text:
Tulum

Tulum is on the Yucatán Peninsula, in Mexico. It is one of the earliest resorts in Mexico, offering a place of worship and solitude for the Mayan kings, clergy and gods in early times. The tropical beach backdrop is the main attraction of this picturesque, much-visited small ruin on the shore of the Caribbean Sea. Shortly after your arrival, you will understand why early Mayans picked this beautiful place to relax.

Be prepared for lots of people and tour groups at the archaeological site. To avoid the crowds, it is best to stay overnight and visit the ruins early in the morning before the buses arrive, or later in the afternoon. Morning is recommended since you can catch spectacular vistas when the sun is rising over the Caribbean.

The Tulum town and beaches are heavily featured on social media by travel influencers, providing a certain crowd and catered experience in Tulum. In between Mexican taquerias and local-focused appliance stores, you'll find holistic attractions and vegan food options. This comes from Tulum's original identity as the "off the beaten path" destination on the Riviera Maya. That said, the secret is out and Tulum has experienced massive growth in the past decade, resulting in increased traffic, a growing tourist presence, and price increases.

The hotel zone in particular has been incredibly built up with luxury shops and feels more like Los Angeles than Mexico City, providing comfort to those looking for a beach destination without losing access to high end shopping and dining.

Understand
There are really three different areas referred to as Tulum. There are only minutes away from each other, not close enough though to walk to and from.

Tulum Pueblo sits split by highway 307 running south-north. "El Pueblo", as referred to by locals, is home to most workers of the tourist industry and where many of the stores, supermarkets, two bus stations, budget inns, hostels and small hotels are found. Although the digs are cheap, you are around 3 km from the beach (which is why you came here isn't it?) This section of town has a definite feel of existing mostly to cater to the Tulum ruins. Tulum pueblo is indeed a destination for shopping, great restaurants, a modest night life, studying the language at Instituto Chac-Mool Spanish School, booking tours, banking, shopping for food, local vegetables, fruits, cafes, and local flavor. Do not miss it.

Tulum Playa nests along the coastline that leads into the Sian Ka'an Biosphere [Ecological Reserve], the Caribbean white sandy beaches to the east, an impressive mangrove & wetland reserve to the south. Tulum Playa embraces many of the fancier, ecological, boutique and spa hotels, and it has a decent to excellent selection of restaurants and world-famous nightlife spots. The northern part of Tulum Playa is quieter and more low-key. The southern part of Tulum Playa has a lot more of the restaurants and nightlife action Tulum has become known for. Most restaurants, bars, and stores in this area are closed well into the afternoon, but the area becomes extremely busy and crowded at night with party-going tourists from all over the world.

There are also a number of affordable beach front cabana-type lodging locations. Walk the beach and step in and inquire about accommodations and rates. You will be surprised and delighted. Most of these establishments are eco-friendly and do not provide electricity past midnight. Toilet paper can not be flushed and it is asked that water and other resources be used sparingly. The hotels in Tulum aim to keep Tulum as it is and stop the ecological problems that have already taken hold in Cancun and Playa Del Carmen.

If you are staying on the beach and trying to save money, it is wise to stock up on food and drinks in the pueblo. There are not too many restaurant options on the beach, and the ones that are operational are comparatively quite expensive.

Taxis have a near monopoly on transport to and from the playa. Buses come from time to time, but hitchhiking can also get you where you need to go.

Tulum Ruinas is the archaeological site where the Maya ruins of Tulum stand. It is conformed by a-mile-long road leading into the ruins from highway 307. The road is flanked by several restaurants, a commercial area geared to one-day visitors, a huge parking lot, a small bus station that operates part-time and a handful of middle range hotels.

Archaeology

Tulum is mostly known for its ruins, which strike an impressive image next to the sea. They were mainly constructed during the waning period of Maya culture, with the site occupied until the Spanish arrived. The site is notable for a small cenote, beautiful beaches below the ruin laden cliffs and some well preserved stellae in one of structure. After visiting other ruins in the area such as Coba, Chichen Itza and Ek Balam, Tulum's main claim is the sea-side setting. Some of the ruins used to be in poor condition and littered, but they are now well maintained (Dec 2018). Unlike many Mayan sites it is not possible to enter or walk on the structures. It is the third most popular archeological site in Mexico, so expect it to be extremely busy. Most of the tour groups from Cancun and Playa del Carmen arrive around 10:00 so the site is best visited after it opens at 08:00 or late afternoon.

By plane
Tulum International Airport is a major new airport (new in December 2023) in the Puerto Felipe Carillo area just outside Tulum. The airport is served by Aeromexico, Mexicana and Viva Aerobus. Aeromexico has twice daily service to/from Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport (AICM). Mexicana offers flights from Mexico City's Felipe Angeles Airport (AIFA), and Viva Aerobus has flights to Monterrey , Guadalajara , Tijuana , and Mexico City AIFA.

TAG offers flights between Tulum and Guatemala and Aeromexico offers international service between Tulum and Toronto, San Francisco, and Chicago. Air Canada offers direct flights from Montreal and Toronto; tickets can be booked on the Air Canada web site.

From the United States, Delta offers direct flights to Tulum from its hub in Atlanta. United Airlines offers 22 weekly non-stop flights between Tulum and Newark/New York, Houston, and Chicago with seasonal service to Los Angeles. American Airlines offers four daily flights to Tulum including two from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), one daily service from Miami (MIA), and one from Charlotte (CLT). Spirit Airlines has announced direct daily flights from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Orlando (MCO) to Tulum.

Tulum International Airport has a station on the new Tren Maya high-speed intercity rail line with departures every 2 hours to Cancun, Chichen Itza, Merida, Campeche, Palenque and Chetumal (among other destinations).

Other international airports in the region are Cozumel or Cancún International Airport. A taxi from Cancun to Tulum costs about M$2500- M$3000 and takes 1h30 - 1h45 minutes straight down Federal Highway 307 depending on traffic. ADO operates buses from Cancun (both downtown and the airport) to Tulum. Ticket prices are M$330 (Jan 2022). The ride will take about 2 hours.

By bus
The is in the city center. Both first and second class buses serve the terminal. Inside the Terminal is a Santander ATM.

Buses from Cancun and Playa del Carmen run quite regularly. Buses from Playa del Carmen to Tulum depart from the Terminal Alterna and the Terminal Touristica. The ADO Bus stops at Xcaret and Xel-ha en route to Tulum. Mayab and Oriente buses stop more frequently en route to Tulum from Playa Del Carmen.

An alternative to the buses from Playa del Carmen is to catch a "collectivo" van which runs frequently (every fifteen minutes or so). In Playa Del Carmen you can find these on Calle 2 towards Avenida 20. One-way trip (as of Feb 2022) costs M$50 (pesos).

To visit the ruins, get off the bus or collectivo at the first Tulum stop, designated something like , at the intersection with the access road to the ruins. It's an easy one mile or so flat walk to the ruins from the intersection.

By car
If you drive yourself to the ruins before opening time, it may be a bit confusing as to where to go and what to do. As soon as you park, a man on a bicycle should find you and charge you for parking (M$50). You must go through a sort of half open-air mall (which is empty before 08:00). From there you can either sign up with a tour guide (US$20 per person?), pay for a shuttle ride to the ruins (M$20), or walk a mile along a road to the ruins. The guides are reported to be better story tellers than actual experts on Mayan culture. The walk is on level ground and passes quickly as you admire the jungle and abandoned shops along the way. If you can walk it, do it and save a few bucks! As you approach a stone wall, to the left will be a brown wooden building where you can purchase your ticket into the ruins (M$51, an additional M$35 if they see that you have a video camera). From there, head along a stone path through the jungle and into the ruins.

If you drive to the ruins after opening time, it's a bit of a zoo so be ready to stop for salespeople as soon as you pull into the road where there's private parking lots, past the open-air mall. Be quick on your brakes, as they literally jump in front of your car, and flash serious-looking "badges" to get you to stop and listen to their scammy sales spiels. However, don't get scammed: entry to the ruins is no more than USD$5/person (Sept 2021) and you don't need to purchase overpriced the half-mile shuttles to get there, or anything else. Just pay for parking, and walk the half-mile to the ruin's admissions box where you can purchase your entry.

The local police patrol the side road to the Carretera Tulum-Cancun highway and ticket drivers who don't use the paid private parking lot. Although the road is not signed as a no-parking zone, they will issue a parking infraction for M$821 (Dec 2019), and remove your rear number plate (which is a standard procedure, you get it back after paying fine). Attempting to overturn a ticket by legal means is unlikely to succeed.

By shared shuttle
Shared shuttle is also a popular way to get to Tulum. Shuttle companies, such as Daytrip or SuperShuttle, offer shuttle buses to Tulum from Cancun several times a day. They do pick ups from Cancun downtown, hotel zone, and Cancun International Airport, or custom pickup locations starting from 7 AM in the morning to 6 PM, last shuttle leaving Cancun for Tulum is 6:20 PM. Prices start at $16, and tickets can be booked in advance to guarantee a seat. There are additional drop-off locations along the coast in popular destinations such as Playa del Carmen, Xcaret, Akumal.

By bus
depart from C. Orión Sur / Venus Ote. The price is M$30 (Jan 2022).

There seems to be a public bus which leaves Tulum Pueblo around 09:00 and 12:00 and goes to the beach and ruins, and returns from there at 12:15 and 17:00.

are half a block away from the ADO Terminal. You can leave them anywhere you like en route on the Highway 307. Depending on the distance it costs M$25-50 (Feb 2022). They depart daily from 4:30am-10:30pm.

Back to Tulum, the last buses from both terminals in Playa del Carmen depart about midnight. From the Terminal Turistica departs a Mayab bus at 23:55 to Tulum.

By car
If cenotes and revival ruins are more your thing renting a car is advisable. There are more cenotes here than anywhere else in the world (4,000 are known to be on the Yucatan!) Renting a car makes life easier. Bike riding is fun, but that beach is far from town and that sun is pounding down. Spring for the car rental. Make sure you watch the pesos you give them, and that the screen is set on $0 before they start to fill.

By taxi
Taxis are an inexpensive way to get around but for the most part, Tulum 'Pueblo' is so small that walking is a simple. Taxis from 'Pueblo' to the coast is M$100-150. It is advisable to either take a taxi or rent a bike when traveling between the 'Pueblo' and the beach, as the walk is rather long. It is highly recommended to have Mexican pesos upon arrival, as taxi drivers may charge you more if you carry dollars only and pay in dollars. You can exchange money in the most banks upon arrival, too.

Taxis from the center of town to Tulum ruins will cost M$100 (Sep 2018).

Taxis from the center of town to the zona hotelera will cost M$200 (May 2023).

By bike
Bikes are available for rent from various shops in Pueblo. Iguana Bikes M$150-250 for 24 hours, Kelly M$100 for 24 hours (July 2017). Bikes are a convenient way to get around town and to/from cenotes and the beach. Please be careful when riding a bike on the highway. Bring a headlamp/flashlight if biking at night

See

 * As of March 2024, walking paths on the site are being repaired. As a result, large areas, including some of the best viewpoints and all beaches below the temples are fenced off. The Mexican authorities do not disclose this until you have spent your money, bought a ticket and entered the site. Consider postponing a visit until the archaeological site is verifiably accessible again in its entirety.

Cenotes

 * See also: Cenotes of the Yucatán

In much of the Yucatan, rainwater collects in a system of underground caves and tunnels. Where these tunnels reach the surface is known as a cenote (pronounced seh-NOH-teh). Cenotes usually allow swimming and diving, and rent related equipment. They are fresh water and are often quite cold (24°C).

Further activities

 * Kayaking
 * Standup paddleboarding
 * Snorkel. Guided snorkel tours from the public beach near the ruins.
 * You can also take your own self-guided tour of the reefs right off the beach from the Hotel Zone. The barrier reef of Tulum is part of the second largest in the world, streching from Isla Contoy on the northern tip of Yucatan to Honduras. Over 30 species of fish and some spectacular coral. If you take a guided tour, the cheapest in the area is located at Zamas Hotel. Zamas is about 10 establishments in from the beginning of the hotel zone.
 * Cenote diving
 * Kitesurfing
 * Extreme Control - the beaches of Tulum in Playa Paraiso, certified instructors, all levels, full facilities and rentals.
 * Ocean Pro Kite - kiteboarding school on Tulum beach. It provides kitesurf lessons following professional method of teaching, known as IKO (International Kitesurfing Organisation). From a one-hour lesson to "ready to go" packages.
 * Extreme Control - the beaches of Tulum in Playa Paraiso, certified instructors, all levels, full facilities and rentals.
 * Ocean Pro Kite - kiteboarding school on Tulum beach. It provides kitesurf lessons following professional method of teaching, known as IKO (International Kitesurfing Organisation). From a one-hour lesson to "ready to go" packages.
 * Ocean Pro Kite - kiteboarding school on Tulum beach. It provides kitesurf lessons following professional method of teaching, known as IKO (International Kitesurfing Organisation). From a one-hour lesson to "ready to go" packages.

Learn
If staying for more than just a couple of days, you may want to experience taking some Spanish lessons at the beach or at the Spanish school.

 * Instituto Chac-Mool Tulum. Also, in Tulum is Instituto Chac-Mool Spanish School offering Spanish immersion classes year round. Classes may be as private lessons or studying with a peer group that the school arranges based on your starting level of Spanish.

Buy
ATMs with low withdrawal fees in the center are: • Banco Azteca in the west • banamex in the east inside the Súper Aki • Santander in the east and inside the bus terminal • CI Banco in the middle of the center

For buying groceries, there are Oxxo and minimarkets (tiendas) around. A bigger variety of products you find in Dunosusa, Super Willy's and Waldo's. A large supermarket called is in the east of the center.

Markets catering mainly to the bus loads of tourists are situated on the road leading to the entrance of the archaeological site. There are also markets in town on 307 in the main stretch of town. Many cater to tourists however be sure to give them a look anyway. There are a lot of beautiful hand crafted Mexican pottery and fabrics. If you turn off of 307 and vere into town away from the main strip you can discover tons of tiny establishments and get a feel for the truly sleepy town of Tulum.

Eat
If you are staying on the beach, it is wise to stock up on food and drinks in the pueblo. There are not too many restaurant options on the beach, and the ones that are operational are quite expensive.

Most of the restaurants in town are infinitely cheaper than those at the resorts. Most places, with the exception of the Italian and Japanese restaurants feature entrees for well under M$100. There are countless little cafes and establishments to get a great bite to eat for cheap.

If you want non-perishable items, grab some snacks to supplement your meals at the Super San Francisco Food Mart. You can buy a cooler here which is great for having cold drinks on the beach each day. Just pick up ice in the morning and the cooler will stay cold until night time. This supermarket however is run by locals and hardly anyone speaks English, so if you don't know Spanish, be prepared to shop around to find what you need.

Street food
All these are in the city center:

Drink
Also try a few other cool spots in Tulum that offer fun drink specials with a hip tropical flair:
 * Curandero offers live music and djs in a trendy atmosphere.
 * Teetotum offers weekend rooftop movies, a cool lounge and drink specials, try the Razzleberry Daiquiri!
 * Ak'iin offers weekend parties with live music or DJs, no cover and drink specials on a beautiful stretch of beach.
 * Batey'sbest live music and mojitos in town

Budget
Tip: If you aren't spending the big bucks to stay right at the beach, stay in town to the east of the ADO bus station within 2 blocks north or south of that main street. Another suitable area is anywhere along the main road heading to the beach.

In the zona hotelera (at the beach) are simple cabanas with a shared bath for a relatively low pice.

Mid-range

 * The Diamante K features cabañas ranging in quality from 2 up to 5 stars on a private beach front. An interesting feature of the Diamante K is the hanging beds in the cabañas. A restaurant is on site, and you can relax in a hammock and just soak up the tranquility. Electricity is supplied by a generator and hence is switched off after around midnight. Candles are supplied in the cabañas.
 * BAU Tulum is a boutique hotel located only two blocks from the ADO bus station and offers air-conditioned private rooms with cable TV, capsule dorms, suites, free high speed wifi, free breakfast and a bar. It hosts a beautiful pool with royal palm trees great for pictures.
 * The Diamante K features cabañas ranging in quality from 2 up to 5 stars on a private beach front. An interesting feature of the Diamante K is the hanging beds in the cabañas. A restaurant is on site, and you can relax in a hammock and just soak up the tranquility. Electricity is supplied by a generator and hence is switched off after around midnight. Candles are supplied in the cabañas.
 * BAU Tulum is a boutique hotel located only two blocks from the ADO bus station and offers air-conditioned private rooms with cable TV, capsule dorms, suites, free high speed wifi, free breakfast and a bar. It hosts a beautiful pool with royal palm trees great for pictures.
 * The Diamante K features cabañas ranging in quality from 2 up to 5 stars on a private beach front. An interesting feature of the Diamante K is the hanging beds in the cabañas. A restaurant is on site, and you can relax in a hammock and just soak up the tranquility. Electricity is supplied by a generator and hence is switched off after around midnight. Candles are supplied in the cabañas.
 * BAU Tulum is a boutique hotel located only two blocks from the ADO bus station and offers air-conditioned private rooms with cable TV, capsule dorms, suites, free high speed wifi, free breakfast and a bar. It hosts a beautiful pool with royal palm trees great for pictures.

Go next
When leaving from the ADO bus station: It has only 3 parking lots for the intercity buses. When all are occupied, the buses stop in the backyard. When a bus arrives in the backyard, usually an employee shouts out the destination and the name of the bus company. Don't miss your bus.

Your next destination for staying can be:

To the west:

 * Valladolid – 100 km
 * Chichen Itza – 150 km
 * Merida – 260 km

To the south:

 * Chetumal – 250 km
 * Costa Maya – 230 km
 * Mahahual (Costa Maya) – 230 km
 * Bacalar - 230 km

To the north:

 * Akumal – 30 km
 * Playa del Carmen – 65 km
 * Cozumel – 80 km
 * Cancún – 130 km

title: Tulum


text:
Tulu phrasebook

Tulu (ತುಳು) is a regional language spoken in coastal districts of Karnataka, i.e. Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and some areas of Kasargod district. It is the 24th most populous Indian language according to the 2001 census of India. It is often mistakenly claimed as a dialect of Kannada, but it is actually an independently derived descendent of the proto-Dravidian language. Tulu does not have a widely used script, though efforts are on to discover or construct one. Most writing in the language is in the Kannada script. A lack of a script, however, has not prevented it from developing a vibrant literature of its own, most notably poems and plays.

One remarkable feature of Tulu is the number of dialects that you will find in the small geographical area. Not only are there regional differences, there are also caste-based dialects. Different sub-castes of Brahmins speak different dialects of Tulu, all of them different from the "standard" dialect described here.

Pronunciation guide
Most of the words that end with 'u', e.g., apundu, undu, andu, attu, maltudu, enku, bayyadu, gothu, and vondu, are pronounced in a different way than similar words that end with 'u' in Kannada.

Only half of the sound of 'u' is pronounced while speaking the words mentioned above that end with 'u'.

There are also many words in which the half sound of 'u' is in the mid part of word, e.g., thikkuga, gottuji, and korule.

Basics

 * Hello. : NamaskAra. ( )
 * Hello. (informal) : Namaskara. ( )
 * How are you? : Encha ullar? (for elders or showing respect or to a stranger), Encha ulla? (for someone youger or a friend)( ?)
 * I am doing great : HushAr ulle. ( )
 * What is your name? : Eerena pudar daytha/eina/enchina/dada?( ?)
 * My name is ______ . :  yenna pudar . (  .)
 * Nice to meet you. :Thikene santosha aandu . ( )
 * Come here. : enchi(here) balle (come)
 * Go there. : anchi (there) polle (go)
 * Please. : daya maltudu. ( )
 * Thank you. : danya vaada . ( )
 * You're welcome. : Malle ijji (never mind) . ( )
 * Welcome (as in welcoming someone). : Swagatha. (" ")
 * Yes. : andu. ( )
 * No. : attu. (or ijji) ( )
 * Excuse me. (getting attention) : . ( )
 * Excuse me. (begging pardon) : . ( )
 * I'm sorry. : thapu aandu . ( )
 * Goodbye :thikkuga . (also means lets meet again )
 * Goodbye (informal) : Barpe . (also means I will be back )
 * I can't speak Tulu [well]. : Enku TULU patere gottuji [ ]. ( [ ])
 * Do you speak English? : Eereg English pateriyera gottunda? ( ?)
 * Is there someone here who speaks English? : English gottitthinaaglu yeranda ullera? ( ?)
 * Help! : saaya! ( !)
 * help me : saaya malpule ( ! )

 * Look out! : jaagrathe! ( !)
 * Early morning. : . (Pulya Kaande )
 * Evening. : . (Baiyyadu )
 * Night. :  (Raathre )
 * Jeppunu (to sleep) :
 * I don't understand. : enk gottu aapujji/ enku artha aapuji. ( )
 * Where is the toilet? : Thandaas or Sandaas or Kakkus Vondu ?/ Thandaas or Sandaas or Kakkus Volundu Ye? ( ?)
 * tender coconut : Bonda ( !)
 * tender coconut water : Bonda da neeru
 * coconut : thaarai ( !)
 * I am not feeling well : yenk soukya ijji.
 * I don't want: yenk boduchi.
 * Give Me: yenk korle.
 * God: Devere
 * She is not feeling well (While mentioning to someone younger than You): Aleg soukya ijji.
 * He is not feeling well (While mentioning to someone younger than You): Ayag soukya ijjji.
 * He/she is not feeling well (While mentioning to an elderly person both male/ female) : Areg soukya ijji.
 * Look there (as in "look at that thing") : Thoole/Thoola (for a younger person)
 * Looking here(for a he/she) : Thoope/Thoopal
 * I like him/she/it very much : Yenk muste laikape/laikaple/laikapundu.
 * He/She/It is gone : Pooye/Poyal/Poondu
 * Hurts : bene, for example, "my stomach hurts" would be yanna bungee benapundu
 * Very (can also mean "too much") : muste
 * Car : gaadi
 * Foot : khar
 * Confuse : Kanna K B
 * Living Room : Chavadi
 * Guest : Bin-ner
 * Bride : Madhmalu
 * Bridegroom : Madhmaye

Problem
thondareh

Numbers

 * 1 : onji (...)
 * 2 : radd (...)
 * 3 : mooji (...)
 * 4 : naal (...)
 * 5 : ain (...)
 * 6 : aaji (...)
 * 7 : yeL (...)
 * 8 : yenma (...)
 * 9 : ormba (...)
 * 10 : pat-t (...)
 * 11 : patt-onji (...)
 * 12 : pad-rad (yes in twelve '2 or radd' is pronounced as 'rad') (...)
 * 13 : padi-mooji (...)
 * 14 : padi-naal (...)
 * 15 : padi-nain (...)
 * 16 : padi-naaji (...)
 * 17 : padi-nel (...)
 * 18 : padi-nenma (...)
 * 19 : padi-noramba (...)
 * 20 : iruva (...)
 * 21 : iruvatha onji (...)
 * 22 : iruvatha radd (...)
 * 23 : iruvatha mooji (...)
 * 30 : muppa (...)
 * 40 : nalpa (...)
 * 50 : aiva (...)
 * 60 : ajippa (...)
 * 70 : yelpa (...)
 * 80 : enpa (...)
 * 90 : sonpa (...)
 * 100 : noodu (...)
 * 200 : irnoodu (...)
 * 300 : munnoodu (...)
 * 1000 : onji savira (...)
 * 2000 : radd savira (...)
 * 1,000,000 : patt laksha (...)
 * 1,000,000,000 : noodu koti
 * 1,000,000,000,000 : patt savira koti
 * number _____ (train, bus, etc.) : number _____, though the original word in Tulu is 'anke'(...)
 * full : eedi (...)
 * half : ardha (...)
 * 1/4th : kaal
 * 3/4th : mukkal
 * less : kammi (...)
 * more : jasthi (...)

Time
porthu

Clock time
What time it is? : gante yeth aand?

Duration
From how long duration - yeth portuddu inchi

Day
What day it is? : ini va dina?

Daily : Dinala

Month
tingolu

Colors
Red - kempu Blue - neeli Green - pacche White - boldhu Black - kappu Yellow - manjal Violet/Purple - nerale Orange - Kesari Pink - Gulaabi Brown - Kaapi

Bus and train
Bus bokka rail

Directions
mithu=up, thirthu=down, dumbu=front, pira=back, inchidu-from here, unchiddu-from there, kaithal -near, doora -far, paddai-west, moodai-east, badakai-north, tenkai-south, balatha kai - right hand, yedatha kai - left hand,

Lodging
badai da roomu or badigeda roomu
 * House for rent : badai/badige da ill

Money
duddu/kaas - money chillare - change

Eating
Thinre- to eat, parrre - to drink, atil - cooking, cheepe- sweet, khaara- spicy, uppu (salt) undu (has) - salty

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

title: Tulu phrasebook


text:
Tumbes

Tumbes is the capital of the department of the same name in the Region Grau of Peru.

Understand
Tumbes is a gritty, mostly unpleasant city, though a gateway to beach resorts, mangroves and national parks in its vicinity.

By plane
LATAM flies from Lima daily at 19:00 (2 hr, US$200 one-way).

By bus
National buses run along the Panamerican Highway from Lima to Tumbes and some to the frontier with Ecuador. There are kombis along the coast to neighbouring towns, and frequent buses along the Panamerican Highway from Lima to Chimbote, Huaraz, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Cajamarca, Chachapoyas, Piura, Mancora, and Tumbes.

Get around
There are kombis to beach resorts, and colectivos to the frontier.

An official, white taxi will charge S/33 (Feb 2018) to take you to the joint Peru-Ecuador border post at Aguas Verdes. Exit from Peru and entry to Ecuador is now handled by officials sitting beside each other. Yellow Ecuadorian taxis will charge US$5 (Feb 2018) to take you to Huaquillas.

International buses are another means of crossing the frontier. Beware of currency exchange scams.

Tumbes is infested with trimotos, motorcycle taxis that will take you around the city for a few soles.

See
White sand beaches, mangroves, Tumbes River & national parks like Cerros de Amotape. The manglares are a series of swamplike everglade type islands in the shallow water. You can visit a small crocodile zoo, where they are trying to restore the local breed.

Do
Observe the beautiful mosaics in the town, including a 6-m (20-ft) 3-D mosaic of Jesus's ascension into heaven. Others can be found across the various plazas.

Go for a walk along the malecon, the walkway along the river.

Get out to the beaches in Aguas Verdes, or Puento Pizarro to see the manglares, or eat lunch on a small island only reachable by boat.

Eat
Seafood is of course plentiful and affordable. There are many chifas, Chinese restaurants with a Peruvian flavor, on Feijoo Street. Many delicious dessert shops are on the market street.

Stay safe
Tumbes is not a dangerous city at all, but it is indeed a place of many scams run by mixed Ecuadorian/Peruvian gangs, with the complicity of the frontier police and some bus companies.

The most common scam is that "taxi drivers" (or imposters) wait for tourists at the Emtrafesa bus terminal in Tumbes. They offer a ride to the frontier for a low price. They then take the victims to a secluded spot and force the payment of US$100 or more. Do not get into a taxi that solicits your business in Tumbes. Use buses or combis instead.

Go next
The cheapest way to get to the frontier is by combi. Combis leave from the corner of Abad Puell and Simón Bolívar when they get full. Ask anybody on the main street to find them. If you get to the Emtrafesa bus terminal, you're just a corner away from the combis. They will let you off at the joint Peruvian-Ecuadorian immigration control.

An easier way, but also much more expensive, is to take a direct bus from Tumbes to Guayaquil, that will wait for you in both immigration offices. Ormeño(Lima to Guayaquil daily & Quito weekly), CIFA (Tumbes to Machala, Guayaquil in Ecuador) & Transportes Loja (Piura to Machala), have international buses to Ecuador. Tepsa runs buses to and from Lima for about US$31 or S/93.

Be careful not to get scammed by taxi drivers telling you that the CIFA terminal is closed and that you need to take a taxi to the border. The terminal is signed as Cial, but it is also CIFA International.

There are kombis along the coast to neighbouring beach resorts, and national buses run frequently along the Panamerican Highway from the frontier with Ecuador and Tumbes to Mancora, Piura, Chiclayo and Trujillo, (for Huaraz, Cajamarca and Chachapoyas), Chimbote (for Huaraz), and Lima.

The CIFA terminal is sort of outside town and you will need a moto taxi to get to the centre of Tumbes if you want to catch the Cruz Del Sur bus to Lima. The moto taxi should cost you US$1. Another option to get to Lima is to book a cheap flight. LATAM Airlines has flights to Lima at 13:50 (2 hr) and it costs around US$200 one way. There is a travel agency next to the Cruz Del Sur terminal that can book a flight at short notice. The airport is located a fair bit (15 min) away and costs S/20 or US$7. The flight will save you about 20 hours on a bus.

title: Tumbes


text:
Tumbuka phrasebook

Tumbuka (chiTumbuka) is a Bantu language which is spoken in parts of Northern Malawi, Eastern Zambia, and South-Western Tanzania.

The language of the Tumbuka is called chiTumbuka - the 'chi' in front of Tumbuka meaning 'the language of', similar to 'ki' in kiSwahili or 'se' in seTswana.

The World Almanac (1998) estimates approximately 2,000,000 Tumbuka speakers exist in the aforementioned three countries.

There are substantial differences between the form of Tumbuka spoken in urban areas (which borrows some words from Chichewa/Nyanja) and the "village" or "deep" Tumbuka spoken in villages. Furthermore there are many alternative spellings in written Tumbuka, and no standard orthography. The Rumphi variant is often regarded as the most "linguistically pure", and is sometimes called "real Tumbuka".

Vowels

 * a : like the "a" in "father"
 * e : like the "ay" in "pay" (like the French é)
 * i : like the "ee" in "tree" (like the French i)
 * o : like the "o" in "home"
 * u : something like the "oo" in "food"

Consonants

 * b : like 'b' in "bed", but sometimes interchangeable with 'w'
 * c : like 'k' in "kid"
 * ch : like 'ch' in "chair"
 * d : like 'd' in "dog"
 * f : like 'f' in "fit"
 * g : like 'g' in "go"
 * h : like 'h' in "help"
 * j : like 'dg' in "edge"
 * k : like 'c' in "cat"
 * l : like 'l' in "love", but often interchangeable with 'r'
 * m : like 'm' in "mother"
 * n : like 'n' in "nice"
 * nkh : like a 'n' sound at the back of the mouth expelling air through the nose
 * p : like 'p' in "pig"
 * ph : like a breathy 'p'
 * r : like 'r' in "row", but often interchangeable with 'l'
 * s : like 'ss' in "hiss", like 'z' in "haze"
 * t : like 't' in "top"
 * v : like 'v' in "victory"
 * w : like 'w' in "weight", but sometimes interchangeable with 'b'
 * y : like 'y' in "yes"
 * z : like 'z' in "haze"

Basics
The standard greetings are addressed as questions, most of which can be answered with the word makola. to build a verb use prounoun +tense+ verb
 * Ni- I, Mu- You, Ta-He/She,They
 * Tense ku- present Ka- past zamu-future
 * all verbs will start like kugona (to sleep)
 * So I will sleep, Ni+ Zamu+ gona= nizamugona

 * How are you? : Muli uli?
 * Good. : Nili Makola.
 * I'm fine, how are you? : Nili makola, kwali Imwe?
 * Thank You. (General positive response meaning hi, yes, thank you, etc.) : Yebo/Yewo.
 * Hello? (Is anyone at home?) : Odi?
 * Welcome. (Greeting.) : response to "Odi" = "Odini"
 * Welcome. "Tempokani"
 * What is your name? : Zina linu ndimwe njani?
 * My name is ______ . : Zina lawo ndine ______.
 * Nice to meet you. : Chatowa kuwonana nawe.
 * Please. : Chonde (when used, connotes begging)
 * Thank you. : Yewo = common
 * Tawonga = deeper thanks/deeper Chitumbuka.

 * You're welcome. : Palije suzgo = no problem
 * Yes. : Enya.
 * No. : Yayi.
 * Sorry. (getting attention) : Pephani
 * Excuse me. (begging pardon) : Pephani
 * I'm sorry. : Pephani. (also means sorry as with empathy)
 * Goodbye. (I'm going now.) : Nakuluta sono.
 * Goodbye. (Go well, if someone else is leaving.) : Mwende makola.
 * Goodbye. (Stay well, if you are leaving) : Khalani makola.
 * Farewell. (We'll see each other later.) : Tizamuonana.
 * Tisanganenge. Tiwonanenge.

 * I do not speak Tumbuka. : Ine nkhuyowoya chiTumbuka yayi.
 * English : ChiZungu, which means the language of the white people, especially in Malawi and Zambia
 * Do you speak English? : Kasi ... mukhuyowoya chiZungu?
 * Is there someone here who speaks English? : Pali uyo wakuyowoya chiZungu pano?
 * Help! : Novwire.
 * Stop! : Leka!
 * Look out! : Labisya
 * Go Away! (strong and a bit disrespectful) Choka
 * Good morning. (How have you woken?) : Mwawuka uli?
 * I have woken fine, how about you? : Tawuka makola, kwali imwe?
 * Good afternoon. (How has your day been?) : Mwatandala uli?.
 * My day has been well, how about you? : Tatandala makola, kwali imwe?
 * Good night. : Mugone makola (Sleep Well). Usiku uwemi (Good night).
 * Sleep well. (To one who is going.) : Mukugona makola.
 * I don't understand. : Nikupulika yayi.
 * Where is the toilet? : Chimbuzi chili nkhuni? (toilet = "chimbuzi")

Problems

 * Leave me alone. : Ni leke/ Ni lekani(many)(...)
 * Don't touch me! : Leka kunikola/Khwasya(Kunikhwasya yayi - Don't touch me)
 * I'll call the police. : Niti cheme Kapokola(...)
 * Police! : Kapokola(...)
 * Stop that! : ("Leka!")
 * Stop! Thief! : Munkhungu uyo(...)
 * I need your help. : Nkhukhumba kuti mundovwiri(...)
 * It's an emergency. : Ni suzgo gha mbuchimbuchi(...)
 * I'm lost. : Na sowa/soba(...)
 * I lost my bag. : na sovya chola chane, Nataya chola chane(...)
 * I lost my wallet. : na sovya chikwama chane, Nataya chikwama chane(...)
 * I'm sick. : Nalwala(...)
 * I've been injured. : na pwetekeka(...)
 * I need a doctor. : nkukhumba docotala/ng'anga(...)
 * Can I use your phone? : ningayimba fone yinu(...)

Numbers
Note that English numbers are often used even when speaking Tumbuka.

 * 1 : moza (...)
 * 2 : bili (...)
 * 3 : tatu (...)
 * 4 : nayi (...)
 * 5 : nkondi, nkonde (...)
 * 6 : nkonde na kamoza (...)
 * 7 : nkonde na tubili (...)
 * 8 : nkonde na tutatu (...)
 * 9 : nkonde na tunayi (...)
 * 10 : Khumi (...)
 * 11 : Khumi na kamoza (...)
 * 12 : Khumi na Tubili (...)
 * 13 : Khumi na Tutatu (...)
 * 14 : Khumi na tunayi (...)
 * 15 : Khumi na Nkonde (...)
 * 16 : Khumi na nkonde na kamoza (...)
 * 17 : Khumi na nkonde na tubili (...)
 * 18 : Khumi na nkonde na tutatu (...)
 * 19 : Khumi na nkonde na Nayi (...)
 * 20 : ma Khumi ya bili (...)
 * 30 : ma Khumi ya tatu(...)
 * 40 : ma Khumi ya nayi(...)
 * 50 : ma Khumi ya nkonde(...)
 * halve : kuswa pakati,kugawa pakati (...)
 * less : pachoko(...)
 * more : chomeni(...)

Clock time
The twenty-four hour clock is used in all Tumbuka-speaking areas.

 * now : Sono
 * later : panyuma
 * before : pambere
 * morning : mulenje
 * na mulenje (in the morning)

 * afternoon : mise
 * na mise (in the afternoon)

 * evening : mise, mazgetu(...)
 * night : usiku

 * What is the time? : Ni nyengo uli?
 * Nyengo yili uli

 * one o'clock AM : wanu koloko ya mulenje
 * two o'clock AM : Thu koloko ya mulenje
 * noon : namuhanya pakati
 * one o'clock PM : wanu koloko ya mise
 * two o'clock PM : Thu koloko ya mise
 * midnight : usiku pakati

Duration

 * Hour : ola (pl maola)
 * Day : dazi (pl madazi)
 * Week : sabata (pl masabta)
 * Month(s) : _mwezi____ (.miyezi..)
 * Year : chaka (pl vyaka)

Days

 * today : muhanya uno
 * yesterday : mayiro
 * tomorrow : namachero
 * this week : Sabata Yino (...)
 * last week : Sabata Yamala (...)
 * next week : Sabata Yikwiza (...)

 * Sunday : Sabata (...)
 * Monday : (Chimoza) - Mande (...)
 * Tuesday : Chibiri (...)
 * Wednesday : Chitatu (...)
 * Thursday : Chinayi (...)
 * Friday : Chinkondi (...)
 * Saturday : Chisulo (...)

Months
English names are generally used but pronounced in Chitumbuka as follows:
 * January : Janyuwali(...)
 * February : Feburuwari(...)
 * March : marichi(...)
 * April : epurelo(...)
 * May : Me(...)
 * June : Juni(...)
 * July : Julayi(...)
 * August : Ogasiti(...)
 * September : Seputembala(...)
 * October : Okutobala(...)
 * November : Novembala(...)
 * December : Disembala(...)

Writing time and date
In chiTumbuka, traditionally times have been indicated by the position of the sun in the sky. The hand is used as in waving goodbye but turned round with the inside palm facing you and pointing to the eastern horizon for 6 o'clock am and western horizon for 6 pm. Pointing Overhead for midday. 6 O'clock am: Dazi likufuma, namulenje ("6:00 is generally the time when the sun rises in the tropics") 10 O'clock am: generally signalled as the position in the sky between sunrise and mid-day

Colors
The main distinguished colours are Black,Red and white.
 * black : ufipa(...)
 * white : utuwa(...)
 * gray : tuwulufu(...)
 * red : uswesi(...)
 * blue : ubidi(...)
 * yellow : ngati ntula(...)
 * green : ubiliwiri(...)
 * orange : ngati ma lalanje(Like oranges)
 * purple : (...)
 * brown : khofi(...)

Transportation
Journey/trip: ulendo Depart: nyamuka Arrive: Fika Travel: kwenda ulendo

Bus and train

 * How much is a ticket to _____? : Ni ndalama zilinga kuluta ku ________(...)
 * One ticket to _____, please. : Khukhumba Tikiti yimoza(...)
 * Where does this train/bus go? : Sitima iyi yikuya nkhu? - where does this train go? Basi iyi yikuya nkhu? - where does this bus go?(...)
 * Where is the train/bus to _____? :Sitima/Basi yaku ______ yili nkhu? (...)
 * Does this train/bus stop at _____? :Sitima/Basi iyi yikuyima pa _______? (...)
 * When does the train/bus for _____ leave? : Sitima/Basi yaku____ yinyamukenge pauli?(...)
 * When will this train/bus arrive in _____? : Sitima/Basi yamfika pauli ku ________? (...)

Directions

 * How do I get to _____ ? : Ningenda uli kukafika ku ____(...)
 * ...the train station? : Chiteskeni cha sitima (...)
 * ...the bus station? : Chiteskeni cha basi (...)
 * ...the airport? : Chibanja (...)
 * ...the school? : ...sukulu? (...)
 * ...the market? : ...musika? (...)
 * ...the backpackers'?: Mala yakugona(...)
 * ...the resthouse?: resiti hausi(...)
 * ...the _____ hotel? : hotela (...)

 * ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate? : (...)
 * Where are ______: ___ yili kuti? the noun comes first and there are different modifiers for different nouns ie: chili, yili, etck(...)
 * ...hotels? : Mahotelu yali nkhu?(where are hotels?)malo yakugona ghali nkhu? where is the place to sleep?
 * ...restaurants? :(...)
 * ...bars? : chilabo (traditional bar) mala yakumwa mowa (place to drink beer) (...)
 * ...sites to see? : (...)
 * Can you show me on the map? : munganilongola pa mapu?(...)
 * Path : Ntowa ("...")
 * Road : Musewu/musewo ("...")
 * street : Muzele (...)
 * City : Mzinda ("...")
 * Gov't center: boma
 * Turn left. : Petukila ku mazele (...)
 * Turn right. : Petukila ku malyelo (...)
 * left : mazele (...)
 * right : malyelo (...)
 * straight ahead : ku ntazi (...)
 * towards the _____ : chaku______(...)
 * past the _____ : kujumpha ______(...)
 * before the _____ : Pambere ______(...)
 * Watch for the _____. : (...)
 * intersection : (...)
 * north : Mpoto(...)
 * south : Mwela(...)
 * east : vuma(...)
 * west : kumanjiriro(...)
 * uphill : chikwera(...)
 * downhill : kusika(...)

Taxi

 * Taxi! : matola (...)
 * Take me to _____, please. : Muniyeyeko kuluta ku_____(...)
 * How much does it cost to get to _____?: Ni mutengo uli kuluta ku______ (uli uli?...)
 * Take me there, please. : Kaniperekezgani chonde - escort me please, Muniyeyeko chonde- give me a lift please(...)

Lodging

 * Do you have any rooms available? : malo yalipo?(...)
 * How much is a room for one person/two people? : Ni ndalama zilinga chipinda chimoza(...)
 * Does the room come with... : Kasi malo/vipinda vili na....(...)
 * ...bedsheets/Blankets? : vyakudika?(...)
 * ...a mosquito net? : (...)
 * ...a bathroom? toileti: (...)
 * ...a telephone? : (...)
 * ...a TV? : (...)
 * May I see the room first? : Niyawone malo(...)
 * Do you have anything quieter? : (...)
 * ...bigger? : chikulu(...)
 * ...cleaner? : (...)
 * ...cheaper? : (...)
 * OK, I'll take it. : Mbwenu, ningatola (...)
 * I will stay for _____ night(s). : Nikhalenge nausiku.. (...)
 * Can you suggest another hotel? : (...)
 * Do you have a safe? : (...)
 * ...lockers? : (...)
 * Is breakfast/supper included? :Muli na chakurya cha mulenji? (...)
 * What time is breakfast/supper? : Chakurya cha mulenji/namise pa nyengo uli?(...)
 * Please clean my room. : (...)
 * Can you wake me at _____? :(...)
 * I want to check out. : Nkhukhumba kuluta pa...(...)

Money

 * Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? : (Ka mukuzomera ndalama zachina America/Canada/Australia?...)
 * Do you accept British pounds? : (Mukuzomera ndalama za ma paundi za ku Britain?...)
 * Do you accept credit cards? : (...)
 * Can you change money for me? : Kasi mungasintha ndalama?(...)
 * Where can I get money changed? : Kasi ningasintha ndalama nkhu?(...)
 * Can you change a traveler's check for me? : (...)
 * Where can I get a traveler's check changed? : (...)
 * What is the exchange rate? : (...)
 * Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? : (...)

Eating

 * A table for one person/two people, please. : (...)
 * Can I look at the menu, please? : (Ningawona menu, chonde?...)
 * Can I look in the kitchen? : Kasi ningawona mu kitchini?(...)
 * Is there a house specialty? : (Mwapika vichi muhayauno?...)
 * Is there a local specialty? : Kuli chakurya cha Malawi? (...)
 * I'm a vegetarian. : Nkurya nyama yayi. (...)
 * I don't eat pork. : Nkurya nyama ya nkumba yayi. (...)
 * I don't eat beef. : Nkurya nyama ya ng'ombe yayi. (...)
 * I only eat kosher food. : (Nkurya chakulya cha WaIslam/WaMwenyi pela...)
 * Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard)Kasi mungapika na mafuta pachoko? : (...)
 * fixed-price meal : (...)
 * à la carte : (...)
 * breakfast : chakurya cha mulenji(...)
 * lunch : (chakurya chamuhanya)
 * tea (tiyi) : (...)
 * supper : chakurya cha namise(...)
 * I want _____. : Nkhukumba _____. (...)
 * I want a dish containing _____. : (Nkhukumba mbale yimoza ya______ pamoza na______...)
 * chicken : nkhuku (...)
 * beef : Nyama ya Ng'ombe(...)
 * fish : somba (usipa...)
 * small fish : kapenta (...)
 * ham : (nyama ya nkhumba...)
 * sausage : (ori...)
 * cheese : (...)
 * eggs : masumbi (...)
 * salad : mphangwe (this is usually cooked greens)(...)
 * (fresh) vegetables : kwambula kupika(...)
 * (fresh) fruit : vipaso(...)
 * banana : ntochi (...)
 * maize porridge : nsima (...)
 * relish (served with nsima) : dende (...)
 * bread : chingwa, bredi (...)
 * toast : (...)
 * noodles : (...)
 * rice : mpunga (...)
 * beans : Nchunga(...)
 * May I have a glass of _____? : Nkhumba....(...)
 * May I have a cup of _____? : ni paniko nkhombo ya______?(...)
 * May I have a bottle of _____? : (...)
 * coffee : (...)
 * tea (drink) : tiyi (...)
 * juice : jusi(...)
 * (bubbly) water : (...)
 * water : maji (...)
 * beer : Mowa(...)
 * red/white wine : Vinyu liswesi/Vinyu lituwa(...)
 * May I have some _____? : ni paniko(...)
 * salt : muchele (...)
 * black pepper : (...)
 * butter : margarina(...)
 * sugar : suga (...)
 * Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server): (I-sayi...)
 * I'm finished. : (basi, nakuta chomeme...)
 * It was delicious. : Chakurya chikunowa. (...)
 * Please clear the plates. : sukani mbale(...)
 * The check, please. : (...)

Bars

 * Do you serve alcohol? : (mukuguliska mowa?)
 * Is there table service? : (...)
 * A beer/two beers, please. : (mowa/mowa wubiri...)
 * A glass of red/white wine, please. : (kavinyo ka mukhombo..)
 * A pint, please. : (...)
 * A bottle, please. : (...)
 * _____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please. : (...)
 * whiskey : (kachasu...)
 * vodka : (...)
 * rum : (...)
 * water : maji (...)
 * club soda : ("...")
 * tonic water : (maji twa muchele)
 * orange juice : (malalanje/olenje)
 * Coke (soda) : Coca cola (kakumwa ka ku zizimisya kusingo)
 * Do you have any bar snacks? : (twakukhwasula pa mowa tulipo?)
 * One more, please. : (unyakhe chonde)
 * Another round, please. : (unyakhe wa chiwerezga)
 * When is closing time? : (nyengo yakujalila ni vichi?)

Shopping

 * Do you have this in my size? : (mulinacho/mulinayo chanthene/yanthene ichi/iyi icho/iyo chinganikwana/yinganikawana?)
 * How much is this? : Nizilinga? (...)
 * That's too expensive. : Wadula. (mudulalizia...)
 * Would you take _____? Unga yegha? : (...)
 * to be expensive : kudula (...)
 * cheap : chamtengo uchoko(...)
 * I can't afford it. : Ningakwanisya yayi(...)
 * I don't want it. : Nkuchikhumba yayi(...)
 * You're cheating me. : Ukunitetezga(...)
 * I'm not interested. : Nilije khumbilo (..)
 * OK, I'll take it. : Inya, niyeyenge(...)
 * Can I have a bag? : Munganipasako thumba?(...)
 * Do you ship (overseas)? : kusilya kwa nyanja(...)
 * I need... : Nkhukhumba (...)
 * ...toothpaste. : makhwala ya mino(...)
 * ...a toothbrush. Muswaju: (...)
 * ...tampons. : (...)
 * ...soap. : Sopo(...)
 * ...shampoo. : (...)
 * ...pain reliever. muchepesya ulwilwi(e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen) : (...)
 * ...antimalaria medicine. : makhwala ya nyimbo(...)
 * ...stomach medicine. : Munkwala wa Munthumbo(...)
 * ...a razor. : (nevala)
 * ...an umbrella. : (...)
 * ...sunblock lotion. : (...)
 * ...a postcard. : (...)
 * ...postage stamps. : (stamba)
 * ...batteries. : (Mabatili)
 * ...writing paper. : (...)
 * ...a pen. : Chilembelo(...)
 * ...English-language books. : (...)
 * ...English-language magazines. : (...)
 * ...an English-language newspaper. : (...)
 * ...an English-English dictionary. : (...)

Driving

 * I want to rent a car. : (...)
 * Can I get insurance? : (...)
 * stop (on a street sign) : (...)
 * one way : (...)
 * yield : (...)
 * no parking : (...)
 * speed limit : (...)
 * gas (petrol) station : (...)
 * petrol : (...)
 * diesel : (...)

Authority

 * I haven't done anything wrong. : (nindanange chili chose)
 * It was a misunderstanding. : (Tindapulikanane apa)
 * Where are you taking me? : (mukunitolela nkhu?)
 * Am I under arrest? : (kasi ndakakika)
 * I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. : (Ine ndine muamerica/muaustralia, etc.)
 * I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate. : (Nkhukumba kuyowoya na Wa embasi ya Amerika, etc.)
 * I want to talk to a lawyer. : (nkhukhumba niyowoye na mmanyi wa maBlango)
 * Can I just pay a fine now? :(Ningalipira sono apa nthena?)

Asking about language

 * How do you say _____ ? : (Ka ichi mukuti uli_____)
 * What is this/that called? : (ichi ni chi vichi______ku chitumbuka)

title: Tumbuka phrasebook


text:
Tumby Bay

Tumby Bay is a town on the Eyre Peninsula around 1 hour drive north of Port Lincoln, South Australia.

Understand
Tumby Bay has all the essentials of an Eyre Peninsula coastal town, the beach, the jetty, and the pub facing the water. Good fishing, and a laid back lifestyle.

The town has a largely sea-change or retired resident population, with some residents even doing the daily commute down the highway to Port Lincoln.

Get in
First up, the only way you can get here most of the time is by private transport. Either by ferry (to Lucky Bay then car) or by car. By car, you'd have to travel about 6.5 hours from Adelaide, north up to Pt. Augusta and back south towards the Aussie seafood capital - Port Lincoln.

Get around
There is no public transport within Tumby Bay. You can walk or use private transport.

Do

 * Swim from the pier. There is a sandy beach, and a swimming pontoon in deep water.

Drink
You can drink at the Tumby Bay Hotel, dating from the late 1800s, or the Seabreeze which is a relative newcomer built in the early 1900s. Both serve evening meals and have accommodation. The Tumby Bay Hotel has a rather odd collection of old video games machines in a separate room for the kids, but the Pac-Man game may give more amusement to their parents.

Go next

 * Arno Bay walk along the Arno Bay Boardwalk, through the mangroves and down to the beach.
 * Cleve, nearby agricultural centre and administrative centre for this region. 18 hole all season golf course, skate park, bowling greens, netball/tennis/basketball courts with coin operated lights, town oval and playgrounds.
 * Whyalla
 * Port Augusta
 * Iron Knob
 * Flinders Ranges
 * Cowell
 * Port Lincoln
 * Coffin Bay Fresh oysters and the Coffin Bay Conservation Park.
 * Wallaroo on nearby Yorke Peninsula (ferry on the new ferry link that opened February 2012.
 * Lock
 * Elliston
 * Nullarbor Plain

title: Tumby Bay


text:
Tumkur

Tumakuru, formally known as Tumkur, is in Karnataka state of India.

Get in
Tumakuru is well connected by road and rail. There is one bus every 5 minutes from Bangalore as this is on the National Highway - 4 and the Bangalore-Honnavara Road. There are several trains as well, all express trains stop at Tumakuru railway station.

Do
Hiking in the nearby Siddaganga Hills, Ramadevara Betta, Namada Chilume, Devarayana Durga, Siddara Betta, and Basadi Betta.

Eat

 * The Hut, North Indian Restaurant (Veg), 2nd Cross, M G Road.
 * Hotel Hoysala, North & South (Veg) Restaurant, Opposite, SP Office Rd, Vidyanagar, B.H. Road.
 * Nammura Ahaar, Bakery & Chats, SIT Road, Opp. Aralikatte, S.S.Puram. 9AM-10PM. Phone: +91 816-276575, +91 9448090062.
 * The Hut, North Indian Restaurant (Veg), 2nd Cross, M G Road.
 * Hotel Hoysala, North & South (Veg) Restaurant, Opposite, SP Office Rd, Vidyanagar, B.H. Road.
 * Nammura Ahaar, Bakery & Chats, SIT Road, Opp. Aralikatte, S.S.Puram. 9AM-10PM. Phone: +91 816-276575, +91 9448090062.
 * Nammura Ahaar, Bakery & Chats, SIT Road, Opp. Aralikatte, S.S.Puram. 9AM-10PM. Phone: +91 816-276575, +91 9448090062.

Drink
Tender Coconut water as Tumakuru is known as land of Coconuts locally.

Connect
By B.S.N.L (Cellone) cellular (mobile) network signal. India Post has post offices at different localities where inland letters, post cards, postal envelopes are available. India post provide courier service to different parts of India and abroad.

Go next

 * Dakshina Kannada
 * Udupi
 * Lakkundi
 * Pattadkal
 * Kudremukh National Park
 * Bhadra Tiger Reserve
 * Anshi National Park
 * Hampi
 * Sirsi
 * Murudeshwar

title: Tumkur


text:
Tumkur (district)

Tumkur or Tumakuru is a district in Karnataka State.

Cities

 * —

 * —

 * —

Other destinations

 * — a small peak, which is home to a hill temple

Get in

 * By road: It is 69 km from Bangalore. Tumkur is connected by National Highway 48 from Belagavi, Dharwad, Hubbali, and Davangere . There is another National Highway 73 from Mangalore via Belthangady, Ujire, Charmadi, Kottigehara, Banakal, Mudigere, Belur, Halebidu, Javagal, Banavara, Arasikere and Tiptur. There are Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation Buses (KSRTC) buses from many other districts to Tumkur. There are many Karnataka state highways (SH) roads which connect district to neighbouring districts of Karnataka (Karunadu) state.
 * By rail: Tumkur district is connected by railway line to Bangalore and Hubli. Tumkur, Tiptur and Gubbi are important railway stations of the district.

Get around
By KSRTC buses or hired private taxi.

See

 * Devrayanadurga. - Top of the hill 15 km from Tumakuru. Also Shri Yoga Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple is nearby.
 * Shivagange Hill. Good for hiking
 * Kaggaladu Bird Sanctuary which is about 10 km from Sira town. Peak season to see birds is from February to August.
 * Siddaganga Matha a monastery of Veerashaiva's.
 * Ramdevara Betta trek to this hill near Siddaganga matha.
 * Kaidala Shree Chenna Keshava Swamy Temple built by Jakkanachari the master sculptor.
 * There are many large lakes in Tumkur district at Nonnavinakere, Malaghattakere and Turuvekere. These water bodies are soothing to eyes during monsoon seasons.

Do
Visit Solar Park which has area of 13000 acres covered with solar panels generating around 600 Megawatt of electric power. This solar park is situated at Pavagada taluk of Tumakuru district. Madugiri Fort which is at top of steep hill at Madhugiri town in the district. Madhugiri is about 100 Kilometre from Bengaluru.

Drink
Tender Coconut water. There are plenty of Coconut trees in Tumkur district.

Sleep
There are decent lodges to sleep at Tumkur and Tiptur.

Go next

 * Dakshina Kannada
 * Udupi
 * Bhadra Tiger Reserve
 * Badami
 * Hampi
 * Gokarna
 * Lakkundi
 * Dharwad
 * Shimoga

title: Tumkur (district)


text:
Tumon

Tumon is a village in Guam and district of Tamuning.

By plane
Won Pat International Airport (GUM) is a few miles inland of Tumon.

By bus
There is a Guam mass transit system which makes multiple stops in Tumon. Also, the Shopping Bus stops at most hotels in Tumon. The Shopping Bus costs $2 for a one-way ticket and $3 for a round-trip ticket.

Drink

 * Green Lizard Tiki Bar, San Vitores Rd (across from Sandcastle)
 * Green Lizard Tiki Bar, San Vitores Rd (across from Sandcastle)
 * Green Lizard Tiki Bar, San Vitores Rd (across from Sandcastle)
 * Green Lizard Tiki Bar, San Vitores Rd (across from Sandcastle)

title: Tumon


text:
Tumut

Tumut is a town in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales, on the edge of the Riverina.

Understand
Tumut sits at an elevation of 300 meters on the northwest foothills of the Snowy Mountains, and is one of the gateways to that region.

The Snowy Mountains mostly consist of the high country, where elevations slowly rise up to around 1600 m at the alpine villages, with much of the area being a largely a plateau. The flat topped piece of ground rises only a few metres higher than the second highest "mountain" only a few kilometres away, and while the country is pretty, the vista is less than that you would get from the sandstone cliffs in the Blue Mountains. The best place to get the mountain peak experience in the Snowies is on the Snowy Mountains highway between Tumut and Cooma. The roads wind through the mountains, and you can get some appreciation for the height of the peaks, and the drop on the side of the range.

Get in
Most visitors to Tumut arrive by car.

There is a daily coach connection with to the Sydney train at Cootamundra, and to the Melbourne at Wagga Wagga.

There is an airstrip around 5 km from town, suitable for charter flights. There is no scheduled air transport.

Get around
To get around Tumut, it's best to have a car. Hertz and Avis are both available in town. Hertz is closed on weekends.

Taxis are available in town. There is no local passenger bus service. There are school buses that run into Tumut from surrounding small towns during school terms, that will carry passengers on request.

Do

 * Fishing
 * Caves and thermal pools at Yarrangobilly.
 * Adalong Falls
 * The old Tumut railway station
 * Tumut Fly Fishing
 * Tumut Mountain Bike Park

Go next

 * North to Sydney via Gundagai.
 * South to Jindabyne via Talbingo.
 * West to Melbourne via Adelong.
 * East to the Sapphire Coast via Cooma

title: Tumut


text:
Tumwater

Tumwater is a city in the southern Puget Sound region in the state of Washington.

By car
Interstate 5 passes through Tumwater.

title: Tumwater


text:
Royal Tunbridge Wells

Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent on the border with East Sussex, in the South East of England.

Understand
Tunbridge Wells was founded in the 17th century following the discovery of the Chalybeate Spring in 1606. The waters from the spring were said to have restorative properties, and so Tunbridge Wells grew into a thriving spa resort town. Queen Victoria regularly travelled down from London to "take the waters", and in 1909 King Edward VII granted the town its "Royal" prefix (although this is rarely used by the inhabitants any more).

Visitor information

 * Visit Tunbridge Wells website

By car
Tunbridge Wells can be accessed from the north using the A21 trunk road, which runs as a dual carriageway for most of its length between the M25 and the outskirts of the town. The A21 continues south past Tunbridge Wells to Lamberhurst and Hastings.

The single carriageway A26 runs through the town centre, providing a link to Brighton and Lewes to the south, and Tonbridge and the A21 to the north.

To the west, the A264 provides connections to East Grinstead, Crawley and Gatwick Airport. To the east, the A264 becomes the A228 and links to Paddock Wood, Maidstone, Rochester and Strood.

By train
is in the town centre at the bottom of Mount Pleasant Road, close to the historic High Street and 5 minutes' walk from the Pantiles. It is on the London (Charing Cross/Waterloo/London Bridge) to Hastings route; trains are operated by Southeastern,.

London is between 40 and 55 minutes away, depending on whether the train is direct or a stopper service. A standard class off-peak return ticket to London is £13.20 adult; £6.60 child.

Other Kent towns such as Canterbury, Ashford and Maidstone can be reached by train by changing at Tonbridge (10 minutes by train from Tunbridge Wells).

Get around
The centre of Tunbridge Wells is fairly small, and can easily be travelled on foot. The Pantiles is around 10–15 minutes walk downhill from the main shopping area around Royal Victoria Place. As with most other towns in England, the town is well served by buses and taxis.

By car

 * U4 Vehicle hire

By bus
Arriva is the main local bus operator in and around Tunbridge Wells, although other companies also operate some services:

 * Metrobus
 * Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company - +44 1273 886200

Buy your ticket from the driver when you board the bus.

Paper timetables can be obtained at the Tunbridge Wells Gateway  (8 Grosvenor Road, near the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre). The Traveline and Kent County Council websites provide journey planners and route maps.

The Arriva 281 "Shopper Hopper" bus service provides a useful link for those looking to avoid walking up the hill between the Pantiles and main shopping district. It runs every 12 minutes, with tickets costing £1 for the day.

By taxi
The main taxi rank is at the train station, although you can order a taxi by telephone to pick you up from anywhere.

 * Streamline -
 * County Cars -
 * Crown Cars -
 * Starline Taxis -
 * Kent Chauffeurs

See

Do

 * Listen to live acoustic music every Sunday night from 8PM - free entry at the Mount Edgcumbe, Off Mount Ephraim, The Common Tunbridge Wells Tel: +44 1892 526823.. Also check out the Local Live Music Website for music listings in the Tunbridge Wells Area
 * Cinema: the Odeon shows the blockbusters. It's out in Knight's Park, at the far end of the industrial estate.
 * Listen to live acoustic music every Sunday night from 8PM - free entry at the Mount Edgcumbe, Off Mount Ephraim, The Common Tunbridge Wells Tel: +44 1892 526823.. Also check out the Local Live Music Website for music listings in the Tunbridge Wells Area
 * Cinema: the Odeon shows the blockbusters. It's out in Knight's Park, at the far end of the industrial estate.
 * Listen to live acoustic music every Sunday night from 8PM - free entry at the Mount Edgcumbe, Off Mount Ephraim, The Common Tunbridge Wells Tel: +44 1892 526823.. Also check out the Local Live Music Website for music listings in the Tunbridge Wells Area
 * Cinema: the Odeon shows the blockbusters. It's out in Knight's Park, at the far end of the industrial estate.
 * Listen to live acoustic music every Sunday night from 8PM - free entry at the Mount Edgcumbe, Off Mount Ephraim, The Common Tunbridge Wells Tel: +44 1892 526823.. Also check out the Local Live Music Website for music listings in the Tunbridge Wells Area
 * Cinema: the Odeon shows the blockbusters. It's out in Knight's Park, at the far end of the industrial estate.

Buy
The main shopping area of the town is centred around the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre, although there are shops throughout the town centre, with more independent shops located in and around the High Street. There is a good number of quality charity shops around Victoria Place and down to the High Street.

There is also rather a generic industrial estate on the edge of the town with a variety of big box stores.

Tunbridge Wells is a shoppers' paradise if you like designer clothes in a mellow setting with oodles of history.

 * Penshurst Farmers Market is held in that village on the first Saturday of the month.
 * Penshurst Farmers Market is held in that village on the first Saturday of the month.
 * Penshurst Farmers Market is held in that village on the first Saturday of the month.

Eat
All the major fast food chains are represented, mostly in the town centre, and the Royal Victoria Place shopping mall has a fairly large food court, although it is generally noisy and crowded.

Apart from some in Camden Road, most restaurants can be found in the centre, on Mount Pleasant and in the High Street area. There are also many pubs in and around Tunbridge Wells that offer good food. A long wait at Pizza Express and Carluccio's — booking is imperative.

Specific restaurants (cost assumes starter, main course, one drink, tip):

 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.
 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.
 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.
 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.
 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.
 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.
 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.

Drink

 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.
 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.
 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.
 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.
 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.
 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.
 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.
 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.
 * Mount Edgcumbe: see Sleep.

Go next

 * Ashdown Forest, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
 * North to Tonbridge, particularly its castle

title: Royal Tunbridge Wells


text:
Tunceli

Tunceli is a city in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey.

Understand
Tunceli is home to about 35,000 people as of 2021. It is surrounded by the Munzur Mountains, considered holy by the locals. They are mostly Alevis, who subscribe to a heterodox tradition of Islam and form the largest non-Sunni group in the country. Non-conforming as always, the city has been governed by the only communist mayor of the country since 2019.

Dersim is the ancient name for the city and the surrounding area, still occasionally used. Keep in mind that this name is politically loaded in some fractions of the Turkish society, and it is likely to evoke a (positive or negative, depending on the worldview) feeling towards the Dersim Rebellion of 1937, one of the largest uprisings against the Republican Turkish government during its early years, and ended by a massacre of a considerable portion of the local population.

By plane
Tunceli doesn't have an airport. The nearest airport is in Elazığ. From Elazığ, you can find minibuses to Tunceli. The trip takes about 2 hours and you will also use ferryboat on the way, while crossing a dam lake.

Malatya-Erhaç Airport further southwest is another option, as is the airport at Erzincan.

By train
There is no railway connection with Tunceli. Elazığ is the site of the nearest station for trains arriving from west. Erzincan is also connected with the rest of the national railway network, and is receiving trains from Ankara and Kars, among others.

By bus
Tuncelililer Bus Company has buses from the main cities of the country. Just show up at the bus station (otogar) and ask for them. They don't have a website yet.

Their phone numbers at various bus stations across the country are (April 2014):
 * Erzincan: +90 446 214-26-00
 * Istanbul: +90 212 658-05-60
 * Ankara: +90 312 224-01-62.

Do

 * Beaches — probably what you'd least expect to find here. Head east along D885 about 7-8 km out of town to find beaches, complete with sandy strands and deckchairs, on the Pülümür River.

Sleep
Tunceli is a small city and you have few accommodation options there.

Connect
The area code for the city is (+90) 428.

title: Tunceli


text:
Tunica

Tunica is a casino resort town in the northwest part of Mississippi on the Mississippi River.

Understand
Just a few years ago Tunica was nothing more than a farming community with fields of cotton, beans and rice. Tunica County was the poorest county in the United States and had a very high unemployment rate. Within a few years Tunica has evolved into the 3rd largest gaming market in the US behind Las Vegas and Atlantic City. In Tunica you can find abundant gaming, Las Vegas style entertainment, world class golf and various dining options.

Get in

 * Drive about an hour from Memphis, Tennessee.
 * Tunica Airport, 2986 Beatline Road, two miles south of Tunica and approximately one mile east of U.S. Highway 61,, , fax +1 662-357-7331, . Tunica Airport includes a terminal with first class amenities and full aviation services.

Get around
There is no longer an inter-casino shuttle service.

Stay safe
Being that there are no walkable streets in Tunica, there is very little street crime. Casinos are very safe places as almost every square inch of the property is covered by video surveillance. That said, a bump and grab purse snatching on a crowded casino floor, while extremely unlikely, is not impossible. Just keep your possessions close, and you should have nothing else to worry about.

Go next

 * Oxford (Mississippi)
 * Memphis (Tennessee)

title: Tunica


text:
Tunis

Tunis (تونس) is the capital of Tunisia. There are quite a few must-see attractions, especially if you include the ruins of Carthage, which are easily accessed from here, and the Punic ports are interesting, too. Tunis is an interesting mix of new and old, including colonial French buildings. The souq and the medina are among the most authentic and hassle-free in North Africa.

Understand
Located on the Mediterranean coast but lacking much in the way of beaches, Tunis has been spared the onslaught of package tourism to the resorts to the north and south. The city center is located about 10 km from the sea, on the shores of Lake Tunis. Tunis started out as a modest village compared to cities like Carthage, Kairouan and Mahdia. It eventually became the capital of the Almohad Caliphate in 1159, and has been conquered by various Muslim and Christian empires after that. Tunis has been the capital of Tunisia since independence in 1956, and is today the commercial and cultural heart of Tunisia as well as the most important traffic hub.

In 2014, the capital was home to 640,000 people, and there were 2.9 million in the metropolitan area.
 * Tunis tourist information

Orientation
Tunis is divided into the World Heritage Listed old city, known as the medina, and the new city, or ville nouvelle in French. Ave Habib Bourguiba is the large thoroughfare running through the new city from the Clock Tower to the Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul. It then turns into Ave de France, which runs for a few blocks until ending at the Place de la Victoire and the Port de France, a large free-standing gate that used to be the entrance to the medina. This can be a good landmark for taxi drivers, as some of the smaller streets nearby may not be familiar to the drivers.

The Port de France also serves as a good entry point for exploring the medina. Rue Jemaa Zaytouna leads past many shops all the way to the Zaytouna Mosque, the great mosque of Tunis which sits at the center of the medina. Running obliquely to Rue Jemaa Zaytouna, and also with an outlet near the Port de France, is the Rue de la Kasbah. This runs all the way through the medina to the Place du Gouvernment and the Place de la Kasbah, a huge bleak square subject to heavy security. It is fairly easy to move between the two streets by cutting through in the labyrinthine medina, and it is easy to keep your bearings and find an exit. Rue Jemaa Zaytouna seems to be a better entry point from the Port de France at night, remaining relatively well traveled. Rue de la Kasbah, on the other hand, is active after dark on the Place de la Kasbah side, but is extremely dark and rather menacing near the Port de France. It is recommended to get a feel for the medina during the day so that you will feel more confident if you find yourself and alone and need to find a landmark at night.

Climate
One of the northernmost cities on the African continent, the climate in Tunis is Mediterranean although a bit warmer than on the European side. Summers are hot and dry, with temperatures over 40°C not unheard of, although thanks to the sea and the surrounding mountains, it's not as hot as in the Sahara desert. Most of the rain falls during the winter months, but not even those months see more than 8-9 days of rain each month on average. In the winter Tunis occasionally experiences temperatures below freezing and in very rare cases some snow, though on average even nighttime temperatures don't drop much below 10°C. Tunis' mild climate makes it a comfortable destination year-round.

By plane

The major carrier at Tunis-Carthage is Tunisair, serving many destinations. The major western carriers who service Tunis-Carthage are Air France, ITA Airways and Lufthansa, from London, Paris, Rome or Frankfurt. Air Malta offers occasional flights to Tunis from Malta, so you can puddle-jump through the Mediterranean. Also, flights from other African cities are common ways to access Tunis if you are traveling to Tunisia from another African destination or vice versa.

Tunisian law requires all currency to be exchanged within the country. It's illegal to take Tunisian currency (DT) outside the country, though it can be done at most travel desks if you sign a waiver, but this is not advisable as Customs Officers will force you to change the dinars to hard currency before permitting you to travel if they find the currency. You can exchange money at the airport or at your hotel. There are many currency exchange booths with quite OK rates. You should retain the receipt for the transaction; without it, the bank may cause difficulty converting unspent dinars back into your own currency.

If you are departing and making a connecting flight, do not accept duty-free alcohol that is not in a sealed bag - the intermediate airport may not allow you to board your second flight with it. For the same reason, insist on a printed receipt.

Getting to the airport:

 * A taxi into the city center — insist on the meter — should cost around 5-7 DT during the day and around 10 DT at night. Alternatively, buses depart fairly regularly during the day (but not at night) and charge a fraction of the price. Beware of the taxi drivers. At night some will ask up to 40 DT depending on where you are going. In a struggling economy business has become even more competitive. An unspoken rule is the first taxi driver who grabs your luggage and places it in the trunk of his car makes the contract for your transportation. It's not uncommon to be barraged with over ten taxi drivers at once as you walk outside the terminal. They can reach for your bag aggressively—not to steal it, but to make an attempt at winning your business. Some meters may have been tampered with. If you don't trust the taxi's meter, then negotiate a price to where you are going before you leave the front of the terminal. It may be advisable to ask for an average taxi rate from your hotel front desk before leaving.

 * Some people have suggested taking the escalator up one floor and waving down a taxi that's just dropped someone off for a departing flight at the arrivals platform. This is more difficult to accomplish at night time, but the advantages are finding a more professional driver. In the afternoon it is extremely simple to accomplish this.

 * There is a public bus service (bus no. 635) to the city centre outside the Arrivals Hall, at the same place as the bus that goes to Bizerte. The bus stops at a small bus station near the Tunis Marine metro station. A one-way ticket from the airport to Tunis Marine costs 0.470 DT.

By train

You can travel to Tunis by train from most major cities in the country, the main line going from Gabes via Sousse, Sfax and Gafsa.

Trains are run by SNCFT and are generally cheap and comfortable, but if you want to ride first class during peak season, do reserve your seat in advance. Check train timetables on the SNCFT website before traveling as trains run at non-regular intervals throughout the day.

By car
Driving is not for the faint-hearted in Tunisia, due to the poor driving habits of many local drivers. However self-hire car is by far the easiest and safest way to travel around Tunisia (north of Gabes). Signage is quite good as it is universally bilingual in French and Arabic script. Driving at night is doable, just look out for defiant drivers heading the wrong way on dual carriageways without lights. Outside of the city nighttime driving is safer. The freeway/motorway A1 from Gabès, Sfax, Sousse and Tunis is in a reasonable shape, and the tolls very cheap.

The best place to rent a car is the airport. Local rental companies usually have lower rates than the international ones.

By bus
Tunisia has over 70 bus lines, with Tunis at the hub. There are two bus stations in town with Gare Routière Tunis Sud (south of Place Barcelone) serving cities and towns in the south and Gare Routière Tunis Nord (by Bab Saadoun) serving those to the north and west. Buses are run by SNTRI at both stations — see their website for schedules and fares.

By louage
Tunis is a major hub for the country's louage (shared taxi) network. Louages connect Tunis with many major cities in Tunisia. There are three main louage stations in Tunis.
 * - This station is by Gare Routière Tunis Nord (northern bus station) northwest in Tunis by Bab Saadoun. Louages from this station connect cities north and west of Tunis including Bizerte, El Kef, and Beja.
 * - This station is by Gare Routière Tunis Sud (southern bus station) south of the medina by Bab Alioua metro station. Louages from this station connect the Cape Bon area and cities that are nearby to the south of Tunis such as Hammamet.
 * - This station is southeast of the medina. Louages from this station connect Tunis with cities in central and southern Tunisia including Sousse, Sfax, and Gabes.

By boat
Tunis is the country's major port and there are ferries from a number of Mediterranean ports including Civitavecchia just outside of Rome, Genoa, Livorno, Naples, Palermo, Trapani and the French port of Marseille. There are plenty of operators: Italians GNV and Grimaldi Lines, French SNCM  and Tunisian CTM amongst others. Voyages from southern France or northwestern Italy take about 24 hours. A quicker way to get to Tunis is to (a) charter a boat, (b) hop on a ferry, or (c) travel on a cruise line, all of which can be done from Malta in a few hours.

Most ferries arrive at La Goulette, 15 minutes from Tunis centre. There are plenty of taxis around and suburban trains departs every ten minutes.

Get around
Free maps of Tunis and Tunisia are available at the National Tourism Office, to the north-east of the clock tower (directly east of the main Medina gate). The tourist office offers assistance in many languages.

By train
Tunis is well-served by a convenient five-line light metro system run by Transtu. The interchange hubs for all lines are in the centre of town at Place de la République and Place de Barcelone. Ticket prices are dependent on how many sections of network (zones) traveled through. Single way 1-section tickets cost 0.500 DT. Most tourist attractions are within two sections of the city centre and single way 2-section tickets cost 0.650 DT.

The TGM suburban train line, starting at Tunis Marine station on Lines 1-4, connects to La Goulette (ferries), Sidi Bou Saïd, Carthage and the beaches of Marsa. Tickets cost 0.800 DT each way. At Tunis Marine, be aware that there is an extreme dearth of signage. No obvious signs even say TGM, and on the maps on the trains themselves the station is marked as Tunis Nord. If you arrive at the station on the Tunis Metro, the TGM platform will be perpendicular to the metro cars and is easily accessed across the tracks. Tickets are sold at the end farthest from the metro stop.

Signs for station names along the TGM differ slightly from what appears on the onboard map, but if you can see the signs from the train and it is free of graffiti, a not uncommon problem, it is easy to tell where you are. It is not unusual for the trains to stop and wait on the tracks after leaving Tunis Nord or upon return. This usually does not last an extraordinary amount of time, and you will likely be better off not following the example of the optimistic youths that decide to leap from the car and walk along the tracks into the city.

Many stations along the TGM don't have full-time ticket vendors, so if you are making several trips along the line while visiting Carthage or Sidi Bou Said, you might be forced to risk traveling without a ticket. The guidebooks say that officials will sometimes get on the train and check tickets, so travel without a ticket at your own risk. It might be safest to buy a return to your farthest destination. The price difference should be minimal, and that way you might plausibly just have boarded the train, and your ticket will be valid for wherever you get on. The safest option will be to check with the ticket vendors or buy a ticket if you can find them.

By taxi
Taxis are also a good and cheap option if one need to go a bit farther than the metro, though cabs picking up in front of nice hotels will charge much higher rates. These taxis will quote 2-3 times the metered fare, so you should insist on using the meter. Should they refuse then get out. It is much better to walk away from the hotel and hail one on the street, or order a taxi via the Bolt app (see below).

Taxis are plentiful so the search shouldn't be longer than a few minutes, even during busy periods. The minimum charge is 0.500 DT at daytime and 0.750 DT on evenings/nights (rates per April 2019). Assuming the driver operates per regulations, the meter is a good way to go. Only try to negotiate a price if you know what you are doing and are sure of the value of the trip. Taxis are generally safe.

Watch out for the bright red/green light in the windscreen. The red light means the taxi is available and the meter is working. Green means it has been hired. Avoid any taxi that does not have this light.

The Bolt app for smart-phones works in a similar way to Uber, but you pay in cash when you reach the destination. Rates may be more than double the metered fare, but will get you a taxi if you are somewhere that you do not want to hail one in the street, or if you don't want to argue with drivers who claim the meter is broken. When ordering through Bolt, taxi drivers will not argue the price so you will know the final price beforehand.

By bus
Transtu operates a public bus network as well. Bus fares depend on how far (how many zones) you will travel, starting at 0.320 DT for a short ride.

Otherwise, louages (shared taxis) are the most flexible of all options. The minivans with 8 passenger seats take off when they are full and therefore run on no particular schedule. Prices tend to be a little bit higher than buses, but the difference is usually negligible. This is a suitable transport medium for young people, but definitely not recommended if you have children with you as the minivans can be quite oppressive. The driving style tends to be the 'flat-out' variety. The North louage station is in the parking lot of the North bus station. The South louage station is across the street from the South bus station.

By car
Driving is a practicable idea for getting around, as long as you are an experienced and confident driver, street signage is good in Arabic and French, but there's a lot of traffic in Tunis and locals follow traffic rules in an informal style. Driving is more dangerous in the dark as many vehicles have faulty lights. Traffic jams are common in Tunis generally, and around Habib Bourguiba Avenue and Victory Square traffic often comes to a total standstill. In Tunis the "Central Parking" multi storey car park just off Clocktower roundabout, is convenient and cheap for parking. Avoid in the streets red/white markings on the kerb as the wardens trucks WILL come and tow you away. Car hire direct at the airport is convenient - local firms usually a bit cheaper than Hertz/Sixt, etc., but car might have some bits missing!

Medina
Non-Muslims may not enter Islamic monuments such as mosques.

Do
Simply wandering around Tunis can be an interesting experience, especially around the medina with its ancient buildings including mosques, gates and market stalls. All types of commodities including slaves used to be traded here, but today's market is mainly that of day-to-day goods, with many local handicrafts. Shopping and haggling at this colorful place is certainly an experience different from what you may be used to at home. Another good place for a walk is Tunis' largest park, Belvedere Park, which houses the Museum of Modern Art and the municipal zoo (closed Mondays), and overlooks Lake Tunis.

The Théâtre municipal de Tunis, mentioned in See above, is more than just a sight. If interested in classical culture you can go and see an opera, ballet, or other production there.

Hammams (traditional public steam baths) are common in the Muslim part of the Mediterranean and also in Tunis. Formerly the only place for all but the upper classes to clean themselves, hammams are still a part of the local culture — so bathing in one of these is a cultural experience in itself. They are often located near mosques as people used to wash themselves before prayer; ask a local where the nearest hammam is (the medina is the easiest place to find one). Remember that a hammam is either men or women only, or open to men in the morning and night and to ladies in the afternoon. Bring spare underwear, flip flops, soap and a towel.

Buy
ATMs are a convenient way of getting money without going to a bureau de change and there are many Master card and Visa cash-points around the city. However, ATMs are not generally found in hotels, even the major ones.

 * The in the Medina makes for a fascinating stroll. Tiny shops overflowing with stuff; people selling, buying, milling about; skeletal cats lurking in the shadows; the smells of essential oils, spices, frying food and rotting garbage; the sounds of the muezzin, raï, football on the radio, Arabic and French. The Tunis Medina's main routes are labeled "touristique", but even a few steps off the beaten track it's a real, working market. Behind the often scruffy façades hide old palaces, mosques, Islamic schools. Compared to Morocco or even Sousse you will not be hassled here. Bab El Bahr (The large stone-arch "French Gate" at the head of Avenue DeFrance) is a good starting point for the Souk. The goldsmiths are close to Bab Bnet. Haggle if you wish to buy anything. Prices paid for items are given in July 2012, with the caveat that it is not known if they are good prices. They are provided just for reference. The merchant's first offer is in parentheses: 5 DT (12 DT) for a low-end scarf, 20 DT (45 DT, 65 DT for a comparable box at another vendor) for an 8" nacre inlaid hexagonal wooden box, 30 DT (80 DT) for a leather bandolier. If you are unsure, try getting a first estimate from several vendors before you buy. As always, if you give a price and they agree, you will be expected to pay.

There are little stores near every hotel in Tunis, where you can buy everything you need, but their prices are high. So it's better to go shopping to other parts of the city. Approximately 90% of goods presented in Tunis are of local origin. There are networks of state supermarkets Monoprix and General in the capital.

Eat
Most hotels include breakfast, and some include dinner. There are countless coffee shops with bitter coffee, other drinks and French-style pastries to enjoy, as well as sandwich shops. Count yourself lucky if you find a dish that does not include canned tuna! Know that during Ramadan it's difficult to find an open restaurant during daytime.

If you want alcohol when eating go to a hotel as most serve beer/wine, as do some upmarket restaurants in the Berges du Lac area of Tunis.

Drink
Be careful about what bars you frequent, ladies should perhaps try to bring a man out with them. Local beers are Celtia and the elusive Stella, which is rarely seen but exists on RateBeer. Both are lagers. Local liqueurs include Boukha ("boo-k"), usually taken straight or with coke, and Thibina, which is usually taken straight with a single ice cube. Alcohol is mostly only served in hotel bars. The Lac 1 and Lac 2 areas do not permit alcohol to be served.

In addition to these, some major beach bars and clubs are located in La Marsa, about 15 km to the northeast.

Sleep

Most tourists will be interested in accommodation in either the Medina or in Ville Nouvelle. The medina includes the youth hostel and several other budget accommodations, and the high end Dar El Jed. The Ville Nouvelle offers a large number of budget and mid-range accommodation, many grouped within a few blocks of each other north of Place Barcelone. Some places expect couples to present some sort of proof of marriage in order to rent a two-person room.

Stay safe
Touts and unofficial "guides" hang around near tourist spots. Shoo them off if they start to launch into a spiel on the architectural wonders of this or that, or they will expect to some baksheesh (payment) for their unwanted efforts.

One thing that can get really annoying in Tunis is the number of "friends" a tourist will attract. There is a decent number of men who hang out on avenue Bourguiba, the main drag in Tunis. They work individually. They approach tourists and start talking to them. The tourist may think that this person is just being friendly, but don't buy it. Also beware of teens approaching you on or around av. Habib Bourguiba. They often "prey" on male tourists and try to talk you into joining them to the cinema. Later on your new "friend" will ask you for 10 DT or a pack of Marlboros or this or that. It is best to just avoid these people or to shoo them off. They also have different techniques to get your attention. They include: asking for a cigarette, asking for the time, asking for a lighter, bumping into you on the street. The most common one seems to be when they ask you for a cigarette or a lighter. It is wise to get rid of anyone who tries to just bluntly start a conversation with you on the street. Chances are that they have no good intentions involved whatsoever. Tunisian people are nice and curious towards strangers, but avoid the ones who seem too friendly - a good phrase to use could be the French "Monsieur, je connais bien Tunis." (Monsieur, I know Tunis well.)

Non-French speakers might have luck with a simple "non, merci," repeated several times and without giving them any additional acknowledgment. Some, however, are persistent in spite of this and will not leave you alone. If you can manage to not bring a backpack or large back, this seems to make you less of a target and attracted fewer hangers-on.

Be aware of possibilities of fake guides trying to either scam you, or lure you somewhere less safe, and use your common sense.

Sadly, terrorist attacks are also possible. In March 2015, 24 people, mostly tourists, were killed when ISIS-affiliated terrorists opened fire in the Bardo National Museum. Later that year, a terrorist opened fire against tourists in Port El Kantaoui. The government has tried to give tourist areas higher profile policing to reassure visitors.

Stay healthy
As with Tunisia in general, medical staff are skilful and highly educated, but the public hospitals are usually fairly basic. If you get ill, try to get to a private clinic — these are better-equipped and more modern - charges are modest by European/USA standards.

Cope
Barbershops (for men) can be found widely, and there are women's hair salons commonly. Many of the nicer hotels also have spas, and fitness centres (open to visitors)

Embassies

 * 🇨🇦 Canada
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 * 🇫🇮 Finland
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * 🇷🇴 Romania
 * 🇷🇸 Serbia
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
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Suburbs
Reachable by the metropolitan train service, Métro Léger de Tunis. Tickets are less than one dinar and service is frequent, but busy during rush hour. The station is located a few hundred metres to the east of the clock tower and the raised Trans-African Highway No. 1 directly east from the main drag (Avenue Habib Bourgouiba; the one with the main Medina gate - just keep walking away from the Medina). The station is impossible to miss - it's a large building parallel to the road on the south side. Note that if you're heading out this way, there is also a national tourism office on the north-east side of the clock tower (that effectively demarcates the edge of Tunis' larger buildings before the highway), and they provide free maps and advice regarding Tunis and Tunisia.
 * Carthage, famously razed by the Romans with the few remnants now safely encased in a museum, easily reached by train. Get the TGM from east of the clock tower
 * La Marsa, a beach-side settlement at the end of the TGM train line, just north of Sidi Bou Saïd
 * Sidi Bou Saïd, a lovely village of white-and-blue houses and fancy cafés and restaurants, easily reached by train

Further away

 * Kerkouane - Phoenician and Punic historical site 80 km west of Tunis
 * Dougga - Impressive ruins of an isolated Roman village
 * El Jem - With one of the world's best preserved Roman amphitheatres.
 * Kairouan - An important pilgrimage destination for Muslims, known for its many mosques. Also worth visiting are the medina and the basins constructed during the Aghlabide dynasty.
 * Sousse - A UNESCO World Heritage site thanks to its architecture, and one of Tunisia's most popular beach resorts.
 * Tabarka - Old Phoenician and Roman port city near the Algerian border. It's also a great diving destination.

title: Tunis