and colourful, with many people dressed in clothes unique to their tribe.

 * Souq an-Niswaan is the "women's souq" where baskets and mats are made, as well as coffee making equipment and incense.
 * Souq ar-Rashaida is where the Rashaida tribe gather, selling their bright red and black robes for women and coloured jellabiyas for men.

Khatmiya is the old part of Kassala, underneath the mountains of Taka, Totil and Aweitila (huge, you can't miss them). The main sight is the tomb of Seyyid Hassan, a local holy man who is buried in a roofless dome next to a semi-ruined mosque. Locals tell you that he is so holy that when it rains, not a drop falls through the hole in the roof. Next to the tomb is a Qur'anic school for boys.

Behind the tomb, you can climb the slopes of Jebel Totil. On the lower slopes, there are several cafes built into the rock, serving the best coffee in Kassala. There is also the famous well of Totil. If you drink from it, legend has it that you will return to Kassala one day.
 * The Gash River runs through Kassala, but for most of the year it is a dry sandy riverbed, used for football practice in the evenings. In the rainy season, water cascades down from the Eritrean mountains and charges through the city, making the riverbanks a popular place to walk in the evenings. However, the Gash is a dangerous river, having flooded in 2007 and 2003, causing huge amounts of damage to the whole city.
 * On the other side of the Gash, you reach an area called Sikka Hadiid, which is the old railway quarter. The original railway station still stands, all impressive and colonial but abandoned now. Around this are British built round brick huts, which used to house railway workers and is now a popular place for students to live.
 * To the south, the Sawagi Janubiyya (southern gardens) is a collection of villages surrounded by mango and guava orchards alongside the Gash.

Do

 * Drink coffee at one of Kassala's hundreds of tea stalls or at a cafe on Totil mountain.
 * Take a walk through Sawagi Janubiyya. Cross the Gash bridge and take the road to your left which leads you through the Sawagi villages. After five kilometres or so, you can get alongside the Gash, and if it is dry, you can cross over to the mountains and Khatmiya.
 * Jabal Kasala is a mountain that rises above the surrounding area with small summit area, steep slopes and local relief of 300 m.
 * Jabal Kasala is a mountain that rises above the surrounding area with small summit area, steep slopes and local relief of 300 m.

Buy
Kassala is famous for its coffee, which is traditionally served in a clay coffee pot called a jebbana. These are sold quite cheaply in Souq an-Niswan, along with wooden mortar and pestles for grinding the beans and ginger, roasting trays, jebbana stands and tiny coffee cups.

Eat
Fuul (mashed fava beans) is the main dish found in Kassala, and there are lots of fuul stalls around. The best ones are between the Souq an-Niswaan and Hotel Hipton, where the fuul is mixed with ta'amiya, cheese, tuna or egg, and topped with sesame oil, garlic and a herb called shumaar.

At-Tabaq as-Souri on the main square is a good place for sandwiches and shawarma. They also serve baklava and other sweets, and is one of the only cafes in Kassala where local women eat.

For more local dishes, like tagaliya and bamiya (both gloopy okra-based sauces) served with ghuraasa (a spongy pancake type bread) or kisra (very thin, slightly sour bread), and various bits of meat (ask for shiyya if you aren't keen on offal), try some of the restaurants in the middle of the souq.

On the road to Khatmiya, the bus passes a livestock market opposite a large cemetery. Here, there are stalls selling sheep, which are slaughtered to order and cooked in the restaurant next door.

Drink
Kassala is famous for its coffee (jebbana), spiced with ginger (zinjabil) and cinnamon (girfa') and served in a clay coffee pot, with incense and popcorn on the side. The best place for the full treatment is at one of the cafes on the slopes of Totil mountain. Otherwise, Kassala is full of tea stalls, where coffee is served in smaller coffee pots made from recycled Pif-Paf cans.

 * jebbana - coffee.
 * bi dawa thagiil - with lots of ginger and cinnamon.
 * bi dawa khafiif - with a little ginger.
 * saliiga - without ginger.
 * shay - tea.
 * shay kerkedeh - pink hibiscus tea.
 * shay bi laban - tea with hot milk.
 * fawgu jumaada - with lumpy bits of milk (some people do ask for it!).
 * shay faransi - literally "French tea", this is actually coffee with milk.

Fruit juices are excellent in Kassala, and made fresh at many stalls in the souq, so you can ask for one without sugar. Mango and guava are the best, but orange tends to be diluted with a lot of water and mixed with bucketloads of sugar, so avoid it. Local juices include aradeeb (a brown tangy juice, similar to tamarind) and sha'iir (made from a white powder and a bit like cold malted milk).

Sleep
Two of the best hotels in Kassala are the Telal ash-Sharg and the Hipton. Others include the Safa, Bashir, Totil and Medina. They are all located in the streets behind the Mowgif al-'Aam bus station. Some foreigners don't get a choice where they stay, as the security police will escort them to a particular place, usually one of the ones mentioned above. Cheaper places like the Hotel Africa and the many basic lakondas (courtyards filled with beds) sometimes won't accept foreigners.

title: Kassala


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Kassandra

The coast of Kassandra peninsula (Modern Greek: Kασσάνδρα, Ancient Greek: Katharevousa), near the city of Thessaloniki, offers many excellent beaches.

Understand
Kassandra is known for its wonderful beaches that have made it one of the main tourist areas on the mainland. The proximity to the international airport of Thessaloniki also promoted the tourist development. Many tourists from Eastern European countries come by car in the region, so it can be quite crowded in the high season, even on remote beaches, which used to inaccessible for air tourists. On summer weekends an invasion of bathers from Thessaloniki takes place with the volume of traffic increasing strongly. The best time to visit is the early or late season.

Tourism has already entered Kassandra in the 1970s. Accordingly, on Kassandra there are also the hotels that date back to this time and are also characterized by the style of this time. Therefore there are some architectural aberrations from this time. These hotels have often been refurbished to modern standards but are not very nice to look at.

In the north, the peninsula is very narrow. Sometimes you can see the sea on both sides. On the east coast the villages are more the style that is favored by Greek tourists. On the west coast the tourist settlement Sani dominates, which was completely created for tourist use. It is very nice and clean but you are completely isolated and guests have nothing to do with real Greek life style.

In the middle of the peninsula, the mountainous part begins. Again there is a difference between the east and west coast. At the east coast from Kallithea and south of it are the tourist centers of the peninsula with their beautiful crowded beaches. Mass tourism began here in the 1970s. Many of the hotels are from that time, and have been renovated several times, but you can still tell the age. On the steep west coast, it is much quieter, the strands are not so nice and partly unmanaged.

If you drive all the way to the south you get into the really nice part of Kassandra. Here are the picturesque bays, which are indeed quite busy in the summer, but in the early and late seasons invite you to a quiet swimming. There are even some beautiful beaches that can be reached by bus. The really beautiful beaches can only be reached by car, and the roads here are quite adventurous.

Villages

 * : small beautiful coastal viiale with its landmark, the Byzantine tower. The remarkable church of Saint Paul, which is located in a cave in which you can move due to the narrowness and low ceiling, in part only on all fours.
 * : As the only one of the coastal villages, Afytos has retained and restored much of its old structure. A walk through the village should not be missed.
 * : very touristy place with many shops, taverns and bars and well-known nightlife.
 * : a highly touristy flat place, which is therefore also suitable for older guests
 * : very touristy place with a lot of shops and wonderful seaside restaurants and relatively good extensive beach. Pefkohori is one of the few flat places where you can easily get to the beach and therefore highly recommended for older guests
 * (& Agia Paraskevi)
 * (& Loutra): small beautiful coastal village with a SPA center. The central pool is fed by sulphurous water from the volcanic spring and has a constant temperature of 39 degrees
 * (& Fourka, Kassandrino)
 * : Definitely worth seeing is the market in Kassandria, always on Tuesdays.
 * : a rather inconspicuous tourist destination, where it is quite quiet for the conditions on Kassandra
 * : The facility was created at the beginning of the 60s on the drawing board, where a completely new very luxurious and beautiful holiday area was created. The tower of Sani is the landmark of the place
 * : Definitely worth seeing is the market in Kassandria, always on Tuesdays.
 * : a rather inconspicuous tourist destination, where it is quite quiet for the conditions on Kassandra
 * : The facility was created at the beginning of the 60s on the drawing board, where a completely new very luxurious and beautiful holiday area was created. The tower of Sani is the landmark of the place

Get in

The nearest major airport is Thessaloniki. By bus it takes about an hour to Kassandra, the further south you want the longer it takes. By car, you can do it in 45 minutes. The highway from Thessaloniki ends near Nea Moudania and then you continue on a fairly well-maintained road to the south. From this central road all villages can be reached.

Get around
Kassandra is very well connected by bus lines. Sometimes there is a page with the departure times which are not very reliable. You sit down at the bus stop and wait until the bus arrives. Be aware that you can not just sit at the bus stop when the bus arrives, you have to get up and wave, otherwise it will not stop. Of course, you have to know how the bus looks like, because there are also many other tourist buses.

Rental cars, scooters and quads are offered in every location. The main roads on Kassandra are quite well developed and signposted. Parking in most villages is a real problem in high season and traffic especially on weekends can be heavy. To make tours on the island weekdays are the better choice.

See
In Kassandra, there are no major attractions that are worth a long drive, but a stop on an island tour.

Archaeological sites: all of the archaeological sites listed below are of secondary importance and poor conservation status. Nevertheless, a visit to an island tour is worthwhile.

Museums: the small museums are a destination for rainy days.

Do
Kassandra offers all the activities one would expect in a well-developed tourist area, such as all kinds of water sports, scuba diving, boat tours, and hiking. In each of the places the offers are displayed on posters along the promenade.

If you are seeking for more active way to spend time one of the best ways to explore area is using quad bike. There are plenty places where you can rent them, prices start at around €40 per day. There are many hidden beaches and it is the easiest way to get to the top of the hills from where you can see magnificent views of Kassandra peninsula.

 * The spa thermal baths of Agia Paraskevi.
 * The summer concerts and theater festival in the amphitheaters of Nea Moudania and Siviri and the jazz festival of Sani.
 * Feast of Agios Mamas: The most well-known feast in Halkidiki is undoubtedly the Feast of Agios Mamas. Every first week of September legions flock to the village of Agios Mamas to participate in the event, which is of commercial and folkloric interest. It is estimated that over 1,000 exhibitors and 200,000 visitors come to Agios Mamas every September.

Beaches
There is a good variety of beaches on Kassandra peninsula. If you are looking for something different there are few remote beaches which are usually not so overcrowded. Out of season you might find even a place to enjoy nudism. The easiest way to get to them is using a quad bike.

Buy
A big super market (Lidl) is at the main road at Avytos. Little super markets are in every village, as well as bakeries, pharmacies and other shops for the daily needs. At the villages on the east side from Kallithea down to Pefkohori you find the largest selection of shops selling touristic articles and cloth.

Eat
In every village you find Greek restaurants, pizza, gyros and other fast food, bakeries and patisseries. The places have adapted to the guest from all countries and you can get e.g. British breakfast, continental or Greek with Bougasta and coffee in all variations. Popular for breakfast is the Greek specialty Bougatsa, buns of puff pastry stuffed with pudding (Bugatsa me Crema) or feta cheese (Bugatsa me Tiri).

Drink
Known for its nightlife is Kallithea - not only known, almost infamous. In the south of the city there are numerous nightlife facilities, including the stigma disco. There are even customers who come from Thessaloniki just to drink and dance there.

Sleep
There is a vast number of accommodations listed on the popular internet booking portals with prices and reviews. Lately building activity has increased again and new hotel complexes are emerging, but mostly in unfavourable locations. Therefore, it is important to look at the location of the accommodation on Google Earth before booking to avoid disappointment. Many accommodations are so far away from the nearest town that you can not get to a beach without a vehicle or enjoy the nightlife. It should also be noted that on Kassandra only a few places are flat and so the way to the beach is often difficult without a vehicle.

Go next

 * Sithonia
 * Mount Athos
 * Thessaloniki

title: Kassandra


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Kassel

Kassel (population 201,000 in 2020) is the most important city in North Hesse. It is known around the world for the documenta exhibitions of contemporary art every five years. Furthermore, the "Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe" with its water displays received the title "UNESCO-World Heritage Site" in 2013.

History
Kassel traces its history to a first mention in 913 CE, but archaeological finds indicate human habitation at this site predating the 10th century. And the city would soon become a centre and later residence of the Landgraviate of Hesse.

During the Thirty Years War Kassels Landgraf Philipp declared for the Protestants. This had an effect as later numerous Huguenots emigrated from France and brought with them their trade and skills. The impact of the Huguenots can still be witnessed in the centre of Kassel where streets are named after Huguenots.

Kassel became a considerable industrial and scientific city as can still be seen in the Orangerie museum where loads of scientific kit from the enlightenment period is on show. Noticeably the first steam pot producing a fountain was constructed in Kassel by Papin and rumours have it that he left Kassel in his steam boat a few years before James Watt got his prototype into shape.

Kassel was already a heavy industries site by World War II, where trains, tanks and planes were constructed. In the later years of the war Kassel was thoroughly bombed as a military target by English and American planes.

Kassel was home to the famous Brothers Grimm who wrote a lot of the fairy tales Disney uses today. A less well known but perhaps more important piece of their work was an attempt at a "complete" dictionary of the German language, that was only completed after their death. The house that they lived in was made into a museum with a lot of interesting artefacts.

The Centre of Kassel itself was thoroughly destroyed during the Second World War and therefore rebuilt in the incredibly bland 1950s style (which in fairness was partially due to budget constraints and admitted to be ugly even back then). Hence, the inner city is mainly dominated by bank and mall buildings of the modern sort.

By car
Motorways (Hannover-Würzburg),  (Kassel-Dortmund) and  (Kassel-Marburg) leads to Kassel.

By train
Kassel is an important hub in the ICE network and is one of the cities on the first purpose-built German high speed rail line connecting Würzburg and Hanover. Most ICE and some local trains serve, about 4 km west of downtown. The private operator Flixtrain also serves Kassel Wilhelmshöhe. Flixtrain does not accept DB tickets and vice versa.

Kassel's historic, that was refurbished following the opening of the Wilhelmshöhe station has been branded "Kulturbahnhof" (culture station) and is much closer to downtown. Only regional trains operating to/from here. You can take a train from one station to the other and its advisable to start your exploration from Hauptbahnhof as it is much closer to most sights.

By bus
The (intercity bus station), also known as the ZOB, adjoins the Kassel-Wilhemshöhe Bahnhof. There is another intercity bus station at, a few meters behind the city boundary of Kassel at the motorway. The tramlines 4 and 8 are running from the Papierfabrik in the city centre.

By plane

The next major airports are in Hanover and of course Frankfurt airport. As they are excellently connected to the German railway network (Frankfurt airport has an high speed ICE stop) and Kassel is a major hub, you can get from the airport to town in no more than two hours. You can also buy combined tickets for flight and train.

Get around
From the station, trams leave towards the town centre and one can easily walk to the Bergpark which is visible from where the trams leave. If you are staying a few days in Kassel buy a public transport Wochenkarte. Ride as much as you like on the streetcars and buses for a full week from date of issue for €23.50 (January 2019). Another very attractive offer for tourists is the Kasselcard for 2 adults (24 hr for €9, 72 hr for €12) which includes all public transport and offers reduced entrance fee in many museums. The Kasselcard is only available at the Tourist Information offices, at the youth hostel and at some hotels.

Tram and bus stops are identified by this sign:.

 * Local public transport is the KVG (only in German), see also the website of the transport association NVV (only in German) for north Hesse.

Sport

 * KSV Hessen Kassel is the most popular football club of Kassel and plays in the German Fourth Division (Regionalliga Südwest). The home stadium of the football club is the which is able to hold 18,000 people.
 * Kassel Huskies is a professional ice hockey and plays in the 2nd Eishockey-Bundesliga, but they played the majority of their seasons in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, called DEL (1994–2006). The team plays in the (6100 people).
 * MT Melsungen is a handball club from Melsungen, but has it home in the since 2007 which is able to hold 4300 people. The team plays in the German Handball-Bundesliga.
 * The Kassel-Marathon is one of the biggest and fastest marathons in Germany. In the programme are a children run, called Mini-Marathon, with a length of 4.2 km, a half-marathon, a marathon and a marathon ekiden. Start and end is in the Auestadion in the south of Kassel.

Go next
Getting a little bit out of the city can be a good thing. Around Kassel there are beautiful forests and ponds that have really good trails like the Habichtswald in the west or the Reinhardswald in the north. You can travel with buses direct into them (Bus 22 or 190).

Buy
Shopping can be somewhat difficult in Kassel compared to the United States, but most of the good shopping is located close to the Königsplatz so if you get off the Straßenbahn (Tram) around there you can do most of your shopping with the usual big retail chains and many smaller shops.

A lot of local shops you can find in the old market hall:

Eat
There are great bakeries on every corner and throughout the city. Another great place to eat is any of the little stands located in the City Point or Kürfürsten Galerie (city centre).

Beer gardens
These beer gardens also serve main dishes:

Stay safe
Kassel is usually very safe. Tourists normally do not get into the little problem areas from Kassel you can find in the northern and southern districts (Nord-Holland, Schillerviertel, Brückenhof, Mattenberg).

Important telephone numbers

 * Police: 110
 * Emergency (fire, acute illness): 112
 * Municipality: 115

Go next

 * Deutsche Märchenstraße (German Fairytale Road)

Habichtswald
The Habichtswald and the Naturpark Habichtswald are located in the west of Kassel. You can find in the nature park châteaus as, old castle ruins as the or worth seeing mountains as the  with Helfensteine, where also the Naturparkzentrum is located (bus line 117 from Zierenberg train station, lines R4/RT4). Medieval towns in the Naturpark Habichtswald are Zierenberg, Wolfhagen and Naumburg (Hesse).

Reinhardswald
The Reinhardswald is an area associated with fairy tales and the stories of the Brothers Grimm, for example "Sleeping Beauty", who should lived on the, an old castle in the middle of the forest. There are nice medieval and baroque towns around the Reinhardswald, like Hann. Münden in Lower Saxony or Bad Karlshafen in the north of Hesse. Visit also the, the oldest animal park of Europe and the , the first Naturschutzgebiet of Hesse. Bus line 190 runs through the Reinhardswald from Hofgeismar train station, train lines RE17/RT1, or Hann. Münden train station, train lines RE2/RE9/R8.

Edersee
The Edersee is a reservoir and together with the Nationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee a multifaceted touristic area in the southwest of Kassel. Most famous are the and, but there are also smaller sights and not to forget the objects, which you can just see when there is only very little water in the reservoir, like the Aseler Brücke (bridge). Around the Edersee and in the Kellerwald you can find a lot of hiking trails or cycle paths.

Upland
The Upland is the northeastern part of the Hochsauerland and Rothaar Mountains and a ski and hiking area. The most famous mountain is the Ettelsberg (837,7 m ü. NHN), because of the heath and the, a 59 metre high observation tower, with a platform on 831 metres high. A cable car runs between Willingen and the mountain. Next to the Ettelsberg you can find the, the largest ski jumping hill in the world with World Cup events every year.

Next cities

 * Göttingen (50 km) - famous university town in Lower Saxony (Georg-August-Universität)
 * Eisenach (85 km) - with Wartburg, where Martin Luther translated the Bible into German; native town of Johann Sebastian Bach
 * Marburg (90 km) - famous university town in Hesse (Philipps-Universität, one of Germany's oldest universities)

title: Kassel