text:
Lodi

There is more than one place called Lodi:

North America

 * Lodi (California) - A town in the San Joaquin Valley.

Europe

 * Lodi (Province) - A province in the Lombardy region of Italy.
 * Lodi (Lombardy) - The capital of Lodi Province.

title: Lodi


text:
Lodwar

Lodwar is a town of 83,000 people (2019), and the capital of the Turkana District in the Northern Rift Valley region of Kenya.

By plane
Flights are available from Wilson Airport in Nairobi. Charter aircraft can be hired in advance for drop-off and pick-up at the landing strip near center of town.

Fly-540 operates daily flights from Jomo Kenyatta Airport. You can book online or at the airport. Lodwar only has an airstrip, no airport.

By train
There is no train service at Lodwar.

By car
From Nairobi to Kitale (which is the transit point to Lodwar ) is about 6 to 8 hours and the road conditions are not bad. From Kitale to Lodwar, most of the tarmac roads have either been swept away by seasonal river or have deteriorated due to neglect. Don't drive to Lodwar unless you have a land cruiser or something close to that. After Kapenguria (a small town) there are very few villages and if your car breaks down you will have to wait for days. You'd better use a bus or a flight.

Most of the road from Kitale to Lodwar is, as of Feb 2018, in pretty good shape. It's only the last 80 km or so that are still mostly washed out.

There are service stations and rest areas once you enter Turkana district at the south in Kainuk all the way to the oil city of Lokichar which has many petrol stations as well as good accommodation facilities.until you reach Lodwar.The issue of bandits on the road has been reduced due to the presence of security personnel in those areas.

The road to Lokichokio is in excellent condition (which is interesting, since roads south are very poor).

This road is in reasonable condition because of the number of NGOs in Loki. Lokichokio was the base for the aid and relief effort for Sudan and Ethiopia. Near Loki is also a refugee camp. Do not travel to Loki unless you have a good reason or if you are part of a NGO.

By bus
There are several bus services from Nairobi to Lodwar but the main ones (and probably safer) are;

Dayah Bus - From Nairobi (Eastleigh) to Lodwar directly charges- Ksh 2100.

You can also connect two buses. One from Nairobi to Kitale at Ks 1000 depending on the bus and another one from Kitale to Lodwar at Ks 1000. Don't bother to ask when the bus is leaving, you will be told very soon. It leaves when the bus is full. So you'd rather use a small matatu plying the route if you aren't patient.

By boat
There is boat service at L. Turkana, Kalokol (50 km from town) for travels to Sibiloi Game Reserve. Contact Jade Sea Travels for boat hire.

Get around
Matatu (minibus) in city Ks 50. Hired taxi available for small fee.

Travel by the local bus-taxis (Matatus) if you've got the guts for it -they're mini-buses that they shove full of people (literally). They're cheap (ask someone at the hotel what the going rate is) don't let them scam you. They are all over and in huge numbers, and they're licensed (stickers on the windshields). Taxis don't have taxi-signs on the roof, but license papers stuck to the windshields.

See
Basket market daily.

Do
Browse the basket market in town. Turkana district is known for intricately woven baskets ranging in size from minute to 100L (25 gallon) size. Women at the market hawk wares such as brooms, baskets, makekas (woven sleeping mats), beads, and tire sandals.

Eat
Natural salted fried fish is in plenty. Also ensure you taste a meal locally called "federation", and do not forget the delicious nyirnyir.

Drink

 * Tusker beer
 * Chibuku (Not for the faint at heart.)

Sleep
There is a private developer in progress of setting up several state of the art commercial offices, maisonettes with swimming pool in the Nawoitorong-kerio road, which will be offering business offices and accommodation to diplomats, high ranking officials, tourists and NGOs staff who visit Lodwar and are willing to spend night in town while enjoying the lighting view of the whole town from a distance and it will be a gated community.

Stay safe
Don't walk the streets at night, as this will invite unwanted attention. It is best to hire a guide if you intend to do any exploring within the city. Lodwar is not really a touristy city, and thus, does not have any real tourist infrastructure.

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

title: Lodwar


text:
Loei

Loei (เลย) is a city in the Isaan region of Thailand. Loei is a city surrounded by undulating mountain ranges whose fog-shrouded summits are abundant with flora. The well-known mountains are Phu Kradung, Phu Luang, and Phu Ruea.

Understand
Its temperature is comfortably cool, with beautiful geographical surroundings, as well as unique cultures and traditions. In the cool season it can get decidedly chilly, one of the few parts of Thailand that ever gets down to 0 °C.

Loei is 520 km from Bangkok, covering an area of 11,424 km². The city's population is roughly 23,000. It is a boundary (with Laos) province in the upper northeastern part of Thailand, on the bank of the Mekong River along the Phetchabun mountain range.

During the period of the Thai Kingdom of Ayutthaya, Loei was a small community in a prosperous empire. Later, the Lan Chang Empire became weaker, therefore, the community moved to be with Ayutthaya. During the reign of King Rama V of the Rattanakosin period, the community was upgraded to become Loei Province.

By car
From Bangkok, take Hwy 1 or Phahonyothin Rd, passing Saraburi. Turn onto Hwy 21, passing Phetchabun. Then, take Hwy 203, passing Lom Sak, Lom Kao into Loei Province at Dan Sai, Phu Ruea to Loei. It takes approximately 7-8 hours. Alternatively, from Saraburi, take Hwy 2, passing Nakhon Ratchasima to Khon Kaen, for a distance of 536 km and turn left onto Hwy 12, passing Chum Phae and take Hwy 201 to Loei Province through Phu Kradueng, and Wang Saphung, a distance of 540 km.

From Bangkok
The Transport Co., Ltd. provides daily buses between Bangkok–Loei, both normal and air conditioned. The trip takes approximately 10 hours. For further information, contact the Bangkok Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2), Kamphaeng Phet 2 Rd, Tel. +66 2 9362841-8, +66 2 9362852-66. There are private bus companies such as Air Mueang Loei Co., Ltd.'s Bangkok office at Tel. +66 2 9360142 or Loei Office at Tel. +66 42 832042; Chumpae Tour Ltd., Bangkok office at Tel. +66 2 9363842 or Loei office at Tel. +66 42 832285; Phet Prasoet Co., Ltd.'s Bangkok office at Tel. +66 2 9363230, Phu Ruea office at Tel. +66 42 899386,  Dan Sai office at Tel. +66 42 891908.

From Phitsanulok
Many buses are available from Phitsanulok, which is a particularly convenient starting point for exploring the area west of Loei (Dan Sai, etc.).

There are two bus terminals in Phitsanulok. No.1 which is very accessible by foot and no.2 which is 5 km away from the city on the highway 12 on Indochina junctions. 50 baht to get there on a songtheaw. Both terminals have the exact same time for the buses going to Loei. So just stick to terminal no.1. Time schedule for busses to Loei are 9:30 and 12:00. Arrive earlier so you can catch the early bus, otherwise it's all booked pretty fast.

Price as of 2017, goes for 207 baht.

Within Isaan
There are regular buses to Loei from Khon Kaen (buses every 30 min) and Udon Thani (108 baht). Buses depart from bus station 2, somewhat inconveniently outside the main town.

By train
There is no railway station in Loei. However, visitors can take a train from Bangkok Railway Station (Hualamphong) to Udon Thani or Phitsanulok, and take a bus to Loei.

By plane
To Loei Airport (LOE), there are four daily flights from Bangkok, two on Nok Air, and two on AirAsia.

Get around
Songthaews can be used to reach the town from the bus station (10 baht). Tuk-tuks are also available to and around town. Local buses and/or songthaews serve some of the noteworthy sights mentioned below.

See
Most interesting tourist attractions are sufficiently far away they require public transport or a motorbike to reach them.

 * Chaopho Kut Pong Shrine and the City Pillar Shrine (ศาลเจ้าพ่อกุดป่องและศาลหลักเมือง)The city pillar was made of the golden shower wood elaborately carved into a lotus shape at its top and gilded with gold leaf on black lacquer. Its height is 139 cm.
 * Chaloem Phra Kiat Public Park, Pa Loeng Yai (สวนสาธารณะเฉลิมพระเกียรติฯ ป่าเลิงใหญ่) A public park on the Loei River. There is a decorative garden with flowers and decorative plants.
 * Office of the Loei Tourism Coordination Centre (อาคารที่ทำการศูนย์ประสานงานการท่องเที่ยวจังหวัดเลย) The former city hall and Mueang Loei District office. The Loei Provincial Council of Culture collected the king's chair at this place. The Fine Arts Department has registered it as a national monument for preservation.
 * Wat Tham Pha Pu or Phiang Din cave (วัดถ้ำผาปู่ หรือ ถ้ำเพียงดิน), Houses the remains of Luangpu Khamdi Paphaso, who discovered this place. The temple is a grand cave within a stone mountain. There are Buddha images enshrined in the cave, as well as stalagmites and stalactites.
 * Phu Pha Lom Forest Park (วนอุทยานภูผาล้อม) Steep limestone mountains with various pointed summits similar to a wall surrounding the virgin forest in the middle. There are various kinds of plants, herbs, sightseeing points, and caves, as well as Bo Nam Sap or Nam Phut, which is a sacred seepage pond.
 * Si Khun Mueang temple (วัดศรีคุณเมือง) This temple is a collection venue of Lanna and Lan Chang arts. The ubosot's roof is in many layers reflecting Lanna-style. There are also many objects of art such as a carved Buddha image gilded with gold leaf on black lacquer in the forgiving posture of the Lan Chang style.
 * Phu Khwai Ngoen Buddha's footprint (พระพุทธบาทภูควายเงิน) The Buddha's footprint is 120 cm long and 65 cm wide, enshrined on a whetstone and was registered as a national ancient monument in 1935.
 * Phu Khok Ngio Buddha statue (พระใหญ่ภูคกงิ้ว) A walking Buddha image in the blessing posture, cast of fibre and golden resin combined. It was cast by the Second Army Area Command and the people as a form of merit making for the king and queen.
 * Thai Dam Cultural Village (หมู่บ้านวัฒนธรรมไทยดำ) Thai Dam people migrated from Chiang Khwang Town, Laos in 1905 to settle at Ban Na Pa Nat. The Thai Dam culture has been preserved.
 * Crown Princess's Sirindhorn Art Centre (ศูนย์ศิลป์สิรินธร) A venue displaying paintings of students who have gained popularity at both national and international levels. Moreover, it is a source of knowledge on arts and culture, including permanent and rotating exhibition halls, and an arts training building.
 * Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary (เขตรักษาพันธุ์สัตว์ป่าภูหลวง) Phu Luang means 'large mountain' or the 'mountain of the king'. On the east of Phu Luang, dinosaur footprints on the rock, aged more than 120 million years, were discovered. The most distinguished ones on Phu Luang are Pinus merkusii and Kesiya pine forests, savanna on plains, mounds, and stone terraces.

 * Pha Ya cave (ถ้ำผายา) is inside Wat Tham Pha Ya at Ban Mai Santi Tham, Tambon Na Dok Kham. Inside the cave is a flock of millions of insect-eating bats.
 * Suan Hin Pha Ngam or Thailand's Kunming (สวนหินผางาม หรือ คุนหมิงเมืองไทย) A limestone garden aged around 230-280 million years, occurring from the aggregation of beach deposits. Then, an uplift of the earth's crust, together with millions of years of natural rot have made this mountain strangely beautiful, similar to the stone garden in Kunming, Yunnan, China.
 * Mahoran Cave (ถ้ำมโหฬาร) A large cave whose entrance enshrines a Buddha image in subduing Mara posture. The area within the cave is quite large consisting of stalactites and stalagmites, as well as, caves in smaller sizes. A Buddha's footprint was also found on the wall of the cave.
 * Phothisat Cave (ถ้ำโพธิสัตว์) or Thailand's Guilin is within the compound of Wat Tham Phothisat. It is a complex cave.
 * Piang Din Waterfall (น้ำตกเพียงดิน) is 4 km beyond Suan Hin Pha Ngam. The waterfall is at the end of the asphalt road.
 * Phrathat Si Song Rak (พระธาตุศรีสองรัก) Its architecture is in the Lan Chang style. Phrathat, a stupa containing the Buddha's relics, is 19.19 metres high and 10.89 metres wide with a square base of 12 redented corners. Moreover, within the compound of the temple is enshrined a Buddha image canopied by a seven-headed Naga in the Tibetan-style.
 * Neramit Wipatsana temple (วัดเนรมิตวิปัสสนา) Both the ubosot and chedi are constructed of laterite. A replica of Phra Phutthachinnarat is enshrined as the main image.
 * Phi Ta Khon Museum (พิพิธภัณฑ์บ้านผีตาโขน) An educational attraction for those interested in the Bun Luang and Phi Ta Khon Festivals. There is an ubosot reflecting the skills of local craftsmen as well as a replica of Phrathat Si Song Rak.
 * Pho Chai Na Phueng temple (วัดโพธิ์ชัยนาพึง) Enshrined within the abbot's cell is the Prachao Ong Saen Buddha image, an ancient image of the town for many generations. On the outside of the ubosot are paintings which were created in 1916.
 * The Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge (สะพานมิตรภาพน้ำเหืองไทย-ลาว) A bridge crossing the Hueang River connecting Thailand and Laos.

Do

 * Climb Phu Kradung (camp at the top if you wish).
 * Phu Rua National Park.
 * Visit the rock formations at Phu Luang.
 * Take in the views of the Mekong at Chiang Khan, Pak Chom, or Tha Li.

Festivals
Dok Fai Ban Makham Wan Mueang Loei Red Cross Fair (งานกาชาดดอกฝ้ายบาน มะขามหวานเมืองเลย) held in front of Loei City Hall 1–9 February every year. Parades from various districts, as well as cultural performances are highlights of the fair.

Thai–Lao Songkran Festival (งานประเพณีสงกรานต์ไทย-ลาว) held in Tha Li District 12–15 April of every year. Many Lao participate in the festival.

Bun Bang Fai Lan Festival (งานประเพณีบุญบั้งไฟล้าน) held within the compound of Wat Erawan Phatthanaram, Erawan District on the full moon of the 6th lunar month or during May of every year. It is Loei's biggest festival.

Phrathat Si Song Rak Fair (งานนมัสการพระธาตุศรีสองรัก) an annual event organised on the full moon of the 6th lunar month, around the end of April until early-May to celebrate Phrathat Si Song Rak, a significant place of worship of the town.

Bun Luang Festival and Phi Ta Khon (งานประเพณีบุญหลวง และการละเล่นผีตาโขน) held annually in Dan Sai District on Saturday–Sunday after the full moon day of the 6th lunar month, and after paying respect to Phrathat Si Song Rak. Phi Ta Khon is a local activity of Dan Sai and Na Haeo Districts, relating to the belief and faith in Buddhism and the spirit of ancestors. Phi Ta Khon parades are organised in the Bun Luang Festival, an annual local merit-making ceremony. On the first day, the Phra Upakhut procession proceeds from the Man River to Wat Phon Chai and on the next day, it enters the town, while the Phi Ta Khon participants throw their costumes and accoutrements into the Man River. After that, a series of all 13 chapters of the Great Birth Sermon will be read.

Chiang Khan's End of Buddhist Lent Festival (งานประเพณีออกพรรษาอำเภอเชียงคาน) organised in front of Chiang Khan District Office on the full moon day of the 11th lunar month every year. There is the Prasat Phueng procession, long-boat races, Ruea Kap races, illuminated boat contest, Tak Bat Devo, and various local cultural shows and entertainment in the festival.

Sea of Fog and Beautiful Flower Blossom on Phu Ruea (Winter Flowers Fair, Phu Ruea District) (เทศกาลหมอก ดอกไม้งาม บานสะพรั่งภูเรือ) is held on the grounds in front of Phu Ruea District Office during the New Year's Festival, around 31 December–3 January every year. Activities in the festival include a temperate plant fair, floral float parade, temperate flowers and decorative plants contests, Mae Khaning evening party, dances in the winter breeze.

Buy
There are various kinds of local products of Loei such as sweet tamarind, kunchiang (Chinese pork sausage), mu phaen (dried pork slices), glacéd coconut, souvenirs related to the Phi Ta Khon Festival, quilts, silk and cotton fabric. For local fabrics, visit Ban Kang Pla, which offers Loei fabric, a product unique to the province. For rattan furniture and utensils, visit Ban Na Kraseng, Tha Li District.

Eat
There are any number of restaurants within the city, which is easy to walk around. Many ethnic Chinese provide a good variety, and all are reasonably priced.

Go next

 * Chiang Khan - 30 minutes from Loei bus station if you time it right via the overnight bus from Bangkok's Mo Chit bus station, or 60-90 mins by songthaew. The guesthouses of Chiang Khan look across the Mekong at Laos. The wooden town, replete with wats, is backed by a mountain topped by a Thai navy lookout surrounded by tamarind trees. A teak plantation on another mountain shades the home of forest monks caring for a temple in a cave. The cafe in the main street sells coffee made with milk from a dairy hidden in the hills. Nearby cotton is teased and netted into quilts. On a beach of coloured pebbles, children run into the river where they float around in tubes from old tyres. It's a place to stay and watch the river world go by.
 * Phitsanulok - gateway to Sukhothai, Chiang Mai and the rest of northern Thailand.

title: Loei


text:
Lörrach

Lörrach is in the southwest of Baden-Württemberg, right in the south of Germany.

By plane
Euro airport near Basel (but on French soil) has flights from many cities in Europe including from budget carriers.

Travellers from further away may find it cheaper to fly to Zurich and take a train from the airport there to Basel SBB and thence to Lörrach by train.

Get around
There are train services from the central station every half hour to Basel (leaving at one minute past the hour and half hour). Trains can also be used to get to the southern suburb of Stetten or the northwestern suburb of Steinen. There is also a bus service around Lörrach but buses are not as frequent as trains. However, most areas are within walking distance of the central city.

From Stetten, the Swiss border is in easy walking distance and the number 6 tram runs from the border into Basel.

See

 * There are views over Lörrach, Basel in Switzerland, and parts of France from Obertüllingen on a hill directly west of the Lörrach suburb of Stetten.
 * There are views over Lörrach, Basel in Switzerland, and parts of France from Obertüllingen on a hill directly west of the Lörrach suburb of Stetten.

Further afield

 * Holzen is 13 km north and has large stork nests on top of several buildings, most picturesquely on a narrow church spire. Look for a witch's house (marked with 'Hexe') - if you put 50 cents in the slot the shutters will open and a mechanical witch appears to tell you (in German) about her life.
 * Inzlingen is a neighbouring village which can be reached walking through the foothills of the Black Forest. It has its own castle, Inzlingen Castle (Wasserschloss Inzlingen).

Do
Go for a walk through the foothills of the Black Forest, which surrounds the town.

Buy
There are market days on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with the latter being by far the largest.

Sleep

 * There are other hotels. There are a number of apartments catering to travellers, but no central website for booking them.
 * There are other hotels. There are a number of apartments catering to travellers, but no central website for booking them.
 * There are other hotels. There are a number of apartments catering to travellers, but no central website for booking them.

Go next

 * Basel (CH)
 * Freiburg (DE)
 * Colmar (FR)

title: Lörrach


text:
Lofoten

Lofoten is a group of islands in the northern part of Norway. With its postcard-looking small fishing villages nestled in fjords dotting a very rugged coast with abrupt peaks rising directly from the ocean, the archipelago is often described as one of the most scenic parts of Norway.

Towns

 * — a town of 4,500 citizens, and is the largest settlement in the Lofoten archipelago off the coast of northern Norway. Numerous hotels, rorbu, restaurants, hiking opportunities, galleries, museums guided boat trips to see seabirds and the Trollfjord, etc. And a good base to explore the rest of the Lofoten archipelago.
 * — a compulsory crossroads and stopover when travelling by bus in the Lofoten. Otherwise of little interest to tourists.
 * — pronounced "Oh", this is the southernmost town on the island of Moskenesøya in the Lofoten archipelago of Norway. The name means simply "river" or "stream", and the town is also known as Å i Lofoten to distinguish it from other places called Å. A ferry to the Moskenesoya maelstrom (a swirling circular current off the coast of the island), and the fishing museum are the two main attractions of the village, which sits between a picturesque lake and the North Sea, with many of the wooden buildings being built over water on stilts. There are bikes for hire at the Youth Hostel and at Lofoten Bed and Boat (150 kr a day) and some hiking paths are dotted around the surrounding area. Nice walks include going around the Ågvatnet lake, crossing the island towards the North-West and the Stokkvikvatnet lake, or going further on the main road (e.g., to Reine). Several ferries a day from the mainland (Bodø) arrive at Moskenes. From Moskenes, you can either walk following the road (4.8 km, 1 hour) or take a bus (several times a day, kr 40). It is best to book accommodation well ahead of your travel in Å, as everything may be fully booked during the peak season. (There is no ATM in Å. However, major credit cards are accepted virtually anywhere, including on the bus.)
 * — this fishing village is known for its incredible scenery.
 * — a small fishing village on the island, with no tourist information or a supermarket; however, there is a camping location and a car rental option near the ferry terminal.
 * - a very pleasant village reached by a short bus ride or long painful walk from Svolvær.Henningsvaer Lofoten 22.06.2012 2.jpg
 * - Lofoten's oldest fishing village. Great food and small shops. It lies a little to the south-west of Svolvær, the administrative centre of Vågan municipality. The village was founded as Vågan in the early 12th century by King Øystein Magnusson, who built a church and a fishermen's hostel there. According to Heimskringla, there was something resembling a town there several centuries earlier — the first known town in North Norway, known as Vågar. The Lofoten Museum, as well as the Lofoten Aquarium and the Espolin Gallery, are all in Kabelvåg.
 * - Lofoten's oldest fishing village. Great food and small shops. It lies a little to the south-west of Svolvær, the administrative centre of Vågan municipality. The village was founded as Vågan in the early 12th century by King Øystein Magnusson, who built a church and a fishermen's hostel there. According to Heimskringla, there was something resembling a town there several centuries earlier — the first known town in North Norway, known as Vågar. The Lofoten Museum, as well as the Lofoten Aquarium and the Espolin Gallery, are all in Kabelvåg.

Other destinations

 * The Moskstraumen, popularly known as the Maelstrom is a very powerful tidal current forming twice a day between Vaeroy and Meskenesoy. It has been featured in many works, usually in an exaggerated form (for instance Edgar Allan Poe's Descent into the Maelstrom). Captain Ahab in Hermann Melville's famous Moby-Dick mentions the maelstrom. In Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea the submarine encounters the whirlpool. It is unusual because it occurs in open sea. Simply do not go there and expect giant whirlpools...
 * Trollfjord – a fjord so narrow that the Hurtigrute boats, except for the very newest, have to do a three point turn. Navigation banned in spring because of falling rock, but otherwise visited on the southbound voyage of the Hurtigruten. Alternatively reached by a boat trip from Svolvær.

Islands

 * Hinnøya (southwestern part)
 * Austvågøy (southern part)
 * Gimsøy
 * Vestvågøy – a municipality and island with a population of 10,764 people, making it the most populated area in the regions of Lofoten and Vesterålen.
 * Flakstadøy
 * Moskenesøya
 * Røst – the southernmost island in the Lofoten archipelago. The island is inhabited by about 600 inhabitants. As Værøy, Røst is known for its puffins colonies. Contrarily to Værøy and its scenic cliffs, Røst is very flat, with the highest point being only 12 m above sea level.
 * Værøy is a small island around six hours from Bodø by ferry (via Moskenes) and around 2 hours by ferry from Moskenes. The island has a mountainous ridge running through the centre and flat farmland below the mountains. It is famous both for its scenery and the abundance of puffins who nest here over the summer.

Understand
At 68°N, the Lofoten archipelago is well above the Arctic Circle, and at the same latitude as Greenland or the northern parts of Alaska. However, it enjoys a relatively mild climate due to the circulation of the Gulf Stream, and temperatures up to 23°C in the summer are not uncommon. Still, it remains a subarctic destination, the weather changes fast, and even in the summer it may get cold. When the sun is not shining a sweater is recommended.

The winter is cold, but remains bearable. At this extreme latitude – the same as northern Siberia and northern Alaska – winters should be very cold, but instead of -40°C/F, Lofoten temperatures hover around freezing in winter, and start to climb in April.

Before becoming a popular tourist retreat, Lofoten was and still is a very important fishing centre, especially for the special type of cod (skrei in Norwegian), attracted by the rich food brought by the Gulf Stream. At the end of the spring, thousands of tons of cod are hung to dry on wooden racks. For at least a thousand years the very rich Lofoten cod fisheries was a key factor in the Norwegian economy. Thousands gathered from all along the coast to take part in the winter-spring fisheries. The key to Lofoten’s fishery economy was the natural outdoor drying without the use of salt. Low temperatures and constant wind is necessary for this process to be successful, further north it is too cold and further south too warm and humid, while the Lofoten islands have the right conditions. This slow drying process creates the characteristic stockfish (Norwegian: tørrfisk, literally dry fish). The dry cod was transported to and traded at the harbour of Bergen a thousand kilometres down the coast; the cod trade effectively created Bergen as Norway's (and partly Scandinavia's) largest and most important city. The famous waterfront warehouses in Bergen were mostly used to store dry cod. Still today the stockfish is exported to Italy, Croatia, Nigeria and Sweden (the similar dry-salted cod, the klippfisk, is particularly exported to Portugal and Spain).

Dry cod is recorded as an important business from the Viking age, but may be older. Long before Tromsø and Bodø existed as towns, Vågar (Kabelvåg) in Lofotr (today Vestvågøy island) was a major trading post and for centuries the only town north of Trondheim. Bergen, Trondheim and Lofoten were the 3 business centres on Norway's rich coast. For centuries dry cod was Norway's main export, up to 80% of the trade (as measured in currency) was cod. Vågar may have been Norway's most important town until the Black Death around 1400 and the Hansa in Bergen seized monopoly in cod export. The original town or trading post was abandoned and turned in to farmland, while nearby Kabelvåg became the new town.

The light varies very much over the seasons. From 24 hours of daylight from May to early August to just a bluish twilight lasting three hours around noon in December and January. In March and September, there are normal daylight hours: 12 hr day and 12 hr night.

In 1432 the Venetian merchant Pietro Querini and his crew shipwrecked at Røst island after drifting for several weeks from the English Channel. Querini supposedly introduced stockfish to the Italian cuisine. The Venetians spent 3 months with the locals and then returned to Venice where Querini produced a report for the senate there. Querini's unique and legendary written report was called The first circuit of paradise. Despite the cold and dark winter, he described life in Lofoten as paradise ("we spent 3 months in the first circuit of paradise, to the shame and disgrace of Italy").

Talk
Norwegian... but as usual for tourist destinations in Scandinavia, English should get you everywhere.

By plane
You can arrive from Bodø by air to Røst, Værøy, Leknes or Svolvær (20–30 min flight time). The former airport at Værøy was closed following a plane crash in 1990. However, a helicopter company serves the route Bodø–Værøy, offering several flights per day (2008). If you arrive from the Vesterålen archipelago (located North of Lofoten), a ferry still services the sea route between Melbu and Fiskebøl, the latter located along highway E10 (see above).

For getting out via Bodø Airport, your special baggage must not exceed a size limit, which means removing the front wheel of most bikes! Airport in the Lofoten islands: Airports nearby in Nordland county:

By car
A new section of highway E10 was opened in 2007, giving Lofoten ferry-free road connection with the mainland for the first time.

By bus
The journey takes about 3½ hours. The bus ride from Narvik to Svolvær takes 4 hours 15 minutes, with two daily services in each direction. The bus ride from Harstad/Narvik Airport Evenes to Svolvær takes about 3 hours (just over 2 hours by car), crossing through a very rugged and scenic terrain and bordering the Møysalen National Park.

From the Moskenesøya island (Reine, Moskenes, Å), there are several buses a day through Leknes.

There are several buses a day from Narvik (mainland Norway) to Moskenes. The main bus stop is right in front of the ferry waiting room. There is scheduled bus from Narvik (stops at Evenes Airport; no ferry on the new road).

By ferry
Another alternative is to arrive by sea, e.g. using the 'Hurtigruten', the coastal steamer, or a common ferry, from Bodø to Svolvær (6 hours), Stamsund, Moskenes, Værøy and Røst. The ferry to Svolvær operates on all days except Sundays. There is no ferry terminal as such in Svolvær, but only a very small waiting room, and free toilets outside.

There is also one ferry a day to the islands of Værøy and Røst, southwest of Moskenesøya.

There are several ferries a day from Bodø to Moskenes (187 kr for passengers; tickets are sold on board only, without reservation). Travel time: 3 hr 15 min.

Værøy is around 3 hr 15 min by ferry from Moskenes (via Værøy) and 3 hr 45 min from Bodø (when using a direct ferry not stopping in Værøy). Ferries are operated by Torghatten Nord.

From August 2015 to February 2016 (winter schedule), schedules change every day of the week. Ferries do not stop daily in Røst.

It is possible to do a (long!) one-day visit of Røst on Wednesdays only:
 * departure 04:45 from Bodø, arrival 09:45 in Røst.
 * departure 22:30 from Røst, arrival 02:00 in Bodø.

In addition, the coastal steamer Hurtigruten arrives at 19:00 (southbound) and departs at 22:00 (northbound) daily.

By car
The main islands are easily covered by car. The E10 route links Hanøy in the extreme north-east of Austvagøy island and Å at the south-western tip of Moskenesøy through a series of bridges. Although the archipelago may look small on the map, the full crossing is a good 180 km along the E10 on a very windy road, with the usual Norwegian speed limits. However due to the state of the roads, don't expect to average much more than 50 km/h. At the south-eastern tip, around Reine, the road furthermore becomes very narrow, so take your time along the way.

All the other secondary roads radiate from the E10, but note that some are even windier and narrower.

Petrol is available only in the larger towns, so make sure you fill up when you get a chance.

By bus
Most places can be reached by bus. Students get a 50% discount on long trips. Most buses from the south (Å, Reine) stop at Lofoten, and you should change to another bus to go further north (Svolvær).

By boat
If you plan to visit the southernmost islands of Lofoten, i.e. Værøy or Røst, you will need to take a ferry from Moskenes. Værøy is about 1½ hr from Moskenes, and another approx. 2 hours to Røst.

By bicycle
There are (fairly expensive) bikes for hire at various points around the islands and the E10, as a usually relatively unpopulated highway makes a good cycle path for short trips. In addition there are occasional cycle lanes, usually on bridges or around the outside of the many tunnels.

See

The main attraction of the archipelago is its majestic scenery. The coastline is dominated by high mountains cut by fjords, as well as sandy white beaches.

Apart from the scenery, the fishing history of the archipelago is visible in several little villages all around the coast. Nusfjord and the lovely Å are prime examples. The Lofoten has many traditional fishermen red cabins built on the sea shore or over stilts (the rorbu), and it is even possible to stay in one.

In the summer, you can enjoy the midnight sun. In Leknes, the sun remains above the horizon from May 26 to July 17. The midnight sun is best viewed from the western beaches, such as the Vestvågøy Island beaches Utakleiv and Eggum.

When there is midnight sun, there is a polar night, and in winter the sun does not rise from December 9 to January 4. The archipelago is at a good latitude to admire the Northern lights, but from the end of April to September, the nights might be a little too bright.

The beaches of Lofoten are also quite renowned. Utakleiv was ranked as the number one most romantic beach in Europe by the British newspaper The Times, and the neighbouring Hauklandsstranden is ranked by the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet as the best beach in Norway. Eggum was chosen to be the millennial spot in Vestvågøy and in 2007 an amphitheater was created here (designed by Norwegian architects Snøhetta, designers of the library in Alexandria).

Itineraries

 * Rando Lofoten, a 200 km trek from Delp to Å.

Do

Activities include whale watching, mountain climbing, mountain hiking, diving, fishing, and sleeping in traditional fisherman cabins called "rorbu".

Outtt maintains a list of hiking trails in Lofoten with descriptions in English.

Buy
It's not so easy to keep to the budget here. In Svolvær, Narvesen kiosk is a good place to buy things such as drinks, food and v-bucks, and there's a bookshop in the town; art is sold in the town and overpriced souvenirs are easy to find. All of Svolvær's supermarkets are in the same part of town.

Eat

Lofoten being a traditional cod fishing area, local delicacies are as one would expect taken from the sea. If you appreciate dried stockfish or cod, you will probably love the food. The stockfish of Lofoten is a prime source of revenue for the islands, it is exported to several southern European countries (especially Italy and Spain) where it is known as Baccalao or Stoccafisso. Several restaurants in Lofoten have Baccalao on the menu.

Due to the limited choice and the high prices, particularly on Værøy, you should bring your own food.

Sleep
There's lots of different kinds of accommodation. There are hotels, camping options, or you can even get a rorbu (a traditional fisherman's cabin). Sleeping outside is possible as it is quiet, but the temperatures can be near freezing even in the summer and the cold wind from the sea doesn't help at all.

Several accommodations are available in Reine. Be sure to book in advance if you come during the peak season (winter and summer).

Cope
There are churches in the Moskenes, Reine, and Kabelvåg villages. (The church in Kabelvåg is known as Lofotkatedralen.)

Stay safe
Lofoten has little crime and island hopping by hitch-hiking is safe and not unusual. The most likely undesired event is to fall while hiking, or to catch a cold due to the bad weather. Other than that, you should be perfectly safe.

Go next

 * Mainland Norway

title: Lofoten


text:
Logan

There is more than one place called Logan:

Australia

 * Logan City (Queensland).

United States of America

 * Logan (Iowa) - A town in the state of Iowa.
 * Logan (Michigan) - A town in the state of Michigan.
 * Logan (Minnesota) - A town in the state of Minnesota.
 * Logan (Montana) - A town in the state of Montana.
 * Logan (New Jersey) - A town in the state of New Jersey.
 * Logan (New Mexico) - A town in the state of New Mexico.
 * Logan (Ohio) - A town in the state of Ohio.
 * Logan (Pennsylvania) - A town in the state of Pennsylvania.
 * Logan (Utah) - A town in the state of Utah.
 * Logan (West Virginia) - A town in the state of West Virginia.
 * Logan (West Scotland) - A town with exotic botanical gardens, warmed by the Gulf Stream
 * Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts.

title: Logan


text:
Logan (Utah)

Logan is a fair-sized town and is growing rapidly, located in the Wasatch Range region of northern Utah. The town is home to Utah State University, a state school with approximately 23,000 students. Logan offers a wealth of outdoor activities, including some excellent hiking, mountain biking, sport climbing, kayaking, fly-fishing, and skiing. Luckily, Logan remains relatively undiscovered, so many of these activities can be experienced in far less crowded conditions than those found in other, similar areas of the US.

Climate
Cache Valley has somewhat more extreme weather compared to the urban centers of the Wasatch Range. Winters are cold, with daytime temperatures rarely getting above freezing and overnight lows frequently dropping below 0 °F (-18 °C). Snow is less frequent than in Salt Lake City but the individual storms are usually larger. Cache Valley also has one of the worst inversions in the state, in which cold, moist air and pollutants can become trapped in the valley. A simple five minute ride up any of the canyons will get you out of the inversion and into some of the most beautiful winter mountain landscapes in all of Utah. Spring and fall are wild and feature frequent temperature changes with possibilities of snow as early as October and as late as May. Summer is cooler than in Salt Lake City but still hot, with daytime temperatures generally ranging from 75 °F (24 °C) to 95 °F (35 °C) - they rarely reach above 100 °F (38 °C). It is, however, far enough north that it avoids most of the summer thunderstorms.

Get in
Drive north on I-15 from Salt Lake City. Take exit 362 (Brigham City), and follow US 89/91 through the mountains (unofficially referred to as Sardine Canyon) into Cache Valley. The drive should take about 75-90 minutes. US 89 and 91 split in downtown Logan. US 89 heads east through the beautiful Logan Canyon to Bear Lake, a popular tourist destination, while US 91 heads north into Idaho. A regional airport also serves Logan although no commercial commuter flights are available at this time. Alternately you can also take I-15 N and take Exit 351 for Willard. The short UT126 section branches off towards US-89 for Logan and Ogden. Keep left at that fork and follow the road till you reach Brigham City and then the right lane will lead you towards Logan. This route is 7 miles shorter and a more comfortable drive with very little traffic.

Salt Lake Express and Greyhound provide intercity bus service.

Drive
Main Street is heavily used and often congested but parallel streets often provide faster access within Logan. Traffic is generally moderate to mild once out of the city. Driving is generally the only good way to get farther up Logan Canyon, but walking and biking is a good way to reach the lower features in the canyon.

Bike
Good bicycle infrastructure in Logan is sparse. Some moderate and major roads have painted bicycle lanes. Minor residential roads are very wide, so they usually have plenty of room for cyclists. Street width is thanks to the admonition of Brigham Young to lay out early Utah cities with streets wide enough to turn a double-team of horses and a buck-board around. Utah State University, on the east side of town, sits on the Provo Bench of ancient Lake Bonneville, about 250 feet higher than downtown Logan. This elevation difference can be a major deterrent to non-motorized transportation.

Public Transport
The Cache Valley Transit District (website: ) bus system serves Logan and surrounding communities with a simple route system that radiates out from the transit center every half hour. There are also clockwise and counter-clockwise routes hitting some of the more common destinations. Fares for CVTD are free. All buses are equipped to carry two or three bicycles.

Do
Much of the fun to be had around Logan is in the form of outdoor travel by foot, bike, or ski.

Hiking
Hiking and mountain biking are very popular in the summer but varied elevation change significantly affects outdoor activity seasons. Low, south facing trails like the Wind Caves can often be hiked as early as March, while areas above 9000' are usually not hikeable until late June or early July, maintaining broad areas of snow until August. Temperature varies with elevation as well, usually temps at 8000' are 20 °F cooler than in Logan, and increasingly colder with elevation gain. Summer hail and rain storms are common in high areas when there is no precipitation in Logan.

Most hiking trails can also be done in the winter on snowshoes or backcountry skis, although the less steep ones tend to be more friendly for snow travel.

 * Hike the Wind Caves trail. 2.6 mile round trip, 900' elevation gain. The trail winds up the north side of Logan Canyon, through maple groves, to a small formation of caves and arches. Offers a beautiful view down into the canyon as well. Trailhead is ~5 miles up US 89 into Logan Canyon, located on the north side of the road opposite Guinavah-Malibu Campground. This is a fairly steep trail and is very popular.
 * Hike the Naomi Peak trail. 5.8 mile round trip, 1980' elevation gain. Naomi Peak (9980') is the highest point in the Bear River Range. The trail leads through meadows full of wildflowers to the peak, which offers spectacular views of the surrounding peaks and of Cache Valley. Trailhead is located at Tony Grove Lake. Take US 89 approximately 19 miles up Logan Canyon to the Tony Grove turnoff. The lake (and trailhead) are 7 miles from US 89.
 * More adventurous and in-shape hikers can access Naomi peak from Cherry Creek near Richmond, UT. From Logan drive 13 miles north on US 91 to the town of Richmond. Turn right on Main Street, and go straight until reaching 300 East. Turn left on 300 E and go straight until the road sort of splits, taking a right onto 500 North. The road turns gravel, keep following the gravel road to a parking area, and continue. The road after the parking area is dirt and rocky, but accessible by most vehicles in the summer until a river crossing. High clearance vehicles should have no problem crossing the river, while hikers in cars can start their hike from the river crossing. The trail begins at approx 6000' and climbs east past 9765' Cherry Peak before crossing a basin leading to Naomi Peak.
 * There are many, many other trails and routes to explore in the Bear River Range (to the east of Logan) and in the Wellsville Range (west).

See also Cache Trails, an online copy of a local trail guide (http://www.logannature.org/cache_trails/canyontrails/ ), and CacheTrails.org, website for the local trail maintenance organization (http://www.cachetrails.org/ ) alternatively you can seek detailed descriptions of Logan's trail's here: (http://www.smallsat.org/travel/logan-hiking-guide.pdf )

Rock Climbing
The vast majority of rock climbing to do is in Logan Canyon, but there are some areas in Blacksmith Fork (Hyrum's canyon) and elsewhere. Logan Canyon has many walls available with either lead climbing, top roping or both depending on the wall. Notable walls include:

 * Date Wall - first turn in logan canyon on the right side of the road (lead climb only) - wonderful place to go if you have only a spare hour and want to get a climb in that day
 * 1st Practice Wall - 1.3 miles from Date wall on the left side
 * 2nd Practice Wall - 1.6 miles from date wall, last left turnout available before 2nd dam. (top rope only) - this wall has many fun climbs ranging form 5.7-11 excellent place to push your top roped skills!
 * Fucoidal Quartzite - 8.5 miles from Date wall, 2nd to last left before bridge and right hand fork turn off. (top rope and lead options) - with 40+ climbs available this is a wonderful place to take friends of any skill level
 * China Cave - 8.6 miles from Date Wall, last left, immediately before the bridge with very short hike along river to wall. (lead climb only) - this wall contains the worlds 1st 5.13 rated climb.

Indoor climbing is available at Elevation Rock Gym and at USU's Aggie Recreation Center.

Skiing
Downhill ski resorts in the area are Beaver Mountain and Cherry Peak. Beaver is larger and has much more snow, while Cherry is newer and lower elevation.

There are many cross-country ski trails in the area, most groomed regularly by Nordic United.

 * Green Canyon - The road is gated and groomed in the winter. The parallel hiking trail is designated for snowshoeing and snowbiking.
 * Smithfield Canyon - Another groomed road. There is a lesser-used route for snowshoers on the other side of the river.
 * Logan River Golf Course - Not groomed.
 * Little Bear Bottoms - Just below Beaver Mountain downhill ski area, this area has miles of interwoven groomed XC ski tracks.

Snowmobiling
A number of local businesses as well as some in Bear Lake offer snowmobile rentals. Logan Canyon has four main parking/trailhead areas for snowmobiles (Franklin Basin, Beaver Creek, UDOT shed, and "The Sinks") and there are a number of other areas to start from including Providence Canyon and Blacksmith Fork Canyon near Hardware Ranch. These trailheads offer access to groomed trails, primitive routes, open play areas, and hills. Peter Sinks is one of the top ranked snowmobile areas in the country - generally accessed from the Sinks parking area a few miles north. Logan Canyon trailheads also offer access to trails leading into the Idaho portion of the Bear River Range, providing an equal array of snowmobile activities.

Short Term Rentals
As is common, short-term rental services such as AirBNB are allowed in Logan.

Camping
There are many developed and undeveloped places to camp in the Bear River Range.

- US Forest Service 3-season campgrounds in Logan Canyon such as Bridger CG, Wood Camp, Spring Hollow CG, Preston Valley CG. The largest, Guinavah-Malibu, is closed for a major reconstruction project (until 2025). - There are USFS campgrounds in some of the other canyons like Smithfield and Blacksmith Fork. - Many minor canyons have pullouts along the road that can be stayed at. These are unmanaged, undeveloped, and are first-come-first-served. - Since the Bear River Range is managed by the US Forest Service, dispersed camping in the backcountry is generally allowed. Using this option requires backpacking gear. There are some restrictions such as proximity to roads and water bodies.

Go next
To get out of Logan, you can simply backtrack south on US 89-91 through Sardine Canyon and Brigham city to I-15, or you can continue northward on US 91 through Preston, ID, and eventually return to I-15 about 33 miles south of Pocatello, ID.

You can also head west on 200 North/UT-30. 20 miles to I-15.

Stay safe
Logan has very little crime and has been repeatedly named as one of the safest cities in the country. It is still wise, however, to not forget about the basic tips.

Winters can get very cold in Logan and proper precautions must be taken against the weather. Major snowstorms should also be prepared for, and the winter inversions may aggravate people with respiratory problems such as asthma.

title: Logan (Utah)


text:
Logan (West Virginia)

Logan is a city of 1,500 people (2019) in West Virginia. The city occupies narrow stretches of flat land along the Guyandotte River and it's local tributaries, abutting extremely steep hills. Once anchored by the coal mining industry, It is known for its connection to the notorious Hatfield-McCoy feud.

As many of the local coal seams have been mined to empty, the number of people employed in the mineral extraction industry has declined. This has resulted in noticeable population decline for several decades.

Understand
The town was chartered in 1852 as Aracoma, after the daughter of a Shawnee chief, and renamed in 1907 after the Mingo chief Logan.

The area around Logan (specifically Williamson) was home to the Hatfield-McCoy feud, which started with a dispute about the ownership of a pig and escalated until over a dozen members of the two families had been murdered. The Hatfield family was from West Virginia (the McCoys being just across the border in Kentucky), and the family patriarch, William Anderson aka Devil Anse, is buried in the area.

Logan's downtown appears large for a city of its population because Logan contains many suburban areas that not incorporated into the city proper. Logan County, of which Logan is the primary city, had a population of 32,567 at the 2020 census.

Get in
Logan is on WV-10, just east of US-119 which runs between Charleston and Pikeville, Kentucky.

Get around
WV-10 goes through the heart of Logan, US-119 skirts the downtown area less than 3 miles to the west.

Notable suburban towns include Chapmanville to the north, where WV-10 and US-119 intersect; and Man to the south, where WV-80 south towards Gilbert begins at WV-10.

Do

 * Chapmanville Apple Butter Festival, Chapmanville High School in Chapmanville, . Held one weekend in late September. Apple butter making, merchandise booths, food and live entertainment.
 * Chapmanville Apple Butter Festival, Chapmanville High School in Chapmanville, . Held one weekend in late September. Apple butter making, merchandise booths, food and live entertainment.
 * Chapmanville Apple Butter Festival, Chapmanville High School in Chapmanville, . Held one weekend in late September. Apple butter making, merchandise booths, food and live entertainment.

Learn

 * The local paper is the  Logan Banner, 435 Stratton Street,. Daily newspaper published since 1888.

Go next

 * Gilbert is just over half an hour south on WV-80
 * Williamson is just over half an hour south on US-119
 * Charleston is a little over 1 hour northeast on US-119.
 * Huntington is a little over 1.5 hours northwest on WV-10.
 * Pineville is 1 hour southeast on WV-10

title: Logan (West Virginia)


text:
Logan City

Logan is a city in Greater Brisbane, between the City of Brisbane and the Gold Coast. It has a population of 345,098 (2021).

By plane
The nearest airport to Logan with regular scheduled flights is Brisbane Airport

By car
Logan is a 15-to 30-minute drive via the M1 Pacific Motorway from Brisbane, a 30-minute drive from Ipswich via the M2 and M6 Logan Motorway and a 45-minute drive via the M1 Pacific Motorway from the Gold Coast.

Get around
The City of Logan is one of Australia’s largest (pop.) and is well serviced by train and bus networks. There are also taxis and a great network of cycle and walking trails.

See
Logan is an unusual mix of highly populated suburbs, 64 in all but it's also home to vast tracks of rural and semi-rural lands filled with abundant wildlife and an enormous network of waterways fed by the Logan and Albert rivers. The heritage of the city dates back tens of thousand of years with four Aboriginal countries dissecting the modern day city boundaries. Logan's European history whilst dating back less than two hundred years is cosmopolitan, dynamic and colourful. The city is home to 215 different cultures and ethnicities so it is genuinely vibrant and eclectic. There over 950 parks, two significant rivers and more than 900 square kilometres of land across the city.

Do
There are an abundant variety of activities to do and see in the City of Logan. You can visit the magnificent Chung Tian Temple in Priestdale, wakeboard at Cable Ski Park in Carbrook, Bungy Jump at one of only two jumps in Australia or mountain bike on some of our world class trails. an enormous Try a bush walk in the Daisy Hill State Forest. There are over 400 hectares of gum forest, with marked trails from short trips up to those that go for almost 10 km. Koalas can be seen sometimes, and kangaroos are common, particularly in the late evening. Night tours of the forest can be arranged.

Buy
There are several major shopping centres in the city, each offering brand stores and a wide selection of choice. We're also home to a large number of markets and boutique shops ready to help you with almost anything you may require.

Eat
With 215 different cultures and ethnicities the one thing you can be guaranteed of in the city of Logan is a diverse selection of tastes and cuisines. From the wonderful Grandma's Kiwi Kitchen to the popular Berlin Bistro it's all a wonderful Foodies delight.

Drink
Whilst there are a number of Hotels referred to as Pubs, the signature drinking experience is at Australia's oldest Distillery in Beenleigh, known as the Beenleigh Artisan Distillery. Known for it's Rum a legacy of European settlement the Visitor Centre has just undergone a $3M refurbishment and any visit can include tastings, history and even a tour of the Vats. Just off the Pacific Motorway (M1) at the Exit to South Beenleigh.

Sleep
There's a wide selection of accommodation in the city of Logan. From high rise hotels and apartments to B&Bs in the quiet suburban streets. Or if you prefer camping or recreational vehicles there are several self-contained parks that are completely free.

Go next
The City of Logan is only 30 minutes to the Brisbane CBD and airport, 40 minutes to the Gold Coast and just a short drive to Mt Tambourine in the Scenic Rim.

Daisy Conservation Park

title: Logan City


text:
Logansport

Logansport is a small city in Northern Indiana. It was named after a Shawnee warrior named James Logan, or Captain Logan. It was a center for both canal and rail traffic since its founding in 1826, and commands a prominent location at the confluence of the Eel and Wabash Rivers.

title: Logansport


text:
Logroño

Logroño is a city in northern Spain. It's the capital of the autonomous community of La Rioja, well known for its wine. The Way of St. James runs through the city, as does the River Ebro.

Understand
The origin of Logroño is associated to the Roman Vareia, now a neighbourhood of the city, and the Iron Age site on top of Monte Cantabria. Being an important crossroad on the Way of St. James and strategic point between the kingdoms of Aragon, Castile and Navarra helped to develop the city during the Middle Ages.

In 1095, the king Alfonso VI of León and Castile awarded the inhabitants of Logroño with the Code of Laws named Fuero. King John II of Castile granted the status of 'city' in 1431 and the titles of 'very noble' and 'very loyal' in 1444. In 1521, the population heroically resisted the siege of 30,000 troops sent by King Francis I of France for 17 days. To remember the victory, Charles I ordered three fleurs-de-lis to be added to the city's emblem. A tribunal of the Spanish Inquisition was set in Logroño in 1570, being of historical importance in 1610 during the Basque witch trials.

The 1833 territorial division of Spain established Logroño as the capital of the new Province of Logroño, renamed in 1980 to Province of La Rioja and constituted as autonomous community since 1982.

Logroño is now a city of 153,066 inhabitants, and is considered to have one of the greatest quality of life in Spain.

The city is twinned with Brescia, Ciudad de La Rioja, Darmstadt, Dax, Dunfermline, Hagunia, Libourne and Rancagua.

Climate
Logroño has a humid continental climate due to its location in the Ebro valley and this is characterized by hot summers and cold winters, with the precipitations well distributed throughout the year.

Tourist information
A good start for a visit to Logroño is the centrally located

By car
There are several roads passing through Logroño. The Autopista AP-68 connects Zaragoza with Bilbao while the Autovía A-12 connects Pamplona and Burgos. The N-120 road goes from Logroño to Vigo and the N-232 follows the river Ebro to the coast.

Blue and green parking spaces are paid Monday to Saturday between 09:00 and 14:00 and between 16:30 and 20:00. White parking spaces are free at all times.

There are car rental facilities available at the airport and the train station.

By foot
Walk the Way of Saint James.

By public transport
Logroño has a good public network of buses with eleven lines crossing the city. They start at 07:00 and finish around 23:00 with frequencies of 10 to 15 minutes. The ordinary ticket can be bought directly from the driver and it costs €1 allowing unlimited transfers for half an hour. There are also night bus services on Fridays and Saturdays with three different routes. All the buses are equipped with free Wi-Fi.

By bicycle
Logroño is a flat city and has an extensive network of bike lanes so riding a bicycle is a good option to discover the city. The public rent-a-bike service is named biciLOG and visitors can use it for free after obtaining a pass in the tourist office.

On foot
Logroño is a small city and therefore very walkable.

By taxi
Taxis are quite expensive for the size of the city and a ride can get you easily up to €10. Official taxis are white and have a red stripe in the front door. Available taxis have a green light on top. There are some stands around the city where you can pick up a taxi but you can also call to the numbers.

Wineries
In the old city you can visit some of the vaulted underground cellars known as calados. For a bigger understanding of the winemaking you can get a tour in one of the wineries around the city:

Festivals

 * Actual Festival. Music, film and art festival celebrated since 1991 during the first week of the year.
 * Fiestas de San Bernabé. Festival that commemorates the victory against the French troops of André de Foix in 1521. The legend says that the inhabitants of the city survived the siege during 17 days just with fish from the river Ebro, so on June 11 it's tradition to eat the fish, bread and wine served for free by Cofradía del Pez. Since 2008 locals wear period dress and historical performances are carried out. Together with the Day of La Rioja on June 9 makes four of five days of break with several activities in the street.
 * Fiestas de San Mateo. The Wine and Harvest Festival is celebrated during the week of September 21 with activities during the whole day starting with the bull run in the morning, continuing with food and wine tastings till midday, bullfighting and Basque pelota during the afternoon, and finishing with fireworks and concerts at night.

Buy
Logroño is very much a commercial city and you can find shops in almost every street. Some of the busiest commercial zones are Gran Vía, Calle San Antón and Paseo de las Cien Tiendas. In the old city there are a few souvenir shops where you can buy wine as well as traditional products.

Being in the La Rioja wine region, an original souvenir would be to buy an authentic bota de vino made with leather and designed to carry wine:

Eat
You can't leave Logroño without visiting the famous that together with Travesía del Laurel, Calle San Agustin and Calle Albornoz concentrate more than 50 bars serving tapas, known in the north of Spain as pintxos.

Each bar cooks its own speciality, although new openings are specialized in more than one dish, always accompanied by a glass of Rioja wine. You can hop freely from one bar to the next one along the one hundred meters of the street that has an unbeatable atmosphere of good vibes. The circuit is popularly known as Trail of the Elephants, because people would walk on four legs if they visited all the bars.

In the neighbouring  which is 300 meters far away, you can find another 30 bars that are usually less crowded and have different specialities.

Budget

 * Prices of pintxos are around €2 so it can become expensive if you feel really hungry or can't stop trying all those delicacies. An option to keep the budget low would be ordering bigger portions of them that are called raciones and are usually served in clay pots. Some of these bars serve as well bigger sandwiches known as bocadillos or bocatas.
 * There is a good amount of doner kebab stands around the city offering beef and chicken served with salad in flatbread for around €4.5.
 * In autumn and winter you can find churrería stalls selling a fried-dough pastry named churro. During the cold months is common to find as well smaller kiosks selling roasted chestnuts.

Mid-range
During working days most of the restaurants offer a daily menu for lunch which includes three courses, bread, wine and water ranging from €10 to €15.

Beer
In a wine region like this, drinking beer is not forbidden yet. Ordering beer is easy with the widely known "una cerveza, por favor" that will get you usually a caña which is about 25 cl of draught beer. For a smaller size you should order corto de cerveza and for the half litre, or pint, use pinta.

On Thursdays most of the bars have "pinta a precio de caña" which means pints are discounted, paying for them what you would pay normally for a caña. In some of these bars you can also find local hand-crafted beer: Ceriux, Mateo & Bernabé and Palax.

and are two of the favourite spots for beer lovers  with bars and terraces.

Coffee
Locals like to drink coffee or tea, but it's simply an excuse to get together around a table and chat. The pedestrian street Bretón de los Herreros has some of the nicest cafeterias with outdoor terraces both in winter and summer, which get really crowded after-work.

In summer it's common to ask for café con hielos and you'll be getting a glass with ices where you can pour your coffee. If you want to try something different, ask for té americano which is an infusion of black tea boiled in milk with a slice of orange and cinnamon.

Wine
While ordering wine you have to consider that is classified into four categories. Joven, cosechero or vino del año is the youngest wine and has undergone very little, if any, wood ageing. Crianza is aged for two years, being at least one in an oak barrel. Reserva is aged for at least three years, of which at least one year is in oak. Gran Reserva has been aged at least two years in oak and three years in bottle.

You can distinguish as well four types of wine because of the colour: red tinto, white blanco and two kinds of rosé clarete and rosado with different processes of elaboration.

Sleep
Logroño has a good amount of modern hotels in the city centre but also in the outskirts. Although for a cheaper accommodation you might search for guest-houses known as hostal or pensión. The first hostel was opened in 2012 and there is as well a camping area. As a stop of the Way of St. James there are several pilgrim hostels known as albergue de peregrinos.

Connect
There is a public service of free Wi-Fi that covers most of the old city, but you have to register through SMS once you try to connect to the network "Aytologrono". The hotspots are found in Parque del Ebro, Paseo del Príncipe de Vergara and Plaza del Mercado.

You can get free Wi-Fi without the need of registration in the building of the City Hall and in the cultural centre La Gota de Leche. Public buses are equipped with free Wi-Fi.

Stay safe
Logroño is quite a safe city but as usual while travelling it's better to keep an eye on your belongings.

Emergencies
If you suffer an accident or have an emergency, call 112 or go to the closest emergency centre:

Go next
Day trips from Logroño include:
 * Briones — Small picturesque medieval town that hosts the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture.
 * Enciso — The Paleontological Centre it's a good start to follow the dinosaur footprints spread across the southern part of La Rioja.
 * Haro — Wine town that celebrates the Battle of the Wine every year on June 29.
 * San Millán de la Cogolla — The Yuso and Suso Monasteries were declared World Heritage Site in 1997, as the birthplace of the modern written and spoken Spanish language.

title: Logroño


text:
Lohgad

Lohgad is in Maharashtra, India. It's a fort that belonged to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. There were three forts, near one another. The only existing structure is the remains of the Lohgad Fort. It is very close to Lonavala, another famous hill station.

Get in
One can take a private vehicle all the way to the base of the Fort, although as of March 2019 the road is being repaired and part are difficult for small single axle cars. The nearest main railway station is Lonavala, the local train station of Malavli being closer. For people traveling from Mumbai or staying back in PCMC, the route is via Lonavala. If starting from Pune take old Mumbai Pune highway. Just after you cross toll plaza before lonavala, keep your left till you cross “Manshakti”. There is a Y-type left turn just after “Manshakti”. Take that left and drive for another ~200 m to take very first left again. You are on the way to Lohgad after crossing the place called “Bhangarwadi” from where it is 8-10 km. If you come across a railway crossing and Mumbai-Pune highway twice you are on right track. You are on way to Paud, continue till you reach “Dudhiware Khind”. Just before it, take left for Lohgad from here it is around 4 km. The road ahead is very steep with couple of sharp turns but safe.

For people traveling from Pune city, the route is via Chandani chowk – Pirangut - Paud. After reaching Paud take right and drive for around 40 km. Just after you cross “Dudhiware Khind” you reach to the same place. Take right for Lohgad base. It is tar road and you can reach comfortably till the “Paytha”. It’s a wonderful place and should be tried in between mid August to mid September when you can still have rain but the intensity comes down.

Understand
Since the place is inside Maharashtra, knowledge of Marathi would be an added advantage. However, the locals also do understand Hindi.

Get around
The main attraction is the fort. It is approximately 915 m above sea level. The climb is not that difficult, but is steep. It is advisable to have the best footwear as the mountains can really get very slippery during the monsoon.

Eat
There is a place where you get home food just at the base of the fort. These are locals serving exclusive Maharashtrian food at rates as cheap as ₹40 per person- unlimited. Do not forget to savour their "aamti" and "sheera".

Drink
It is better to carry your own water.

Stay safe
If it rains very heavily, it is advisable not to climb too far up as various parts of the fort become extremely slippery and there are little gushes of water flowing from all ends, making climbing even difficult.

Go next

 * Lonavala
 * Aamby Valley City
 * Pune

title: Lohgad


text:
Lohja

Lohja (Swedish: Lojo) is a town and municipality in Southern Finland.

Understand

Lohja has been a focal point for the population and economy of Western Uusimaa since the early 14th century. It was renowned as a trading centre in the Middle Ages. The local inhabitants were among the pioneers of the Finnish mining and construction material industries. During the Middle Ages, Lohja became an important center of Christianity, and several churches were built in the area, including the Lohja Church, which dates back to the 15th century. In the 16th century, the region became part of the Swedish Empire, and Lohja was granted town rights in 1623. In the 19th century, Lohja became an important center of industry, with several factories and mills being established in the area. The Tytyri Mine, which was one of the largest limestone mines in Finland, was also opened in Lohja in the late 19th century. During the early 20th century, Lohja underwent significant changes, with the construction of several new buildings and the expansion of the city's infrastructure. In the post-war era, Lohja continued to develop and modernize, with the establishment of new industries and the construction of new residential areas.

By Finnish standards, Lohja has long-established traditions in horticulture and especially in market gardening. These traditions are represented by the symbols of present-day Lohja: limestone and an apple.

Lohja has chosen to be officially bilingual, although the Swedish minority is small enough (4%) that this is not required by law.

Get in
Lohja can be reached by national road 1 (E18). There are frequent bus connections from Helsinki Kamppi terminal to Lohja (about 50 km). There are also connections from Raseborg, from or via the travel centre in Karis (300 m from the train station), from Ingå, and from Turku. See Matkahuolto.

By bus
See Matkahuolto for the coaches. Matkahuolto also has a route planner for local transport trips.

Service lines are complementary to public transport and open to everyone. The service line can be accessed along the route in places where it does not pose a dangerous situation from the point of view of traffic safety. The turn also deviates from an invitation or request to pick up and drop off a customer, if this is possible given the schedule. The routes circulate through the main service points, such as Lohja Hospital, health centers, service houses, libraries, post office and other public and commercial offices. You can find service traffic schedules and information on call traffic operating in the Karjalohja, Sammati, Nummi / Saukkola and Pusula areas on the public transport information pages. Dial-a-ride service from Lohja from Pusula and Nummi to the center of Lohja and to Karkkila.

Do

Lohjanjärvi
, the largest lake of Uusimaa. Rent a boat, canoe or SUP board, or go swimming.

Buy
Climate, soil and roots of tradition of producing high quality apples and apple derived products go deep here. Apples and products refined from apples are good here.

 * Lohja market is in between Lohjantähti and bus station and is a bit of a thing in Lohja due to long trading traditions. Open Tu Th-Sa 07:00-14:00.
 * shopping mall contains Alko, restaurants and shops.
 * Prisma by the bus station and Citymarket just west of the city centre are well-stocked hypermarkets.
 * , a phenomenal experience store full of controlled chaos and restrained madness, where you can make unexpected discoveries. A fairyland of oddities that must be seen.

Connect

 * Prepaid data SIM cards are widely available from R-kiosk at reasonable prices. Customer convenience wifi is not very widespread in Finland except in traffic due to everyone having a data plan in their phone.

Go next

 * Rest of Uusimaa
 * Vihti and Espoo to south-east
 * Raseborg to south-west
 * Finland Proper
 * Salo to west

title: Lohja


text:
Loire Valley

The Loire Valley (French: Vallée de la Loire) (Valley of the Loire River) is a major tourist destination within France.

Regions
The Loire Valley embraces extensive parts of two central and western French regions:

 * Centre-Val de Loire
 * Pays de la Loire

Other destinations
Renowned for its world-famous chateaux (castles), such as at Amboise, Montsoreau, Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau, Chambord, Châteaux du Pin and Chenonceaux.

Understand
The Loire Valley is often referred to as "the Garden of France" and the Cradle of the French Language. (The city of Tours is reputed to speak the purest French.) Listed (at least in part) amongst the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in late 2000, the Loire Valley is also noteworthy for the quality of its architectural heritage, in historic towns such as Amboise, Blois, Chinon, Orléans, Saumur and Tours, but in particular for its world-famous chateaux (castles), such as the Châteaux Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Chambord, Chenonceau and Montsoreau.

The rolling riverine landscape of the Loire Valley - and more particularly its many cultural monuments - is redolent of the ideals of the Renaissance and the Age of the Enlightenment on Western European thought and design. The valley is also known for its wineries, many of which offer tours.

On 2 December 2000, UNESCO named the central part of the Loire River valley, between Chalonnes (Maine-et-Loire) and Sully-sur-Loire, to its prestigious list of World Heritage Sites. In choosing this area that includes the France Départements of Loiret, Loir-et-Cher, Indre-et-Loire and Maine-et-Loire, the committee said that the Loire Valley is: "an exceptional cultural landscape, of great beauty, comprised of historic cities and villages, great architectural monuments - the Châteaux - and lands that have been cultivated and shaped by centuries of interaction between local populations and their physical environment, in particular the Loire itself."

Get in
The Loire Valley is two hours drive south of Paris, or one hour by train.

You can come directly to the heart of this region by plane from London or Dublin. You will land at Tours.

Take a Eurostar to Paris and then a high speed TGV train to reach the region. This is the easiest way to reach the main cities (Angers, Orléans, Tours, Blois, etc.).

By bicycle
One of the best ways to tour the Loire valley is by bicycle. Shops in many of the towns rent bicycles by the day, and can offer maps and suggest destinations. Some trains allow bicycles, others do not; be sure to check first if you expect to return by train.

Loire à Vélo
One of the best way to visit the region is to cycle along the Loire à Vélo, which is also the first part of the EuroVelo network, route 6.

They have many itineraries

 * Briare – Sancerre (47 km)
 * Orléans - Saint-Hilaire–Saint-Mesmin – Beaugency (30 km)
 * Tours – Villandry – Ussé – Candes-St-Martin – Saumur (83 km)
 * Mareau-aux-Prés – Beaugency – Lestiou (25km)
 * Langeais – Chinon (40 to 60km)
 * Chinon – Saumur via Fontevraud - The troglodyte route (41km)
 * Saumur - Angers (50km)
 * Savennières – Liré: (50km)

Other cycling trails: “La Loire à Vélo” flows on to other cycle trails: the land of the Châteaux, in Loir-et-Cher and “Vélocéan” in Loire-Atlantique and on the Vendée coast.

See
What you can see over in Loire Valley would be their most beautiful châteaux (palaces) and to go enjoy their delicious but, expensive wine and yummy treats.

Drink
The Loire region produces some of the world's best wine. The still whites of the region from Amboise downriver to Saumur are distinctive, high-quality, fruity and well-rounded - from both small and large producers. The region also produces 'Method Traditionel' (champagne style) sparkling wines, which are a little more fruity and every-bit the equal of their expensive counterparts, but do not carry the premium of the appellation.

There are numerous co-operatives which operate within small appellations, as well as small independent producers, and large companies. Most producers have their own 'cave' (wine cellar, carved out of the local tufa rock) which offers tours and wine-tasting. Tasting is usually free, and there is no obligation to make a purchase. Small producers will often show you round their caves personally.

There are many wine-festivals through the summer months - these are well worth the visit to make contact with producers - some of whom will send wine internationally. Try also the various 'route de vignobles' - designated tours around the vineyards. Details are available in tourist information offices, from small villages to large towns.

Go next
The lower part of the Loire valley covers two regions, the Centre-Val de Loire region, stretching from the fringes of Paris to the Auvergne, studded with additional historical cities and chateaux at sites such as Bourges and Saint-Benoît-du-Sault; and the Pays de la Loire region, covering the lower reaches of the river, including cities such as Nantes and Angers.

title: Loire Valley


text:
Loja

Loja is a city in the south of the Andean Highlands region of Ecuador.

By bus
Transportes Loja operates buses throughout Ecuador. Loja is just one hour from Vilcabamba & the Podocarpus National Park, which are popular tourist destinations.

If coming from Cuenca, Ejecutivo San Luis buses are cheaper ($7) and much faster (4 hours) than Viajeros buses. The bus might take some time to leave the city, but then it goes straight to Loja.

Get around
Taxis cost $1 within town

See
There are various beautiful squares and churches, with arcades to protect you from the rain. Plaza San Francisco is particularly nice.

Go next
Cuenca: although guidebooks and the bus companies will tell you that it takes 4 hours to Cuenca, it can take as long as 7 hours on Viajeros International. This bus company may also tell you that the bus doesn't make any stops, but the truth is that they stop a hundred times and sometimes fill up with so many passengers that the bus can hardly struggle uphill. (Cuenca-Loja $7.50, 5-7 hours, no bathroom)

Piura, Peru (Loja International $8, 8½ hours). Departures at 06:00, 13:00 and 23:00. The bus stops at both border posts for immigration formalities and you have to walk across a small bridge (try not to be last in the queue). Although an international service, it does stop in each of the small towns along the way and some people travel standing up. No working bathroom or air-conditioning.

title: Loja


text:
Lokeren

Lokeren is a city of 43,000 residents (2020) in East Flanders. The city is home to several nature reserves and one of the most famous annual musical events of Belgium.

Understand
Until the 1970s the economy of Lokeren was mainly based on haircutting (cutting hair from rabbits to make felt) and slaughterhauses. This reflects in the cityscape with many houses built for blue collar workers. Today's of Lokeren is much more diverse. North of the city is a large green area (close to the Daknam village), with many hiking and biking opportunities.

By train
is located quite centrally. It is only a short walk from the station to the main city square. The station is located on the busy Ghent-Antwerp line. Lokeren is also accessible directly from Brussels, as it often functions as the terminal station of a line through Dendermonde.

By car
The main roads are E17 (motorway Ghent-Antwerp) and N70 (Sint-Niklaas-Ghent).

Get around
The center of Lokeren is fairly compact and easily discovered on foot.

Drink
There are a few bars on the Markt square.

Go next

 * Lake Donk in Berlare is not far.
 * Sint-Niklaas
 * Ghent

title: Lokeren


text:
Loket

Loket is a town in Bohemia in Western Czech Republic with a population of 3,000 in 2022.

Understand
Loket is a very picturesque village surrounded by a curve in the Ohře River.

Get in
The bus from Karlovy Vary provides a very beautiful scenic view of the town. There are 7 departures per day during the week, taking 20 minutes and costing 20 Kč.

You can also walk along a marked trail from Karlovy Vary, 17 km away.

Get around
The town is tiny and can easily be covered on foot.

Buy
Loket is famous for its porcelain and there are several crafts shops in town.

Go next

 * Karlovy Vary
 * Cheb
 * Lázně Kynžvart
 * Mariánské Lázně
 * Plzen

title: Loket


text:
Loksado

Loksado is a small village in Hulu Sungai Selatan regency in South Kalimantan, about 50 km east of the regency capital and regional centre Kandangan.

Get in
The highway is paved all the way from Banjarmasin but from Kandangan the road will be getting narrow. There is no public transportation from Banjarmasin or elsewhere, except from Kandangan but it's not frequent. If your starting point is Banjarmasin, your best bet to reach Loksado is by renting car with driver. Unfortunately it's not easy to find English speaking driver. The other choice is using tour companies.

See

 * Visiting Dayak traditional house at remote village

Do

 * Bamboo rafting at Amandit river
 * Hiking around Meratus mountainous range

Sleep

 * Cottage Tanuhi. Address: Jl. Tanuhi Loksado.

title: Loksado


text:
Loktak Lake

Loktak Lake (Meitei: ꯂꯣꯛꯇꯥꯛ ꯄꯥꯠ, Loktak Paat) is a freshwater lake in South Asia. It hosts Keibul Lamjao National Park, which is on the tentative list of the as of 2023. It is in the southern portion of the central bowl like plain of Manipur. It has been popular with visitors since the early 20th century for the presence of circular floating biomasses and its combination of fresh air, silvery water, adjacent mountains and good weather. The largest phumdi makes the Keibul Lamjao National Park the world's only floating national park, which is the only natural habitat for Sangai deer.

Loktak Day (Meitei: ꯂꯣꯛꯇꯥꯛ ꯅꯨꯃꯤꯠ, Loktak Numit) is celebrated every year on 15 October in and around the Loktak lake.

Understand
The etymology of the word "Loktak" in Manipuri is that "Lok" means "stream" and "Tak" means "the end". The lake is popular for the Phumdis.

The largest of all the floating biomasses (Meitei: ꯐꯨꯝꯗꯤ, Phumdi) covers an area of 40 km² and is on the southeastern shore of the lake. It is Keibul Lamjao National Park (Meitei: ꯀꯩꯕꯨꯜ ꯂꯝꯖꯥꯎ ꯂꯩꯄꯥꯛꯀꯤ ꯂꯝꯄꯥꯛ, Keibul Lamjao Leipaak-ki Lampaak). The park is the last natural asylum place of the endangered Sangai deer, the brow-antlered deer (Meitei: ꯁꯥꯉꯥꯢ, Cervus eldi eldi). It is popularly called the "dancing deer". The park is one of the 12 geo-tourism sites in Northeast India notified by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) for promotion of geo-tourism. The area around the Loktak Lake is pretty in characteristic, having a kind of flair and sense of history that tends to impress its visitors in a sense deeper than only from a touristic point of view. It has been known for its beauty and uniqueness for many centuries. Its atmosphere and natural surroundings have been the inspiration for an important part of the creation of the Khamba Thoibi Sheireng, a 34,000 lined Manipuri epic poetry, written by poet Hijam Anganghal.

The lake was designated as a Ramsar Wetland site on 23 March 1990.

Cities

 * - often called the "Cradle of Manipuri culture", because of the outstanding contributions to the Meitei culture in terms of folk dance, folk music, folk tales and mythology of Meitei religion (Sanamahism).
 * - best known for being a good commercial hub, full of marketplaces.

Other destinations

 * Sendra – a shoreline hill near Moirang. Here, tourist resorts are available on the hilltop and boatyards are available in the foothills.
 * Thanga Island - the largest island and a place known for adventure tourists and religious pilgrimages.
 * Karang Island - the second largest island in the lake, human inhabited like the Thanga Island as well as a place for adventure tourists and religious pilgrimages.

By train
The nearest railway station is at Jiribam. Jiribam is connected to Silchar and Guwahati through railways. Another station is at Dimapur.

By bus
By bus, you can reach the lake by travelling to any of the shoreline cities or towns. However, Moirang is usually considered the best because it has the most widespread coverage over the peripheral regions of the lake.

Get around
What most people do to get around is boating, either through motor boats, or oaring boats, or kayaking.

By boat
Many shipyards can be found in many corners of the lake. The most popular one is just below the foothills of the Sendra hillock. Life saving swimming airbags are mandatory for every boat riders (including kayaking people) to wear for safety. These are given at free of cost. There's no charge for photography also.

By motorcycle
The best thing a motorcycle rider could do is to roam at the shoreline cities and towns of the lake.

The entire lake area is popular with motorcyclists from all over Manipur. If you want to hire a scooter, you should contact one from the tour operators in Imphal.

By bicycle
Bicycles can be rented for free at hotels, especially home stays, where you are living in. Usually, people don't charge for bicycles.

See

 * Uncountable number of floating restaurants and floating home stays in every nook and corner of the lake. Lights shining from these floating houses make the night scene truly colourful. Besides, even lamps on posts (poles) are installed in a regular pattern across all over the lake area.
 * Nurathel Garden (Manipuri: Nurathel Leikol) in the middle of the lake - it is connected to the mainland through a narrow land route. So, it's a little peninsula and not an island.

Boat trips
Take a boat trip. The most popular tourist islands are the Thanga Island and the Karang Island. Both are inhabited.

Hiking and water sports
Many make a hiking experience in the mountains and hills. There are various ways, from the easiest one to the most challenging. There are many camping sites as well as rest houses. Most roads offer spectacular views across the lake and sometimes it is even possible to see the bird's eye view of the entire lake from the top of a mountain or a hill. One popular strategic peak is the top of the Sendra Hill. The tourist office in Sendra has a larger opportunity of possibilities. The Sendra Tourist Resort is on the top of the Sendra Hill.

One can also do some water sports on the lake. However, during COVID pandemic, the water sports are occasionally allowed (generally closed), though boat riding is still allowed.

Buy

 * Local handloom and handicraft products are sold at countless stalls and vendors across the shoreline regions of the lake. Garments made from Lotus stem are manufactured in the Thanga Island. Nowadays, these artworks are exported in the neighbouring towns also.

Eat
Singju – all the towns and cities around the lake avail delicious singjus. This salad is surprisingly flavorful and perfect for enjoying from a bench at the side of the lake.

Fish dish (Manipuri: Ngaa Thongba) - Dishes prepared from fresh fishes caught from the lake, are no doubt, truly tasty as well as healthy.

Some of the regularly scheduled lake boats have facilities for dinner. One can order such dinners at one of the floating restaurants also.

Drink
Every hotels and restaurants in both terrestrial (shoreline or within the land mass) as well as aquatic (floating) avail drinks of various types.

Some lake boats have provisions of drinks.

Sleep
Sleep either at the floating home stays, floating around the lake or at the hotels in the shoreline regions of the lake.

Stay safe

 * If you are a white person, some local villagers may want to take your photograph or even a group selfie. Don't worry! Just allow them to take your photos. Such thing is less common in urban areas, though sometimes anyone can do it. If you are an Indian or any South Asian, you may be assumed as a local by others.
 * Beware of stormy wind in the surroundings of the lake, though it rarely happened.
 * Do not try to swim across the lake: it's larger than it seems, wide and very deep. If you want to try, there are special events where locals and tourists can try this challenge safely by wearing swimming airbags, arranging support boats and prepared rescue teams. You can ask for this at the tourist office.
 * The floating biomasses (Manipuri: Phumdi) (especially a big one) will act as your life savers, if in case, you are drowning. Never forget that when you are on a phumdi, you will never drown, though the surface of the phumdi is not stable like a concrete land surface.

title: Loktak Lake


text:
Loleygaon

Loleygaon is a city in West Bengal.

By car
Loleygaon can be reached from Siliguri with a 4 hrs drive covering 124 km via Kalimpong and Lava. Kalimpong, the nearest town, is 55 km from Loleygaon.

By car/taxi
You can go by New Mal Junction railway station from where you can also take cab or rented car to Loleygaon or Lava. But try to contact with the local syndicate to hire a car unless you will be charged much more than the regular charges.

Buy
Visiting the area through a package tour may not be a bad idea. Package tours to Loleygaon, Rishyap, Lava, Kalimpong, Reshikhola can be combined depending upon the number of days in hand. India Beacons Sojourn of Kolkata (+91 9903295920) offers package tours to that sector.

title: Loleygaon


text:
Lolland

Lolland is an island in Denmark.

Other destinations
The islands of Smålandsfarvandet, including Femø

Understand
Lolland is an island in southern Denmark. The island sits at the busy traffic connection between Copenhagen and Germany, thus many people come to the island, but only few of them stop there. The ferry between Rødby and Puttgarden is one of the busiest crossings in the world, and the boats carry anything from goods and people to cars across the narrow straight. Construction of a fixed link began in January 2021.

Talk
Danish is the official language of Lolland, as with the rest of Denmark.

Knowledge of English is widespread among residents of Lolland, particularly in the younger generations who have studied it at school since a young age. However, due to being a predominantly rural region, Lolland is not as exposed to English language as those dwelling in the Danish cities. As such, the older generations may have a very limited knowledge of it. If you need help, find someone under 40-50 years of age.

Lolland is particularly close to Germany and sees many tourists streaming from there each summer via the Rødby-Puttgarden ferry link. Thusly, it is not unusual for locals to have some knowledge of German, particularly if they deal with tourism.

By car
Most people arrive either with the motorway through the tunnel from Falster or with the Scandlines ferry from Puttgarden in Germany to Rødby. There is also a ferry line from Tårs to Spodsbjerg at the island Langeland.

By train
The local railway "Lollandsbanen" connects Nakskov, Maribo and Sakskøbing with Nykøbing Falster on the mainline from Copenhagen.

On "Lollandsbanen" from Copenhagen at least one train per hour.

Lolland is on the route of mainline services from Copenhagen to Hamburg, but the construction of the new fixed link to replace the ferry has diverted these trains west via Kolding and Odense for the time being. Rødby Færge (Ferryport) is therefore the temporary terminus of this line, until around 2028-30.

By plane
The closest airport to the island is in Copenhagen ... 200 km north! On the German side, Lübeck has an airport with few flights. Bigger airports like Hamburg are farther away than CPH.

There is a little airport for small private planes in Holeby.

Get around
The easiest way to get around on Lolland is by using the local railway, Lollandsbanen, which connects the cities and major villages.

Stops are Nykøbing Falster, Øster Toreby, Grænge, Sakskøbing, Maribo, Ryde, Søllested, Avnede and finally Nakskov, and there is hourly departures from around 06:00 to around 01:00.

If you plan on getting to Rødby, you have to go with a bus from Maribo or Nakskov, or go with the train towards Hamburg from Nykøbing Falster.

Thus, the only city on Lolland not connected somehow with the railway system is Nysted, one of Denmark's smallest towns to receive city rights. To get there you will have to go by bus, which is easiest from Nykøbing or Sakskøbing.

If you plan on going to some of the villages there is bus connections from Nakskov, Maribo, Sakskøbing and Nykøbing. It is possible to get the most places by using these connections. End stations include villages as Langø and Kragenæs, the latter with ferry connections to the small, relaxed islands of Fejø and Femø.

See
Lolland is mainly a rural area and includes a lot of sights for nature lovers.

First of all, except from a small area called Ravnsby Bakker in the northwest of Lolland, the island is very flat and therefore very easy for bikers.

It is possible to bike on gravel paths on a great part of the dykes stretching from Fredsholm at Nakskov to Langø and from Næsby Strand to Rødbyhavn, where there is a ferry connection to Germany.

Especially beautiful scenic routes includes Ravnsby Bakker at the Kragenæs area, and biking your way around the lakes by Maribo.

Nysted is especially beautiful as well, including 18th-century town architecture, Denmark's oldest castle Aalholm Slot, and a beautiful forest northeast of the city.

From Nakskov is it possible to go to Albuen with "Postbåden", a small passenger ship originally delivering mail to this off-the-beaten path area of Lolland. At Albuen there is a rich bird life, a lighthouse and nice sand beach.

Postbåden departs a bit before sunset from Albuen back to Nakskov. Thus allows you to watch the sunset while sailing into Nakskov Fjord, often claimed to be one of Denmark's most beautiful fjords, spread with small isles.

Postbåden only departs in the summer half of the year, otherwise it is impossible to get to Albuen unless to wish to walk 10 km on a small stretch of land from Ydø (Get here with bus number 18 from Nakskov)

Do
Enjoy the nature and a relaxed atmosphere hard to find anywhere else in Denmark.

Nakskov, Maribo and Nysted offer some nice old style towns and squares.

You can buy basically anything you need for traveling in Nakskov, Maribo or Nykøbing, but there are no special brand stores.

Drink
Beer is a perennial favourite of the Danes and there are plenty of places to enjoy it scattered around Lolland. If you want to step away from the usual Tuborg and Carlsberg options, in order to try something a little more local, Lolland has its own brewery situated at Maribo (Maribo Bryghus), offering a range of beers which are distributed about the region.

There is a craft brewery a bit outside of Sakskøbing at the castle of Krenkerup. These quality beers include the Krenekerup Rauchbier, a German inspired beer brewed with smoked malt, and have won the title as the world's best smoked beer.

The Krenkerup beers are available throughout Lolland in restaurants and bigger supermarkets, but you shouldn't count on small pubs having them in their selection.

Places to enjoy your beer in classic danish pub surroundings include: when you live in Søllested or surrounding villages.
 * Bodega Slap A, Havnegade 28C, Rødbyhavn
 * Søllested Pub, Hovedgaden 23, Søllested. A very small pub, as it is sized for the town, in which it is placed. Local clientele and an occasional youngster, as there is nowhere else to go

For clubbing you should consider Zone Nightclub in Nakskov or Mona Lisa in Maribo, but it is not a secret that Lolland isn't really a place for clubbing, as the average age on Lolland is higher than most of other parts of Denmark.

Go next
There is a ferry connection Tårs-Spodsbjerg Linien, departing once per hour from Tårs, some 8 km north from Nakskov. Langeland has bridge connections to Funen, and by that serves as a travel hub to Odense and Jylland.
 * Copenhagen, the Danish capital
 * Lübeck in Germany
 * Nykøbing Falster, partially on Lolland but mostly on the neighbouring island of Falster to the east, Nykøbing is a regional capital for shopping, education, industry and the historical Lolland-Falster area.
 * Puttgarden, Germany - A short ferry trip from Rødby across the Fehmarn Belt (Danish: Femern Bælt) will take you to the north German coastal town of Puttgarden in the state Schleswig-Holstein.
 * Langeland a small island between Lolland and Funen.

title: Lolland


text:
Lolland-Falster

Lolland-Falster is one of Denmark's archipelagos, named for its largest islands, Lolland and Falster. The islands, just south of Zealand, are mostly rural, with some small towns.

Towns

 * , the largest town in the region, with around 20,000 citizens.
 * , the largest town in the region, with around 20,000 citizens.
 * , the largest town in the region, with around 20,000 citizens.

By train
There are direct train connections from Copenhagen to Nykøbing (Falster). Lolland is reached by trains from Nykøbing.

By car
The islands have bridge or tunnel connections with each other and with Zealand where Copenhagen is located. To drive from Germany or from Fyn, car ferries are available.

By ferry
There are car ferries from Puttgarden in Germany to Rødbyhavn on Lolland, from Rostock in Germany to Gedser on Falster, and from Spodsbjerg on Langeland (has bridge from Odense) to Tårs on Lolland.

By train or bus
Search connections on https://www.rejseplanen.dk/webapp/index.html?language=en_EN

By car
The islands have bridge or tunnel connection with each other, except for the Smålandsfarvandet islands.

By ferry
There are car ferries to the Smålandsfarvandet islands.

See
Møns Klint on Møn are white chalk cliffs that stand 130 m high. The Geocenter Møns Klint is a state-of-the-art museum with a lot of activities especially for children. Liselund Castle is a beautiful romantic garden with several small castles. The east side has a great view of the cliffs of Møn.

In Nykøbing Falster, the Medieval Centre depicts the middle ages in the Denmark of the late 14th and early 15th centuries. The Abbey Church, built in 15th century, features the 17th-century Mecklenburg Ancestral Table. You can also visit the Guldborgsund Zoo & Botanic Gardens.

Krenkerup Gods is a nice old mansion in Sakskøbing, with a lovely (planted) forest. The ruins of a summer-pavilion can be found here.

The Gedser Church in Gedser was designed by Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint.

The Nakskov church in Nakskov dates to the early 13th century, and has carved works from the Baroque period.

title: Lolland-Falster


text:
Lomaiviti Islands

The Lomaiviti archipelago is a group of islands between Viti Levu and the Lau Islands.

Regions
Caqalai - A small piece of paradise...you can walk around the island in 10 minutes, but there is a small backpacker resort which caters for budget travellers. The staff are amazing and the food is excellent. Unmissable on a trip to Fiji
 * Ovalau - the principal island and location of local government of the lomaiviti group
 * Namena - a private island with resort in northern lomaiviti
 * Makogai - government owned island, turtle breeding station
 * Wakaya - private island, location of The Wakaya Club
 * Koro - very fertile and lush, lomaivitis Garden Island
 * Nairai - native island, resort under construction
 * Batiki - stunning picturesque island
 * Gau - the largest of the lomaiviti islands
 * Moturiki - Fijian villages, extremelely welcoming to foreigners

title: Lomaiviti Islands