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Saarbrücken

Saarbrücken has an impressive history of over a 1000 years, with its predecessors dating back to ancient Roman Empire. It has architectural heritage to prove that, and stands picturesquely over the bends of the river Saar, serving as the gateway to this underrated region of Germany.

Saarbrücken is the capital city of Saarland, one of the federal states of Germany. At 180,000 inhabitants (2018), it is at the lower end of Germany's long Großstädte (large city) list, and is perhaps the least prominent state capital, at least from the tourist's point of view.

Understand
Saarbrücken has been a primarily industrial city since coal extraction started in the first half of the 18th century. The steel industry developed on that base and up to today Saarbrücken has many plants manufacturing various metal products and components. Automotive components in general are another mainstay of the local economy, supplying many of the leading automakers all over Europe. In more recent decades, Saarbrücken has also developed into a robust hub for software production, employing thousands of local workers. For those reasons, Saarbrücken, while not popular as a tourist destination, sees a sizeable business-related visitor traffic, and due to its small size and location in a densely-populated area, it also has one of the proportionally largest commuter workforces, measured tens of thousands of workers.

Saarbrücken Airport
Apart from flights to holiday destinations, the airport has only four, albeit frequently-operated, connections. The shortest - and most often the cheapest - is the Luxair flight to Luxembourg Findel Airport, code-shared with Lufthansa. It is one of Europe's shortest flights, lasting just 30 minutes over just 100 km. The price is accordingly reasonably low. Some of the Luxair planes continue from Saarbrücken to Hamburg and Berlin Brandenburg and back. You can connect to selected European destinations of Luxair from Luxembourg, but there are no options to continue your Luxair flight from Saarbrücken via Berlin or Hamburg on another airline. Luxair, although an affiliate of Lufthansa, is not a Star Alliance member and the Luxembourg airport has no intercontinental connections.

That said, flying to Luxembourg on Luxair or any other airline and travelling the remaining 79 km by bus is perhaps the cheapest way.

Frankfurt Airport
Lufthansa provides a shuttle between Saarbrücken Dudweiler Bus Station and Frankfurt Airport, which is their largest hub for European and intercontinental flights. The shuttle is actually bookable as a Lufthansa flight (destination code for Dudweiler Bus Station is SDA), earns Miles&More participants miles and counts as a flight stretch, and can be combined with most Lufthansa flights to/out of Frankfurt. SDA appears as an available destination only when booking directly with Lufthansa. The flight numbers for the bus shuttles are LH348x-LH349x and there are multiple shuttles at different times of the day. The bus journey lasts around 2 hours and costs EUR 27 one way when booked on its own, and as a part of a connecting flight it usually incurs minimal price hike vs. flights to Frankfurt only.

There are direct regional trains to Frankfurt that stop at Frankfurt Airport.

Frankfurt-Hahn Airport
The so-called  in Hahn, likewise in Rhineland-Palatinate, is yet another close airport. There are no direct connections from this airport to Saarbrücken. One of the possibilities you have is to take the Airport Shuttle Mosel (RegioLinie 750) from the general bus station 500 meters from the airport to Bullay and switch to the regional train to Saarbrücken.

By car
From points east in Germany, it is reachable on the Autobahn A6 and A620, taking about two hours from Mannheim, while from Koblenz and Trier it is accessible on the Autobahn A48 and A1.

From Metz in France, follow the A4 up to exit 40, where you can then take the A320 up to the first exit of the A6 and follow the B41, while coming from Strasbourg, it is reachable on the N61/B406 from A4 exit 42.

By train
Frankfurt can also be reached by regular, regional trains, which take not much longer than the ICE (2 hr 50 min), but often aren't any cheaper either. The benefit of those is that there is at least one train per hour, even at nighttime, between Saarbrucken and Frankfurt. Other important difference is that ICEs don't stop at Frankfurt Airport, while the regional trains do.

Other destinations with direct express trains to Saarbrücken include Stuttgart (2½ hr), Ulm (3½ hr), Munich (4½ hr) and Salzburg in Austria (6½ hr) and some minor stations on that line. Regional trains calling in Saarbrücken can carry obviously carry you around Saarland, but they also reach out to many cities of Rhineland-Palatinate, as well as Lorraine in France (including Metz). Travelling to other destinations generally requires changing trains in Mannheim, Frankfurt or Paris for long-distance express trains or night trains, or procuring a more intricate combination of small stretches from one of the more minor stations closer to Saarbrücken.

By bus
CFL, Luxembourg's railway company, offers a bus connection between Luxembourg Gare (railway station) and Saarbrücken Busbahnhof (bus terminal). Multiple buses a day are coordinated with trains from Luxembourg to Brussels and from Saarbrücken to Mannheim and Frankfurt, as the other city does not have a direct connection with those destinations - thus the bus bridges the gap in the railway network. One-way ticket costs €9 as of 2014.

By tram
Between Saarbrücken in Germany and Sarreguemines in France, both of which are served by good domestic train connections, you can take a ride on the Saarbahn, a border-crossing tramway which is a part of Saarland's public transportation system. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes and in 2010 the ticket (to be bought at a machine, present also at the station of Sarreguemines) costs €4.60.

Get around
Saarbrücken has a decent public transport system. It has city buses and a tram line.

See

Eat
A Saarlandish specialty is Schwenker, a steak prepared on a special grill where the grilling rack is swung by the cook over a fire. It is often served at festivals and Biergärten.

Budget
All these are in the city centre:

Splurge

Drink
The main town square (St. Johanner Market) and the Nauwieser Quarter feature many bars and restaurants.

Go next

 * Saarschleife (Saar loop) — Take the regional train to Mettlach and then walk for about 5 km along the river upstream. There is also a lookout ("Cloef") which can be reached within about 1 hour from the bottom of the hill. Make sure you are on the left side of the river if you want to reach the lookout (you have to cross the river once when coming from the train station). You can also easily go to the Saar loop by bike from Saarbrücken (60 km one way).
 * Luxembourg — Easily reachable by bus (direct connection: 1 hour and 30 minutes).
 * Strasbourg — Easily reachable by regional train (direct connection: 1 hour and 45 minutes).
 * Trier — Porta Nigra, nice old town centre, etc. Easily reachable by regional train (direct connections between 1 and 1½ hours).
 * Metz — French city with the modern art gallery Centre Pompidou-Metz, Cathedral, food market, etc. Easily reachable by regional train within about 1 hour (some direct trains are available). Consider the special DB regional train ticket "Saar-Lor-Lux" for the entire trip, especially if you are travelling in a group.
 * Nancy — A cheap option to go there is to buy a Saar-Lorraine-Tarif ticket (only available at the train station; return tickets can only be bought at the counter).

title: Saarbrücken


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Saaremaa

Saaremaa is the largest Estonian island. It is on the west coast of Estonia. The capital (and only city) in Saaremaa is Kuressaare, which is covered in a separate article.

Understand

The territory of Saaremaa has been inhabited for about eight thousand years. The people of Saaremaa have seen many battles and been ruled over by Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Russia.

Saaremaa has retained its uniqueness due to its location and isolation. In the villages there are still stone fences and houses with thatched roofs. Dolomite, windmills and the famous local home-brewed beer are the symbols of Saaremaa. Saaremaa is famous for its music and its own culture, e.g. Saaremaa waltz.

The islanders' life has always been bound to the sea and the resilience of their womenfolk, kept busy toiling the land while their men were at sea.

The people of Saaremaa love jokes - especially the ones which are about their neighbours - the people of Hiiumaa. The jokes of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa folk may be lost on other Estonians, just as is British humour is sometimes not appreciated "on the continent".

By car
There is a causeway from the island of Muhu, which has a connection with the mainland.

By bus
Buses run to Kuressaare from Tallinn, Tartu and Pärnu. Bus schedules and journey planner can be found at Bussireisid.

By boat
There are ferry connections to the nearby islands of Hiiumaa, Ruhnu and Vilsandi. See: West Estonia and Islands.

By plane
Kuressaare Airport is the only airport serving Saaremaa – flights solely to and from Tallinn.

Get around
Peatus.ee route planner has information about public transport.

See
Besides the following, also the city of Kuressaare has several sights.

Kihelkonna

 * Other sights in Kihelkonna parish: Odalätsi Springs, Kihelkonna Stronghold, site of Estonian's first mud bath (1824), Mihkli Farm Museum from 18th century etc.
 * Other sights in Kihelkonna parish: Odalätsi Springs, Kihelkonna Stronghold, site of Estonian's first mud bath (1824), Mihkli Farm Museum from 18th century etc.
 * Other sights in Kihelkonna parish: Odalätsi Springs, Kihelkonna Stronghold, site of Estonian's first mud bath (1824), Mihkli Farm Museum from 18th century etc.
 * Other sights in Kihelkonna parish: Odalätsi Springs, Kihelkonna Stronghold, site of Estonian's first mud bath (1824), Mihkli Farm Museum from 18th century etc.
 * Other sights in Kihelkonna parish: Odalätsi Springs, Kihelkonna Stronghold, site of Estonian's first mud bath (1824), Mihkli Farm Museum from 18th century etc.

Do
There are many peninsulas, bluffs, lakes and villages worth visiting both in Saaremaa and the nearby islands and islets. The most notable places are Koguva village, on Muhu Island, which is Estonia's best preserved village, and Sõrve peninsula.

Vilsandi National Park is located on the western coast of Saaremaa and counts within its territory nearly a hundred little islets and their surrounding sea. It's a well known place by bird watchers.

Go next

 * Hiiumaa – The second largest Estonian island. Popular for its lighthouses, ancient churches, historical values and the sense of humour of its inhabitants, but scarcely populated. In winter, it can sometimes be reached by car via an ice bridge on the Baltic Sea.
 * Muhu – The third largest Estonian island, and a rural municipality connected to the nearby Saaremaa by an artificial embankment, where ferries to the harbour of Virtsu arrive. Has an open air museum, and its locals are known for still sewing woollen clothes. Sleepy fishing villages, working windmills, thatched cottages, plenty of deer, moose and birds.
 * Pärnu – Estonia's 4th largest city and the summer capital of Estonia, popular for its balneo-therapy complexes and spa centres, surrounded by numerous beaches.
 * Vilsandi National Park – Rich in marine fauna, and international bird sanctuary with over 250 recorded bird species, on the west coast of Saaremaa.

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

title: Saaremaa


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Saariselkä

Saariselkä (Sámi: Suoločielgi) is a largish winter sports centre in the municipality of Inari high up in Finnish Lapland, some 250 km north of the Arctic Circle and nearly 1000 km away from the southern capital Helsinki.

Nestled in a valley, Saariselkä is a compact strip of a village with one gas station, one main supermarket, one liquor store and a slew of hotels, shops and restaurants, but it's quite manageable on foot and located only 30 km away from the town of Ivalo and its airport. The neighbouring fells of Kaunispää and Iisakkipää, both equipped with ski lifts, are the primary slopes for winter sports. The hiking trails, skiing tracks, biking routes and snowmobile tracks of Saariselkä also cover the villages of Laanila and Kakslauttanen (3 km and 10 km southward) and Kiilopää (6 km east from Kakslauttanen), which may be regarded as part of the same tourist resort.

Saariselkä is also used as a base for hikers and cross-country skiers going to the Urho Kekkonen National Park or Hammastunturi Wilderness Area.

Understand
A succession of ice ages and their glaciers scraping back and forth has reduced what were once mountains into gentle rounded fells (Finnish tunturi), barely reaching 500 m. The valleys between them are sparsely forested, but the exposed summits are treeless.

Aside from the occasional Sámi reindeer herder, there wasn't much human activity in these parts until Konrad Planting struck gold at the nearby Lutto River in 1865. The Finnish gold rush started soon thereafter and the first claim in Saariselkä was staked in 1871. Enough gold was found that by 1902 the mining company Prospektor set up its headquarters here and hacked a cart trail down to Sodankylä, some 100 km away.

The gold rush slowly faded away, but in the 1960s the area started to gradually develop into a tourist attraction. Hotels and restaurants were built, skiing lifts were put up, and in 1983 the region stretching from Saariselkä to the Russian border – favourite hunting grounds of former president Urho Kaleva Kekkonen – were turned into the Urho Kekkonen (UKK) National Park. Ten years later Hammastunturi Wilderness Area was established between Saariselkä and the older Lemmenjoki National Park to the west.

Saariselkä is part of the municipality of Inari, which has some 7,700 inhabitants (including some 2,200 Sámi) on 17,321 square kilometres of land, while Kakslauttanen and part of Kiilopää are in Sodankylä.

Get in
Saariselkä is at national road 4 (E75) from Helsinki to Nuorgam, with several buses daily from Rovaniemi. You could come by plane to Ivalo, Kittilä or Rovaniemi or by train to Rovaniemi, and continue by coach.

By plane
The easiest method to get here is to take a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Ivalo airport (1 hr 40 min, price €100–250 depending on the season), and then a connecting 20-minute bus ride to Saariselkä. UK tourists may arrive at the airport of Kittilä, and take a three-hour road trip, via Sodankylä. The airport at Rovaniemi is likewise three hours away by coach.

By bus
Direct coaches from the south are cheaper than aeroplane, but involve a laborious 15 hr journey.

There are several connections daily between Rovaniemi and Inari, with stops in Saariselkä.

Saariselkä is quite well connected with northern Norway, with buses from towns including Honningsvåg (by Nordkapp), Karasjok, Vadsø and Tana bru, via Inari, Ivalo and Saariselkä to Rovaniemi. Some of these may drive only in summer.

From Sweden, you will probably come via Haparanda and have a transfer in Rovaniemi.

From Russia, you could take the weekly Murmansk service, with a transfer in Ivalo.

By train
An overnight train to Rovaniemi and a coach for the last three hours is a less painful but not particularly cheap alternative; the train is a viable option also if you want to bring your own car.

Get around
Once in Saariselkä, you can pretty much walk anywhere you want to, but if you have gear in tow just hop aboard the Ski Bus, which shuttles between the village and the slopes approximately once an hour (all day ticket €4).

The coaches to and from Ivalo pass Saariselkä, Laanila and Kakslauttanen several times a day, a few coaches go via Kiilopää as well.

See

The landscape is scenic and many tourists come to Saariselkä to gawk at the aurora borealis. While they occur with a probability as high as 75% every night in season (November to March or so), they are all too often obscured behind a bank of clouds so don't count on it.

Do

Saariselkä is more of a Do than a See destination.

Winter tours
In addition to the Northern Lights, there's plenty of standard Lappish tourist fare to keep you occupied during the day as well, ranging from husky safaris and reindeer-pulled sleighs to snowmobile and snowshoe treks through the countryside. There are quite a few operators to talk to. You could also go ice-fishing in one of the local lakes with a private guide, with a snack reindeer lunch cooked in a hunter/fisherman's cabin or spend the night on the treeless fells.

Winter sports
The fells nearby are excellent terrain for cross-country skiing, sledding and hiking, but somewhat puny for downhill since the maximum differential is on the order of 300 meters. Alas, this is about as good as it gets in flat Finland... The ski lifts are one kilometre to north-east from the Saariselkä village, between the fells.

For extreme sledding, the legendary 1.5-km track down from Kaunispää can't be beat. Hold on tight and steer well!

Hiking and cross-country skiing

For hiking, there are 200 km of marked paths, 250 km of skiing tracks and vast areas for backcountry hiking in and by the Urho Kekkonen National Park. Most marked routes are near Saariselkä. For serious backcountry hikers, Tulppio near the south-east end of it is a hundred kilometres away, and to the north-west you can wander through Hammastunturi Wilderness Area, Lemmenjoki National Park and Pöyrisjärvi Wilderness Area to Øvre Anárjohka National Park of the Norwegian Finnmarksvidda, likewise a hundred kilometres away, with only two road crossings on all the journey.

Buy
The Kuukkeli shopping mall with the village's only grocery store, Alko, postal service and some other shops and services including winter sports equipment rental and cottage area front desk burned down in February 2022. The owner opened a temporary shop in the Siula mall, Kelotie 1, until the new premises are built.

Eat

Food in Lapland is expensive and fairly unimaginative, although if you haven't tried reindeer meat yet, then this is your chance. For a more memorable experience, try a set dinner in a Lappish kota tent, offered by a number of hotels and tour operators.

Budget

Mid-range

 * Rakka, à la carte, Rosso Express, pizza and Houseburger, hamburgers at Holiday Club.
 * Rakka, à la carte, Rosso Express, pizza and Houseburger, hamburgers at Holiday Club.
 * Rakka, à la carte, Rosso Express, pizza and Houseburger, hamburgers at Holiday Club.
 * Rakka, à la carte, Rosso Express, pizza and Houseburger, hamburgers at Holiday Club.
 * Rakka, à la carte, Rosso Express, pizza and Houseburger, hamburgers at Holiday Club.

Drink
There are quite a few possibilities for after-ski; all the hotels have restaurants and discos, and there is even a local microbrewery with a side line in distilled spirits. However, Saariselkä has a deserved reputation for catering to the middle-aged market, standard musical fare is melodramatic Finnish tango and even the food is all reindeer and snow grouse. Hip snowboarding youngsters tend to head for Levi or Ruka instead.

 * Bepop, "Sportbar & Night", pub and nightclub at Holiday Club Saariselkä.
 * Bepop, "Sportbar & Night", pub and nightclub at Holiday Club Saariselkä.

Budget

 * There are camping grounds in Saariselkä, where you can stay for a fee in a tent or caravan. Camping with a tent in the wilderness is free. In the nearby parts of the national park camping is restricted to campfire sites and the like.
 * There are camping grounds in Saariselkä, where you can stay for a fee in a tent or caravan. Camping with a tent in the wilderness is free. In the nearby parts of the national park camping is restricted to campfire sites and the like.
 * There are camping grounds in Saariselkä, where you can stay for a fee in a tent or caravan. Camping with a tent in the wilderness is free. In the nearby parts of the national park camping is restricted to campfire sites and the like.

Stay safe
Summer hiking in Saariselkä is safe if you follow safety advice and know your own limits. Routes near Saariselkä village are well marked and require only sneakers and clothes accordant with current weather. It's recommended to purchase an inexpensive map from your hotel reception or local market. Don't go alone, at least without informing your hotel reception. Ask for safety advice from your hotel reception if you feel unsure. Don't forget to report to your hotel when you come back. Weather conditions can change a lot even if it's warm and sunny when you leave.

Cellphone networks may not cover many places in between the fells.

Tourists usually never meet any dangerous animals in Saariselkä. There are some bears in the eastern part of the national park, but bears would rather avoid humans if they can. It's recommended to indicate somehow to animals that you are roaming in the neighbourhood.

Crime figures for Saariselkä are very low.

Stay healthy
Tap water is potable and of high quality.

In case of emergency call [tel:112 112].

Connect
Postal code FI-99830 Saariselkä.

 * All hotels offer internet to their guests

Go next

 * Tankavaara gold village
 * Urho Kekkonen National Park
 * Hammastunturi Wilderness Area
 * Lake Inari

title: Saariselkä


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Saarland

The Saarland is a small federal state of Germany, located in the west of the country and forming part of the German border with France and Luxembourg. Its name is very literal - the state is formed by the territory of the Saar river basin, although not all of it, as the river starts in France and flows into the larger Moselle river in Rhineland-Palatinate. The Saarland has been heavily industrialised since the 18th century, thanks to its formerly rich coal deposits, but is now often written off as a remote postindustrial periphery. In reality, this compact state holds natural wonders and quite a bit of interesting heritage, and its location at a crossroads of European cultures makes it a worthwhile stop on your trip.

Cities

 * – The capital city of Saarland

Understand
Saarland is in fact the second-smallest state by population, ahead of only the Free City of Bremen, and has the smallest area of all states but the three city-states of Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg. Within Germany, it is entirely surrounded by Rhineland-Palatinate.

Historically, Saarland as an entity did not exist until the 20th century, although settlements like Saarbrücken and Saarlouis have been around for centuries - in fact, Saarbrücken dates back to the ancient Roman Empire. The territory of today's Saarland has fallen within various spheres of influence and was for most of the time a hash of small parts belonging to various German kingdoms and duchies, as well as to France.

Unified Saarland was created in 1920 by the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, as "Territory of the Saar Basin" (or Saargebiet) under the auspices of the League of Nations, but under de facto French administration. A referendum which had been scheduled to be held "15 years later" in 1920 and thus held in the very different geopolitical climate of 1935 (Germany had been governed by Hitler since 1933) resulted in over 90% of the local population deciding to join Germany. After the Second World War, the "Saar Protectorate" was created by the victorious Free French, and it existed as a sovereign state under French control between 1945 and 1957, when the protectorate once again voted - this time by a much narrower margin - to return to Germany and became one of its federal states.

The reason for France's interest in the Saar region were the coal mines that provided an important part of Germany's coal production and thus its heavy industries until 2014, when the last mine closed. However at least since the 1980s Germany's heavy industries in both Ruhr and Saar had undergone a severe crisis and were highly dependent on government subsidies, which were granted mostly because of political considerations (miners being traditionally social democrats and coal being Germany's only notable domestic resource).

Still even today as a consequence of the Saar's early industrialisation it retains several "classic" industries besides steel production, such as automotive components and ceramics. Nowadays, Saarland is also an important hub of software development. Saarland does not only make cars, but is also the place with most cars per capita in Germany.

Tourist information

 * Saarland tourism website

Talk
Locals in Saarland speak Saarländisch, a distinct German dialect that is hard to understand even for proficient German speakers. The different variations of Saarländisch fall into Rhine Franconian and Moselle Franconian varieties, both of which have numerous differences in grammar, pronunciation and writing from standard German. Moreover, Saarländisch is rife with vocabulary acquired from French, although sometimes pronounced in a way the French would not understand either.

Most inhabitants can also speak standard German as well, so if you do, you should get by just fine. The region is also practically bilingual, with French being the other language, taught in schools to all schoolchildren as the first foreign language (ahead of English).

By plane
Airports in or close to Saarland include those in Saarbrücken, Luxembourg and Hahn. As Hahn is served only by no frills airlines like Ryanair, and Saarbrücken has only a limited number of scheduled flights, these airports may not be your best bet. If you are flying transatlantically or from even farther away, flying into Frankfurt Airport or Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport might be necessary and thanks to the excellent train connections, making use of a rail air alliance might work out cheaper, more comfortable and even faster than a connecting flight.

By train
Saarland is well-integrated into the European railway network and at some point it had the most kilometres of railway lines per square kilometre of gross area. As it lies right between the heart of Germany and France, the high-speed ICE/TGV trains between Paris and Frankfurt call at Saarbrücken five times daily. Within Germany, IC and ICE trains can take you to Saarbrücken from Dresden, Mannheim, Munich, and Stuttgart to name a few.

Long-distance trains stop in Saarbrücken only for the most part; the only other station that sees the occasional long-distance service is Homburg. All the other stations can only be reached by local and regional trains. Regional trains generally travel beyond Saarland (as Saarland is really small), mostly to Rhineland-Palatinate (e.g. Kaiserslautern, Koblenz or Mainz), but also to Metz in Lorraine, France and even as far as Strasbourg in Alsace.

By bus
Prices for buses tend to be lower than for trains (though shopping around is always a good idea, especially for groups), but travel time tends to be longer and service and comfort (such as seat pitch) worse.

Get around
Public transit is provided within the framework of Saarländischer Verkehrsverbund (Saarland's Transport Union), referred to as SaarVV in short. The SaarVV covers the entirety of Saarland and provides a unified fare structure over the public buses and trams in the region. It also partners with Deutsche Bahn with regard to railway services, so that travelling by local trains within Saarland is also covered by the same fares.

The fare system relies on zones to calculate the fare. Saarland is divided into numerous zones (see map), and every journey's cost depends on how many zones you travel through, regardless of your origin or destination, the number of interchanges or the means of transportation used. The territory of the city of Saarbrücken (zone 111) counts as two zones.

As of Oct 2020, the cheapest single-zone ticket for an adult costs €2.40, while a weekly card for the entirety of Saarland is.

See
While it doesn't market its industrial heritage as aggressively as Ruhr and is indeed not as widely known for heavy industries, there is still a lot that remains from the heydays of coal and steel. This of course means that the originally beautiful nature has suffered a lot, but thanks to strict German environmental laws and the demise of the "dirty" heavy industries, nature is recovering and pleasant to look at.
 * Völklinger Hütte, 13 km west of Saarbrücken, huge disused ironworks complex which was operated from 1873 to 1986 and which used to cover the whole production cycle from raw iron ore and hard coal to pig-iron. It was inscribed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage in 1994, being an exemplary piece of industrial heritage in the Saar-Lorraine-Luxembourg region.
 * Celtic hill fort of Otzenhausen (in the northernmost tip of Saarland, 16 km northeast of Wadern)
 * Besseringen B-Werk, completely preserved fortification part of the World War II German defensive "Siegfried Line" ("Westwall") near Merzig.
 * Villeroy & Boch Discovery Centre, ceramic company founded in 1748 moved to their newer location of Mettlach in 1812.
 * Ludwigskirche, Lutheran Baroque-style church in Saarbrücken
 * Remains of the fortification in Saarlouis that dominated the city's hexagonal floor plan.
 * Schlossberghöhlen - a system of red sandstone caves in Homburg
 * View of the river Saar, such as at the Saarschleife, loop in the river Saar, near Mettlach.

Eat
Saarland is the German state with the most Michelin Stars per capita. In theory, the cuisine of Saarland should be a mixture of French and German ones, but in practice you will mostly find typical heavy German dishes prevailing, although under amusing local names. Some local favourites include:

 * Dibbelabbes - a potato soufflé with bacon
 * Kappes und Grumbeere - white cabbage and potatoes
 * Gequellde - potatoes cooked in their skin
 * Gefilde - dumplings in a creamy bacon gravy
 * Ringelweck - a Snack with Lyoner in the traditional "Ringel-Form"
 * Lyoner - a ring of pork sausage is eaten with "Kerschdscher" - raw potato cubes fried in hot lard
 * Grumbeersalat - potato salad with mustard and a roll
 * Schwenker - marinated pork cutlets grilled

There is also some French influence in the form of delicacies such as cured veal cheeks with fried goose liver, coq au vin (capon cooked in wine), and slices of turbot stuffed with shrimp.

Drink
There are many drink festivals around Saarland all year long. Merzig has fantastic cider and is honoured at the Viez festival. An entire "wine summer" is dedicated to the grape. The wine of the Saar is made in the upper Moselle valley. The wine is made from Elbling grapes and grapes from Auxerrios and Burgundy vines.

Sleep
The accommodation base is adequate if not quite abundant, and consists of some mid-price to economic chain hotels, as well as small local independent hotels and guest houses. Staying anywhere within Saarland affords good opportunities to visit the entirety of the region, as no destination is ever more than 100 km, or 1 hr 30 min, away.

Go next

 * Rhineland-Palatinate surrounds Saarland from the north and east and there are good connections between the two Länder.
 * Saarland borders the French region of Grand Est to the south. Local trains take one hour to get from Saarbrücken to Metz.
 * Luxembourg shares a short border to Saarland's west. There are hourly intercity buses between Saarbrücken and Luxembourg City as well as the SaarLuxBus linking the border regions of both states.

title: Saarland


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Saas-Fee

Saas-Fee is the biggest town in the Saas valley in the Swiss canton of Valais. The valley is a destination for winter sport, with the slopes in Saas fee being one of the few places in the region where skiing in summer is possible. The Saas valley also offers stunning views of some of Switzerland's tallest mountains, which can be explored through the dense network of hiking paths around the area, including among others the Monte Rosa hiking trail.

Lacking railway access and the famous Matterhorn, Saas-Fee sits in the shadow of its neighbour, Zermatt. This makes Saas-Fee a quieter alternative, with almost equal offerings in terms of skiing and hiking, but a much less overrun town centre.

There are three other villages in the Saas valley: Saas-Balen, Saas-Grund and Saas-Almagell, which, while still having numerous hotels and sights, are much quieter than Saas-Fee.

Understand
The Visp valley (itself a side valley of the Rhone valley), splits up into two at Stalden: The Matter Valley where the famous Zermatt lies to the west and the Saas valley to the east. The outer part of the Saas valley is very narrow and sparsely inhabited, but further up it widens up. This is where the villages of Saas-Balen, Saas-Grund and Saas-Almagell lie. At the southern end of the valley is the Mattmark reservoir. Saas-Fee, the biggest town in the valley, lies on a plateau above Saas-Grund.

Some of the tallest mountains in Switzerland are located in this area and the Saas-Grund ski area boasts a view onto 18 peaks above 4,000 metres. To the west of the valley lies the Mischabel group, with its highest peak Dom (4,545 m) being the tallest massif entirely in Switzerland. To the east is the smaller Weissmies group, with its peak at 4,017 metres altitude. This is what makes the Saas valley a popular holiday destination, with a lot to offer in terms of skiing, mountaineering and hiking.

Tourist office
There is a tourist information office in each village:

By bus
Coming by train, your access point to the Saas valley is most probably Visp, unless you are travelling on an EC train which only stops in Brig. From either of these a Post Bus service runs half-hourly to Saas-Fee. The trip from Visp takes about 50 minutes to Saas-Fee. The in Saas-Fee is located quite central and you should be able to walk to wherever you want to go. Your hotel might also be able to provide transfer on an electrical car for you and your luggage.

You can buy your ticket directly from the driver, or have it included in your train ticket. Buses can get crowded during morning and evening peak hours and especially on Friday nights up to three buses can run at the same time from Visp. Note that often express buses are used at those times (which you won't necessarily find on the timetable), so if you are planning on alighting either at Saas-Fee or the main stop at Saas-Grund you can save some time by taking that one instead.

When leaving Saas-Fee, it is possible to reserve a seat on the bus. This is usually not necessary, as if there is not enough space on the first bus, they will usually put in an additional bus. You might however have to stand for the 45 minute trip to Visp. The bus can get delayed easily if it is snowing or if there is any problem with the traffic on the way, so if you have a tight connection in Visp, it is better if you take an earlier bus.

If you are staying at any of the other villages, be sure to check with your accommodation which bus stop is the closest to your hotel/apartment, as it can make quite a difference. For Saas-Almagell, you will have to change bus at the stop: "Saas-Grund, Post".

By car
Saas-Fee is car-free. You will have to leave your car at a big underground and surface at the entrance of the village. Daily parking charges are Fr. 19 in winter and Fr. 14 in summer, however if you have the citizens' pass (see infobox), there are reduced rates from the second day onwards. The rest of the valley is accessible by car. As the Saas valley is at a higher altitude the roads can be snow covered in winter quite frequently. The roads will usually get cleared quite fast and rarely ever snow chains are required, but if you are not experienced driving on snowy mountain roads you might want to consider taking the bus instead.

Get around
Saas-Fee is quite small and it is easiest to get around by walking. The village itself is car free. This does not mean that there is no traffic, and there are scores milk-float-type electric cars roaming the village. Be careful, they are very quiet and hard to notice.

There are a couple of taxi companies that run within Saas-Fee, but at a recommended price of Fr. 23 to 30 this is rather pricey for such short distances.

During the main season free shuttle buses run to and from the ski lifts on 5 lines. The buses are however really small and it might be easier and faster to just walk.

It is also quite easy to get to the other three villages (Saas-Balen, Saas-Grund and Saas-Almagell) by bus. In winter ski buses run from each village to Saas-Fee and back. In summer you have to take the regular half-hourly buses to and from Saas-Balen or Saas-Grund. To get to Saas-Almagell or the Mattmark lake, change bus in Saas-Grund.

See
The main attraction is the great mountain panorama in the Saas valley. There are however also other things to see:

Winter activities

 * Ski and snowboard This is what the valley and Saas-Fee, in particular, are famous for. The ski areas are generally open from mid-December to just after Easter. The Saas-Fee area has a portion on the glacier which remains open during the summer and only closes during May and June. The smaller Saas-Balen lift is only open as long as there's enough snow.
 * Sledging It can be quite scary at first, take your time the first run down, as there are some sharp bends, and you really don't want to go over the edge! You can rent a sledge at the gondola station, but it is sometimes cheaper to rent one from one of the sports retail shop, so ask around. Special night sledging events happen regularly during high season on each of the trails.
 * Cross country skiing Only one fairly short trail is available in Saas-Fee itself, but a much longer trail is available down in the valley. Equipment can be rented in some of the sport retail stores in any of the villages. The trail is only open when there is enough snow.
 * Ice skating There is a natural ice rink in Saas-Fee. You can hire skates out from one of the hire shops in the village. Both Saas-Balen and Saas-Almagell have natural ice rinks as well. The only artificial ice rink in the valley is at Saas-Grund.
 * Sledging It can be quite scary at first, take your time the first run down, as there are some sharp bends, and you really don't want to go over the edge! You can rent a sledge at the gondola station, but it is sometimes cheaper to rent one from one of the sports retail shop, so ask around. Special night sledging events happen regularly during high season on each of the trails.
 * Cross country skiing Only one fairly short trail is available in Saas-Fee itself, but a much longer trail is available down in the valley. Equipment can be rented in some of the sport retail stores in any of the villages. The trail is only open when there is enough snow.
 * Ice skating There is a natural ice rink in Saas-Fee. You can hire skates out from one of the hire shops in the village. Both Saas-Balen and Saas-Almagell have natural ice rinks as well. The only artificial ice rink in the valley is at Saas-Grund.
 * Cross country skiing Only one fairly short trail is available in Saas-Fee itself, but a much longer trail is available down in the valley. Equipment can be rented in some of the sport retail stores in any of the villages. The trail is only open when there is enough snow.
 * Ice skating There is a natural ice rink in Saas-Fee. You can hire skates out from one of the hire shops in the village. Both Saas-Balen and Saas-Almagell have natural ice rinks as well. The only artificial ice rink in the valley is at Saas-Grund.
 * Cross country skiing Only one fairly short trail is available in Saas-Fee itself, but a much longer trail is available down in the valley. Equipment can be rented in some of the sport retail stores in any of the villages. The trail is only open when there is enough snow.
 * Ice skating There is a natural ice rink in Saas-Fee. You can hire skates out from one of the hire shops in the village. Both Saas-Balen and Saas-Almagell have natural ice rinks as well. The only artificial ice rink in the valley is at Saas-Grund.
 * Ice skating There is a natural ice rink in Saas-Fee. You can hire skates out from one of the hire shops in the village. Both Saas-Balen and Saas-Almagell have natural ice rinks as well. The only artificial ice rink in the valley is at Saas-Grund.
 * Ice skating There is a natural ice rink in Saas-Fee. You can hire skates out from one of the hire shops in the village. Both Saas-Balen and Saas-Almagell have natural ice rinks as well. The only artificial ice rink in the valley is at Saas-Grund.
 * Ice skating There is a natural ice rink in Saas-Fee. You can hire skates out from one of the hire shops in the village. Both Saas-Balen and Saas-Almagell have natural ice rinks as well. The only artificial ice rink in the valley is at Saas-Grund.

Hiking
There are many walks you can do, more of course in the summer months than in the winter months. There are many other walking routes including the Monte Rosa Path. Ask at the Tourist Office, also the location to buy hiking maps. Most hiking paths have yellow signs indicating the directions and duration.

Mountaineering
There are plenty of possible mountain tours and climbs available in the Saas valley at different levels of difficulties. The two official mountain guide associations are where you should ask if you are looking for a local guide:

Buy
For its size, the number of shops in Saas-Fee is quite high. There are three supermarkets as well as a couple other shops. Overall the price level is quite high, but nowhere near those in the more famous winter resorts like Zermatt or Crans Montana.

Drink
Nightlife choices in the Saas valley are plenty but mostly limited to pubs and après-ski bars.

Sleep
Prices for hotel rooms in Saas-Fee can be rather expensive, but choices are plenty. Usually it is possible to find cheaper accommodation in the form of holiday apartments, especially in the other three villages down in the valley.

Connect
There is free wireless Internet access at some parts of the ski resorts, mostly at stations and restaurants. Some of the public buses also have free WiFi installed. There is also the possibility to rent a wireless modem at the tourist information centres at a price of Fr. 69 per week.

Go next

 * Continue on to Zermatt, which is in the neighbouring valley. Take the bus in direction Visp until Stalden-Saas, where you can change to the train to Zermatt.
 * The UNESCO world heritage area Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch is easily accessible via Visp or Brig. This is the perfect next stop if you haven't gotten enough of mountains and glaciers yet.
 * For a change and some rather cultural sights, take the bus to Brig, which after a while in the Saas valley will feel like a city.

title: Saas-Fee


text:
Saba

Saba, known as "the Unspoiled Queen" due to the protection of its unique ecosystem, is a 13-km² (5 sq mi) volcanic island in the Leeward Islands. Since it is not a reef island, it does not have the sandy beaches most notable in the Caribbean, but rather mostly cliff faces and rocky shore. The island, however, attracts tourists for its diverse and vibrant ecosystem and the unique diving experiences (pinnacle diving, wall diving, etc.)

In 2013, the population of Saba was just under 2,000 people spread into four major villages, and included the 200-300 medical students attending the Saba University of Medicine. The medical school houses a hyperbaric chamber, which coincides nicely with Saba's extensive diving draw.

Politically, Saba is a "special municipality" fully integrated in the Netherlands proper.

History
It is said that Christopher Columbus sighted Saba on his trans-Atlantic voyage, but did not land due to the rocky shores. The island was colonized in 1640 when a group from the Dutch West India Company were sent in from neighboring Sint Eustatius. In 1664 these settlers were evicted by the notorious buccaneer Sir Henry Morgan. This is one of the few times that the rough terrain of Saba was successfully invaded. The Netherlands finally took over in 1816, and that is how it remains today.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Saba was a haven to pirates throughout the Caribbean. Most notably, Hiriam Breaks, who coined the saying, "Dead Men Tell No Tales," took residence in Saba.

Sugar and rum were Saba's chief exports through the 18th century, as well as fishing (particularly lobster fishing) later. Once trade routes became more open, Saban Lace (elaborate pulled-thread work) became very popular. By 1928 the women of Saba were exporting US$15,000 worth of lace yearly.

For a long time the only way in and out of Saba for people or for goods was via treacherous Ladder Bay and "The Ladder", which is 800 rock and concrete steps that have a near-vertical grade. At that time Fort Bay had no breakwater to shelter it, so landing there was also a risky undertaking that was quite impossible during high seas. For most of its history Saba had no road, only footpaths. Experts had expressed the opinion that it was impossible to build a road on the island.

Finally in the mid-20th century, a self-educated local engineer dedicated himself to the idea of creating a road, and succeeded in building that which had been deemed impossible by engineers before him.

Orientation

There are four small villages on Saba.

 * The Bottom is the largest village and is the capital of the island. Despite its name, it is quite high up on the island.
 * Windwardside – the second largest village and home to most of the shopping and tourist attractions in Saba. The regular sea breeze usually renders air-conditioning unnecessary, and makes it a nice choice for accommodation. Located between Hell's Gate and St. John's.
 * Hell's Gate – the first village passed when traveling from the airport
 * St. John's – the smallest village and largely residential. It does, however, contain both of the island's schools (primary and secondary), as well as a church and a couple eateries.  It lies along the road between The Bottom and Windwardside.

Flora, fauna, and ecology
Saba has a lot of different types of plant life on the island, most notably its wild orchids. An orchid researcher found 9 types of wild orchids on the island on his 2-week trip in 2003 and is expecting to find many more in the future. You can't go too far without seeing these wild orchids, as they grow along hiking trails, in gardens throughout the island, and even along the side of the Road.

Over 60 species of birds inhabit the island, while over 200 kinds of fish swim near its shores. All of this diversity comes from Saba's unique ecology. The ocean surrounding the island goes from fairly shallow to very deep, with pinnacles scattered throughout. A fair portion of the island is considered rain forest, and Mount Scenery is home to a diverse range of climatic conditions in which an impressive variety of living organisms can thrive.

Be it lizards, aphids, sea life, or other creatures, Saba offers a level of diversity that seems impossible given the island's extremely small size.

Tourist information

 * Saba Tourism website

Talk
The official language of Saba, is Dutch; however, English is the predominant language of Saba, and can be understood by most people.

Entry requirements
In general citizens of Western Hemisphere, European and "westernized" Asian and Oceanian countries may enter the island with just a passport and stay for 90 days.

Other visitors need a visa which has to be applied for at a Dutch embassy, costs €35, and is also valid for the other islands of the Caribbean Netherlands.

By plane
Opened in 1963, Saba's airport is a 400-metre (1,300-foot) length of runway sitting on Saba's biggest flat piece of land, a cliff-ringed promontory known as "Flat Point". Though it may appear dangerous, there have been no deadly crashes since the airport opened in 1963. The runway is marked with a large white X at each end signaling that it is not to be used by most commercial airplanes. In fact, pilots need special training to land here, and Winair is the only airline serving the airport, using the DHC-6 Twin Otter.

The danger comes from the airport's location in relation to the rest of the island. The side by which aircraft come in is flanked by a large cliff that the plane flies directly towards, before banking hard left, in order to line up with the runway. The airport is 18 meters (60 feet) above the ocean, and sheer cliffs on both sides of the runway lead to those rocky depths. There is a risk of an airplanes over-shooting the runway and falling into the ocean. A crosswind will cause airplanes to abort landings, as the rough turbulence can give even good pilots a hard time.

The airport's excellent safety record should put travelers at ease about this landing, which is undertaken 5 times daily. The airport is the shortest international runway in the world. The airport has a bar, no air-traffic-control station, and the airport manager is known by pilots for paying very close attention to every incoming flight, and if he rates a landing as a little too sloppy, he will most assuredly come out and complain to the pilot in no uncertain terms.

By boat
Two boats share the ferry service to and from Saba and St. Maarten: Dawn II and The Edge. As of 2015, both are featured on StMartinbookings where live availability and schedules for the two can be compared.

The road
Josephus Lambert Hassell was the engineer who, in 1938, designed and supervised the building of the road from Fort Bay to The Bottom. Over the next 23 years, 14 km of road was painstakingly laid by hand and wheelbarrow by locals. It is said the men of Hell's Gate put in the most effort on the project because their village was the farthest away from Fort Bay. However, the creation of the airport later on Flat Point meant that the main point of arrival on Saba was now diametrically opposite: in the northeastern tip, rather than in the southwest.

By taxi
Taxis can be called to travel from one town to another, and considering the treacherous nature of The Road (narrow, steep and often ringed with high stone walls), it is probably not wise to try to walk it. The taxi rates from town to town are strictly regulated, so, your likelihood of being hustled is slim. 2 people with 3 bags, airport to Windwardside: $15. Windwardside to The Bottom, 2 people: $10 (Jan 2011).

By car
There is a car rental place in The Bottom called Caja's Car Rental; however, you might want to pay attention to how the locals drive on the road before you decide you want to rent a car. Depending on the car, rental rates are $40-50 per day or $220-288 per week. There's just one gas station on Saba, located in Fort Bay and open M-F 09:00-14:00 and Sa 09:00-12:00 on Saturday. The traffic is on the right and speed limits are 20 km/h in the villages and 40 km/h outside them.

By foot
If you stay in Windwardside, you can walk to anywhere in Windwardside, and likewise for any of the other villages. But if you stay in one village and want to get to the next, it's probably best to just call a taxi or get a ride in some way. Some of the grocery stores will offer delivery service to where you stay, but be sure to ask if they offer this service before you start buying. Walking along The Road to the Bottom is not particularly pleasant, since traffic is fast and the road is narrow. A pleasant alternative, if somewhat steep, is the walking trail which leaves the Road at the Saba trail shop and meets up with it again directly uphill from the Medical School.

Hitchhiking
The people on Saba are very friendly, so hitchhiking from town to town isn't rare. Taxi drivers have even been known to pick up hitchers, not charging them for the ride if that's the direction they're going anyway.

On land

 * A road (not the Road) from Windwardside leads up to Booby Hill which has a few things to see. JoBean's Glass Studio is on that road, as well as a Guava tree orchard.
 * A road (not the Road) from Windwardside leads up to Booby Hill which has a few things to see. JoBean's Glass Studio is on that road, as well as a Guava tree orchard.

In the sea
Wall dives can be an almost humorous experience because the sea life that live along the wall may think that the wall itself is down, and orient themselves in that direction. Walls also offer lots of nooks and crannies in which sea life can live and hide, so you often see a wide variety of life on the wall.

The seabeds surrounding Saba are so diverse, that any level of diver can go there and have a good time. It doesn't matter if you're Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Nitrox, or whatever, the sea offers dives for you and the dive shops do their best to work with your wants.

Diving
Saba is one of the top destinations in the world to go Scuba diving due to its sheer underwater cliffs, pinnacles, and the multitude of diving locations surrounding the island that each offer a unique experience. The people in the local dive shops are very friendly and great at teaching inexperienced people how to dive. They can take someone without their Open Water Certification and offer them a quick course and certification to get them in the water, or they can take them all the way into getting their Open Water Certification so they can dive without an instructor present. So even if you've never gone diving before, you can get certified in Saba.

To protect the sea around the island, the "Saba Marine Park" has been established. There are 26 designated dive spots.

Hiking
There are several official hiking routes, which were more frequently used by locals before there were cars on Saba. If you've forgotten to bring hiking gear, head to the Saba Trail Shop in Windwardside. They also offer guided hikes for $40.

 * Flat Point Track - 10 minutes, easy. The track is marked by color markers on the cliffs. You will see the ruins of a sugar factory and good views.
 * The Ladder Track - 30 minutes, hard. 524 steps down to an old pier.
 * Sulphur Mine Track - 20-30 minutes, medium. The path starts in Hell's Gate behind the church. The section leading to Mary's Point is not marked, so you might get lost. After Mary's Point there is a junction, take the path going downhill to the mine near Cave of Rum Bay.
 * Sandy Cruz Track - 15-20 minutes, medium. This path starts above Hell's Gate, is marked by white markers and takes you into the jungle.
 * Mount Scenery Track - 60-90 minutes, hard. A marked path with 1064 steps taking you up through the jungle to the peak of Mount Scenery. There are several huts and educative billboards along the path. If it is a clear morning you have a great view to the neighboring islands from the mountain top. For this hike you need shoes with rubber soles as the path is slippery.
 * Maskerhorne Hill - 40 minutes, easy/medium. First, follow the Mount Scenery Track from Windwardside for about 10 minutes through dense jungle. After you've arrived at a small farm, turn left towards Maskerhorne Hill, from where there is a good view of Windwardside. Be aware that this path is quite narrow and dirty.
 * Crispeen Track - 60-80 minutes, medium. This path begins at the outskirts of The Bottom. After a 15-20 minutes walk past fields along a pretty overgrown path you'll arrive at some buildings. From there continues a challenging path across a ridge through the jungle and fields. At the end you will arrive at the Mount Scenery Track.

Learn
Every October sees a month-long event put on by Sea & Learn: a non-profit foundation sponsoring events geared toward educating attendees about the flora and fauna of Saba and the surrounding waters. Nightly talks are given at local eating establishments by scientists from around the globe who also perform participative field experiments and/or nature surveys.

There is also a medical school on the island, attended primarily by American and Canadian students.

Money
Saba uses the U.S. dollar, denoted by the symbol "$" (ISO currency code: USD). It is divided into 100 cents.

There are two banks on Saba and they both have ATMs. Major credit cards and traveler's cheques are accepted on the island.

There is a 5% tax on rooms automatically added to your bill and 10% tax for service charge.

Souvenirs
The famous Saban lace (aka pulled-thread work), introduced and developed by Saba's Gertrude Hassell, makes for an excellent souvenir. Local paintings and art also make unique souvenirs as they are created by the island's residents. Saba Spice, a sweet rum enhanced with local spices, is also another product worth acquiring.

Eat
There are grocery stores in The Bottom and Windwardside in which travelers can pick up various snacks and food for meals if they want. Meals at restaurants typically cost between $15 and $35, so buying food at grocery stores can be a cheaper alternative.

There are a lot of Guava trees, and even a few orchards, around the island. Locals have been known to share with visitors if asked nicely.

Groceries, including meat that isn't seafood, only comes in on Wednesday, and this leads to a few phenomena on the island. For instance, Wednesday is the best day of the week to get red meat (from a grocery store or a restaurant) and often the locals have parties at their homes where they grill out; they have been known to invite visitors. Additionally, with the exception of Wednesday, seafood will be the freshest food.

Drink
There are a few bars on the island including, Guido's (in Windwardside), Lollipop's (just outside The Bottom towards Windwardside), and Swinging doors (in Windwardside). Again all of these places have the locals coming in at the end of the day, and its great way to absorb the local culture. Also the medical students on the island occasionally take time off from studying, so you may also meet them at the bars.

The beers in Saba are mostly Belgian and Caribbean/Mexican brews. Heineken, El Presidente, Carib, and Mackeson are the ones most common throughout.

Splurge

 * Privately owned cottages There are quite a few privately owned cottages and houses on the island that have weekly rates throughout the year. The best way to find these places is to call the dive shops (Sea Saba, Saba Divers, and Saba Deep) who usually know about the cottages, pricing, and availability.

Stay safe
Saba offers a wide array of trails on which to hike, but know how good a hiker you are before choosing a trail. Some trails can be treacherous, and some hikes very difficult. If you don't go prepared to hike, stick to the easier paths. Beware of slippery moss, mud, and the occasional steep section. A walking stick is a tremendous help in making safe descents down the steep paths, particularly the trails leading to the coast.

Saba is very safe. This is mainly due to the small population on the island which is exceptionally friendly to tourists as they are a primary source of income for the island. You can walk any part of the island at day or night without worry.

Saba is so safe that some hotels do not have locks on their doors.

The usual safety precautions are required while diving. A hyperbaric chamber is available at the Saba National Marine Park at the Fort Bay Harbour and is maintained by the Saba Conservation Foundation.

It is not recommended to enter into the sulphur mine (especially not alone), as the high concentrations of sulphur in the air can make you unconscious within seconds and a prompt rescue would be logistically impossible.

Stay healthy
On Saba the tap water is collected rain water. Most of the time it is safe to drink, ask the locals if it has to be boiled. There are canisters with spring water for sale in the supermarkets.

Go next
Saba can be very windy, and the small planes of Winair cannot always land there depending on the direction the wind is coming from. Check your flights; sometimes planning to leave Saba a day early and spending the night in St. Martin may be a good idea. The ferry boats which service the island offer an alternative if planes can't make it in or out.

There is a departure fee of $5 if going to another Caribbean Windward island or $20 if going to other destinations. It is payable only in USD.

title: Saba


text:
Sabae

Sabae (鯖江市, Sabae-shi) is in Fukui Prefecture.

Tourist information site
The city has an official Japanese-only guide site with integrated machine translation.

By plane
The nearest airport to Sabae is in Komatsu. Buses connect Komatsu Airport with Komatsu Station for ¥260, from which you can take a Hokuriku Line local train or limited express train to Sabae station.

If coming internationally, the best airport to arrive in is Kansai Airport in Osaka. From Kansai Airport, you can reach Sabae by train in 3 1/2 hours by taking the Haruka limited express train to Shin-Osaka and transferring to the Thunderbird or Raichō, described below.

By train
Sabae is served by Sabae Station on the JR Hokuriku line, which links Toyama with Maibara. A connection to the Kosei Line at Tsuruga provides a direct link to Kyoto and Osaka.

Sabae is connected to Kyoto and Osaka 1-2 times per hour by the Thunderbird and Raichō limited express services. All Raicho trains and a handful of Thunderbird trains serve Sabae Station. Both of these trains make the run from Osaka in about 2 hours and from Kyoto in about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

The Shirasagi limited express also stops at Sabae Station on runs from Nagoya via Maibara. Trains reach Sabae from Maibara in about an hour.

If coming from Tokyo, take the hourly Tokaido Shinkansen Hikari service to Maibara. From there, take the Shirasagi to Sabae (3 hours and 20 minutes).

There is no charge for the above services with the Japan Rail Pass.

Get around
The best way to get around Sabae is by car, though there is a local train that goes through the city.

Buy
Sabae is the center of the Japanese eyeglass industry. 90% of frames are made here. There are many great shops around the city to get your own locally made pair.

Eat
The prefecture is famous for sauce katsudon and oroshi soba, both of which can be found all around Sabae.

National Route 8, a major road linking Fukui prefecture with Kanazawa, runs through Sabae, so you can find many local and national chain restaurants along the road.

Go next

 * Fukui
 * Tsuruga
 * Sakai
 * Echizen City
 * Echizen Town
 * Minamiechizen
 * Ikeda

title: Sabae


text:
Sabah

Sabah is a state in Malaysia. It makes up Malaysian Borneo along with the state of Sarawak, and the Labuan Federal Territory.

Cities

 * — the largest city in Malaysian Borneo, and the state capital of Sabah; main entry point into Sabah for international visitors
 * — laid-back homeland of the Rungus people and the first part of Sabah to be settled by Chinese migrants
 * — small town featuring the War Memorial and also popular for its fresh vegetables, plantations and farms suitable for temperate climate
 * — staging point for travellers headed for the forests of Danum Valley
 * — largest town in the vicinity of Mount Kinabalu
 * — former capital of Sabah; famous for seafood, the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre and as a jumping-off point for the Turtle Islands Park
 * — jumping-off point for dive sites and resort islands in southeastern Sabah
 * — largest town in the southeast; main entry point into Sabah from Indonesia
 * — largest town in the heartland of the indigenous Murut people; home to the Sabah Agricultural Park
 * — largest town in the heartland of the indigenous Murut people; home to the Sabah Agricultural Park

National parks

 * — the tallest mountain in Malaysia with an elevation of 4,095 m.
 * — a group of coral islands off the coast of Kota Kinabalu.
 * — Second longest river in Malaysia known for its remarkable wildlife and fascinating habitats. Organized tours from Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.
 * — Second longest river in Malaysia known for its remarkable wildlife and fascinating habitats. Organized tours from Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.
 * — Second longest river in Malaysia known for its remarkable wildlife and fascinating habitats. Organized tours from Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.

Islands

 * — a separate Federal Territory and an International Offshore Financial Centre
 * — an island off the west coast that offers spectacular diving.
 * — one of the world's best muck diving locations
 * — a well kept secret dive location, it has large numbers of resident and nesting green and hawksbill turtles, clear water and fantastic marine biodiversity with excellent macro marine life
 * — one of the world's best dive spots with lots of large pelagic species (sea turtles, reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, manta rays).
 * — a well kept secret dive location, it has large numbers of resident and nesting green and hawksbill turtles, clear water and fantastic marine biodiversity with excellent macro marine life
 * — one of the world's best dive spots with lots of large pelagic species (sea turtles, reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, manta rays).
 * — one of the world's best dive spots with lots of large pelagic species (sea turtles, reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, manta rays).

Others

 * — natural sulphur hot spring baths
 * — famous orang utan rehabilitation centre

History
Sabah, which was known as North Borneo before it joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963, was part of the Sultanate of Brunei in the 16th century while the north-eastern coast of the state became part of the Sultanate of Sulu which was centered in the southern islands of the Philippines. In the mid 18th century, Europeans began making an appearance and the British managed to open a trading post on Pulau Balambangan off the northern tip of Sabah. This post however failed to take off.

In 1865, the American Consul for Brunei, Claude Lee Moses obtained a lease over North Borneo. The lease ownership was passed to an American company which tried to set up a post in what is today Kimanis. That also turned out to be a failure and was abandoned. The lease was then sold to Baron von Overbeck, the Austrian Consul in Hong Kong which he then transferred to Alfred Dent who in 1882 formed the British North Borneo Company to develop the colony. The capital was first established in Kudat, then transferred to Sandakan. North Borneo became a protectorate of Great Britain in 1888 but administration and control over the colony remained in the hands of the Company ruled until 1942 when the Japanese invaded. There were of course resistance to the company's rule, including by Mat Salleh in the late 1890s and the Muruts in the early 1900s.

The Japanese occupation between 1942 and 1945 was brutal and this was when the infamous Death Marches by British and Allied soldiers forced by the Japanese took place. The British Military Administration took over when the Japanese surrendered and in 1946, North Borneo became a British Crown Colony. Jesselton (now Kota Kinabalu), which suffered Allied bombing, was rebuilt and chosen to replace Sandakan as the capital.

On September 16, 1963, North Borneo together with Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore formed the Federation of Malaysia and from then on it became known as Sabah. This was opposed by Indonesia and the Philippines, both of whom claimed Sabah as their own territory, with President Sukarno of Indonesia launching a policy known as konfrontasi in which the Indonesian government sponsored terrorist attacks in Malaysia. Sukarno was overthrown by Suharto in 1968, who ended konfrontasi and abandoned Indonesia's claims to Sabah, and peace has held ever since. The Philippines still claims Sabah, but is not pursuing its claim.

Culture
Sabah is one of the most culturally diverse states in Malaysia. Sabah's population in 2017 is more than 3 million, including immigrants whose numbers are not always recorded. There is a mixture of native groups, Chinese, Indians, Europeans and Asians. The main native groups are today the Kadazandusun, Murut, Bajau, Suluk, Bisaya and Orang Sungai, though there are at least 33 native groups in total, speaking 50 languages and 80 dialects. Most of the Chinese who migrated to the state during the 19th and early 20th centuries under British rule belong to the Hakka dialect group, although there are also large numbers of Cantonese, especially in Sandakan. There are also many Filipino and Indonesian immigrants many of whom entered Sabah illegally and later became naturalised under a controversial state policy.

The most important festival among the many indigenous groups of Sabah represented by the KDCA (Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association) is Pesta Kemataan or Harvest Festival. This usually takes place from the end of May into June, and the last two days of the month are public holidays in the state. The most popular event is the unduk ngadau or Harvest Queen in Kadazan. Girls throughout the state compete for the crown.

Talk
The most commonly spoken language in Sabah is Malay, the national language of Malaysia. Travellers intending to drive in Sabah should learn some of the words and phrases commonly encountered on the roads; similarly, travellers who need to spend time dealing with civil servants would do well to brush up on their spoken Malay, as lower-level civil servants generally speak little or no English. Some knowledge of Malay is also important when interacting with locals in smaller towns and rural areas. The dialect of Malay spoken in Sabah is somewhat different in its pronunciation and vocabulary from Malay as spoken in Peninsular Malaysia. This is because Sabahan Malay is influenced by the native languages of indigenous peoples, especially the Kadazan Dusun. Cocos Malay is also used.

That said, English remains the lingua franca of the private sector, especially in the major towns. As such, many shop signs are written at least partially in English, and most business persons understand and speak it with varying levels of fluency. As you would expect, the majority of workers in the tourism industry also speak excellent English and increasingly more forms of mainland Chinese language. Generally, the further away you are from the major towns, the less likely it is that the locals are able to speak English, so learning, communicating in Malay becomes more important to help you get around and get meals and accommodation.

Sabah is a melting pot of indigenous cultures. Among the main indigenous cultures are the Kadazan Dusuns or Kadazandusun, Rungus, Murut, and the Bajau. These are further divided into various geographical subgroups. As such, different indigenous languages predominate in different regions of Sabah. For example, you would expect to hear Kadazan in Penampang, Bajau in Kota Belud, Rungus in Kudat. Of course, this does not mean you would not hear other native languages spoken in those areas. The majority of indigenous Sabahans speak Malay, but you may find that those in the countryside prefer their native tongue. In the most rural areas not much else may be understood. Many indigenous Sabahans in the urban areas speak English, and some may surprise you with their command of Mandarin or other Chinese dialects (intermarriage between indigenous Sabahans and Chinese Sabahans is extremely common).

The Chinese minority in Sabah is concentrated in the major towns (i.e. Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau, Lahad Datu) and in several of the smaller towns (particularly Tuaran, Kudat, Beaufort, Keningau and Tenom). The majority of Chinese Sabahans speak Hakka, a southern Chinese dialect. There are smaller communities that speak Cantonese, Hokkien and other Chinese dialects, though these people usually speak Hakka as well. This is a notable difference from other parts of Malaysia as Sabah is the only state in Malaysia (and indeed one of few places in the world) where Hakka is the majority language among the local Chinese populace. However, most Chinese Sabahans also speak Mandarin and English, especially the younger generations. In fact, some younger Chinese Sabahans have adopted Mandarin as their mother tongue at the expense of their family's native dialect. Conversely, it is not uncommon to encounter elderly Chinese, especially in the countryside, who speak only their native dialect. There are a few towns in Sabah where Hakkas do not form the majority in the local Chinese community, notably including Sandakan (mainly Cantonese) and Sipitang (mainly Hokkien).

Sabah is also home to immigrant communities from other countries. In addition to their native languages, some also understand/speak a form of Malay that is used across Indonesia, but very few speak English. They live in the Kampung Laut Air (Sea Water Village). Some of the Tagalog-speaking immigrants from the Philippines are found in the larger towns, Kinarut and Papar townships south of KK and Kota Kinabalu itself along the waterfront.

Get in
Like neighbouring Sarawak, Sabah maintains autonomy on immigration rules, mostly so that non-Sabahans cannot freely immigrate and swamp the state. Malaysians from Peninsular Malaysia and neighbouring Sarawak are subjected to some level of immigration control, such as showing their identity cards, and are restricted to a stay of 90 days at a time. Foreigners need to fill out a second immigration form. Nevertheless, for most travellers this is just a formality and an interesting extra stamp on their passport. There is an exception, if you arrive in Sarawak then enter Labuan and on into Sabah there is no need to go through immigration. This can cause problems/delays when exiting Sabah as you have not entered via immigration. To avoid any problems if arriving via Labuan it would be best to voluntarily go via the immigration and have your passport stamped on entering. See Malaysia | Get in for details.

By plane

These foreign carriers connect KKIA with the following international destinations:

 * Aerial view of Kota Kinabalu International Airport.jpgia — Bangkok, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen, Singapore, Taipei
 * Air Busan — Busan, Seoul
 * Air Seoul — Seoul
 * Cebu Pacific — Manila
 * Jeju Air — Seoul
 * Jin Air — Busan, Seoul
 * Malaysian Airlines — Taipei, Tokyo
 * Philippines AirAsia — Manila
 * Royal Brunei Airlines — Bandar Seri Begawan
 * Scoot — Singapore

Tawau Airport is an overburdened domestic airport mainly used by tourists to visit the diving islands of Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai.

Sandakan Airport is linked to Kuala Lumpur by AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines.

The other two airports in Sabah – which are in Kudat and Lahad Datu  – do not have interstate or international flights.

By car
The only place where you can travel overland into Sabah is from Sarawak through the border crossing at Merapok near Lawas. Everyone will have to go through immigration checks here. The road between Kota Kinabalu and the border is paved all the way and in good condition. If you are planning to do the overland trail from Sarawak to Sabah, it is possible to get from Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei - or with a bit of a stretch, from Miri - to Kota Kinabalu within a day. See Kota Kinabalu to Brunei by land for details. The trip includes multiple border crossings (each with an exit and an entrance stamp as (North to South) you exit Sabah, enter Sarawak, exit Sarawak, enter Brunei, exit Brunei, enter Sarawak, exit Sarawak, and enter the main part of Brunei again before crossing back into Sarawak after BSB.

There is no official land crossing with Indonesia, although there may be some informal tracks from the interior of Sabah which locals use to get to East Kalimantan.

By boat
You can enter Sabah by boat from the Malaysian Federal Territory of Labuan, Zamboanga in the southern Philippines, and from Nunukan in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. However, there are no passenger boat services between Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.
 * From Labuan: passenger boats depart Labuan for Kota Kinabalu and Sipitang while vehicular ferries operate between Labuan and Menumbok in the southern part of Sabah. See the individual city pages for ferry details. Labuan is where you have to change boats if you hope to travel by boat between Brunei and Kota Kinabalu. See the Kota Kinabalu to Brunei by land page for details.
 * From Zamboanga: boats run between Zamboanga City in Mindanao in the Philippines and Sandakan.
 * From Nunukan: at least one ferry daily between Nunukan in East Kalimantan and Tawau.

By bus
There are buses once a day from Bandar Seri Begawan to Kota Kinabalu.

By plane
Kota Kinabalu International Airport has flights to all other airports in Sabah on the following airlines:
 * Kudat: MASWings
 * Lahad Datu: MASWings
 * Sandakan: AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines and MASWings
 * Tawau: AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines and MASWings

All the above flights (with the exception of Kota Kinabalu-Kudat flights) operate several times a day.

Intra-Sabah flights originating at Sandakan Airport go to Kota Kinabalu, Kudat and Tawau, while Tawau Airport's intra-Sabah flights go to Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. Kudat Airport has flights to Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan, while Lahad Datu Airport is only served by flights to Kota Kinabalu.

In addition, there are airstrips such as those in Keningau, Semporna and Tomanggong which do not have any commercial air traffic. However, if you wish to visit these places, it is worth checking before your trip to see if flights to these airports have been reinstated.

By car
Sabah's road network is not as developed as that in Peninsular Malaysia and there are large areas of the interior, such as the Kinabatangan River basin, which are not connected by road. Existing roads are not in perfect state with numerous potholes. There is a lot of trucks going very slow on Sabah roads, this can slow down your journey significantly if you are not brave enough to overtake as often as locals do.

The main roads most useful to travellers are those running along the West Coast from the Sabah-Sarawak border at Sindumin through Sipitang, Beaufort and Papar to Kota Kinabalu (called Route A2) and northwards from Kota Kinabalu to Kota Belud and ending at Kudat near the northern tip of Sabah (Route A1). The main road into the West Coast interior runs from Kota Kinabalu to Tambunan, Keningau and Tenom.

The main road to the East Coast (Route A4) branches off Route A1 near Tuaran, about 30km north of Kota Kinabalu. It passes the foot of Mount Kinabalu and Ranau right through to Sandakan. The main road to Tawau and the southeastern parts of Sabah (Route A5) branches off from Route A4 about 55km west of Sandakan or 285km from Kota Kinabalu.

Another main road leads from from Keningau through the isolated Pensiangan and Kalabakan districts to Tawau at the southeastern corner of Sabah. This road enables those travelling from Kota Kinabalu to Tawau to cut travelling time and distances significantly without needing to use the KK-Sandakan road, and perform a circular route between all the above areas. Although this road is relatively new, a few small stretches of it are not properly pawed, and other streches are damaged by heavy logging trucks, especially in the direction towards Tawau. This road is managable in normal car, but most locals would use 4x4 car.

By bus
Long distance express buses operate between major cities in Sabah. Most of these are air-conditioned and quite comfortable. There are also non-aircon stage buses running between towns which stop to pick-up and let down passengers along the way. They may be cheaper but take forever to get anywhere.

A lot of short-distance inter-town travel in Sabah is also done by minibuses and minivans. These are either small buses or vans which are converted to take in passengers. They charge the same fare as buses but carry fewer passengers. Most operate in the morning and will only leave when they are full. But once they get going, the journey can be quite fast. You can make long distance journeys with minibuses and minivans but you'll have to change along the way.

By train
The North Borneo Railway is the only railway network on Borneo. The network is small (134km), linking Kota Kinabalu to Beaufort along the west coast, and then inland along the Padas River to Tenom, which is the more interesting and popular stretch for travellers. The new Kota Kinabalu to Beaufort service opened in Feb 2011. Beaufort to Tenom remains only once a day. See the respective city pages for train details.

See
Sabah can be said to be one of the best states in Malaysia when it comes to things to see and do. Its attractions range from the breath-taking natural wonders such as mountains, jungles, islands and flora and fauna, to the colourful cultures of its multi-ethnic inhabitants.

Most of the attractions have their own pages. The list below provides the links.

Natural attractions

 * Mount Kinabalu - This has to be the top of the list of reasons for visiting Sabah. The 4,095m mountain is the second highest in Southeast Asia (outside Papua, which is regarded as part of Oceania) after Hkakabo Razi in Burma, but is probably one of the easiest to climb as no mountaineering experience is needed, just a lot of stamina. The surrounding National Park is also home to many plants and animals.
 * Sipadan and the other islands - World-class diving.
 * Sepilok - The world-famouns Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary near Sandakan is home to orphaned or captured orang utans where they are slowly readapted to the jungle environment.
 * Turtle Islands Park - Three islands in the Sulu Sea off the coast of Sandakan where you can see turtle conservation at work.
 * Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park - Coral islands just off the coast of Kota Kinabalu.
 * Poring Hot Springs - Soak in pools of natural hot water to cure your muscle aches after you assault on Mount Kinabalu
 * Danum Valley - See the tropical rainforest near Lahad Datu at its most pristine.
 * Proboscis monkeys - See them in the wild in the Sukau and Kinabatangan areas near Sandakan and the Klias Wetlands area.
 * Rafflesia flowers - The world's largest flowers, nearly 1m in diameter, can be seen in the Crocker Range.

Cultural

 * Monsopiad Cultural Village - Located near Kota Kinabalu, it tells the story of Monsopiad, a warrior of the Kadazan ethnic group who lived some 300 years ago and slew 42 of his enemies. The skulls of these 42 are on exhibit in the Hall of Skulls.

Do
Hand-in-hand with the many attractions, Sabah is also a place where you will not run out of things to do. You'll have a choice of mountain climbing, diving, white-water rafting and jungle trekking as well as many other more sedate activities.

 * Climbing Mount Kinabalu - This should be one of the highlights of your visit to Sabah. See Mount Kinabalu page.
 * Diving and snorkeling - You'll enjoy some of the best coral and fish diversity in the world. Locations include Sipadan, Mabul and Pom Pom Island on the East Coast, and Layang Layang Island in the disputed Spratly group. Not as good but still worth visiting and just a few minutes by boat from Kota Kinabalu city, are the islands of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Many dive operators based in Kota Kinabalu are at your disposal. There are a few operators with dive stations on the islands with the rest offering diving from their dive boats.
 * Technical diving - Sabah is very popular for recreational divers. It is also an emerging location for technical diving. You can now learn to dive on a semi-closed rebreather or a closed circuit rebreather during your stay in Sabah. Many other basic and advanced diving courses are also available for visiting experienced divers wanting to develop their scuba diving skills in the tropical waters of the South China Sea. Many of these advanced diver training courses are run from Kota Kinabalu, nearby Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park and at the WW2 wrecks located in Usukan Bay along the west coast of Sabah.
 * White-water rafting - along two rivers, Padas and Kiulu. The Padas River, accessed from Beaufort boasts Grade Three to Four rapids.
 * Going into the jungle - many tour companies have itineraries which bring you into the interior of the state. Some popular places include jungle camps along the Kinabatangan River, and going into the isolated Batu Punggul area.
 * Ride on Sabah's Jungle Railway - Catch the slow train between Beaufort and Tenom which runs along the fast-flowing Padas River.
 * Eat - Sabahans love to eat. Consequently different food choices are abundant and choices abound from Malay to Chinese to Indian to Western to Filipino and almost every other style of food in between.  For many this is a big attraction in Sabah and should not be avoided.
 * Meet bunnies - There are numerous "rabbit gardens" across Sabah, where you can play with pet rabbits. This seems to be popular among locals.

Tours
For the less intrepid explorer who do not know, or do not care for the trouble of finding out, Sabah can be a difficult region to get round independently, in terms of cost and reliable transport. To have everything pre-arranged for you, it's best to contract the services of a tour operator of which there is no short supply in Sabah. If you’re on a shoestring budget you can find good reliable freelance guides at Sabah’s Tourism Board, whose price can be considerably lower than a fixed package.

Eat
"Kin-Zhi Mien" (Economy Mee) is liked by locals for morning breakfast, topped with meat, tofu, eggplant, fried eggs, etc. "Sang-Nyuk Mien" (Rare Pork Meat Noodle), Laksa Mee (Spiced Curry & Coconut Noodle), Mee Soto (Beef Stew Malay Style) and more. Ngiu Chap(Beef Noodle), Fresh Seafood, Local Kadazan Cuisine

Drink
Lime juice, mango juice, and other fresh fruit juices. Alcoholic drinks such as beer and whisky are also widely available.

Stay safe
Do not mix up personal safety in cities/towns with the kidnappings/terrorism off shore in the Eastern Sulu Sea off the eastern coast of Sabah. Rural and city crime is completely different: It is low-grade distraction snatch-thefts or moped drive-by snatch thefts. The way to think of it is: If I were at home, would I do this? Do not leave you camera/cash unattended. Most towns of Sabah are generally safe, but the general rule of not showing off your wealth openly in public is advisable as pickpockets are a danger, especially in poorer areas. You can still shop safely around the towns and cities. Dress correctly/cover up if you are female, do not be loud in public places, learn Bahasa Melayu so you fit in.

In March 2013 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all but essential travel to all islands off the coast of eastern Sabah from Kudat to Tawau, including Lankayan, Mabul, Pom Pom, Kapalai, Litigan, Sipadan and Mataking due to tourist kidnappings and other problems. ESSCOM, Malaysian Eastern Sabah Security Command is co-ordinating the protection of the Eastern zone along with the police and armed forces, a curfew of night time boat traffic is still enforced (Dec 2017). Security patrols prepositioned on islands disrupting smuggler activities and incursions into Malaysian/Sabah waters have been jointly managed in turn by Malaysian forces then Philippino military forces with support from allied nations. Malaysian military presence and air flights across Sabah have increase and been maintained in 2018 maritime air patrols are flown day and night to monitor incursions. Always check travel advice, such as https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/malaysia

Consulates
Some countries have set up consulates or honorary consulates in Sabah, all in the Kota Kinabalu area, and often with "Kota Kinabalu" in the consulate's name except for one consulate in Tawau. The Brunei, Chinese, Czech, and Indonesian consulates-general and the Consulate of Japan are in Kota Kinabalu. There are several honorary consulates in Kota Kinabalu as well. Full listings for these consulates and honorary consulates are in the articles for those cities. There is only one consulate out of Kota Kinabalu which is the Indonesian consulate in Tawau.

Go next
To other parts of Borneo:
 * Malaysian federal territory of Labuan
 * Malaysian state of Sarawak
 * Brunei — tiny oil-rich sultanate
 * The Indonesian province of Kalimantan

title: Sabah


text:
Sabang

There's more than one place called Sabang:

Indonesia

 * Sabang (Indonesia) (Pulau Weh) - a small island in Aceh, Sumatra
 * Sabang - the capital of Sabang island

Philippines

 * Sabang (Mindoro) - a small town on the northern coast of the island of Mindoro.
 * Sabang (Palawan) - a small village on western Palawan, inside the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park and gate house to the underground river.
 * Sabang (Cebu) - an area of Olango Island

title: Sabang