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Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach is a resort city in southeast Virginia on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

Understand
Virginia Beach offers the classic beach vacation, and maintains a long-standing reputation as a family-friendly oceanfront resort. Visitors are greeted by a wide beach lined by Virginia Beach’s  concrete oceanfront Boardwalk. The resort offers a mild climate year-round. Itineraries include lazy days on the beach, the state parks and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge beckon, hiking, kayaking, and biking adventures. Fishing, golfing, whale watching, dolphin watching, historic landmarks, and exciting attractions and popular events are part of the Beach experience.

Virginia Beach was formed in 1691, and in 1963 it annexed all of surrounding Princess Anne County. Today it is the most populous city in Virginia, and also contains the tallest building in the state (the Westin in Virginia Beach Town Center).

By plane
Virginia Beach is served by Norfolk International Airport in neighboring Norfolk, which is just west of the border between the two cities.

By car
If you are coming from the Delmarva Peninsula, or anywhere northeast of it, the fastest way to drive to Virginia Beach is down Delmarva Peninsula, onto U.S. Route 13, and across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

If you are coming from anywhere northwest or west of the area, the fastest way is along Interstate 64.

Coming from the south or southwest, it is easiest to take Interstate 85 or 95 to US 58.

By train
While Virginia Beach has no train station, nearby Newport News has at least two daily trains both to and from Boston. There is also an Amtrak station in nearby downtown Norfolk. Amtrak provides a connecting shuttle bus from both stations to Virginia Beach; make sure to select Virginia Beach as your destination when booking tickets.

By bus
Sprinter Bus operates daily service between Virginia Beach and Dover (Delaware) ($35) and New York City ($45). Their phone number is: 1-757-456-5555. In Dover, catch the bus at 1131 North Dupont Hwy, Dover. In New York City, catch the bus at 201 West 37th St. in Times Square. Buses drop you off at 5461 Wesleyan Dr., about east of Norfolk International Airport. If you want to take the local HRT bus to the beachfront you will need to take the number 22 bus to Newtown Road light rail station and transfer to the 20 bus going east.

Get around
Virginia Beach is easily traversable during the off-season but not during the main season by car. The Boardwalk is traversable by walking or biking. Surreys are popular and can fit from 2 to 7 people. Bike and Surrey rentals are all along the Boardwalk and Atlantic avenue. For getting around by bus use the Hampton Roads Transit Website. It uses Google Maps to plan public transit trips. Bus fare is $1.50 per ride.

If you are staying at the Oceanfront, there are a few ways to get around the beach area, including the trolley and bus system operated by Hampton Roads Transit. If you want to explore other areas in Hampton Roads, the best way is to rent a car.

Do

 * Surfing. The surf in Virginia Beach is sometimes small but usually rideable. In August, more than 100 of the world's top professional surfers and an estimated 400 amateur surfers come for North America's oldest surfing contest, the East Coast Surfing Championships. One of the best surf spots is at the beach called Croatan, off of General Booth Blvd. Visitors can also experience surfing with former professional champions who offer surf camps for people of all ages. The various outfitters, including Quicksilver and Billabong Surf camps, offer individual instruction, 2-hour classes, 1-day, 3-day and 5-day camps.
 * Kayaking and Canoeing. Virginia Beach’s 121 navigable miles of waterways, channels, bays and lagoons are perfect for kayak and canoe enthusiasts. Explore the multitude of coves and inlets on a guided tour of coastal Virginia, or experience kayaking alongside bottlenose dolphins in the ocean. Virginia Beach’s creeks and rivers are also perfect for canoeing – venture into Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge or state parks such as False Cape and First Landing.
 * Running. The resort city hosts several professional and amateur races, like Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, that draws more than 20,000 athletes. The Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon features musical talent along every mile for both participants and spectators to enjoy. Virginia Beach also hosts the Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon, Half Marathon and 8K - another event where records have been shattered.
 * Fishing. With the food-rich Chesapeake Bay meeting the Atlantic Ocean, Virginia Beach and its neighboring waters are home to a multitude of freshwater, brackish and saltwater fishing opportunities. Croaker, spot, flounder, striped bass, tautog, sea bass, trout, bluefish, skipjack, cobia, mahi-mahi, spanish and king mackerel, puppy and red drum, yellowfin and bluefin tuna, marlin, amberjack and wahoo are abundant at various times of the year. Tow your boat and choose from several different put-in locations or opt for a company that specializes in half-day or full-day private charters. Group party boats are also available at Rudee Inlet and on Shore Drive. If you choose to stay near shore, cast a line from one of the four piers. Try your hand at one of Virginia Beach’s annual fishing tournaments, including the Striped Bass World Championship or Waterman’s Rockfish Shoot-out. Freshwater and saltwater fishing licenses are required.
 * Dolphin and Whale Watching. Humpback and fin whales journey to the food-rich mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean for their annual retreat. From December until March, Virginia Beach offers visitors the rare opportunity to spot these magnificent creatures up close on a whale watching boat tour conducted by Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. Whale watching vacation packages are available. Every year, bottlenose dolphins migrate off the Virginia Beach coast during the spring, summer and fall. Several outdoor outfitters offer dolphin-watching boat trips and kayaking excursions, where the dolphins often frolic on the waves just several feet from the kayaks.
 * Birding. The Seashore-to-Cypress Loop, part of the initial Coastal Phase of the statewide Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, was officially opened October 4, 2002 by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. It traverses the city of Virginia Beach and extends into the neighboring city of Norfolk. The Seashore-to-Cypress loop contains 12 viewing sites teeming with flocks of migrant shorebirds, songbirds and raptors, winter wetlands filled with waterfowl and whales swimming offshore and summer swarms of dolphins, butterflies and dragonflies. Popular stops include the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel, First Landing State Park, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, False Cape State Park and the Virginia Aquarium.
 * Dolphin and Whale Watching. Humpback and fin whales journey to the food-rich mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean for their annual retreat. From December until March, Virginia Beach offers visitors the rare opportunity to spot these magnificent creatures up close on a whale watching boat tour conducted by Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. Whale watching vacation packages are available. Every year, bottlenose dolphins migrate off the Virginia Beach coast during the spring, summer and fall. Several outdoor outfitters offer dolphin-watching boat trips and kayaking excursions, where the dolphins often frolic on the waves just several feet from the kayaks.
 * Birding. The Seashore-to-Cypress Loop, part of the initial Coastal Phase of the statewide Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, was officially opened October 4, 2002 by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. It traverses the city of Virginia Beach and extends into the neighboring city of Norfolk. The Seashore-to-Cypress loop contains 12 viewing sites teeming with flocks of migrant shorebirds, songbirds and raptors, winter wetlands filled with waterfowl and whales swimming offshore and summer swarms of dolphins, butterflies and dragonflies. Popular stops include the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel, First Landing State Park, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, False Cape State Park and the Virginia Aquarium.

Buy
The city is home to and. Approximately five minutes from the oceanfront, the Hilltop area contains several smaller shopping centers with national brand stores and smaller boutiques. Virginia Beach's newest downtown area,, spans 17 city blocks and provides a mix of upscale retail, luxury residential, and an array of cafes and restaurants, along with business-class and deluxe hotels.

 *  Atlantic Avenue at the oceanfront has dozens of souvenir stores. Some sell inexpensive goods. Along Atlantic Avenue, visitors will find a number of quaint boutiques and souvenir shops offering a variety of selections. There are some pretty good stores in the Ocean 31 area by the HIlton hotel at 31st Street.

Drink
Town Center usually is pretty vibrant at night, in general.

Consulates

 * 🇧🇪 Belgium
 * 🇩🇰 Denmark

title: Virginia Beach


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Virginia City (Montana)

Virginia City is a small town (most definitely not a 'city'!) in Madison County, in south-east Montana, approximately midway between Butte and Bozeman, south of the I-90 highway. It was once the capital of the Montana Territory. When gold was discovered nearby in Alder Creek, it became a boomtown in the ensuing gold rush.

Like many gold towns, Virginia City became the "Wild West". Drinking, gambling and vigilante justice were part of the culture. People such as Calamity Jane called Virginia City home for a time.

Understand
The ghost town of Virginia City began to be restored for tourism in the 1950s. Most of the city is now owned by the state government and is a National Historic Landmark operated as an open air museum. Of the nearly three hundred structures in town, almost half were built prior to 1900.

The town is mostly only a tourist destination. Nearly all businesses in the town are geared toward tourism. There are less than 200 residents.

Get in
Virginia City is on MT Highway 287. It is 15 miles west of Ennis and 30 miles east of Twin Bridges.

Get around
A steam train runs between Virginia City and nearby Nevada City as a sightseeing option. Additionally there are horse drawn tours around the town of Virginia City

A car is necessary to get to Virginia City. Once there park the car and walk to all destinations.

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

title: Virginia City (Montana)


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Virginia City (Nevada)

Virginia City is a small town south of Reno on highway 341, in Storey County, Western Nevada.

Understand
Virginia City was a boomtown that sprung up around the 1859 discovery of massive silver deposits. At its peak, the city had a population of around 25,000 and was one of the most important cities in the American west. This was followed by a quick decline however, as silver deposits became exhausted starting in the 1880s. Today, Virginia city is a small town of about 1,000 residents that has managed to maintain much of its 19th-century "Old West" feel. It is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

By road
From Reno: Take highway 395 south out of Reno and continue on to 341 south over the Geiger Grade.

By train
The V&T Railway offers same day round trip rides from Carson City to Virgnia City over the summer and near Christmas.

Get around
Most everything is on C Street, which is the main street through town. It is easy to walk from one end to the other in less than an hour. Parking is available along C street and some side streets, but it may fill up if you don't arrive early enough. The pay parking lots charge $10 for the day.

See

 * People dressed in vintage 70's clothes (that would be the 1870s). They hang out at some of the saloons.

Museums
Virginia City has many different museums (a full list can be found here).

Do

 * Wander C Street
 * Take a mine tour: there are several operators offering guided excursions into the mines beneath the city.
 * Watch the Camel races.

Gambling
There are some gambling opportunities at the saloons.

Buy

There are lots of gift shops on C Street. The quality ranges from good to garbage.

Eat
At the Saloons

Drink
Outdoor consumption of alcohol is tolerated.

Go next

 * Carson City
 * Reno - is just up the highway
 * Republic of Molossia - micronation

title: Virginia City (Nevada)


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Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands:

 * British Virgin Islands
 * Spanish Virgin Islands — Vieques and Culebra in Puerto Rico
 * U.S. Virgin Islands

title: Virgin Islands


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Virgin Islands National Park

Virgin Islands National Park is a national park on Saint John in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

History
Civilizations lived on St. John as early as 1100, as evidenced by the petroglyphs, or rock carvings left by the Taino people. These carvings are found especially on the Reef Bay hiking trail. These people were all but driven into extinction by Europeans in the 17th century seeking new territories as colonial properties.

In 1962, Congress expanded the boundary of Virgin Islands National Park to include 5,650 acres of submerged lands to protect and preserve the beautiful coral gardens and seascapes. Today, the park conducts research, and has developed policies and practices aimed at protecting the fragile coral reef systems.

A Presidential Proclamation established the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument in January 1999 to protect reefs from further degradation. Hurricane Hole is the only area of the Monument reachable by land.

Flora and fauna
Much of the vegetation on Saint John is second generation growth. Almost the entire Island was clear-cut to make way for sugar cane production during the colonial era. Some native species like the type palm remain, but much growth today are introduced species. The only mammal known to be native to the island of St. John is the bat.

Climate
Climate is temperate year-round ranging from low 80s F (26-29 °C) during the winter to the low to mid 90s (32-36 °C) in summers.

Visitor information

 * Park website

Get in
Visitors must arrive by ferry to Saint John. The ferry terminal at Cruz Bay has safari bus shuttles and tour operators available.

Route 20 (North Shore Road) runs from the ferry dock past the Visitors Center to the most contiguous part of the park, including most beaches and the campgrounds as well.

Fees and permits
Admission to Virgin Islands National Park is free. However, at Trunk Bay a one-day user fee is collected. Adults $5, under 17 free; individual annual pass, $20; family annual pass, $30; Golden Age and Golden Access annual cardholders are admitted for half price (2020 prices).

A Special Use Permit ($25) is required at Hawksnest for organized activities that include ten or more people. A permit is required for weddings and other special events regardless of the number of people participating. In addition to the Special Use Permit, there is a Cost Recovery Deposit of $100. The fee is refundable after grounds inspection and removal of trash when the event has ended. Picnic pavilions and grills are available for all activities.

See

 * The park's beautiful beaches are the "can't miss" attraction as they are stunningly beautiful.
 * The St. John Historical Society has a small museum located at the Battery (Offices of the Governor), just a short walk from the Visitors Center.

Do
Diverse beaches, coral reefs, historic ruins, and hiking trails are available for exploration and enjoyment. Some visitors explore the park on their own, while others prefer a two-hour safari bus island tour with a private tour guide. To learn more about the island and its diverse plants, animals and people attend a Park program. Beaches without facilities are favored by some for more solitude.

 * Enjoy the crystal blue waters on a charter day-sail or boat snorkeling tour offered by private operators in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay.
 * Annaberg and Trunk Bay are the most popular park sites. Trunk Bay is considered to be one of the world's most beautiful beaches and has a marked underwater trail. Facilities there include a bathhouse, snack bar, souvenir shop and snorkel gear rentals. Lifeguards are on duty daily. These facilities close at 4PM.

Lodging
Lodging of all stripes is available outside the park on Saint John.

Stay safe
Hurricane season is from June to November; be aware.

title: Virgin Islands National Park


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Virpazar

Virpazar is a small town on Lake Skadar in Montenegro. Its main attraction is its proximity to the lake and as a great starting point for hiking.

Get in
You can get to Virpazar by train from either Podgorica or Bar for under €5. Trains also run from Sutomore.

You can also get to Virpazar by bus from Podgorica or Sutomore. Longer-distance buses for example, from Ulcinj, Bar towards Podgorica also stops there but it is important that you tell the bus driver that you want to stop in Virpazar or they will probably drive past it because it is so small. Try to arrange arrival during the daytime. The "Bus Stop" is a shed along the roadside and across the railway tracks from Hotel Pelikan. Boat rides can be arranged from there. You will need to wave down the buses heading to Podgorica or Ulcinj/Bar for your on-ward journey.

See

 * There is a very nice abandoned castle over the city that you can hike up to. From there you will get a good view of the lake and the surrounding mountains.
 * Ride a boat on a Skadar Lake national park, email: np-skadarlake@cg.yu, tel: +382 81 879 100. Admission fee: €4, plus a boat rental from a private entrepreneur (typically €10 per person per hour). Tickets sold by a Visitors Centre (Vranjina: 01 May-01 Oct: 8am-6pm daily; 01 Oct-01 May: 8am-4pm workdays. Murici: 01 May-01 Oct: 10am-6pm daily; Rijeka Crnojevica: 01 May-01Oct: 10am-6pm daily)

Do

 * Hike to Rijeka Crnojevica, supposedly an excellent two day trip
 * Take a taxi out to the 'beach.' There are boats that are extremely expensive €20 (?), you'll be much better off haggling with a taxi car driver for €5.
 * Hitch hike or walk down the lake to the Arbnez. Expect a lot of walking and camping but this is a spectacular trip.  For more information see Ulcinj.

Buy
There is an ATM in Virpazar but it can run out of cash and the shops and restaurants don't accept credit cards. Be prepared and come with cash. Other ATMs are located in Sutomore, a 20 minute train ride away on the coast, and Golubovci a 15 minute bus ride towards capital Podgorica.

Eat
There are several great restaurants around the town that serve fresh fish from the lake. If you are looking for an opportunity to stop being so cheap and just enjoy and good meal with some great montenegrin wine Virpazar will present you with a good opportunity.

Sleep
When you come in to town you will immediately be approached by someone from the main hotel. This person will try and hard sell you into getting a room in the hotel (for something like €40 a night). Don't get sucked in, you can find accommodation a little further up in the town for under €10 per night per person. The hotel restaurant is extremely expensive too.
 * If you walk into the center of town on the bridge that touches the railroad tracks, then continue straight through town and cross another bridge, old women might ask you if you need "soba" (or a room). This will probably be cheaper.

title: Virpazar


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Virudhaachalam

Virudhaachalam is a town in the Cuddalore to Salem Highway next to Neyveli in Tamil Nadu state in India. It is primarily a pilgrimage centre with an enormous Shiva temple, the Viruthagiriswarar temple, from which the name arose. The town is a good travel planning centre because it is linked to all the cities in Tamil Nadu by broad gauge railway network and good wide access roads. The town is also known for the large number of doctors, almost 100. The river Manimuthaaru flows through the town splitting it into two halves connected by a long bridge.

Get in
There are plenty of buses connecting from Chennai, Trichy, Salem, and Cuddalore.

A few buses come from Kovai, Madurai, Bangalore, Tirupati, and Tanjore.

Vridhachalam Junction is an important railway station in the Chennai to Kanyakumari Line.

You can get trains connecting to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Mangalore, and Trivandrum.

Do

 * Do Girivalam around the temple.
 * Take a ride along Erumanoor Road
 * Have a morning walk along the Junction road towards Ulundurpet.

Eat

 * Archana Restaurant, near bus stop
 * Ganesh Bhavan
 * Mammu Snacks and Restaurant
 * Bismi Biriyani
 * Vridhachalam Thavala Vadai, Kara Sev, Ragi and Bajra Adai in Ruchi Snack Shop

Drink

 * Saaral Bar in Anandha Lodge

Sleep

 * Shanmuga Lodge with car parking

title: Virudhaachalam


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Virunga National Park

Virunga National Park is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, but was labelled a site in danger in 1994 due to political conflict and poaching.

Understand
Virunga National Park is a 7800-km² World Heritage Site that lies on the eastern border of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it borders Uganda as well as Rwanda. It is the oldest national park in Africa and the second oldest in the world (after Yellowstone). It is named after the Virunga Mountain (volcanoes) range that lie in the south of the park. The park however is much larger and stretches all the way north to envelop Lake Edward as well as the Rwenzori Mountains.

History
The history of the park is deeply affected by the country of which it is part. For much of its long history, Virunga National Park has struggled to survive through many of Congo's troubled times. Thanks to the dedication of certain politicians, conservationists, park rangers and wardens, the park has survived, and is experiencing a dramatic renewal.

The park was founded in 1925 by King Albert I of Belgium as Albert National Park, the first national park on the continent of Africa. It was founded primarily to protect the gorillas living in the forests of the Virunga Mountains controlled by the Belgian Congo, but later expanded north to include the Rwindi Plains, Lake Edward and the Rwenzori Mountains in the far north.

In the first 35 years, the boundary of the park took shape, poaching was kept to a minimum and sustainable tourism thrived due to the work of a large body of hand-picked Congolese rangers and dedicated wardens. Land remuneration and the use of park resources such as fishing and hunting by the local population became an on-going problem and attempts were made to solve these issues.

When the Belgians granted Congo independence in 1960 the new state deteriorated rapidly, and so did the park. It was only in 1969 when President Mobutu began to take a personal interest in conservation, that the park was revived. In the process it was renamed Virunga National Park, and the first Congolese Wildlife Authority was established (now called ICCN).

Virunga fared well for the better part of the 1970s. Foreign investment helped to improve the park's infrastructure and training facilities, and the park became a popular destination for tourists, receiving on average 6500 visitors a year. In 1979 UNESCO designated the park as a World Heritage Site.

In the mid-1980s the Mobutu regime began to lose its hold on power and the country began a long slide into chaos. The park suffered terribly. Poaching depleted Virunga's large mammal populations, infrastructure was destroyed, and many rangers were killed. The Congolese Wildlife Authority slowly lost control of Virunga and UNESCO changed the World Heritage Site status to "endangered."

Over the 25 years that followed, the park staff endured an almost uninterrupted series of trials that included a refugee crisis from the Rwandan Genocide that contributed to the severe destruction of park forests, and armed militia penetration throughout the park. The Kivu War, which began in 2004 (and is ongoing at the end of 2020) centered on the park, with rebel forces occupying the park headquarters and evicting the park's staff. By the end of 2008 it seemed as if Virunga was finished.

The political situation in the DRC has changed dramatically since then. The park is back in the hands of the ICCN and enjoying the greatest resurgence of tourism and development in its history. International donors are investing in the development of the park's infrastructure at unprecedented levels. Virunga's management is efficient and transparent, and morale among the rangers is at an all time high.

Tourism increased from zero in 2008, to approximately 2000 in 2010 with numbers growing steadily. New tourist activities are being developed in the park, including the habituation of chimpanzees in the Tongo forest and a high-end lodge near the center of the three main tourist attractions in the southern sector, north of Goma.

However, armed men killed at least six rangers and wounded several others in an ambush in Jan 2021.

Africa's first national park survived decades of chaos against all the odds, not because of circumstance but because of the dedication of the rangers and staff who believe in the value of saving Virunga National Park and its wildlife.

Landscape
The nightly glow from the lava lake within the Nyiragongo volcano can be seen from miles away.

Virunga National Park is unrivalled in its diversity of landscapes and ecosystems. The parks bounderies envelop low land tropical forest in the north; high alpine forest in the Rwenzori Mountains; riverine forest around the Semliki and Rutshuru rivers; swamplands around lake Edward, savannah north and south of the lake; montane forest on the hills of the Virunga volcanoes and old (and new) lava flow landscapes.

Flora and fauna
The park boasts an astounding biodiversity due to the large variety of habitats it offers. In the southern sector the Mountain Gorillas attract most attention but the montane forests are also home to other primates such as Chimpanzees, Golden monkeys, Blue monkeys and black and white colobus. Forest Elephants and Buffalo are also found in this area as is the very shy Golden Cat.

The central area of the park consists mostly of savannah with species such as lion, leopard, kob, hyena, topi, and warthog. The lake, once containing the largest population of hippos (over 20,000), is slowly regenerating after many troubled years and hippos and crocodiles are once again a common sight.

In the north of the park in the deep Congolese forest the most elusive of African creatures is found: the Okapi.

Get in
The southern sector (Gorillas and Volcano) of Virunga National Park is easily accessible in a number of different ways the most common are:
 * Overland via Uganda, cross the border in Bunagana, from where the Mountain gorilla sites Jomba and Bikenge are easily accessible within 1 hour. The border crossing is easy, and a local visa can be bought at the border for only US$50, however this visa is not a fully recognized visa and can only be used to visit the park and subsequently leaving the country at the Bunagana border post again.
 * Overland via Rwanda, cross the border at Gisenyi/Goma, the border crossing is easy if you prearranged a visa, if not it will be difficult or expensive (US$280 if bought at the border).
 * Fly into Goma, from within the DRC many flights connect to Goma. From outside the DRC Ethiopian is the only international airline flying to Goma from Addis Abeba. Once again make sure you have a prearranged visa.
 * Virunga National Park can organize a 2-week tourist visa. The price is US$105 (end of 2014), but it must be combined with a purchase of any Virunga National Park permit. The cheapest permit is US$255 (end of 2014) for Nyiragongo trek. The visa process takes 1-2 weeks, so apply in advance. Keep a close eye on the Virunga National Park Tourism Website

Fees and permits
Virunga National Park permits:

 * Mountain Gorilla Permit: US$465 (2014) (less than the cost in Uganda and Rwanda). These can be bought online via the Virunga National Park Tourism Website
 * Nyiragongo Volcano Trek Permit: US$255 (2014). You can stay overnight and sleep on the summit in the Nyiragongo Crater Cabanes with a view over the largest lava lake in the world.
 * Rwenzori Mountain Trek Permit: US$232 (multiday trek) (2014). Different treks are possible (4-5-6 days)

Transportation to/from the park is quite expensive and not included in the permits.

Do

 * Climb Nyiragongo Volcano [[Image:Nyiragongo Lava Lake.jpg|thumb|The Lava Lake of the Nyiragongo Volcano, the largest in the world]]— This volcano, famous for its lava lake, is a technically easy climb from the direction of Goma. A trip to the top should take less than 6 hours, and most climbers spend the night at the top. This also makes it possible to see the boiling lava by night, when it appears to be even brighter. The shortest Nyiragongo Hike in Virunga National Park is 2 days and one day is always climbing and the second day is coming back.
 * Visit the Mountain Gorillas — The mountain gorillas are located in the Mikeno Sector, about a two and half our drive from Goma. They can also be approached from Bunagana (border of Uganda). The permit is US$465, so slightly cheaper than in Uganda or Rwanda. The visits are also a bit more authentic and in smaller groups. There are several operators who can organise this, but all book via the ICCN (Congolese Wildlife Authority) sales office in Goma. You can also book directly with ICCN (tourism@gorilla.cd). They can also organise transport.
 * Rwenzori Mountain Trek [[Image:Ruwenzori Mountains Virunga National Park.jpg|thumb|Glacier of the Rwenzori Mountains in Virunga National Park]]— The Rwenzori Mountains are a snow-capped mountain range in the north of Virunga National Park on the border with Uganda. The highest peak in the range lies on the border and can be climbed from both countries. The trek to the glacier can be made in a 4-5 or 6-day trek. In order to start the trek visitors will need to travel to Beni by airplane (either from Goma or Entebbe).
 * Visit the Tongo Chimps — Virunga National Park has a habituated chimpanzee group in the picturesque hills of Tongo, in the southern sector of Virunga National Park, west of the park headquarters of Rumangabo. Tongo is a unique forest island and home to a small population of chimpanzees. The forest lies on one of the lava flows from Nyamulagira Volcano and is estimated to be 300 years old. NB Tongo is not open for visitors because of safety issues; please check the Virunga National Park Tourism Website for current information on the chimpanzee treks.

Lodging

 * Bukima Patrol Post— An old research camp transformed into a cosy and basic tented camp at the foot of Mikeno Mountain where the hikes to the gorillas start. It is a cheaper option to spend the night close to the gorillas, but offers all essentials, toilet, shower, BBQ area, drinks for sale etc. The views are amazing day and night (when the glowing Nyiragongo volcano can clearly be seen. For bookings and reservations contact the Virunga National Park sales office: tourism@gorilla.cd or +243991715401 or book directly through the Virunga National Park Tourism Website.  (rates:  US$40 p.p.p.n. half board)
 * Nyiragongo Crater Cabanes— [[Image:Nyiragongo_crater_cabanes.jpg|thumb|The cabanes are situated at the edge of the crater in sight of the lava lake, the sight of which has an astounding effect on visitors]]small cabanas built and managed by the park at the edge of the most active volcano of Africa. An overnight in the cabanas is included in the permit fee for visiting the volcano and checking out the amazing lava lake! For bookings and reservations contact the Virunga National Park sales office: tourism@gorilla.cd or +243991715401 or book directly through the Virunga National Park Tourism Website.
 * Nyiragongo Crater Cabanes— [[Image:Nyiragongo_crater_cabanes.jpg|thumb|The cabanes are situated at the edge of the crater in sight of the lava lake, the sight of which has an astounding effect on visitors]]small cabanas built and managed by the park at the edge of the most active volcano of Africa. An overnight in the cabanas is included in the permit fee for visiting the volcano and checking out the amazing lava lake! For bookings and reservations contact the Virunga National Park sales office: tourism@gorilla.cd or +243991715401 or book directly through the Virunga National Park Tourism Website.

Camping
Bukima Patrol Post The camp (see above) also offers secure self camping options for travellers on a budget, you can pitch your own tent on the camp's grounds and use its facilities for only US$15 pppn.

Other campsites at Jomba (another gorilla site) and Tongo are expected, but not yet active/safe.

Stay safe
Virunga National Park is in a region that is often troubled by unrest. At least 12 rangers were murdered in 2017 and 2018, and the park has been closed since a ranger was killed and two tourists were taken hostage in May 2018. The park goes through periods of increased unrest and periods of relative safety.

The management of Virunga National Park emphasizes that all visitors need to be aware of current security issues at the time of their visit. You can check this site for the latest news on this region, as well as detailed information on the park's activities outside tourism.

Virunga National Park strongly advises visitors against the use of their own transport. Escorted transport can be arranged through the National Park or via tour operators. More information about this can be found on Virunga National Park's tourism website, and Escorts for people using their own vehicles can be arranged by Virunga National Park Rangers (contact tourism@gorilla.cd). All visitors using the park's transportation are automatically escorted by their rangers.

title: Virunga National Park


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Viruveedu

Viruveedu is a village of about 5,500 people near Vathagundu town, at border of Dindigul District in Southwestern Tamil Nadu.

Understand
Viruveedu is approximately 49 km away from Dindigul by road. There are regular buses (every 15 minutes) from Vathagundu and Usilampatti bus stands and it is a 25-minute ride to this town. Kodaikanal road railway station is on the Chennai-Madurai main railway route and is twenty kilometers by road to Batlagundu on the way to Kodaikanal Hill station. There are regular buses (every 10 minutes) from Arappalyam bus stand in Madurai through Usilampatti and is a comfortable 1½-hour drive (approx. 60 km). This area is famous cultivation of Jasmine, Drum Stick (Murungaikaai), and other vegetable. There is available Govt. Hr. Sec. School, Banks and 24 Hours running facility Government Hospital.

See

 * 'Sri Gurunathaswamy temple' - This temple is situated in Viruveedu which is 9 km from Batlagundu on the Batlagundu-Usilampatti road. The presiding deities are Gurunathaswamy, Angala Parameswari and some other deities. This temple is considered over 300 years old and has been renovated. This temple is on the eastern bank of river vaigai. The village of Kunnuvarankottai is on the western bank of river Vaigai.

title: Viruveedu


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Vis

Vis is a historic and beautiful island, further from the mainland than other more famous islands such as Hvar, whilst still easy to reach. Its main town is also called Vis.

Understand
Through the years, Vis has been part of almost all the empires and civilisations in this part of the world - British, Venetian, Ottoman, Yugoslav, Italian, etc - due to its geographic position. Yugoslavia's most famous leader Tito was ordered to hide here by Churchill. Nowadays, it is a great getaway from the larger cities. As the most distant inhabited island, it is not as influenced by mass tourism, making it an ideal destination for relaxing and peaceful vacations.

Geography
Vis is long and  wide, with an area of. The highest peak of the island is Mount Hum with 587 m. It is the ninth largest Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, southwest of Hvar, west of Korčula and northwest of Lastovo. Of all the inhabited Dalmatian islands, it is the farthest, about 45 km, from the Croatian coast, 50 km in a straight line from Split, and about 150 km from the Italian coast. Off-limits to foreigners from the end of World War II until the breakup of Yugoslavia, because it was a Yugoslav military base. Therefore it was, until recently, spared much of the destructive development typical of mass tourism elsewhere in the region. It is still less frequently visited by foreign tourists than other islands in the Adriatic.

By ferry and catamaran
The island can be reached 3 times a day off-season, and 4 times a day in-season by the Jadrolinija ferry from Split for €8.60 and Catamaran for €9.5, except on Tuesday when also catamaran from TP Line also accesses Vis. The crossing takes around 2 hr 15 min with ferry and about 1.5 hr with catamaran. You'll arrive at the port of Vis on the eastern side of the island in the center of City of Vis.

On foot
Vis is a small coastal town, and you can easily walk everywhere, though some paths might not be fully wheelchair accessible.

By bus
Regular bus service connects Vis harbor to Komiža (15-20 minutes, 3,5 euros cash). The bus schedule is coordinated with the departure and arrival times of the ferry from the mainland. The bus leaves Vis a few minutes after the ferry's arrival, and departure from Komiža is typically one hour before the departure of the ferry from Vis. You can also travel to the western coastal town Komiža by bus.

By car
The island has good roads, an inheritance of its previous status as a military base. The main road goes all around the circumference of the island for a distance of about 30 km. As well, there is another major road cutting directly across the middle of the island.

There are rental services for cars, scooters, quads, and bikes. Prices are around €100 to rent a car for 4 hours, €50 to rent a scooter for 24 hours, and €20 to rent a bike for 24 hours (Aug 2023).

By taxi
Taxis are available in the downtown parking lots of the two main towns. English is sometime not spoken, so be prepared. A 10-km return ride during daytime costs about.

By boat
A number of companies organize boat excursions. Typically, tours leave in the morning around 09:00 or in keeping with weather conditions. Taxi boat service is more difficult to find and more expensive. Price may vary, from €10 for short trip around island to few hundred for whole day charter. For open-cabin boat type sailors have to pay about €200.

Beaches
The island has number plenty of well-maintained beaches. Note that these are rocky (or pebble) beaches, not sand. Most of them are quiet and peaceful even at the peak of the tourist season. In general, the seafront is not very developed and looks quite natural.

The town of Vis has a substantial beach of its own and also three textile-optional beaches, which are somewhat out of the way and require some clambering up and down rocky hillsides.

Stoncica Bay ison the island's northeastern shore about 6 km east of Vis. It is probably the most popular beach among young people, and it can get crowded during high season. It is perhaps the best beach on the island in terms of facilities, featuring a beach volleyball court, a restaurant, and a kiosk for beverages and ice cream

On the island's southeast coast, past the village of Milna and close to the village of Rukavac, lies Srebrena Beach or the Silver Beach, a stunning white-pebbled beach that certainly deserves a visit. In the inner part of the bay is the part of Srebrena Beach covered with pebbles. It is typically more crowded, while the rocky part outside the bay is just a short distance away and is certainly much more peaceful. It also includes a textile-free area. You can find bars and a restaurant within 10 minutes' walking distance of the beach, near the area where you have to park your car.

One of the most extraordinary and stunning inlets of the entire Adriatic is Stiniva Bay on the island's southern shore. The beach is not directly accessible by car, and you have to walk a difficult and steep path for about 30 minutes.

Nice beaches are also within easy walking distance of the town Komiža, most notably Kamenica Beach on the bay just to the south. A few meters away is the Acquarius bar that serves beverages (no food) during the daytime.

Continuing farther south from Kamenica Beach you will enter a clothing-optional area.

Just northwest of the center of Komiža is the town's main beach. There you can find many facilities, including a bar and a restaurant. Nearby is the diving center of the town. The beach is covered with pebbles and is typically rather crowded by local standards.

Do
Boat trips to the beautiful Blue Grotto and Green Grotto take place daily during the summer, with departures from both Vis and Komiža. The Blue Grotto is at the island of Biševo, 5 km southwest of Vis and about 4.5 nautical miles (8.3 km) from Komiža. The Blue Grotto is one of the best known natural beauty spots on the Adriatic and a popular destination because of the glowing blue light that appears between approximately 10:00 and 13:00.

Buy
One of the most popular items is local wine, particularly the renowned Vugava white wine and the robust Plavac Mali red wine, both of which capture the essence of the island's winemaking tradition. Additionally, consider bringing back olive oil, produced from the island's ancient olive groves, which is known for its rich flavor and quality. Other great options include lavender products, such as essential oils and sachets, made from locally grown lavender, and artisanal honey, reflecting the island's natural flora. Handcrafted ceramics and traditional Dalmatian lace are also wonderful mementos that showcase the island's cultural heritage.

Eat
Croatian cuisine on the island of Vis fetures dishes such as grilled octopus, fish stew (known locally as "gregada"), and black risotto made from cuttlefish ink. Traditional specialties include "pogača," a savory pie filled with salted fish and onions, and "peka," a slow-cooked dish of meat and vegetables prepared under a bell-shaped lid.

Drink
Visitors can explore local vineyards and sample a variety of wines, with the indigenous Vugava white and the Plavac Mali red wine being standout favorites.

Sleep
Apartments are available in the town of Vis and Komiža, and in houses on the seafront. Prices are around €100 for a 1-bedroom apartment in high season. Camping is illegal but somewhat tolerated at few places.

Post office
The post office in Vis town (next to the town hall) works from 07:00 to 19:00 (in summer until 21:00), while the office in Komiža works from 08:00 to 13:00 and 19:00 to 21:00 (Saturdays only until 13:00). Stamps can also be purchased at newsstands.

Internet
Internet access can be found in Komiža in the town library, and in Vis town in caffee bars and bistros. The cost is around €5 per hour.

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Visa

A visa is a document issued by some countries to visitors from other countries to facilitate – but not guarantee – admission at the border. It can be a stamp or sticker in your passport, or can simply be an electronic record. It's important for each country you visit or transit to check if you need a visa, for the kind of visit you are intending. Not having the correct visa may see you denied boarding to transportation or denied admission at the border. Many popular travel destinations provide visitors (from most countries) with a short-term tourist visa on arrival, but sometimes countries require you to apply in advance. The conditions and requirements depend on your nationality.

A few countries not known for tourism require exit visas separate from entry visas.

Some countries routinely deny entry to holders of passports that show evidence of travel to a country that they don't recognize (e.g. Israel). In such cases, it may be advisable to have two passports, if the country issuing your passport allows that. On the other hand lying is often risky. See "Visa trouble".

Do you need a visa?
Countries require visas from visitors for regulatory, security and economic reasons. It is important to confirm visa requirements with a current and reliable source, such as the embassy or consulate of the country where you plan to travel. You may need a visa for any countries you visit or transit on your trip. Visa requirements vary depending on the nationality of your passport, the length of your stay, whether you will leave the airport, the nature of your trip, your point of entry, and the areas you will be visiting. These requirements can also change regularly. While you may be exempt from having to obtain a visa when making a short trip to a particular country for tourism or business, long stays in any foreign country will almost always require you to obtain some form of visa or permit.

As a rule of thumb, the more different (culturally, economically, politically, etc.) your country of citizenship is from the destination country, the more likely it is that you need a visa even for tourism or transit. This is especially the case if the country you plan to visit has a richer economy than the country you hold a passport for.

Visa requirements nearly always depend on your nationality, not your residency. If you are a non-citizen where you reside, never rely on local advice concerning whether you need a visa to visit a nearby foreign country or other popular location abroad. The locals may not need visas, while you may (or vice versa). However, for some combinations of countries, being a legal resident of the Schengen countries (most European countries) or the U.S., for example, can greatly speed up the visa process and make a tourist visa much easier to obtain.

Also, be sure you will be allowed back into the country where you are residing. If you are not a citizen of that country, you may need a permanent residence visa or at least a visa that allows multiple entries to be allowed to return. This includes hours-long day trips at border towns.

On the other hand, your residency does matter where you go to obtain the visa.

Visa summaries
A visa summary, telling what countries you'll probably need a visa for, can be useful at the early stage of planning a trip. For example a long distance overland journey may be simpler to arrange if most of the route passes through countries that you don't need to get a visa for. However these lists are difficult to keep up to date, and as a summary, they may miss some details which apply to your particular situation.

We don't have a summary here, but see:
 * Category:Visa requirements by nationality for summaries on Wikipedia.
 * UK nationals can use the advice of Foreign and Commonwealth Office, with a complete list of countries around the world.
 * U.S. citizens can visit a website maintained by US Department of State for initial indications of a need for visas.
 * Most nationals can use the IATA Travel Centre for initial indications on whether a visa is required or not. This is what airlines use to determine whether to let you on the plane.

In advance or at point of entry?
Many popular travel destinations provide visitors for tourism with a free short-term visa on arrival stamped into their passport. Others will accept payment and issue a visa on arrival for a fee. Still, others require an application and visa to be in your passport in advance, and prior to boarding any flight.

If visas are issued upon entry, this might be at only some points of entry. For example, in developing countries, major airports might issue visas on arrival, but some land borders may require a visa issued in advance or vice versa.

Some countries, particularly those that want to attract tourists, offer an e-visa system. An Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA or "e-visa") is obtained online and often has a fee. This is much easier than mailing forms, passports, and payment, but usually falls short of the free short-term visa on arrival. Many countries use the e-visa method: Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Myanmar, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and the United States for example. Not everyone needs an e-visa (such as citizens of USA and Canada visiting each other's countries), while some nationalities and ethnic groups (e.g. Pakistanis entering India) still must use the traditional paper forms where overstaying or security is a concern. Even though these e-visas are usually granted instantly, secondary processing can take many weeks. Always confirm your visa before buying non-refundable tickets. When filling in the passport number, be careful not to confuse ones and I's or zeros and O's. This could result in the application being rejected. Also, if the passport number has any non-English characters, refer to the FAQ page of the e-visa application site or contact the consulate or embassy.

Visa fees
When visa fees are charged they can vary according to your nationality, the number of times you will enter, the length of stay or validity, the purpose of travel and sometimes how and where you apply. If visas are available at the border, it might be significantly cheaper to get one there, rather than acquiring one in advance.

Should your own country charge a fee for visitors of your destination, reciprocal visa policy and fee may apply. Sometimes particular nationalities are charged additional visa fees for reasons that are difficult to ascertain, with country groups assigned to particular fee bands.

If you are traveling around border regions you can often reduce visa fees by structuring your movements around such fees, taking an open jaw flight into one country and out of its neighbor can avoid multiple entry fees. If taking a quick visit to a neighboring country, keeping your trip to a single day can often avoid fees too.

Children are sometimes charged a reduced fee or no fee at all. The maximum age of the child can vary from under 12 up to 18.

The embassy or consulate of the country will also tell you how your payment has to be remitted. At the border, it is possible that the visa can only be purchased with cash. Often the cash has to be in the local currency, but some insist on a specific "hard" currency (commonly U.S. dollars).

Visa fees are generally charged up front as a cost of the administrative processing of the visa application (though some countries like Japan and South Korea do not charge application fees for certain types of visas, and a few others may waive application fees for students who hold prestigious government scholarships). Simply put, this is the fee that the consulate charges you for them to take the time to look at and consider your application. Once the visa is granted, the fees are never refundable if you decide to go somewhere else or your trip falls through. Being denied does not get you a refund either.

Countries may request applicants to go through third-party agencies (e.g. VFS, TLS Contact). In such a case, applicants may have to pay a service fee to the third party in addition to the visa application fees. Likewise, some countries do not charge fees for the visas themselves (e.g. Japan, South Korea) but may require applicants to go through third parties that may charge their own fees.

Classes of visas

Visas come in many forms, so it is very important to obtain the appropriate visa for what you intend to do. Attempting to enter a country without the correct visa can see you refused entry, deported, or even barred from future re-entry. Not all countries offer the same types of visas. Here are some of the most common varieties:

Tourist visas are issued to persons wishing to travel to a country for sightseeing or vacation; most are good for one to three months, though some are for as little as 14 days and some last five or ten years (for periodic visits, usually maximum 1–3 months per visit). Employment is generally not allowed, and you should not be carrying documents related to your profession, such as those you would show a potential employer or business companion. Some countries, such as North Korea and Turkmenistan, do not issue tourist visas to journalists, even for holiday visits.

Many countries have additional requirements. Many will not allow entry on a one-way ticket; you must show officials a return or onward ticket to be admitted. Nepal does not much want tourists who only hang around in Kathmandu; they issue only short-term visas, and to renew it for a longer stay you must present a receipt showing you have been trekking with a licensed guide agency.

Transit visas are issued to people passing through the country without a significant stay, normally for anywhere from 24 hours to ten days.

Most countries offer sterile transit through their airports; if you are only connecting between international flights at the same airport, you are not considered to have entered the country, so you need not go through immigration formalities or have a visa. Several countries, most notably the U.S. and Canada, do not permit this, and require all passengers to go through immigration control, and some to have a visa, even at a refueling stop. This is one reason for avoiding travel through the United States and avoiding travel through Canada.

Business visas are issued if one needs to conduct financial transactions in the country, sign contracts, attend training or meetings, and a plethora of activities in connection to one's work or profession back home. Employment in the host country is forbidden.

Student visas are issued to those who wish to undertake a course of study in another country. Proof of admission, enrollment, proficiency in the local language, and evidence of sufficient funds to cover your school fees and living expenses are necessary. In some countries this visa does not allow employment; in others, it does but usually with some restrictions. See Studying abroad.

Work visas are permits allowing one to hold a paid job in the destination country for a period of time. These are notoriously hard to acquire unless special arrangements exist between your home country and the destination country. This is because the primary requirement to be considered for a work visa is that nobody in the employer's local job market is qualified and willing to do the job the employer needs to fill. It might be slightly easier for you to get a working visa if you possess an advanced degree (i.e. MA, MS, Ph.D.) from a reputable school or an undergraduate degree with extensive and substantial related experience. Teaching English or other languages is also often an exception; various countries want native speakers for that. If the work visa does not automatically allow you to permanently immigrate (i.e. you're a contract worker), the visa will usually be restricted as well to a particular employer and job type.

Work visas are needed also if you are sent by an employer at home. In this case they hopefully take care or most of the bureaucracy. In many cases you need also other paperwork, such as special permits to conduct studies in a nature reserve or as anthropologist among indigenous peoples.

See Working abroad.

Working holiday visas are work visas that allow short-term jobs to be undertaken to subsidize a vacation. These are based on bilateral arrangements between pairs of countries which allow people from either to work temporarily in the other to fund their travel. Typically they have an age limit (often under 35) and a duration limit (often up to a year). Check with your own government to discover which countries yours has such an arrangement with.

Religious pilgrimage visas, such as visas given for the Hajj, entitle the bearer to visit a religious shrine or site. These are common in most Muslim countries.

Religious worker/Missionary visas permits you to enter the country for the purpose of practicing, maintaining, and advancing your religious beliefs. Only available in countries that have "freedom of religion," or if the official religion of the state is the same as your own. Even countries that otherwise permit or tolerate the practice of your religion may have additional requirements for indigenous peoples, though this may apply to other professions as well, such as anthropologists. Some sort of divinity degree and accreditation is usually required for long-term visas. Doing missionary work on a tourist, student, or work visa can be quite risky.

Retirement visas allows you to reside in a country indefinitely, so long as you abide by the law and don't seek paid employment. A minimum amount of annual retirement income, currency conversion, expenditures and/or bank deposits in the host country may be required. See Retiring abroad. In addition, many countries impose a minimum age of around 55 or so.

Immigrant visas or Permanent residence visas permit one to resettle in a country. These visas are generally the hardest to obtain, with stringent requirements. Common criteria that have to be fulfilled for obtaining such visas include investing a large sum of money in a local business, living in the country continuously on a work visa for a certain period of time, or being married to somebody from that country. In addition, many countries will require you to have a clean bill of health and no criminal record (minor traffic violations excepted).

Fiancé visas similar to immigrant visas (above), give you a few months to get married in the host country, and then change to a permanent residence visa. If the marriage plans fail, you must exit the country by the expiration date. The U.S. has a lifetime maximum of two fiancé visas without a waiver, and this only applies to the U.S. host (not the fiancé).

Conditions to get a visa
Most countries require that you must have at least 6 months of validity remaining on your passport. In some cases, the requirement is six months from your date of entry, rather than the visa application date. In other cases (such as applying for Chinese visas), the six months are counted from your planned departure date from the country you're visiting (for example: if you are planning a four-month stay your passport should be valid for at least 10 months from your entry in the country). For this and other reasons, a visa application must usually include proof that you intend to leave the country (and that you won't stay longer than allowed): an outbound international airline reservation is usually enough although for visa applications to countries more developed than your home country, they would evidence of further ties to the latter is necessary.

It is important that you have not violated the terms of any previously-issued visas to you. In other words, you should have not for instance overstayed by even just a single day or worked on a tourist visa or visa-free scheme (unless explicitly permitted under specific arrangements between your home country and host country). Doing so makes it very difficult to re-apply and be granted another visa.

Being in a stable financial and employment situation is strongly advised as it can demonstrate that you have fewer reasons to potentially overstay or violate your visa terms. It is also helpful to show ownership of assets or investments in your home country (especially real estate) if you have them. Hence, be ready to procure financial documents from your bank, certificate of employment, affidavit of support, ownership titles, marriage contracts, etc. in advance in case the consulate requests them. If you are applying for a work or immigrant visa, the financial situation of the prospective host or employer or petitioning family member will also be important.

Having a criminal record in your home country may be grounds for denial of a visa. It can also be grounds for refusal of entry when traveling without a visa. This is true even for countries with land borders and no visa requirement for tourists. In these cases, it is usually best to apply for a visa in advance, as being refused entry at the border or airport is considerably more inconvenient.

Third-party agent concerns
As the mechanics for long-term and work visas can get complicated, it may be advisable to engage the services of an immigration attorney to properly assess your eligibility for the desired type of visa, and facilitate the necessary paperwork. In some cases your employer will handle this.

Be extremely careful with persons or organizations whose services you wish to engage to help you apply for a visa. Some of them claim that they can get you a visa quicker than conventional methods. If a proposition sounds too good to be true it probably is. You will be held liable for whatever fraud or misrepresentation they commit in your application. In addition, if you commit fraud either by yourself or with the help of your agent, you face the following consequences:
 * ban from re-applying for a visa which can last for the rest of your life or for very long periods (not less than five years)
 * criminal prosecution and jail time in the country where you committed it
 * loss of the money you paid the third-party

If you don't have a document to prove your eligibility, it is better to explain its absence than present one that is fraudulent or forged (issuing authorities often have full-time, professionally trained staff assigned to verifying documents). Most agency fraud is related to visas for employment, immigration, or education rather than business matters or a short vacation. That said, there are many legitimate visa processing companies that assist persons who reside far from the embassy, find the matter too complex, or live a busy life. Of course, it's a good idea to check their reputation first.

Entry without a visa

Some countries permit certain nationalities to enter without a visa, but other conditions may apply for entry and the stay. For example, all nationalities in the European Union can generally freely travel from one country to another with almost no restrictions (though after three months they may be questioned if they have not taken steps to find work or study). Citizens of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states may visit other member countries without a visa for business and tourism purposes (except for citizens of Malaysia and Myanmar, who still require visas to visit each other's countries). The United States allows certain nationals to enter under the Visa Waiver Program for tourism and business only, provided they fill out an online application prior to their arrival. Australia, Canada and New Zealand also have a similar system, in which certain nationals may apply online for an electronic visa without having to make a trip to the embassy.

Even when there is no immigration or customs control at the border, such as normally in the Schengen area, you still might not be allowed to enter. Although most people visiting the Schengen area have a Schengen visa, some have a visa or residence permit for an individual country, which may or may not allow free passage to other countries. You might get caught in a random check elsewhere.

While crossing borders usually requires a passport, there are some cases where nationally issued photo ID of certain countries is enough for entry into others. This may save you money on a passport or be handy when trying to avoid certain stamps in your passport.

In some cases, visa-free entry is only permitted through specific ports or modes of entry. For instance, citizens of Thailand and Myanmar may only visit each other's country without a visa if they enter by air, but they will need a visa to enter by land or boat.

Some countries still do not require transit visas for transits of certain lengths, such as Saudi Arabia (in an airport, 18 hours), China, and the United Kingdom (only applies to certain nationals for whom visas are required).

If your destination allows others of your nationality in without a visa, don't automatically assume that you won't need one, especially if you are planning to stay for extended periods (i.e. to work, study or immigrate either temporarily or permanently), you have visited a "suspect" country or you have had problems with the authorities. In fact, it's a good idea to inquire if you're traveling for any reason other than being a typical "tourist". This includes visiting family or friends, getting married, speaking or performing to an audience or congregation (even if unpaid), journalism (vlogging or other forms of content creation for social media websites/apps may count as such in some circumstances), research, professional photography, etc. Check to make certain of your status before entry. In some cases, you may, in fact, need a visa, in others, you may simply need to bring more documentation to the border. Also, you may need a special visa if you visit remote areas where indigenous people live who are not part of mainstream society (e.g. parts of the Amazon Basin, remote areas of Africa, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands off the coast of India, etc.)

Obtaining the visa in advance
Your first stop on your journey to get the valuable visa is the website of the immigration authorities, foreign ministry or embassy (see below) of the country or countries you wish to enter. They will provide the list of documents you need to get and specific procedures you need to undergo for your case. They will also provide instructions on how to apply in case they are not directly represented in your home country.

In the case of short-term visas, the following documents are usually needed:
 * passport (always required; sometimes including additional photocopies of your bio-data page and other previous visas/stamps)
 * financial documents (e.g. tax returns, bank certificates, bank statements)
 * employment or school certificates (if applicable)
 * property documents (e.g. certificate of land ownership) and other evidence that demonstrate ties to your home country or incentive to return there
 * affidavit of support with sponsor's supporting documents (if applicable)
 * travel details including flight reservations (however don't purchase non-refundable tickets until the visa is issued), hotel reservations, invitations and itineraries
 * bank deposit or payment slip (if instructed to pay in this method)
 * birth certificate (sometimes not needed, since your passport is based on this)

Once you have all the necessary documents, you can start filling out the application forms. However, don't write or mark anything until you have read the entire application. There can be some very fine line choices such as "I'm part of a delegation" or "I'm accompanying a delegation."

In some countries, applications are only possible online, while in others, it has to be hand-written or type-written. In the case of the former, you will have to print-out the submitted application form or a barcoded page that accesses such information. Next, you can set an appointment using the website or phone number assigned by the visa-issuing authorities. The country you are applying to will also indicate how you should remit your payment and whether this happens before or during the appointment. A commercial third-party accredited by the embassy or consulate may handle administrative aspects of your visa application (i.e. you could be dealing with them in submitting your application rather than the embassy or consulate itself) but they have no influence over the outcome of your application. The embassy or consulate will tell you if you need to come for further interviews. In many cases, personal appearance at the application centre is compulsory, i.e. you cannot ask someone to drop off your application documents for you. This is because many embassies need to collect your biometric identifiers (e.g. fingerprints, take your photograph with their camera) – and verify your identity. If the destination country's closest mission is far away, this is obviously a problem. Some countries, such as those of the European Union, may allow a visit at a certain other country's mission instead. Where you have to go may depend on your nationality – you may not be allowed to use the mission that would merely be the most convenient or most advantageous to you.

To get a visa, you have to deal with an embassy or consulate of the destination country. Embassies are normally in the national capital city. Consulates are a branch of an embassy, usually far away from the capital. For example, Los Angeles and San Francisco have many consulates, as these are major cities thousands of miles/kilometers away from Washington, DC. It may also be the case that a country’s consulate may process visa applications received from fellow consulates elsewhere (e.g. UK consulate in New York processing UK visa applications received elsewhere in the US). Generally, small countries have no need for consulates at all, with the possible exception of a neighboring country having a few consulates to reduce the load on the main embassy or a city with heavy concentrations of that small country’s population, and making it more convenient for its citizens who are just across the border. An honorary consulate typically cannot issue visas or assist in legal matters directly, but will refer you and might sometimes forward visa applications to an embassy or regular consulate (usually in a larger city). They mostly deal in information about tourism and local culture to nationals of the country they represent and might consist of nothing more than a room in someone's home.

In some cases, only your designated consulate or embassy will process your visa, based on where you live. For example, if you live in a small city in the USA and are visiting Washington, DC, you might not be able to apply for a visa there if the destination country has a consulate closest to your home. This is even more likely to be a problem if you visit an embassy in a third country where you are not a resident (even if it's the closest). For example, Ottawa, Canada, has dozens of embassies and can be less than an hour's drive from upstate New York. However, they may or may not be able to help a U.S. resident. Be sure to contact the embassy ahead of time to avoid a wasted trip. Likewise, if you are an American touring East Asia and want to travel to China after visiting Japan, the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan will not issue you a visa if you are just visiting Japan as a tourist; you will have to travel back to the United States or to the country that you are legally a resident of to apply for your Chinese visa. Therefore, you should ensure you have obtained all the necessary visas before setting out on your trip if possible. If your travels have already begun, and you want to visit a nearby country which requires a visa, contact the nearest embassy or consulate beforehand to avoid a wasted trip to the embassy or consulate. Furthermore, if you are a resident of a country you are not a citizen of and you are required to apply for the relevant visa in your country of residence rather than citizenship, note that only pertinent documents issued in your country of residence may be recognised (so if you are a Chinese citizen living in the US and most of your assets are back in China, you might not be able to use your property and financial documents from China to support your visa application).

A further complication can occur if you have documents that need to be authenticated by the destination country prior to travel (not common for tourist visas unless getting married). If the documents originate from a different part of the country from where you reside, they may have to be shipped to whichever consulate (or main embassy) that handles their particular region of origin. The most common example of this is a birth certificate issued by another state or province. If the official languages of the host country are different from that used in the documents or the latter’s languages are not directly recognised by the former, they may need to be translated. The embassy will have a list of approved translators that you must use. For most countries, begin the visa process at least four weeks prior to your trip for ordinary tourist visas (months or even a year for employment visas, unless your case belongs to some quickly processed class; e.g. for Finland, tourist visas take two weeks in simple cases, up to seven weeks if further checks are needed). Some countries may have priority processing available, to an additional cost. Applying in time will hopefully let you complete all of the necessary work in advance of when you desire to leave. Some countries allow for quicker turnaround times, but this comes with the obvious risk of missing your flight or paying a substantially higher fee. If you cannot visit an embassy or consulate in person, the visa may sometimes be obtained by postal mail or air express document shippers (FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc.). If this is not allowed or you prefer the added convenience, there are usually visa processing services in your home country which deal directly with the embassy. As much as possible, start the application process at the earliest possible opportunity.

An increasing number of countries are giving travellers the option of applying for an eVisa, in which you just need to lodge your application online, upload the necessary documentation, and pay a processing fee, and your visa would usually be approved in a few days without the need to go to the embassy or consulate. This is typically only available to citizens of a select list of countries, and may have additional restrictions compared to a regular visa, such as requiring you to enter only at specific ports of entry.

Transit
A transit is when you enter a country for a short period for the purposes of transferring to an onward transport leaving the country again.

Working out which rules apply to transit can often be more complex than working out the visitor visa requirements. Some variables include the length of your stay (often measured in hours), and whether you will need to leave the sterile transit area of an airport. Some countries that require visitors to have visas will allow transit without a visa under some conditions but may require a transit visa if these are not satisfied.

If the transit entry conditions require you to stay in the sterile area during transit, you have to consider your luggage. Some airlines will not check your luggage through to your destination. This can be because they are a budget airline operating on a point-to-point basis, or even with multiple full-service airlines without the correct affiliations to transfer luggage between them. Countries which don't normally require visas for a sterile air-side transit may require you to procure a visitor or transit visa to collect your bags since you have to pass through the immigration control to enter that country to commence the rest of your journey by checking-in again by yourself. You should consider any visa application fees when comparing travel options.

Some airlines that don't normally offer to check luggage through to a final destination when fares are booked per sector online, may do so for the same flights if booked as a connecting flight by a travel agent, or as a codeshare.

After obtaining your visa
First, check to see if all the information printed on the visa sticker is correct (from your name to the type of visa). The usual information printed on the visa is as follows:
 * name
 * date of birth
 * nationality
 * passport number
 * validity dates*
 * number of entries allowed*
 * type of visa

* For validity dates and entries allowed, even if you applied and paid for a longer period, the consul, at their discretion may actually give you a shorter period and fewer entries if they are not fully satisfied that you will potentially comply. It is typical for the first time successful visa applicants to get single entry visas.

Having a valid visa does not automatically guarantee entry into the country that issued the visa. When you land at the host country, immigration officers will check once again to see that you are still eligible for that visa. The reasons and circumstances that gave you the visa in the first place must still exist. If traveling as a tourist or a business visitor, make sure you have a return or onward ticket and contact details of your host (including their full address). Some countries may also require tourists to bring sufficient cash — Thailand is a prime example. For another status, have all the documents related to the purpose of your trip in order. Don't bring documents or items a normal traveler won't bring. You may be denied entry and your visa may be canceled if you are unable to demonstrate your eligibility or qualifications for your visa.

From the time the visa is issued to the time you leave the host country, you are responsible for complying with all the terms and conditions of your stay. If on a multiple-entry visa with a long validity period, the following constitute grounds to automatically invalidate your visa once these are uncovered:
 * staying beyond the period given to you
 * performing an activity not allowed by your visa or immigration status (e.g. work or study on a tourist visa, work more than the maximum number of hours on a student visa)
 * changing of circumstances that got you the visa in the first place (i.e. they no longer exist)

Length of stay and validity dates
Depending on the country, the length of authorized stay may or may not be printed on the visa and instead be given at passport control. In relation, the validity dates may have different meanings depending on the country.

In the United States, for example, the validity period is simply the window in which you can travel to that country. It is not connected to the allowed period for which you can stay in the country. This means you can enter on the last day of your visa but still receive and be allowed up to a full 6-month period in which to stay there. The actual deadline for you to exit will be stamped in your passport by passport control officers - make sure you leave on or before this date.

In other places such as the United Kingdom and most Schengen countries, the last day of your validity period is the deadline for you to exit the country. While the maximum period for you to stay may be printed on the visa, you will either be given that period to stay or until the last day in which your visa is valid - whichever is shorter. This means while you can enter on the last day, you must also exit on that day.

Extending stay and changing status
If you are looking to extend your stay or change your immigration status, apply at the immigration service center of your host country. However, this is not always possible depending on the rules of the immigration status that you used to enter the country with. For instance, those who entered the US under the Visa Waiver Program are not permitted to change status or extend their stay at all. When it is not allowed to change status in the host country, you must exit first and apply at your home country (make sure you leave before time is up otherwise you will have a difficult time getting that new visa). Other than checking past compliance with immigration history, your application for a different visa is independent of your past visa applications and will be viewed on its own merits.

Many foreign citizens who work or live in a country where it is difficult or simply not possible to extend a visa will be familiar with the visa trip. For example, a foreigner working in Maputo, Mozambique can get a 1-month visa on entry to the country very easily, but extending this is not an option. So the trick for many is to take the short car journey into South Africa (where many citizens can enter without a visa), do some shopping and then return, picking up a new Mozambique visa on the way.

Overstaying
If your visa (or entry permission) expires before you leave the country, you have overstayed and could be punished. The best advice is not to do this. Should there be any chance of overstaying your entry permit/visa, you need to contact the immigration service of the host country for advice as soon as possible. Punishment for overstaying varies from nothing to having to 'tip' the immigration official, to fines, deportation, or even imprisonment. Changes can occur at any time with little to no notice. Showing up at the international airport with an airline ticket in hand often will reduce any punishment in comparison to being caught elsewhere. (Especially the inconvenience of being temporarily detained without notice, even if other penalties are the same.)

One trick to reduce your chances of overstaying your entry permission is to say you will be staying longer than you really are when you enter the country. Usually, you will fill out a form when entering, saying when you will leave. Add a few days or a week to the exit, but nothing that would put you into a more costly or complex type of visa. If the immigration policy is only to grant entry permission for the actual length of stay, you can gain some time with this, and save a trip to the immigration service. Caution: for air travel, officials may want to see your outbound ticket, which will have the date of departure on it.

Should you be unexpectedly hospitalized, or it becomes impossible to leave the country due to natural disasters, riots, war, terrorism, coup d'état or other hazardous events, contact your embassy immediately.

Exit visas
Russia, Saudi Arabia and some other countries have an exit visa requirement. This should not be confused with the exit visa that some former Soviet republics countries require their citizens to have to validate their passport for international travel - see the Passports page for more on those. Those who are required to have a visa to enter these countries must also have a visa to leave them. It is not as dire as it seems, however; only certain classes require a Saudi exit visa; Russian tourist, business, and transit visas are entry-exit visas.

Countries such as Saudi Arabia require that foreigners have an exit visa before they can leave. Getting in with a work visa requires a Saudi sponsor and getting out requires the sponsor's signature; this can lead to a variety of problems. Foreign teachers at a university may find they need half a dozen lesser signatures (no overdue library books, no outstanding advances on pay, etc.) before they can get the official signature to get out. At one point in the 1980s one problem – female domestic employee claims various sorts of abuse by an employer; he says she is lazy and disobedient and refuses to sign exit papers – became so common that the Philippines government forbade their citizens to take such jobs in Saudi Arabia.

However, if for any reason, your visa or permission to remain expires before you leave, you are normally required to obtain an exit visa. This requirement may be waived under certain conditions. For example, the Russian exit visa requirement may be waived in case of minor delays due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness or flight cancellation.

If you are required to obtain an exit visa, do so well in advance of your departure. It can take as many as three weeks to obtain one.

In any case, upon departure, immigration officials in most countries will check your documentation, and, if the country uses some kind of migration control document (e.g. entry card stapled into passport), they will collect that document. If you lost your passport during your stay, these will probably have to be verified or replaced.

Foreigner registration
In some countries, you must register your presence and address where you are staying with the local authorities. This might require filling out a form with the local police or a visit to the immigration offices. In many countries with such a law, local hotels will handle the registration (make sure to ask). In other cases, only those staying outside of tourist accommodations need to register. However, this makes the law much more obscure, so find out beforehand.

The registration may be an additional stamp in the passport or a piece of paper with an official stamp. Leaving a country without registration can be a problem. You may well be turned back at the immigration counter and told to go to register, which will probably mean missing your flight. In other cases, failure to register could raise suspicion by authorities when you reenter the country, and could lead to entry denial and deportation.

title: Visa


text:
Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam, popularly known as Vizag, is the largest city in Andhra Pradesh. It is primarily an industrial city, but also attracts tourists due to its unspoilt sandy beaches, well built and maintained parks, Buddhist Remnant sites and nearby scenic areas, such as Araku Valley. The city has a population of about 2 million.

Understand
Vizag is sometimes called The Goa of the East. Just like its west coast counterpart, it has beautiful virgin beaches, laterite hillocks, smooth roads and stunning landscape. Health-tourism is a fast developing industry. Visakhapatnam is variously called Jewel on the Coromandel Coast, Steel City, and the City of Destiny.

Talk
The local language is Telugu. There is considerable concentration of Marwaris, Odias, Bengalis, Punjabis, Tamils and Malayalis. In addition, there is a large population of migrant workers from other parts of India who have been drawn to the area by the abundance of work at locally based companies, such as Vizag Steel Plant and Hindustan Shipyard.

By train

You may want to verify the timings with Indian Railways, since they change from time to time. Train berths can be reserved online. However, this being a major destination, availability of seats is at times difficult even with a one month's advance planning.

 * From Hyderabad: The average distance between the two cities is about 700 km. However different trains take different routes, and hence have different journey times.
 * Vande Bharat Express (20833/20834) connects Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad's Secunderabad Junction. It is the fastest rail service between the two cities.
 * Godavari Express (12728/12727) departs daily from Hyderabad Deccan Station at 5:15PM and from Secunderabad at 5:45PM, arrives the following morning in Visakhapatnam at 5:50AM. The train departing from Visakhapatnam starts at 5:25PM and reaches its destination the next day morning at 6:15AM. Godavari express is known to operate on-time and is the most preferred train between the two cities.
 * Visakha Express (17015/17016) connects Bhubaneswar, the capital of the state of Odisha, to Hyderabad's Secunderabad Junction. The train departs daily from Secunderabad Station at 5PM, arriving the following morning at Visakhapatnam at 7:15AM. This train runs via Nadikude, Guntur, Vijayawada and Bhimavaram Town. It passes on to Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and to Bhubaneswar. On the return the train leaves Bhubaneshwar at 8:35AM and reaches the city in the evening at 4:10PM. The train is however infamous for its delays and is less preferred.
 * Falaknuma Express (train number 12703/12704) connects Howrah Junction to Hyderabad's Secunderabad Junction. The train departs from Secunderabad at 4PM, arriving the following early morning in Visakhapatnam at 3:30AM. This train on return leaves Howrah at 7:25AM and reaches that night at 9:10PM. It runs faster than most other trains and is the fastest, non-special train. The train is taken by office-goers as it arrives early at Visakhapatnam plying from the nearby towns.
 * East Coast Express (18645/18646) connects Howrah Junction to Hyderabad's Secunderabad Junction. This train leaves Hyderabad at 10AM and is scheduled to arrive at Visakhapatnam at 11:35PM that night. On the reverse the train leaves Howrah at 11:45AM and reaches the next day early morning 4:15AM.
 * Janmabhoomi Express (12806/12805) is a day time seater train that connects the city to Hyderabad's Secunderabad Junction. In Hindi, 'Janmabhoomi' means 'birth place'. The train's rakes are composed of ordinary chair cars and air conditioned chair cars. There are no sleeper berths on this train. It leaves Secunderabad in the morning at 7:10AM and is scheduled to reach Visakhapatnam by that day evening 7:40PM. The train leaves Visakhapatnam at 6:15AM in the morning and reaches its destination that day evening at 6:35PM.
 * Garib Rath Express (12740/12739) connects the city to Hyderabad's Secunderabad Junction. Up to 2012, this was the fastest train between the two cities. The train stops at a very few stations. The train is fully air conditioned. However, blankets, bed sheets, and pillows are not included in the fare and have to be bought separately after boarding the train. No food is made available in the train so the passengers have to carry some along. The train was originally launched under the Garib Rath scheme to provide air conditioned trains for the poor. The train leaves Secunderabad at 8:15PM in the evening and reaches Visakhapatnam the next morning at 7:30AM.
 * Duronto Express connects Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad's Secunderabad Junction in 9 hours and 30 minutes. This is the only non-stop rail service between the two cities. It is equipped with fully air conditioned coaches. The train costs a little more than ordinary trains.

 * From Delhi:
 * Link Express (train number 12861) connects the city with Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin station. The daily train departs at 3:10PM and reaches the destination at 4:05AM on the third day. So if the train starts on a Sunday it will reach on Tuesday.

 * From Mumbai: Konark Express, LTT–Visakhapatnam Express, Pune–Bhubaneswar Express
 * From Vijayawada: Ratnachal Express, Simhadri Express, Vijaywada-Visakhapatnam Passenger
 * From Chennai: Coromandel Express, Howrah Mail
 * From Bangalore: Prasanthi Express, YPR HWH Express
 * From Howrah: Chennai Mail, Coromandel Express (the fastest train passing through Andhra Pradesh at 140 km/h), Falaknuma Express, East Coast Express, Gurudev Express, Tiruchirappalli Express, YPR Express

By car
Visakhapatnam is connected to Chennai and Kolkata via Bhubaneswar and Vijayawada by National Highway 16 (dual-carriageway, 120 km/h).

By bus
The Andhra Pradesh State Road Travel Corporation (APSRTC) runs buses from almost every city and town to Visakhapatnam, along with some private operators, who run buses from a few of the major cities. Please check with APSRTC for timings. There is also a Garuda fleet of bus service (Volvo) to Vizag from Chennai, Bangalore, Vijayawada and Hyderabad which is very comfortable and happy going. This is the best way to do it if you want to travel by bus. APSRTC has several other bus services which have varied luxury levels and transit speeds. You might want to check the APSRTC at least 3 days in advance to be sure you have a reservation.

Get around
Apart from the bus (described below), taxi/autorickshaw can also be hired. The autorickshaw is a mini taxi which is much cheaper, but less convenient.

By bus
Visakhapatnam has no commuter rail service. However, APSRTC operates a lit of buses from 6 principal bus complexes in the city. They are: Dwarka Bus Station or RTC Complex depot is the largest bus station and complex in the city.
 * Simhachalam
 * Gajuwaka
 * Maddilapalem
 * Visakha Steel City
 * Waltair
 * Madhurawada

There are mainly two types of buses operated for suburban travel in Visakhapatnam.

 * City Ordinary: can be identified by its orange or red colour. It is operated on almost all suburban routes. Some of the main routes include RTC Complex–Gajuwaka (via NAD), Maddilapalem–Railway Station, RTC Complex–Gajuwaka (via Scindia), Railway Station–Madhurawada, etc. These buses stop at almost every bus stop. The frequency is more than that of Metro Express buses. These buses sometimes become overcrowded during peak hours on weekdays. Some popular route numbers include 222, 400, 99, 25, 900, 60C, 300, 6A, 28, 38 and 12D.

 * Metro Express: can be identified by their blue and white colour. These buses run in most important routes such as 400, 211, 500, 99, 28, 38 etc. These buses don't stop at all bus stops and the fare for these buses is also a bit higher than that for city ordinary buses. Many of these buses are JNNURM funded and sport digital display boards which display route number and route details in both English and Telugu. Also most of these have cushioned seats which are comfortable and many of them also have air-suspension which makes the journey more comfortable. These buses don't get as crowded as City Ordinary buses.

The junction and Maddilapalem joins the Asilametta-Ramatalkies road to the National Highway 5. Buses from Madilapalem ply to the extreme ends of the city, including Anakapalle and Thagarapuvalasa.

Fares
The bus fare to get to Madilapalem from the railway station is only ₹8. Buses operate within a 5 minute frequency in routes with high demand. The minimum frequency in which buses operate is 40 minutes, i.e., every route is covered by an APSRTC bus once in every 40 minutes. The current list of destinations covered by the buses and their route numbers are available at Wikipedia.

Apart from buying tickets on the bus, you may also avail an RTC-Pass, which is a special type of pass that can be renewed once in a month. With the pass, you can board any APSRTC bus and travel anywhere within the city limits. An ordinary RTC-Pass costs just ₹750. The RTC complex is to the southeast of Asilametta. RTC complex is generally referred to as complex and is connected to every other region in the city.

Buddhist sites
Bojjannakonda, Thotlakonda and Bhavikonda in and around Visakhapatnam were centres of Buddhism during the second century CE. Several Buddhist monuments such as stupas and chaityas were erected at these places. It is said that some of the corporal relics of the Buddha were preserved at these places. Hence all these places became sacred places.

Beaches
More than anything else, Vizag is known for its beaches. It boasts a number of beaches that are scenic and uncrowded. A few virgin beaches span along the eastern side of the city and stretch for miles. A spectacular beach only the locals are aware of is called the "Yarada" beach. Except for the occasional RTC bus, there is no public transport available. Still, the adventurous mind finds it rewarding if they can make an effort to get there. It's a private beach coming under Agrigold plantations therefore you need to pay a fee of ₹30/- to get onto the beach, but it's worth it.

The beaches are lovely, but, there are water sporting activities which started out initially like marine rafting and scuba diving, there are few beach cafes and restaurants. A water sports centre was started in Rushikonda. Vizagites are traditionally quite conservative and though the beaches and the hills are beautiful, but there is much here to interest the average tourist.

Must want is the sunrise or a moonrise on a full moon day at Tennati Park(near foot of Rope way) on the Vizag-Bhimili Beach Road it's truly a feast to the nature lovers. The sea looks orange in colour and is a wonderful sight.

Buy
Vizag offers a reasonably large selection of stores selling clothing, jewellery, books, Araku Coffee etc.

Clothing
There are several locations from which clothing can be purchased. However they tend to be concentrated in few locations. One such is Jagadamba Centre. Few of the many clothing stores are:
 * Chandana Brothers
 * Bommana Brothers
 * Kankatala silk palace

Jewellery
Similar to clothing stores, there are several shops from where jewellery can be purchased. The centres are distributed, but the prominent ones are between RTC Complex and Railway station, Jagadamba Centre and near old Town Kotharoad. Some of the prominent stores are:
 * Vaibhav Jewellers
 * Mahaveer Jewellers
 * Tanishq Jewellers
 * Khazana Jewellers
 * Sanghvi
 * Kalyan
 * Kirtilals
 * Kirtilals

Memoribilia
While definitely not considered a shopper's paradise, Vizag offers some unique handicrafts and can found in by the Andhra Pradesh State-owned handicraft store, Lepakshi, at Jagadamba center. It has an impressive collection of sandalwood sculptures, stone art, etc.

Books
The stretch of road called Dabagardens has many bookstores. Police Barracks has numerous small stores that buy and sell second-hand books, including technical textbooks.
 * Jyoti Book Depot

Pubs

 * Waves
 * Ironhill

Shopping malls

 * Shoppers stop
 * Spencers
 * Big Bazaar
 * CMR Shopping Mall
 * South India Shopping Mall
 * Shoppers Stop

Eat
If spicy fare from Southern India appeals to your gastronomic senses, then Vizag has some excellent restaurants. Many of the eating joints meant or frequented by tourists are in the Siripuram area. A walk around there can give you access to a variety of cuisines.

 * Horizon (live music during dinner) at Dolphin Hotel, +91 891 2567000.
 * Subway - Subs & Salads in Siripuram's Dutt Island, +91 891 278491.
 * Ambica sea green - on Beach Road, Kirlampudi Layout, ph. 08912821818
 * Horizon (live music during dinner) at Dolphin Hotel, +91 891 2567000.
 * Subway - Subs & Salads in Siripuram's Dutt Island, +91 891 278491.
 * Ambica sea green - on Beach Road, Kirlampudi Layout, ph. 08912821818
 * Subway - Subs & Salads in Siripuram's Dutt Island, +91 891 278491.
 * Ambica sea green - on Beach Road, Kirlampudi Layout, ph. 08912821818
 * Ambica sea green - on Beach Road, Kirlampudi Layout, ph. 08912821818

Drink
Some interesting bars in the city are in the Five Star hotels mentioned above and typically are expensive even by Western standards. The Park Hotel has a decent bar - try the Screwdriver. Daspalla has another bar and restaurant called Dimple that serves various drinks and can be noisy at time. Two new really cool breweries have opened up in the city.

 * Punnami, near Rishikonda has pub very close to the beach and serves alcohol.
 * Ironhill brewery- above pmj jwellers, siripuram.
 * Ironhill brewery- above pmj jwellers, siripuram.

Sleep
Vizag has both high end hotels and affordable lodges. The Daspalla, The Grand Central Hotel and Green Park are well-known.

Splurge

 * Fairfield by Marriott - KSR prime R&B junction Visakhapatnam
 * Palm Beach hotel - beside the park hotel
 * Fairfield by Marriott - KSR prime R&B junction Visakhapatnam
 * Palm Beach hotel - beside the park hotel
 * Fairfield by Marriott - KSR prime R&B junction Visakhapatnam
 * Palm Beach hotel - beside the park hotel
 * Palm Beach hotel - beside the park hotel

Go next

 * Araku Valley — Many tourists visit Araku Valley along with Visakhapatnam. It is a scenic valley that can be reached by train or bus. It is definitely not a day trip, but the APTDC facilities can serve as a decent lodging. November to February are the best months to visit.
 * Hyderabad
 * Chennai
 * Kolkata
 * Vijayawada
 * Guntur

title: Visakhapatnam