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Shetland Islands

The Shetland Islands are the most northerly part of the United Kingdom, a group of islands 100 miles (160 km) north of mainland Scotland. The largest town, Lerwick, is closer to Norway than to Edinburgh, and culturally and geographically they feel more Norse than Scottish. They're low-lying and treeless, divided by long fjords ("voes") and sparsely populated, but prosperous thanks to the oil industry.

Islands and towns
Mainland is the main island in the group, with most of the population. To avoid ambiguity, on this and related pages the term Mainland, cap "M", refers to this island, while the landmass of Great Britain to the south is referred to as the Scottish mainland, small "m". The chief settlements on Mainland are:
 * is the only town of any size on the islands, with a population of some 7000, about a third of Shetland's total. Much of it is modern and industrial, centred around its busy port. It does have some attractive 18th- and 19th-century architecture, and its sights include the Broch of Clickimin, Fort Charlotte, and a couple of museums. It has the most accommodation, eating and drinking, and is the obvious base for visitors, with good access to the rest of Shetland.
 * – a small town to the south-west of Lerwick
 * is a small town on the west coast six miles from Lerwick. Until 1708 it was the island's capital. It has a castle and museum, plus a marina, shops and accommodation.
 * Trondra, West Burra and East Burra are three islands nowadays connected to Scalloway by road, becoming part of Mainland.
 * is at a road junction in north Mainland: it's a common name meaning sea-inlet.
 * is where the main road crosses "Mavis Grind", the neck of land across to Northmavine, the northwest part of Mainland.
 * is an inlet with a large oil terminal. Gas and some of the oil is brought ashore by pipeline, but most of the oil comes by shuttle tankers from the fields. It's a storage facility, with no refineries, and other tankers carry the crude oil and gas onward.
 * has wildlife, high sea cliffs, and true Arctic tundra. A little way south, the island of Muckle Roe has been linked by road to Mainland.
 * in the west of Mainland has Staneydale Temple, a Neolithic structure.
 * : flights from the Scottish mainland land here, 25 miles south of Lerwick. It has the prehistoric and Norse settlement of Jarlshof, and an RSPB reserve on Sumburgh Head.

The other inhabited islands are:
 * is just east of Lerwick. It provides access to the nature reserve and spectacular sea-cliffs on the island of Noss.
 * is the second largest island, linked by short ferry crossings to Mainland to the south, Unst to the north, and Fetlar to the east.
 * is the most northerly inhabited island in Scotland and the United Kingdom. It has Viking heritage, unspoilt scenery, and the Hermaness nature reserve where thousands of seabirds nest.
 * is divided by the curious Funzie Girt, a Neolithic stone wall.
 * to the northwest of Mainland has great sea-cliffs, arches and "gloups".
 * — south of Walls is an island with a sheep farm, and has no ferry service.
 * is a fishing and crofting island that few visit.
 * are smaller islands to the northeast.
 * midway between Orkney and Shetland, and away west, vie for the title of Britain's most remote inhabited island. By most definitions, Fair Isle edges it.

Understand
Shetland is 60 degrees north, on the same latitude as Hudson Bay and the Yukon. It’s windy! In mid-summer the day is almost 20 hours long, with only a brief “simmer dim” before sunrise. You can easily get sunburnt, not noticing the sun in the cool breeze, in between getting drenched by showers. Winter days are short, gloomy affairs.

Shetland was settled from prehistoric times and because there were few trees, dwellings had to be made of stone. So these have survived better than elsewhere: Jarlshof dates back to 2500 BC. From 800 AD Shetland came under Viking rule, and (as in Orkney) this lasted until 1472 when the northern islands were ceded to Scotland. The people spoke “Norn”, a North Germanic / Scandinavian language which only died out in 1850 - this news failed to reach the remote island of Foula, where one native speaker was still alive in the 1920s. The culture was never Gaelic, but Norse, and this lives on in place names, traditions such as Up Helly Aa, the style of music, and the local dialect — see Shetland ForWirds. And a medieval transcription error changed Hjaltland into “Zetland”, so these islands became Britain’s most northerly misprint.

Shetland was transformed by North Sea oil in the 1970s. A huge oil terminal was built at Sullom Voe near Brae on Mainland. Oil money halted population decline and boosted the economy, so roads and other infrastructure are good and unemployment is low. As oil stocks decline, Shetland is turning back to crofting and fishing: there are many fish farms in the sheltered voes. Tourism also grew: Shetland has good air and car ferry connections, and Lerwick is a regular port of call for cruise ships.

There are over 100 islands, with Mainland and ten others inhabited. Several others have been linked by road, to become part of Mainland, and there are some natural causeways: Mavis Grind is not a fearsome barmaid but the strip to the northwest peninsula of Northmavine. Nine of the ten outliers have a ferry service, and Noss and Mousa are uninhabited but routinely visited by boat trips. A couple of others have no residents but the land agents haven’t totally despaired of attracting a wealthy new owner to re-build the derelict farm cottage: scan the upmarket property magazines for places you could be lord of, for the same price as a two-bedroom terraced house in London.

Visitor information

 * Shetland Islands

Get in
Shetland has few international links so you need to travel via the Scottish mainland.

By plane
Sumburgh Airport is at Sumburgh on the south tip of Shetland Mainland, 25 miles south of Lerwick. Loganair fly here from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness on the Scottish mainland, from Kirkwall in Orkney, and from Bergen in Norway. Loganair are a full-service airline, with 20-kg checked baggage included in the fare; they use medium-sized twin-prop aircraft, e.g., the Saab 340. There are also flights within the Shetland Islands, see "Get around".

Sumburgh's terminal is small, with a café/bar, shop, wi-fi Internet and ATM. An hour before flight is fine for check-in, as neither security nor retailing are as overgrown as in large mainland airports. One runway crosses the main road A970, so this is closed whenever a flight is coming in or taking off. Pick up and drop off by car is free but airport parking is charged.

Car hire is available at the airport from Star Rent a Car or Bolts Car Hire. These also act for the major companies (Avis, Hertz) that you may choose to book through. Their depots are off-site, so they'll meet you and transfer you to your car. They only have small fleets so book in advance.

Taxis: all the Lerwick-based taxi firms serve the airport, plus Boddam Cabs +44 1950 460111 and Sumburgh Airport Taxis +44 1950 460560. In 2021 the fare between airport and Lerwick was about £55.

Bus 6 runs from Sumburgh airport and village to Lerwick, daily every 90 min, taking one hour: see South Mainland bus timetable.

Scatsta airport near Sullom Voe oil terminal doesn't have commercial flights, it's only used to bring in oil workers from Aberdeen. They then wriggle into their survival gear and transfer to helicopters for the oil rigs out in the North Sea.

Lerwick Tingwall airport only has inter-island flights, see "Get around".

By boat
Northlink Ferries sail every night between Aberdeen and Lerwick. On four nights the journey is non-stop, leaving at 7PM to arrive for 7:30AM in both directions.

The other three nights per week, the ferry also calls at Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands. On those nights it sails around 5PM to make the extra stop and reach its final destination at the usual time. See Kirkwall for need-to-know info about the Aberdeen-Kirkwall and Kirkwall-Lerwick services.

In Aberdeen follow signs to the harbour, which is next to Union Street railway and bus stations. You're aiming for the big white ship with a blue hairy-scary Viking on its side. Follow the relevant signs for foot passengers or queuing vehicles. They may ask for photo ID, and hand you a disclaimer stating that you're travelling at your own risk: the crossing can be rough.

On board, the cabins are small but have decent bunks with private toilet and shower. Or you can sleep in the reclining aircraft-style seats in the lounge, or stretch out on the couches in the bar once it has closed. If you take a sleeping bag and pillow, you'll have to carry them around as staff won't let you leave them unattended. There's no access to vehicles once at sea, so you need to gather up all your kit and caboodle before locking up and going upstairs.

The ferry is comfy and well equipped. There are two bars, a self-service restaurant, and a table-service restaurant. There's also a cinema, though if it is rough, watching a film in a dark room is a good recipe for sea-sickness. The ship's interior is all non-smoking, but there is an outside deck where you can smoke. If the weather is fair, there may be access to the upper deck until late at night, and again early morning as you approach Lerwick.

Arrival in Shetland is announced at 6:30AM and the self-service restaurant opens for breakfast. The ferry docks at 7:30AM, and drivers must leave promptly to move their cars, but (with their boarding pass) may return on board for breakfast. They, along with non-drivers and foot passengers, may remain on the ship until 9AM. In any case have your boarding pass ready when you disembark, as they check for fare-dodgers. The ferry terminal is at Holmsgarth a mile north of the centre of Lerwick and pre-booked hire cars can be collected at the terminal.

Fares vary by season, but in 2024 you might pay £33 per adult, £16 per child and £131 per car each way. Reserving a reclining seat is £3.50, while twin cabins start from £80 pp. Book early in summer because vehicle capacity and cabins sell out.

Get around
ZetTrans is Shetland's transport partnership for all modes of public transport. Shetland Travel Information has timetables for buses, inter-island ferries and inter-island plane flights.

By plane
Inter-island flights are operated by Airtask ( for booking) on behalf of Shetland Islands Council, and fly from  7 miles north of Lerwick, to Fair Isle  and Foula. They don't fly from Sumburgh except for a summer Saturday flight between there and Fair Isle. You can't book online, as they need to prioritise residents and essential visitors such as the GP.

Buses to Scalloway and Brae run past Tingwall airport every hour or two, but you're better taking a taxi.

By boat
The inhabited islands are served by ferries run by Shetland Islands Council — Calmac don't operate up here. The short crossing from Lerwick to Bressay can't be booked, and booking is seldom necessary for Yell, Unst, Fetlar or Whalsay - you'll want a car on all of these. There may not be many sailings, but they do sail early and late to enable residents to day-trip either direction. Visitors' vehicles can't be taken to Foula or Fair Isle: occasional contractors' vehicles have to be precariously loaded and unloaded by crane, with the stomach-churning 3-hour crossing enlivened by the continual shrilling of the van alarm.

Check the display board at Lerwick harbour (or online or by enquiry at the ferry office) before setting out if the weather is doubtful. Ferries may be cancelled for days on end, leaving you stranded among the seagulls. Or they may switch ports, for instance the ferries to Whalsay and Out Skerries normally sail from Laxo, but in high winds they sail from Vidlin.

By car
The roads are in excellent condition. A-roads connect Sumburgh Airport with Lerwick, Scalloway, the ferry pier for Yell and Unst (and across those islands), and the Northmavine peninsula. They are mostly two lanes, but in Northmavine and on the B-roads they are mostly single track. Traffic is very light, apart from "Lerwick rush hour" which is more like 15 min around 9AM and 5PM, and a little surge around ferry sailings. If you're taking it slow to admire the scenery, pull into a passing place to let others overtake. Do wave thank-you to drivers from the other direction who pull in to let you go by, especially if you suspect they were expecting you to be the one to give way.

There are no fixed speed cameras, but the police enforce speed limits especially in built-up areas, and are always vigilant for drink- or drugged-driving.

Petrol and diesel is widely available, although there are few filling stations outside Lerwick. Reckon to pay 10p per litre more than in mainland Scotland.

Car hire is available from:

By bus
Lerwick Viking bus station is Shetland's transport hub. Buses run hourly to Scalloway and every 90 min to two hours to Sumburgh village and airport. Other destinations including the north tip of Unst only have 3 or 4 M-Sa and nothing on Sunday. They're timed so that villagers can get into Lerwick, do what they need to and get home that afternoon. A day-trip out from Lerwick may not be practical, but see individual villages' "Get in" for options.

By bike
It's a big place, with gradients and stiff breezes, so allow plenty of time. Shetland isn't on the National Cycle Network and has no off-road trails, but the roads have only light traffic. An itinerary over several days might follow the main road up to Yell and Unst, then returning south with Mainland loops west through Brae and Bixter eventually to Sumburgh.

See

 * Shetland Museum and Archives in Lerwick is a good start, with excellent displays on the geology, natural environment, and long history of these islands.
 * Up Helly Aa Exhibition in Lerwick. Each February the "guizers" start building a Viking longship, and by June the work in progress is on display, along with displays about the festival. Several places in Shetland have Up Helly Aa events, but by far the biggest and most spectacular is in Lerwick, with a grand costumed torchlight procession culminating in burning the longship. It's nowadays held on the last Tuesday in January.
 * Prehistoric sites: the standout is Jarlshof in Sumburgh, inhabited from 2500 BC into early modern times. Other notable examples are Old Scatness (also near Sumburgh), Mousa Broch an Iron Age tower on Mousa, reached by boat from Sandwick (Mainland), Stanydale Temple a few miles east of Walls, and Clickimin Broch at the south edge of Lerwick.
 * Historic sites include the Crofthouse Museum and Quendale Watermill near Sumburgh. The castles are variously smashed up, derelict or beyond ruin, so you visit them for the picturesque view: the best is in Scalloway.
 * Wildlife: always keep your eyes open for this, and also watch out for sheep and Shetland ponies which may roam free on the little island roads.
 * - Draatsi are otters, who prefer spots where a freshwater stream runs out to sea. They're best spotted early morning or late evening at low tide, especially on Yell.
 * - Sea birds are prolific, look for puffins, gannets, guillemots, kittiwakes, fulmars, shags, great and arctic skuas, storm petrels, oystercatchers, eider ducks, cormorants and razorbills. Inland are curlews, whimbrels, golden and ringed plovers, lapwings and redshanks, and Fetlar has the rare red-legged phalarope.
 * - Marine life includes Grey and Common Seals (always sniffing around the fish processing plants in Lerwick), whales especially Minke, and other cetaceans such as porpoises, dolphins and orcas.

 * Most northerly this & that: taking the main road north brings you to a short ferry crossing to the island of Yell, then from the north tip of Yell to Unst, the most northerly inhabited island of Britain. It's an easy day-trip by car. Any feature here can reasonably be described as "the most northerly X in Britain". The most northerly bus-stop is nothing special, but "Bobby's bus stop" a little way south is certainly worth seeing. The highlight is Hermaness, a nature reserve where sea birds wheel above the cliffs.
 * Dramatic coastlines: all over Shetland but especially the cliffs and sea stacks of Hermaness (Unst), Eshaness (near Hillswick on Mainland), Noss (Bressay), Sumburgh head at the south tip of Mainland, and wild, lonely Foula. These are all great locations for sea birds, especially in the nesting season early summer.
 * Tourist-free islands: the three small islands to the northeast don't have "sights" or visitor amenities, but come here for a glimpse of traditional ways of life based on crofting and fishing. To reach Fetlar see Yell.
 * Whalsay is a 30-minute ferry ride from Laxo, sailing hourly.
 * Out Skerries are three islands. Housay and Bruray are inhabited and linked by a bridge, so they're effectively a single island. Grunay is uninhabited but plays the vital role of sheltering the harbour on Bruray. The ferry is a bit of an expedition: it sails M F Sa around 7AM from Laxo via Whalsay to reach the Skerries for 9:30AM. The return sailing is M 2:30PM and F Sa 7PM. A day trip is also possible on Sunday. Wednesday has a direct sailing from Skerries to Lerwick and return, so a day-trip from Mainland is not feasible.

 * Beaches are often beautiful, deserted and look tropical, until you wade in for a swim - yikes it's cold! Consider bringing a wetsuit (at least 5mm), which will make snorkelling less of an ordeal.
 * The Simmer Dim and "almost midnight sun": Shetland is 60o North, so it's not in the Arctic Circle and doesn't have a true midnight sun. Nevertheless in June it will be almost 11PM when the sun sets, though that's really 10PM UT/GMT with daylight saving. It never goes properly dark, just dim, in summer, so at midnight it's light enough to play golf, but not necessarily light enough to find your ball in a thicket. The downside is that you can't skywatch, e.g. for the Northern Lights, as it's much too bright.
 * Dark night skies: Nov-Mar is the time for these, though you have to be lucky with the weather, and dress very warmly. Get away from the town lights and give your eyes 15 min to adjust, and the Milky Way and other objects will swim into view.

Do

 * Sea kayaking hire and guided tours are available from Sea Kayak Shetland. They're based in Frakkafield north of Lerwick, with access to either coast according to sea conditions.
 * Wildlife watching boat trips: various operators but a good one is Seabirds and Seals, with tickets available from the Tourist Information Centre in Lerwick. One popular trip, combining a short sailing time with a spectacular result, is to Bressay and Noss. The lie of the land means that shore-based visitors can get a good view of Noss but find it difficult to approach the sea cliffs of Bressay, so a boat gives a better view. It's a small boat so on a windy day, be prepared for a heaving, bouncy trip.
 * Sport and leisure facilities are dotted around Shetland, where you can swim, sauna, play squash or join a fitness class. There are several golf courses.
 * Traditional music: Shetland's fiddle music has more than stood its ground against modern styles and is promoted in schools. You'll find it in many venues.
 * Say hi to Shetland ponies, they seem to appreciate this, but don't feed them. About 1000 live here. In the 19th century they were bred to work down coal mines, with a large stud farm on Bressay.
 * Tune in to local media for a refreshing local take on life. The Shetland Times is published on Fridays, while Shetland Life and i,i Shetland are monthly. BBC Radio Shetland is on 92.7 FM and SIBC is on 96.2 FM. Plus you can get all the standard terrestrial and satellite TV channels, and national newspapers on the day of publication, with all the familiar depressing stuff that you came to Shetland to get away from.

Events

 * Up Helly Aa is last Tuesday in January, see above. The next is 28 Jan 2025.
 * Shetland Folk Festival is end of April to early May, with performances in halls and pubs all over Mainland and the outlying islands.
 * Shetland Wool Week, various venues, covers the process from sheep-rearing through spinning, dyeing, weaving and knitting in late September.
 * Accordion and Fiddle Festival is in early October.
 * See Lerwick for events based there.

Buy
Knitware: Shetland Sheep provide fine, multi-coloured wool which is knitted locally into a variety of garments. Particularly fine (and expensive) is patterned knitwear created straight from the undyed natural colours of the sheep. Best known is the "Fair Isle" pattern, but Unst also has beautiful wares.

Eat
Shetland cuisine is heavily based on the excellent local seafood, together with local lamb. Milk and dairy products are produced on Shetland, as is some beef. One local speciality is reestit mutton which is salted, dried meat often served with bannocks or as part of a potato soup. Some fruit & veg are grown in the islands, but much has to be imported.

Most eating-out places are in Lerwick. Out of town the best dining is in the local hotels - see individual pages.

There are two good supermarkets in Lerwick, and local shops in other villages.

In summer there are Sunday Teas in local village halls, with good home baking. Proceeds generally go to charity.

Drink
The Shetland Distillery Company in Unst produces gin and blended malt whisky.

There are several lively bars and even a nightclub in Lerwick. Outside the capital, bars are in local hotels.

There is an off-licence in Lerwick and alcohol is sold in supermarkets and local shops.

The legal drinking age is 18 (16 for accompanied minors drinking beer or cider with a meal). Proof of age is often demanded of those who appear to be under 25.

Sleep
Camping Böds provide very basic self-catering accommodation. There are nine of these across Shetland, which must be booked through the Shetland Amenity Trust in Lerwick. Costs about £10 per person per night.

The greatest choice of accommodation of all standards is in Lerwick, so this is the obvious base for the visitor.

Stay safe
For emergency services (police, ambulance, fire & rescue, coastguard) ring 999. The National Health Service provides health care here on the same basis as elsewhere in Britain; the emergency hospital is the Gilbert Bain in Lerwick, and GPs in these parts are well versed in dealing with health problems far from city back-up.

You will be very unlucky to be mugged, robbed or threatened, though there's the occasional unpleasant drunk in Lerwick. The main hazards are natural: cold and rain, rough seas with strong currents, and lots of steep slippery slopes above unfenced cliffs. Seabirds, especially Bonxies (great skuas), will attack if you approach their nests in the breeding season. Keep to the paths, and wave a stick above your head if they start to dive-bomb you — they'll go for the high point rather than your scalp.

Connect
All major mobile phone networks are available in Shetland, though coverage for most tends to be a bit patchy (or in some cases non-existent) outside Lerwick. If your mobile does not work there are telephone boxes in most villages, and cards for these are available in newsagents and supermarkets.

Fast broadband is available over most of the islands, although in remote areas it is restricted by distance from the telephone exchange. Pay for use internet access is available in the Tourist Information Centre in Lerwick and some hotels and other locations.

Cope
Local government services are provided by Shetland Islands Council.

Electricity voltage and adaptors are UK standard.

Go next
To the Orkney Islands, or back to mainland Scotland, by ferry or air.

title: Shetland Islands


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Shibam

Shibam is in the Hadramawt region of Yemen. The unique, sixteenth century, mud-built, high rise apartment buildings for which the city is famous constitute a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city dates back to the second century AD, while the high rises were built in the Middle Ages to protect the citizens from Bedouin raids. The bizarre "skyline" that the high rises (some sixteen stories tall) bestow upon the city has led to the moniker, "Manhattan of the Desert."

Get in
As of March 2024 there are weekly flights from Cairo to Seiyun  which is relatively near (approximately 20 km) from Shibam.

See

Buy
The main streets of the city have a number of stores located in buildings. The stores sell some interesting souvenirs not found elsewhere in Yemen, particularly antique window frames and furniture. However, most of these are not real antiques but are new pieces, made to look old by the local craftsmen.

The main thing to buy is the original wooden Shibam locks and keys. These decorated pieces are actual keys that look similar to hairbrushes. The pins in the key are made to align with holes in the lock to unlock the door. These can be bought at most shops in the city.

The shopkeepers in Shibam are not prepared to bargain much. They insist that their prices are already low and that they do not intend to lower them by much. The traveller arriving from Sanaa, where the initial prices are usually exorbitant, may find this confusing at first.

Eat
There are no restaurants within Shibam.

Drink
A small cafe on the square at the entrance to the city serves tea. You can also smoke a water pipe or play dominoes. A lot of locals usually sit in this square, making it a great place to get the feel of the country.

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

title: Shibam


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Shibata

Shibata (新発田) is a city in Niigata prefecture.

Understand
Shibata is on the northern Echigo Plain, near Niigata City. It flourished as a castle town in the Edo Period and still has a lot of cultural heritage such as Shibata Castle and Ashigaru-nagaya (soldier barracks).

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a bilingual guide site.

Get in
Shibata is on the JR Uetsu Main Line between Niigata and Murakami.

Onsen
There are several hot springs in a rural area in Shibata.

Tsukioka Onsen (月岡温泉)
Tsukioka Onsen was discovered in 1916. Today, Tsukioka has become major hot spring area with 20 Japanese style hotels and over 700,000 visitors a year. Some of the hotels open their baths to non-staying guests during daytime. Tukioka Onsen is about 20 minutes by bus from Toyosaka Station.
 * Day trip

Golf
There are many golf clubs and courses, in and around this city.

Go next

 * Tainai
 * Murakami
 * Niigata
 * Sado
 * Agano
 * Aga
 * Awashimaura
 * Tsuruoka
 * Nagaoka

title: Shibata


text:
Shibetsu (Kamikawa)

Shibetsu (士別) is a small city in Kamikawa, Hokkaido. Breeding of Suffolk sheep is undertaken here.

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

By plane
About 1hr 30min by car away to Asahikawa Airport.

By train
JR Soya Main Line runs through in the city from Asahikawa to Wakkanai. Limited Express "Soya" and "Sarobetsu" from Sapporo to Wakkanai, they stop the Shibetsu Station.

By bus
Highway bus service "Highway Nayoro" (高速なよろ号), it runs through from Sapporo to Nayoro with 4-5 round trips per day. About 3 hr and ¥2650 fare from/to Sapporo. There are other bus services operated by Dohoku Bus, from Asahikawa to Nayoro with 12 round trips per day.

By car
Hokkaido expwy runs from Sapporo to Shibetsu-Kenbuchi IC. There are plans to extend Nayoro.

By train
JR Soya Main Line passes through in the city. There are 4 stations from south to north,

By bus
Shibetsu Kido operates local bus service in the around Shibetsu. There is also a Shibetsu Hire office in front of the station.

Eat
Sheep cuisine is provided at the hotels and restaurants in the city.

Go next

 * Nayoro
 * Bifuka
 * Horokanai
 * Wakkanai
 * Kenbuchi
 * Takinoue
 * Kassamu
 * Pippu
 * Asahikawa

title: Shibetsu (Kamikawa)


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Shickshinny

Shickshinny is a small borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It is located on the Susquehanna River at the mouth of Shickshinny Creek and is surrounded by mountains on all sides.

Lore has it that the name originally meant "five mountains" or "land of the five mountains" in the local Native American Indian language.

However, in "Indian Villages and Place Names in Pennsylvania," published in 1995 by Gateway Press Inc., Baltimore, (and originally published in 1928 in Harrisburg, PA) Dr. George P. Donehoo (p. 202) says the name probably meant "fine stream."

Get in
Shickshinny can be accessed via US Route 11 and Pennsylvania Route 239. It is 10 to 15 minutes north of Berwick and 15 to 20 minutes south of the Wilkes-Barre on Route 11.

Get around
By car or on foot. Many streets have sidewalks.

See

 * Beautiful Views From Atop Shickshinny Mountain To see the views, walk up the firetower access road from Shickshinny.  To get to the access road, follow these directions.  From the intersection of Main Street and Union Street, take West Union Street (PA 239) west.  Make a sharp right turn onto Rockview Avenue.  Turn left onto Conyngham Street, right onto Nicely Street and left onto Search Avenue.

Do

 * Heller's Orchards offers excellent apples and apple cider. A pretty six-mile drive on Route 239 South along the east bank of the Susquehanna River from Sickshinny through Mocanaqua to Wapwallopen takes you to Heller's.
 * The Mocanaqua Loop Trail, owned by the Earth Conservancy, is a system of hiking trails right across the Susquehanna River from Shickshinny, in Mocanaqua. Take the Route 239 bridge across the river, take the first left, and follow the side street to parking for the trail. There is an 8-mile loop and several shorter loops.
 * The Susquehanna Warrior Trail, a 9-mile flat packed-gravel walking trail, passes through Shickshinny. A 5K (3.1-mile) footrace is held on the trail annually in April.
 * Boating on the nearby Susquehanna River
 * Boating on the nearby Susquehanna River

Go next

 * Benton (Pennsylvania) (on State Route 239 north)
 * Berwick (Pennsylvania) (on US Route 11 south)

title: Shickshinny


text:
Shifnal

Shifnal is a small market town in Shropshire.

Some writers have claimed that Shifnal was the inspiration for Market Blandings, a town that appears in several of P.G. Wodehouse's stories. That claim is disputed and several other candidates have been suggested. In any case, Shifnal certainly fits the description, a quiet and somewhat quaint place.

Go next
Map of places with Wikivoyage articles nearby

title: Shifnal


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Shiga

 * For the Shiga Kogen ski resort, see Joshinetsu Kogen National Park.

Shiga Prefecture (滋賀県 Shiga-ken) is in Kansai region of Japan.

Understand
Shiga used to be known as the province of Ōmi (近江). Shiga is adjacent to Kyoto and Nara, so there are many historic spots such as temples, shrines, castles and ninja houses. Also Shiga has the largest lake in Japan and is enclosed by mountain ranges, so you can easily enjoy the wonderful natural views.

Tourist Information Site
Biwako Visitors Bureau has a multilingual guide site for the whole prefecture.

Cities and towns

 * — the prefectural capital with many historical sites
 * — the site of one of Japan's few original castles
 * — the homeground of Koga ninja clan and Shigaraki ware
 * — traffic and commercial city
 * — major train junction and Mt. Ibuki, the highest mountain in Shiga
 * — the city of old-fashioned landmarks such as the oldest preserved railroad station in Japan
 * — the hometown of old merchant culture, rural boating, and western buildings by Vories
 * — an Ōmi beef-producing district near Omihachiman
 * — a scenic rural city in northwestern Shiga

Other destinations

 * — Japan's largest lake
 * — an ancient temple complex guarding Kyoto

By train

 * The Tokaido Shinkansen line stops at Maibara on its way from Kyoto to Nagoya. Otsu and the southern Lake Biwa area are easily accessed on local trains from Kyoto.
 * The Special Rapid Service (新快速 Shinkaisoku) trains of JR Tokaido line and Hokuriku line (Its nicknames are "JR Kyoto Line" and "Biwako Line". Connects Osaka, Kyoto, Kusatsu, Maibara, Omi-Shiotsu and Tsuruga) and Kosei Line (Connects Osaka, Kyoto, Katata, Omi-Maiko, Omi-Shiotsu and Tsuruga) is useful for travel between Osaka, Kyoto and Shiga. Special Rapid Service trains runs once every half-hour or so.
 * In Tokaido Line and Hokuriku Line, Special Rapid Service trains stops at Kyoto, Yamashina, Otsu, Ishiyama, Minami-Kusatsu, Kusatsu, Moriyama, Yasu, Omihachiman, Notogawa, Hikone, Maibara, Sakata, Tamura, Nagahama, Torahime, Kawake, Takatsuki, Kinomoto, Yogo, Omi-Shiotsu, Shin-Hikida and Tsuruga.
 * In Kosei Line, Special Rapid Service trains stop at Kyoto, Yamashina, Otsukyo, Hieizan-Sakamoto, Katata, Omi-Maiko, Kitakomatsu, Omi-Takashima, Adogawa, Shin-Asahi, Omi-Imazu, Omi-Nakasho, Makino, Nagahara, Omi-Shiotsu, Shin-Hikida and Tsuruga.
 * The Keihan Keishin Line connects Yamashina in eastern Kyoto City to central Otsu. It joins the Kyoto subway Tozai Line beyond Yamashina.

Get around
JR Railway has train lines that encircle Lake Biwa, providing access to many of the prefecture's cities. JR also has the Kusatsu Line, which runs through the southern part of the prefecture. Omi Railways provides public transport access to much of the southeastern cities and towns, as well. Ryuo is the only town in the prefecture that doesn't have a train station within its borders, so the prefecture is very accessible overall. Even so, places such as the Koto Sanzan temples, Mount Ibuki, etc. are located far from the nearest station. Such attractions are typically accessible by bus.

For cyclists, there is a bike route around Lake Biwa with various rental stations along it where you can rent or return bikes, providing safe and convenient bike access to many cities and attractions.

See

 * Explore Hikone Castle and the surrounding castle town (Hikone)
 * Marvel at the architecture of the secluded Miho Museum (Koka)
 * Visit Ishiyama-dera to see where the world's first novel, the Tale of Genji, was written (Otsu)
 * Ascend Mount Hiei to roam the grounds of Enryakuji Temple, the prefecture's sole World Heritage Site (Otsu)
 * Learn at the Lake Biwa Museum (Kusatsu)
 * Catch a glimpse of old Japan by strolling through Omihachiman's historic district (Omihachiman)
 * Visit the only true ninja house left in the nation (Koka)
 * Enjoy the atmosphere of the Koto Sanzan Temples (Higashiomi, Aisho, Kora)
 * Relive history by exploring one of the famous Sengoku Period castles, such as Nagahama Castle (Nagahama), Azuchi Castle Ruins (Omihachiman), and Odani Castle Ruins (Nagahama).

Eat
It may not have the name recognition of Kobe beef, but Omi beef is very famous among Japanese gourmets, and every local town will have an (expensive) speciality restaurant. If you want to try it at a reasonable price, you can buy Omi beef ekiben (box lunches sold at a station) at JR Maibara station.

Funazushi (鮒寿司) is a famous local sushi. Made from anaerobically fermented funa (鮒), a local freshwater carp, the recipe dates back thousands of years and is in fact the original form of sushi. It's famously stinky and an acquired taste even among the Japanese.

Go next

 * Kyoto Prefecture
 * Fukui Prefecture
 * Gifu Prefecture
 * Mie Prefecture

title: Shiga


text:
Shihezi

Shihezi (石河子; Shíhézǐ) is a city in Xinjiang Province in China. Built in the Junggar desert from 1954, it has more trees per acre than any other city in China. It is a quiet little city with friendly people that rarely sees tourists.

Get in
Take the train west from Urumqi, it runs every 20min from about 8am to 10pm at night, you can pay from ¥30-36, but there is no real speed difference, mostly its just how much leg room you want on the bus. It takes from 2.5 to 3 hours depending on traffic. There is now also a train line, fast train (a little over 2 hours) is ¥24 for a hard seat, slow train (about 3 hours) is ¥12 but they leave far less frequently.

Get around
Local busses cost ¥1 per ride, taxis start at ¥5 and you should be able to get to most places in town for less than ¥10. It's quite beautiful to walk around any time but the winter, when temperatures stay between -20 and 0C.

See
Peoples square at night, mountains behind the city rise to 16,000 feet. Mushroom lake

Do
Visit the university and the medical college, look for English students to talk to.

Eat
The finest watermelon in Xinjiang.

Sleep
Try to stay at the university hotel.

Go next
Take a bus to NanShan (南山) - part of the TianShan 天山 that you can see from town and go hiking. It's about 2 hours outside of town. There are quite a few camp sites if you want to stay the night.

title: Shihezi


text:
Shijiazhuang

Shijiazhuang (石家庄; Shíjiāzhuāng) is the capital of Hebei Province. It is also the main economic centre of Hebei and a relatively important city in China. It can be a useful base for visiting nearby places of interest including two monasteries and a stone bridge built around 600 CE.

Understand
Shijiazhuang is a comparatively young city. It was an unimportant town until the Zhengding-Taiyuan and Beijing-Hankou railways were built, whereupon it become a regional transport hub. Captured by the People's Liberation Army under the leadership of the Communist Party in 1947, it was the cradle of the new China, and for three years housed the party headquarters.

Geography
As of 2022, Shijiazhuang's prefecture boasted a population exceeding 11 million, with over 4 million residing in the central metropolitan area. The city is surrounded by notable regions such as Zhengding County, located 15 km to the north, known for its historic walled city and towering pagodas, and Pingshan County to the northwest, home to a resort area with the world's longest glass bridge and the Xibaipo Memorial, a key site in China's revolutionary history.

Shijiazhuang is a major pharmaceutical hub in China and also hosts significant industries in textiles, information technology, manufacturing, and chemicals.

By plane

Airport buses to Shijiazhuang downtown can be found in Terminal 2. Every bus will depart according to the arrival time of each flight, so you will not miss the last bus even if your flight is delayed and your plane lands at midnight. Fares are ¥20 per person.

Passengers can also connect from the Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport to the nearly HSR station, with scheduled shuttles to the train station. The HSR station has a "rail and air terminal" where passengers complete all formalities without exiting the train station, then connect onto a shuttle bus for accelerated boarding.

By train
Shijiazhuang has one of the largest railway hubs in China, with numerous trains arriving throughout the day. The express train from Beijing takes just over an hour.

 * Shijiazhuang East Railway Station (石家庄东).
 * Shijiazhuang East Railway Station (石家庄东).
 * Shijiazhuang East Railway Station (石家庄东).

By bus
Buses to neighboring cities and towns depart from different bus stations, but each of these stations (and many close destinations) can be conveniently reached by buses (all stations), subways (only Baifo Station) and taxis from Shijiazhuang Railway Station. Long-distance buses (e.g. from Beijing) arrive and depart at the main bus station, with a direct bus line to the railway station.

By car
The road network is quite good, and Shijiazhuang can be reached from Beijing by car in about 3 hours. Expressways also link the provincial capital to Taiyuan, Zhengzhou and other destinations.

Get around
Most tourist attractions are outside the city.

Traffic is marginal, except at high peak hours (American rush hour), at which point it could take as much as 20 minutes to get through certain lights on many of the major roads (especially Ping'An Da Jie, Zhongshan Lu, Yuhua Lu, Jianshe Da Jie and Zhonghua Lu).

By bus
Buses in Shijiazhuang, as in any large city in China, are frequent and cheap: just ¥1 for a journey, whatever the distance. but during the hot season and cold season some buses with air conditioning charge ¥2.

By taxi
Taxis are plentiful, with the flag-drop ¥8.5 for gasoline taxis and ¥8 for EV taxis, and a delay rate of ¥1.60 per five minutes. It's particularly difficult to hail a taxi during the period around 18:00.

For ridesharing, Didi (滴滴出行) app is available.

By subway
Subway Line 1, 2 and 3 are in service. Subway Line 4 and 5 are under construction.

By bike-sharing
Bike-sharing can be found everywhere in this city. As of 2019, the most popular bike-sharing businesses in Shijiazhuang are Hello Bike, Qingju, and Mobike. Just use the app to scan the code printed on bikes, and you can ride the bike to every corner of Shijiazhuang.

See
There are a number of sightseeing places in the area, both natural and historic. Most are not in the city.

Buy
Shijiazhuang is home to large wholesale markets and a good place for great bargains. Be prepared to haggle. There are also a number of very large modern department stores. One of them on the east side of the city is Yuhua Wanda, located on Huai An Lu just east of Century Park, features fast food and an IMAX movie theater, and numerous reasonably priced clothing stores.

Markets

 * Behind and near Dong Fang are EGO, Tai He and Nan San Tiao, for wholesale shopping. Many items are pirated or ripped-off so make certain they work first.
 * Nan San Tiao (南三条) is a region of markets extending north, east and westwards from its southern entrance, which is neighboring Le Hui Cheng. It is many buildings of wholesale goods. Each building has different goods.  There are buildings for cosmetics, women's clothes, purses, children's toys, sheets and towels and many others.
 * Huaite Tea City (怀特茶城) - tea market; many small shops and an entire building of shops - slightly north of Huai An, between YuCai and TiYu.
 * Youyou Aquatic Food City (由由水鲜城). Seafood market and wholesale Western food (a random selection and never the same things twice). Moved from neighboring the former ShiDa campus to neighboring the Thermal Power Station in 2014.

Mid-range
There is no problem finding higher priced accommodation and there is plenty of it.

title: Shijiazhuang


text:
Shikinejima

Shikinejima (式根島) is a volcanic island in the Philippine Sea island in the Izu Islands, 140 km from Tokyo. It is one of the Izu Seven Islands group of the seven northern islands of the Izu archipelago. It was home to about 600 people in 2009. It is administered as a part of Niijima Village.

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

By plane
There is no airport on the island, but there are flights from Chofu Airfield (Tokyo) to neighboring Niijima. From Niijima there are 3 boats a day to Shikinejima for about ¥500 single journey.

By boat
Tokai Kisen operates ferries from Takeshiba Terminal (竹芝客船ターミナル) in Tokyo, adjacent to Takeshiba station on the Yurikamome line and a 500-m walk from Hamamatsucho/Daimon station on the Yamanote/O-Edo lines.

Be sure to book in advance: for example, to get the overnight ferry that departs at 22:00 (or 23:00 in the Summer months), you must book by 5pm. There are two boats, a big slow ferry, and a small fast speed cruiser. Travel time is 2½ hours on the fast boat and 9-10 hours (overnight) on the slow one. The price of the ferry ranges from around ¥5,000 (free sleeping -- you must find a place on the ground) to ¥15,000 or more if you wish seats or private cabins. The price is higher in summer.

Taking the overnight ferry can be an interesting way to travel if you don't suffer from sea sickness. Most people choose the cheapest tickets, and sleep on the ground (either outside, or in big cabins, with delimited spaces on the ground). On board there is a basic restaurant and many vending machines selling food, soft and alcoholic drinks. The facilities are basic. You can rent a blanket for ¥200.

After leaving Tokyo Bay and passing under the famous Rainbow Bridge the coast line of the bay becomes hard to see but soon after sunrise it's possible to relax on the deck and watch the ferry approach and dock in two islands, Oshima and Niijima, before reaching Shikinejima. It will go to Miyakejima afterwards, and then return to Tokyo.

If you have booked a room in a "minshuku" (民宿, the budget version of a ryokan) then the staff will be waiting at the port to greet you and drive you to your lodging when you arrive at the port in the morning.

Get around
The island is 3.9 km² in total. The eastern side of the island is where most of the 600 residents live, but the whole island is easily accessible by walking or bicycle.

Renting a bicycle for a day costs from ¥800 for a simple one to ¥2000 for an electric bicycle. Bringing your own bicycle in a bag is also possible, ¥1000 one-way on the boat.

Eat
As the island is so small, there are but a few restaurants, and they close fairly early. Most visitors eat dinner at their guest house.

Go next
Shikinejima is connected by boat to several other islands in the Izu Islands chain, as well as Tokyo and Yokohama.

title: Shikinejima


text:
Shikoku

Shikoku (四国) is an oft-forgotten island in Japan. The smallest of Japan's Big Four with around four million inhabitants, it lies to the south of Honshu. The island is thought of as a rural backwater, with few must-see attractions, but a visit there can wash away those doubts; the mountainous inner regions offer some good hiking. It is also the home of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage of the Shingon sect of Buddhism.

Tourism Shikoku is the official multilingual guide site for the whole area.

Regions
Shikoku literally means "four countries", and it indeed consists of four ancient countries (now prefectures) on Shikoku island, conveniently arranged around the compass points. Each prefecture also has an old provincial name, still often found in place names and listed in parenthesis below.

Cities

 * - famous for its towels and half of the Shimanami Kaido
 * - Home of Anpanman Museum and one of the nation's top three caves
 * — home of "Yosakoi" and many local sights
 * - One of the island's famous castle towns
 * — Shikoku's largest city, best known for the venerable hot springs of Dogo Onsen, inspiration of princes and poets
 * — Start of the Shikoku Pilgrimage and home of the nation's famous whirlpools.
 * — capital of Kagawa Prefecture, widely known for its superb udon
 * — home of the Awa Odori festival in August
 * — (barely) on the tourist map due to an interesting fertility shrine and wrestling bulls

Other destinations

 * — a scenic cape at the southernmost point of Shikoku
 * — a remote but beautiful mountain valley
 * — home to Konpirasan, Shikoku's most famous shrine
 * — the tallest peak in Shikoku
 * — Japan's original and most famous "art island".
 * — rafting on the Yoshino river
 * - Home to "The Last Pristine River in Japan" and the famous submersible bridges that cross it.
 * - Largest island in Shikoku, known for its art, soy sauce, and ravine.

Understand
Shikoku is the smallest of Japan's four main islands. It's known for its abundant nature and pristine rivers, including the Shimanto River in Shimanto nicknamed the "last clearwater river in Japan" and the Yoshino River whose turbulent rapids make for great rafting. The island is also rich in cultural heritage. Like the rest of the country, Shikoku was also targeted by air raids in WWII and although some cultural sites, such as the home of Sakamoto Ryoma were destroyed, most of the island's heritage sites were spared. It is now home to more original castles (four) than any other region in the country and arguably the most famous pilgrimage route in the nation.

Talk
Shikoku is far enough off the beaten track that some Japanese ability, while not absolutely necessary, will come in handy. Some of Shikoku's dialects, notably Tosa-ben spoken in Kochi, are famously incomprehensible even to other Japanese.

By car
While there are highways linking Shikoku with Honshu, they are expensive—around ¥5,000.

By plane
Prefectural capitals Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Kochi and Tokushima all have small regional airports. Matsuyama has flights to Seoul and Shanghai, while Takamatsu fields a few flights a week to Seoul. For any other international destinations, you will likely have to connect via Tokyo or Kansai.

By train
Shikoku is not connected to the Shinkansen network, but there are frequent connections from Okayama on Honshu to Takamatsu and from there on throughout the island. The limited express Shiokaze (特急　しおかぜ) runs back and forth between Okayama and Matsuyama roughly every hour during the day, skipping some stations on the way, if you feel like a more direct connection to that side of the island. The pace on Shikoku being what it is, don't come there expecting any of the trains to be super fast.

Train information will be in Japanese only, unlike what you may be used to from the Shinkansen. So either be sure to brush up on your knowledge of terms such as "unreserved seats" and the names of the places you're planning to visit, in kanji, or plan to ask a lot of people (which may be more fun, but may also take more time).

By bus
If you are coming from Kansai or eastern parts of Japan, buses through Awaji Island are the fastest way of getting to Shikoku.

By boat
There are numerous ferries that run to Shikoku that can be taken from major cities like Kobe and Hiroshima. Setouchi Naikai Kisen and Ishizaki Kisen run both high-speed (¥8,000, 70 minutes) and regular ferries (¥5,000, 2.5 hours) from Hiroshima to Matsuyama. To save some money and correspondingly 20 and 45 minutes at sea, travel by Kure Line train to/from the town of Kure (this won't shorten your voyage from Hiroshima overall); both ferries make a stop there both ways, and the port is about 10-minute walk from the station.

Get around

Shikoku can be difficult to get around without your own vehicle, especially to out-of-the-way natural sites sought by many visitors. Trains are infrequent in many parts, as are buses, so travelers who wish to move about the island or explore remote areas should know the timetables of whatever transport you need beforehand. Some buses only run during specific periods or on weekends and holidays only. Some travelers report feeling that it's more expensive however, this may be due to their perception of Shikoku as the "small island". In actuality, the price per distance is generally the same as more frequented routes. The time required however, is much greater. For example, the price from Okayama to Hiroshima just north on the mainland versus Takamatsu to Matsuyama is almost the same however, the Takamatsu-Matsuyama route takes more than twice as long.

During specified periods, the Yodo Line operates Cycle Trains (予土線サイクルトレイン) which allow you to bring your bicycles on the train for easy and convenient cycling along the route.

By train
The JR train network connects the larger towns together fairly well, but regular trains are slow and expresses are expensive. The main lines are:
 * JR Yosan Line (予讃線) on the west coast, from Takamatsu to Uwajima via Matsuyama. It also includes the Uchiko Line which connects Iyo to Ozu via Uchiko.
 * JR Dosan Line (土讃線) across the center of the island, from Tadotsu to Shimanto (Kubokawa Station) via the Oboke gorge (near Iya Valley) and Kochi
 * JR Kōtoku Line (高徳線) on the east coast, from Takamatsu to Tokushima

For heavy travel, JR offers the Shikoku Free Kippu (四国フリーきっぷ), which allows unlimited usage of JR trains and buses, including limited expresses, on three consecutive days (¥16,140). If you manage to time it so that you can start on your birthday, ask for the Birthday Kippu instead, and you'll get the same deal for just ¥10,000!

For the frugal traveler, the Shikoku Saihakken Haya-Toku Kippu (四国再発見早トクきっぷ) may be a better deal, as it offers one day of unlimited travel for just ¥2,000. There are three big catches though: it's only valid on weekends and public holidays, it's limited to local trains, and you have to buy it at least one day in advance.

Tosa Kuroshio Railway is the largest private railway on the island and connects the JR Lines to the far ends of Kochi Prefecture. Some parts of the JR network, notably the southern segment from Kubokawa to Sukumo, have split off and are now owned by Tosa Kuroshio Railway company.

Each of the capitals with the exception of Tokushima have trams that make travel around the city centers convenient.

By bus
Buses fill in the gaps in the train network and are the only means of transport in areas like Cape Ashizuri and the Iya Valley. Schedules are sparse and prices are high.

On foot
Serious pilgrims may choose to complete the 88 Temple Circuit (see Do) on foot.

Original castles
There are twelve original Japanese castles left in Japan, and Shikoku is home to four of them, more than any other region.

 * Marugame Castle, Marugame
 * Kochi Castle, Kochi
 * Matsuyama Castle, Matsuyama
 * Uwajima Castle, Uwajima

Reconstructed castles

 * Imabari Castle, Imabari
 * Takamatsu Castle, Takamatsu
 * Nakamura Castle, Shimanto
 * Kawanoe Castle, Shikokuchuo

Castle ruins

 * Tokushima Castle, Tokushima
 * Yuzuki Castle, Matsuyama
 * Oko Castle, Nankoku

Shrines

 * Konpirasan (Kotohira)

Gardens

 * Ritsurin Garden (Takamatsu)
 * Makino Botanical Gardens (Kochi)
 * Monet Garden (Kitagawa)
 * Tenshaen Garden (Uwajima)
 * Nanrakuen Garden (Uwajima)

Museums

 * Chichu Museum and Benesse House (Naoshima)
 * Otsuka Museum of Art (Naruto)
 * Shikoku Mura (Takamatsu)
 * Teshima Art Museum (Teshima)

Three Great Festivals of Shikoku
(四国三大祭り Shikoku Sandai Matsuri)
 * Awa Odori (Tokushima)
 * Yosakoi Festival (Kochi)
 * Niihama Taiko Festival (Niihama)

Buy

 * The most sought after present or "omiyage" after a visit to Shikoku is udon noodles. Fresh and dried noodles can be purchased at almost any souvenir shop.
 * Gifts related to the traditional pilgrims (henro) and their outfits are also popular, including a "Henro" Hello Kitty cell phone charm. These can be found in gift shops.

Eat
There aren't any "Shikokuan" foods per se, but each prefecture has something that they're famous for:
 * Ehime: Sweet mikan mandarin oranges
 * Kagawa: Sanuki udon noodles
 * Kochi: Bonito (Katsuo), a type of small tuna fish
 * Tokushima: Sudachi a little smooth green citrus fruit, like a lime

Go next

 * Chugoku - Easily accessible by train, car, or ferry, from natural sites, such as the nation's largest cave in Akiyoshidai and the sand dunes of Tottori to rich historical cities, like Hiroshima and Okayama, the Chugoku region offers a wide variety of unique travel experiences.
 * Kansai - A pleasant escape from the mostly rural Shikoku to Osaka and Kobe are makes for a fun trip. With a plethora of historical and cultural sites in Kyoto, Nara, and Ise, a trip to Kansai can be enjoyable for all types of travelers.

title: Shikoku


text:
Shikokuchuo

Shikokuchuo (四国中央) is a city in Ehime prefecture.

Understand
Shikokuchuo City is located in the eastern end of Ehime Prefecture. Shikokuchuo's name translates to "Central Shikoku" and is the only district where all four of Shikoku's prefectures touch.

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

See

Go next

 * Niihama
 * Saijo
 * Imabari
 * Kanonji
 * Mitoyo
 * Tadotsu
 * Marugame
 * Motoyama
 * Okawa

title: Shikokuchuo


text:
Shikotsu-Toya National Park

Shikotsu-Tōya National Park (支笏洞爺国立公園 Shikotsu-tōya-kokuritsukōen) is a national park (983 km²) in the central part of the island of Hokkaido, Japan. Named after two large lakes, Shikotsu and Toya, there are also active volcanoes in the park. Showa-Shin-zan, Usu-zan, and Tarumae-zan are the better known among the active volcanoes. These volcanoes are also responsible for some popular onsens.

Understand
Surrounded by hills, the dominant feature is Mount Fuppushidake (風不死岳), an Ainu name cleverly written in kanji as "Wind-never-dies Peak".

The two lakes each has a lakeside hot spring town.

Visitor information
Ministry of Environment has  an official page for the park in English.

Get in

Sapporo's New Chitose Airport (CTS) is quite close to Shikotsu and there are direct buses to Lake Shikotsu (55 minutes, ¥920), as well as from Hokkaido's capital Sapporo and the major port Tomakomai. There are also buses connecting Lake Toya to Sapporo (¥2700, 2½ hr).

Toya Station is located along the main Hakodate-Sapporo line, but it's another 20 minutes by bus from there to Toyako Onsen. A taxi ride to Toyako Onsen costs about ¥2200.

Fees and permits
No fees required. Permits not generally required.

Get around
As in much of Hokkaido, buses are infrequent, so your own wheels or hitchhiking are the best ways to get around. Motorized boats are, thankfully, not allowed on the lake. Sightseeing boats departing from Toyako Onsen offer cruises around the lake.

See

Do

 * In season, you can rent swan boats for paddling out on the lake Shikotse, there are also boats for rent on lake Toya.
 * Fishing is popular.

Onsen
Being a volcanic lake, there are a number of hot springs in the vicinity. Both hot springs below also offer lodging. Noboribetsu is here, and is one of the most famous hot spring resorts on Hokkaido. Toyako Onsen, as the name suggests, is also packed with Onsens.

Eat
Toyako Onsen town has the usual array of Japanese restaurants. There are some basic stalls near the Morappu Camping grounds as well.

Stay safe
You're in bear country. Don't feed the bears. Make noise and they'll avoid you if possible, they are usually more afraid of you.

title: Shikotsu-Toya National Park


text:
Shilin

Shilin (石林, Shílín) karst region, the "Stone Forest", is a national park in Kunming Prefecture, Yunnan province in southern China. The huge pillars of stone, formed by erosion, look like something out of a fantasy film. The park is large, too big to see all of it in one day. It has several different areas and many interesting nooks and crannies, and you can easily lose yourself on the winding paths between the huge rocks.

The park is one of Kunming's main attractions and has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site since 2007. It makes a good weekend or day trip from Kunming—visit early to avoid crowds.

By bus
From Kunming you can take the bus from Kunming East bus station for ¥34 (2019) to the scenic area bus station (this will take around an hour and a half) or ¥35 to Shilin town.

There are also around 8 minibuses per day from Kunming Changshui airport to the scenic area bus station, costing ¥45 and taking about an hour and a half. They leave from the Airport Long-Distance Passenger Bus Station (昆明长水机场长途汽车客运站)—walk out of the terminal and turn right.

The is a short walk from the ticket office. This is not the same as Shilin Bus Station (石林客运站), which is some distance away.

By rail
Local trains from Kunming station to Shilin cost ¥15-20 and take about 2 hours.

High-speed D-class trains from Kunming South (subway line 1) to Shilin West: ¥18, 22 minutes, several per day mostly leaving in the morning or early afternoon and returning in the afternoon/evening. The train is met by a generous supply of local buses: ¥8, 50 minutes through Shilin town to the bus terminal.

Last bus back is 18:00, for the 19:00 train (January 2017).

Fees and permits
At the and visitors' center you can buy tickets to the forest, which cost ¥130 (May 2019). The ticket office is a flat 3-km (20-min) walk from the. There is an optional golf buggy transit from the ticket office to the entrance, ¥25 round trip. Even after the golf buggy drops you off, you'll still have to walk a bit.

Get around
For the most part, walk. Parts of the park are very open, so it's easy to see where you're going, but in the Major Stone Forest (大石林) you can follow winding paths, mostly paved with steps, through a dense area of stone pillars. In this area it's surprisingly easy to lose the crowds and come across all kinds of interesting and beautiful stones. You may get a little lost, but don't worry—just keep wandering until you hear the sound of people.

Unlike the golf buggy from the ticket office, the golf buggies within the park are free, but you may have a hard time figuring out where they'll take you.

It's possible to visit the stone forest with a tour group, but this will restrict your movement somewhat, meaning that you'll miss the interesting views from areas that are too small for a big group.

The logistics of the place are kind of a mess—the ticket office is a long way from the entrance, practical information about the park is hard to find and inconsistent, several places (including the museum and the Major Stone Forest) require you to enter from a different point than you exit, and so on. Have patience and focus on enjoying the scenery.

Other scenic areas (outside the park)
The following scenic areas are administratively part of the park but lie well outside the boundaries of the main scenic area. To get to these other scenic areas, you will generally need to hire a taxi or join an organised tour.

Other sights

 * Yi people (the local ethnic group) dancing in their traditional attire outside the Major Stone Forest

Do
Take picture with girls of the Yi minority dressed in traditional colorful dresses. There are also a great number of interesting rocks to see, with amazing views of the karst topography, especially beyond the areas which the tour groups normally go.

Walk to the back of the park, away from where the local tour groups go for a quiet walk amongst a mixture of moon-like landscapes, farmland, lakes, rust-red irrigated fields and citrus groves.

Buy
Lots of hats are for sale at inflated prices outside and inside the park to protect you from the sun. You should buy a hat if you didn't bring one—the altitude means that the sun is strong here.

You can also find handicraft-style souvenirs, apparently in the style of the region's minority ethnic groups.

It is not possible to change currency at the sole local bank and their ATM often does not work.

Eat
Inside the park are stands selling some food and drinks, especially fruit. Try the cucumber, which is cheap (¥5 in 2019) and refreshing.

The park, including the Major Stone Forest, is scattered with stone tables here and there for a picnic.

Drink
Bring water. Two liters per person should probably do it, though if you don't bring enough, you can buy more at the stands outside the Major Stone Forest.

Sleep
Lodging is available outside the park, and the Stone Forest is also doable as a day trip from Kunming.

Very good Youth Hostel (¥160 for doubles) or can get room at the Summer Hotel inside the nature reserve for around ¥200 for good a/c double room.

Go next
The last bus from the scenic area bus station leaves at around 18:00 for Kunming East Bus Station. Tickets back to Kunming East are ¥34. To get back to central Kunming from Kunming East Bus Station, take local bus K9 (¥2), the metro (¥3–4) or entertain yourself with negotiating a cheekily expensive fare with the taxi drivers at the stand.

title: Shilin


text:
Shillong

Shillong is the capital and the largest town in the North-Eastern Indian state of Meghalaya.

Understand
Shillong (pop. c. 270,000) was the capital of Assam, but after Assam and Meghalaya were split, it became the first capital of the newly formed state. The best time to visit is the rainy season - most of the famous waterfalls including those in Cherrapunji are in full flow in this time of the year. Located in undulating pine-covered hills, the city has a milder climate than tropical parts of India. The city centre is 1,496 metres above sea level. Home to several waterfalls, it is also known as the Scotland of the East. The British legacy is still visible in the architecture and the food habits of the population. The Assam-style houses with slanting roofs, a large number of windows, and wooden floors look like a piece of art (and happen to be very good idea, considering Shillong lies in an area where rains and earthquakes are very common).

Weather
Shillong receives heavy rainfalls during monsoon and the rainy season usually lasts longer than in the rest of India. An umbrella is therefore a necessity while packing your bags. Although people avoid the rainy season, it is generally the time when the city is clean (rains wash the streets of all garbage) and waterfalls are in full strength.

People
Most of the Shillong population belong to Khasi tribe, who are predominantly Christian. There are significant Bengali and Nepali minorities. An interesting aspect of Khasi culture is that they are a matrilineal society - the mother is head of family, the youngest daughter owns all the property and the mother's surname is passed on to the children.

By plane

Gopinath Bordoloi Airport (GAU) in Guwahati (104 km from Shillong) is connected to rest of India with regular flights. It is also connected internationally by Druk Airlines (Royal Bhutan Airlines) from Bangkok, Thailand.

Shillong can be reached from Guwahati Airport via taxi, or via larger Tata Sumos (from Guwahati town center). The rate is around ₹350 for a sumo, or ₹500 for a taxi, per passenger, and takes about 3 hours depending on traffic.

By helicopter
The best way to reach Shillong, is from Guwahati, via helicopter. The government of Meghalaya operates a service to/from Guwahati Airport, and also to/from Tura. The helicopter flies to the ALG (Advanced Landing Ground) Shillong, an Air Force Heliport located around 15 km away from the city center. Tickets are modestly priced at ₹1500 per person. Travelling by helicopter reduces the tedious 4 hour road journey from Guwahati to a pleasant 20-minute flight. Tickets can be booked from the Meghalaya Helicopter Service counter at the Guwahati airport and from the Meghalaya Transport Corporation counters in Shillong.

As of July 2023, since May, the helicopter service is not operating due to maintenance.

By train
There are no rail lines in Meghalaya. The nearest railway station is Guwahati, 105 km away (~4 hours via taxi, 500 rupees). Guwahati is very well connected with all major cities of India.

By bus
The main interstate bus stand is located right next to Guwahati railway station. Buses run by Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) and Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC) ply every half an hour from Guwahati to Shillong. The ticket fares vary between ₹30 and ₹100, depending upon bus class (ordinary, semi-deluxe and deluxe). Many of the buses are very old, and the only visible difference among bus class is the number of people allowed to sit. Many private run buses also run between two cities but they leave from Paltan Bazar area and cost around ₹70. Private buses might be better built but are occasionally crowded and have more stops en route.

Buses usually take around 4 hours with a mid-way stop at Nong-poh.

From Silchar, buses typically depart twice daily, around 07:30 and 18:00. The journey takes about 10 hours depending on traffic and weather conditions. The road to Shillong goes through various mountainous regions, and the road itself is in terrible condition, making for a long, bumpy, and occasionally uncomfortable trip.

By car
Shared taxis are quite easily available from Paltan Bazar area, which is adjacent to the railway station in Guwahati. These are generally SUV-sized vehicles (Tata Sumo, Toyota Innova and Mahindra Bolero) shared between 8 people. They take around 3 hours to reach Shillong from Guwahati. Prices range from ₹300 for Sumos, to ₹500 for taxis (July 2023). Sleek cars (Tata Etios and Maruti Swift Dzire) are also available, at prices of about ₹1500-2500 (depending on the type of car).

The cabs drops you off at Police Bazaar from where you can get a ride to almost any part of Shillong. En route from Guwahati to Shillong, you'll probably stop mid way at Nongpoh to freshen up and get some refreshments. Nongpoh is also a good place to pick up bamboo pickles and other condiments.

Get around
Best way to go about in Shillong is on foot. The city itself is small and can be easily covered walking and exploring hills and people.

By bus
For places within city limits, city buses are good options. There are two kinds of buses that pass from Shillong - City bus and Bazar bus. The maroon city buses operated by the Shillong Public Transport Service (SPTS) are ideal for commuting within the city. The conductors on each bus has an electronic ticketing machine and passengers have to buy their tickets from him as soon as they board the buses.

By taxi
Black and yellow unmetered shared taxis ply within city limits. These are faster and are always shared; rates may vary from ₹20 to ₹50. Being shared taxis, drivers often pick up additional passengers en route to the same destination, in order to make a better fare. If you decide to negotiate the "hire" of a taxi, however, the driver will not pick up any more passengers (or stop roadside to find more) but the fare will be significantly higher than if one had just hailed the taxi as it passed by.

For sightseeing it is a good idea to hire a taxi cab for full day. The fares should be fixed before travel.

Much of the infrastructure is basic and many roads outside city are in bad shape due to heavy rains and poor maintenance, but within the city the roads are quite good. Although the city traffic ranks second in the country in terms to vehicles to population ratio, Mumbai being first, it is very slow and disciplined unlike most of India.

See

Do

 * Take a walk through Iewduh (Bara Bazar)-Iewduh means Big Market - It is one of the biggest market in North-East India. There are separate areas dedicated to vegetables, fruits, iron works, fish, beef, betel and so on.
 * Visit the State Central Library - it was started at the time of British Raj and holds many rare books and almanacs. For British searching for clues about ancestors in this area, it is a gold-mine. Unfortunately with time and poor management many books are being lost.
 * Explore the forest around Shillong peak - There are no large or dangerous animals and forest is full of rare and exotic plants - orchids, pines and others including the famous insect eating pitcher plant (Nepenthes khasiana).
 * There are many beautiful caves in Shillong.

Buy
Iewduh is the largest open street market in north-eastern India. It has large sections dedicated to local fruits, vegetables, honey, fish, etc. As a tourist, you can get a very nice picture of local life in here. Traditional bamboo handicrafts and woollen handmade shawls are most popular buys. Additionally art-crafts made of wood and bamboo furniture are popular. Bamboo shoot pickles are quite favourite of the tourists. Please visit the Meghalya Govt. Handicrafts Showroom "Purbashree" in police bazar.

Shillong is one of the fashion capitals of India, so there are numerous shops selling top quality brands from India and abroad. The well known ones are RAPs Apparel in Raps' Mansion MG Road, Uncle Shop, In-Fashion, Broadway Collection, Selection Centre, in Police Bazar.

Eat
There are a variety of restaurants in Shillong. Most of the better ones are located in Police Bazar area. Chinese, Indian and Tibetan foods are popular and even khun ksew.

Bamboo Hut in RAPs' Mansion MG Road is one of the famous hangout and also the CITY Dhaba near Earl Holiday Home.

One should definitely try Momos (steamed Tibetan dumplings filled with cabbage and pork/chicken) They come as small momos and big momos and are very popular snacks.

Shillong has a predominantly Christian population. While pork, chicken and fish are easily available in restaurants run by local Khasis, beef isn't as abundant in restaurants. Cleanliness also remains an issue in smaller food-outlets.

Khasi and Tibetan recipes use very little spices (including salt) unlike cooking style of rest of India and emphasis is on boiling or roasting rather than frying in oil.

For Indian snacks, one can try Delhi Mistaan Bhandar in Police Bazar which has excellent jalebis. The staff is, however, notoriously lethargic, so be prepared to wait up to half an hour just to be able to place your order. In short, stick to the freshly made jelibis since they are worth it, but avoid anything else here.

Apart from these, the hotels mentioned below have restaurants that have their own charm. Ginger at Hotel Polo Towers is good, Kenmore at Hotel Knight Inn Shillong serving delectable craft cuisine, Royal Heritage has a nice restaurant. Sip & Dine at Hotel Alpine Continental have excellent restaurant.

Drink
It is the drinker's paradise.Because of the tax structure on alcohol in this state, you will be hard pressed find cheaper drinks anywhere else in India, if you are the type who buys liquor from a shop and drinks in your hotel room.

If you like pubs and clubs, then Shillong has quite a few of them.

 * Cocktails at Hotel Alpine Continental.
 * Cloud 9, Centre Point.
 * Polo Irish Pub, Hotel Polo Towers.
 * Tango at Police Bazar in O B Shopping Mall.

Nightlife is generally at its peak on Fridays and Saturdays. Sundays are very, very dull.

Sleep
Shillong has options for all kinds of travellers. Most of the hotels are located in and around the Police Bazar which is the noisy, crowded city centre of Shillong. Hotel Polo Towers and Royal Heritage have locations that are more relaxing. Backpackers might want to check the Youth Hostel near Office of Chief Telecom Officer (CTO Complex). Internet reservations are available only in a few starred hotels.

Budget

 * Shillong Hills Guesthouse
 * Shillong Hills Guesthouse
 * Shillong Hills Guesthouse
 * Shillong Hills Guesthouse
 * Shillong Hills Guesthouse
 * Shillong Hills Guesthouse
 * Shillong Hills Guesthouse

Mid-range

 * The Centre Point Shillong (+91 364 222 0272/ 222 0480 Email: centre_point91@rediffmail.com)
 * The Centre Point Shillong (+91 364 222 0272/ 222 0480 Email: centre_point91@rediffmail.com)

Go next
There are many interesting places for outing from Shillong.

 * Cherrapunji (or Sohra as called locally) is around 60 km south of Shillong. It holds the world record for the highest rainfall ever in a calendar year. It is famous for its various waterfalls (most famous of all Noh Kalikai Falls) and limestone caves. The monsoon is the best time to enjoy thundering waterfalls. Limestone caves are full of stalactites and stalagmites and you will find many adventurous souls venturing deep into them.
 * Jaintia Hills This is not a hot tourist spot but one can find a beautiful lake, a 700-year-old Durga temple and a rock garden.
 * Jakrem, 64 km from Shillong, is a hot-spring of sulphur water, believed to have curative medicinal properties.
 * Mawsynram is 56 km from Shillong and is known for the Giant Stalagmite formation shaped into a "Shivalinga" and found inside a cave known locally as Mawjymbuin. It holds a Guinness record for the highest average annual rainfall of 11,873 millimeters (467 inches), compared to 1,582 mm in Kolkata.
 * Sacred Forest (or Mawphlang as called locally) are groves around 25 km away from Shillong. These are considered sacred by Khasis and people were forbidden to enter them earlier. This ensured protection of a dense growth of several kinds of trees including the Khasi pine. The heavily covered grounds around the forests facilitating growth of ferns and orchids most of them endemic.
 * Umiam is a water sports complex, developed upon the reservoir of the Umiam Hydro Electric Project, around 20 km north of Shillong. The campus consists of a lake resort and a park. It also offers many water sports activities.

title: Shillong


text:
Shima

Shima (志摩市) is a city in Mie. Shima City was born out of the merger of four districts in 2005. Shima is most famous for pearl cultivation and is a popular playground for fans of watersports and tourists, generally.

Tourist Information Site
The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

Get in
Kintetsu Railway's Toba Line links Shima to Ise via Toba. Local trains and Limited Express trains are available (stopping at every station). Buses from Ugata Station (鵜方駅) provide access to other areas of Shima. The last station on the line is Kashikojima (賢島).

Get around
The best way to get around Shima is by bus or by taxi. Both can add up in the end, but there is also a car rental right next to Ugata Station. But depending on what you want to do the bus is probably the easiest and cheapest.

Do

Sleep
Other than regular hotels that you can stay in, Aman Resorts has one of their resorts located in Shima -- Amanemu. Amanemu is in Ise Shima National Park.

Go next

 * Toba
 * Minamiise
 * Ise
 * Watarai
 * Meiwa
 * Taiki
 * Taki
 * Matsusaka
 * Odai

title: Shima


text:
Shimabara

Shimabara (島原市) is a city in Nagasaki prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan.

Understand
Shimabara is a castle town on a peninsula in the far south-east corner of Nagasaki Prefecture, on the flanks of Mt. Unzen, an active volcano dominating the region. After nearly 200 years of dormancy, Mt Unzen last erupted in 1991, killing 43 and devastating the southern district of town with the resultant pyroclastic flows.

The city is also the site of the Shimabara Rebellion in which Christians and locals who were unsatisfied with grossly high taxes and oppression of Christianity fought to regain control of the territory. They were unsuccessful, and with the help of the Dutch, the Japanese stopped the rebellion and beheaded approximately 37,000 Christians and peasants. It also led to the ousting of the Portuguese who they no longer trusted, making the Dutch the only Europeans the Japanese were willing to trade with. Although Christianity had already been banned prior to the rebellion, the rebellion made the government even more anti-Christian and even stricter enforcement of the religious ban was established.

Nowadays Shimabara acts as the gateway between Nagasaki and Kumamoto and sightseeing in the Unzen Volcanic Area Geopark.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site. Its Pamphlet section has some materials in English and other languages.

By train
Trains run direct from Isahaya, near Nagasaki along the private Shimabara line. As with many private lines in Kyushu, the Shimabara line departs from a slightly hidden "platform zero" within the JR station. Don't leave through the JR gates, just hop on the train and buy your tickets from the driver.

By ferry
Various ferry options will let you reach Shimabara from neighbouring Kumamoto.

 * Ocean Arrow will take you from Kumamoto Port (熊本港) to Shimabara Port (島原港) in 30 minutes. One way is ¥800, a round trip ¥1520. Buses from Kumamoto city centre station to Kumamoto port are ¥480 one way (¥420 from the JR station). The ¥1800 discount roundtrip special including connecting bus fare only runs from Shimabara -> Kumamoto -> Shimabara, and not reverse rendering it utterly useless for a tourist. The last ferry back to Kumamoto leaves at 19:20.
 * The cheaper Kyusho Ferry (九商フェリー) will get you from Kumamoto Port (熊本港) to Shimabara Port (島原港) in 60 minutes but for ¥680 one way or ¥1000 round trip. The connecting bus to the Kumamoto city centre course will still set you back ¥480 (¥420 for the JR station) each way. The last ferry back to Kumamoto leaves at 18:55.
 * Although primarily designed to get Nagasaki residents to the Greenland theme park, an alternate option does exist to the north. For ¥430 each way, Ariake Ferry (有明フェリー) will give you a 45-minute ride from Nagasu Port (長洲港) just north of Kumamoto to Taira Port (多比良港) just north of Shimabara. The last eastbound ferry leaves at 20:00.

By train
The local train service runs between Shimabara Port and Shimabara central station, closest to the castle.

By bus
Limited bus services exist around town and run approximately hourly servicing the three main areas of castle/central train station, the port, and the southern part of town with stops about a 10-minute walk away from the disaster hall and another right outside the Mizunashi-honjin Fukae road station (see below). Although some run close, none go up to Unzen Geopark.

By foot
As the various attractions are each about 3 km from the port, if coming by sea, walking around town may be a desirable option. However, despite Shimabara's beauty, like most Japanese cities, much is a desolate ferro-concrete urban wasteland, in this case a thin strip bordering the highway that runs directly through town. If you do choose to walk, the route between the port and the castle could potentially be quite pleasant if one were to carefully avoid said main highway and weave their way north.

Consider the following course:
 * From the Port to Sengen Park and Ashiyu Footbath and then work their way to Hirobaba via the coast.
 * From here take a wander down the little old-fashioned residential alleyways to Hamanokawa Spring.
 * Cross briefly west across the nasty highway district towards Shirachi Lake (beware of the unusually crazy drivers), perhaps enduring a little more of it to make a brief detour via the beautiful carp stream.
 * Make your way to Yutorogi Ashiyu Footbath and finally the castle via the temple district.

There are detailed maps of the town at the port.

See

Do

 * Visit the various natural springs around town. These are scattered around town and consist of no less than two free footbaths (one opposite the port and one a few blocks south of Shimabara Castle), many nice onsens (admission prices variable) and a pile of drinkable water springs (some quite hot!) including some with what appear to be sectioned runoff ponds for various forms of domestic clothes washing or fish clea... they're still all marked on the tourist map regardless!

Buy
The usual array of edible souveniers can be picked up from within the port.

Go next

 * Minami-Shimabara
 * Unzen
 * Isahaya
 * Nagasaki
 * Kumamoto
 * Tara
 * Kashima
 * Omura
 * Nagayo

title: Shimabara


text:
Shimada

Shimada (島田市 Shimada-shi) is a city of 96,000 people (2020) in Shizuoka prefecture.

Understand
The economy of Shimada is primarily agricultural, with green tea as the main crop. Light industries of Shimada include factories for the production of automobile components.

Climate
The area enjoys a warm maritime climate with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters.

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

By bus

 * Shizutetsu Just Line
 * Shimada City Independent Service Bus
 * Mount Fuji Shizuoka Airport

Go next

 * Fujieda
 * Yoshida
 * Omaezaki
 * Yaizu
 * Makinohara
 * Kawanehon
 * Kikugawa
 * Kakegawa
 * Shizuoka

title: Shimada


text:
Shimanami Kaido Bikeway

Shimanami Kaido Bikeway runs between Onomichi in Hiroshima prefecture and Imabari in Ehime, allowing cyclists to hop across several islands of the Seto Inland Sea.

Understand
This 70km bikeway connects Onomichi on the main island of Honshu through a series of 7 bridges and 6 islands with Imabari on Shikoku. You're welcome to walk or jog any length of the bridge, but cycling is the best way to go. The route consists of wide dedicated lanes for bikes and pedestrians, typically alongside but separated from the car roadway. Special bike lanes have been created to provide reasonable approaches to each of the modern bridges connecting the islands.

Prepare

An excellent English language brochure is available at the bike depots and online here. The brochure provides riders with side-trip directions to sights on each island and alternate routes for those who desire more strenuous rides. The brochure also has information on rest stops, bike depot locations, public transport (if you get tired) and other facilities and there are many choices along the way for lunch, snacks, and other stops. If staying overnight in Onomichi, it is recommended that you pick up a brochure from the bike depot the night before your trip.

Get in
The Green Hill Hotel is also the location of the ferry connecting Onomichi with Mukaishima, Innoshima, and Ikuchijima/Setoda. Serious bikers intent on completing the route in a day could do so, but the route is best enjoyed over the course of two days or in one day by taking a ferry from Onomichi to Setoda (bypassing the two most rural islands on the route). Ferries leave Onomichi once an hour starting at 7:20 in the morning; the trip to Setoda is 40 minutes. Tickets are available in the ferry terminal behind the Green Hill Hotel.

Walk/Bike
The main route is generally flat except for reasonable and well-graded approaches to the bridges and one large hill on Oshima Island. The whole route is free of charge for cyclists and pedestrians.

Starting from, the "recommended" main route distances are
 * (向島, 9.2 km)
 * bridge (3.2 km)
 * (因島, 9.3 km), featuring the pirate Suigun Castle
 * bridge (3.2 km)
 * (生口島, 11.8 km or 5.7 km if you arrive at Setoda port), site of the wacky Kosan-ji Temple
 * bridge (4.2 km) - separating the two cities, Onomichi and Imabari
 * (大三島, 6 km), with the ancient Oyamazumi Jinja shrine
 * bridge (1.2 km)
 * (伯方島, 1.9 km)
 * bridge (3 km)
 * (大島, 11.4 km)
 * bridge (6.4 km)
 * , endpoint at Sunrise Itoyama bike depot.

If traveling in the direction of Onomichi to Imabari, Kosan-ji Temple and Hirayama Ikuo Museums on Ikuchijima Island are about 4 km along the main route. On Omishima Island, in order to visit the Omishima Museum and the Oyamazumi Jinja Shrine Treasure Hall you must make a round trip (15 km total) off the recommended main route. If taking two days for the ride, Tatara on Omishima is a good place to spend the night before/after this side trip to Oyamazumi Shrine.

Eat
On the way you will see many orange plantations. In the commercial street of Setoda on the island of Ikuchijima, you will find lemon in many forms (cake, salad, bottle of sauce to bring back as a souvenir…).

Sleep
Reserving an accommodation in the area is more complicated than usual in Japan: the reservation websites in English have a very limited number of offers. Getting help from someone speaking Japanese and able to reserve by Internet, phone or fax will give much more options.

Go next

 * Akinada Tobishima Kaido, a much less traveled path along another set of islands in the Inland Sea

title: Shimanami Kaido Bikeway


text:
Shimane

Shimane Prefecture (島根県 Shimane-ken) is in the western Chugoku region of the main Japanese island Honshu. It is the 2nd least populous prefecture in Japan.

Understand
Shimane prefecture, together with Tottori prefecture is known as the San-in (山陰) region, meaning "the shady side of the mountains". There is a mountain range separating these two prefectures from Hiroshima and Okayama, called Sanyo (山陽, the bright side) region, which means that the weather in San-in is drastically wetter than further to the south.

Tourist Information Site
The prefecture has an official multilingual Tourism Guide site.

Cities

 * — The prefectural capital, Matsue has an original (not reconstructed) castle.
 * — Site of Izumo Taisha, one of Japan's most famous shrines.
 * — Fishing port and recreation area.
 * — Referred to as "Little Kyoto," home to a steam train and the birthplace of Mori Ogai.
 * — The westernmost city in Shimane and long-time home of Sesshu, a famous historical Japanese artist.
 * — A small industrial city between Hamada and Ōda.
 * — A midsize city close to Iwami Ginzan and Mt. Sanbe.
 * — silver mines that became a World Heritage Site
 * — old onsen town perfectly preserved in the 1920s
 * — Site of the Adachi Art Museum, Yasugi borders Yonago in Tottori Prefecture. On a clear day you can spot the snow-capped Mt. Daisen to the north.

By plane
The airports in Shimane are,  , and. When travelling to Matsue then nearby  is also an option.

By train
Shimane is on the Japan Rail San'in Main Line, which runs along western Honshu's sea coast between Kyoto and Shimonoseki.

Japan Rail's Sunrise Izumo night train runs between Tokyo, Matsue and Izumo. Prices vary depending on the accommodation booked, which range from simple berths to private cabins.

The Super Yakumo express train connects Matsue and Izumo to Okayama.

The Super Oki JR train line originating in Shin-Yamaguchi stops at a number of cities and town in Shimane prefecture.

By bus
Long Distance Express Buses.

Get around
The best way to get around Shimane is to drive. Most towns and cities, especially those on the coast, can also reached by train. Buses go pretty much everywhere, but some places may only have a few buses a day.

Do
There are many ski resorts in the prefecture. Most will blow snow when it hasn't fallen, giving a reliable season from late November until late March.

Mizuho Highland is the biggest (10 slopes, 5km longest run) and probably best (the only half-pipe in the region) resort.

The Yabusame (horse-back archery) festivals of Shimane are quite famous, especially that of Tsuwano, which holds the oldest Yabusame range in all of Japan (some 1000+ years old). They usually are held in early April. If one is particularly lucky, the festival will coincide with the cherry blossoms blooming, for the consummate Japanese cultural experience.

During the year there are numerous festivals. Many towns and cities have a fireworks show in August.

Eat
To get a taste of Matsue and the area around Lake Shinji, you should try to sample the famous Seven Delicacies of Lake Shinji: Shijimi clams, icefish, eel, sea bass, among others. For the most authentic soba in Izumo, make sure to try Warigo Soba served in triple-stacked lacquerware. Hamada serves a specialty fishcake made with red pepper powder called Akaten ("red tenpura", in this case meaning fried fishcake).

Sleep

 * For cheap accommodations, the prefecture has a number of youth hostels.

Go next

 * Tottori Prefecture
 * Yamaguchi Prefecture
 * Hiroshima Prefecture
 * Okayama Prefecture

title: Shimane


text:
Shimizu

 * A ward in Shizuoka city.
 * Shimizu (Hokkaido) - A town in Tokachi, Hokkaido.

title: Shimizu