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Tralee

Tralee is the county town of County Kerry in southwest Ireland, with a population of 23,691 in 2016. Its Irish name Trá Lí means "strand / beach on the River Lee".

Understand
Tralee is north of Kerry's tourist circuit so it feels like a real town; it's on the edge of the commuter belt for Limerick. It grew up at the lowest point you could cross the River Lee, and its navigable channel made it an early colony of the Normans. They embellished it in their usual way, with an abbey, a castle, and overmighty barons who fell foul of London authority. In these parts the barons were Earls of Desmond, and the last of that ilk was seen in Cork in 1583, minus his head which was on a spike on London Bridge.

Tralee in its present form was laid out in the 19th century in Georgian style. The castle had already been demolished, with Denny St built over it and the area converted to Town Park, while elegant civic buildings sprang up such as the courthouse. But it declined as a port, as vessels grew larger and the estuary silted up. The ship canal was built in fits and starts from 1832 to 1846, nicely in time to succumb in turn to silting, so the harbour moved to deeper water at Fenit Island in the 1880s.

This means that Tralee hasn't had much industry or tourist development, and has preserved the feel of a provincial market town. As the county town it has business accommodation and amenities. The Tourist Information Centre is within the Kerry Museum on Town Park, same hours.

By plane
is ten km south at Farranfore, with flights from Dublin, Luton and elsewhere. Trains stop in Farranfore, and bus 271 runs to the airport four times a day.

It's a longer drive, but you've more choice of flights into Dublin or Shannon.

By train
Trains run to Tralee every couple of hours from Mallow, taking 90 min via Killarney and Farranfore (for Kerry Airport); a few start from Cork. There's one direct train daily between Dublin Heuston and Tralee, but usually you change at Mallow, with journey time 4 hours and a walk-up single fare of €43. Change also at Mallow for Limerick, Galway and Cobh. See Irish Rail for timetables, fares and online tickets.

By bus
Dublin Coach M7 runs daily hourly from Dublin Burgh Quay and Red Cow Luas station via Limerick, Adare, Newcastle West, Abbeyfeale and Killarney, taking 3 hours 30 min to Tralee. They don't use the bus station in any of those towns; in Tralee the stop is outside Kerry Group Headquarters, near Aqua Dome south side of the town. From Dublin airport take their bus for Portlaoise, Waterford or Dundrum and change at Red Cow. Bus M7 runs 6:15AM-11:45PM; it's every 30 min but alternate buses branch north at Limerick for Bunratty and Ennis.

Bus Eireann 40 treks cross-country every hour or so, from Rosslare ferry port via Wexford, New Ross, Waterford, Dungarvan, Youghal, Cork, Macroom, Ballyvourney, Killarney, Farranfore and finally Tralee.

Bus 271 runs 3 or 4 times a day from Killarney via Farranfore, Kerry Airport and Castleisland to Tralee.

Bus 275 runs every hour or two from Dingle, taking an hour to Tralee.

By car
By road from Dublin follow M7 to Limerick then N21 through Newcastle West, reckon 3 hour 30 min.

Get around
Tralee town is compact, but you need your own wheels for outlying sights. For instance Bus 278 to Fenit only runs on Friday, with a return trip possible into town but not outward.

Enterprise Car Hire have a base in Tralee near the railway station, open M-F 8AM-5PM, Sa 9AM-noon.

Taxi companies in Tralee are Dial a Taxi +353 87 981 8181 and Dimo Cabs +353 87 277 4077. You'll find them on The Mall or awaiting the trains.

See

 * Town Park by the museum is a pleasant open space, especially when the roses are in bloom.
 * Churches: St John the Evangelist on Ashe St is Church of Ireland, while St John's RC church is on Castle St. Holy Cross is the Dominican church on Princes' St.
 * The Courthouse on Ashe St still houses the courts. It was completed in 1834 in neo-classical style, and later embellished by two cannon used in the Crimean War (1854–56) and the Indian Rebellion (1857).
 * Ratass Church is a medieval ruin on R875 north side of town. Its oldest parts are 10th century, built over the Iron Age Rath Mhaighe Teas, "fort of the southern plain". In the graveyard, a 6th century Ogham stone was found incorporated into a burial vault. It's inscribed for "Sílán son of Fáithloga".
 * was the port until 1846, where many emigrants left for North America; then a canal was cut to Tralee town centre. There's a restored windmill with an exhibition on the emigration years and a model railway. The area is good for birdwatching and breezy walks along the river and canal.
 * was the port until 1846, where many emigrants left for North America; then a canal was cut to Tralee town centre. There's a restored windmill with an exhibition on the emigration years and a model railway. The area is good for birdwatching and breezy walks along the river and canal.

Further out

 * is a picturesque harbour 10 km west of Tralee, which until the 19th century was a major port. In 1588 the Spanish Armada sloop Nuestra Señora del Socorro surrendered here, unable to limp home. The crew were all put to death - a rattled London government had given local sheriffs strict instructions.
 * Fenit Island is reached by walking or driving across the sand bar north of Fenit village. It's populated, with a ruined castle, and it's claimed that St Brendan the Navigator (484-577) was born here.
 * is a village 10 km northwest of Tralee with the ruin of a 12th-century cathedral and two other small churches, open Apr-Sep daily. 500 m east is the ruin of the 13th-century Franciscan friary.
 * is a long beach with sandhills 12 km northwest of Tralee. This is where Roger Casement and two others were captured in April 1916, having been put ashore from a U-boat. Germany had sent arms to support a republican uprising, but the arms ship was captured by the Royal Navy, and scuttled off Cobh. Casement had also been involved in recruiting Irishmen within Germany (such as POWs) to fight against Britain, and he was hanged for treason.
 * Akeragh is another long sandy strip north of Banna.
 * is the headland south of the Shannon estuary, with Ballyheigue the main settlement.
 * has been described as "not so much a town as a street between two fields". The island was created when a moat was built around the castle, of which only a crumbling tower remains. The main attraction is Crag Cave 2 km northeast, almost 4 km long, of which you tour 350 m.

Do

 * What's on? For local events listen to Radio Kerry on 96.2 - 97.6 FM, or read The Kerryman, Kerry's Eye or Tralee Advertiser. Tralee Outlook folded in 2019.
 * Cinema: Omniplex is next to Aqua Dome.
 * Theatre: Siamsa Tire is west side of Town Park by the museum.
 * Theatre: Siamsa Tire is west side of Town Park by the museum.
 * Gaelic games: Kerry GAA the county team usually play their home football games in Killarney, but for hurling they use Austin Stack Park (capacity 12,000), 200 m east of the railway station.
 * Tralee Racecourse occasionally hosts point-to-points but no longer has a regular race calendar. It's at Ballybeggan, 2 km northeast of town.
 * Dingle Way is a 176-km hiking trail that begins in Tralee, circles the Dingle peninsula and returns. The whole circuit takes 8 days but you can easily do short sections. The first stage leaves Tralee along the ship canal towpath to Blennerville. It climbs a lane onto a path on the flanks of Slieve Mish, 1 km south of N86, and follows the flank to the coastal village of Camp. That's 18 km, for the next stage see Annascaul. The final day is much the same in reverse.
 * Tralee Garden Festival is mid-June.
 * Rose of Tralee Festival is an old-style beauty contest in August.
 * National Circus Festival is in November on Town Park.
 * National Circus Festival is in November on Town Park.

Buy

 * Town centre has plenty of shops, with Garvey's SuperValu on Rock St open daily 8AM-10PM.
 * Manor West is the retail park 1 km west beyond University Hospital. Tesco is open M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 9AM-10PM.
 * Landers Outdoor World is a big store for outdoor clothing, footwear, camping, water sports and fishing tackle. They're next to Aldi on Manor West, and open M-Sa 9AM-6PM.

Drink

 * "Tralee Trembles?" - "Not any more he doesn't." - Brendan Behan, The Scarperer
 * Tralee Trembles is the hapless tool of a prison escape; Behan's own prison career was almost as inglorious.

 * Others include Kirby's Brogue, O'Sullivan's, Paddy Mac's, The Pikeman (within Grand Hotel), Blasket Bar, Hennessey's and Ballymac.
 * Others include Kirby's Brogue, O'Sullivan's, Paddy Mac's, The Pikeman (within Grand Hotel), Blasket Bar, Hennessey's and Ballymac.
 * Others include Kirby's Brogue, O'Sullivan's, Paddy Mac's, The Pikeman (within Grand Hotel), Blasket Bar, Hennessey's and Ballymac.
 * Others include Kirby's Brogue, O'Sullivan's, Paddy Mac's, The Pikeman (within Grand Hotel), Blasket Bar, Hennessey's and Ballymac.
 * Others include Kirby's Brogue, O'Sullivan's, Paddy Mac's, The Pikeman (within Grand Hotel), Blasket Bar, Hennessey's and Ballymac.

Sleep

 * B&Bs are along Oakpark Rd towards Listowel.
 * B&Bs are along Oakpark Rd towards Listowel.

Connect
As of Aug 2021, Tralee has 5G with Eir and Vodafone, and 4G with Three.

Go next

 * Listowel is the main settlement in the north of Kerry. Follow the coast then take the Shannon Ferry to continue the Wild Atlantic Way in County Clare.
 * West is the Dingle peninsula, dotted with prehistoric sites, and with boats to the Blasket islands.
 * Southwest takes you via Killorglin onto the Ring of Kerry coastal itinerary, eventually circling back to Killarney.

title: Tralee


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Tramping in New Zealand

Tramping (known in other countries as hiking, trekking or bushwalking) is a popular way to see the New Zealand outdoors, especially the forests, mountains and other wilderness areas. Tramps range from day walks to multi-day hikes, sleeping in huts or perhaps camping out. Most national parks in New Zealand are administered by the Department of Conservation (usually abbreviated to and often just called DOC). DOC offices and their web site are very useful sources of information.

Stay safe
Tramping the New Zealand bush (forests) can be dangerous if you are not properly prepared and equipped. The weather can change without warning. If you don't have the right equipment you may die from hypothermia. Additionally, rivers and streams often rise rapidly during rainstorms and you run the risk of drowning if you try to cross them when they are in flood.

NZ Mountain Safety Council has some information on-line but it is recommended that you visit a local DOC office before setting out on a trip. You should always ensure you tell someone reliable of your plans, and inform them when you return. You can do this at a DOC office.

The New Zealand bush is very dense in most places. Unless extremely experienced, you should not leave marked tracks.

Listen for the weather forecasts, especially the mountain forecast, broadcast by most AM and FM radio stations, normally every hour, just after the news (and also in the evening TV news). This means having a pocket transistor radio and perhaps a few extra metres of wire to boost the aerial. Also, if you are going into the backcountry for a few days you may want to hire a mountain radio or emergency locator beacon.

In most back country areas, water can be drunk directly from streams. In some areas, such as the Mangatepopo Valley in the North Island's mountain plateau, diseases such as Giardia are present. The safest options are to use a water-purifying tablet, such as iodine, or to boil water for at least 3 minutes.

Due to the highly variable nature of the weather and the rough topography, be prepared for anything. In higher areas, snow is common even in summer, and extremely heavy rain is common in the backcountry. The New Zealand bush is spectacularly beautiful but very unforgiving. Each year there are deaths while tramping, often due to hypothermia, falls, drownings. Make sure you do not stretch yourself beyond your abilities. If in doubt, check at a local DOC office, the staff are friendly and have lots of good information and tips.

Tramping equipment
New Zealand tries hard to prevent introduction of unwanted flora and fauna. Make sure you clean the mud from your boots, tents, groundsheet and stoves before you enter the country. Tramping equipment will be inspected on entry into the country. If you have any type of sports equipment in your luggage, declare it; there is a $200 instant fine for having undeclared (and dirty) equipment or sports footwear in your possession.

You will need sturdy boots or trail shoes. You will probably get wet feet, even on the tracks.

Wet weather gear is essential, even if the forecast is fine. It rains heavily and often in the backcountry. Snow is possible year round. It can also get very very hot in summer.

Most huts are not serviced, you may need to bring your own stove, and always bring your own cookware and cutlery.

Basic foam mattresses with plastic covers are standard for huts, there is no bedding provided so bring a sleeping bag.

Packs should be sturdy and weatherproof. Keep your gear inside a plastic liner if your pack does not have a rain cover.

Plan on getting cold and possibly wet. Bring clothing that will keep you warm if it gets wet, such as polypropylene or wool thermal underwear, fleece insulation layers, and a waterproof outer shell.

There is not much to eat in the bush, and nowhere to buy food once you're out there, so carry plenty of high energy food and allow a little extra in case you are delayed by bad weather.

Many routes for more experienced trampers may cross high alpine passes, so an ice axe and crampons may be necessary even in summer.

You can obtain good quality outdoor gear in most larger towns, usually at a reasonable price. Outdoor brands tend to be more expensive than in North America and Europe, so bring your own gear if you have it. Fuel and food are easy to obtain anywhere in New Zealand. Most outdoor shops provide good service and advice, Bivouac Outdoor stand out as leaders in their field and have stores in all of the main centres.

Sleep

Many of the national parks have basic accommodation called huts, which range from a basic roof over your head with large bunk spaces and a "long drop" toilet, to the deluxe huts on the Milford Track with individual bunks, electric lighting and flush toilets. The hut system is one of the treasures of the New Zealand backcountry. Usually huts are spaced a day's walk apart, and they can be found on most tracks and in all of larger tracts of native bush. Many of them date back to the 1960s and 70s when the Forest Service, as it was then known, built accommodation for government deer cullers in the remote bush areas, and linked the huts via a system of tracks.

There are four main classes of hut:
 * Great Walk huts are found on the Great Walks and have mattresses, water supply, toilets, hand washing facilities and heating with fuel available. They may have solar lighting, cooking facilities with fuel and a hut warden. During the on-season (mid-October to end of April), they must be booked in advance. In the off season, no bookings are required but some facilities may be removed or downgraded (e.g. no wardens, no cooking facilities). Fees vary from $22 to $70 per night in the on-season and $15 per night in the off-season.
 * Serviced huts are found elsewhere and have similar facilitates to the Great Walk huts. Some huts may require booking in advance. Fees are $15 per night (1 serviced hut ticket or 3 standard hut tickets).
 * Standard huts have mattresses, water supply and toilets. Wood heaters are provided at huts below the bush line. Fees are $5 per night (1 standard hut ticket).
 * Basic huts provide very basic shelter with limited facilities. They are free to stay at.

For Great Walk hunts and other huts requiring booking in advance, hut fees are payable upon booking. For other huts, hut tickets can be purchased from DOC offices and from some information centres and outdoors stores. Hand the required tickets to the warden or place them in the honesty box at the hut. Alternatively, you may purchase a Backcountry Hut Pass, which allows unlimited stays in most serviced and standard huts for the validity of the pass. These cost $92 for 6 months or $122 for 12 months.

For non-reserved huts, bunks are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Occasionally on busy weekends you may find the huts full, but the general ethic with huts is that nobody is ever turned away, and even if the bunks are all full you should feel welcome to sleep on the floor, porch, or table rather than spend a night out under the stars. Huts are a great place to socialise with other trampers and meet genuine kiwis, and more often than not food and stories are shared long into the evening.

Back country huts are often maintained by tramping clubs on a volunteer basis whereas DOC tend to maintain most of the great walks huts. Please treat the huts with respect as they are offered to enable people to access the national parks and no one is paid to clean up after you.

It's a good idea to sign the visitors book that you will find in most huts. If you get lost, it helps narrow down where you last were.

There are a lot of places for tent camping while tramping. Almost all of the Great Walk huts have dedicated tent sites adjacent to them, and taking a tent tramping allows a degree of freedom in choosing where to spend the night. If the weather is good it can be a great experience to spend a peaceful night out in a tent on the mountain tops instead of a hut. As a rule of thumb though, if there are huts on the track you choose to walk, you won't need a tent, but keep in mind that if the hut is dirty, full, or the occupants are snorers, you might be happy you brought a tent along.

Tracks and routes
DOC classifies tracks and routes by their difficulty. Their categories are:
 * Easiest: Easy access short walk. Duration up to an hour, suitable for all people including those dependent on wheeled vehicles like wheelchairs and baby strollers
 * Easiest: Short walk. Duration up to an hour, suitable for most ambulant people
 * Easy: Walking track. Gentle walking of up to a day, for the moderately fit and capable. In places tracks may be steep, muddy or rough, but are clearly marked and signposted. Streams are bridged.
 * Intermediate: Great Walk/Easier tramping track. Multi-day tramping for people with limited remote area experience. In places tracks may be steep, muddy or rough, but are clearly marked and signposted. Major streams are bridged.
 * Advanced: Tramping track. Challenging multi-day tramping for people with moderate to high remote area experience. The tracks are mostly unformed, and may be rough, muddy or steep, with unbridged streams and river crossings. Track markers may be triangular markers, poles and rock cairns.
 * Expert: Route. Challenging multi-day tramping for people who can be completely self sufficient and with a high level of back country skills and experience. Both navigation and survival skills may be required. The tracks are mostly natural and unformed, and may be rough, muddy or steep, with unbridged streams and river crossings. Track markers may be triangular markers, poles and rock cairns. Due to remoteness and lower levels of maintenance, track markings may not always be clear.

Great Walks
New Zealand has ten 'Great Walks', which are very well maintained, cover some of the most beautiful scenery, and can be quite busy in the peak season, requiring bookings with DOC well in advance. More information is available at DOC's Great Walks website.

The Great Walks are:

 * Milford Track (about 4 days), which runs from Lake Te Anau through the McKinnon Pass in the Southern Alps, leading out to Milford Sound. This is often considered one of the most spectacular walks in the world.
 * Routeburn Track (about 3 days), which starts at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown in Glenorchy, coming out at The Divide on the road to Milford.
 * Kepler Track in Fiordland National Park.
 * Heaphy Track in Kahurangi National Park, between Karamea on the West Coast and Golden Bay, on the northern tip of the South Island. This runs through some rain forest on the west coast, through beech forest, to tussock in the higher altitudes.
 * Rakiura Track, on Stewart Island
 * Abel Tasman Coast Track in Abel Tasman National Park at the northern end of the South Island
 * Whanganui River Journey, actually a river trip by canoe or kayak
 * Tongariro Northern Circuit in Tongariro National Park, in the central North Island's volcanic plateau. The Tongariro Crossing is part of it.
 * Waikaremoana Track in northern Hawke's Bay

Other walks

 * Te Araroa Trail runs the full length of the North Island and the South Island, from Cape Reinga to Bluff, along shorter discrete tracks and linking sections.
 * Careys Creek Track, near Blueskin Bay, north of Dunedin
 * Greenstone Track and Caples Track. DOC info
 * Rees-Dart Track, parts in Mount Aspiring National Park
 * Tutoko Valley Track
 * Wangapeka Track and Route. DOC info

Whirinaki Rainforest Track. Whirinaki is one of the great rainforests of the world. Such a global comparison is required to put it in its deserved ranking. While relatively small in area - at 60,000 hectares (600 square kilometres) the size of Lake Taupo or the island of Singapore - it is the finest of New Zealand's remaining giant podocarp forests.

At Whirinaki - New Zealand's 11th forest park - rimu, totara, matai, miro and kahikatea, the five great podocarp species, reach gianthood. This occurs in few other parts of this country, and certainly nowhere else in the world. Unlike many northern hemisphere pine forests, Whirinaki is not a single-species forest, nor is it confined to only a few sorts of trees. It has many more species of trees within its bounds than occur in equivalent areas of the evergreen and deciduous forests of Europe. Again unlike its counterparts in Europe, Whirinaki is essentially a forest without seasons - there is no one time of the year when the foliage is shed together and the forest floor is opened up to full light. And almost without exception, the foliage is evergreen.

It is one of only two podocarp forests in New Zealand which show their primary canopy in such completeness. The podocarps evolved more than 200 million years ago - in the Jurassic era - long before the flowering plants arrived. They are distinguished from the pines by not having a female cone, but in its place have a small succulent pedestal 'foot' or bright berry attractive to birds. The podocarps outstrip most of the true pines in their prolonged age, and in size and majesty. Whirinaki Forest Park has been a rich garden for the Maori tribes who have lived within its boundaries for centuries.

Its dense podocarp timbers host high numbers of birds, including the endangered karearea (New Zealand falcon) and whio (blue duck). Then there is the kaka, the screeching North Island parrot, red and yellow crowned kakariki and the kereru (native wood pigeon), to name but a few. Brown Kiwi can also be heard calling at nights on occasions. This haven for nature enthusiasts and bird watchers alike is located on the northern and western end of the Urewera ranges, the mountain chain which lies between the Kaingaroa Plains and the East Coast of the North Island. Rainforest experiences can be accessed from the main tourism centres of Rotorua and Taupo.

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

title: Tramping in New Zealand


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Trancoso

Trancoso is a small city on the Discovery Coast of southern Bahia.

By plane
Porto Seguro International Airport is about an hour away by car. Tel: +55 73 3288-2010.

Beaches

 * Praia dos Nativos
 * Praia dos Coqueiros
 * Praia da Pedra Grande

horse riding at fazenda Yansan

Sleep

 * Casa da Vanessa, Estrada dos Macacos.
 * Casa da Vanessa, Estrada dos Macacos.
 * Casa da Vanessa, Estrada dos Macacos.

title: Trancoso


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Trang

Trang (ตรัง) is a town and a province on the Southern Andaman Coast region of Southern Thailand.

Understand

On the Andaman Coast, Trang is a place of unspoilt beauty, kind and friendly people, delicious food, amazing islands, and white sand beaches.

Located on the same line of historical settlements as Krabi, Phang Nga, Phuket and Ranong, Trang shares the same traditions and heritage. In the early Ratanakosin period, Kantang, which is now one of the six districts of the province, served as the main port of the Penang-Phuket land route. There were two main routes of transportation for these five coastal towns at that time: the land route and the sea route. Kantang used to be one of the main seaports of the south and for this reason Kantang was the capital of the province for many years. Legend has it that ships from other countries always landed at Kantang port at dawn, explaining how Trang got its name. "Trang" is derived from a Malay word meaning "Dawn" or "Bright" (Malay: Terang).

Trang used to be a port involved in foreign trade. It was the first city where rubber was planted. Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi brought rubber from Malaysia and planted it here before anywhere else in southern Thailand in 1899. Rubber is now considered an important commodity of Thailand. The important Trang River flows through the province from its origin in the Khao Luang mountain range and the Palian River from the Banthat mountain range. Trang province has an area of approximately 5,000 km².

Climate
As Trang is located next to the Indian Ocean, the province gets monsoons all year round, resulting in a lot of rainfall.

Trang, along with rest of the south of Thailand, has just the two seasons per year:

 * Rainy season: May–Jan
 * Hot season: Feb-Apr

History
According to cultural records Trang used to be one of 12 satellite towns that came into existence 900 years ago, but it was only during the era of King Rama II that the place was recognized and the province got its first governor. The first Westerner to arrive in Trang was Captain James Low in 1838 to negotiate commercial treaties.

In 1915, King Rama VI visited the then-provincial town and advised, for strategic reasons, that it be moved to its now current location at Thap Thiang.

The original meaning of the name ‘Trang’ is uncertain, but many historians believe that it derives from the Malay word "trangkae" which means "dawn".

Geography
Trang is a coastal province on the Indian Ocean with a long western coastline of about 119 km. The province includes an archipelago in the Andaman Sea with over 46 islands. Of these, 12 are in Amphoe Kantang, 13 in Amphoe Palian, and 21 in Amphoe Sikao. The best time for sea travel is Oct-May. The mountainous eastern region is home to dramatic waterfalls, caves, and jungle. Between the mountains and the coast are extensive plantations of rubber.

Culture

 * Li-kae Pa(ลิเกป่า) is also called Li-ke Bok or Li-ke Rammana. This type of performance is different from the usual Li-ke as the performers wear other kinds of costumes. Li-ke Pa is popular among Thai Muslims.  Only 3 performers play in a single set the whole show.  However, the set will have a location name change to correspond to the story being told.  Musical instruments used include 2-3 tambourines, cymbals, gongs, and pipes.
 * Manora or Nora (มโนราห์หรือโนรา) is an art form native to southern Thailand. The performance has graceful and beautiful dance postures.  The singer will sing the lyrics ad lib.  Therefore, he or she has to be a quick thinker to find words that rhyme and that are meaningful in lyrics, dance and costume.  Accompanying musical instruments include drums, cymbals, gongs, Java pipes, and castanets. Nowadays, Nora incorporates modern instruments.
 * Shadow Play (หนังตะลุง) is a popular art of southern Thailand. Dried animal hide is carved into drama figures like a hermit, a lord, a lead actor, a lead actress, a giant, and a clown.  The figures are held up behind a lighted screen to create shadows on it. The Nai Nang or puppeteer will sing verses or narrate the performance.  He must have exceptional reflexes and be able to narrate the whole story by himself.  Musical instruments used are the same as for Nora, with perhaps So U and So Duang (stringed instruments) added in.

By car

 * 1) Hwy 4 (Bangkok-Chumphon) to Hwy 41 (Surat Thani-Thung Song-Huai Yot-Trang). Total distance: 828 km.
 * 2) Hwy 4 (Bangkok-Chumphon) to Ranong-Phang-Nga-Krabi-Trang. Total distance: 1,020 km.
 * 3) Hwy 404-416 (Satun-Palian-Trang). Total distance: 140 km.
 * 4) Hwy 4-407 (Hat Yai-Phatthalung-Trang). Total distance: 148 km.
 * 5) Hwy 4-402 (Phuket-Phang-Nga-Krabi-Trang). Total distance: 312 km.

By plane
Trang Airport (TST) is served by Nok Air, Thai LionAir and Thai Air Asia. There are roughly five flights a day in and out of Trang to/from Bangkok's Don Muang Airport (DMK).

A taxi to the airport is around 90 baht per person. There is also a public bus, which costs 12 baht, and departs from the airport bus stop. Turn right immediately after exiting the airport terminal 2 building, under construction as of Oct 2018. The light blue buses run between the airport and Trang town, stopping at the central train and bus station.

The Hat Yai airport is another alternative, served by low-cost airlines. From the airport, a songthaew costs around 30 baht to the minibus station which is between the airport and Hat Yai. The minibus to Trang (slightly more than a 2 hour ride) costs 100 baht, though you will need to pay for two seats if you have a large backpack, as the minibuses do not have a trunk.

By train
There are two daily trains from Bangkok to Trang:
 * Express - departs Bangkok 17:05, arrives Trang 07:35
 * Rapid - departs Bangkok 18:30, arrives Trang 10:31

Rapid and express trains depart from the Bangkok Railway Station to Trang daily, taking 15 hours for the 870 km journey. More information can be obtained from Bangkok Railway Station at Tel. 1690, +66 2 2204334, +66 2 2204444 or calling Trang station at Tel. +66 75 218012

By bus
Minibuses from the Satun boat terminal (where the boats from Langkawi arrive) to Trang charge 300 baht/person. From Satun bus terminal a bus ticket (on a bus with air-con) costs 126 baht/person. Air-conditioned buses depart from the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok to Trang everyday. It takes 12 hours for the trip. For more information, call +66 2 8946122 or The Transport Co. in Trang at +66 75 218718. In addition, there are private bus services. Namely, Sap Paisan Tour at +66 2 8946040-1 and Sri Suthep Tour at +66 2 8946166-8

Trang bus station is about 4 km out of town. There are small blue and pink town buses that run back and forth to the town centre and railway station for 12 baht. If you don't like taking a motorbike, then there is the option of exiting the bus station by the only road that exits from it, back onto the highway. Turn right and walk for about 100 m. There's a large mall there with a Robinson's Department Store in it, with some tuk-tuks outside. A fare to Trang centre is 20 baht (Jan 2020).

By van
There are public passenger vans to Trang from neighbouring provinces. They leave when they are full.

Get around
Trang offers motorised tricycles (tuk-tuks) and motorbike-taxis for travel within the municipality. Travel between the districts can be done by buses, taxis, passenger vans, or by renting vans from tour companies in the city. You can also find motorbikes for rent by the day.

There are four main terminals. To go to beaches in Sikao District such as Pak Meng Beach, Chang Lang Beach, or Ban Chao Mai, take the passenger van opposite Tha Klaang Market on Tha Klaang Road. To go to Huay Yod, Rassada, or Tung Song, take the passenger van at the church on Huay Yod Road near Thammarin Thana Hotel. To go to Tha Khao, Palian, Thung Yaaw, or Samran Beach, take the van near the sports stadium on Rassada Road. To visit the old town in Kantang District, the passenger vans are located on Kantang Road near Trang Railway Station.

Alternative terminal to Pak Meng Beach is at the front of 108 convenience store on Highway 4046, not far from the railway crossing. There is a counter handled by a Thai lady, and passenger van should depart to Pak Meng Beach hourly. The ticket fee is 80 baht for each person. But beware of the possibility of no return van to Trang from Pak Meng Beach in the evening due to no passenger volume from Trang. You may need to get help from locals to call the ticketing agency, or get alternative transport (taxi, private car) back to Trang.

Boats to islands
Trang has 3 main piers for island-hoppers. They are Pak Meng Pier, Ban Chao Mai Pier, and Kuan Thung Kuu Pier.

Pak Meng Pier on the beach of the same name is the major pier for boats. From there, there are regular boats to all the main islands. If the island of your choice is off the beaten track, then it is possible to hire a boat privately.

Ban Chao Mai and Kuan Tung Kuu Piers also have both regular and for-hire boats.

See

 * Ko Ngai This island is in the Trang archipelago. It is south of Ko Lanta. You may choose to get here from Pak Meng Pier, Trang province or Saladan of Ko Lanta, Krabi Province.
 * Ko Muk and Tham Morakot (เกาะมุก-ถ้ำมรกต) Ko Muk is mostly occupied by sea-facing towering cliffs to the west. On the east side of the island is a village of fishers who have still maintained their ways of life as islanders. On the island to the west is Tham Morakot, a sea cave. With light from the outside, emerald water can be seen inside the cave.
 * Hat Yong Ling and Hat San (หาดหยงหลิง-หาดสั้น) is on the way to Chao Mai Beach and a 2-km road leads to Yong Lin Beach. This curved beach parallels a pine forest. At the beach's end is a high mountain with holes and caves that can be passed through to a cliff with more caves and rocks similar to a fortress encircling sand dunes.
 * Ko Chueak - Ko Waen (เกาะเชือก-เกาะแหวน) are small islands between Ko Muk and Ko Kradan. They are teeming with shallow and deep water corals and many types of fish.
 * Ko Kradan (เกาะกระดาน) It has an area of 600 acre. Most of the island falls under the aegis of Hat Chao Mai National Park. The rest is privately owned. The most striking feature of Ko Kradan is its powdery white beach and clear water that permits a decent view of the coral reef underneath that stretches from the beach’s northern end to the coast. A variety of colourful fish inhabit the shallow water corals. Ko Kradan is to the west of Ko Muk and Ko Libong.
 * Hat Pak Meng (หาดปากเมง) is at Tambon Mai Fat, 40 km from the city. The 5 km long beach is in the shape of a crescent moon. A pine forest fringes the beach. Assorted large and small islands dot the sea, looking like a person lying face up in the ocean. Trang locals and people from nearby provinces like to come here to relax and sample seafood in the restaurants.
 * Namtok Ton Te (น้ำตกโตนเต๊ะ) is 45 km from the city. It is the tallest and most popular waterfall in Trang with water that drops down 320 metres of rocks. The source is in the Banthat Mountain Range. Tropical flora covers the surrounding area.
 * Tham Le Khao Kop (ถ้ำเลเขากอบ) This cave is a popular natural wonder with a stream flowing through it. The cave itself looks like a high and steep cliff with layers of rocks. A canal from the Banthat Mountain Range divides into three waterways upon reaching Khao Kop, two going around the mountain and the other flowing through the cave under the mountain. Stalactites and stalagmites line the cave for about 4 km. The Khao Kop Tambon Administration Organization provides rowboats for visitors to view the cave and to be an eco-tourism and adventure activity by the locals.
 * Namtok Sai Rung (น้ำตกสายรุ้ง) This single-level waterfall falls from a high and huge cliff.
 * Ko Lao Liang (เกาะเหลาเหลียง) These two islands, between Ko Libong and Ko Petra.
 * Ko Takiang (เกาะตะเกียง) is a small island on in the group of south Trang islands.
 * Manora or Nora (มโนราห์หรือโนรา) is an art form native to southern Thailand. The performance has dance postures. The singer ad-libs the lyrics. Accompanying musical instruments include drums, cymbals, gongs, Java pipes, and castanets. Nowadays, Manora has incorporated modern instruments.
 * Shadow Play (หนังตะลุง) is a popular art of southern Thailand. Dried animal hide is carved into drama figures like a hermit, a lord, a lead actor, a lead actress, a giant, and a clown. The figures are held up behind a lighted screen to create shadows on it. Nai Nang or the puppeteer sings verses or narrates the performance.  Musical instruments used are the same as for manora, with perhaps So U and So Duang (stringed instruments) added in.
 * Li-kae Pa (ลิเกป่า) is also called Li-ke Bok or Li-ke Rammana. This type of performance is different from the usual Li-ke as the performers wear other kinds of costumes. Li-ke Pa is popular among Thai Muslims. Only three performers play in a single set the whole show. However, the set has a location name change to correspond to the story being played.  Musical instruments used include two or three tambourines, cymbals, gongs, and pipes.

Do
Trang Tourism Festival (งานเปิดฟ้าเมืองตรัง) is an activity for the public relations of Trang tourism at the beginning of the tourism season. The event is held in the third week of January. Trang Underwater Wedding Ceremony (พิธีวิวาห์ใต้สมุทร) Activities in this unusual event include a welcoming ceremony for the brides and grooms (Thais and foreigners) at the Trang Airport, a bridal procession around town, and a dowry procession by longtail boat to Ko Kradan. A wedding ceremony is performed on the beach by means of pouring blessed water from a conch shell onto the bridal palms and followed by underwater marriage registration at a depth of over 12 m. The event is held on 13–15 February. Trang Food Festival (งานมหกรรมอาหารดี ศรีตรังบาน) is held to promote dishes of Trang Province. Food stalls of Trang restaurants offer dishes at discounted prices. Additional activities are an eating championship and diverse forms of entertainment. The fair is scheduled for 30 March – 3 April of every year at the Somdech Phra Srinagarindra Park 95 (Khao Pae Choi). Trang Cake Festival (งานเทศกาลขนมเค้กจังหวัดตรัง) derives from Trang's renown for making delicious cakes. This is particularly true for the villagers of Ban Lam Phu Ra where making cakes dates back generations. The cakes of Trang have no frosting and have several flavours like orange, coffee, and three-flavours. The festival is scheduled for every August. Trang Roast Pork Festival (งานเทศกาลหมูย่างจังหวัดตรัง) is a tourism promotion activity of Trang, held every September. The pork skin is crispy, the meat is tender and it is delicious due to a process by which the pig is fermented with herbs then roasted whole on a custom grill. Trang's roast pork is sold daily and eaten with morning coffee or can be a banquet dish. Moon Festival (งานประเพณีไหว้พระจันทร์) is a tradition long observed by the Chinese people of Tambon Thung Yao, Amphoe Palian, to commemorate the fight for the nation against the Mongols. A ceremony is held in late-September or early-October on the full moon day in the eighth month under the Chinese calendar. Vegetarian Festival (งานประเพณีถือศีลกินเจ) is a traditional festival of the Chinese in Trang, held around October every year on a full-moon night. Thais of Chinese heritage become vegetarians (no consumption of meat and certain kinds of vegetables) and dress in white for nine days and nights. This is to bring good fortune and make merit. The Buddha Image Procession and Trang Cultural Festival (ประเพณีลากพระและมหกรรมวัฒนธรรมสัมพันธ์จังหวัดตรัง) is aimed to preserve, revive, and pass down ancient customs and traditions. It is held during the first and third days of the waning moon in the eleventh lunar month (at the end of Buddhist Lent). Activities include a contest of Buddha image boat floats, local sports competitions, Southern-style folk arts and cultural performances, concerts, entertainment, sales of Trang OTOP products, and merit-making for the Buddha image processions. Four-wheel Drive Vehicle Competition (การแข่งขันรถยนต์ขับเคลื่อนสี่ล้อ) (The Nature Adventure of Southern Thailand – NAS Challenge) is an off-road circuit for members of off-road racing clubs in Thailand and from foreign countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, with more than 100 cars participating. It is scheduled for November of every year. The circuits in use are in Trang town and other districts of Trang. Taphao Shell Festival (งานเทศกาลหอยตะเภา) is aimed at promoting the conservation of nature and the environment. The festival is held at Pak Meng Beach every November. There is a contest to gather Taphao shells. Fishing Competition (การแข่งขันกีฬาตกปลา “เบิกฟ้าทะเลตรัง”) is organised around December of every year in the waters of Trang and Krabi Provinces.

H.M. the King’s Birthday Celebrations and Red Cross Fair (งานเฉลิมพระชนมพรรษาและงานกาชาดจังหวัดตรัง) is an annual event of Trang, which has been continued since the reign of King Rama VII. It is scheduled for 5–15 December of every year at the Thung Chaeng Stadium in Amphoe Mueang Trang. Activities include exhibitions of agencies in the public and private sectors, sales of food and products, concerts, entertainment, and naval Red Cross activities.

Buy
Trang has a few local products which are popular as souvenirs, they are Suea Toei or Suea Panan (mats woven from screw pine), Muk (container for small things), ray leather products, namely, bags and shoes, basketry made of cattail stems, carved-wood products from Thep Tharo wood, para rubber toys, and "na muen si" local woven cloth. Local foods include Trang roast pork, Trang's cake, Khao Chong coffee, and kapi or shrimp paste.

Eat
Much of Trang's cuisine has its origins in Malay, Indonesian, and Indian food. Favorite dishes from the south include gaeng masaman (Indian-style Muslim curry), khanom jeen (rice noodles in fish curry sauce), khao yam (rice and vegetables mixed with a sweet brown sauce), pork fried with dasheen and go yuk (red tofu sauce), and khao mok gai (chicken biriyani).

Trang is well known for its many local foods such as muu yang dtrang (Trang-style roasted pork), kake dtrang (Trang cake).

Trang's breakfast menu includes dtim sum (dim sum), ja guai (deep fried bread), bpaa tong goo (sweet donut), with go bpii (black coffee served with sugar).

 * Khao Fang - from the train station, go left, then 2nd(?) right up a small street, restaurant is on the left about a quarter of the way up, opposite a tall (5-6 story) hotel. Sign (blue and white) is only in Thai. The food can be very hot so maybe ask them to cool it down.
 * Night Market - The lively night market of Trang has food stalls with excellent local food. You can find a pad thai for 25 baht, dishes with rice from 30 baht, juices from 10 baht (little shop at the corner, at the entrance to the market).
 * Cinta Walking Street - A night market (19:00 - 20:00) with around 80 food stalls (gyoza, pork neck, sushi, bbq fish etc), 10 or so beer bars (with live music) and two or three bars, the bars stay open late, opposite side of town to the train station.
 * Wunderbar Restaurant & Tours- has selection of European food including German beer.

title: Trang


text:
Trani

Trani is a city in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani in the region of Apulia (Puglia), Italy. The "pearl of the Adriatic" has an ancient village and monuments such as the Romanesque cathedral and the Swabian castle.

The ancient city is full of churches, monasteries, and historic buildings. The church of Ognissanti (also called dei Templari), the churches of San Francesco , Sant'Andrea and San Giacomothey are interesting architectures in Romanesque style. Other places of great interest are the tourist harbour, the municipal villa, a rare example of a garden by the sea, and the promenade which goes from the centre to the medieval monastery of Colonna.

By train
Trani is well served by trains. The National Train Service (Ferrovie dello Stato) has numerous trains reaching Trani on the "Linea Adriatica". You can take the express train (Eurostar) on the Lecce-Milano line. Do not forget to reserve your seat before you get on the train (can be done on line).

By car

 * Highway - "Autostrada" A14 Bologna-Taranto, exit "Trani"
 * Freeway - "Strada Statale" 16BIS direction Bari-Foggia, exit Trani Downtown (Trani Centro) or "Strada Statale" 98 direction Bari-Foggia, exit Corato-Trani and follow direction to Trani

By bus
Bus service is offered from Trani to Naples by Autolinee Marino, Tel +39 080.3112335, Fax: +39 080.3117537. One way €16, round trip €32. No credit cards or electronic payments accepted.

Main attractions

 * La Cattedrale (The Cathedral), Piazza Duomo - Built between 1150 to 1250, this is one of the most beautiful and well preserved Romanesque churches in Puglia. Especially beautiful are the bronze doors, made of 32 panels, made by Barisano da Trani. The panels are decorated with figures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Apostoles and Saints. The Cathedral is one of the most representative and valuable examples of Apulian Romanesque architecture; it is located in an isolated position near the sea, this scenographic location is of great charm and lends itself to the performance of various public and cultural events.
 * Monastero di Colonna, Peninsola di Colonna
 * Castello Svevo, Piazza Re Manfredi. The Swabian castle is one of the most important and best readable among Frederick's castles. It is used as a state museum by the Ministry of Culture.
 * Il Porto (The Harbor), Via Statuti Marittimi
 * Il Palazzo della Pretura (Palazzo Candido)
 * Villa Comunale (Public Gardens)
 * Museo Diocesiano, Palazzo Lodispoto, Piazza Duomo 8/9

Churches

 * Sant'Antonio Abate e Fortino, Via Statuti Marittimi
 * Sant'Anna, Via de la Giudea
 * Sant'Andrea, Via Mario Pagano
 * Sant'Agostino, Piazza Gradenigo
 * Santa Teresa, Piazza Sedile San Marco
 * Santa Maria Scolanova, Via Scolanova
 * Santa Chiara, Piazza Regina Elena
 * San Toma, Piazza San Toma
 * San Rocco, Via San Giorgio
 * San Nicola Piccinino, Via Prologo
 * San Martino, Via San Martino
 * San Luigi, Piazza Mazzini
 * San Giovanni, Via Beltrani
 * San Giacomo (was known as Chiesa del San Russis), Via Romito
 * San Francesco, Piazza della Libertà
 * San Donato and Torre Dell'Orologio (Clock Tower), Via Porta Antica
 * San Domenico, Piazza Plebiscito
 * Ognissanti (also known as Chiesa dei Templari), Via Ognissanti
 * Chiesa del Miracolo Eucaristico (also known as Cappella di San Salvatore or Cappella dell'Ebrea), Via Lagalante
 * Chiesa del Carmine, Piazza Tiepolo

Historical buildings

 * Casa de Agnete
 * Palazzo Antonacci Telesio
 * Palazzo Arcivescovile
 * Palazzo Cacetta
 * Palazzo Covelli
 * Palazzo de Angelis
 * Palazzo della Pretura
 * Palazzo Filisio
 * Palazzo Gadaleda
 * Palazzo Lambert
 * Palazzo Quercia
 * Palazzo Torres
 * Palazzo Valenzano
 * Palazzo Vischi

title: Trani


text:
Tranquebar

Tranquebar (or Tharangambadi) is a small coastal town in Tamil Nadu 120 km south of the former French colony Pondicherry (Puducherry). Tharangambadi literally means the land of the singing waves. From 1620 to 1845 it served as a Danish trading post in India and came to be known as Tranquebar. Tranquebar is also known for its ozone-rich beaches.

Understand
The place dates back to the 14th century. Masilamani Nathar (Shiva) temple was built in 1306, in a land given by Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I. Until 1620, when the Danes came, the place was part of the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom. Danish admiral Ove Gjedde felt the place would be a potential trading centre, made a deal with Raghunatha Nayak, and built a fort, which is known as Fort Dansborg. Fort Dansborg was the residence and headquarters of the governor and other officials till 1845, when along with Serampore in West Bengal, it was sold to the British.

The Danish converted the sleepy fishing hamlet into a colonial town complete with European-styled mansions and churches. Today the Danish Fort of Dansborg still dominates the Tranquebar skyline and the fortified town still has its share of colonial charm and legacy. The coastal town complete with forts, churches and colonial buildings is surrounded by high walls complete with bastions and stands as a colonial island surrounded by a rural landscape.

Get in
Tranquebar is better known with its local name, Tharangambadi, so ask for bus/taxi for the same.

Bus
The best way of getting to Tranquebar is by bus. Bus route 324 runs all the way from CMBT (Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminal) in Madras along the coast to Nagapattinam south of Tranquebar. The bus will make stops in Pondicherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Tranquebar and Karaikal on the way to Nagapattinam, so it is perfect if you already are in one of these cities. From Madras the trip will take around 7-8 hours, from Pondicherry around 4 hours, from Karikal around 30 minutes and from Nagapattinam around one hour. The busses come in three different classes: Regular, UD (ultra deluxe) and AC (Air Conditioning). Regular busses are bad even by Indian standards, Ultra deluxe busses are bad by western standards (no A/C or reclining seats) while AC busses (blue and white with closed windows) are really good. A trip from Madras to Nagapattinam on AC bus is less than ₹300, so unless you are on a really tight budget AC is the way to go.

Rail
Mayiladuthurai is the nearest railhead and is located 31 km from Tranquebar. Mayiladuthurai is well connected with Chennai and Rameshwaram

Get around
Tranquebar is small enough for you to easily be able to walk around and the entire area can be covered in 3-4 hours. If you are a true history buff and want to see all the sites like the remains of Peter Anker's country house and gardens or the Governor's Mansion in nearby Porayar, it may make sense to hire a pedal bike. If you're starting from Pondicherry, its possible to start and return from Tranquebar the same day.

title: Tranquebar


text:
Trans-Canada Highway

The Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) is a series of provincial highways which join all ten provinces of Canada. Following 8,030 km (just under 5,000 miles) of Trans-Canada Highway across all ten provinces is one of the three longest single-country highway journeys in the world.

History
Canada is the second largest country in the world by area and a cross-country trip overland was no small obstacle for early travellers to overcome. While the Canadian Pacific Railway's (CPR) last spike opened travel across Canada by train in 1885, an "all-red route" (entirely through British territory) by road remained elusive for much of the 20th century. Albert E. Todd (the mayor of Victoria, BC from 1917-1919) had a gold medal struck in 1912, to be offered as a prize for the first car to drive from Nova Scotia across all of Canada to the Pacific. That award remained unclaimed for more than three decades, not through lack of effort, but through lack of infrastructure.

British freelance writer Thomas Wilby (“A Motor Car Tour Through Canada”, 1914) and Reo head mechanic James Haney reached Victoria from Halifax only by carrying their 1912 Reo by train from North Bay to Sudbury, by ship across Lake Superior to the Lakehead, then back on the train to Selkirk. An attempt to motor on the CPR's rail tracks in British Columbia damaged two of the four tires; their attempt to find an "All-Red Route" failed as they had to cross briefly into the US to avoid mountains between Paterson and Cascade, British Columbia. Later voyagers merely found more of the same; Percy Gomery (“A Motor Scamper ‘Cross Canada”, 1922) left Montreal with his wife to drive home to Vancouver in 1920; they got as far as Sault Sainte Marie (Ontario) before having to cross into foreign territory. A wartime effort forced a gravel road through a northern route Hearst-Geraldton-Nipigon in 1943, allowing Brig. R. Alex Macfarlane (rtd.) and former Royal Canadian Air Force squadron leader Ken MacGillivray to drive a new GM 1946 Chevrolet Stylemaster from Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, to the Pacific as the first to cross the country entirely on Canadian roads. The Trans-Canada Highway Act (1949) funded construction of the current mainline, which officially opened in 1962. Paving of two lanes coast-to-coast was completed by 1970, making it the most lengthy uninterrupted highway in the world at the time.

Overview
The Trans-Canada Highway system is recognizable by its distinctive white-on-green maple leaf markers.

The Trans-Canada Highway is one of the three-longest single-country highway journeys in the world, along with the Highway 1 ring road around Australia and the Trans-Siberian Highway across Russia (if you ignore the brief detour into neighbouring Kazakhstan).

Despite the distances, many Canadians have some interest in seeing the entire country, and driving across Canada is a common way of doing it. The Trans-Canada Highway is not one road but a system of provincial highways that together span the entire country:

 * Trans Canada Highway 1 (four western provinces, mainline)
 * Trans Canada Highway 16 - Yellowhead Highway (four western provinces, northern alternate)
 * Ontario Highway 17/417 (Ontario mainline)
 * Ontario Highway 11, Highway 71 (mostly-northern alternate)
 * Ontario Highway 69/400, Highway 12, Highway 7 (southern alternate)
 * Québec Autoroutes 40, 20 and 85/Route 185 (mainline)
 * Québec Route 117/Ontario Highway 66 (northern alternate)
 * Trans Canada Highway 2 (New Brunswick, mainline)
 * Trans Canada Highway 104/105 (Nova Scotia, mainline)
 * Trans Canada Highway 16/1/106 (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, northern alternate)
 * Trans Canada Highway 1 (Newfoundland, mainline)

It's quicker to list what isn't on the Trans-Canada: Labrador, Northeastern Quebec (Gaspé Peninsula, Côte-Nord, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean), the Acadian Coast, the far north and high Arctic, Southwestern Ontario, the Niagara Peninsula and a chunk of southern Nova Scotia. The highway bypasses Toronto and Halifax.

Prepare
This journey covers 6 time zones and more than 8,000 km, under conditions which vary from congested urban freeway (in Ottawa and Montreal) to thousands of kilometres of sparsely-populated wilderness (in northwestern Ontario) or steep mountain ranges (in the Rockies). The route passes through most of the populated areas of Canada, geographically the second-largest country on Earth. It is therefore not possible to give a comprehensive description of a trip of this scale in a single article (although printing a copy of the Canada guide and everything under it would be a good start, a full description would fill a book).

Be sure to leave lots of time – a week just in driving time one-way is not unrealistic, assuming somebody is behind the wheel 24 hours a day with no stops to sightsee. Winter driving can take even longer; it is not unreasonable to expect to need a full week just to make the Winnipeg-Ottawa leg of the journey when there is snow on the ground. Bring a reliable vehicle - a full mechanical inspection before departure on a trip of this length is advisable. A cellular telephone can be useful as a means of obtaining roadside assistance, but expect huge mobile dead zones in sparsely-populated areas like Northern Ontario and the Lake Superior shore (a satellite phone may be of more use in these areas); coverage is also very sporadic in British Columbia's Rocky Mountains (where a satellite phone might or might not be able to make a connection depending on whether the mountains are in the way).

While it is similar in concept to the Interstate Highway System in the United States, the Trans-Canada is considerably different in scale and consistency. In densely populated areas (at least by Canadian standards) and in between nearby major cities, the highway will often be divided with at least two lanes in each direction. But in lightly populated areas such as Northern Ontario or - in the case of the Yellowhead - much of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the highway has only one lane in each direction, undivided, and has gravel shoulders and variable pavement quality. Much of the highway is not grade-separated and passes directly through many communities, functioning as the main street of the town.

Get in
This trip can be started almost anywhere in Canada. The highway runs from Victoria, British Columbia to St. John's, Newfoundland (or the other way around, both cities declare a "mile 0" or "mile one" for the highway), with a third possible origin point at Prince Rupert on the Yellowhead Highway. However, for practical purposes many travellers skip the trip to Newfoundland, and end it in Nova Scotia, others may skip Victoria and end in Vancouver.

Drive
The trip is listed from west to east (from Victoria), but obviously could be done in either direction. There are some locations where multiple routes are called the Trans-Canada Highway; the shortest or most direct route is listed as the "mainline" in these cases.

Victoria to Winnipeg
Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) begins in at the intersection of Douglas Street and Dallas Road (where the "Mile 0" plaque stands) and passes through downtown Victoria and northward along the east coast of Vancouver Island to Nanaimo. Short freeway segments of the TCH can be found near Victoria and Nanaimo, but the rest of the highway on Vancouver Island is heavily signalized. Between Victoria and Nanaimo, the highway passes through, the largest city between those cities' respective metropolitan areas. The highway passes through downtown to Nanaimo (Departure Bay) ferry terminal and follows a two-hour ferry to Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) ferry terminal in. The route becomes a freeway and enters.

It is possible to bypass the busiest sections of Highway 1 in Metro Vancouver:

 * From Victoria, take Highway 17 from Victoria to the Victoria (Swartz Bay) ferry terminal near Sidney and take the route to Vancouver (Tsawwassen) ferry terminal in Delta (1 hour 35 minutes crossing), which also avoids circuitous Vancouver Island route.
 * From Nanaimo, take Highway 19 to Nanaimo (Duke Point) ferry terminal and take the route to Vancouver (Tsawwassen) ferry terminal (2 hours crossing) from Nanaimo (via Highway 19) also offers a link to the bypass. Highway 17 links Vancouver (Tsawwassen) ferry terminal with the TCH in.

The Trans-Canada Highway travels through the Fraser Valley, passing through the smaller cities of and. For westbound traffic heading into Vancouver, be sure to refuel in these communities as petrol in Metro Vancouver costs more due to additional taxes.

The Trans-Canada Highway exits the freeway at (exit 170) and turns north through the Fraser Canyon, turns east at, and enters , rejoining the freeway (westbound traffic exits the freeway at exit 362).

 * An alternative between Hope and Kamloops is sticking to the freeway by following the Coquihalla Highway (Yellowhead Highway 5), which reduces the travel time by 1 hour.

From Kamloops, the route continues east through, , and , after which it passes through Mount Revelstoke National Park. The highway then passes through Glacier National Park which features a marker commemorating the Trans-Canada's 1962 official opening and avalanche-prone Rogers Pass. At the eastern boundary of Glacier National Park, set your watch ahead. After passing through, the highway enters the Canadian Rockies and goes through Yoho National Park.

At the Alberta border, the TCH becomes a divided highway and enters Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park, passing through and. The highway leaves the national park at and continues to, where it passes through the north/central portion of the city.

 * An alternate route is the northern portion Highway 201 (Stoney Trail), which serves as a freeway bypass for TCH through Calgary.

The Trans-Canada Highway continues east through endless prairies, passing through and, and. It then crosses into Saskatchewan, passing between the Great Sandhills to the north and the Cypress Hills to the south. It then continues through and  to, the province’s capital city. It continues east, crosses into Manitoba, and passes through and  before continuing to.

 * An alternative is the Yellowhead Highway, which follows Canadian National's "Grand Trunk Pacific Railway" from Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Trans-Canada 16 leads through Terrace and Prince George BC, Jasper National Park, Alberta's capital Edmonton, Alberta/Saskatchewan border city of Lloydminster and Saskatoon before joining the Trans-Canada mainline just west of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.

The southern portion of Winnipeg's Perimeter Highway (Highway 100) is part of the Trans-Canada system and bypasses the city with a mix of traffic lights and interchanges, while Highway 1 continues through central Winnipeg. Highway 1 continues eastward to Kenora, becoming Ontario Highway 17 at the provincial border. Saskatchewan does not use Daylight Saving Time, when heading east go ahead one hour on entering Saskatchewan from Alberta (in winter) or leaving Saskatchewan into Manitoba (in summer). Winnipeg is one hour ahead of Calgary and two hours ahead of Vancouver.

Fuel prices in British Columbia (and particularly in Vancouver) are higher than in the other three western provinces; heading east, they will begin to creep upwards again in Ontario and become worse still in Quebec.

Winnipeg to Ottawa
The Trans-Canada runs over prairie for a little way east of Winnipeg, then a long stretch of lightly inhabited forested country. It is Highway 1 in Manitoba, Highway 17 most of the way across Ontario, and 417 near Ottawa.

Winnipeg is from Ottawa. Towns on the route are:

 * and Dryden, in the Central time zone. Move ahead one hour to Eastern time and enter
 * (legendary for stranded hitchhikers)
 * (swing south here to reach Toronto)
 * (swing south here to reach Toronto)
 * (swing south here to reach Toronto)

From Thunder Bay to the Sault, the road winds along the shore of Lake Superior and is quite pretty. However, the section from Wawa to the Sault sits in a snow belt and is frequently closed in winter; see Sault Sainte Marie (Ontario).

A few Trans-Canada Highway branches are signed as part of the system, providing alternate routes in central Canada:
 * An alternate, mostly further north, is Highway 11, which branches off at Nipigon (east of Thunder Bay) and runs via Hearst, Kapuskasing, Cochrane, and Temiskaming Shores to North Bay. Professional intercity drivers use this route in the winter to avoid lake-effect winds from Lake Superior and Lake Huron (and the above-mentioned possible road closures between Wawa and Sault Ste Marie).
 * An alternate further south is Highway 69/400 from Sudbury. Instead of continuing into Toronto, take Highway 12 to bypass the city and reach Ontario Highway 7 (Peterborough, Perth). Re-join the mainline Trans-Canada (417) in the west end of Ottawa.
 * An additional northern alternate exists in Québec (from Ontario 11, take Ontario 66 through Kirkland Lake to Québec 117, passing through Rouyn-Noranda and Val d'Or); rejoin la Transcanadienne in Montréal.

Ottawa to Moncton
While the road from Kenora to Sudbury is long and sparsely-populated, past it enters the Ottawa Valley; the highway becomes wider and traffic heavier as one approaches, the national capital. The highway number changes from 17 to 417 since Ontario uses 400-series numbers for large motorways.

Ottawa to Montréal is just over two hours by freeway, passing near small towns like and  on Ontario 417 (which becomes Québec autoroute 40). Be sure to refuel before leaving Ottawa as petrol in Quebec costs more (with a further increase on Montréal island) due to high taxes, and while the fuel stations on the Ontario side of the border charge lower prices than Montréal, they charge higher prices than Ottawa.

There are alternate routes between Ottawa and Montreal. Before the divided limited-access highway 417 was built, the main route was the two-lane Highway 17 which winds along the river, passes through small towns, and is much more scenic. Before 417, it was considered rather dangerous; it is safer with the lighter traffic today but some caution is still required. On the Quebec side of the river Autoroute 50 runs from Gatineau (across the river from Ottawa) to Montreal. A bridge connects Hawkesbury, Ontario (on 17 and near 417) to Grenville, Quebec (on 50) about halfway between Ottawa and Montreal, so one could do part of the trip in each province if desired.

Approaching Montreal on autoroute 40, it is possible to bypass the city by taking Autoroute 30 southbound at and rejoining the Trans-Canada (as Autoroute 20) on the south shore, "la Transcanadienne" goes directly through the city and is heavily congested during peak hours.

Downriver from, autoroute 20 follows the south shore through to. Traffic for Québec City exits northbound at Ste. Foy, the last pair of bridges across the St. Lawrence River. (It's also possible to follow the north shore from Montréal to Québec via Trois-Rivières - see Windsor-Quebec corridor - but the distance is slightly longer and that route is not part of the Trans-Canada Highway.)

Continue to follow the south shore from Lévis down to, a small town near enough to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence that one begins to spot salt water marine life, such as whales. The road forks at this point; Trans-Canada traffic turns south onto Route 185 (partially widened as autoroute 85) toward and, New Brunswick while continuing to follow the river eastward would lead to the Gaspé Peninsula.

Set your watch ahead another hour upon entering New Brunswick. From Edmundston, the highway largely follows the New Brunswick-Maine border to, the provincial capital and a long-established United Empire Loyalist town, then heads eastward through and onward to Nova Scotia. (The highway skirts the edge of Canadian Forces Base Gagetown just east of Fredericton; do not leave the highway in this area unless you want to be a live-fire practice target. This area is clearly marked by very large signs at each end of the military base.)

The mainline Trans-Canada Highway crosses from, New Brunswick directly into , Nova Scotia. An alternate route exits onto Highway 16 at Sackville to cross the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island, then crosses back to Nova Scotia from PEI on a seasonal ferry.

Prince Edward Island
The Trans-Canada Highway crosses the Northumberland Strait by the way of the 12.9-km Confederation Bridge (in the west) and the Wood Islands ferry crossing (in the east), numbered Highway 1 on Prince Edward Island throughout the route between these two crossings. If you land on the island using the bridge from New Brunswick, the Trans-Canada Highway starts in and meanders across the southern part of Queens County towards   about the halfway point, then crosses into Kings County, ending at the ferry terminal in Wood Islands. In Nova Scotia, highway NS 106, part of Trans-Canada Highway, connects the ferry to highway NS 104 in New Glasgow, which is the mainline of the Trans-Canada Highway.

The time to drive from Borden-Carleton to Wood Islands, if you don't stop to explore along the way, is approximately 95 minutes. If you've incurred the cost of crossing from the mainland to PEI (and back), it makes sense to stop and look around; PEI has some of the most beautiful countryside anywhere. Also, the series of books starting with Anne of Green Gables took place in PEI and sites associated with them attract many visitors.

Moncton to North Sydney, Nova Scotia
Be sure to leave New Brunswick on a full tank; fuel prices in Amherst (Nova Scotia) are (as of 2014) six cents a litre higher - due in part to Nova Scotia's 15% value added tax on all purchases. Follow highway NS 104 through , , and  to. (It is possible for all except large trucks to bypass the one road toll at the Cobequid Pass, between Springhill and Truro, by going to the old road NS 4 for the affected section.) As Halifax is not on the Trans-Canada Highway, traffic for that city exits onto highway NS 102 southbound at Truro.

Cape Breton is an island, joined to the rest of Nova Scotia by one narrow causeway at Port Hawkesbury. Much of the island is parkland. Two parallel roads run from the causeway to the former coal mining town of Sydney (Nova Scotia); the Trans-Canada Highway follows highway NS 105 on a western path through (home of an Alexander Graham Bell museum) while NS 4/104 takes a more eastern path. Those heading to Louisbourg (where a former French fortress village has been largely restored) will turn south just before the highway's terminus in Sydney.

Highway NS 105 ends at the Newfoundland ferry in. Reservations for the 8 hour Marine Atlantic crossing to are advisable.

Set your watch forward another half hour upon entering Newfoundland.

Port aux Basques to St. John's
In Newfoundland, the Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) follows a wide 900-km (550-mile) arc to the north from Port aux Basques through, , ,  and then southeast to the Avalon Peninsula and. The highway is two lanes and most of these points (with the exception of St. John's and possibly Corner Brook) are small towns or villages. This route largely avoids the sparsely-populated, rugged and inaccessible south coast of Newfoundland, instead following the path of the former "Newfie Bullet" narrow-gauge railway. (The former rail line is now trailways.) There are a few possible side trips: north to the Great Northern Peninsula (where a group of Vikings settled in northwestern Newfoundland briefly but didn't stay permanently) via Gros Morne National Park, south to Saint Pierre and Miquelon, France from the Burin Peninsula, or east along the historic Bonavista Peninsula.

In St. John's, the Trans-Canada Highway ends inauspiciously on an Outer Ring Road which runs north of the city, past the airport. A more suitable ending point for a trans-Canada journey would be Signal Hill, a National Historic Site associated with the early Marconi experimentation in trans-Atlantic radio, or Cape Spear (just south of the city) as the easternmost point in Canada.

Stay safe
The weather in parts of Canada can be extreme in winter. In much of northwestern Ontario, distances are long, settlements few and far between and cellular telephone coverage incomplete or sporadic. Be sure that your vehicle is in top condition and that you are carrying adequate supplies before setting out. In the west, this route crosses the Rocky Mountains and can be dangerous during winter storms - sometimes the road may even be closed due to snow avalanche risk.

In Newfoundland, a moose on the highway is a Canadian stop sign and is not to be ignored lightly. These animals are numerous, much heavier than deer or other wildlife and have a much higher centre of gravity. A moose through the windscreen in a vehicular collision can be deadly for both the vehicle's driver and the moose.

Unless you have two (or more) drivers, be prepared to spend at least a week on the highway - not including tour and sightseeing stops. The distances involved are not to be underestimated.

Beware of construction zones. There's an old joke that Canada's roads have two seasons - winter and construction - so be prepared for construction slowdowns with little notice anywhere along the route. Not only will construction slow you down, but you may have to contend with rather long stretches of very narrow temporary lanes (one in each direction), flanked by barrels, and some portions may be on rough temporary surface or shoulder.

title: Trans-Canada Highway


text:
Transnistria

Transnistria (locally called by its Russian name Pridnestrovye (Приднестровье), and occasionally, in English, Trans-Dniester) is a country in eastern Europe. It seceded from but still claimed by Moldova, and is only recognised by the other breakaway states of the former Soviet Union: Abkhazia, and South Ossetia. It roughly corresponds to the territory between the Dniester River and Ukraine. While Transnistria is not a popular tourist destination, it does offer a certain Soviet-era charm and is one of the few "countries that don't exist". You can boast of having been in a country that the rest of the world does not recognise, and banknotes in your wallet that are essentially invalid. And if it isn't for bragging rights alone that you come visit, there are some other attractions as well.

Cities

 * (Тирасполь) — the capital city with a historic city center, lovely parks, multiple means of transit and village-like outskirts.
 * (Бендеры) — on the right bank of the Dniester with a pictoresque city center and a beautiful castle to its north;
 * — a large industrial company town home to a steelworks.

Understand
Transnistria is a product of the messy breakup of the Soviet Union, when the region located on the left bank of the Dniester River (usually known as Pridnestrovie by locals and Transnistria elsewhere) fought a 2-year-long civil war against the supposed Russophobic and Romanian nationalist government of Moldova that ended in a bittersweet victory.

While the country is not officially recognised by any other sovereign nation, the government does effectively control the territory it claims to rule, although its actual control is perhaps a bit limited by the will of Russia, its biggest benefactor and political ally. It maintains its functional autonomy with military and other support from Russia.

Transnistria is divided into five administrative regions and two city regions.

Tourist information centres can be found across the country (except Tiraspol). The most popular of which can be found in the entrance to the fortress in the city of Bendery.

Talk
Official languages in Transnistria are Russian, Romanian and Ukrainian. Romanian in Transnistria is officially spelled using the Cyrillic alphabet (and called "Moldovan") although the Latin alphabet is understood among the public. The most common language used in the country is Russian, which practically everyone understands and is the language of government. Moldovan and Ukrainian are understood and spoken too but to a lesser extent.

After the official languages, English and German are the most common, and Bulgarian is common in village of Parcani near Bendery.

However, people who speak some English (or another foreign language) can be quite shy about it, and may deny that they speak it even if they have been educated in it.

Get in
Entering Transnistria is fairly straightforward by bus, train or car from both west (Moldova, usually Chișinău) and east (Ukraine, usually Odesa). Upon entering Transnistria, you present your passport and they'll enter your info on their computer and print out a card in Russian and English. Upon clearing immigration, this card, not your passport, is stamped – half the card stays at the crossing you entered, and half stays with you until you leave Transnistria. As of October 2018, this card was not stamped or checked during the entire visit.

From Chișinău to the crossing in Bendery, a taxi costs 100-150 Moldovan lei. A marshrutka (minibus) costs around 60 lei. Marshrutkas between Odesa and the Kuchurgan border (on the main road to Tiraspol) are fairly frequent and cheap.

Mashrutkas run frequently across the Dniester from Rezina in Moldova to Rîbnița, which has a stop for buses between Tiraspol and Camenca.

When crossing the border between Moldova and Transnistria, you will be checked only by Transnistrian officials. There are also peacekeeping Russian and Ukrainian soldiers who may stop and search vehicles.

Entering Transnistria from Ukraine will not get you a Moldovan entry stamp. If you then leave Moldova through a crossing controlled by Moldovan authorities, you may have problems with the Moldovan immigration authorities, who may try to claim that you entered Moldova illegally. Exiting Moldova through Transnistria to Ukraine (whether having a Moldovan entry stamp or not) causes no problems - even a subsequent visit to Moldova through one of the border crossings controlled by the Moldovan authorities doesn't raise problems with the border guards.

If you encounter problems, complaints can be made to dos@gtk.idknet.com (Transnistrian Customs). There is also a complaint hotline: ( or 92568). If you complain you should also state the time, the date and the name of the border crossing. You should also give your phone number. There is an English speaking officer responsible for complaints. You can reach him at or roznerit@hotbox.ru@undefined.

It is no longer necessary to register with the police (as of July 2018): you get a permit for up to 45 days at the entrance, depending on how long you say you want to stay. You need to provide an address or sponsor, so if you have reserved accommodation this is enough. They may ask to see the reservation. Once in Transnistria, you can extend your stay permit at the Immigration Office, and you'll need a local address. Passports are not stamped, but you'll get a paper with the departure date and time (to the seconds).

By plane
Transnistria does not have its own international passenger airport (it has a military and freight airport), so the best way is to fly to Chișinău in Moldova and travel from there. It is also possible to come from Odesa in Ukraine by bus.

By train
The only major railway stations are Tiraspol and Bendery.

As of 2023, all rail travel with stops in Bendery and Tiraspol have been halted since the start of the war in Ukraine. Even the newly introduced Chișinău-Kyiv train only passes through Transnistria.

Before the war, the Moscow to Chișinău train also stopped in Tiraspol but has since been completely halted. If it starts operating again, make sure to check the Poezda CIS Railway Timetable for up-to-date, timetables in English.

By car
Cars can enter but expect delays of up to an hour at border crossings in busy times. Foreign nationals driving their own vehicles are prime targets for border guards trying to extract bribes.

If you're driving a rental car, you need an official cross border driving authorization from the rental company or else your insurance may not be valid. Not all rental companies allow you to cross so ask before booking. According to the official hotline of Transnistrian customs there is an official road tax (65 lei per week)—ask for a receipt.

In 2019, the only crossing open to process foreign passports was at Bendery (road between Chisinau and Tiraspol). Some travellers have reported being turned back when trying to cross in the south near Purcari.

By bus
From specific destinations:
 * Chișinău – There is a relatively frequent (about every 30 minutes 07:00-18:00, less frequently as early as 05:00 and as late as 22:00) bus service connecting Tiraspol. Ask for return times when you arrive. Marshrutkas (minibuses) also run this route. You should have no problem with border guards traveling by bus on this route (June 2019). From Chișinău maxi-taxis, 'microbuz' or 'marushkas' leave the Autogara Centrală behind Piața Centrală. If you walk a circle around the station, the Tiraspol/Bendery bound ones tend to be on the northeastern corner. Costs: 36.50 Moldavan lei. You can use lei for paying on your way back.
 * Odesa – When they ran, the buses to Tiraspol weren't so frequent. However, buses between Tiraspol and the border at Kuchurgan (Кучурган), and between Kuchurgan and Odesa are frequent (however will get you nowhere while the border is still closed).

Get around
There are hardly any train connections within the country, so the bus—if available—will be your only choice. Marshrutkas (minibuses) zip between cities much faster (and often more frequently) than buses. They cost a little more, but travel much faster and can be hailed anywhere along their route. If you flag down a marshrutka, it's customary to pay on leaving.

By taxi
Taxis in Tiraspol are very common and are quite cheap. Be wary of scams however—make sure to negotiate a price before you get in the taxi. If you miss the last bus to Chișinău at 18:35, you can take a taxi from Tiraspol to Chișinău, which should not cost more than US$30. As of August 2018, taxis booked through a local guide for this route could be negotiated as low as US$15.

See
Most visitors come to Transnistria to visit the Soviet-era buildings, monuments, and sculptures of the capital, Tiraspol.

Noul Neamț Monastery is a beautiful monastery complex just south of Tiraspol with a number of sizeable churches to explore.

Bendery Fortress is a 16th-century Ottoman fortification with a terrifying collection of torture devices from the period. Outside is the newer Alexander Nevsky Church which is well worth a visit.

Money
The national currency is the Transnistrian ruble. There is no ISO currency code from Transnistria, but banks may use either "PRB" or "RUP" to denote the currency. Wikivoyage articles use rubles to denote the currency. 1 Transnistrian ruble is equal to 100 kopecks. Coins in Transnistria come in denominations of 5-, 10-, 25 and 50 kopecks and coins made from composite materials come in denominations of 1-, 3-, 5 and 10 Transnistrian rubles. Banknotes in Transnistria come in denominations of 1-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, 200 and 500 Transnistrian rubles.

Exchange offices are common and will happily give you Transnistrian rubles in return for just about any tradeable currency. Don't change more money than you need as trying to turn Transnistrian rubles into other currencies may turn out to be difficult, even if exchange booths advertise rates to sell euros, lei, US dollars, etc., they may not be willing to relinquish their stocks of 'real' money. Don't bother trying to change Transnistrian rubles outside Transnistria as no-one will touch them.

Mastercard is not accepted anywhere, but you can pay by international Visa card in several private places that frequent foreign visitors, although Visa cards from the United States are not accepted as often as European ones. Your card is charged in Transnistrian rubles in the shop/restaurant but your bank transfer on your bank statement will be in Russian rubles. There are several international ATMs around that dispense Russian rubles and US dollars.

Shopping
Tiraspol has a post-communist "cubicle style" shopping mall on ground floor of the corner of 25th October St and Shevchenko St, the location of the most "luxurious" apartments of Tiraspol are. Furthermore, a short walk from these apartments you will find the outdoor markets of Tiraspol, where you can find outdoor areas selling fruit and vegetables, and indoor areas selling eggs, cheeses and meats. A word of warning however, the foods here are presumably organic and spoil easily. Strawberries last a maximum two days in the refrigerator, citrus fruits three days. The meat sold in the indoor market albeit freshly slaughtered is not refrigerated and is exposed to the occasional blowfly (and possible fly eggs). It may be worthwhile to forego meat altogether if your cannot face the reality that you need to cook these foods to kill these potential pests.

The local, excellent brandy is cheap, at about US$3 a bottle. Cigarettes are very cheap too. There are also arts and crafts to buy. A good exchange point is the Kvint store in central Tiraspol, there is an exchange office with good rates inside the shop. There is also an exchange booth at the Tiraspol bus/train station.

There is a large open-air market in Tiraspol, close to the Suvorov's monument, and another in Bendery, located a few metres away from the bus and marshrutkas station. They are probably not fashionable for those looking for something closer to the western style, but interesting to see.

Bendery has a selection of nice shopping places, the open market as above, but keep in mind of the same risks. You can find places called "ateli" to repair your clothes, bags, shoes and watches. There is a Sheriff in the centre, along with an excellent kebab shop "doner hit", which are frequented by locals at all times. An excellent coffee shop that sells jewellery opposite the trolleybus station.

Eat
The most typical tourist restaurants are the "Back to the USSR" and the Soviet-themed restaurants. One of these restaurants is located in Bendery, near the Green Market. The others are in Tiraspol. The most typical restaurant food will be a mixture of Moldovan, Russian and Western style food such as pizzas and a selection of sushi. You will find that many restaurants may share staff, kitchen or even a menu. Sheriff supermarkets also sell genuine Beluga or Russian caviar, it is a local product and you will not find a cheaper caviar sold outside of the borders, so if you're inclined to try it, this is the place to do it.

Restaurants:
 * Toscana
 * La Vida (this chain is also in Moldova)
 * Doner Hit (kebabs from 30-100 roubles)
 * Dolce Vita
 * Andy's Pizza (25 October Street in Tiraspol)

These restaurants are excellent choices and are relatively inexpensive: usually around US$10-15 for a 3-course lunch along with dessert and a choice of drink.

Cafes:
 * There is a coffee shop (no name) which sells dress, (fake, non-gold) jewellery opposite the trolleybus stop in Bendery centre. Although it does not have a name, this cafe sells a variety of different coffee beans sourced from a Russian company. It's truly the best in Transnistria.

Drink
Local Kvint wine and brandy are excellent and cheap. The Kvint factory is in Tiraspol, and Tiraspol has a Kvint shop, selling its products at very low prices. Kvint produces among the best brandy (called "divin") in the former Soviet Union. Kvint makes its brandy from grapes of classic cognac varieties, but it's extremely hard to come by in Western countries, although Moldovan supermarkets sell it. A trip to Transnistria is not complete without a sample.

There is also a slightly fermented bread-based soft drink that is sold in the streets called Kvas. Kvas prices (current 2023) are 4 rubles for small "malinka", or 6 rubles for a large "bolshoy". This is the equivalent of US$0.40-0.50. It is the Russian equivalent of dandelion & burdock or root beer.

The local Sheriff supermarkets also sell wines and Transnistrian cognac at similar prices to elsewhere you would find in the country.

Sleep
See Tiraspol

Stay safe

The physical dangers of Transnistria are almost non-existent. The major cities are much safer than Western European and American cities of similar size and economic makeup. Also, despite the political situation with Moldova, there is essentially no threat of being caught in a military action. There has not been fighting in Transnistria for many years. Indeed, Transnistria is a very safe place for travel. By far the biggest threat to visitors are scams.

Despite scary reports, Tiraspol is very welcoming, mainly because it gets so few tourists. Young people speak English and are helpful. The city is well-policed. Crime is low.

Many Transnistrians are excited to see foreigners and will be very welcoming, if a bit shy at first. Some, however, see foreigners as being sources of easy money. Always negotiate the price of a taxi before you get in. Use pen and paper if you are not a Russian speaker. Ask about the prices of items before you order them at a bar or restaurant. It is not common to be scammed, but it is far from rare. However, even when scams are attempted, it is often for no more than a few euros.

Be wary of police officers. If you look foreign, they will stop and ask to see your passport. Often, they will request bribes, but it should not take more than a few US dollars or euros. This practice is not condoned by the Transnistrian government, but in practice is fairly common. If you speak Russian, the chance to be asked for bribes is much lower.

Stay healthy
Medical care is almost entirely non-existent in Transnistria, especially for non-citizens. Furthermore, even if you have travel health insurance it will often not be valid in Transnistria, but valid in Moldova. It's advisable to check in advance with your insurer.

Be careful in Transnistria's bars during the night. There are often mafia-like characters having a good time with rolls of US dollars and you should not inquire too closely about the source of their wealth.

Tap water is not contaminated with microbes, and is claimed to be drinkable, but it is recommended that you buy bottled water or at least use a water filter.

Respect
The name "Transnistria", while commonly used in English, evokes memories of the Nazi-backed Romanian occupation during World War II and the Holocaust. President Vadim Krasnoselsky, in 2019, said that the Latin name is "unacceptable for Pridnestrovie", and "foreigners should get used to saying its true name". Calling the country by the Russian name could avoid giving offence, and may win you friends.

Staring is considered rude.

Showing off large amounts of wealth or cash is also considered a faux pas.

Connect
Internet cafes are not widespread. There is one in Bendery, on Gagarin Street (close to the city market) and another one in Tiraspol, near Andy's Pizza on 25 October Street. More and more restaurants offer free Wi-Fi for their guests, for example, 7Пятницъ,"La Placinta" and Andy's Pizza in Tiraspol. Although still not frequent, you can enjoy free Wi-Fi inside new trolley buses running between Tiraspol and Bendery.

While Moldovan SIM card and ISPs may operate within some border regions of Transnistria, and in elevated buildings (think of the top floor of some apartment building near windows), the reception will be almost non-existent or otherwise unreliable. If solid coverage is a necessity, IDC (Interdnestrcom) will give you access to 4G band internet. There are no other ISP providers in the area. In order to preserve your bandwidth for prolonged stays, try to join as many restaurant wifi, and use home wifi as much as possible. You will need to activate the SIM and will require possible presence at the IDC centre, along with a choice of tariff. It is worth noting that the "unlimited" tariff for 400 rubles is only fast for the first 50GB, then the internet speed is throttled to less than 100kb/s! For IDC SIMs you will need a 4G mobile phone capable of VoLTE on band 20 for full functionality (without VoLTE you will not be able to make voice calls, and without band 20 you will not have coverage from them at all).

title: Transnistria


text:
Trans-Pecos

The Trans-Pecos is the part of Texas' Big Bend Country which lies west of the Pecos River.

Cities

 * - Small desert university town.
 * - Largest city of the region, with a uniquely Mexican culture.
 * - Nearest town to Big Bend National Park.
 * - Home of the mysterious Marfa Lights.
 * - The town that brought rodeo into the world.
 * - Small historic border town which provides lodging for jaunts into the mountains.
 * - Home of the mysterious Marfa Lights.
 * - The town that brought rodeo into the world.
 * - Small historic border town which provides lodging for jaunts into the mountains.

Other destinations

 * Balmorhea State Park, north of Fort Davis. San Soloman Springs, a very large artesian well in the foothills of the Davis Mountains, offers a warm and unique place to swim or scuba dive. Camping and motel-like lodging is available.
 * Big Bend Ranch State Park, east of Presidio. Just west of Big Bend National park is Texas' largest state park, with over 300,000 acres in the wilderness of the Chihuahua Desert. Horse rentals, guided jeep tours, plus rafting excursions on 23 miles of the Rio Bravo and Rio Grande rivers. At its eastern edge is Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center, which explores the range of geology and wildlife of the Chihuahuan desert.
 * Davis Mountains State Park, near Fort Davis. Hiking, mountain biking, and horse riding on 4 miles of trails in Texas' largest mountain chain. The trails connect with neighboring Fort Davis State Historic Site.
 * Davis Mountains State Park, near Fort Davis. Hiking, mountain biking, and horse riding on 4 miles of trails in Texas' largest mountain chain. The trails connect with neighboring Fort Davis State Historic Site.

Understand
This region is part of the vast Chihuahuan Desert and contains some of the highest desert areas in the world, with all of Texas' highest peaks. The stark, rugged terrain is very sparsely populated, with Brewster County being home to only 6,000 people in an area bigger than Rhode Island, with two-thirds of them living in Alpine. El Paso is the only sizeable city in the region. The area has a rich historical legacy left by the Spanish settlers who came to the region in the mid-17th century, as well as that of early pioneers and traders who fought off native tribal attacks until the 1880s.

By plane
Major airports can be found at either end of the region at El Paso and Midland-Odessa.

By car

 * I-10.svg bisects the region entering from Southwest New Mexico at El Paso and cutting across the region on its way towards San Antonio.
 * I-20.svg branches from I-10 (at Exit 186/187) to go through Pecos and Midland-Odessa on its way towards Dallas.
 * US 62.svg comes into the region from Carlsbad, New Mexico, through Guadalupe Mountains National Park to El Paso.
 * US 67.svg serves as a continuation of Mexican Hwy 16 (into the American side of the border) from Presidio, through Marfa and Alpine, to Fort Stockton.
 * US 90.svg comes in from San Antonio via Uvalde & Del Rio, traversing the southern portion of the region (through Sanderson, Alpine, Marfa) and ending at I-10 in Van Horn.
 * US 285.svg enters the region from Carlsbad, New Mexico to the north. It passes through Pecos and Fort Stockton to US Hwy 90 in Sanderson.

From Mexico

 * Carretera federal 16.svg in the Mexican state of Chihuahua ends at the border crossing in Ojinaga-Presidio.
 * Carretera federal 2.svg Carretera federal 45.svg From northern Chihuahua, Mexican Highways 2 and 45 at Ciudad Juarez connect to several border crossings at El Paso. Mexican Highways 2 continues west, along the U.S. border, towards Tijuana while Mexican Hwy 45 goes south into Chihuahua (City).

Get around
With great distances between sights and even communities, a car is an absolute necessity to get around the region. Car rentals are readily available in Midland-Odessa and El Paso.

See

 * Historic forts built along the Chihuahua Trail and the San Antonio-El Paso road during the middle of the 1800s.
 * Spanish missions built during the 17th century Spanish colonization efforts.

Do

 * - located in Anthony

title: Trans-Pecos