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Szeged

Szeged is a Hungarian city in the Csongrád-Csanád County. The third largest city in the country, it is sometimes called "the city of sunshine", for its brilliant weather. It is known for the imposing cathedral, a wealth of Art Nouveau and historicist buildings, and for the fish soup Halászlé.

Understand
Szeged lies on Hungary's south-eastern border, just south of the mouth of the Maros river on both banks of the river Tisza. It is about 171 km south of Budapest on the M5 highway. It is the lowest elevation city in the country and is known as the "City of Sunshine", because it has the most sunny days throughout the year. Szeged is the main city in Csongrád-Csanád county and serves as a commercial and cultural center of the region. The city's population was around 170 000 in 2011.

Szeged's Open Air Theatre Festival held in the summer attracts people from all over Europe. Szeged is also famous for its gastronomy. Its delicious fish soup is known all over the world, and it has its own festival in September. One of the main attractions of Szeged is the River Tisza, that offers possibilities to do different water sports or boat trips. While boasting hundreds years of history, Szeged has been rebuilt almost entirely after the flood of 1879, which destroyed most of the city. Today, with its avenues, ring roads and beautiful palaces, Szeged is one of the nicest Hungarian cities.

By car
If you are flying to Hungary, you will most likely be arriving to the Liszt Ferenc International Airport in Budapest and you will want to take the M5 highway South to Szeged. It will take 1½-2 hours to drive from the airport. You must get a sticker for your car to drive on the highway, which you can buy at any gas station (ask for "matrica").

Szeged has a parking zone system, parking tickets are available from newsagent's, local stores, etc.

By train
It takes about 2 hours to travel by train from Budapest Nyugati train station to Szeged. These trains also stop at Ferihegy, the station for Budapest Liszt Ferenc Airport, meaning it isn't necessary to travel into the centre of Budapest if travelling to Szeged from the airport. Additionally, there are regional cross-border trains from Subotica in Serbia.

Get around

Szeged lies on the banks of Tisza river. The western side is generally referred to as "Szeged", while the newer eastern side is called "Új-szeged" ("New Szeged").

There are further parts of the city, which you can think of as districts (although they do not work as districts): Belváros (the center of the city, downtown), Alsóváros, Móraváros, Rókus, Újrókus, Fölsőváros, Tarján, Fodor-kert, Petőfi-telep, Makkosház, Baktó, Tápé, Újszeged, Odessza, Marostői kiskertek, Klebelsberg telep, Kecskés István telep, Iparváros, Béke-telep, Baktó.

Public transportation
For the size of the city, Szeged has a really good public transportation network. Within the city you can get around by cabs (taxi), trams (villamos), trolley buses (trolibusz) or autobus (autóbusz). If you wish to use these types of public transportation, you will need to find out about their routes, stops and schedules. During the work week, in the busy hours, within the city, most public transportation vehicles will leave every 10–15 minutes.

Schedules

 * Schedule of public transport:
 * Schedule of City buses
 * Schedule of buses leaving and arriving to Szeged
 * Schedule of trolley buses and trams

Tickets
There's no difference in the tickets for the different types of transportation methods. You can usually purchase tickets from the driver, for which you will always have to get on the vehicle using the frontmost door. On trams, you can also purchase tickets on board using your credit card (Visa or MasterCard only). You can also purchase weekly and monthly passes as well as single-trip tickets from various kiosks and newspaper stands throughout the city. These passes will be valid for all 3 types of public transportation, so you can travel by trams, trolley buses and buses. There are also discounts offered to students and seniors.

Taxi
There are a few taxi services in the city. You can call and "order" one to your location. The drivers may not speak English, but should be able to get you where you want to go. Trips usually cost somewhere between Ft 1000-2000 within the city.
 * Szeged Taxi: +36 62 333-333
 * Tele-4 Taxi: +36 62 444-444
 * Gábriel Taxi: +36 62555-555
 * Bolt taxi - with mobile app

Churches

 * Jesus's Heart church, - Szeged, Fő tér, - Tel +36 62 425370, It was built in 1936, in modern style, planned by Fábián Gáspár, plebania.ptelep@freemail.hu
 * Reformed church of Petőfi Telep (Petőfi Telepi Református Templom), 6727 Szeged, Sirály utca 14. Phone: +36 62 426496, Sun:08:30-10:00
 * Jesus's Heart church, - Szeged, Fő tér, - Tel +36 62 425370, It was built in 1936, in modern style, planned by Fábián Gáspár, plebania.ptelep@freemail.hu
 * Reformed church of Petőfi Telep (Petőfi Telepi Református Templom), 6727 Szeged, Sirály utca 14. Phone: +36 62 426496, Sun:08:30-10:00
 * Jesus's Heart church, - Szeged, Fő tér, - Tel +36 62 425370, It was built in 1936, in modern style, planned by Fábián Gáspár, plebania.ptelep@freemail.hu
 * Reformed church of Petőfi Telep (Petőfi Telepi Református Templom), 6727 Szeged, Sirály utca 14. Phone: +36 62 426496, Sun:08:30-10:00
 * Jesus's Heart church, - Szeged, Fő tér, - Tel +36 62 425370, It was built in 1936, in modern style, planned by Fábián Gáspár, plebania.ptelep@freemail.hu
 * Reformed church of Petőfi Telep (Petőfi Telepi Református Templom), 6727 Szeged, Sirály utca 14. Phone: +36 62 426496, Sun:08:30-10:00
 * Reformed church of Petőfi Telep (Petőfi Telepi Református Templom), 6727 Szeged, Sirály utca 14. Phone: +36 62 426496, Sun:08:30-10:00

Monuments

 * Somogyi Károly Városi és Megyei Könyvtár
 * Püspöki palota
 * Indóház tér és vasúti pályaudvar
 * Dorozsmai szélmalom (ipari műemlék)
 * Egyetemi Füvészkert
 * Szegedi Csillagvizsgáló
 * Szegedi Vadaspark
 * Szent István-szobor
 * Gőzfürdő (Anna-fürdő), Tisza Lajos körút 24. * Márer-ház, Tisza Lajos körút
 * Móricz-ház, Szent Mihály u. 9.
 * Szeged Állomás, Indóház tér
 * Ungár-Mayer-palota, Kárász u. 16. built in 1910-1911
 * Raichle-palota, Szentháromság u. 2.
 * Lakóház, Mikszáth Kálmán u. 4.
 * Wagner-kripta, Belvárosi temető
 * Tűzoltólaktanya, Kossuth Lajos sugárút
 * Kárász street - main street, downtown
 * Tisza river
 * Kárász street - main street, downtown
 * Tisza river

Open-air theater

 * In the summer you don't want to miss the famous "Open-Air Festival". It is called open-air, because the Dóm square is turned into a stage with seats. It usually starts around the beginning of July and ends sometime in August. The shows play for about a week and then they change. Tickets are not always easy to get, but you can always get them from scouts (of course at a higher price) before the show starts. If you are on a limited budget, you can purchase tickets for a lower price and after the show has started you can move to a better (empty) seats.

Festivals
There are several events taking place in Szeged during the summer. The best way to find out about their times is from the free local magazine (called "Szegedi Est") that you can find in most restaurants, bars, clubs and cinemas.
 * Wine Festival
 * Beer Festival
 * Days of Szeged
 * Hungaricum Festival

Movies and theaters

 * There are two main theaters in Szeged. One the main one is close to the museum, near to the bridge in downtown. The smaller theater is also near-by, a few blocks from there.
 * Cinemacity: in the Szeged Pláza shopping mall.
 * Cinemacity: in the Szeged Pláza shopping mall.

Baths and pools
Like some other Hungarian towns, Szeged also has thermal baths. The two best known are:

Other

 * See the city from the air: head out to the local airport. You can select from various airplane tours ranging that last about 15 minutes to 1½ hours around the city. They also have programs when they let you fly the airplane.
 * Go-cart: The Szeged Go-Cart ring is on the road 47, outbound from Szeged, just before the junction of M43 and 47. The track is made of old tires in an old parking lot, and is about 800 m in length. Prices are reasonable.
 * Biking: Along the eastern bank of the Tisza river runs a paved bicycle path; the route is quite scenic and peaceful once you get away from the city a bit. If you head south for seven to eight kilometers, you'll reach the Serbian border, which you can't cross, of course. You can rent a bicycle from the tourist information office.

Buy

 * ALDI discount store (ALDI diszkontáruház)
 * ALDI discount store (ALDI diszkontáruház)
 * ALDI discount store (ALDI diszkontáruház)
 * ALDI discount store (ALDI diszkontáruház)
 * ALDI discount store (ALDI diszkontáruház)
 * ALDI discount store (ALDI diszkontáruház)

Eat
Szeged is famous for its local, traditional food. The most famous of all is probably the Fisherman's soup (Halászlé), which is made from various freshwater fish using lots of paprika (this is not necessarily spicy, but you can definitely order it that way).

Szeged is also known for its good quality sausage and salami. Pick is Szeged's own brand, which is also exported to various countries around the world. Make sure that you try the famous "Pick salami". You can buy these products at most local grocery stores and smaller, family-owned 24/7 stores.

If you are looking for international food, just check the local grocery stores. You shouldn't have too much problem finding anything from around the world. Even Americans can find their favorite cream cheese and peanut butter and jelly if they look around.

The quality of the food varies by restaurants, but is good in general. Meats and cheese can be found at most places, and they are often breaded and fried. If you go to a standard restaurant, the portions will be generous and more than enough to feed an adult.

There are lots of fast food places in the city. The most popular ones are local pizza restaurants, which are all around town. Some of them, which are open until the morning hours, are popular gathering places for the late night crowd. Of course, the international fast food chains are also present (Burger King, McDonald's, etc.), they are popular mostly among younger people. Compared to the local fast food places, these chains offer smaller portions for higher prices.

Budget
All these are in the city centre:

Traditional Szeged-style fish restaurants
The traditional fisherman's restaurants are a great choice for visitors. Locals also visit these on a regular basis because of their excellent fish soup and wide selection of good other food. There are three main fishmerman's restaurants in town.

Sweet
Hungary has very good home made style pastries and cookies. Szeged has a few bakeries around town that have excellent food selection. Ordering is quite simple, since most of the baked goods are displayed behind a glass window. They are usually freshly baked. Just point and pick what your eyes like and enjoy. Some of the more popular pastry shops around town:

Coffee shops
Coffee shops are very popular among students. There are quite a few in town, where the younger crowd likes to meet up to study or talk.

Clubs
Szeged is a University town and it has a very active night life throughout the school year. The high school and college crowd gets mixed up at most places, although some clubs try to target specific age groups with their events.

Most places have entrance fees, but offer discounts if you have a student ID. Regular fees are around 500-1000 Forints depending on the day of the week, the place and the event.

Parties are advertised to start early at night, but the crowd doesn't start to gather really until about midnight or 01:00, and usually party until the morning. This is true even on weekdays (for example Wednesday is a very big party night). Many times people meet at local pubs for a drink and talks before hitting these places.
 * Sandor Pub (Sándor Söröző), Csap Str. 1. (Petőfi-telep its, old name Somogyi-telep or Tápé, about 300 meters from the Tisza River) This is one of the smallest dance clubs. It operates once a month (Szintipop Retró-Video Buli Klub with karaoke).
 * Sandor Pub (Sándor Söröző), Csap Str. 1. (Petőfi-telep its, old name Somogyi-telep or Tápé, about 300 meters from the Tisza River) This is one of the smallest dance clubs. It operates once a month (Szintipop Retró-Video Buli Klub with karaoke).
 * Sandor Pub (Sándor Söröző), Csap Str. 1. (Petőfi-telep its, old name Somogyi-telep or Tápé, about 300 meters from the Tisza River) This is one of the smallest dance clubs. It operates once a month (Szintipop Retró-Video Buli Klub with karaoke).
 * Sandor Pub (Sándor Söröző), Csap Str. 1. (Petőfi-telep its, old name Somogyi-telep or Tápé, about 300 meters from the Tisza River) This is one of the smallest dance clubs. It operates once a month (Szintipop Retró-Video Buli Klub with karaoke).
 * Sandor Pub (Sándor Söröző), Csap Str. 1. (Petőfi-telep its, old name Somogyi-telep or Tápé, about 300 meters from the Tisza River) This is one of the smallest dance clubs. It operates once a month (Szintipop Retró-Video Buli Klub with karaoke).

Sleep
You will have various choices to stay at while in Szeged. The city has some larger and more expensive hotels, but there are quite a few cheaper and comparable places where you can stay.

Budget
In Szeged, and in most other, bigger Hungarian cities you can find a cheap room in college dorms. Most places will let you pay cash and stay for a few days. There are a few of these around town and the best way to find one is probably to ask one of the younger, "student looking" locals.

Mid-range

Splurge
The bigger hotels are usually closer to downtown. Szeged is not that big in size and you can probably walk or use public transportation to most places.

Stay safe
Szeged is a pretty safe city. You can enjoy walks around the whole town even at late night hours. Most places and streets are well lit, so you won't have to worry about getting lost.

Connect
Szeged postal code is: H-6700 to H-6791. Area Phone code: 62

Internet, hotspots
Szeged has many free WiFi (hotspot) locations. The largest square downtown - the Széchenyi tér - has free on-street wifi.

Consulates

 * 🇷🇴 Romania

Go next

 * Baja - This is a local commercial centre and the provider of public services such as education and healthcare. A small cosmopolitan town (pop. 37 000) with some minorites such Germans; Croats; Serbs; Slovaks and Romanis. Also there are some museums and art galleries. The city churches representing the variety of religion.
 * Kecskemét - A city approximately halfway on the road and railway to Budapest. It boasts a pretty historical center that is largely pedestrianized.
 * Pécs - Part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.
 * Subotica in Serbia - Just on the other side of the border. The time you need to get there varies according to the waiting time at the border but usually it takes approximately 2-3 hours. It is a nice first stop if you want to explore some other cities in Serbia as well.

title: Szeged


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Szeklerland

Szeklerland (Romanian:  Ţinutul Secuiesc, Hungarian: Székelyföld) is a region in Transylvania, Romania. The region's name comes from the majority of its inhabitants, Szekler people, also known as Szekely, a Transylvanian tribe related to Hungarians.

Understand
Szeklers are all ethnic Hungarians. "Szekler" is a regional Hungarian identity pretty much like Bavarian is for Germans, Tyrolean is for Austrians, etc. The history of Szekler Hungarians is equal with the Hungarian history going back to 896, but before that, it is still debated by historians about whether there were two separate people (Szeklers and Hungarians) who had merged or the Szeklers were always a sub-part of the Hungarian nation. Some historical facts and legends say that Szeklers are direct descendants of Attila the Hun. Prince Csaba is said to have been the son of Attila, leader of the Huns.

Talk
The native tongue of Szekler people is [a dialect of] Hungarian.

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

title: Szeklerland


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Szekszárd

Szekszárd is in South Hungary.

Understand
Szekszárd is one of the well-known Hungarian wine regions.

By car

 * Follow Main Road Number 6 from Budapest.

Get around
Szekszárd is best seen on foot.

Do

 * Climb to the Szőlőhegy (Grape Hill).
 * Walk around the main square.
 * Look the lakes at Szálka (nearby by car).
 * Explore the Gemenc forest (nearby by car).

Drink
Wine, by all means. Red wine is the best here, but you may find some rosé to enjoy, too. Try Szekszardi Bikaver or just plain Kadarka.

title: Szekszárd


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Szentendre

Szentendre (Serbian: Сентандреја, Croatian: Senandrija, Ancient Latin: Ulcisia Castra) is a town in the Danube Bend region, on the right (western) bank of the Danube, 19 km north of Budapest.

Understand
This charming little town, whose name means "Saint Andrew", is known for its well-preserved houses and churches, many built in a Balkan style as the area had been settled by Serb refugees.

Today the town's best-known inhabitants are artists, and small galleries can be found on every street corner.

By train

In winter time, it's quite warm in the middle of the carriage, but may be chilly if you sit near the doors.

You can get on board with a regular BKV ticket or pass in Budapest, which is valid to the city limit. Once the train leaves Budapest, the on-board conductor sells you the "extension" ticket for Ft 310 each, one way. You must purchase a ticket in advance, on a vending machine, otherwise you will be fined. There is no on-board selling.

Every second H5 train from Budapest only goes halfway, to Bekasmegyer. You can either wait for the next one or take it to Bekasmegyer and wait for the next train there.

Other notable places to get on the H5 train are Margit bridge Buda side (from 4-6 tram) and Arpad bridge Buda side (tram line 1).

By bicycle
Biking to Szentendre makes an enjoyable day trip, at 25 km from downtown Budapest. With a minimum level of traffic, this family-friendly route will take you through a varied mix of environments and terrain, with plenty of interesting stops along the way.

Start your journey by crossing the Szabadság or Chain Bridges, heading north on the Buda-side bike path. This shady path runs nearly the entire length of the river in Budapest, and is a great place for people watching and picture-taking. Keep heading up the river, watching out for sleeping homeless people as you wind through the underpass at Margit Bridge and following the yellow-painted markings of the path. Cruising next to the HÉV tracks, this section takes you past some of the diverse residential areas of Budapest, from cushy and historic uptown Buda to Soviet style housing blocks.

Your first test of navigation will be after going under the Árpád Bridge and suddenly finding the bike path to have disappeared. Take a left, wind through the gates by the bus stop and continue up Tavasz Street, next to the bridge ramp. When you see a giant OTP building, make a right turn onto Polgár Street and cruise through the housing developments until you hit a dead end at Bogdáni Street. Go right, follow the street until you see the graffiti wall on the left, and then continue along the path next to the tracks. Once the graffiti ends you will see a place ahead and to the right to cross the tracks and resume your way along the bike path, which veers away from the tracks and towards the main entranceway of the Sziget Festival Island.

Take a left and ride along the Jégtörő Street path, then a right at the intersection into a few hundred meters of rough but leafy streets, which will spit you out along Keled Street, with the embankment on your left. Follow this for half a click, cut through the car-width tunnel on your left, and continue to the right in the direction of the river. Before you reach it there will be a bridge to cross on your left, which leads to the hottest summer escape within the confines of the city – Római part. Stacked with food stalls, “beaches” and outdoor pubs, this makes an ideal stop for lunch.

Once satiated, return to Nánási Street and continue north. The road name becomes Királyok, and you will follow it for at least 5 km before taking on your next big piece of navigation. Street bikers and families should take a left on Hadrianus Street, which will take you up to a busy road crossing and resume the bike path going north all the way into Szentendre. Off-roaders (in spirit and in equipment) can choose to continue straight along Királyok, turning right at a banked canal and following a lovely and twisting path through wildflower fields and canopied forest before bushwhacking back to the main road. You may have to cross the highway without the benefit of a crosswalk.

Once in Szentendre, grab a lángos and enjoy the town. If you’re too tired to make the return trip you can always load your bike onto the HÉV and ride back to town. The total riding time for this trip is 1.5-2 hours barring no serious stops and the terrain is almost universally level, with mostly smooth concrete. You will need at least a liter of water per person for each direction, a good map, and a good headlight, as many of the sections of bike path are poorly lit at night.

Get around
The HÉV and bus station are located next to each other, about a ten minute walk from Fő tér, the main square in the middle of town. From there, Szentendre is easily covered on foot. If you're planning on visiting the Skanzen the bus leaves roughly every hour from stop 7. Buy your tickets in advance (Ft 230), or from the driver with an extra fee (Ft 300).

See
Don't worry too much if you miss the sights listed before: most of the fun of visiting Szentendre is wandering around the streets and visiting the little shops and galleries. Notice the almost intentional lack of straight lines, right angles and spotless surfaces: everything is a bit crooked, slanted, or cracked resulting in an overall warm and cozy feeling. Try to take sneak peeks over fences, through cracks on gates or open doors for a glimpse of hidden treasure.
 * Memorial Cross, Fő tér. Commemorates the town being spared from a plague epidemic in the region.

Museums
Many of Szentendre's museums are run by the Ferenczy Museum Center, which offer a combined ticket to visit all of their museums for little more than the price to enter one. In listings below, these combined rates are marked with an asterisk(*).

 * Roman Lapidarium Castrum
 * Roman Lapidarium Castrum
 * Roman Lapidarium Castrum
 * Roman Lapidarium Castrum
 * Roman Lapidarium Castrum

Events

 * Spring Days ( Szentendrei Tavaszi Napok) - Mar.
 * Summer Festivals - Jun to Aug:
 * Farewell (Szent Iván napi búcsú) - Jun 24.
 * Folk Dance Fest ("Tiszta forrásból" Néptánc Fesztivál) - Aug.
 * Summer Concerts (Régi Zenei Nyári Akadémia hangversenyei) - Aug.
 *  Serbian Fest (Szerb búcsú) - Aug 19.
 * Open Air Theatre of Main square in Baroque environment (Fő téri Teátrum nyári szabadtéri előadásai)
 *  Danube Super Marathon (Duna Menti Szuper Maraton),
 * Sport Festival (Sportfesztivál),
 *  Basketball Championship of Pest County (Pest Megyei Utcai Kosárlabda-bajnokság).

Walking
Take a stroll along the winding streets that lead upwards towards the hill overlooking the town. There is small viewing area overlooking the red-slate rooftops and if you look carefully you may even see the strange blue angel perched atop of one of the nearby church roofs.

Try to get lost in the small alleys and stairways.

Biking and Walking tours:

 * The S-marked hiking trails start in Szentendre suburban railway terminus. Pass the Kő Mountain (366 m) and the Cseresznye Hill (299 m) further takes to the Lajos-source.
 * The Bükkös creek Valley bike path running to the Dömör gate
 * From the Open Air Ethnographic Museum a bike path leading to the Pap meadow. then forward to Visegrad.

Other sports

 * The city is the ideal destination for water sport fans. The water-skiing and jet skiing is also available for use on the Danube. In the town is located a small boat harbor.
 * More tennis courts are also available.

Buy
There is absolutely no way you can leave Szentendre without tasting even the smallest amount of the famed marzipan produced (or at least sold) there. Marzipan creations come in all shapes and sizes, and are perfect both as a dessert to have with coffee on the spot, or as souvenirs.

In winter time, most non-purely touristic shops close as early as 15:00 (at least in Sa).

Eat

Drink
In winter, hot wine is extremely cheap.

Sleep

 * Hotel Panzió 100, is a family-run hotel in the middle of a wonderful landscape along the Danube.
 * Kentaur Hotel, along the Danube, in the heart of Szentendre.
 * Szent Andrea Pension is located in the most beautiful town of Dunakanyar. It is near the Pismány mountain, in a very silent and beautiful environment.

Connect
Szentendre postal code is: H-2000. Area Phone code: 93 (From Hungary first call:+06, from abroad +36).

Go next

 * Dunakeszi – town 16 km southwest
 * Leányfalu – village 7 km north, a holiday resort place
 * Nagymaros – town 23 km northwest
 * Pilisvörösvár – town 19 km southwest
 * Pomáz – town 6 km southwest, the entrance of the Pilis
 * Vác – town 17 km northeast
 * Visegrád – town 23 km northwest, Royal Palace remains (15th century)

title: Szentendre


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Szombathely

Szombathely is the centre of Vas county in Vas County in Hungary.

Get in
The nearest international airports operate in Vienna, Bratislava, Graz, Budapest, Zagreb.

Get around
The city has an extensive network of local buses. The local bus transport provides the Vasi Volán.

By bike
The city has well-developed bicycle path is nearly 33 km long (2012). The bike routes connect the individual parts of the city and tourist sights. The most beautiful path at quayside of the Gyöngyös creek. Out of the city: Bike path leads toward Bulcsu village to 'Írottkő' Nature Park and Vashegy (Iron Mountain) bike lanes.

See

Further afield

Events

 * 'Bartók Fesztivál és Szeminárium' - Festival and Seminar
 * 'Bloomsday' - a cultural event organized around the Leopold Bloom family house (can be found here )
 * 'Lamantin Jazzfesztivál' - Jazz Festival
 * 'Mediawave Nemzetközi Film és Zene fesztivál' - International Film and Music Festival
 * 'Savaria Történelmi Karnevál' - The annual 'Savaria Historical Carnival', held in mid-to-late August, with colorful Roman-age programmes including gladiator fights, Roman theatre and a historical parade on the main square
 * 'Iseumi Szabadtéri Játékok' - (Outdoor Games of Iseum) - opera and musical performances in the world's third largest Iseum (a kind of ancient sanctuary)
 * 'Márton-napi Vásár' - (St. Martin's Day Fair)
 * 'Szent György-napi Vásár' - (St George's Day Fair)
 * 'Savaria Nemzetközi Táncverseny' - International Dance Competition
 * Szent Márton európai kulturális útvonal - St. Martin's European cultural route

Hiking
The Countrywide Blue Tour (in Hungarian:Országos Kéktúra, Kéktúra or simply OKT) is a part of the Hungarian section of the European Long Distance Walking Route E4. The route starts atop the Irottkő Mountain (884 m) on the Austrian-Hungarian border a short distance from Szombathely.

Go next

 * Budapest
 * Sopron
 * Vienna
 * Kőszeg (N 20km)

title: Szombathely


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Szreniawa

Szreniawa (pronounced as Shrehnyahvah) is a village Greater Poland. It is 16 km south-east of Poznan, next to the railway leading from Poznan to Wolsztyn, and next to roads number 5 Poznan-Wroclaw, and number 32 to Zielona Gora and just few steps from Wielkopolski National Park.

By train
The quickest way to get here from the centre of Poznan is to use trains. Szreniawa is on a side-railway from Poznan to Wolsztyn with 9 daily connections. The most interesting way to come here is to choose trains leaving Poznan at approximately 09:00 or 17:00, as those two use old historical steam locomotives. You can come back using the same historical trains: from Szreniawa to POznan at approximately 07:00 and 15:00. The journey will take you about 25 minutes.

By bus
From Gorczyn Bus Station (accessible from the centre of Poznan by trams #5, #8 i #14 and bus #63) there're pretty many suburban buses running to Rosnowo, Rosnowko and Konarzewo. The timetable can be found here:. Travel time (tram in the city + bus): from 35 to 50 minutes. Besides you can get to Szreniawa using numerous PKS buses, leaving from the central bus station in Poznan - all (apart from express ones) buses going to Steszew, Grodzisk, Leszno, Koscian stop in Szreniawa. That journey should take you appr. half an hour, depending on traffic.

By bike
As Szreniawa is next to Wielkopolski National Park it's a good idea to use a bike to get there. Rather than driving the busy road number 5, it's much nicer to cycle from Poznan to Puszczykowo and later across the forest of the National Park. In the park it is permitted to cycle using pedestrian trails or all public or dirt roads.

By car
Szreniawa is on two main roads: number 5 from Gdansk and Bydgoszcz through Poznan to Wroclaw, which is slowly turned into ad express road and road number 32 from Poznan to Zielona Gora.

Get around
Szreniawa is a small village, so all attractions are nearby. The only further one - the Bierbaum-family viewing tower is in the forest, so it's accessible ob foot or by bike (in winter cross-country skiing is allowed too).

See
The attractions of Szreniawa are: The collection is divided into several parts: the technical agriculture, animal breeding, bee-tree-keeping, cultivation, hop-breeding, willow industry, countryside transport, food processing, craftsmanship, fishing, ethnography, history and countryside art. The most interesting exhibits (especially for children) are the steam-locomobiles (seven in collection), including the oldest one: a small Robey & Com locomobile from 1895; the youngest one is a big locomobile Kemn - Breslau from 1927. There's as well a good collection of old tractors used on the polish territories manufactured by Lanz, Deutz, Zetor, Ursus and Fordson. The collection of countryside transport can be fascinating, too: a bicycle from 1890 manufactured by a local craftsman and sledges or cabs from different parts of our country.
 * The Agricultural and Food-Processing Museum - open in 1964, the only one big and important Agriculture Museum in Poland and one of only few in Europe. The collection covers more than 20 thousand exhibits: from small utensils to huge agricultural machines; it show the agricultural techniques from the oldest ones to modern ones.

The ethnographical part of the museum covers the collection of wood folk sculptures presenting scenes from everyday life and a rich set of folk china from all main china-producing cities across Poland.

The museum is open from April till October Tu-F from 09:00 to 17:00, Sa Su to 19:00, and in winter Tu-Su from 09:00 to 15:00.

 * The viewing Bierbaum Tower, located in Wielkopolski National Park - subordinated to the museum, 22 metres high. This was the Mausoleum of the Bierbaum family, who were the first owners of Szreniawa. From 1993 the tower has been in the monument register. Next to the tower you'll find a small exhibition presenting the history of areas of the National Park and its surroundings from the late paleolithic to present times. On the tower top - viewing platform. The Tower is open from April till October Tu-F from 09:00 to 17:00, Sa Su to 19:00, and in winter Tu-Su from 09:00 to 15:00.

 * Interesting tourist trails (for pedestrians, cyclers and CC-skiers) starting in Szreniawa and leading toward the Wielkopolski National Park, ending e.g. in Puszczykowo.

Do
There are numerous annual events in the Museum:
 * The Easter Feast - usually 3 or 4 weeks before Easter
 * The Easter Market - always on the palm Sunday (a week before Easter)
 * The Whisuntide Feast - according to its name in May or June
 * events about different national minorities living in Poland (Ukrainians, Tartars, Caraims)
 * The former countryside-style wedding
 * The autumn Festival about old polish autumn traditions
 * The Christmas Market with the show presenting polish Advent traditions

Go next
Szreniawa is along the main roads in western Poland, so it's very easy to get out from here to e.g. Grodzisk Wielkopolski and Wolsztyn, and as well to the south, to Silesia region, through Smigiel, Leszno to Wroclaw, so that small Poznan-suburban village can be visited on the way to all these places.

An interesting idea can be visiting all "green museum" of Greater Poland, subordinated to the one in Szreniawa:
 * The Flour-Milling Museum in Jaracz (40 km north of Poznan)
 * The Hunting Museum in Uzarzewo (15 km north-east of Poznan)
 * The Bee-Keeping Open-air Museum in Swarzedz (15 km east of Poznan)
 * The Willow and Hop Industry Museum in Nowy Tomysl (60 km west of Poznan)
 * The Meat Industry Museum in Sielinko (40 km west of Poznan)

title: Szreniawa


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Sztutowo

Sztutowo (German: Stutthof) is a small (about 3,000 inhabitants) village outside Gdansk in Poland. Once it was famous only as the birthplace of the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, but unfortunately that was to change. Today it is known as the site of the Nazi Stutthof concentration camp, the first concentration camp to be built outside Germany.

Get in
Sztutowo is 52 kilometers east from Gdansk and the trip takes about an hour in jam-free traffic. The village is located 25 kilometers northwest of Elbląg and the drive by car should take approximately 40 minutes. Hourly buses to Krynica Morska go from platform 2 at the Gdańsk bus terminal and stop at Sztutowo. The ticket is bought on the bus for about 10 zł. Sit close to the driver if you feel uncertain about where to get off.

Buses between Elbląg and Krynica Morska also stop in Sztutowo.

See
The Stutthof concentration camp is the reason to go here, and it is the closest destination for visitors to the Gdansk area who wish to experience a concentration camp for remembrance of the Holocaust. You will have to backtrack about a kilometer from the bus stop to get to the museum, which is marked with a large sign. During high season, May-September, it is open 8AM to 6PM, in low season it closes at 3PM. On Mondays there are no guided tours, also there are no films shown. Children under 13 years of age are not allowed.

The very peaceful and quiet setting of the camp makes it hard at first to comprehend the horrors that took place here, despite the barbed wire and the watchtowers. However, as you enter the barracks and see the pile of shoes from the victims and the exhibitions describing the efficiency and brutality of the Nazi killers, it all starts getting under your skin.

Construction of the camp began in 1939, before the war started. It was then a civilian internment camp for Poles from the Free City of Danzig (which was under Nazi government). The camp grew during the war, from housing 3,500 prisoners to 57,000. In 1942 it was turned into an international concentration camp, and in June 1944 it was incorporated into the ultimate evil of Hitler's "Final Solution". From then on, Stutthof was a pure extermination camp.

The walk through the camp area ends by the gas chamber and the crematory which were added in 1943. Mobile gas wagons were also used when extra killing capacity was needed. The nightmare in Stutthof claimed somewhere between 65,000 and 85,000 lives before the Red Army liberated the camp in May 1945.

Go next
When you arrive in Sztutowo from Gdansk, the bus stop for the return trip is on the other side of the road about 1 km to Gdynia Morska.

title: Sztutowo


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Sztynort

 Sztynort is city of 170 people in Masuria, Warmian-Masurian Voivodship, mainly known for its marina on the Mauersee and its castle.

Get in
The place is a bit off the road from Olsztyn to Węgorzewo on a peninsula in the Mauersee.

Do
Water sports, hiking, cycling and horse riding are popular. Several marked hiking, cycling and waterways lead through the village. There are also lakes in the urban area.

Buy
Sztynort has a small grocery store next to the harbor.

title: Sztynort


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Szydłowiec

Szydłowiec is a town in central Poland, situated southwest of Radom and north of Kielce. The city is in the Masovian voivodeship.

By train
Trains run from Warsaw and Kraków. The train from Warsaw takes approximately 2 hours and costs approximately 36 zł. There is no direct train connection from Kraków and a change in Radom or Skarżysko Kamienna is required. The is located about 6 kilometers from the center of the town.

By car
Szydłowiec is very near to the highway connecting Warsaw and Kraków. It has two exits, both north and south of the town.

Get around
The town centre of Szydłowiec is very small so it is easy to get around on foot.

Go next

 * Radom
 * Kielce

title: Szydłowiec


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Ta'izz

Ta'izz is a city in the south of the Yemeni Mountains. It is better developed than most Yemeni cities, with very good roads. It is also reasonably clean. The climate is quite pleasant throughout the year.

Understand
Tai'zz lies at the foot of Mount Sabir (3.200 meters above sea level). The city is about 1.400 meters above sea level. Tai'zz was the capital of the Rasulid state.

Get in
Ta'izz has road links to other major cities and a regional airport. Ta'izz is 255 km south of Sana'a.

See

The city wall has four gates and is crowned by the Cairo castle.

Sleep
There are some reasonable simple hotels in the town centre. The best and most expensive is the Al Saeed.

Go next

 * Al Mokha is in the Tihama about 100 km south-west of Tai'zz. Al Mokha was the center of export of Yemeni coffee.
 * Al Turbah is 70 km south of Tai'zz on a mountain about 2.2 km above sea level. It offers splendid views on the south-western foothills of the mountains towards Aden.
 * Ibb is at the foot of Mount Ba'dan.
 * Jibla is 10 km south of Ibb. The city has many Islamic monuments, the most famous being the Al-Sayyida Arwa Mosque.

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Taba

Taba, in the eastern Sinai peninsula of Egypt, is on the border with Israel, close to the city and airport of Eilat. The area within one km of the border is a duty-free zone with a couple of large resort hotels, a few shops, the bus station and other amenities. It is within Egypt and the term "border zone" on this page refers to this strip, not to the controlled area where you're crossing between countries. 20 km further south, the new resort of Taba Heights is developing, described on its own page.

Visas
Taba is part of the Sinai coastal zone where most visitors don't need a visa for trips up to 15 days. This zone extends from Taba through Taba Heights, Nuweiba and Dahab to Sharm-el-Sheikh.

If you're staying longer, or travelling further eg to Cairo, you need a visa. It's best to arrange this online, at least seven days in advance: see Egypt. There are no visa facilities at Taba so if you enter without a visa and your plans change, you'll probably have to go to Sharm-el-Sheikh airport to be issued one. Taking a side-trip to Israel or Jordan of course would terminate a single-entry visa so you may need multiple entry. There are several checkpoints so if you try to travel further into Egypt without a visa, you'll soon be evicted from the bus.

Quite separately from the visa, you'll be charged LE400 (as of March 2020) as "Sinai tax" or similar, probably collected at the checkpoint 1 km from the border. (That's on top of the tax to exit Israel.) If it's collected elsewhere (eg at the bus station when buying tickets), make sure to get a receipt proving you've already paid. Beware of tricksters who might claim there's some extra tax you need to pay.

By plane
as of March 2020 has very few international flights and no Egyptian domestic flights. There's no public transport to the airport, take a taxi.

The nearest airport is Ramon, 20 km north of Eilat in Israel, with an expanding range of international flights. Ovda and Eilat city airports have both closed.

Sharm el-Sheikh also has an expanding range of flights, but onward transport to Taba is poor.

By bus
is prominent on the left hand side of the main road about 1 km from the border, but still within the "border zone." There are a few cafes and kiosks here, but will there be buses? The bus schedule is an Arabian mystery perhaps known to the Sphinx, but not necessarily to East Delta the operator. At busy times of year there may be several buses per day, and at quiet times one or none, and they may not know if one is running until shortly before departure.

For Cairo the likeliest bus to depart is at 2:30PM, taking eight hours. It cuts across Sinai to the Suez tunnel and doesn't serve the coast further south.

For Nuweiba, Dahab and Sharm el-Sheikh the likeliest departure is at 3PM, with the northbound bus leaving Sharm at 8:30AM (and not passing close to the airport). Those towns' bus stations are all more-or-less inconvenient for accommodation there.

From Eilat
From Eilat Ramon Airport, Bus 30 runs via downtown to the border, while Bus 15 / 16 also shuttles between downtown and border, so the service is every 15 min. Rav-Kav travel cards are valid and give the best fares. A taxi might be 40 shekels. The border is 5 km from town so on a cool day you can walk it, but it's a ratty street especially around the harbour.

At the border, it's 150 m between the Egyptian and Israeli side. See "visas" above for entry into Egypt - you might not need one, but if you do, get it online at least seven days in advance. There's an Israeli exit tax of 102 shekels, but you don't need to pay this if you're staying within the border zone - have your reservation to hand as proof. You still need to queue with those who are paying to get a receipt confirming you're exempt.

Reckon an hour to cross, it depends if there's a tour party ahead of you. Once through the gate, you're within Egypt but still within the duty-free "border zone". Ignore all the taxi drivers and walk on the sidewalk on the left side of the road. After 100 m, long-distance taxis await at the traffic circle. These aren't "shared taxis" in the Levant sense, and they have the reputation of ripping off tourists, but club up yourself with fellow travellers to share a cab. Keep walking firmly towards the bus station: their price will drop faster if they believe there's a bus today.

By boat
See Nuweiba and Taba Heights for ferries to Aqaba in Jordan, bypassing Israel.

Get around
The border zone is small and walkable. You'll need a taxi to reach Taba airport or Taba Heights.

See

See Eilat for attractions across the border, such as the Underwater Observatory about 1.5 km away.

Do

 * The casino within the Steigenberger is the main reason for Taba's existence.
 * There's snorkelling and scuba-diving off the local reefs, which are better preserved than Eilat's. But the infrastructure is little developed, you may be the dive shack's only customer, or find them closed up. Don't stray across the border underwater! - all the instructors have their own shocking story about the last customer to do so.
 * Tour buses pass through Taba on their way west to Cairo and east to Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and Petra. But they don't originate here: enquire ahead if a pick-up from Taba is possible.

Buy
There's a supermarket by the border gate open 24 hours, and a couple of little stores within and opposite the bus station.

Currency: Banque du Caire and Banque Misr have currency exchange booths within the Egyptian checkpoint, hours erratic, and there's an ATM. You can also exchange at the big hotels but rates aren't so good.

Eat and Drink

 * A handful of small eating places near the bus station.
 * The hotels are pricey but offer more choice; you'll stink of cigarette smoke for days after you eat in the casino.
 * Merhaba is a Turkish restaurant on the beach within the Steigenberger complex.

Sleep

 * Saladin Hotel is on the main coast road opposite Pharoah's Island and the castle.
 * Tolip Taba Resort is another km south, near the junction with the road north to Rafah.
 * See Taba Heights for the resort area 20 km south, and Nuweiba for the string of budget beach camps further along the coast.
 * Tolip Taba Resort is another km south, near the junction with the road north to Rafah.
 * See Taba Heights for the resort area 20 km south, and Nuweiba for the string of budget beach camps further along the coast.

Go next

 * Dahab is Sinai's backpacker hangout, with good diving.
 * Eilat in Israel is a grubby construction site. Just use it for the airport or as a base, then head swiftly on to Jerusalem or the Dead Sea.
 * You can reach Jordan either via Eilat or by ferry from Taba Heights. Fabulous Petra is about an hour's drive north of Aqaba.
 * Ras Abu Galum is a nature reserve north of Dahab

title: Taba


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Taba Heights

Taba Heights is a town on the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. A purpose-built resort nestling between mountains and the sea with 5 large hotels, diving & water sports centre and a golf course. There is also a residential complex for employees and regular visitors who own homes. There is a small promenade of shops providing local crafts in the Uptown area along with cafes and restaurants. From the beach you can see Israel to the left and Jordan and Saudi Arabia on the opposite shore of the Gulf of Aqaba.

Get in
Visas: Taba Heights is part of the Sinai coastal zone where most visitors don't need a visa for trips up to 15 days. This zone extends from Taba through Taba Heights, Nuweiba and Dahab to Sharm el-Sheikh. If you're staying longer, or travelling further eg to Cairo, you need a visa, and you may also need one for excursions to the interior of Sinai. See Taba for practicalities.

By plane: Taba Airport has very few flights. Either fly into Sharm el-Sheikh 200 km south, or into Eilat Ramon  and cross the nearby border at Taba. There might be an onward bus, but for the 20 km trip to Taba Heights a taxi shouldn't be too expensive.

By bus: and see Taba for details. East Delta buses between Sharm el-Sheikh and Taba run along the coast road via Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba Heights. The service is erratic but there is usually one leaving Sharm at 8AM, and returning from Taba at 3PM.

Buses from Cairo cross Sinai to Taba, change there for local transport to Taba Heights.

By boat: Ferries sail from Taba Heights to Aqaba in Jordan, bypassing Eilat in Israel and the tedious extra border procedures and fees. See Jordan for visa rules, but for most visitor nationalities you get a single-entry visa on arrival in Aqaba for US$100, valid for two months. On return to Egypt, you can't get a visa at Taba Heights, so if you need one come by the slower boat from Aqaba to Nuweiba, which can issue visas.

The ferry, operated by ABMaritime, is for foot-passengers only. It sails from Taba Heights Su Th F Sa at 1:30PM, taking an hour to Aqaba. It sails from Aqaba Tu Th F at 10AM. A return is US$75.

Get around
Taba Heights operates a complimentary Taf Taf bus service throughout the day which will run until the early hours of the morning. These regular free buses are an easy and reliable means to move around the resort. The Taf Taf bus stops are located at all Taba Heights hotels, Waterworld, Taba Heights Golf Resort and the Uptown shopping area.

Private hire limousines are also available.

See

The resort incorporates many leisure amenities including a host of luxury hotels, soothing spas, a renowned professional golf course and a marina. There are also adventurous activities such as diving and quad safaris for guests to enjoy.

Its enviable location overlooking four countries – Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Saudi Arabia - gives visitors the option to be standing before the Great Pyramid at Giza, the haunting canyon Treasury of Petra, or the solemn Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem in a matter of hours.

Day trips are available to Petra in Jordan, Eilat in Jerusalem and Cairo, and can be booked through several operators.

Distances of Sinai attractions from Taba Heights by road: Coloured Canyon 70 km (hike through canyon); Mount Sinai 210 km (Moses trail and home to inhabited monastery and the burning bush - a long hike but great sunrise view); and Sharm el Sheikh 225 km (Ras Mohammed National Park).

Do
Golf:

Unmatched by any other course in the region, the professional golf course offers serious and novice golfers the opportunity to tee off under a crop of desert mountains overlooking an incredible expanse of blue water with a view of three countries. Thanks to the year round sunshine, Taba Heights Golf Resort is open every day of the calendar year.

Taba Heights hosts a number of notable tournaments including the International Pro-Am, and the course has officially been ranked amongst the top 100 golf courses worldwide. The prestigious 18-hole championship golf course has been designed to ensure it meets both American and European architectural standards and offers an impressive 7100 yards between the 1st and 18th hole, with rolling elevations ranging from 4m-70m above sea level. Golf can be played with or without a coach.

The total course area spans the central section of resort's to link with the different hotels and beachfront. Each hole has five sets of tees and three holes offering golfers to chance to play alongside the Red Sea waters.

Water-sports and diving:

Waterworld is a five-star water-sports and diving centre located within the resort and offers a full range of activities including scuba diving, sailing, windsurfing, wake-boarding, water skiing and para-sailing with or without training. The trainers are all internationally certified instructors to ensure all visitors receive the best instruction and care.

There are also dive boats and daily diving trips for visitors to enjoy, while other activities on offer at the centre includes snorkelling trips, banana boat rides, pedalos, canoes, semi submarine trips and a ride on the Glass Bottom Boat.

Smaller underwater life that is regularly seen includes sea horses, frog fish and sea moths. While whale sharks have been sighted in the summer months, this is not a regular event and cannot be guaranteed during your visit. Dolphins also often pass through in the summer.

Snorkelling off the jetties at the hotels is a highlight offering lots of small fish to see. A large sail boat offers trips to Pharoun Island for the more adventurous snorkelers.

Quad biking:

Thrill seekers can book quad biking trips into the desert just outside of Taba Heights and wrestle the sand dunes.

Buy
In the Uptown shopping area visitors will find a wide range of locally produced crafts including rugs, paintings and silver, as well as the traditional Egyptian souvenirs in the local bazaars and fashion outlets.

There is also a supermarket and pharmacy here should guests need the facilities.

Eat
There are a number of restaurants located in the hotels but for guests wishing to eat out, there are restaurants available in the Uptown shopping area, some offering fabulous views over the golf course. Prices for alcoholic drinks are comparable to those in Europe.

There is a beach bar at Waterworld which will remain open while its guests are present. It serves reasonably priced food and drinks.

Dine Around Privilege: Taba Heights offers its guests the Dine Around Privilege, a special dining scheme that allows guests to sample a wide variety of cuisines at any of the many hotel restaurants throughout the resort, regardless of your hotel of residence. Simply make a reservation at the restaurant of your choice through your hotel reception.

There are also a number of restaurants and cafes serving Shisha spread throughout the resort.

Drink
A full range of local and imported alcoholic drinks is available.

Nightlife
Evening entertainment and themed nights are arranged by each hotel. In addition, the Uptown area has a variety of restaurants and bars, along with a shopping promenade.

There is a weekly street festival with free live entertainment in the Uptown area each Friday from March till November.

Sleep
There are many 4- and 5-star hotels within the resort, with most rooms offering sea, mountain or golf course views. The extensive collection of hotels means that there are many accommodation options available, from Bed & Breakfast to all-inclusive packages, to cater for all visitors.

Each hotel offers a range of entertainment options, including Nubian Troupes, Bedouin experience, camel rides, kids' clubs and evening entertainment.

Go next
25 km away from the border at Eilat, Israel, the crossing has a duty-free shop and the town has a good range of bars, cafes, restaurants and nightclubs along with shopping malls.

Sharm el-Sheikh is 200 km away by road and flights can be taken.

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Tabanan

Tabanan is a town in Central Bali.

Understand
Tabanan is the capital town of the regency of Bali with the same name. Parts of Tabanan regency lie in Central Bali and other parts would be more often regarded as part of West Bali. For the purposes of this guide the Tabanan area will be classified in Central Bali, as that is where the key areas of interest to visitors are located.

The coastal areas in the south used to be not well known by visitors due to a lack of infrastructure, but they have become lightly developed, and there are some high profile accommodation options there. Tabanan is though more usually associated by visitors with rolling green landscapes, hills and especially the imposing Mount Batukaru, Bali's second highest peak at 2,276 metres.

The town of Mengwi has a long and rich history associated with its royal family, and the best modern-day manifestation of this is the splendid temple complex at Taman Ayun.

Get in
The main coastal road from Denpasar to West Bali passes right by Tabanan, and access from the main tourist centres in South Bali is straightforward. Most visitors to the Tabanan area arrive with their own transport. The town is served by bemos departing from Ubung bemo terminal in Denpasar. These arrive on the northern outskirts of town at Pesiapan terminal.

Get around
There are a lot a bemos available in the town of Tabanan, and some of these will be useful in getting you to interesting sights in the region. Taxis and private vehicles for hire are thin on the ground here though. Most visitors arrive with a car and driver, in their own hired vehicle or by motorbike, and get around the region in that way.

See
There are numerous smallroads and unmade tracks that lead from the coast road south of Tabanan to the waterfront. The beaches here are all black sand. The most well known of them, and one with some good accommodation options, is Yeh Gangga. This is well signposted from the main coast about 2.5 km past Tabanan, heading west. Much of the west coast shoreline is unsafe for swimming.

Do
A drive of the scenic mountain road from Antosari to Pupuan is highly recommended. Take the main coast road west from Tabanan for about 12 km until you reach Antosari. From there turn north (right) off the coast road. The next 30 kilometres is very scenic indeed as you pass through several small villages to reach Sanda and then onwards to Pupuan. Throughout this drive Mount Batukaru rises majestically to the east and areas to the west are largely unpopulated all the way across to West Bali National Park. Lots of excellent photo opportunities along this route. You can continue on past Pupuan to the north coast at Seririt, or turn southwest to return to the south coast road at the village of Pekutatan close to Medewi Beach.

The famous surfing beaches at Balian and Medewi are less than one hour west from Tabanan.

Climb Mount Batukaru
This is a very different experience to Bali's other major climb up Mount Agung. Unlike Agung, Batukaru is a long extinct volcano and it is forested to the peak. There is none of the desolate, barren beauty of Mount Agung. It is though an interesting climb through some areas of dense primary forest and despite its relatively minor elevation (2,276 m), one which should only be undertaken by the physically fit.

Weather conditions are a critical factor in any climb here. Batukaru is a damp place and it rains for much of the year. This is probably the wettest place in Bali. Do not even think about a climb of Batukaru in the wet season (mid-October to late March), or when rain is forecast. The paths become running streams very quickly here. July and August are the best months.

There are 3 main ascent routes all of which converge at the same point at Munduk Nyanggang. The start usually depends on where you are staying: Wongayagede, Sarinbuana or Sanda. The Sanda route is the toughest and longest (6 to 7 hours to the top), and the Sarinbuana route the easiest. From the point of convergence at Munduk Nyanggang, the peak is another 2 to 3 hours of tough climbing depending on your level of fitness and the prevailing weather conditions.

A bonafide guide should always be used and can be arranged through your local hotel or employed directly at Pura Luhur Batukaru. Expect to pay anywhere between Rp 800,000 and 1,000,000 for a good experienced guide for a day return trek. All of the local guides also offer less arduous treks in the local area, including the ascent to Munduk Nyanggang only.

Camping is allowed on the mountain, although there are some restrictions close to Pura Luhur Batukaru during important ceremonies. For enthusiastic outdoors types, there is ample scope here to camp out on the mountain for one or more nights and really explore the area. Ask a guide for some ideas.

There is no food or water (some stream and spring water is OK, but be careful) for sale on the mountain, so bring in enough with you. Due to its sacred nature, no beef or beef products are permitted on the mountain and all visitors must respect this.

Buy
Tabanan is a very commercial town and does not have shopping aimed at visitors.

At any of the main tourist attractions you will find the usual souvenir stalls.

On the drive from Antosari to Pupuan there are several coffee plantations and processors who offer the chance to purchase freshly roasted beans.

Eat
All hotels and resorts have their own restaurants attached.

In Tabanan town there are numerous decent local restaurants and a night market.

Drink
Those visitors who especially enjoy mountain views should stop for an afternoon break and perhaps a cup of coffee on the scenic drive from Antosari to Pupuan.

The beach resorts at Yeh Gangga are a great spot to enjoy a sunset cocktail.

Sleep

Go next

 * Heading westwards, the quiet surfing village at Medewi Beach is less than one hour from Tabanan while the ferry port at Gilimanuk can be reached in two hours.
 * The north coast can best be reached via the scenic Antosari-Pupuan-Seririt road.
 * Another way to reach the north coast is by driving north from Mengwi and taking the eastwards cut across from Wongayagede. You will drive through Jatiluwih and Bedugul from where the north coast at Singaraja is less than a one hour's drive. You can visit the Pura Luhur Batukaru temple near Mount Batukaru and the area around Jataluwih has spectacular rice fields nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Bedugul has a fruit market, a botanic garden and the picturesque Pura Ulun Danu Bratan temple.

title: Tabanan


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Tabarca

Tabarca is an island off the coast of Alicante in Valencia. The waters of the island form part of a protected marine reserve.

Understand
The marine reserve has a variety of marine fauna including sea bass, grouper, conger eel, and gilthead, and was declared a Zone of Special Protection for Birds by the EU. It is surrounded by very clear and unpolluted waters. The island is formed by materials of volcanic origin on top of which limestone and quaternary deposits have settled.

Tabarca was the last Spanish Mediterranean location where the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal successfully bred before it became extinct in this part of its range in the 1960s. This proves the high quality of the waters around the island in terms of marine ecology. Therefore, waters around Tabarca were declared a marine reserve in 1986, the first of its kind in Spain. This status was mainly granted due to its submarine posidonia prairie, which is the largest in the Spanish Mediterranean and has an extraordinary ecological value in terms of marine fauna and flora.

In order to enhance the marine biodiversity and protect it from fishing, an artificial reef was laid near the island by the Marine Reserve authorities.

By boat
There is a ferry that leaves from Santa Pola every hour.

By plane
The closest airport to Tabarca is the Alicante Airport.

Get around
The island has no automobiles, and the only way of getting around is by foot. However, this does not pose a problem, as walking around the whole island does not take more than 3 hours.

title: Tabarca


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Tabarka

Tabarka is a city in Northern Tunisia.

Understand
Founded as a Phoenician trading port, the city was later used extensively by the Romans as a means to export resources.

Get in
It is possible to take a louage from Bizerte however this may require extensive changes. On the plus side, the countryside is beautiful!

Get around
Everything seems walkable.

Drink
You can order from a fairly extensive drinks menu at Restaurant le Festival. The Vieux Magon red isn't bad at 20 DT.

title: Tabarka


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Tabasco

Tabasco is a state in southeastern Mexico. Tabasco receives the nickname of the Eden of Mexico, for the exuberance of its flora, the variety of its fauna and its quantity of natural beauties. Tabasco is rich in water: in swamps, jungles, lagoons and huge rivers, mainly the Grijalva and the Usumacinta.

Cities

 * — one of the oldest cities in Mexico
 * — small colonial-era city set amid wetlands and rivers with nearby Mayan archaeological sites
 * — the second largest city in the state, and a transportation hub
 * — prosperous PEMEX (Mexican state petroleum company) company town
 * — beach and seafood
 * — historic small town with a scenic waterfall nearby, one of Mexico's designated Pueblos Mágicos
 * — colonial architecture and natural attractions including scenic rocky rivers, rolling hills, natural baths, and underground caves, a Pueblo Mágico
 * — old Mayan town, now a mid-size city known for its artesanal cheeses

Other destinations

 * — Tabasco's most extensive archaeological site is a 1,500 year old Maya city
 * — Olmec archaeological site where several colossal head sculptures were found, operated by INAH as an open-air museum
 * - 302.706 hectare protected area of swamps and coastal wetland forests that are home to crocodiles, jaguars, monkeys, and more than 230 bird species

Understand
Tabasco is about half-way in between Cancun and Mexico City. Known as the "Eden of Mexico", it is a mostly flat state with lush tropical vegetation, wetlands, forests, and enormous rivers, namely the Grijalva and Usumacinta. The state borders Veracruz to the west, Chiapas to the south, Campeche and Guatemala to the east, and the Gulf of Mexico to the north. Oil is plentiful along the shoreline and extensive operations are in place to exploit this natural resource. The inhabitants are called "Tabasqueño/as" in formal contexts, although they often refer to themselves as "choco/as".

Tabasco is the home of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (or "AMLO", as he is affectionately known). He was born in the town of Tepetitán.

Archaeology
Some of the oldest historical sites in Mexico are the Olmec sites in the western part of the state. These date back to at least 1800 BC. The most famous site is La Venta where several sculptures, including the famous colossal heads were found. An open-air site museum there is operated by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), though most of the sculptures are high-quality replicas with the originals moved to Villahermosa, where some of the colossal heads are displayed in the city's excellent Parque La Venta (a "must-see" if you're curious about Olmec culture).

The Maya civilization is the most famous Mesoamerican culture with well over a thousand sites throughout the Yucatán and the South, dozens of which have been explored and opened to the public. The largest site in Tabasco (and one of the oldest in Mexico) is Comalcalco, which is close to the beaches of Paraíso. A good weekend trip from Villahermosa could be to lie on the beaches with a frosty margarita with a few hours spent walking the ruins of Comalcalco.

Climate
Tabasco's climate can be summed up in two words: "hot" and "humid". The months of November, December, and January are the most comfortable times to visit, with daytime temperatures hovering between 25° and 30°C (77° to 86°F), although dew points will be high nonetheless, making the air still seem sultry for visitors from non-tropical climates.

Tabasco could be divided into five regions, known as Chontalpa, Centro, Sierra, Pantanos, and Rios, but these are superfluous and of no interest to the traveler given the state's compact size.

Talk
Natives speak a Caribbean-influenced variety of Spanish ("español choco") somewhat similar to that spoken in Cuba and Puerto Rico and therefore can be very difficult to follow. Few people speak or understand English, so Spanish is almost a must for the solo traveler.

Local slang words (perhaps shared with adjacent states) include:

 * Asu - An exclamation of pity or weariness.
 * Chamba - work. Chambear - to work.  "La pura chamba" - hard work.
 * Chelo/Chela - Male or female of fair skin, respectively - Mexican or otherwise. You also may hear "chelito/a" or "chelon/a".  Similar to the usage of "guero"
 * Hijole! - An exclamation of surprise or shock roughly equivalent to "Oh my!"

As in Central America, vos is sometimes used as a 2nd person singular pronoun (equivalent to "you"),

Get in
There are regular international flights to the Carlos Rovirosa Pérez International Airport (Villahermosa International Airport ) from Houston and domestic flights on most Mexican carriers from Benito Juarez International Airport and from Santa Lucia Airport  in northeastern Mexico City.

Sometimes cheaper connecting flights can be made had by flying into Cancún International Airport. Taking a first-class ADO bus from Cancun is not a good cost-saving strategy because the ride to Villahermosa lasts approximately 14 hours.

By train
Mexico's new Tren Maya intercity rail system has 2 stations in Tabasco at El Triunfo (in the north) and at Boca del Cerro (near Tenosique). The train provides easy, comfortable transportation from major cities in neighboring states, including Campeche, Merida and Cancun.

Get around
Public transit links between cities are frequent and good. Transit within cities is also extensive, but the variety of routes and providers can lead to confusion.

See
La Venta, an archaeological zone that housed the most important civic-religious center of the Olmec culture, is one of the oldest in Mesoamerica. 3000 years ago the Olmec settled on the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico.

Paraíso is the main beach where Tabasco people go, it has incipient tourist services, however, one of its main attractions is not only the sea and sands, but also being able to savor one of its delicious coconut ice creams. , which are simply unmatched.

In Villa Puerto Ceiba you can find a beautiful jungle and lagoon landscape.

Itineraries
As part of its tourism strategy, the state government of Tabasco has implemented five "thematic routes", each allowing the tourist to discover an aspect of the state.

 * Ruta Aventura en la Sierra/Adventure in the Sierra Route: Teapa - Tacotalpa - Macuspana - Jalapa
 * Ruta del Cacao/Chocolate Route: Comalcalco - Paraiso - Cunduacan
 * Ruta Olmeca-Zoque/Olmeca-Zoque Route: Cardenas - Huimanguillo
 * Ruta Pantanos/Wetlands Route: Centla - Jonuta
 * Ruta Ríos/Rivers Route:

Do
Active outdoors travelers find a wealth of activities in Tabasco, with offshore fishing from the villages like Puerto Ceiba on the Gulf of Mexico, swamps of the Centla Biosphere Reserve near the border with Campeche, mountains in the southern highlands near Tapijulapa, and even some Maya archaeological sites like Comalcalco to explore.

Eat
Having an extensive Gulf of Mexico coastline, mariscos (seafood) is a specialty of Tabasco. Look for ostiones (oysters) on menus, as well as ceviche (raw fish or seafood "cooked" in a lime juice marinade), róbalo (snook), cócteles (seafood cocktail), and other products from the Gulf of Mexico, which are abundant and affordable.

All the Mexican standards can be found at vendors and restaurants across Tabasco, including regional foods like the Guadalajaran birria to Yucatecan salbutes, and Mexican takes on American food, like hamburgers.

The state's hot sauce (it's not Tabasco brand, which is actually from the U.S.), made from habanero peppers and often found at restaurant and kitchen tables, is called Salsa Chimay and available in four varieties, from very hot to extremely hot. If you befriend a Tabasqueña family, they may very well send you home with bottles of Chimay as a souvenir.

Artesanal cheeses are made in Tabasco, which is also home to an annual cheese festival, Festival del Queso Artesanal, held each August in the town of Tenosique.

Villahermosa has a mediocre selection of international food, including Italian, Japanese, and Lebanese restaurants. In other cities, expect to content yourself with the usual selection of American fast food and Chinese take-out, or be a real traveler and take advantage of the chance to try regional foods you never had before.

Drink
Tabasco's traditional state drink is pozol, made from fermented corn dough and cocoa.

Tabasco is also a major center for cocoa production.

Stay safe
Parts of the state suffered a major security epidemic due to narco-trafficking in the early 21st century. Although incidents affecting tourists are rare, it is wise to observe normal security precautions and avoid potentially dangerous situations.

Go next

 * Campeche
 * Veracruz
 * Chiapas
 * Ruta Rio Bec

title: Tabasco


text:
Tabatinga

Tabatinga is a Brazilian city on the triple border with Brazil, Colombia and Peru, in the northwest of the state of Amazonas. It forms a contiguous settlement with the Colombian town of Leticia, on the Amazon River. Santa Rosa on the nearby island in the river is in Peru.

Understand
Tabatinga is on the left bank of the Solimões River. The municipality has a population of around 70,000, the 6th most populous in the state of Amazonas. Its population is quite heterogeneous, formed by Brazilians, Peruvians and Colombians, among them indigenous people of different ethnic groups. The city also receives non-permanent Brazilian inhabitants who are employees of government agencies or military personnel of the armed forces.

The city's economy is driven by a significant portion of the informal economy and subsistence agriculture. It is also made up of public sector jobs and the extensive financial exchange of the Colombian city of Leticia, which, based on dollar regulation, takes place in parallel in the city between the Colombian peso and the Brazilian real.

History
The formation of the city of Tabatinga dates back to the 17th century, when Jesuit missionaries founded a village close to the Solimões River. In 1766, a military post, a fiscal post and a border post between the Portuguese and Spanish colonies were installed in the region. From the creation of these two posts, the settlement of São Francisco Xavier de Tabatinga was founded. In 1866, the border between Brazil and Peru was drawn near the village. In 1898, the city became part of the newly created municipality of Benjamin Constant. A post between the borders of Tabatinga and Letícia in 1924 consistently defined the borders between Brazil and Colombia. On December 10, 1981, the municipality of Tabatinga was emancipated from the municipality of Benjamin Constant. The installation of municipal offices took place on January 1, 1983.

Climate
Tabatinga has a tropical rainforest climate with high humidity and minimal differences in average high and low temperatures throughout the year. Average temperatures range from 22 °C (71.6 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F) throughout the year. Rain falls throughout the year, although between June and September there is less rainfall.

Get in
Inside a dense tropical rainforest with no land connection with other Brazilian or Colombian cities, it is only possible to reach Tabatinga by plane or by boat.

Immigration
Movement between all three countries' border towns is unrestricted; but of course, make sure you're stamped into the correct country if leaving the border area. Try to minimize the number of times you go through immigration: i.e. if entering the region from one country and leaving from another, just get one exit and one entry stamp, even if you visit all three towns in this area. Anything more seems to annoy the immigration officers.

The Brazilian immigration office is some way down Tabatinga's main avenue, Avenida da Amizade, next to the Federal Police station. It is only open Monday to Thursday. Exit-stamps are given by the Federal Police (next door to the left), not by the immigration.

The Colombian immigration office is at the airport, so if you're flying in and moving on to a different country, you may as well get an exit stamp when you land. Don't wait several days between getting your exit stamp and the next entry stamp; however leaving it one day doesn't cause any problems.

The Peruvian immigration office in Santa Rosa is fairly central and easy to find, just ask someone.

By boat
There are two ports divided by a river.

Boats and speed boats come upstream from Manaus in 36 hours (speedboat) to 6 days (3 days downstream). They leave at various times during the week and cost about R$ 370 (Aug 2017). For finding departure times between Tabatinga and Manaus, use Navegam. Or call the port in Manaus for details (tel. 92 3622-1330, fax 92 3233-2689).

Boats come downstream from Iquitos (Peru) to Santa Rosa (which is just another 10 minute ride with a taxi-boat). The trip is about 9 to 10 hours downstream, or 14 hours upstream, by fast boat, which costs US$50 to US$60 (Aug 2017). Slow boats cost about US$30 (Aug 2017, meals included) and take 3 days. The distance is about 625 km. The immigration office is in Santa Rosa. Make sure to check out of Peru before entering Brazil, and likewise to check in when entering Peru.

For detailed information visit the Voyaging along the Amazon River article.

Get around
Taxis and moto-taxis abound; just avoid the taxis at the port - they overcharge 2 to 4 times. The city is pretty large, walking in the heat of the day is something one might want to think twice about.

See
You can see all three countries at once at the and at a  near the airport runway just 5 minutes walking away. Both are free of charge.

See also the "See" and "Do" section of Leticia for activities.

Do
One of the greatest experiences in South America - voyaging down the Amazon.

Buy
There is a on the main street.

Both Brazilian reais, Colombian pesos and Peruvian soles are generally freely traded in the town, though Peruvian Soles may not be willingly received.

Changing money is not difficult though.

Due to the isolation of the city and the distance from the capital of the state, the cost of living in Tabatinga is higher than in the rest of the state. However, shopping in the Colombian city of Leticia is tax-free, and for this reason, the locals and tourists generally prefer to shop on the Colombian side of the border.

Sleep
Note that the neighboring town of Leticia has a much greater and better choice in accommodation. You don't need to pass Colombian immigration to stay there.

Go next
Riverboats and speed boats head downstream to Manaus in 1 to 4 days. Boats head upstream to Iquitos (Peru) from Santa Rosa (about 60h with a slow boat, 13h with a speedboat).

Flights connect to Manaus and to Bogota, the latter from the airport in Leticia.

For detailed information visit the Voyaging along the Amazon River article.

title: Tabatinga


text:
Taberg

Taberg is in Jönköping Municipality in Småland.

Get in
Taberg is easily reached from Jönköping by car, train and bus. The Public Transport company is Jönköpings Länstrafik.

Get around
The main sight seeing is the top of the mountain. It can be reached via car all the way up, or via several walking paths that is of different difficulty levels.

Go next

 * In Röshult south of Taberg is Swedens biggest ring cairn.
 * Vroom, Kart racing just east (7 km) of Taberg.
 * Nearest campsite (9 km) Lovsjöbadens Camping.
 * Nearest hostel (5 km) Spånhults Herrgård.

title: Taberg


text:
Table Mountain National Park

Table Mountain National Park is a 221-km² park in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It protects the natural environment of the Table Mountain Chain, and in particular the rare fynbos vegetation. The park contains two well-known landmarks: Table Mountain, and the Cape of Good Hope, the most southwestern extremity of Africa.

Understand
The park forms part of the Cape Floristic Region UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprises a large area of the Cape Peninsula and incorporates a number of park areas.

Table Mountain National Park consists of the greater Table Mountain chain on the peninsula, stretching from the well known Table Mountain behind Cape Town south to Cape Point. It incorporates Table Mountain, Tokai Forest, Silvermine, a large area in the vicinity of Cape Point, and a marine protected area.

The park is managed by South African National Parks.

The park is busy with ongoing restructuring and development. New areas are constantly being added to the park in an effort to link the separated portions and expand the park.

Marine protected areas
There is one large marine protected area which extends a few kilometers offshore from Mouille Point all around the coast of the peninsula to Muizenberg. The MPA is mostly a controlled zone, where limited extractive activities may be conducted with a permit, and some restricted zones where no extractive activities are allowed.
 * Karbonkelberg restricted zone around Llandudno on the west side of the peninsula
 * Cape of Good Hope restricted zone on the south-western side of the peninsula
 * Paulsberg restricted zone south of Smitswinkel Bay
 * Castle Rock restricted zone south of Miller's Point
 * The Boulders restricted zone east of Simon's Bay, with some shore areas for the protection of penguins
 * Kalk Bay restricted zone, north of the harbour

Cape Point, in the southern part of the park is the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula, it is not the Cape of Good Hope, which is slightly to the west, and not the southern tip of Africa, The most southernly point of the continent is at Cape Agulhas in the Overberg.

History
The Khoekhoe people were the inhabitents of the Western Cape before the arrival of European explorers. In 1488 the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias was the first European to round the Cape of Good Hope, so named because it offered a route to India. In 1652 the Dutch established a settlement at Cape Town that served as a refreshment station for their ships plying between Europe and the Far East.

The first lighthouse, at 238 m above sea level, was built at Cape Point in 1859.

Even though the southern part of the peninsula had been a game park for may years, Table Mountain itself was first declared a national park in the 1960's under the care of the Table Mountain Preservation Board. Over the years other parts of the peninsula were added to the national park and today it incorporates a large part of the peninsula. Since 2004, the property has been included as part of the UNESCO Cape Floristic Region World Heritage Site.

Landscape
Were it not for the Cape Flats, a "beach" of aeolian sand between the Cape Peninisula, Tygerberg, and the Hottentots Holland Mountains, the Cape Peninsula would be a rocky island with Table Mountain, close to its northern limit reaching an altitude of 1084 m above sea level, 50 km from north to south and up to 10 km located some 30 to 40 km off the African coast. Geologically, the peninsula consists of a sandstone cap above a substrata of Cape Granite and Tygerberg sedimentary rocks. The initial European settlement was in a hollow between Table Mountain and Table Bay. Further settlements rapidly developed along the lower east-facing slopes of Table Mountain. Development also spread westward and south along the coastline from Central Cape Town but not to the same degree. There are a few fishing villages on the peninsula coast.

Flora and fauna
The Cape Peninsula offers some typical fynbos vegetation. In the reserve are also a number of ostriches and antelopes. The baboons are used to people and often steal objects from tourists. Do not feed them! If a baboon approaches you, keep all food well hidden, and walk away facing the baboon but do not make eye contact. As long as they are not attacking you, leave them alone in their natural habitat (photos are allowed).

Climate
The peninsula has a warn Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and dry, warm summers. Average January maximum and minimum temperatures are 26° and 10°C respectively and average July maximum and minimum temperatures are 17° and 7°C respectively. Temperatures seldom drop below zero. Due to the mountain, the is considerable variation in rainfall with an annual average of 1500 mm in the Cape Town suburb of Newlands, but only 500 mm in Camps Bay (9 km away). The bulk of teh rain falls during the winter months (April to September).

Fees and permits

Most sections of the park do not require any fees to be paid, specifically
 * Table Mountain - Access on foot to the mountain is free. Cable car ticket prices are shown below.
 * The southern area towards Cape Point

Table Mountain cable car: first car up at 8:30AM, last car up 4:30PM-9:30PM depending on the time of year. Ticket prices, return/one-way (valid until 20 Sep 2017):
 * Adult: R255/135
 * Children (4-17 years): R125/65
 * Children 3 years and under: free
 * Discounts on Fridays only (available at ticket office only) for:
 * South African seniors (60 and over): R100/53
 * Local and international students: R130/70

Daily park fees (valid until 31 Oct 2017):
 * Boulders - adults R70 per person, children R35 (you can see the penguins without having to pay any fees, but the penguins' private beach is managed by TMNP and an entry fee is charged.)
 * Cape of Good Hope - adults R135 per person, children R70
 * Silvermine - adults R50 per person, children R25
 * Oudekraal - adults R40 per person, children R25
 * Perdekloof picnic site - adults R15 per person, children R7
 * Newlands picnic site - adults R25 per person, children R15, vehicles R25
 * Tokai picnic site - adults R25 per person, children R15, vehicles R25

Car
The easiest way to see the park is by car. Most major international car hire companies have offices in Cape Town. Traffic drives on the left, distances are given in kilometres and road signs are generally compatible with European road signs. Roads are sealed and are usually well sign-posted.

Rail
The principal railway line in the area is the suburban that links and. This line is designed to handle commuter traffic, but does provide a link to Hout Bay and Simonstown. Trains may not be running all the way to Simon's Town

There are also two cable-hauled transport systems within the region, both of which are oriented towards the tourist traffic:
 * The provides an easy way to the top of Table Mountain. Advanced bookings are advised, but users should note that it is often closed due to high winds. The base station can be accessed by car or by bus, alternatively one can walk following a 1.5 km footpath from  the Cape Town suburb of Oranjezicht (2.5 km from the city centre).
 * The provides an easy route from the Cape Point car park to the Cape Point lighthouse.

Do

 * Scuba diving
 * Scuba diving

Buy
There is a small curio shop located at Cape Point

Eat
Table Mountain Simonstown Cape Point

Sleep
Cape of Good Hope

Tokai Forest

Stay safe
Be wary of approaching chacma baboons at Cape Point. They regularly attack tourists. They usually won't hurt you much, but will steal food and any other thing that night small of food, whether or not you are holding it in your hands or in a pack. If one approaches you, walk backwards slowly, facing the baboon, but be aware that there will usually be others around. When driving past in your car or stopping nearby, close all windows!

Go next

 * Go to all the harbours and villages around the Cape Peninsula.
 * Cape Town is an option with the V&A Waterfront and other attractions
 * The Cape Winelands are less than an hour drive.

title: Table Mountain National Park


text:
Taboga

Taboga is an island in Central Panama. It is one of the favorite escapes for residents of Panama City, who enjoy the beach, hiking, nature, fishing, and boat charters. The island has a charming village with a whitewashed church, a few narrow streets with several small restaurants, small hotels and great views to Panama City from the highest point on the island which stands at approximately 300 m.

Taboga has maintained its core traditions and values. Many villagers continue earning a living by fishing. Throughout the year, Taboganos joyfully celebrate numerous religious festivals, including San Pedro, La Virgen del Carmen, the Passion of Christ, and Carnival. Isla Taboga is a strong, tight-knit community that manages to preserve its customs and natural environment despite receiving scant financial help from the mainland or investors.

Understand

Isla Taboga is part of an archipelago 20 km (12 miles) south of Panama City. The largest of the island chain, Isla Taboga (571 hectares; population 1,500) dots the Pacific side of the Panama Canal and boasts a rich diversity of tropical flora and a history marked by international influences.

Isla Taboga sits in close proximity to Isla Morro, which is roughly one square hectare and at low tide connects to Taboga's main beach, Playa Restinga. The bay these islands share once served as a harbor for ships, and the islands themselves provided a strategic location to settle. There was an abundant supply of fresh water, worshippers could pray in the second oldest church in the hemisphere, and those doing business in Panama City could easily anchor and take smaller boats to the mainland.

Taboga was first inhabited by Indigenous Peoples, who lived in thatch huts and fished for a livelihood. The island's original name was “Aboga,” which originated from the Indigenous word meaning “an abundance of fish.”

Taboga's earliest inhabitants were virtually eliminated during the Spanish conquest. Vasco Nuñez de Balboa was credited with discovering Taboga and Morro in 1513. That year, the Spaniards sailed to the island to establish a settlement, killing or enslaving the Indigenous population, and stealing their gold.

Throughout their conquests, the Spaniards continued colonizing Taboga and were a dominating presence until 1549, when Panama freed its Indigenous slaves and a number of them chose to make Taboga their home. A fort was built on Isla Morro to protect Taboga and its important bay during this period.

Pirates, including the infamous Henry Morgan and Francis Drake, frequented the island, using the harbor as a base to attack Spanish ships and the town itself, or simply as a place to catch their breath and stock up on supplies between raids.

Many travelers heading to the west coasts of North or South America used Taboga and Morro as a resting point until ships were leaving for their final destinations. A number of companies, mostly British and apparently some Dutch, offered a full set of tourist services on Isla Morro, including a small theater and a boat repair shipyard.

Isla Taboga played an important role in France's visionary lead in constructing the Panama Canal. The Canal's French administration built a 50-bed sanatorium on Taboga, later known as Aspinwall, for ailing and convalescing workers who contracted yellow fever or malaria. Those who died were buried on Morro.

Get in
There are two separate companies that offer launch services to Taboga Island. One leaves from the Balboa-Amador Yacht Club and costs USD12 round-trip. The ride takes 20 minutes. The other launch is best for tourists who are not in a hurry to get there but want a relaxing boat trip across the Panama Canal; it takes 45 minutes. This launch costs USD12, round-trip, and leaves from Mi Playita, Amador Causeway.

Get around
Due to its size Taboga Island is mainly a "walking island" - i.e., mostly everybody walks everywhere they go. There are a couple of taxis (old pickup trucks) which can take you to one of the 3 hotels on Taboga Island. There are also boats which you may rent from the locals which will take you on boat tours around the island, to include the back side, which is a refuge for Brown Pelicans.

Do
Taboga Island offers a number of adventures for nature and history lovers. There are several marked trails up the mountains which one can enjoy. Plus unmarked rainforest areas to explore.

Taboga is fortunate to have the second oldest church in the western hemisphere. On Saturday afternoon and Sunday the church of San Pedro is open, during the week one can ask for the caretaker to open the church (a small donation is appreciated).

Boat trips can be arranged through Hotel B and B Cerrito Tropical with local guides for whale watching, fishing and tours to the bird refuge on the back side of the island.

Eat
There are several restaurants on Taboga Island, located in Hotel B&B Cerrito Tropical, Hotel Vereda Tropical, Hotel Mundi, plus two on the main street. There are some snack vendors on the beach.

Sleep
There are 3 licensed small hotels, prices vary from USD55-110 for two people.

 * B&B Cerrito Tropical
 * Hotel Vereda Tropical
 * Residencial Turistico Mundi

Go next

 * Balboa
 * Panama City

title: Taboga