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Hajj

The traditional annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims and is the largest annual gathering of people in the world. It occurs between the 8th and 12th of the last month of the Islamic calendar, Dhu al-Hijjah. Hajj is that symbolic pilgrimage when millions of Muslims from around the world belonging to different ethnic groups, socioeconomic strata and cultures travel to Mecca together and praise to Allah and ask for forgiveness of their sins.

The five day spiritual Hajj, which dates back to the 7th century of the Christian calendar, is designed to promote the bonds and affection between Muslim communities and shows that everyone is equal in the eyes of Allah by wearing simple white garment Ihram. Pilgrims spend days worshiping in and around the holy city of Mecca and perform rituals that make up the Hajj.

Understand
The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam; every adult Muslim is supposed to do it at some time in their life if health and finances permit. In poorer areas it is not uncommon for whole families or even whole villages to chip in to send one person.

It is an exceedingly cosmopolitan affair. Predominantly Muslim areas include most of North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, plus South and Southeast Asian countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia and several countries in West Africa. Several other areas have large Muslim minorities and there are some Muslims nearly everywhere. The pilgrimage brings Muslims from all these places together.

It is also one of the largest human migrations. Every year over two million people visit Saudi Arabia for this pilgrimage. Since they all arrive at roughly the same time and visit the same places in the same order, and since a large number of Saudis go as well, this is a major logistical problem. The Saudi government has a ministry to manage it.

The Hajj can only be completed during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah. A pilgrimage to Mecca at any other time is known as Umrah (عمرة), and while not compulsory is strongly recommended.

People who have completed the Hajj are entitled to use the honorific title Haji (men) or Hajjah (women).

History
The early history of Hajj can be traced back to the time of Abraham, around 2000 BCE. According to Islamic tradition, Abraham was ordered by Allah to leave his wife Hagar and his son Ishmael alone in the uninhabited desert with little food and water, where Mecca stands today. When the food and water were gone, Hagar, in search of water for her baby Ishmael, desperately ran seven times between the two hills of Safa and Marwah but found nothing. Returning in despair to Ishmael, she saw him scratching the ground with his leg and a water fountain underneath. Later, the uninhabited desert area started to attract inhabitants due to availability of water and tribes started to settle in Mecca. When Ishmael grew up, he was married into a tribe in Mecca. At some point, Abraham was commanded by Allah to construct a building believed to be the Kaaba, which he did with the help of Ishmael. Abraham was commanded by Allah to invite people to perform pilgrimage in Mecca around the Kaaba.

In pre-Islamic Arabia, Meccans were idol worshippers and the Kaaba was surrounded by pagan idols. During the annual pilgrimage season, people would visit the Kaaba to perform rituals some of which were introduced by Arabs of that time. It is believed some pilgrims would perform tawaf around Kaaba in a naked state. During the initial years of Muhammad's prophethood, the pilgrimage season offered Muhammad the occasion to preach Islam to the foreign people who came to Mecca for pilgrimage. In 630 CE, after Mecca was conquered by Muhammad, he led his followers from Medina to Mecca, cleansed the Kaaba by destroying all the pagan idols, and then reconsecrated the building to Allah. In 631 CE, at the direction of Muhammad, Abu Bakr led some 300 Muslims to the pilgrimage in Mecca where Ali delivered a sermon stipulating the new rites of Hajj and abrogating the pagan rites. He especially declared that no unbeliever, pagan, or naked man would be allowed to circumambulate the Kaaba from the next year. In 632 CE, Muhammad performed his only pilgrimage with a large number of followers, and instructed them on the rites of Hajj and the manners of performing them. From then, Hajj became one of the five pillars of Islam.

In medieval times, pilgrims would gather in the big cities of Syria, Egypt, and Iraq to go to Mecca in groups and caravans comprising tens of thousands of pilgrims, often under state patronage. Some Hajj caravans were guarded by soldiers because there were risks of robbery or attack or natural hazards. Muslim travelers like Ibn Jubayr and Ibn Battuta have recorded detailed accounts of Hajj travels in medieval times.

Despite it being illegal for non-Muslims, a few Western explorers have managed the journey — most notably, Sir Richard Burton made the Hajj in 1853 and wrote an account of the trip.

Prepare
Unless you are a citizen of Saudi Arabia you will need a visa, obtained in advance from a Saudi embassy. Visas are allocated on a quota system, based on the number of Muslims in a country. You may need to provide evidence that you are Muslim, such as a letter from your local mosque. You are not permitted to perform the Hajj on a tourist visa; you will need a special Hajj visa for the purpose. However, you may perform Umrah on a tourist visa outside the Hajj season.

Citizens of most countries can apply directly with the Saudi government on their Hajj website, where Hajj visas are allocated on a first come first serve basis. Countries with large long-established Muslim communities often have domestic regulation on the Hajj as well; in these countries, you will need to apply for your Hajj visa through the local governing body of Islam, who will allocate Hajj places based on their own domestic rules.

Since 2023, women are no longer required to travel with a mahram (male family member) to perform the Hajj, and may now travel alone.

Proof of vaccination for meningitis (specifically the ACYW135 vaccine) between three years before and ten days before your entry into Saudi Arabia is required. Yellow fever vaccination is required if you arrive from any country with known yellow fever infections, and polio vaccinations are required for children up to 15. As millions of people from all over the world gather for Hajj and therefore you will be exposed to many diseases, you may want to discuss other vaccinations and preventative measures with your doctor.

Throughout Hajj you are expected to remove signs of wealth or class distinctions by replacing your clothing with simple white garments. These pieces are called ‘ihram clothing’, and for women comprise of a white abaya, scarf or shawl and socks. The ihram clothing of Hajj is a signifier of equality: all pilgrims are presented as equals in the eyes of God. The white clothing also symbolises purity, and the state of absolute devotion that the pilgrims are in.

Get in
In medieval times, people made the pilgrimage to Mecca by camel caravan or by ship; the journey often took months, sometimes even years.

Today, most pilgrims arrive via the airport at Jeddah. Airlines in most Muslim countries offer special flights specifically for Hajj and Jeddah has many regular commercial flights as well, in particular flights to most major European or Middle Eastern hubs. See Jeddah for more information.

There are two special Hajj terminals, the largest buildings by roof area in the world at 260,000 m2 (2.8 million ft2). They are enormous tents of fiberglass fabric on reinforced concrete poles and steel cables. At Hajj time, there are dozens of large aircraft parked alongside these terminals. These are used only for the Hajj; the airport has other terminals for normal travel. Driving to the North Terminal, you pass between the two Hajj terminals.

From Jeddah — for most pilgrims, directly from the airport — there are chartered buses and taxis to Mecca. Many are painted in the yellow and black pattern used on school buses in North America; seeing dozens of those on the highway is a strange sight if you know them as school buses.

Medina is another entry point, with its airport handling many Hajj flights as well.

The Haramain High-Speed Railway connects Mecca to Medina via Jeddah, and is the quickest and most comfortable way to get to Mecca once you've landed in Saudi Arabia.

Get around
Mecca's Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro line (Arabic: قطار المشاعر المقدسة الخط الجنوبي) is Saudi Arabia's first metro line, and was specifically built to shuttle pilgrims between the different holy sites. It is the highest capacity metro line in the world, but still gets very crowded during the Hajj given the sheer number of pilgrims, so be sure to prepare and plan accoringly.

Umrah
Upon arriving in Mecca and checking into a hotel, pilgrims head to Masjid al-Haram and do Tawaf which involves walking around the Kaaba four times at a fast pace and three times at a slow pace. Tawaf is followed by sa'ay which is done by walking seven times back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah (both rituals done within the Masjid al-Haram).

These first two steps, which can be done at any time of the year, are known as the "lesser Hajj" or Umrah, while the full course is known as the "greater Hajj" or al-Hajj al-Akbar.

Hajj
The traditional Hajj route is as follows: A visit to Medina is optional (though highly encouraged) and not part of the Hajj, but most pilgrims visit Medina after completing the Hajj before heading home.
 * First day of Hajj – The 8th day of the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah is the first day of the Hajj pilgrimage. Pilgrims enter into a state of holiness by wearing the Ihram while inside Mecca and proceed to Mina, a neighborhood of Mecca and is some 10 km away from central Mecca. Pilgrims go by walking in large groups and camp overnight in Mina. Mina, the city of tents, has more than 100,000 air-conditioned tents which provide temporary accommodation to Hajj pilgrims. Pilgrims spend the day praying during their stay in Mina.
 * Second day of Hajj – On the 9th, pilgrims started to move towards the desert plains of Arafat, some 15 km away from Mina. It is said that a pilgrim's Hajj is considered invalid if they do not spend the afternoon in Arafat. Arafat remains uninhabited most of the year except during Hajj season when it is jam-packed. Pilgrims spend time praying in Arafat until sunset. And as soon as the sun sets, the pilgrims begin to leave Arafat for Muzdalifah. Muzdalifah is some 10 km from Arafat on the route between Mina and Arafat. Pilgrims collect pebbles for the next day's ritual of the stoning of the devil in Arafat and camp overnight at open area of Muzdalifah, and often end-up sleeping in the open air.
 * Third day of Hajj – Eid al-Adha begins. On the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah, pilgrims proceed back to Mina and from Mina continue proceeding towards Jamarat Bridge, some 5 km from Mina. At  Jamarat Bridge, a symbolic stoning of the devil is performed which involves throwing seven pebbles at the large wall representing the Devil. After performing the stoning of the devil, pilgrims do the sacrifice of an animal (often performed by proxy by buying a sacrifice voucher in Mecca). After which pilgrims move back to Mecca and do Tawaf and Sa'ii of Hajj. Now Ihram are removed and normal clothing can be worn. By night, pilgrims move back to Mina and spend the night there.
 * Fourth day of Hajj – On the 11th, pilgrims again proceed to  Jamarat Bridge and perform the stoning of the devil. Pilgrims spend the night in Mina.
 * Fifth day of Hajj – On the 12th, pilgrims again proceed to Jamarat Bridge and perform yet another stoning of the devil. By sunset, they move back to Mecca.
 * Sixth day of Hajj – On the 13th, pilgrims perform Tawaf Widaa, a final circumambulation of the Kaaba and start to leave Mecca for their homes.

Buy
It is fairly common for pilgrims coming from carpet-producing areas (much of the Muslim world) to bring along a few rugs to sell along the way to help finance their trip. Places like the bazaar in Jeddah therefore often have a broad selection of rugs, some from quite far away.

Prayer rugs make particularly good souvenirs because they have religious significance and are small enough to be reasonably easy to transport and often moderately priced.

Medina dates are famously excellent.

Stay healthy
The Hajj brings together vast multitudes of pilgrims from all around the world. As of 2013, the Ministry of Hajj states that vaccinations for meningococcal meningitis are required for all pilgrims, and those from yellow fever zones must have a vaccination for that as well.

During major epidemics, Saudi health officials sometimes restrict travel to Mecca and Medina – for instance, during the MERS, Ebola, and COVID-19 epidemics in 2013, 2014, and 2020, respectively.

Stampedes
Hajj attracts dangerously huge crowds with multiple associated risks. From 1990 to 2015, 2777 pilgrims were killed in crushes or stampedes. A crowded tent city in Mina burned in 1997, killing 340. Another 402 died in 1987, when security forces broke up an Iranian demonstration against the United States of America. A construction crane killed 107 when it collapsed in 2015. All of the usual dangers with large crowds, including pickpockets, are very much present.

Stampedes are particularly likely during the stoning of the jamraat. Immediately after the noon prayer is the most crowded and thus the most dangerous time. Tight access controls and a new multi-level bridge spreading out pilgrims prevented a recurrence until 2015, when a stampede during the stoning of the jamraat again led to hundreds of deaths.

Hajj scams
Before the pilgrimage begins, scammers often operate by offering nonexistent air tickets and accommodation, which lands pilgrims stranded after they arrived in Medina or Mecca. Fake Hajj tour packages could also be advertised, with scammers disappear after they received payment. The following provides some advice:
 * Always check for the tour operator's background and ensure they are properly licensed and accredited by your local authority.
 * In some countries (such as the United Kingdom), tour operators that sells air tickets are also required to be licensed, which ensures booked air tickets are still valid if the tour operator collapses. You should also check for such licensing if they exist in your country. Recommendations from acquaintances may not be authentic.
 * Always ensure the terms and conditions are clearly written and keep receipts. They will be useful evidence in case you fall into scam.
 * Do not pay in cash or bank transfer, which makes recovering assets difficult. Legitimate tour operators can usually accept credit or debit cards.

Go next
Special visas for Hajj are strictly limited to Mecca, Medina, Mina, Arafah and Muzdalifah. Traveling anywhere else in Saudi Arabia will require an additional travel permit, which is difficult and time-consuming to obtain, and is rarely granted without good reason (e.g. medical emergencies).

Most pilgrims head to Medina after performing Hajj and stay there for few days before going back home. Medina is where Muhammad lived and taught from when he was driven out of Mecca until his triumphant return, and is also where he was buried.

During the Hajj season flights between Jeddah or Medina and any Muslim country are quite cheap since there are many flights full of pilgrims going one way (in before Hajj and out after) and airlines do not want to fly the other way with empty planes. Muslim expatriates working in Saudi Arabia often take advantage of this to visit home; Western expats use it for vacations.

title: Hajj


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Hakka phrasebook

Hakka (客家话 Hak-kâ-fa/Hak-kâ-va) originated in China but is also spoken in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and among overseas Chinese, especially in Southeast Asia. It is one of the official languages of Taiwan. In this article, the Hong Kong dialect of the Hakka language will be used.

Most Hakka speakers are bilingual: in Hong Kong, they are able to understand and speak Cantonese, whilst in mainland China and Taiwan, they also speak Mandarin, with those from Guangdong province often being trilingual in Hakka, Cantonese and Mandarin. Foreigners in the area typically choose to learn Mandarin and/or Cantonese instead of Hakka as they are more widely used.

Brief overview
The Hakka (客家 Kèjiā, IPA: [hak₃ ka₃₃] ) people migrated south from Northern China over the centuries to settle in southern Jiangxi and Hunan, western Fujian, northern Guangdong, and various other areas, due to wars, famine, natural disasters, and political persecution.

Hakka comes from the words '客' "guest" and '家' "families" which derives from an official term during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) for the program of resettlement of the coastal areas of Guangdong after evacuation orders imposed during the reign of Emperor Kangxi. These settlers whose language was different to the original inhabitants were given this appellation to show they were not indigenous to the areas they became settled in. The indigenous inhabitants (punti) had generally occupied the more fertile basins, so the incoming Hakka often settled in the more inaccessible valleys and mountainous or hilly terrain.

As the Hakkas were constantly in conflict with their neighbours for much of the Qing Dynasty, often resulting in bloody civil wars, they developed a tradition of living in fortified communities. In some areas, the Hakka built tulou (土楼, tǔlóu), earth and straw round houses. These fascinating, centuries-old buildings are home to a whole clan and are easily defended. The largest groups of tulou, in Fujian, are now on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Though less well known internationally, Hakka people in other areas built different types of walled villages such as wei (围, wéi) and weilongwu (围龙屋, wéilóngwū). Many of these can be seen today in Hong Kong and the Hakka-speaking parts of Guangdong. Constant warfare with their neighbours, including the Punti–Hakka Clan Wars of 1855-1867, in which the Qing government was complicit in a genocide of the Hakka people by Cantonese and Taishanese peoples, led many Hakkas to emigrate for greener pastures. Many of them ended up in Southeast Asia, which now home to some of the world's largest overseas Hakka communities, which have produced numerous prominent figures like former Singaporean prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

To a considerable extent, Hakka have their own culture, different from their neighbours. In Neal Stephenson's novel Ream De, much of which takes place in Xiamen, one character is a Hakka lass from a tea-growing mountain area, and she is sometimes called a "big-foot woman" in reference to the fact that, unlike most other Chinese, the Hakka never adopted the custom of foot-binding.

The Hakka language (客家话; Kèjiāhuà) shares a common vocabulary with Southern languages such as Cantonese, Teochew and the many dialects of Fujian, and there are regular sound correspondences to the historical sound system of Middle Chinese. In terms of pronunciation, it has some features in common with Cantonese and some with Mandarin, though it's not mutually intelligible with either dialect.

All Chinese languages, in general, use the same set of characters in reading and writing in formal settings, based on standard Mandarin. This means that a Hakka speaker and a Mandarin speaker cannot talk to each other, but either can generally read what the other writes. However, there can be significant differences when the "dialects" are written in colloquial form, and special characters may need to be used in addition to the common characters to convey some dialectal terms. Use the Chinese phrasebook for reading most writing in Hakka-speaking areas.

Pronunciation guide
Like other Chinese languages, Hakka is written using Chinese characters, but employs its own "unique" pronunciation.

There is no standard form of Hakka. Regional variations in local dialects are extensive, but can usually be surmounted by understanding the gist of the spoken sentence and knowing some sound correspondences that the user will encounter. Many people consider the dialect spoken in Meixian, Meizhou to be the prestige dialect of Hakka. In Taiwan, the Miaoli dialect is taken as the de facto standard, and used in Hakka broadcasting.

There are some sounds in Hakka which do not occur in English. The following pronunciation guide aims to rhyme English words with the sounds found in the Hakka syllable. Please note they are approximations, you may require a Hakka speaker to guide your pronunciation. There is no widely-used standardized romanisation system for Hakka, and native speakers almost never learn the romanisation systems that exist, so stick to Chinese characters for written communication.

Vowels
The vowels can be long or short. Long vowels occur in open syllables, where there are no endings. Short vowels occur in syllables which end in nasals (-m, -n or -ng) or stops (-p, -t or -k).

In some dialects there is a vowel which we represent as ii, which does not occur in standard English. It is a retroflex i, the closest sound is almost like ir in "shir" when saying English 'sure'. In the Hong Kong dialect, these sounds become -i or -u.

Initial or Consonant
In Chinese linguistics, syllables are traditionally divided into an "initial" (the consonant at the beginning of the syllable) and a "final" (the vowel and the consonant after it if there is one).

Tones
Tones vary substantially by dialect. The tone changes known as sandhi do occur, but are less complex than many other Chinese languages.

Some sound correspondences between dialects of the Hakka language
Apart from tonal differences, there are small variations in pronunciations from place to place. The following details some of the more commonly found differences, which may be helpful to the user when hearing other speakers from different areas.

h is sometimes pronounced as s, especially when there is a vowel -i- in the syllable. E.g. 兄 hiung1 may be pronounced siung1.

au is sometimes pronounced as o. E.g. 好 hau3 / ho3

ai is sometimes pronounced as e E.g. 雞 gai1 / ge1

Some Hakka dialects has the -u- medial, so you may hear words like 光 gong1 pronounced as guong1 (gwong1).

Basics

 * Hello. : . (Neh Ho )
 * Hello. (informal) : . ( )
 * How are you? : ? ( Ne How Mau)
 * Fine, thank you. : . (Simungi )
 * What is your name? : ? (Nyah Miang Hair )
 * My name is ______ . :  ______ . ( Ngah Miang Hair .)
 * Nice to meet you. : . ( How Seek Ne)
 * Please. : . ( )
 * Thank you. : do1 cia4 . ( )
 * You're welcome. : . ( )
 * Yes. : . ( )
 * No. : . ( )
 * Excuse me. (getting attention) : . ( )
 * Excuse me. (begging pardon) : . ( )
 * I'm sorry. : . ( )
 * Goodbye : . ( )
 * Goodbye (informal) : . ( )
 * I can't speak Hakka [well]. : [ ]. ( [ ])
 * Do you speak English? : ? ( ?)
 * Is there someone here who speaks English? : ? (Neh Wooi You Nyin Kong Yin Mun Mau?)
 * Help! : ! ( !)
 * Look out! : ! ( !)
 * Good morning. : . ( )
 * Good evening. : . ( )
 * Good night. : . ( )
 * Good night (to sleep) : . ( )
 * I don't understand. : . ( )
 * Where is the toilet? : ? ( ?)

Problems

 * Leave me alone. : . ( .)
 * Don't touch me! : ! ( !)
 * I'll call the police. : . ( .)
 * Police! : ! ( !)
 * Stop! Thief! : ! ! ( ! !)
 * I need your help. : . ( .)
 * It's an emergency. : . ( .)
 * I'm lost. : . ( .)
 * I lost my bag. : . ( .)
 * I lost my wallet. : . ( .)
 * I'm sick. : . ( .)
 * I've been injured. : . ( .)
 * I need a doctor. : . ( .)
 * Can I use your phone? : ? ( ?)

Numbers

 * 1 : 一 yit5
 * 2 : 二 ngi4
 * 3 : 三 sam1
 * 4 : 四 si4
 * 5 : 五 ng3
 * 6 : 六 luk5
 * 7 : 七 cit5
 * 8 : 八 bat5
 * 9 : 九 giu3
 * 10: 十 sip6
 * 11 : 十一 sip6 yit5
 * 12 : 十二 sip6 yit5
 * 13 : 十三 sip6 sam1
 * 14 : 十四 sip6 si4
 * 15 : 十五 sip6 ng3
 * 16 : 十六 sip6 luk5
 * 17 : 十七 sip6 cit5
 * 18 : 十八 sip6 bat5
 * 19 : 十九 sip6 giu3
 * 20 : 二十 ngi4 sip6
 * 21 : 二十一 ngi4 sip6 yit5
 * 22 : 二十二 ngi3 sip6 ngi4
 * 23 : 二十三 ngi3 sip6 sam1
 * 30 : 三十 sam1 sip6
 * 40 : 四十 si4 sip6
 * 50 : 五十 ng3 sip6
 * 60 : 六十 luk5 sip6
 * 70 : 七十 cit5 sip6
 * 80 : 八十 bat5 sip6
 * 90 : 九十 giu3 sip6
 * 100 : 一百 yit5 bak5
 * 200 : 二百 ngi4 bak5
 * 300 : 三百 sam1 bak 5
 * 1000 : 一千 yit5 cien1
 * 2000 : 二千 ngi4 cien1
 * 10,000 : 一萬 yit5 van4
 * 100,000 : 十萬 sip6 van4
 * 1,000,000 : 一百萬 yit5 bak5 van4
 * 10,000,000 : 一千萬 yit5 cien1 van
 * 100,000,000 : 一億 yit4 yit6
 * 1,000,000,000 : 十億 sip6 yit6
 * 10,000,000,000 : 一百億 yit5 bak5 yit6
 * 100,000,000,000 : 一千億 yit5 cien1 yit6
 * 1,000,000,000,000 : 一兆 yit5 cau4
 * number _____ (train, bus, etc.) : _____號 hau4
 * half : 半 ban4
 * less : 少 sau3
 * more : 多 do1

Time

 * now : 今下 gin1 ha4
 * late : 遲 ci2
 * early : 早 zau3
 * morning : 朝頭早 zau1 teu2 zau3
 * afternoon : 下晝 ha1 zu4
 * evening : 暗晡晨 am4 bu1 sin2
 * night : 夜晚晨 ya4 man1 sin2
 * dawn : 日頭一起 ngit5 teu2 yit5 hi3
 * dusk : 日頭落光 ngit5 teu2 lok6 gong1

Clock time

 * 1 o'clock : 一點鐘 yit5 diam3 zung1
 * 2 o'clock :  兩點鐘 liong3 diam3 zung1 (Note 兩 liong3 is used)
 * 3 o'clock : 三點鐘 sam1 diam3 zung1

The twelve divisions of the hour by five minute increments makes it fairly convenient to tell the time.

 * at the hour : 搭正 dap5 zin4
 * 5 past : 搭一 dap5 yit5 (literally "connected to number 1 on the clock face")
 * 10 past : 搭二 dap5 ngi4
 * quarter past : 搭三 dap5 sam1
 * 20 past : 搭四 dap5 si4
 * 25 past :  搭五 dap5 ng3
 * half past : 搭半 dap5 luk5
 * 25 to : 搭七 dap5 cit5
 * 20 to : 搭八 dap5 bat5
 * quarter to : 搭九 dap5 giu3
 * 10 to : 搭十 dap5 sip6
 * 5 to : 搭十一 dap5 sip6 yit5

Combine the two and you can express time as hour and minute combinations

 * twenty five past seven : 七點搭五 ciu4 cit5 diam3 dap5 ng3

When you want to express a time between the five minute divisions, you can do so by nearly or just after in the following manner.

 * nearly twenty five past seven : 就七點搭五 ciu4 cit5 diam3 dap5 ng3
 * just after twenty five past seven : 整過七點搭五 zang4 go4 cit5 diam3 dap5 ng3
 * nearly (approaching) : 就到 ciu4 dau4
 * just past (gone) : 過滴 go4 dit6

 * noon : 正午 zin4 ng3
 * midnight : 半夜 ban4 ya4

Duration

 * _____ minute(s) : _____分鐘 _____fun1 zung1
 * _____ hour(s) : _____隻鐘頭 _____zak5 zung1 teu2
 * _____ day(s) : _____日 _____ngit5
 * _____ week(s) : _____隻星期 _____zak5 sin1 ki2 / _____隻禮拜 _____zak5 li1 bai4
 * _____ month(s) : _____ 隻月頭 _____zak5 ngiet6 teu2
 * _____ year(s) : _____年 _____ngien2

Days

 * today : 今日 gin1 ngit5
 * yesterday : 喒晡日 cam4 bu1 ngit5
 * tomorrow : 明早日 min2 zau1 ngit5
 * this week : 這隻星期 ngia3 zak5 sin1 ki2 / 這隻禮拜 ngia4 zak5 li1 bai4
 * last week : 上隻星期 song4 zak5 sin1 ki2 / 上隻禮拜 song4 zak5 li1 bai4
 * next week : 下隻星期 ha4 zak5 sin1 ki2 / 下隻禮拜 ha4 zak5 li1 bai4

 * Sunday : 禮拜 li1 bai4 / 星期天 sin1 ki2 tien1
 * Monday : 禮拜一 li1 bai4 yit5 / 星期一 sin1 ki2 yit5
 * Tuesday : 禮拜二 li1 bai4 ngi4 / 星期二 sin1 ki2 ngi4
 * Wednesday : 禮拜三 li1 bai4 sam1 / 星期三 sin1 ki2 sam1
 * Thursday : 禮拜四 li1 bai4 si4 / 星期四 sin1 ki2 si4
 * Friday : 禮拜五 li1 bai4 ng3 / 星期五 sin1 ki2 ng3
 * Saturday : 禮拜六 li1 bai4 luk5 /星期六 sin1 ki2 luk5

Months

 * January : 一月 yit5 ngiet6
 * February : 二月 ngi4 ngiet6
 * March : 三月 sam1 ngiet6
 * April : 四月 si4 ngiet6
 * May : 五月 ng3 ngiet6
 * June : 六月 luk5 ngiet6
 * July : 七月 cit5 ngiet6
 * August : 八月 bat5 ngiet6
 * September : 九月 giu3 ngiet6
 * October : 十月 sip6 ngiet6
 * November : 十一月 sip6 yit5 ngiet6
 * December : 十二月 sip6 ngi4 ngiet6

 * First lunar month : 正月 zang1 ngiet6
 * Second lunar month : 二月 ngi4 ngiet6
 * Third lunar month : 三月 sam1 ngiet6
 * Fourth lunar month : 四月 si4 ngiet6
 * Fifth lunar month : 五月 ng3 ngiet6
 * Sixth lunar month : 六月 luk5 ngiet6
 * Seventh lunar month : 七月 cit5 ngiet6
 * Eighth lunar month : 八月 bat5 ngiet6
 * Ninth lunar month : 九月 giu3 ngiet6
 * Tenth lunar month : 十月 sip6 ngiet6
 * Eleventh lunar month : 十一月 sip6 yit5 ngiet6
 * Twelfth lunar month : 十二月 sip6 ngi4 ngiet6
 * Leap intercalculary month : 閏月 yun4 ngiet6

 * First day of lunar month : 初一 co1 yit5
 * Second day of lunar month : 初二 co1 ngi4
 * Ninth day of lunar month : 初九 co1 giu3
 * Tenth day of lunar month : 初十 co1 sip6
 * Eleventh day of lunar month : 十一(日) sip5 yit5 (ngit5)

Colors

 * black : ( )woo sek
 * Where does this train/bus go?:
 * Where is the train/bus to _____?:
 * Does this train/bus stop in _____?:
 * When does the train/bus for _____ leave?:
 * When will this train/bus arrive in _____?:

Directions

 * How do I get to _____ ? : ( )
 * ...the train station? : ( )
 * ...the bus station? : ( )
 * ...the airport? : ( )
 * ...downtown? : ( )
 * ...the youth hostel? : ( )
 * ...the _____ hotel? : ( )
 * ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate? : ( )
 * Where are there a lot of... : ( )
 * ...hotels? : ( )
 * ...restaurants? : ( )
 * ...bars? : ( )
 * ...sites to see? : ( )
 * Can you show me on the map? : ( )
 * street : ( )
 * Turn left. : ( )
 * Turn right. : ( )
 * left : ( )
 * right : ( )
 * straight ahead : ( )
 * towards the _____ : ( )
 * past the _____ : ( )
 * before the _____ : ( )
 * Watch for the _____. : ( )
 * intersection : ( )
 * north : ( )
 * south : ( )
 * east : ( )
 * west : ( )
 * uphill : ( )
 * downhill : ( )

Taxi

 * Taxi! : ( )
 * Take me to _____, please. : ( )
 * How much does it cost to get to _____? : ( )
 * Take me there, please. : ( )

Lodging

 * Do you have any rooms available? : ( )
 * How much is a room for one person/two people? : ( )
 * Does the room come with... : ( )
 * ...bedsheets? : ( )
 * ...a bathroom? : (baa fong )
 * ...a telephone? : ( )
 * ...a TV? : ( )
 * May I see the room first? : ( )
 * Do you have anything quieter? : ( )
 * ...bigger? : ( )
 * ...cleaner? : ( )
 * ...cheaper? : ( )
 * OK, I'll take it. : ( )
 * I will stay for _____ night(s). : ( )
 * Can you suggest another hotel? : ( )
 * Do you have a safe? : ( )
 * ...lockers? : ( )
 * Is breakfast/supper included? : ( )
 * What time is breakfast/supper? : ( )
 * Please clean my room. : ( )
 * Can you wake me at _____? : ( )
 * I want to check out. : ( )

Money

 * Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? : ( )
 * Do you accept British pounds? : ( )
 * Do you accept euros? : ( )
 * Do you accept credit cards? : ( )
 * Can you change money for me? : ( )
 * Where can I get money changed? : ( )
 * Can you change a traveler's check for me? : ( )
 * Where can I get a traveler's check changed? : ( )
 * What is the exchange rate? : ( )
 * Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? : ( )

Eating

 * A table for one person/two people, please. : ( )
 * Can I look at the menu, please? : ( )
 * Can I look in the kitchen? : ( )
 * Is there a house specialty? : ( )
 * Is there a local specialty? : ( )
 * I'm a vegetarian. : ( )
 * I don't eat pork. : ( )
 * I don't eat beef. : ( )
 * I only eat kosher food. : ( )
 * Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard) : ( )
 * fixed-price meal : ( )
 * a la carte : ( )
 * breakfast : ( )
 * lunch : ( )
 * tea (meal) : ( )
 * supper : ( )
 * I want _____. : ( )
 * I want a dish containing _____. : ( )
 * chicken : (gai )
 * beef : (ngu nuk )
 * fish : ( )
 * ham : ( )
 * sausage : ( )
 * cheese : ( )
 * eggs : ( )
 * salad : ( )
 * (fresh) vegetables :  ( )
 * (fresh) fruit : ( )
 * bread : ( )
 * toast : ( )
 * noodles : ( )
 * rice : ( )
 * beans : ( )
 * May I have a glass of _____? : ( )
 * May I have a cup of _____? : ( )
 * May I have a bottle of _____? : ( )
 * coffee : ( )
 * tea (drink) : ( )
 * juice : ( )
 * (bubbly) water : ( )
 * (still) water : ( )
 * beer : ( )
 * red/white wine : ( )
 * May I have some _____? : ( )
 * salt : ( )
 * black pepper : ( )
 * butter : ( )
 * Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server): ( )
 * I'm finished. : ( )
 * It was delicious. : ( )
 * Please clear the plates. : ( )
 * The check, please. : ( )

Bars

 * Do you serve alcohol? : ( )
 * Is there table service? : ( )
 * A beer/two beers, please. : ( )
 * A glass of red/white wine, please. : ( )
 * A pint, please. : ( )
 * A bottle, please. : ( )
 * _____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please. : ( )
 * whiskey : ( )
 * vodka : ( )
 * rum : ( )
 * water : ( )
 * club soda : ( )
 * tonic water : ( )
 * orange juice : ( )
 * Coke (soda) : ( )
 * Do you have any bar snacks? : ( )
 * One more, please. : ( )
 * Another round, please. : ( )
 * When is closing time? : ( )
 * Cheers! : ( )

Shopping

 * Do you have this in my size? : ( )
 * How much is this? : ( )
 * That's too expensive. : ( )
 * Would you take _____? : ( )
 * expensive : ( )
 * cheap : ( )
 * I can't afford it. : ( )
 * I don't want it. : ( )
 * You're cheating me. : ( )
 * I'm not interested. : (..)
 * OK, I'll take it. : ( )
 * Can I have a bag? : ( )
 * Do you ship (overseas)? : ( )
 * I need... : ( )
 * ...toothpaste. : ( )
 * ...a toothbrush. : ( )
 * ...tampons. : . ( )
 * ...soap. : ( )
 * ...shampoo. : ( )
 * ...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen) : ( )
 * ...cold medicine. : ( )
 * ...stomach medicine. : ... ( )
 * ...a razor. : ( )
 * ...an umbrella. : ( )
 * ...sunblock lotion. : ( )
 * ...a postcard. : ( )
 * ...postage stamps. : ( )
 * ...batteries. : ( )
 * ...writing paper. : ( )
 * ...a pen. : ( )
 * ...English-language books. : ( )
 * ...English-language magazines. : ( )
 * ...an English-language newspaper. : ( )
 * ...an English-English dictionary. : ( )

Driving

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

Authority

 * I haven't done anything wrong. : ( )
 * It was a misunderstanding. : ( )
 * Where are you taking me? : ( )
 * Am I under arrest? : ( )
 * I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. : ( )
 * I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate. : ( )
 * I want to talk to a lawyer. : ( )
 * Can I just pay a fine now? : ( )

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

title: Hakka phrasebook


text:
Hakkâri

Hakkâri (Turkish) or Colemêrg (Kurdish), formerly known as Julamerk (Turkish: Çölemerik) is a city in the namesake province in Eastern Anatolia, in the far southeastern corner of the country.

Understand
The city of Hakkari itself is nothing to write home about. Lots of army quarters but everyday life seems pretty normal. Getting there makes it worth the trip, as you are literally in the most remote city of the country, near the corner where Turkish, Iranian, and Iraqi borders meet.

People seem to be indifferent to tourists (or perhaps just a little cautious) but usually react in a friendly way if you  want to take their pictures. You will hear very little Turkish. Almost everybody in the streets speaks Kurdish.

Before World War I, the surrounding mountainous area was densely populated by the Chaldeans, who still call the area home to a smaller degree. The Chaldeans are Eastern Catholics who reverted to communion with the Roman Catholic Church after the schism of 1552, when they broke from the Syriac Orthodox Church, which in its turn broke from mainstream Christianity in the schism of 451 that came about after the Council of Chalcedon. In 1692, a smaller group of Chaldeans (re-)broke their communion with Rome, declaring themselves to be the members of the Assyrian Church of the East, an independent Eastern Christian denomination with a patriarchate in the village of Qodchanis/Qudshanis (modern Konak), northeast of Hakkari. (In 1918, the patriarchate was moved to Iraqi Kurdistan, and the former cathedral in Qodchanis now lays in ruins.)

Get in
Frequent buses from Van make Hakkari easily accessible.

Get around
As Hakkari is not a big place most of the town is within walking distance. It does spread out, however, over various hills. Do read the Stay safe note below.

Do
Hakkari Province is the home to some of Turkey's most beautiful mountain scenery, which is very undervisited due to (actual or supposed) safety concerns.

Sleep
Hakkari has three hotels. None of them has its own website.

Stay safe
Travelling there is pretty safe as long as you stick to the main roads and/or use public transport. Going for a wild walk (to take pictures) on your own even to the top of one of the hills close to the city could let you end up next to a military zone. That could be very unpleasant as you may be thought to be a PKK agent and treated as such. You should always have your passport or ID with you. To a frustrated and rightly fearful soldier in these regions (not the most comfortable place to be deployed), it seems to be difficult to differentiate between a tourist and a terrorist.

Connect
(+90) 438 is the area code for Hakkari.

Go next
There are several buses to Van daily leaving from the city centre to all sorts of places. The only bus southwest to Şırnak leaves pretty early in the morning (7AM), though.

Check with big bus companies like Vangölü or Best Van. Due to the regional conflicts there might be ID controls on the buses. In case of bombings roads might also be closed, so do not rely on too tight a schedule.

title: Hakkâri


text:
Hakodate

Hakodate (函館) is a port city in Southern Hokkaidō, Japan. Separated by the 20-km long Tsugaru Strait (津軽海峡) from Honshu, Japan's main island, the city has naturally been seen as an entrance to Hokkaido. Like Kanazawa and Nagasaki, Hakodate is one of the hidden gems of Japanese tourism. Everyone should see Kyoto and Tokyo, because they're amazing cities. But Japanese domestic tourists, having done those cities before, come in droves to some places that international tourists may not have heard of and appreciate the fabulous food, culture and history of some of Japan's lesser known cities. Hakodate should not be missed on a trip to Hokkaido.

Understand
Hakodate is located on the south coast of the Southern Circuit in Hokkaido, the northernmost major island of Japan. As one of the first cities in Japan to be opened to trade, like Yokohama and Kobe, there are numerous signs of foreign influence in Hakodate, notably in architecture.

Hakodate used to be the largest settlement of explorers in Hokkaido Island through and after the Meiji era, following the few years of the Republic of Ezo since 1868 (see box). The city-wide fire in 1934 significantly reduced its influence and population with many moving north. Despite continued depopulation, as of 2023, it is still the third largest city on the island with a population of roughly 240,000 people, surpassed only by Sapporo and Asahikawa.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site.

By plane

Hakodate Airport is connected to notable spots in the city by buses through these stops:

 * Bus Stop 1: Line 7A, 7B, 7E, and 7F to Goryokaku Park.
 * Bus Stop 2: Line 5 to Trappistine Convent and Goryokaku Tower, Line 96 to Yunokawa Onsen.
 * Bus Stop 3: Shuttle buses to Hakodate Station and Onuma Quasi-National Park.

Otherwise, National Route 278 follows the south coast towards Hakodate Station while Prefectural Route 100 goes through the northern edges of the city proper towards Hokuto. Taxis are plentiful, if relatively expensive. Price estimates are as follows (20% surcharge added between 22:00 and 05:00):

 * Airport Area (Trappistine Convent, Hakodate Arena, Yunokawa Onsen): ¥1,500-2,000.
 * Central Area (Goryokaku Park, Goryokaku Tower, Central Library, Hakodate Museum): ¥2,500-3,500.
 * Station Area (Hakodate Station, Morning Market, Red Brick Warehouses, Old Town, Mount Hakodate): ¥3,000-3,500.
 * Ferry Area (Tsugaru Kaikyo Ferry Terminal): ¥4,000-5,000.
 * Hokuto Area (Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station, Trappist Convent): ¥8,500-11,000.
 * Onuma Area (Onuma Quasi-National Park): ¥10,000-13,000.

By train
Hakodate has three train stations of note: Hakodate Liner (はこだてライナー) shuttle trains connect these stations, timed to match the bullet train schedule. Hokuto limited express train connect these stations northbound to Onuma Quasi-National Park, Toyako, Noboribetsu, and Sapporo.
 * Hakodate Station (函館駅) is downtown and served by conventional trains.
 * Goryōkaku Station (五稜郭駅) is northwest of the city and connects with the Isaribi Line towards Kikonai. Not to be confused with Goryōkaku Park or Goryōkaku Tower several kilometers east.
 * Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station (新函館北斗駅) is 18 km north of Hakodate Station and is the northernmost terminal for the bullet train.

It takes approximately 4½ hours to reach Hakodate from Tokyo using the Hayabusa bullet train and the Hakodate Liner. A one-way trip costs ¥23,500 in standard class, and is fully covered by the national Japan Rail Pass. With the bullet train expanding north to Otaru and Sapporo, the new mayor of Hakodate is considering a plan to connect Hakodate Station directly to the network. If enacted, it will be available around 2030. If you are just traveling between Tokyo and Hokkaido, consider the JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass, which is slightly cheaper than the national pass (¥35,000). This pass covers bullet train travel between Tokyo and Hakodate as well as the Hokuto between Hakodate and Sapporo. It can be used on a consecutive 6-day period. Unlike the national pass, however, the JR East-South Hokkaido Pass only comes in one version for standard class travel.

Seishun 18 Ticket
Seishun 18 ticket users who want to go to Hakodate from Honshu must purchase a separate ticket for ¥2,500. This includes bullet train travel between Okutsugaru-Imabetsu (the last stop in Honshu) and Kikonai (the first stop in Hokkaido), as well as travel on the Isaribi Line between Kikonai and Goryokaku Station.

By boat
Hakodate's main ferry terminal is roughly halfway between Hakodate Station and Goryokaku Station, and a 20-minute walk from Nanae-hama Station on the Isaribi line. Line 16 and 16A buses connect it to Goryokaku Park, while shuttle buses timed to match ferry arrivals connect it directly to Hakodate Station. National Route 227 follows the west coast connecting it to Hakodate Station, while taxis around the ferry terminal are best booked in advance for cheaper set prices.

Seikan Ferry and Tsugaru Kaikyo Ferry operate ferry services from Hakodate to Aomori with multiple departures daily. Trips take 3 hours and 40 minutes. One-way fares are cheaper on the Seikan; ¥2,200-2,700 depending on the travel season. Tsugaru offers several classes of service, from standard carpet space (similar to Seikan, ¥2,900-3,900) up to a suite with two beds and an in-room shower and toilet (¥5,700-7,900). Tsugaru also sails to Ōma on the remote Shimokita Peninsula, with two daily round-trips. Fares range from ¥2,400 to ¥4,100 for the 1 hour and 30 minute ride. Vehicles can be brought to these ferries for ¥12,000-30,000.

Get around
Hakodate is connected by two (practically one that branches to the SW of the city) streetcar lines and roughly two-hundred bus lines. Take a ticket or tap the IC card reader when boarding, then drop the ticket in the ticket box or tap again when getting off.

Nationwide IC cards can be used in Hakodate, but using the local ICAS nimoca cuts ¥160 off bus-bus/bus-streetcar transfers, though it's probably not worth the hassle for travelers to create a card for this discount alone.

Pay exact amounts in cash, and use the 両替 machine next to the ticket box to exchange coins or ¥1000 bills to smaller denominations if needed. Larger bills and the new (silver core with gold ring) ¥500 coins can only be exchanged with the driver.

Day passes costs ¥600 for the streetcar, ¥800 for the bus, or ¥1,000 for both. Most passes can only be purchased from the [https://sp.cstm.dohna.jp/tabs/home DohNa!!! website], but streetcar-only paper passes can still be purchased from the driver when delighting. The two streetcar lines are Route 2 (Y, red), and Route 5 (D, blue). Both lines run from 湯の川 (Yunokawa) until it branches in 十字街 (Jūjigai). Stops on these lines are as follows: 1Some cars terminate here later in the day. Avoid these cars when traveling westward.

2Nearest stop to Goryōkaku Park and Goryōkaku Tower. Not to be confused with Goryōkaku Station (五稜郭駅)

3Adjacent to Hakodate Station (函館駅)

4Not to be confused with the ferry terminal.

See

Buy

 * Glasswares and musicboxes can be bought at the old Meijikan Post Office (明治館 meiji-kan). Meijikan is near the vicinity of the red brick warehouses (akarenga) and the Hakodate Beer Hall. Get off at the streetcar's jujigai (十字街) stop.
 * Glasswares and musicboxes can be bought at the old Meijikan Post Office (明治館 meiji-kan). Meijikan is near the vicinity of the red brick warehouses (akarenga) and the Hakodate Beer Hall. Get off at the streetcar's jujigai (十字街) stop.

Department stores
Two department stores sandwiching the 五稜郭公園前 (Goryōkaku-kōen-mae) streetcar stop are available in Hakodate:

 * Marui Imai (丸井今井) is the oldest and most popular chain in Hokkaido. They are also available in Sapporo.
 * Share Star (シエスタ) hosts rotating small local businesses, Starbucks, JINS, MUJI, as well as a public community space on the fourth floor.

Convenience stores

 * Seicomart (セイコーマート) is a convenience store chain that is almost exclusively available in Hokkaido. It sells many Hokkaido-specific foods and knick-knacks. 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson are also available in decreasing order.
 * Hasegawa Store (ハセガワストア) is a convenience store chain only available in the Hakodate area. They are well known for やきとり弁当 (yakitori-bentō). It is a grilled pork skewer lunch set despite やきとり (yakitori) in the name, though grilled chicken skewers are also available.

Drug stores

 * Tsuruha Drug (ツルハドラッグ) is a nationwide chain with duty-free shopping available.
 * Sapporo Drug Store (サッポロドラッグストアー) is a local chain exclusively available on the island.

Eat
Hakodate's signature fish is squid and its signature dish is Hakodate shio rāmen (noodle with salty soup. not to be confused with shoyu ramen), a version of the ubiquitous noodle dish prepared with — you guessed it — squid stock instead of the usual pork. Nearby Mori-machi is also reputed to have Japan's finest ika-meshi, rice-stuffed squid. If you dare, eat the odori-don or ike ika-don dish, where a live squid is caught from the fish tank, its head removed, sliced and served as a side dish, and the rest placed on top of a rice bowl. The squid is so fresh that you can still see it change colours and move its tentacles on the plate as you pour the soy sauce!

Drink
There are two main drinking districts in Hakodate, Daimon, which is close to the station, and Goryōkaku, in particular Hon-Cho. Foreigners seem to be more catered to in the Goryōkaku area.

Stay safe
Visitors unused to icy conditions should be careful in winter of the icy conditions, particularly of black ice. Cars may skid in the streets and pedestrians can fall victim to it on the sidewalks. Do as the Japanese do: simply stand up and keep walking like nothing happened.

As elsewhere in Japan, Hakodate is comparatively very safe when it comes to petty crime. One exception that seems to happen in Hokkaido, albeit rarely even then, is being approached by a foreigner claiming to be in distress and needing cash. They will tell you that an ATM swallowed their card or some other sob story and that they cannot speak Japanese but strangely are not interested in being accompanied to the police so you can translate for them. This will likely occur in a touristy area and they don't pose any danger. Simply direct them to the nearest police box, there is one near the station.

Go next

 * Lake Onuma (大沼 ōnuma), a "quasi-national park" that's about half an hour to the north by express train, offers a pleasant quick gateway. If you wish to go to Lake Ōnuma by local train, make sure to check the train schedule since local trains only come every 2 hours or so.
 * Matsumae (松前), 1½ hour drive from Hakodate along the coast, has the only castle in Hokkaidō, which is in Matsumae park, famed in southern Hokkaidō (南北海道 minami hokkaidō or 道南 dōnan) for excellent cherry blossom viewing in late April/early May.
 * Esan (恵山), known for its Tsutsuji (Azalea) festival in late May/early June, it's about a 45-minute car ride east of Hakodate city proper (but still within the city limits). The drive will take you mostly along the coast with scenic views of northern Aomori on clear days.
 * Esashi
 * Hokuto
 * Kikonai
 * Shiriuchi
 * Imabetsu
 * Aomori
 * Tomakomai
 * Otaru
 * Sapporo

title: Hakodate


text:
Hakone

Hakone (箱根) is a mountainous area west of Tokyo in Japan. The Hakone checkpoint on the historical Tokaido road marks the beginning of the Kanto region.

Tourist information site
Hakone is also the name of a Town (箱根町). The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site. Its download section has some guide maps in English - seek for 英語 ("English").

By plane
The nearest airports to Hakone are quite a distance away in the Tokyo area. If you are interested in booking a stay at a traditional ryokan in Hakone, it is strongly recommended that you plan to arrive in Hakone at least one day after you land in Tokyo. If you go to Hakone on the same day that you arrive, there is a good chance you might miss out on (and be charged for) dinner at the ryokan, or worse, you may be locked out of (and be charged for) your room at the ryokan's curfew time, if there is one.

If you land at Haneda Airport early enough, there are two direct buses to Hakone-Yumoto train station, stopping in Yokohama along the way. Buses leave starting from the International Terminal/Terminal 3 at 08:25 and 12:35, with return trips leaving Hakone-Yumoto at 13:00 and 16:30. The one-way fare is ¥2000 and the trip takes about 2 hr.

Otherwise, from Haneda, take the Keikyu Line to Yokohama, the JR Tokaido Line to Odawara, and finally the Hakone-Tozan Line to Hakone-Yumoto (2 hr, ¥1650). Alternatively, take the Keikyu Line to Shinagawa and transfer to the shinkansen (see below).

There are no direct transport links to Hakone from Narita Airport. Plan on allotting between 2½ and 4 hr if heading to Hakone, depending on the route taken. The easiest route with luggage may be to take the JR Narita Express or a highway bus to Shinjuku and change to the Odakyu Romancecar (see below).

By train
The fastest and most expensive method of reaching Hakone from Tokyo is to take a Tokaido Shinkansen all-stop Kodama (こだま) train from Tokyo to Odawara which leave 1-2 times per hour, then transfer to the Hakone-Tozan Line for the run to Hakone-Yumoto (trains operated by Odakyu Railway). The one-way fare starts from ¥3600 for unreserved seating, but with a Japan Rail Pass you need only to pay ¥320 for the Hakone-Tozan line - easily done with a Suica or PASMO card (Limited Express trains require an extra ¥200 surcharge). With a good connection, the trip takes one hour.

Be aware that any  JR East Rail Pass will not provide access to the Tokaido Shinkansen and to make use of this pass you will need to ride the regular Tokaido Main Line to Odawara. From Tokyo, a convenient choice is the Odoriko limited express train, which operates a few times every day. Advance seat reservations are possible.

Rail Pass holders can also use regular JR commuter trains to Odawara, which otherwise cost ¥1840 and take 75-90 min from Tokyo Station or Shinjuku. Unreserved Green Car (First Class) seats are available on a first-come first-serve basis. The surcharge for Green Car seats between Tokyo and Odawara is ¥1000 on weekdays and ¥800 on weekends and holidays, purchased in advance using an IC card (e.g. Suica) or a ticket. You can also purchase a Green Car seat on the train for an additional fee.

The affordable and more direct method of reaching Hakone from Tokyo is to take the Odakyu Odawara Line from Shinjuku. The fastest trains on the Odakyu Line are the Hakone (はこね) and Super Hakone (スーパーはこね) Romancecar services, which run twice an hour for most of the day. The 85-90 min journey costs ¥2330. Slower commuter trains reach Hakone in about 2 hr at a cost of ¥1220 (change trains in Odawara).

Odakyu Super Hakone services also offer saloon seating - private compartments with a table that can seat up to 4 people. The saloon fare from Shinjuku to Hakone is ¥4440 for the compartment in addition to the basic fare for each passenger.

Rail connections can be made at Odawara from Nagoya (2 1/2 hrs), Kyoto (3 hrs) and other locations throughout Japan. An alternate route from central and western Japan is to exit the Tokaido Shinkansen at Mishima and take the hourly Tokai Bus Orange Shuttle to Hakone-machi (42 min, ¥990) or Moto-Hakone (53 min, ¥1050).

By bus
Odakyu Hakone Highway Bus operates several buses from the Tokyo area to Hakone-Togendai via Gotemba Station. Most buses leave from the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal (Busta Shinjuku) every 30 minutes between 06:35 and 14:05, then hourly until 19:05. Return buses leave Togendai at 07:30, 08:30, 09:30, then every 30 minutes until 18:00 (2 hr 30 min, ¥2040 each way). Odakyu Bus also operates four daily round-trips between Haneda Airport, Yokohama and Togendai (¥1300/¥1990 respectively) and two express round-trips between Haneda, Yokohama and Hakone-Yumoto train station (¥2000/¥1550 respectively).

Both Odakyu and JR Bus operate hourly trips between Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal and Togendai (¥2040; ¥1940 if purchased in advance).

Get around

Modes of transport in the Hakone region are many and varied. Your options include:
 * The scenic Hakone-Tozan Line mountain railway from Odawara to Gora via Hakone-Yumoto
 * The Hakone-Tozan Cablecar up the mountainside from Gora to Sounzan
 * The Hakone Ropeway from Sounzan down to Togendai on Lake Ashinoko via the boiling sulphur pits of Owakudani
 * The Hakone Sightseeing Ships, decked out like Disneyland versions of pirate ships, sailing across the lake from Togendai to Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi
 * And positively dull in comparison, the Hakone-Tozan Bus back to Hakone-Yumoto or Odawara. The last bus from town to some of the faraway places leaves around 20:00.

Information on these are gathered on Odakyu's Hakone Navi website with a journey planner, info on how to pay the fare and route maps.

Some modes of transportation - in particular the ropeway - close from time to time for regular inspections, or in windy conditions. Buses will run replacement services in these cases.

Most people opt for the Odakyu Hakone Free Pass, which includes a return trip from Shinjuku and allows unlimited use of all of the above forms of transport for several days. In addition, pass holders can receive discounts at many hot springs, museums, restaurants, and other locations by showing their pass.

The 2-day Free Pass costs ¥6100 from Shinjuku and ¥5000 from Odawara. A 3-day pass can be purchased for an extra ¥400. Additionally, if you have a Free Pass from Shinjuku you can use the Hakone Limited Express train by paying a surcharge of ¥1110 each way. You can also travel in a saloon compartment, if offered, at a cost of ¥4440 for the compartment. Holders of the Japan Rail Pass and JR East Rail Pass should travel to Odawara station by JR using the methods described earlier, and pay for the Free Pass from Odawara.

Accessibility
Despite the mountainous location and numerous transfers, travelers with disabilities can enjoy the entire Hakone Round Course. Unfortunately, getting to the many hot springs and art galleries is a different matter altogether as many mid-route stations are inaccessible or are on very steep hills.

See

The volcanically active Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, centered on Lake Ashinoko, is a popular tourist attraction well known for its onsen (hot springs) and its views of Mount Fuji.

Do
No trip to Hakone would be complete without a dip at a Japanese hot spring (onsen). If you're staying overnight, your lodgings may include bathing facilities, but if not many hotels open up their baths to visitors for around ¥500 or so.

Eat

If you stay at a ryokan, dinner and breakfast might be included; make sure in advance.

Hakone’s delicious natural spring water is also used to make soba, or thin noodles made from buckwheat flour. Soba is served in so many restaurants in the onsen town that it may replace rice to become the main course for your meals in Hakone. Soba can be served cold or hot, accompanied by delicious sides such as tofu, tempura or vegetables.

Sleep
Hakone has many onsen ryokan, traditional Japanese inns featuring hot springs. Facilities vary widely, although prices are generally somewhat elevated (especially on weekends) due to the proximity of Tokyo.

Go next

 * Gotemba
 * Odawara
 * Yugawara
 * Minamiashigara
 * Atami
 * Susono
 * Oyama
 * Fujiyoshida
 * Mount Fuji

title: Hakone


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Hakuba

Hakuba (白馬村 Hakuba-mura), is a skiing resort in Nagano Prefecture, in Chubu region of Japan.

Understand
The name Hakuba which means white horse was derived by the shape of a horse of snow on the mountain side during spring time. History shows traders following the famous Salt Road from the Sea of Japan to Matsumoto who would stop in the Hakuba valley overnight to rest.

Tourist information site
The village an official bilingual guide site.

By train
Hakuba is a stop on the JR Oito Line.

From Shinjuku in Tokyo, there is one daily Super Azusa limited express service that runs to Hakuba. The ride takes 3 hours, 45 minutes and costs ¥8070 each way. There is also an additional Azusa service on certain dates, making the run to Hakuba in about 4 hours.

Otherwise, you will have to take an Azusa or Super Azusa to Matsumoto and take one (possibly two) Oito Line local trains, increasing the journey to 4½ hours.

The fastest route from Tokyo is by Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo Station to Nagano: 105 min/¥8,170. Then by bus from Nagano to Hakuba 65 min/¥1,500. Trains run every half hour or so, buses every hour. Note that the last bus from Nagano Station to Hakuba is 20:30. This whole trip takes just over 2½ hours, ¥9,700 one way.

These trips are useful for Japan Rail Pass holders, or else it is probably cheaper to take the bus.

Get around

 * Outside of the winter months, there are plenty of bike trails and walking paths to get around the area. Many hostels have bike rental which helps if you are a little bit outside of Hakuba proper.
 * If you are based around Kamishiro station, you are on the main rail line and road so a trip into Hakuba proper is only five minutes by JR or by bus.
 * The Shuttle Bus "Genki-Go" runs from December through March in the evenings from 17:00. Three lines run throughout Hakuba for ¥300 a ride.

During the Green Season
Near Hakuba, during the green season (i.e. spring, summer & autumn), there are three freshwater lakes that are so clean that you can swim in them. In order from south to north, they are called Aoki-ko, Nakatuna-ko, and Kizaki-ko. The use of engines and outboard motors is banned on Aoki-ko, making it the quietest and nicest of the three. Popular activities include boating, sport fishing, and windsurfing. Nakazuna-ko is very small and only really attracts fishermen. Kizaki-ko is the most developed, and since engines are allowed, sports like wakeboarding are popular.

During the summer, most of the ski resorts operate some of their lifts to allow access to higher elevations. At Hakuba 47 and Aokiko (in nearby Omachi), the lifts allow access for mountain biking. Hiking or simply enjoying the views are popular at Happo, Goryu and Tsugaike. Above Happo, an easy trail extends for 40 minutes to a small pond in which the local alpine peaks are reflected. A couple of hours further up the trail lies the peak of Mt. Karamatsu on the main ridge of the North Alps. The top ski run at Goryu becomes an alpine garden in summer and another trail leads further upward to a viewpoint (around 50 minutes) or the peak of Mt. Goryu itself (around four hours). Above Tsugaike, a further ropeway takes you to a wetland that is designated as a national park. A trail from here takes you up to Mt. Shirouma, after which Hakuba is named. Shirouma and Hakuba are different readings of the kanji for "white horse". The smaller ski field of Iwatake uses its pistes to grow thousands of lilies in summer and also has a dry ski slope if you're desperate for turns.

Like all mountain areas in Japan, temperatures in Hakuba stay much cooler than in the cities on Japan's Pacific coast. That alone makes it worthy of a visit.

Hakuba, located in Nagano Prefecture, equally central to Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo and nestled at the base of the Northern Japan Alps is towered over by the Three Peaks which provide a stunning backdrop year round. While Hakuba is world famous for it's snow and boasts more than 10 resorts, the green season offers plenty to those craving an escape from the confines of Japan in general.

Do
Whether you're a snowboarder or skier, beginner or pro, with seven ski resorts in the area you shouldn't have problems finding a run to suit your style.

There are plenty of onsen (hot spring baths) in the Hakuba area, perfect for soaking away the aches and pains of a day on the slopes. Don't forget to wash off before you enter the water.

Buy
Hakuba's specialty products include blueberries and purple rice.
 * Fresh blueberries can be picked straight from the vine during spring and summer at the Blueberry Farm,, or purchased from most gift stores in the region.
 * For the same berry flavor with increased shelf-life, try some locally made blueberry youkan (sweet jelly) or daifuku (rice cakes with sweet paste).
 * Hakuba Murasakimai, or purple rice, is the result of boiling a mixture of glutinous and non-glutinous grains. It's available from roadside stations around Hakuba.

Go next

 * Visit the nearby towns of Ikeda, Matsukawa, and Otari.
 * Stop off in the prefectural capital of Nagano, with historic sites dating back to the 7th century.
 * Chikuma - Explore the onsens, mountains and temples of this small city straddling the picturesque Chikuma River
 * Matsumoto - Check out the famous black castle
 * Azumino - Spice up your life with a visit to the Wasabi farm
 * Jigokudani Monkey Park — snowbathing monkeys
 * Joshinetsu Kogen National Park — More fun in the snow at Shiga Kogen, Japan's largest ski resort
 * Ueda - castle ruins and mountain hikes

title: Hakuba


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Hakui

Hakui (羽咋) is a city in Ishikawa. It is conveniently situated between Kanazawa and the Noto Peninsula.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site with integrated Google Translate.

Get in
There is a local train from Kanazawa to Hakui. Hakui is also served by the Thunderbird Limited Express.

See
UFO Museum - The UFO Museum has an "alien autopsy" and records of every UFO sighting.

Do
Drive on the beach Sumo Festival - Hakui holds a free outdoor Sumo tournament every September.

title: Hakui


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Hakusan National Park

Hakusan National Park (白山国立公園 Hakusan Kokuritsu Kōen) is in Chubu of Japan, spanning Ishikawa, Gifu, Fukui and Toyama prefectures.

Understand
Mount Haku is on the borders of Ishikawa and Gifu prefectures in Central Japan, and forms the centerpiece of the Hakusan National Park. It is an active volcano standing 2702 meters tall. A popular hiking destination and one of the Three Famous Mountains of Japan, Hakusan's best seasons are late summer and fall when the mountain is at its most picturesque.

Flora and fauna
Mount Haku is known for its diverse plant life. There are various types of alpine plants in the vicinity, including the chocolate lily, which is Ishikawa's prefectural plant. The Golden Eagle, Ishikawa's prefectural bird, lives on the slopes of Mount Haku. The Rock Ptarmigan, Gifu's prefectural bird, used to live on the slopes as well; however, during the Meiji period, the entire population of Ptarmigan on the mountain disappeared (the bird is still abundant elsewhere in Japan). More information on the flora, fauna and history of Mount Haku can be found in the Mount Hakusan Nature Center.

Get in
Kanazawa is the nearest major city. A scenic drive into the park by the Mount Hakusan Super Forest road is possible in summer and autumn, but in winter and spring snowfall may be a problem and the road may be closed.

title: Hakusan National Park


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Halberstadt

A town in the northern foothills of the Harz Mountains of central Germany, Halberstadt is known as The Gateway to the Harz Mountains and retains many important historic buildings.

Understand
Halberstadt, a town of about 50,000 people, is only a few minutes by car from the mountains, and travellers are welcomed from afar by the impressive towers of the 1200-year-old Bishop's Seat. The town was severely damaged in World War II, but retains many important historic buildings and much of its ancient townscape. Notable places in Halberstadt include the Liebfrauenkirche and St. Stephen Cathedral, churches built in the 12th and 13th centuries, respectively. Halberstadt is the site of the first documented large, permanent pipe organ installation in 1361. The cathedral is notable among those in northern European towns in having retained its medieval treasury in virtually complete condition. Among its treasures are the oldest surviving tapestries in Europe, dating from the 12th century.

By plane
The closest airports with international flights are Leipzig/Halle near Schkeuditz and Hanover Airport. Both airports are connected to their respective towns by S-Bahn and from there you can take regional trains to Halberstadt; for Hanover change in Goslar and for Leipzig/Halle change in Halle. Leipzig Halle Airport is also served by some long distance trains, enabling a change in Magdeburg

By train
There are frequent daily direct connections to Magdeburg approximately 40 minutes, Halle approximately 1 hour 30 minutes and Hanover approximately 2 hours. Trains can be booked via the DB website.

By road
Halberstadt is served by the B79 and the B81 which provide access from all directions and lead to the main regional road B6 to the south. The B6 in turn, leads north west to the A395 and Braunschweig, or east to the A14 which goes north towards Magdeburg or south to Halle and Leipzig.

By tram

 * Halberstadt has around 9.5 km of tram track which form two tram routes around town. These trams can be accessed from any one of around 30 tram stops and used to travel around the area for a small charge.Timetables.

TIP: The www.insa.de HarzTourCard enables you to travel by bus, train and narrow gauge train (only Schierke–Brocken) as much as you like within three days. It costs €18, family: €34.50 from the local tourist information or website.

By bus

 * Halberstadt has 5 bus routes which cover the whole area and are available for use by visitors and locals alike for a small charge. Timetable and prices also at the above website.

Places of worship

General
Halberstadt town centre has the normal array of shops expected in a town of this size. C&A, indoor shopping malls, clothes shops like New Yorker and Orsay and electronic shops.

Connect
For Wi-Fi and internet please visit Harzer Kaffeehaus Löper, Trillgasse 2.

Many of the hotels and guest houses offer internet or Wi-Fi access.

Go next

 * Blankenburg is a town and health resort in the district of Harz
 * Braunlage is a health resort and one of the centres for winter activities in Harz.
 * Goslar Street after street of beautifully-carved, half-timbered houses, in fact, this town has the largest number of old houses in Germany, 1800 of them!
 * Quedlinburg charming medieval city in the Harz mountains with elaborately restored half-timbered houses
 * Schierke is a popular place to start or finish a walk to the Brocken mountain via the Goetheweg or the Glashüttenweg.
 * Stolberg is an ex-mining community with buildings going back to the 8th century
 * Thale in a strikingly beautiful river gorge. There are miles of wonderful hiking trails starting from the town.
 * Wernigerode' in the Harz foothills' has half-timbered houses, a castle, and a steam-powered narrow-gauge railroad that will take you to the Brocken

title: Halberstadt


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Halden

Halden  is a town and municipality in Østfold county in Norway.

Get in
By train Halden is served by the Norwegian State Railway as the southern terminus of the Oslo-Halden line, which also continues to Gothenburg 3 times a day.

By Car When entering the country from Sweden, turn right just after the Svinesund Bridge, and follow the road signs to Halden.

By Boat You could take the boat from Sandefjord to Strømstad in Sweden. From there, you can take the bus, or drive by car. Estimate 30 minutes travel time from Strømstad.

If you own a boat of your own, sailing through the narrow Svinesund (a part of the border fjord Iddefjorden) brings you to Haldens beautiful guest harbour where you could stay for your visit.

By Bus You could take the bus from Oslo to Halden (and Strømstad in Sweden) http://www.nettbuss.no/ekspressbuss/timekspressen. Estimate 55 minutes travel time from Strømstad and 2 hours from Oslo.

Get around
If staying inside the town, the best thing is to travel by foot. There's no long distances, and you get to see most of the town. There are also frequent Town buses that cover the town center and nearest surroundings. In daytime usually each 30 minutes.

See

While in town, you should take a walk in Busterudparken, located on the north side of the town. It's a small, but beautiful park. From the park, walk down "Gågata" and take a look at the harbour.

Do

 * Go hiking in one of Haldens forests. Bring your tent and stay a night in Boksjøen.
 * Go fishing in the Iddefjord, Berbyelva or one of the lakes. Be aware that fishing anywhere else than in the Iddefjord requires a small fee.
 * Go bathing: Take a bath in the iddefjord, Krussæther or one of the lakes.
 * Exploring the town.
 * Visit all the bars at one night and get drunk.
 * Take the ferry "Turisten".

Eat
Halden has numerous restaurants and small cafeterias. If you look around inside the town, you can be sure to find a place that match your taste. If you just want to get a cheap meal, you could always go to McDonalds, located at Tista Shopping center.

Drink
The harbour is full of places to enjoy a cold beer on a hot summer day.

The pub "Siste Reis" by the train station is worth a visit, voted to be one of the ten best pubs in Europe!

At the town square you will find the local micro brewery "Den Gylne Høne".

Sleep
Numerous hotels are available. Be aware that staying at a hotel is expensive. If you are on a low budget, your best option will be to bring a tent and visit one of the camping sites instead. Fredriksten Camping is located at the fortress. From there you can walk down to the town in less than ten minutes.

In the suburbs it is possible to book a house near the lake Femsjøen (10 km away from Halden). But before you arrive ask for exact description of how to get there, because without it you will surely get lost. It can be done through Norwegian or Danish travel agency (for example Novasol).

title: Halden


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Haldia

Haldia is an industrial city in the South Rarh region of West Bengal, near the confluence of the Hooghly River and the Haldi River. It is home to the Haldia Dock Complex, which is a part of the Kolkata Port Trust. The Haldia Refinery of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) was commissioned in 1975 and many industries cropped up in Haldia since then.

By bus
There are several bus services in Haldia, including the Haldia Municipality Transport Service, which takes $1/undefined$ hours from Kolkata. However, you are advised to check and confirm fare and timings before travelling.

title: Haldia


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Hale'iwa

Hale'iwa (Ha-lay-eee-va) is a small beach town on the North Shore of Oahu. It's the most built up of the towns in the region, has some of the better restaurants, and is generally the place to go if you're staying within half an hour or so of here.

By car
From Honolulu or Waikiki: Or if you have a car, take the H1 west to the H2 north, follow signs for the North Shore and you'll end up on the Kamehameha Hwy. Look for signs to Hale'iwa. The journey is about 40min.

From Schofield Barracks Area: There is a sign on Highway 99 indicating where to turn to reach Hale'iwa.

From Waimea Bay: Head west on Kamehameha Hwy, and take a right turn at the sign for Hale'iwa.

By bus
From Honolulu/Waikiki, it's pretty easy to bus it instead of driving. Catch the Number 52 bus at Ala Moana Shopping Center, or the Number 55 "Kaneohe/Circle Island" and get off in Hale'iwa to stretch your legs. Help the planet, help reduce Oahu congestion and don't rent a car, catch the bus. You'll save money and meet real people who really live here.

You might want to take a jacket or fleece with you since the air conditioning inside buses is often pretty fierce.

Get around
The town is small, and best seen on foot. However, there are several other options to see the town, and the whole of the North Shore. You can rent a bike, moped or even an Uber if need be. With the North Shore being visited by over half of the visitors that come to Oahu, you will want to take advantage of nimble transportation.

Go next
From Hale'iwa it is 13.5 mi (22km) to Turtle Bay Hilton, 16 mi (26km) to Kahuku, 17 mi (27km) to Malaikahana and 19 mi (31km) to Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie.

 * Waimea Valley - Stunning botanical gardens and waterfall. 0.5 mi (1km) stroll to waterfalls, reasonable prices for admission and lunch. Thursday and Sunday at 2PM, the Native Plant Tour is offered. Also look for Full Moon Walks and Historic Hawaii Living Tours.

title: Hale'iwa


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Haleakalā National Park

Haleakalā National Park is a national park on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

Understand
The park is open year-round, 24 hours a day, except for severe weather closures. The park preserves a stunning volcanic crater and surrounding mountain.

History
Haleakala National Park was established in 1916. It now protects 30,183 (12,214 ha) acres of land on Maui. Within the park 24,719 acres (10,003 ha) are designated as a Wilderness Area and this land is managed under the Wilderness Act of 1964.

Landscape
Extensive lava flows, ash, and cinder cones cover the floor of the crater at the summit. Many compare it to a moonscape. The Park extends all the way down to sea level and so has varied landscapes.

Flora and fauna
Haleakala National Park has more endangered species than any other park in the NPS, even including species that are listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service but not native to the park. Isolation of the Hawaiian Islands from any mainland resulted in unique evolution here. There are only two native Hawaiian land mammals, the monk seal and the hoary bat. There are no native land amphibians or reptiles.

Whales, turtles, dolphins and seabirds can sometimes be seen off-shore, while an afternoon spent looking for a glimpse of the freshwater inhabitants (shrimp, rock-climbing goby, other fish) can be a cool and rewarding way to spend your time.

Haleakala is famous for its endangered silversword plant. Growing where it seems that almost nothing grows, it is a stunning contrast to the stark landscape.

Climate
In any given day the temperatures in the park can range from a high of 80°F (27°C) in Kipahulu to a low of 30°F (-1°C) at the summit. In either area clouds and rain can quickly replace warm sunshine.

Summit and Wilderness
 * Weather in the high-elevation areas of the park is highly unpredictable and changes often. Cool temperatures, intense solar radiation, and rapidly moving clouds are characteristic. On average, the temperature drops about 3°F for every 1,000-foot rise in elevation (or approximately 5°C for every 1,000-meter elevation rise), making the 10,023 foot (3,055 m) summit of Haleakala about 30°F (or 17°C) cooler than the coast. Year-round summit temperatures range between below freezing to highs of 50-65°F (10-18°C). The outside temperatures can feel much colder because of wind chill and damp, overcast conditions.

Kipahulu
 * In contrast to the summit, the weather in the Kipahulu area of the park is milder and wetter. Expect the tropical weather to be humid, warm to hot depending on the season, and prone to sudden heavy rains and winds. Located on the windward (eastern) coast of the island, Kipahulu receives an average of 187 inches (475 cm) of rain each year. The proximity of the ocean and the trade winds moderate the temperature and keep it at a daytime average of 70-80°F (21-27°C) year round. Nighttime lows average 65-75°F (18-24°C). Flash floods are a serious hazard in Kipahulu, so make sure to check at the Visitor Center before entering the streams or pools.

Visitor information

 * Park website

Three visitor centers are open daily and year round subject to staff availability (with the exception of Haleakala Visitor Center on 25 December and 1 January).

Get in
Haleakala National Park extends from the 10,023-foot (3,055-m) summit of Haleakala down the southeast flank of the mountain to the Kipahulu coast near Hana. These two sections of the park are not directly connected by road, but both can be reached from Kahului. There is no public transportation available either to or in the park.

To the Summit and Wilderness Area - Park headquarters and the 10,023-foot (3,055-m) summit can be reached from Kahului via Route 37 to 377 to 378. Driving time to the summit from Kahului is approximately 1.5 hours.

To Kipahulu - Kipahulu is reached via Route 36 to 360 to 31. Driving time from Kahului is approximately 3 hours.

Fees and permits
All park visitors are required to purchase a recreational use pass upon entering Haleakala National Park. The funds collected from the pass have helped the park to refurbish restrooms, upgrade roads, create park exhibits, and enhance your experience as a park visitor. Entrances fees are valid for seven days, allowing unlimited re-entry for the week. Fees as of 2020 are:

 * $15 Haleakalā National Park Per Person Entry Fee; includes bicyclists, walk-ins, hikers
 * $25 Haleakalā National Park Private Motorcycle Entry Fee
 * $30 Haleakalā National Park Private Vehicle (14 pax capacity or less) Entry Fee
 * $55 Hawai‘i Tri-Park Annual Pass. Valid for 12 months from issue. Admits private, non-commercial vehicle and all occupants to Haleakala NP and two National Parks on the Big Island, Hawaii Volcanoes NP and Pu`uhonua o Hōnaunau NHP.

Summit and wilderness

No place you have ever been can prepare you for the experiences and feelings you will have on the summit of Haleakala volcano. The landscape - deeply sculpted, richly colored, and intensely evocative will be unlike any landscape you have known. Visually expansive, the summit area continually eludes any attempt to understand its scale or dimensions. It is strongly recommended that you get up early one clear morning to watch the sunrise over the edge of the rim. To regulate the number of people at the summit during the sunrise, a reservation of $1.5 is now mandatory. It can be made on-line.

You may spend a few hours hiking in the cinder desert landscape, or a few minutes looking for native birds in the shrubland - whatever you choose to do, you will do it surrounded by native Hawaiian plants and animals. The mountain summit is one of the only easily-accessible areas of Hawaii where our rare and endemic species survive and thrive.

An unexpected and dramatic landscape at the top of the world, the Wilderness Area encompasses 24,719 acres (10,003 ha) and countless microclimates. Elevation change from rim to the floor can be 3,000 feet (914 m). You can day hike, spend the night in a tent at one of the two Wilderness Campgrounds, or reserve one of the three historic cabins along the trail. Your steps will take you from brown and red cinder cones, towering hundreds of feet tall in dry, cold desert air to cloudforests dripping with red and green native ferns. Nene and endemic honeycreepers can be seen in the lower, wetter parts of the Wilderness area during the day. Seabirds can be heard (in season) at night, and stars saturate the sky. Photographers will quickly run out of superlatives.

The Wilderness Area of Haleakala can be accessed by two mountaintop trailheads: Halemauu Trailhead at 8000 feet (2,438 m), and Keoneheehee (or Sliding Sands) near the summit at 9740 feet (2,969 m). Both trails merge eventually and lead down the southeast side of the volcano to the relatively barren and unpopulated coast in the Kaupo district.

Kipahulu
The Kipahulu area of Haleakala National Park can be accessed by driving 10 mi(16 km) past the town of Hana, on the famous Hana road that circumscribes the northeast coast of the island of Maui. The Kipahulu area encompasses both the easily-accessed coastal section and the highly restricted, biologically precious and pristine upper slope reserve that is closed to all by limited research access.

Hiking here is self-guided and quite rewarding. There are also scheduled orientations and cultural demonstrations - ask at the Visitor Center. This area of the coast has been inhabited by native people for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Learn more about these people, their lives and their culture by attending and participating in park programs.

Most visitors hike the two-mile trail leading uphill along the Pipiwai Trail, following the stream which courses through the Oheo Gulch. Some swim in the cool lower pools adjacent to the ocean. However, the stream can be very unpredictable and flash floods are common - and have caused injury and death. You are responsible for your own safety in this natural area. Do not underestimate the risk, and always obey all caution signs and warnings from Rangers.

Due to rough conditions, there is no safe ocean entry in Kipahulu.

Do

 * Mount Haleakala Sunrise Bike Tour: Plan this for one of your first mornings in Hawaii. The bus will pick you up at your hotel around 3AM and drive you up the mountain where you will watch a spectacular sunrise and take a guided bike tour down.  This is a must do.  For more experienced bikers, there are also companies that you can rent a bike from and do an unguided tour.  Stop at the food trucks along the way for breakfast!

Buy
There is no food, coffee, fuel, or clothing available for sale in the park. The closest services, restaurants, lodging and shops to the summit area are in Pukalani, Makawao and Kula. The closest to the Kipahulu Area are in Hana.

 * The Hawaii Natural History Association bookshops stock books, CDs, DVDs, photos, posters and various educational materials.

Eat
No food or drink concessions are available. All food must be brought in yourself, and all garbage taken out of the park with you.

Sleep
The only lodging available in the park is found in our campgrounds and Wilderness Cabins. The Kipahulu Area has a drive-up campground available, while the Summit Area has a drive-up campground and is your access point to the trails leading to our Wilderness campgrounds and Wilderness cabins.

Lodging
Kula provides the closest hotels and bed-and-breakfast lodging to the Summit Area. The nearest to the Kipahulu Area is in the Hana area.

Camping
For those who need an overnight escape without a backpack trip, the park offers two car accessible campgrounds: Kipahulu and Hosmer Grove. Kipahulu campground is near sea level on the wet, east-side of the island in the Kipahulu area of the park, which is reached via the Hana Highway. Hosmer Grove is on the way to the summit, high on the windy slopes of Haleakala.

Wilderness camping
There are two primitive wilderness campsites, at Paliku and Holua, which are accessible only by trail. Permits are required for overnight camping at these sites. Camping permits are free, require a 10-minute orientation, and can be obtained at the Headquarters Visitor Center on the day you begin your trip (8AM-3PM).

Wilderness cabins
Three wilderness cabins are maintained by the National Park Service for visitor use by advanced reservation using an online reservation system. The wilderness cabins are accessible only by trail. To reach the cabins, you must hike a minimum of 3.7 miles (5.9 km) to Holua, 5.5 miles (8.9 km) to Kapalaoa, and 9.3 miles (15 km) to Paliku.

Stay safe
The high altitude at the summit area may complicate health conditions and cause breathing difficulties. Pregnant women, young children, and those with respiratory or heart conditions should consult their doctors prior to traveling to high elevations. To help avoid major safety concerns, be sure to walk slowly at high elevation, drink lots of water to avoid dehydration, and check in often with elderly friends or relatives to make sure they're doing okay. Turn back and seek medical aid if you have health concerns.

In the Kipahulu Area there is no drinking water available. Visitors should bring mosquito repellent. Dangerous flash floods do occur; check at the visitor center before entering the water and heed all posted warnings.

title: Haleakalā National Park


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Halebidu

Halebidu is a town in Hassan district of Karnataka, between 2 major districts of Hassan & Chikmagalur. It's famous for its Hoysaleswara Temple, listed as one of the world heritage centers.

Understand
Halebidu was a flourishing capital established under the Hoysala Dynasty, who ruled this region in the 12th Century. King Vishnuvardhana of Hoysala Dynasty was inspired by the place, that he decided to establish his capital here. It's popularly known as "Dwarasamudra".

The flourishing capital was plunged into ruins during the various invasions that took place in the 14th to 16th Century from the northwest frontiers, and hence the name Halebidu was later adorned to this place to mean "The Old Capital" or the "Destroyed Capital".

Tourists can stay either at Hassan or Chikmaglur and cover both Belur and Halebidu in a single day.

From Hassan
Tourists usually stay in Hassan and reach Halebeedu and Belur first, before getting back to Hassan. There are buses every ten or fifteen minutes to Halebeedu from/to Hassan, 28 km and 45 min away while there is a bus every half an hour from/to Belur. Buses on Belur Arasikere route go via Halebeed apart from major other long distant buses which go till Halebeed

Local taxies can be hired from Hassan or Chikmaglur Town for visiting both Halebeed and Belur in a single day

KSTDC (Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation) conducts package tours from Bangalore and Mysore for Belur, Hassan and Shravanabelagola single day trip in Air conditioned buses/mini vans subject to the number of bookings on the particular day

Get around
The bus stand is located right opposite to the temple, and the museum complex is inside the temple complex. The museum is closed on Thursdays.

Do
Walk around the temple. A major place to visit if you are a historical buff, an architectural admirer or a photographic enthusiast. Carry caps and water bottle as major works are on outside and afternoon sun can be dehydrating.

Tourist guides, appointed and trained by State Government are present to provide overall view of the Temple, inside as well as outside. Tourist guides charge about Rs.100/- per head if the trip is undertaken through a KSTDC package. Focusing Light is present inside the Temple and Rs.20/- is separately charged for lighting the same inside the temple for better clarity and explanation of the sculptures

Eat
Food at Halebidu might be a problem if you are not a south Indian. Hence it is better to carry food from Hassan or reach Belur.

Sleep
You can stay in a larger town nearby such as Hassan or at [[or you can stay in the town itself.

 * Shree Lodge - Located just in front of the Hoysaleshwara Temple. There is no room service. All you get is just the room to stay and bathroom. Rooms are clean and average. ₹250 for a double-bed room. Phone - 9740924650, 9964018372, 08177-317077
 * KSTDC Hotel - ₹300 in low season or ₹350 in high season for a double room. Rooms are very large, though not amazing. Restaurant on site with a pleasant garden setting. Very quiet and peaceful. Right across the road from the temple, a hundred meters past the bus station. Only a handful of rooms, so may fill up in peak season.

Go next

 * Belur
 * Hassan
 * Mangalore
 * Chikmagalur
 * Lakkundi
 * Aihole

title: Halebidu


text:
Haleshi

Heleshi (often referred to by its Tibetan name Maratika) is located in the eastern Middle Hills of Nepal and is a popular pilgrimage site for adherents of Tibetan Buddhism.

Understand
Haleshi is the name of the village nearest to the site of sacred caves where Padmasambhava and his consort undertook three months of ritual that resulted in them attaining a state beyond life and death. Consequently, the caves are associated with practices pertaining to longevity.

title: Haleshi


text:
Half Moon Bay

Half Moon Bay is a city on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The Half Moon Bay Coastside is a rural seaside community about 30 miles (45 km) south of San Francisco.

Understand
Half Moon Bay's visitor information center offer maps, brochures, directories, and other information for tourists.

Climate
The climate in Half Moon Bay is more "foggy San Francisco" than "sunny California" in style. It's easy to spot the tourists on the beach: they're the ones shivering in bikinis. The locals are more likely to be found in wetsuits or strolling along the beach in shirts and rolled-up pants. Although there are cold snaps that drop below freezing every few years or so, and a few days here or there that are warm enough to be uncomfortable every year, on typical days, it's cool and somewhat windy, but not downright cold. Even in the summer, you'll want to pack a jacket or an extra shirt to put on when the ocean breeze kicks up in the early evening. Plan for rain from mid-October through April.

By car
Highway 92 is perfect if you are coming in from either 101 or 280.

If you are coming from San Francisco you can also take 280 to Highway 1.

By bus
Take Samtrans #294 from Hillsdale Caltrain, or 110 then 117 from Pacifica. The 110 to 117 is scheduled for a short-wait transfer at Linda Mar, but may not be guaranteed if the bus is late.

See
Almost all of the beaches are on or off of California State Highway 1 (a.k.a. the Pacific Coast Highway) (Note some addresses are given as CA Highway 1, the Cabrillo Highway or the PCH.)

Stay safe
Be careful to check for ticks after hiking in fields in the Bay Area, as this region has a high rate of Lyme disease transmission. If a rash with the appearance of a bull's eye develops at the tick bite site, immediately seek medical help and treatment with antibiotics.

For those visiting the beaches, never go swimming alone, and beware of rising tides.

Law enforcement services are provided by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.

Go next
The City of San Francisco is 25 miles (40 km) to the north, and Santa Cruz is 40 miles (65 km) to the south.

 * Moss Beach
 * Pescadero

title: Half Moon Bay


text:
Half Moon Bay (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Half Moon Bay:

United States of America

 * Half Moon Bay - A city in California.

Antigua and Barbuda

 * Half Moon Bay (Antigua) - A town on Antigua.

title: Half Moon Bay (disambiguation)