text:
Kiribati

Kiribati (pronounced Kiribahs) is a remote archipelago nation in Micronesia, at the equator. It consists of 33 atolls widely dispersed through 3.5 million km² of sea territory. Kiribati is a tranquil paradise. While most of its local lifestyle remains communal, its main highlight are aquamarine waters set around an 800-km² island backdrop.

Kiribati is one of Oceania's poorest countries, and a demanding destination, with few hospitality venues but there aren't many countries where the people are more friendly.

Regions
Except for Banaba (Ocean Island, 6 km²/2.3 sq mi, population c. 300), all the main islands are in one of 3 three groups: the Gilbert Islands, the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands.

Cities

 * – the country's tiny capital

Understand
With few natural resources and geographic isolation, income per capita is very low. Most of it comes from remittance, foreign aid, and fishing.

Half the population, most of them being very poor, live on South Tarawa.

Other islands have far fewer people, and getting to them can be difficult, and conditions are even more primitive. Most tourists, especially from the US, go to Kiritimati (Christmas Island). Conditions there are somewhat better than in the rest of Kiribati.

While the islands are on both sides of the 180th meridian, the International Date Line has been drawn east of them all, placing Kiribati islands in the same day, in time zones UTC +12, +13 and +14. The Line Islands are in the latter time zones, and are therefore the first part of Earth to see every new day and the first place to celebrate the New Year.

History
Kiribati was inhabited for 2000 years prior to European contact. Under British colonial rule, it was known as the Gilbert Islands: the name "Kiribati" comes from the local pronunciation of "Gilberts".

In the Pacific War, Kiribati saw harsh combat between American and Japanese troops, with the devastating Battle of Tarawa in November 1943.

Kiribati was granted self-rule by the United Kingdom in 1971 and complete independence in 1979. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati. The name "Kiribati" is pronounced "Kiri-bass", which is the closest local equivalent to "Gilberts".

The Phoenix and Line Islands were generally held to be on the east side of the International Date Line and are in different time zones from the Gilbert Islands group, but on 1 January 1995, Kiribati proclaimed that all of its territory was on the same calendar day (skipping 31 December 1994 in those island groups), effectively extending the Date Line further eastward to accommodate this. This makes the Line Islands the farthest "ahead" of any territory on the planet.

In 1995 Kiribati suspended diplomatic relations with France to protest the latter's decision to resume nuclear testing on Muraroa Atoll. In 1999 the government claimed that two atolls had been lost due to sea level rise and, in 2002, joined with Tuvalu and the Maldives to take legal action against the US for refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol.

The presence of gun emplacements and ship wrecks from Second World War battles on South Tarawa makes shipwreck diving a common tourist activity.

As Kiribati is perhaps the most vulnerable country to global warming due to rising sea levels, the country has looked to purchasing land at Fiji where its entire population will eventually migrate supposedly if their islands are submerged in the future.

Climate
Whoever coined the phrase, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity" may have had Kiribati in mind. The average high temperatures are quite reasonable compared to other well-known places in the tropics (such as Bangkok, Singapore, Manila). But the humidity more than makes up for this, making it feel very sauna-like. The wet season varies, but is usually December to March, give or take a month. Severe drought also occurs at times.

Visitor information

 * Kiribati Tourism website

Talk
English is the official language of Kiribati along with the native Kiribati or Gilbertese. While English is used heavily in South Tarawa, the further away from the capital you go the stronger the Kiribati tongue. Most people on Kiritimati Island speak some English.

Visa requirements
Nationals and citizens of the following countries are exempted from obtaining a visa before entering Kiribati where the intended duration of their stay is 30 days or less: Belize, Federated States of Micronesia, Macao (only in respect of holders of Macao Special Administrative Region Passports), Marshall Islands, Palau, Republic of China (Taiwan), Republic of Korea (South Korea).

Nationals and citizens of the following countries specified are exempted from obtaining a visa before entering Kiribati:

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Grenada, Greece, Hong  Kong (only in respect of holders of British Nationals Overseas passports and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports), Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta,Mauritius, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Bahamas, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United Kingdom Overseas Territories of (Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos Islands), United States of America, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

There are honorary consulates in Rose Bay (near Sydney), New South Wales, Australia; Honolulu, USA; Suva, Fiji; Hamburg, Germany; Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; Auckland, New Zealand; and London, United Kingdom. Also, visas may be obtained by writing to the Principal Immigration Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, P.O. Box 68, Bairiki, Tarawa, Kiribati (Central Pacific). Do not apply directly to Tarawa within a couple of months or so of your departure date, or when you need your passport elsewhere. Usually, it's best to inquire at the nearest consulate abroad. There's no requirement that you be a resident of the same country that the consulate is located in.

By plane
If through tickets are too expensive, get to Fiji and go from there. Alternatively, if you've got plenty to spend and extra time, see how a Round the world fare on Oneworld or Star Alliance compares with the fare to Tarawa, and include this on your itinerary.

Fiji Airways has flights to Tarawa and Kiritimati (Christmas Island). Flights to Tarawa are twice weekly non-stop flights (3 hrs) from Nadi (Fiji), with connections from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, and the United States including Honolulu (with codeshares with Oneworld alliance members). Kiritimati is a stop on a weekly flight each way between Nadi and Honolulu. Again, connects can be easily made with flights from New Zealand, Australia and Europe. If using another airline to get to Fiji, be certain it lands in Nadi, not Suva (unless you're staying a while and can get to other side of the island).

Nauru Airlines (formerly Air Nauru) connect Tarawa in Kiribati with Nauru, Honiara and Nadi. This service provides an improved access to Tarawa and other Pacific nations.

Air Marshall Islands operates scheduled flights every 2 weeks Majuro to Tarawa CW117 returning the same day. The price is USD330 if ticket bought in Marshall Islands. They will not issue a one way ticket unless you can provide proof of an onward ticket or Kiribati/RMI residence/work permit.

Air Marshall Islands: email amisales@ntamar.net Phone number is +692 625-3733. Calling is suggested as emails often go without a reply.

By plane
Air Kiribati has two turboprop aircraft for inter-island travel. Flights travel to all Outer Islands in the Gilbert group regularly.

Coral Sun Airways offers a scheduling alternative to Air Kiribati and can also be chartered for private use.

Reliability of internal flights in Kiribati is improving all the time and fares are relatively cheap. It is important to reconfirm your return flight on arrival at your destination. Each airline has different booking and confirmation conditions, you need to ensure you are familiar with these to ensure a hassle free trip.

By ship
For ship connections within the Gilbert Islands you might ask at the harbour in Betio, South Tarawa.

See

Kiribati has some beautiful beach scenery, is a great place for boating or yachting and many of the atolls are lovely to explore on bike or foot. The lagoons are stunning to look at and the white sandy beaches and waving palm trees are a typical holiday brochure sight. Especially on the outer islands you'll find traditional culture is still very much alive. The Kiribati people are generally friendly and welcoming to visitors, and will include you in their celebrations if you happen to be around.

The islands of Kiribati saw some of the bloodiest fighting of World War II and remnants of that war are still all around. Tarawa (and Betio in particular), Butaritari, Abemama and Banaba island are home to the most prominent World War II sights, including coastal defence guns, bunkers and pillboxes. Tanks, ship wrecks, amtracs and plane wrecks are still visible at the coasts of Tarawa and Butaritari, especially during low tide. If you want the full story behind the remains, take a guided tour.

For anyone with an interest in sea life, the tranquil Phoenix Island Marine Protected Area (the world’s largest marine protected area) is a treasure waiting to be discovered. It boasts some gorgeous landscapes combining sandy beaches with coral islands and incredibly blue lagoons. The islands are a bird watcher's paradise and its under water coral life is practically unspoiled. However, limiting visitor numbers is an explicit goal of the authorities. Gaining access to the islands isn't easy and although there are rumours of plans to open the region a bit more for tourist purposes, you probably won't be able to dive there yet.

Money
Australian dollars, denoted by the symbol "$" ( ISO code: AUD), are used as the official currency. While Australian banknotes are used, Kiribati issues its own coins in denominations of 5¢, 10¢, 20¢, 50¢, $1 and $2 but it is pegged at a 1:1 rate to the Australian dollar.

Bigger stores are only available on Tarawa or Kiritimati.

South Tarawa
There are a wide number of local handicrafts available. These are generally made by the women groups from around the Gilbert group. Of special note are the colourful tops worn by the local ladies called Tibuta. The Catholic Women's association runs weekly classes in weaving and the making of these tops.

ATMs are located in Betio, Bairiki and Bikenebeu. There is also one located at the hospital. There is also a foreign exchange office at the Airport. ANZ operates in Kiribati.

Most shops will only accept cash, as credit cards are rarely used--except for the two hotels.

Outer Gilbert Islands
Cash only is used on the Outer Islands and banking services are not available.

Kiritimati Island
An ATM and bank are both available on Kiritimati Island. The branch is located in London.

Most shops and stores will only accept cash. Credit cards are not widely used.

Eat
The variety of food on Kiribati is limited. If a shipment of imported food has just come in, buy it now, as it won't last long! The variety and amount is increasing and improving all the time as is the number of supply boats that arrive.

While Western style products will always be slightly limited you will find that the basics are generally available. Fruit and vegetables' availability is limited.

The staple diet of the I-Kiribati is fish and rice and this is reflected in many of the eating outlets on Tarawa. It is worthwhile trying the local sashimi which is supplied straight from the ocean to your plate.

Western-style meals are best found at the two hotels: Marys and the Otintaai. There is also a variety of Chinese restaurants.

Drink
The local drink is toddy made from the sap of a coconut tree. This sweet toddy can then be fermented for a couple of days into the alcoholic sour toddy that is favoured by locals. The original sweet toddy can also be cooked into a syrup called Kamaimai. The Kamaimai can then be drizzled on sweet buns or ice cream.

Kava is also easily found throughout Kiribati with a large number of Kava bars appearing throughout Tarawa.

The two main bars in Tarawa are Captains Bar in Betio and the Lagoon Club in Ambo. Friday nights at the Otintaai are dance night. Supply of wine and spirits is limited, however there is a good supply of beer which is always cold.

There is a single nightclub in Tarawa called the Midtown which is open till late.

Alcohol is not sold on a number of Outer Islands in the Gilbert group.

Sleep
The range of accommodation in Kiribati varies depending on which part of the country you are in.

South Tarawa
The two main hotels are Marys Motel and the government owned Otintaai Hotel. Both offer motel style accommodation each with a restaurant and air-conditioning. They are located at different ends of South Tarawa and the decision on where to stay is usually made based on your activities while you are in South Tarawa.

There are also a variety of other smaller properties scattered throughout South Tarawa. A full listing including a map showing locations can be found on the Kiribati National Tourism Offices website.

These hotels can get very busy throughout the year so it is advisable to book ahead.

North Tarawa
A visit to North Tarawa is the easiest and most convenient way to experience village life in Kiribati. North Tarawa has a number of guesthouses and traditional style accommodation.

Tabon te Keekee is the closest option, offering traditional Kiribati accommodation in an I-Kiribati family environment. Located at Abatao it is only 10-15 min north of the airport.

Biketawa Islet, run by the Otintaai Hotel, offers traditional kia kia accommodation. Run in a similar fashion to a retreat, meals and sleeping equipment can be arranged, along with boat transfers.

A council guesthouse is located at Abaokoro.

Gilbert Island Group and Council Guesthouses
The Outer Islands are the essence of Kiribati and not enough people make the time and effort to visit these remote islands. Each has a distinctive culture and story to tell of its history.

Each of the outer islands of the Gilbert Group have, at the least, a council guesthouse. Standards vary across the group however they are usually a mix of the local style houses known as Kia Kia’s and an open style guest rooms. Each guesthouse usually has a communal living area where meals are served and the cost is approximately $30 per night including 3 meals a day.

The facilities available vary from island to island, however they are located in isolated communities and expectations should be altered accordingly. Electricity will usually be supplied in the evening and throughout the night. Food will mainly be based on the local fare and it is recommended that you take anything additional you may need. It is also recommended that fresh drinking water is taken. Most guesthouses are perfectly located on the beach or causeway and a lovely spot to stay easy for swimming and exploring.

These guesthouses are run by the Island Councils and it is one of the very few ways the council earn revenue. Each council will normally have a truck and driver that you will be able to hire to help you discover the island. Alternatively many of the locals will be keen to hire out the motorcycles and scooters to you.

For more information on the Outer Islands, get a copy of the fact sheets.

Kiritimati Island
This world renowned bone fishing destination has a variety of fishing lodges, guesthouses, and motels to choose from. Accommodation is usually booked in 7 night packages and each lodge will have the services of a fishing guide to assist you in your expeditions. For a full list of accommodation options visit www.kiribatitourism.gov.ki.

The lodges are geared around fishermen and schedule meals and activities around your fishing day. Meals are usually included in the price.

For a full list of accommodation options visit Kiribati Tourism's page.

Work
With very high unemployment, it is unlikely that foreigners will be allowed any work unless they have needed skills not otherwise available. Aid agencies are active in Kiribati and undertake a range of volunteer and contracting programs.

Stay safe
Kiribati is generally a safe place to travel. However, it may be risky to be outside after dark in Betio or along the beach in South Tarawa, especially for single females. However, virtually all problems are caused by drunk males, not career criminals.

Normal common sense applies when moving around.

Some care should be taken on the roads as the traffic can include pigs, children, dogs and buses all fighting for road space.

Stay healthy
Don't drink the water without boiling or filtering. Chemical treatment is not recommended as it may not prevent giardiasis. The lagoon (especially around Betio) is heavily contaminated, and may make the entire island segment smell bad at times. No matter how inviting it looks, always ask first before going into the water anywhere on South Tarawa. This is also a good idea on other islands.

Get a hepatitis A vaccination, and be up-to-date on all your other vaccinations, preferably several weeks beforehand. Mosquitos can be very bad at times, so use repellent. Be sure to bring your own insect repellent and sunscreen, as these are not available locally. Don't expect any needed medications to be available either. (Some are, but you never know what is or when.)

There's no malaria, but dengue fever outbreaks (mosquito transmitted) do sometimes occur. The fish caught locally may give you food poisoning (ciguatera), so be extra careful. Ciguatera is not preventable by cooking or freezing the fish. Promptly treat even the smallest cut, sore, or insect bite, as these can become infected very easily.

Medical evacuation insurance is highly recommended for Kiribati. Many outer islands do not have airstrips, making any sort of evacuation long and difficult.

Respect
Before going to swim it might be a good idea to ask the landowner. There might be stone figures of religious importance around which certain rules should be followed.

Go next

 * Federated States of Micronesia
 * Fiji
 * Marshall Islands
 * Nauru
 * Solomon Islands

title: Kiribati


text:
Kirifuri Highlands

The Kirifuri Highlands (霧降高原 Kirifuri-kogen) is a highland area between Nikko and Kuriyama in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, on the slopes of the Japanese Alps. The main activities in the area are skiing in winter and hiking in summer and autumn. It is very close to Nikko (less than half an hour away by bus), and so it is entirely possible to make a day-trip here while staying overnight in Nikko.

History
The main road through this area used to have a quite expensive toll on it, but this was removed in 2007.

Landscape
The area is on the slopes of the Japanese Alps. It is heavily forested with Japanese ceder, pine and deciduous trees, apart from the ski field, which is covered in knee-height bracken-like bamboo (but looks like grassy fields from a distance). The main road is lined with hotels and shops close to Nikko, however as it gets closer to the ski ground there is mainly forest with few other facilities.

Flora and fauna
In June and July, the entire ski ground turns butter-yellow with the blooming of the Nikko Lily (ニッコウキスゲ Nikko kisuge), and the ski lifts are open at this time for sightseers.

There are plenty of deer and monkeys in the area, and it is necessary to drive carefully, particularly at dusk. There is a (very small) possibility of encountering a bear while hiking in the mountains.

Climate
Mild in summer and covered in snow in winter. There are rainy seasons just before the beginning of summer in June, and at the end of August.

Get in
Buses run from both the JR Nikko and Tobu-nikko railway stations to the trailhead for Kirifuri Falls (¥300) and to the Kirifuri ski ground (¥640). They run about once an hour from about 08:30 to 16:00. It is also possible to get a taxi from Nikko.

Get around
This area is covered by just one main road, which the buses run along.

See

 * Kirifuri Falls (霧降の滝 Kirifuri no taki)
 * Tamasudare Falls　(玉簾滝 Tamasudare taki)
 * Makkura Falls (マックラ滝 Makkura taki)
 * Choji Falls (丁字滝 Choji taki)

Do
Skiing: There is a small ski ground at Kirifuri Highlands Ski Ground (霧降高原スキー場 Kirifuri Kougen Sukiijou). It has four lifts and four main runs.

Hiking: There are some beautiful hikes in this area. For beginners, it is only a short walk to see Kirifuri Falls from the bus stop. Starting from the same place, it is also possible to hike to the other three waterfalls (Tamasudare, Choji and Makkura Falls), which is a two-hour return trip. It is also possible to do a circuit from Kirifuri Falls to the ski ground and back again, but this will take several hours.

At Kirifuri Kougen Ski Ground, there is a circuit walk starting from the bottom of the third ski lift, which takes about an hour or two and is recommended in late June or early July, when the lilies are out in full bloom.

For the really adventurous, it is possible to climb Mt. Nyohou (女峰山 Nyohou-zan), which is the second-highest mountain in Tochigi Prefecture. This hike also starts from the ski ground. It takes about four hours one way, and is a fairly tough climb, however the views across the Kanto plain are spectacular. It is possible to go through to Oku-Nikko (奥日光) on the other side in a day, but there is no public transport after about 19:30.

Hiking in this area is best limited to summer and autumn - snow remains on the mountains until at least May and can make trails impassable. Autumn is highly recommended, particularly late October to early November, when the autumn leaves are at their most spectacular.

Buy
There are small eateries and omiyage (souvenir) shops at the trailhead at Kirifuri Falls, and also at the bottom of the third lift at the ski ground.

Provisions for hiking probably cannot be bought here - it would be best to get them in Nikko.

Stay safe
Hiking around the ski ground and the waterfalls should present no problems normally, however a climb up the mountains requires suitable preparations. It is essential to bring warm and waterproof clothing, and plenty of food and liquid. There are few water sources - ensure you bring enough with you! Ensure that you have a map, try to hike with at least one other friend in case of an accident, and inform someone before you leave of your plans. Only experts should contemplate hiking up the mountains in winter and early spring. If you are very unlucky, it is possible to encounter a bear - it is best to be informed of what to do if this happens before leaving. Japanese hikers often tie a bell to their backpacks - the noise lessens the chance of a bear encounter.

Go next
It is possible to drive onwards to Kuriyama, but returning to Nikko is the best option for those without a car.

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

title: Kirifuri Highlands


text:
Kirishima (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Kirishima:

Japan

 * Kirishima-Yaku National Park
 * Kirishima (Kagoshima) — a city in Kagoshima (prefecture)
 * Mount Kirishima — a highly active volcano in Kagoshima (prefecture)

title: Kirishima (disambiguation)


text:
Kirishima-Yaku National Park

Kirishima Kinkowan National Park (霧島錦江湾国立公園 Kirishima-Kinkowan kokuritsu kōen) is in Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures, Kyushu.

History

 * 1934: started as Kirishima National Park, as one of the first three national parks.
 * 1964:Yakushima and Kinkowan areas were added and became Kirishima-Yaku National Park.
 * 2012:Yakushima National Park was detached. Aira area added and became Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park.

Landscape
Often likened to the surface of the moon, the Kirishima mountain range has 23 volcanic cones, of which 15 are intact and 10 are filled with water.

Climate
Kirishima literally means "Misty Island", but it's not an island at all: instead, the name is a reference to how often the mountain is wrapped in misty fog, and it's thus not a surprise that it rains more or less all the time here.

Information Site
Ministry of Environment has an official bilingual webpage for the park.

Get in
Kirishima is quite spread out. For the hot springs, the nearest station is Kirishima Jingu (霧島神宮駅) on the JR Nippo Line between Kagoshima (45 min) and Miyazaki (1 hr 20 min), from where buses connect to the hot spring resort of Kirishima Onsen (霧島温泉) in 25 min.

Access to the trailheads at Ebino Kogen (えびの高原) is harder, and your own car will come in handy. For buses, check with the Kirishima Tourism Office (tel. +81 995-57-1588) and Miyazaki Kotsu.

Do
Thanks to heavy volcanic activity, there are countless hot springs in the area, some of which have a recognizable smell or billowing pillars of steam. Several ashiyu (足湯), or "foot baths," in the area are free of charge.

There is also a large and famous shrine in the area worth visiting called Kirishima Jingu (霧島神宮).

title: Kirishima-Yaku National Park


text:
Kiritimati

 * Not to be confused with Christmas Island, an Australian possession in the Indian Ocean.

Kiritimati, also known as Christmas Island has the largest land area (642 km2, 248 mi2) of any coral atoll in the world and by itself represents the majority of the land area of Kiribati.

Villages

 * London - main city and port
 * Tabwakea
 * Banana - near the airport
 * Poland

Understand
The island got its names from its discovery by Captain Cook on Christmas Eve in 1777. Christmas became Kiritimati (pronounced roughly "kee-rees-mass") in the local Gilbertese language.

Because of its position just west of the International Date Line, Kiritimati is the first inhabited island to begin each new day and year, and attracted a bit of Y2K tourism to celebrate that.

The entire island is a wildlife sanctuary, with five areas that require permission to visit.

Climate
The temperature on the island is constant year round, with highs of 29-31°C (85-87°F) and lows of 24-25°C (75-77°F). August through December is the dry season, with 0-2 cm (0.1-0.6 in) of rain per month during this period. April is the wettest month with 21 cm (8.1 in) of rain. The island is greatly affected by El Niño/La Niña weather patterns and is prone to periods of drought. Average yearly rainfall is 873 mm (34.4 in), which can drop as low as 177 mm (7.0 in) in exceptionally dry years or skyrocket to 2,500 mm (98 in) in especially wet years (particularly El Niño years). The island is buffeted by relatively constant trade winds of around 10 knots (20 km/h, 12 mph), gusting to over 25 knots (46 km/h, 30 mph) at times.

Get around
There is only one main road that goes from the airport through London, the main village, and there is public transportation through that route.

See

There are many things to do and see in Kiritimati, Cook Island has a huge number of birds; while scuba diving you can see thousands of species of fish and coral, ship wrecks, turtles, etc. Fishing is also another very popular activity at Christmas Island.

Do
The main two main activities in the island are scuba diving and fishing; being the largest coral atoll in the world, Kiritimati offers an impressive number of places to dive and things to see under the water. There is only one scuba diving service, Dive Kiribati, 011 (881) 631-442-811.

Buy
Almost every week there is a cruise ship stopping by the island, this is the best opportunity to find local handcrafts when people come out to sell them.

Eat
It's common to have meals included in holiday packages, but if you decide to eat out there are two Chinese restaurants on the island; the one closer to the petrol station is better.

Drink
Despite the remoteness of the island, most of the things you can buy are very inexpensive: for example, a soft drink costs about $1.50 and a beer $2.50. You can bring up to 1 litre of spirits duty-free and they also make a local alcoholic drink made out of the coconut palm.

Sleep
There are around 4 hotels in the island, the most popular one is called Lagoon View Resort; most of the hotels offer all-inclusive services and their prices vary from $70–150.

title: Kiritimati


text:
Kirkby Lonsdale

Kirkby Lonsdale is a town in Cumbria in England. Notable buildings include St Mary's Church, a Norman building with fine carved columns. The view of the River Lune from the churchyard is known as "Ruskin's View" after John Ruskin, who called it one of the loveliest in England. It was painted by J.M.W. Turner.

Understand
The town motto is "Well worth a visit".

Visitor information

 * Kirkby Lonsdale visitor information website

Get in
Just off the A65 road. It is about 7 miles from Junction 36 on the M6 motorway.

Do

 * Devil's Bridge during August Bank holiday. Extremely busy with local biker population around Devil's Bridge, which also traditionally has a large carboot sale.

Events

 * Victorian Fair, first weekend in September. The streets and local shops re-enact a Victorian street scene. It is immensely popular and the whole town is closed to through traffic. Parking is available in the area but the price is not cheap. A "Park and Ride" system is normally in operation due to popularity and lack of parking space.
 * A Christmas Fair is held annually over the first week of December, hosting seasonally decorated chalets selling a variety of goods and local food and drink. Santa Claus is rumored to appear in person, and light up the town display from his sleigh.

Eat
There are plenty of pubs, restaurants and cafes in Kirkby Lonsdale.
 * The local supermarket is Booths.
 * The local supermarket is Booths.
 * The local supermarket is Booths.

Sleep

Connect
As of April 2022, Kirkby Lonsdale has 4G from EE, O2 and Vodafone, but a poor scratchy signal from Three. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Kirkby Lonsdale is a good starting point for further exploration of the Lake District.
 * Visit the Trough of Bowland in north Lancashire.
 * The Yorkshire Dales are just a few miles away.
 * Visit the nearby village of Dent where potholing is a favourite pastime in the area; Check out "The Bull Pot".

title: Kirkby Lonsdale


text:
Kirkcaldy

Kirkcaldy is a town on the coast of Fife in central Scotland. Its called "The Lang Toun" due to the collection of villages that stretched along the coast. It's industrial, making linoleum, and in 2016 had a population of 50,010. Famous people from Kirkcaldy include the economist Adam Smith, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the crime fiction writer Val McDermid.

Understand
In 1723 Kirkcaldy was the birthplace of Adam Smith, founder of the science of economics and author of "Wealth of Nations". He's particularly associated with the laissez-faire or liberal-classical strand of economics, holding that the greatest wealth is created by the free operation of the "invisible hand" of market forces. He was also well aware of the destructive and corrupting effects of those forces, and this dichotomy is why his theories and legacy are debated to this day. For example, market forces dictate that unsuccessful businesses must fail, but what if that failure takes down a bank, railway company, energy supplier, hospital, college or city? But if we can agree upon one economic lesson from Smith it is this: if you have a £20 note bearing his likeness, then you're left holding the Old Maid, it's no longer legal tender. You need to change it at a bank for a £20 depicting JMW Turner, the current issue.

Smith's work chimed well with the 18th / 19th century industrialists who developed Kirkcaldy into a large port. Commerce was driven by the Fife coalfields, salt panning, whaling and linen. Flax was also spun into coarse floor-cloths (cheaper than carpet) that protected floors and cut out draughts, and techniques were devised to spray oil or resin onto a canvas backing, creating linoleum. This turned into a big seller, as it was durable, washable, inexpensive, and could be brightly patterned and cut to precise size. By 1877 Kirkcaldy was the world's largest manufacturer of lino, with half a dozen factories and a distinctive oily pong across town. This industry declined from 1960 with foreign competition but continues in town, other manufacturing arrived, and the port re-opened in 2011 when it was equipped to handle container freight.

Get in
See Fife for long-distance options. From Edinburgh Airport take the direct Bus 747 across the bridge to Inverkeithing for trains or Halbeath for buses.

By train
Kirkcaldy is on the east coast mainline which runs from London Kings Cross via York, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Inverkeithing to Kirkcaldy, continuing north to Dundee and Aberdeen. The Caledonian Highland Sleeper runs from London Euston reaching Kirkcaldy around 05:00 en route to Aberdeen, with the southbound train picking up around 22:30. Trains from Edinburgh to Perth and Inverness also come this way every hour or two. From Glasgow, Manchester or Birmingham, change at Haymarket.

Trains from Edinburgh run every 20 min M-Sa and hourly on Sunday via Haymarket (for airport), Inverkeithing, Dalgety Bay, Aberdour, Burntisland and Kinghorn, taking 45 min to Kirkcaldy. They continue north to Leven, or to Markinch (for Glenrothes) and Perth, or to Markinch, Cupar, Leuchars (for St Andrews) and Dundee; so each destination has an hourly service. They no longer loop west through Glenrothes, take the bus from Markinch.

has a ticket office staffed M-Sa 6:30AM-7PM, Su 8AM-9PM, toilets open same hours. There are ticket machines and a WH Smiths. There is step-free access to both platforms.

By bus
Stagecoach Bus X58 / X60 runs from Edinburgh via Inverkeithing to Kirkcaldy (70 min), and continues via Leven and the East Neuk villages to St Andrews. It runs hourly, daily.

Bus X27 runs from Glasgow via Dunfermline to Kirkcaldy (2 hr) and Leven. It runs every 30 min M-Sat and hourly on Sunday.

Bus 7 runs along the coast from Dunfermline via Inverkeithing, Aberdour and Burntisland to Kirkcaldy and Leven; M-Sa every 30 min and hourly on Sunday.

Bus X37 runs every 30 min from Glenrothes and takes 30 min. Bus 39 and Bus 32 are slower routes.

Kirkcaldy is central, enter from Hill St.

By road
From south or west, exit M90 at Jcn 2A onto A92 eastbound, then take A910 into town. This is much quicker than the coast road.

Get around
Town is walkable but quite spread out. Bus 7 takes you along the coast and the Glenrothes buses get you inland.

Bus 11 makes an hourly loop between the bus station and Chapel Fife retail park. Bus 13 starts in Lochgelly and runs hourly to Kirkcaldy, Dysart and West Wemyss.

Taxi operators include Kingdom Taxis +44 1592 737475, Helen's Taxi +44 1592 646400, and Kirkcaldy Cabs +44 1592 654321.

See

 * Old Kirk is on Kirk Wynd a block north of the shopping centre. Its western tower from around 1500 is the town's oldest building, though most of it is early 19th century. It ceased to be used as church in 2008 and is now a performance and event space.
 * is the council offices, built in 1956 as a sort-of Nordic, sort-of neo-Classical low rise. The main entrance is west off pedestrianised Wemyssfield.
 * is the ruin of a castle built in 1460 at a time when gunpowder and artillery were getting the better of early medieval castles; so it was built to withstand cannon shot and to be an artillery platform itself. It was also to be a comfortable residence for the wife of James II, but he'd no sooner planned it when he got blown up by one of his own cannon. ("It's people that kill, not cannon!" so no legislation was passed.) The castle ceased to be a residence after Cromwell wrecked it but, in an appropriate coda, it was used as an ammunition depot in the First World War. The ruin is free to stroll any time.
 * Ravenscraig Park is the woodland east from the castle to Dysart. The large car park is reached by ignoring Satnav, which is trying to take you to brownfield Ravenscraig near Motherwell.
 * is a small harbour that fell on hard times once the pit closed and coal shipping ceased. The village was then merged into Kirkcaldy and much of it swept away for bland housing estates, but a historic core around the harbour has been preserved. See the Tolbooth, Town Hall, Pan Ha' (cottages by the salt pans), St Serf's church tower of 1500, and Dysart House. The Carmelite Monastery just north is still active, but in a modern building. Don't go searching for Dysart Castle, as that's near Thomastown in Ireland, and according to its famous resident Bishop Berkeley, it may not even exist if no-one happens to be looking at it.
 * is a small harbour that fell on hard times once the pit closed and coal shipping ceased. The village was then merged into Kirkcaldy and much of it swept away for bland housing estates, but a historic core around the harbour has been preserved. See the Tolbooth, Town Hall, Pan Ha' (cottages by the salt pans), St Serf's church tower of 1500, and Dysart House. The Carmelite Monastery just north is still active, but in a modern building. Don't go searching for Dysart Castle, as that's near Thomastown in Ireland, and according to its famous resident Bishop Berkeley, it may not even exist if no-one happens to be looking at it.

Do

 * What's on? For local events read Fife Today or listen to Kingdom FM on 95.2 and 96.1.
 * Kings Theatre is central on the Esplanade, +44 1592 564481. The town cinema closed down many years ago.
 * is a pleasant green space, with swans on the lake and rowing boat hire.
 * Beach: the main beach is sandy, stretching east of the harbour to Ravenscraig Castle. There are shorter, more shingly sections east to Dysart. Two miles south of town is Seafield Beach.
 * Golf: Kirkcaldy GC is on Beveridge Park. North of town is Dunnikier Park GC surrounding Oswald House, see Sleep.
 * Football: Raith Rovers play soccer in the Scottish Championship, the second tier. Their home ground is Stark's Park (capacity 8800) on Pratt Street half a mile southeast of town centre.
 * Rugby: Kirkcaldy RFC play in Scottish National League 2, the amateur game's third tier. They play at Beveridge Park south side of town.
 * Links Market is a travelling fairground that occupies a mile of the Esplanade. It's held for six days in April.
 * Highland Games: Bowhill Highland Games are held in September at Wallsgreen Park Bowhill, with the next on Su 15 Sept 2024. And see Glenrothes for those held in June at Markinch.
 * Links Market is a travelling fairground that occupies a mile of the Esplanade. It's held for six days in April.
 * Highland Games: Bowhill Highland Games are held in September at Wallsgreen Park Bowhill, with the next on Su 15 Sept 2024. And see Glenrothes for those held in June at Markinch.

Buy

 * Mercat Shopping Centre is the large retail block between the bus station and the sea front. Postings Shopping Centre on its north side has closed down.
 * Rejects at 123 St Clair Street towards the ice rink is a huge department store specialising in second-hand and DIY furnishing. It's open M-Sa 10AM-4:30PM, Su 11AM-5PM.
 * Chapel Fife is an edge-of-town retail park at the junction of A92 and A910, with B&Q, M&S, Halfords, Currys and the like.
 * Farmers Market was traditionally on the last Saturday of each month in the square next to the Townhouse. It's nowadays sporadic, and more regularly held in St Andrews and Cupar.

Eat

 * High St is the main strip, with Duchess of Kirkcaldy, Maxin Chinese, La Valente fish & chips, EDA Turkish, Dehlicious, Pommy's (below), The Prince Indian, Amritsar Tandoori, Annapurna Gurkha, and La Gondola.

Drink

 * The High Street strip includes Novar, O'Connell's, Penny Farthing, Exchequer, Wheatsheaf Inn, The Wynd, Betty Nicol's, Heritage Bar and Harbour Bar, plus Duchess of Kirkcaldy and The Robert Nairn mentioned above.

Sleep

 * Ashgrove B&B on Nicol St south of the station is dingy.
 * Ashgrove B&B on Nicol St south of the station is dingy.
 * Ashgrove B&B on Nicol St south of the station is dingy.
 * Ashgrove B&B on Nicol St south of the station is dingy.
 * Ashgrove B&B on Nicol St south of the station is dingy.

Connect
Kirkcaldy has 4G from all UK carriers. As of Oct 2021, 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * The coast improves east of Leven, with a series of picturesque fishing villages: Elie, Pittenweem, Anstruther (for boat trips to Isle of May) and Crail.
 * St Andrews is an attractive medieval university town.
 * Glenrothes is a humdrum "New Town", but north of it are the Lomond Hills, and Falkland Palace and gardens.

title: Kirkcaldy


text:
Kirkcudbright

Kirkcudbright (pronounced "kuh-KOO-bry") is a coastal town in Dumfries and Galloway in southwest Scotland, with a poppulation in 2020 of 3350. Farming and fishing are its main trades. In the late 19th century several artists were attracted to paint in this area, notably EA Hornel (1864-1933), who came to live in Broughton House. Variously described as "The Glasgow Boys" or as Impressionists, they were much influenced by Japanese print, by French realism and by the natural scenes they found in Scotland — and above all they loathed the snooty Edinburgh art establishment. Their art movements eventually dissolved into others but Kirkcudbright continued to attract painters, so today it has a collection of galleries out of proportion to its size.

Visitor information

 * Visit Kirkcudbright website

Get in
Kirkcudbright is almost cut off from the public transport network. The nearest railway station is Dumfries, 27 miles east, with trains every hour or two between Carlisle, Kilmarnock and Glasgow Central.

DGC Bus 505 / 555 is a school bus — anyone can use it but it only runs once on schooldays, from Kirkcudbright around 9AM via Castle Douglas to Dumfries, taking 75 min, and setting off back around 2PM. A second bus only runs from Dumfries as far as Castle Douglas.

Bus 517 runs once M-F from Gatehouse of Fleet via Borgue, taking 40 min to Kirkcudbright.

So you need a car. Follow A75 west from Carlisle and Dumfries towards Stranraer, and branch south onto A762.

Get around
Walk around town, but you need your own wheels for outlying sights and accommodation.

Taxi operators are BPs (+44 7711 903928), Nicky's (+44 7397 874439) and Allans (+44 1557 331663).

See

 * Art galleries dot the town. Kirkcudbright Galleries on St Mary St is the civic collection, open M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. Tolbooth is the civic art space. The others are commercial and exhibits are for sale. Those open in 2022 are Ochre next to Tolbooth, High Street Gallery next to that, Whitehouse Gallery on St Mary Street, Julie Hollis opposite, Harbour Cottage on Castle Bank, and Cornerways south on Selkirk Rd.
 * was built in 1620 and fell into ruin from 1818.
 * Anwoth Old Church is a ruin of 1626 a mile north of Cardoness Castle.
 * See Castle Douglas for Orchardton Tower further east.
 * was built in 1620 and fell into ruin from 1818.
 * Anwoth Old Church is a ruin of 1626 a mile north of Cardoness Castle.
 * See Castle Douglas for Orchardton Tower further east.
 * See Castle Douglas for Orchardton Tower further east.
 * See Castle Douglas for Orchardton Tower further east.

Do

 * St Mary's Isle is a pleasant 4 mile loop trail south of town. In medieval times it was a tidal island and had a priory, but that's been cleared away and St Mary's is now a bosky peninsula.
 * The Swimming Pool on Castledykes Rd is 20 m by 8.5 m, max depth 1.5 m. It's open M-F to 8PM and Sa Su to 4PM.
 * Golf: Kirkcudbright Golf Club is on Stirling Cres half a mile north of town. White tees 5717 yards, par 69, visitor round £35. Other courses are at Cally Palace Hotel in Gatehouse of Fleet, see Sleep, and Brighouse Bay southwest on the coast.
 * Golf: Kirkcudbright Golf Club is on Stirling Cres half a mile north of town. White tees 5717 yards, par 69, visitor round £35. Other courses are at Cally Palace Hotel in Gatehouse of Fleet, see Sleep, and Brighouse Bay southwest on the coast.
 * Beaches are some miles out. On the Solway coast east of the river are Howwell Bay and Mullock Bay. West bank of the Dee estuary along B727 is the attractive beach of The Dhoon. Further south down a lane is Brighouse Bay, with a campsite, riding centre and golf course. Continue west towards Gatehouse of Fleet to reach Carrick Beach.
 * The Gralloch is a bike race on hillside dirt tracks, held in the forests above Gatehouse of Fleet on 18 May 2024. It acts a qualifier for the UCI World Championships in Belgium in October.
 * Kirkcudbright Jazz Festival is next held 13-16 June 2024.
 * Riding of the Marches is the civic custom of "beating the bounds" with a cavalcade of riders in mid-July.
 * Kirkcudbright Country Fair is held at The Carse on Tongland Rd, same weekend as the Riding.
 * Kirkcudbright Tattoo is fireworks, floodlights, pipe bands and general razzmatazz in late Aug.

Buy

 * Tesco is the main store, on St Cuthbert St in town centre, open M-Sa 7AM-10PM, Su 9AM-6PM.
 * Co-op Food store next to the castle is open daily 7AM-10PM.
 * Farmers Market is held on the fourth Sunday of the month 11AM-3PM, various central locations.

Eat

 * Kirkcudbright Bay Hotel at 25 St Cuthbert Street has rooms but is primarily a pub with good grub.
 * Thai Kitchen is north end of town near the golf course.
 * Cream o' Galloway is a dairy farm with an ice-cream shop out at Rainton near Gatehouse of Fleet. You can make your own and watch the process from cow to carton.
 * Cream o' Galloway is a dairy farm with an ice-cream shop out at Rainton near Gatehouse of Fleet. You can make your own and watch the process from cow to carton.

Drink

 * Town pubs include Masonic Arms on Castle Street, Steam Packet Inn on St Cuthberts Place, and Tides Inn on St Cuthbert St.
 * Dark Art Distillery on St Mary Street makes gin.

Sleep

 * is a campsite and caravan park on the east edge of town, open all year.

Connect
Kirkcudbright and A75 have 4G from all UK carriers, though Vodafone is patchy, and there are lots of dead spots on the nearby highways. As of March 2022, 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Castle Douglas has the outstanding Threave Gardens.
 * Newton Stewart is the base for exploring Glen Trool.
 * Dumfries was where Robert Burns spent his last years; his early life was around Ayr.

title: Kirkcudbright


text:
Kirkenes

Kirkenes is a town in the Finnmark region of Norway, far east near the Russian border, more or less in the end of mainland Norway. This is the last port for Hurtigruten and the end of Norway's main road E6, from Oslo and  from Trelleborg (Sweden).

Understand
Kirkenes is known as a mining town, and mining for iron ore has been taken up again after a hiatus. Kirkenes has some 3,500 inhabitants.

The region was Germany's staging ground for its northern front against the Soviet Union during World War II, and this has left marks in the area. The town of Kirkenes was totally destroyed by almost 350 Soviet air raids, and holds the record as the most bombed-out town in Europe during the war. Upon an imminent Soviet advance the population was forced by the Germans to relocate to Tromsø and further south. However, more than 3,000 residents and their livestock hid for around ten days in the mines and appeared when the town was liberated by the Red Army in October 1944, more than six months ahead of Norway as a whole. Norway's flag was raised on liberated territory for the first time at the Kirkenes mines. The buildings at the mines were the only ones remaining, and the first administration in free Norway was set up there.

Fun facts

The mother of US actor Renée Zellweger was born and grew up in Kirkenes. Her parents met at the Hurtigruten ferry.

Tourist office
The municipal tourist information is at the public library downtown.

Get in
Note the time zone difference if coming from Finland (1 hour) or Russia (varies according to daylight saving). Check what timezone is used in timetables for international services.

By car

 * Kirkenes is at the very end of the all-through-Norway 2,500 km long highway E6. Visitors can also enter by road from northern Finland (about 7 hours from Rovaniemi, either via Utsjoki or Sevettijärvi), and north-western Russia (about 4 hours from Murmansk, including border formalities).
 * From southern Norway or Germany by car, the shorter and faster route is through Sweden and Finland. The normal route would be over Rovaniemi as above, although from Sweden there is a shortcut over Pajala and Kittilä which is shorter but slower. Kirkenes is some 2,600 km from Hamburg through Sweden, through Norway well over 3,000 km. It is advised to visit interesting places along the way, even if this takes time, not just drive as much as possible per day.
 * An alternative for bringing a car from continental Europe without spending days and days behind the steering wheel is the car ferry from Travemünde to Helsinki, and then the car carrying train overnight from Helsinki to Rovaniemi.
 * From Russia, the road from Saint Petersburg to Petrozavodsk and further via Murmansk to Kirkenes (M18 «Кола»; P-21?) is the main option. From Petrozavodsk onwards there are few alternatives.

By bus

 * Long distance buses, with connections to most of Norway.
 * Regional buses
 * Buses from Finland (direct connections in summer, in winter you have to transfer at Tana or some distance before). Search for connections to Utsjoki or Nuorgam, the border villages on the Finnish side, and check details of the route. You may have to walk over the border to a suitable stop on E6.
 * There are probably coaches or minibuses from Murmansk in Russia, check.

By sea
Kirkenes is the northern terminus port (Bergen being the southern) of the Hurtigruten, arguably the most beautiful sea voyage in the world, covering most of the Norwegian coast in 5–6 days.

By plane
On certain occasions it is considerably cheaper to fly into Ivalo in Finland, some 240 km away, mainly if you are a small group or a family and plan to rent a car anyway. Rental cars are not cheap in Northern Norway.

By train
There are no passenger trains to Kirkenes, but it is possible to go by public bus from cities with railway station.
 * The Russian rail network reaches Murmansk, for travelling from as far as Moscow, Vladivostok, Ulan Bator and Beijing.
 * The closest Finnish stations are Kolari and Rovaniemi (some 500 km away).
 * The northernmost railway station in Norway is Narvik (on the "iron ore line"), while Kiruna, Luleå and Boden are stations in Sweden on the same line. The Norwegian railways are even farther away, with railhead in Bodø.

Get around
Local buses. Long distance buses leave outside the main shopping center in the middle of town. Some buses only take cash, however there is an ATM inside the shopping center.

See

 * The midnight sun in summer
 * The Aurora Borealis in winter
 * The Russian border, including the, where also Finland joins in. Caution should be exercised; presume all movement is under surveillance near the border. It is allowed to go almost to the border on the Norwegian side, but not the Russian. Respect the border and border zone as if we still had the cold war (e.g. long lens use is restricted, talking over the border forbidden except in emergencies). The easiest place to reach the border is , signposted from road E105. The three-borders-mark is in the Pasvik–Inari Trilateral Park, see below.

Do
Fishing, both salt and fresh water, including salmon. Hiking.

Events

 * Local summer festival Kirkenes Days around the first week of August multiplies the activity level.

Buy

Russian visitors often buy clothes and home products, which tax-free (not available to EU/Norwegian residents) are cheaper than similar non-Russian products in nearby Murmansk or Nikel.

Local Norwegians can get a 5-year multitravel visa and they like to go to Russia to buy petrol (less than half the price) and some Russian products and services. They are not allowed to bring meat over the border, and alcohol only if they been in Russia for 24 hours (and then only a small quota), products which otherwise are the most bought by Norwegians in the border trade in Sweden and Finland. Visitors need a visa, which is costly and tricky to get.

Eat
Being a small settlement dining opportunities are not abundant. There are however a few restaurants.

Drink
Try Ritz or Ofelas.

Cope
There have been incidents with GPS blocking, probably because of the border and Murmansk being nearby. Don't get confused if your GPS stops working properly.

Go next

 * Go up the Pasvik valley for quite a change of flora. Here you find the last bit of the enormous Russian Taiga, a pine forest that stretches all the way to Siberia. At the southern end of the valley (105 km of paved road, 15 km of dirt, then 1h15m walking along the Russian border) is the Tri-Border Mark, where Norway, Russia and Finland meet. Heavy fines for trespassing into Russia! The Pasvik-Inari trilateral park, including areas with different protection status in the three countries, features much untamed wilderness, but also some services and cultural attractions.
 * At Grense Jakobselv (58 km east from Kirkenes), the open Barents Sea washes a beautiful sandy shore. Never gets above 8°C, though! You can also peek at the "King Oscar II" church.
 * The highest peak around is "Øretoppen", at 466 metres. It is a 2-hour hike along a marked path from Ropelv, where buses go. Magnificent views in a landscape of large stones spread upon the hills.

Further away

 * If you are planning on crossing the border into Russia, you will probably need a visa. In theory, this should be obtainable at the Russian Consulate in Kirkenes, but you might find it worthwhile to pay a local travel agency to do the job for you. You need quite a few documents like pre-paid hotel booking and insurance forms, especially if you are traveling by car. Start the process one month before leaving home.
 * If you are heading for Finland, and feel that you need some euros, there is an ATM at the DnB bank that will hand them over. The nearest border crossings for vehicles are at and Nuorgam. The route by foot straight through the forest to the Finnish side is possible for experienced wilderness backpackers, by the Piilola trail (or finding your own routes, but the area is hard to navigate), see Øvre Pasvik National Park above. Clear with customs beforehand if needed, sleep in huts on the way and arrange somebody to fetch you with taxi from the Finnish trailhead or from Nellim, or by boat over Lake Inari from a suitable shore, to Ivalo or Inari. There is no marked trail from the tripoint itself, and the shortest route from there is blocked by the border zone.
 * Alternatively, if your travel budget allows, you can take the Hurtigruten cruise ferry to your destination of choice along the Norwegian coast. A trip to Bergen will take a full week, to places like Nordkapp, Tromsø, Lofoten or Trondheim a couple of days.

title: Kirkenes


text:
Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Kirkjubæjarklaustur, often called Klaustur is a village in South Iceland. With a population of around 160, it is the closest thing to an urban area within a vast municipality called Skaftárhreppur, and it's the only proper service centre on the almost 300km stretch of the ring road between Vík and Höfn.

Understand
Kirkjubæjarklaustur is named after a convent which stood there in Catholic times. Many of the local toponyms are related to nuns, usually referring to sisters, or to the convent itself (klaustur, in Icelandic). In recent centuries, the region has been shaped by catastrophic geological events, including the eruption in nearby Lakagígar (also known as Laki) in 1783-1784 which killed around 25% of the Icelandic population. In more recent years, eruptions under Vatnajökull glacier and the resulting floods have also played a role. However, all this activity also means that the landscape is stunning and often extreme in its beauty and the immediate vicinity of the village is a prosperous agricultural area.

Orienting yourself in Kirkjubæjarklaustur is very simple. Klausturvegur is the road that runs through most of the village, with smaller streets branching out from it.
 * Municipal government website

Get in
Most visitors to Kirkjubæjarklaustur will arrive via the ring road. If you're driving, estimate three to four hours to arrive from Reykjavík, one hour if driving from Vík and two to three from Höfn. Another option, only to be attempted with good 4x4 vehicles and experienced drivers, is to arrive from North Iceland crossing the Interior via Sprengisandur and Skaftártunga.

There is a single bus daily between BSÍ bus terminal in Reykjavík and Höfn and back, passing through Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

Get around
Kirkjubæjarklaustur is tiny and easily covered by foot but to explore the surrounding area, the main reason to go to Kirkjubæjarklaustur, a car will be necessary.

See
The village itself does not have many sights of interest. The local church is interesting for its modern architecture and to learn about the history of the 18th century priest Jón Steingrímsson who, according to legend, saved the area from devastation in the massive Skaftáreldar eruption of 1783. The graceful waterfall Systrafoss (Sister falls) overlooks the village, flowing from a lake on top of the small mountain. A climb to the top offers some great views.

Do

 * Climb, a large cliff just west of the village. It is a difficult climb, straight up the vertical face of the cliff, but there are ropes and chains in place to hold on to. Two nuns are said to be buried on top of the cliff.
 * Hike
 * Hike

Buy
There isn't much to be bought in Kirkjubæjarklaustur and apart from the supermarket (mentioned below) there are few stores.

Eat and drink
Given its size, it should come as no surprise that the dining options are relatively limited in Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The only supermarket, Kjarval, is found on Klausturvegur 13. Look out for locally-produced arctic char marketed under the name Klausturbleikja.

Connect
There is good mobile phone coverage in Kirkjubæjarklaustur, but it can get worse in some of the nearby valleys and up on the highlands.

Go next
The main reason to visit Kirkjubæjarklaustur is to explore the surrounding landscapes:
 * Kirkjugólf (literally: Church Floor) is an interesting rock formation to the east of Kirkjubæjarklaustur, flat basalt columns that look almost like a man made floor.
 * Langisjór (literally: Long Sea) is a long and narrow lake in the highlands to the north of the village, one of the largest lakes in Iceland.
 * Skaftárhraun, a huge lava field to the west of Kirkjubæjarklaustur, can be compared to a desert. Despite being covered by moss, most of it is uninhabitable following an eruption in the 18th century.
 * Vatnajökull National Park is nearby. Kirkjubæjarklaustur is an ideal base for exploring its western part which includes the row of volcanic craters called Lakagígar, responsible for one of the most devastating events in Icelandic history.

title: Kirkjubæjarklaustur


text:
Kirkland

Kirkland is a city of 93,000 (2019) in King County, Washington near Seattle.

Understand
Established in 1888 by Peter Kirk with a vision of being the "Pittsburgh of the West", Kirkland today is a charming town on the east side of Lake Washington across from Seattle. It is the home of Northwest University, one of two summer training camps for the Seattle Seahawks, the other being Eastern Washington University in Cheney.

By car
Like many American suburbs, by far the most convenient approach is by car:
 * WA-520.svg State Route (SR) 520 connects Kirkland to Seattle, via the Evergreen Point floating bridge on Lake Washington. The bridge is tolled, hence less busier than Interstate 90. SR-520 serves as the southern border between Kirkland and Bellevue.
 * I-405.svg Interstate 405 (I-405) is the outer loop of Interstate 5 that runs from Lynnwood to Tukwila (and the airport), through Bellevue. Keep in mind that rush hour traffic can be very daunting: expect a 45 minute to 1 hour drive from both ends of the freeway to Kirkland.
 * The more modern and capacious I-90.svg Interstate 90 (I-90) provides another route from Seattle across Lake Washington, via Mercer Island to reach I-405 in Bellevue.

By bus
Intercity bus services from beyond the region stop in Seattle.

Get around
The downtown area is small and very walkable. A car is helpful for convenient travel, especially after normal working hours, as bus service outside of downtown Seattle is not always frequent.

By public transit
The transportation hubs (bus stations) in Kirkland are the on 3rd St at Central Way; ; and the  at NE 128th St & I-405. The Kirkland TC offers routes with service to Downtown Seattle (*255 & Link); Univ of Washington in the U-District (255); Bellevue (245, 250); Redmond (250); Woodinville (230, 231); and other surrounding cities while the Totem Lake Freeway Station offers bus connections to Everett (532); Lynnwood (535); Snohomish via Monroe (424 in PM); Downtown Seattle (311 & 424 in AM); Bellevue (237, 342, 532, 535) and Woodinville (237, 311, 342 & 424).

 * Sound Transit (routes 532, 535)
 * Sound Transit (routes 532, 535)

See

 * The Seattle skyline and Olympic Mountains from one of the many waterfront parks.

Do

 * Explore Marina Park. Located in the pedestrian friendly downtown area, it hosts many small art galleries, coffee shops and restaurants.
 * Check out the many art galleries in down town Kirkland near the waterfront.

title: Kirkland


text:
Kırklareli

Kırklareli is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, near the border with Bulgaria. In 2021 the population was estimated as 58,223. It's industrial and doesn't have much in the way of tourist sights, but as the provincial capital Kırklareli has many business travellers and is well supplied with hotels and other amenities.

Understand
This area is close to the border and historically had many Bulgarians (who called it Lozengrad, Лозенград, "Vineyard Town") and Greeks (who called it Sarànta Ekklisiès, Σαράντα Εκκλησιές, "forty churches", rendered into Turkish as "Kırk Kilise"). It was fought over and had spells of occupation by both, the latest by the Bulgarians in 1912 and by Greece after 1918. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne drew the present border and mandated population exchanges, so those others were deported while Turks from around Thessaloniki were re-settled across Turkish Thrace. It obviously no longer needed forty churches and the name mutated into Kırklareli, "Forties Place". That name had also been used from 1363 when 40 assault troops of Sultan Murad I died in taking the town: Thrace was the Ottoman power base for a century before they captured Constantinople.

The town became a provincial capital after independence. It's in the Istranca foothills and has developed industry but is far enough out to escape the metropolitan sprawl of Istanbul. The principal industries of the province are based on food, textiles, plastic and packaging, metal-working, casting, cement and glass.

Get in
Kale Seyahat ("Castle Travel") buses run hourly from Istanbul Bayrampaşa, taking 3 hours 30 min via Saray and Vize, for an adult fare of 100 TL.

The is in town centre.

By road from Istanbul city follow O-3 / E80, and from IST airport follow O-7 till it joins O-3. Quickest is to stay on that until branching north on E87; a slower but shorter route is by D567 onto D020 through Saray and Vize.

From west Europe cross the border at Kapikule then head east on E80 to the junction with D020. But from the Bulgarian coast cross at Dereköy and follow E87 south.

Kırklareli lost its railway service in 1992. The nearest station is Edirne.

Get around
Town is compact but you need wheels to explore the wider area.

See

 * was built in 1383. It was restored in 1824 and 2009 but in 2021 is closed indefinitely. Adjacent are the Hızırbey Baths and Arastra bedestan (covered bazaar) built at the same time.
 * Ottoman fountains: well preserved examples are Paşa Çeşme 100 m east of Arastra, and Kadı Çeşmesi 100 m northeast, with Gerdanlı Çeşmesi another 200 m.
 * Ali Rıza Efendi Kültür Evi is a small museum in a traditional wooden house just north of the Atatürk House. Yayla mosque is adjacent.
 * is a modern neo-classical monument to forty "raiders" (think commandos) who died in the assault of 1363, when the Ottoman Sultan Murad I wrested the town from Byzantine rule.
 * has flooded a long branching valley. The lakeside is a popular picnic spot and has cafes.
 * is a remarkable show cave up in the mountains, see Demirköy. Approach via Üsküp and Sarpdere.
 * has flooded a long branching valley. The lakeside is a popular picnic spot and has cafes.
 * is a remarkable show cave up in the mountains, see Demirköy. Approach via Üsküp and Sarpdere.

Do

 * Keep fit: there's about a dozen gyms and fitness centres in town. Visitors may be able to pay-as-you-go or negotiate short memberships.
 * Kızılcıkdere Vintage Festival (Kızılcıkdere Bağbozumu Şenliği) is held annually around the last weekend of September in the village of Kızılcıkdere, 10 km east. It's a country fair with a focus on local food and the agricultural wealth of the area — mainly grape, cheese, and honey — featuring lots of music and dance performances, and entertainment for kids.

Buy
Migros opposite the bus station is open daily 08:30-22:00.

Eat

 * There are two main strips. Istiklal Cd (parallel to main street, 400 m west) has Izabella Pizza, Semazen Konya Mutfağı, Nar Bistro, Burger Kingg, Sekoreç, Osmanlı köyü köftecisi and Atakan Koftecisi.
 * The strip just north of the museum has Ciğercim, Mojo Burger, Gurdallar and Küçük Mustafa Köftecisi.
 * By the bus station are Irmak Döner, Dürüm House, Dostlar, Köfteci Seyfettin and Ziyafet çiğköfte.

Drink

 * Many cafes serve beer - Efendy Beer Cafe wishes you to be in no doubt of this. Places primarily for drinking rather than eating mostly remained closed in 2021.
 * Dessera is a vineyard north of town in Ahmetçe.

Sleep

 * Best Hotel Bilgic 100 m north of Line Suite gets poor reviews.
 * Kaya Palas Hotel is next to the Marbes, similar price and quality.
 * Akkus Kaya is the next along, mixed reviews.
 * Evim Butik Hotel is a basic place on D020, 500 m southwest of the main junction.
 * Kaya Palas Hotel is next to the Marbes, similar price and quality.
 * Akkus Kaya is the next along, mixed reviews.
 * Evim Butik Hotel is a basic place on D020, 500 m southwest of the main junction.
 * Evim Butik Hotel is a basic place on D020, 500 m southwest of the main junction.
 * Evim Butik Hotel is a basic place on D020, 500 m southwest of the main junction.

Connect
Kırklareli and its approach highways have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of Dec 2021, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

Go next

 * Edirne, once the Ottoman capital, has a great collection of antiquities, yet most travellers pass it by on the way between Europe and Istanbul.
 * Demirköy across the hills has a medieval iron foundery - take in Dupnisa Cave on the way. But its main attraction is the Black Sea resort of Iğneada.
 * Vize to the east has a well-preserved Byzantine-era cathedral, now a mosque.

title: Kırklareli


text:
Kirksville

Kirksville is a city in Northeast Missouri.

By car
From the south: US Route 63

From the north: US Route 63

From the west: Missouri Route 6, Missouri Route 11

From the East: Missouri Route 6, Missouri Route 11

By plane
St. Louis Lambert International Airport to Kirksville Regional Airport on Cape Air.

By train
Amtrak Southwest Chief line stops daily at La Plata, Missouri, 11 miles south of Kirksville.

Get around
Kirksville is a small community easily traveled by car. The City of Kirksville partners with several local transportation agencies to provide Kirk-Tran. This fixed route bus system offers $2 rides hourly from 7AM to 6PM. Many people enjoy getting around the town by bicycle. A number of small bike trails and designated bike lanes help cyclists accomplish this. The City is looking to develop a concerted trail system from the Parks and Recreation department's master plan.

Truman State University
Founded in 1867, Truman serves as the Missouri's public liberal arts and sciences university. The university continues to be a leader in developing students and preparing them for rigorous graduate programs and professional opportunities. The campus features a large collection of buildings designed by the firm of Pearce & Pearce (formerly Pearce & Bonsack) of St. Louis, Missouri. Visitors may enjoy learning about Truman's history at the Ruth Warner Towne Museum and Visitor Center. The Special Collections Department at the Pickler Memorial Library houses a wide range of historical records and artifacts relating to northeast Missouri, teacher education, Abraham Lincoln, and more.

A.T. Still University
Dr. Andrew Taylor Still founded the field of osteopathic medicine when he opened his school in Kirksville in 1892. His university stands today as the cornerstone of this medical training tradition. Many osteopathic physicians, dentists, and professionals make their way to Kirksville each year to understand the roots of their field. Visitors enjoy the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine. Tours include information about Dr. Still, the evolution of the field, historic techniques and equipment, and important figures in osteopathy. Just outside the museum is Heritage Hall. It contains the birthplace of Dr. Still and the first building uses for his school.

Adair County Historical Society
Since 1976, the volunteers of the Adair County Historical Society have worked to preserve and promote the history of the local area. The museum is housed in a building that was constructed as Kirksville's private library. It features numerous exhibits on local life, educational institutions, economic development, and military involvement. Visitors also can utilize records for historical and genealogy research.

title: Kirksville


text:
Kirkuk

Kirkuk (Kurdish: کەرکووک, Arabic: كركوك, Turkish: Kerkük) is a city in Northwestern Iraq. However, its population is ethnically mixed, and it is under the control of the Iraqi government.

By plane
Kirkuk has its own airport served by a limited number of domestic and international routes within the Middle East. Many visitors also use the major airport in Baghdad.

By bus
There are plenty us buses departing daily from Baghdad as well as most other cities in Iraq. International long distance services are available from cities in Southeastern Turkey and limited services from Istanbul and Ankara. Journey times are grueling, even if most routes have decent amenities.

By car
Highway 2 connects Kirkuk with Baghdad, Erbil, Mosul all the way up to the Turkish border. Checkpoints are quite common along parts of the road, increasing travel time massively.

By train
The Iraqi government has announced the restoration of passenger services between Baghdad and Kirkuk. However delays in infrastructure projects is the norm in Iraq so while trains might return to Kirkuk in 2025-26, don't count on it.

Get around
It may be better to contact a local to help you get around, you can also go to tourist guidances for advice but there aren't alot here due to majority of the tourists going to other cities.

Do
Visit many of its historical and modern attractions modern attractions may include places like smileland amusement park (also has a place in Mall of Kirkuk)and baba gurgur amusement Park (it has two areas one near smileland and the other north)

Eat

 * Today Rest & Cafe, Baghdad Road. Typical Iraqi fare and traditional tea (sweet). Daily 10:00-23:00. +964 770 347 4444
 * Spicy Rest, Baghdad Road. Fast food and traditional Iraqi cuisine, nice spot has a nice terrace which looks onto Baghdad Road

Sleep

 * Kirkuk Plaza Hotel, Baghdad Road. This one, rising like a sheet of glass off the desert floor. +964 773 088 0044
 * Altun Saray Hotel Altun Saray Hotel Tisin, next to the Turkish visa appiclation center.

Stay safe
The bombings and attacks have stopped since 2023, but still exercise precaution. See the warning on the Iraq article for more information.

LGBT travelers: Militias have targeted the LGBT community in Kirkuk. Local police will not help you if you feel threatened for being gay, it's recommended to hide your sexuality.

Go next
The archaeological sites of Qal'at Jarmo and Yorgan Tepe are found at the outskirts of the modern city.

title: Kirkuk


text:
Kirkwall

Kirkwall is the chief town of the Orkney Islands, which lie off the north tip of mainland Scotland. With a population of about 10,000 in 2020, Kirkwall has accommodation and other amenities and is the obvious base for exploring these islands.

Understand
Kirkwall is a busy working port and at first glance not attractive, but the charming old town is just behind the industrial frontage. Small freighters, fishing vessels and inter-island ferries bustle around the harbour; people stroll about their business along the narrow alleys; the crumbling medieval stonework of the cathedral catches the sunlight. And you start to relax and feel the magic of Orkney... then a cruise ship arrives and its 4,000 passengers descend upon the place. Kirkwall and all the major sights of Orkney are mobbed when a cruise ship is in. However those visitors seldom stray from a standard circuit, so head for one of the many attractions they overlook, and return to enjoy Kirkwall in the evening after they've left.

Tourist information is at the bus station in town centre.

By plane
is 5 miles southeast of town. Loganair fly to Kirkwall from Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen and Sumburgh in the Shetland Islands. They also operate inter-island flights to Westray, Papa Westray, Sanday and Eday, see Orkney Islands for more details.

By boat
There are four ferry routes between the Scottish mainland and Orkney. The only one to Kirkwall is the Northlink Aberdeen to Shetland car ferry, which calls here several nights a week. Northbound it leaves Aberdeen at 5PM (Apr-Oct Tu Th Sa Su, Nov-Mar Th Sa Su), reaching Kirkwall Hatston Terminal at 11PM before sailing on to Lerwick for 7:30AM next morning. Southbound the ferry leaves Lerwick at 5:30PM (Apr-Oct M W F, Nov-Mar: W & F), similarly reaching Kirkwall at 11PM before sailing on to Aberdeen for 7AM next morning.

For practical details and tips on using this ferry, see Shetland Islands. Points specific to Orkney are:
 * Ferries to Kirkwall, from Aberdeen and Lerwick, are evening sailings arriving by 11PM, so you don't need a cabin, a lounge seat is fine. (But you need to have sorted your Orkney accommodation, as near midnight is a poor time to start looking.) Sailings from Kirkwall to Aberdeen or Lerwick are overnight so you'll appreciate the cabin, and ability to doze on board till 9AM.
 * Motorists, check that you're in the correct queue of vehicles, otherwise you'll get locked in by vehicles going all the way to Shetland or Aberdeen.
 * At Kirkwall you need to disembark promptly, as the ferry soon sails on.
 * Fares vary by season, but in 2024 the single fare from Aberdeen is about £31 per adult, £16 per child and £125 per car. Reserving a reclining seat is £3.50, while twin cabins start from £80 pp.

is 2 miles north of town on the main road to Stromness: look for the very large wind turbine. Check-in for vehicles is at the start of the pier, check-in for foot passengers is at the end. A late-night connecting bus X10 runs from Kirkwall right to the end of the pier, back to Kirkwall, then on to Stromness — it doesn't run if the ferry's not sailing. Bus X1 Stromness-Kirkwall-St Margaret's Hope also passes the junction for the terminal, but the last bus is a couple of hours before the ferry.

The other three routes, described under Orkney Islands, are:
 * Scrabster to Stromness car ferry 2 or 3 times a day, 90 min.
 * Gill's Bay to St Margaret's Hope car ferry 3 times a day, taking an hour.
 * John O'Groats to Burwick ferry for foot passengers and cyclists only, 2 or 3 times a day May-Sep, 40 min.

Kirkwall is also the starting point for ferries between Mainland and the islands of Shapinsay, Stronsay, Eday, Sanday, Westray, Papa Westray and North Ronaldsay - see those islands for details. These sail from the piers in town centre, not from Hatston Terminal. For ferries from Stromness and Tingwall see Orkney Islands: "Get around".

Cruise ships often visit the Orkneys. They either berth at Hatston Terminal with a shuttle-bus to town, or anchor out in the bay with tenders bringing passengers ashore. The main tourist attractions are mobbed when they arrive.

By bus
June to August there's a daily bus from Inverness, which meets the John O'Groats foot-passenger ferry to Burwick, from where there's a connecting bus to Kirkwall: see Orkney Islands.

For bus services around Mainland, see.

By car
Kirkwall has numerous car parks located in the town centre and harbour area. Parking around the harbour is free and mainly unlimited time, so it is the best place to park if you are exploring the town for a whole day. However, there can be a lack of parking in the town, even in the pay car parks.

Car parks charges in summer are 1 hour - 40p, 2 hours - 80p, 3 hours - £1; winter 1 hour - free, 2 hours - 50p, 3 hours - £1.

Get around
Buses are operated by Stagecoach. Most of the Orkney Mainland buses run via Kirkwall. They are geared to shoppers and school-run, and there may be long gaps in the schedule mid-afternoon. A day-ticket costs £7.30 adult — worth it if you're doing more than a simple return. Drivers give change within reason. No bikes on the buses. The principal services are:

 * Bus X1 runs right across Mainland east from Stromness, Stenness (near the stones) and Finstown to Kirkwall, then south across the Churchill Barrier past the Italian Chapel to Burray and St Margarets Hope ferry terminal. It doesn't go as far south as Burwick ferry terminal. It's hourly between Stromness and Kirkwall, every two hours or so south of there.
 * Bus 4 runs between Kirkwall and the airport every 30 min M-Sa, hourly Su, taking 10-15 min. This one is regular, Su-F 6:15AM-7:15PM, Sa till 4:15PM when the last flight comes in.
 * Bus 2 runs from Kirkwall via Scapa and Ophir to Houton, terminal for the ferry to Hoy (Lyness) and Flotta. Five or six daily, 20 min. Also bus 5 runs from Houton to Stromness.
 * Bus 6 runs every couple of hours from Kirkwall via Finstown to Tingwall, for the Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre ferries, 20 min. Only the first and last buses of the day continue round the coast to Birsay, so they're impractical for sight-seeing. You might get there on Bus 7, twice per afternoon, which runs from Kirkwall to Finstown then across the fields to Birsay, then on to Stromness.
 * There's also X10 to the ferry terminal (see ), Bus 3 via the airport to Tankerness, Toab and Deerness, and Bus 9 which circles town.
 * A circular tour bus Stagecoach T11 is advertised wasn't running in 2021.

Taxi firms: see list under Orkney Islands.

See

 * Town centre: The most attractive part of Kirkwall is its central alley, which starts as Bridge St by the harbour, turns along Albert St, then widens into Broad St with the Cathedral and palace ruins. The Kirkwall City Pipe Band often parades here on a Saturday evening. The street then narrows again to the alley of Victoria Street. Beyond the old centre, Kirkwall is a modern and work-a-day place, with marine industries sprawling along the shore.
 * Peedie Sea just west of the centre was once a tidal inlet, now enclosed into two freshwater lagoons. Well, 2.1 if you count the little overflow pond.
 * is an Iron Age chamber from 1000 BC entered by a 5-m underground passage. It was probably part of a larger settlement but is now engulfed by Hatston Industrial Estate on the north edge of town. Free to enter, but you need to collect keys from Judith Glue's Knit Shop at 25 Broad Street during business hours (M-Sa 9AM-9PM, Su 10AM-6PM). The chamber is at the corner of Swordfish Rd and Dakota Rd.
 * is a stone cairn similar to Maeshowe, built around 3000 BC. The interior has been closed to public access so you can only view the "stepped" exterior. It's set into the hill two miles west of Kirkwall, follow Old Finstown Rd not the main road.
 * , circa 1000 BC, is a stone-lined underground chamber accessed by a hatch and a ladder. In it were found the bones of six adults and a dozen children, who may have been interred later. It's 3 miles west of Kirkwall on A965 towards Finstown, in a farmyard. Free to enter any time.
 * is a similar smaller burial chamber from 3000 BC. You need to crawl down the passageway into the chamber. It's a mile further west along the Old Finstown Rd and free to enter anytime.
 * is an Iron Age chamber from 1000 BC entered by a 5-m underground passage. It was probably part of a larger settlement but is now engulfed by Hatston Industrial Estate on the north edge of town. Free to enter, but you need to collect keys from Judith Glue's Knit Shop at 25 Broad Street during business hours (M-Sa 9AM-9PM, Su 10AM-6PM). The chamber is at the corner of Swordfish Rd and Dakota Rd.
 * is a stone cairn similar to Maeshowe, built around 3000 BC. The interior has been closed to public access so you can only view the "stepped" exterior. It's set into the hill two miles west of Kirkwall, follow Old Finstown Rd not the main road.
 * , circa 1000 BC, is a stone-lined underground chamber accessed by a hatch and a ladder. In it were found the bones of six adults and a dozen children, who may have been interred later. It's 3 miles west of Kirkwall on A965 towards Finstown, in a farmyard. Free to enter any time.
 * is a similar smaller burial chamber from 3000 BC. You need to crawl down the passageway into the chamber. It's a mile further west along the Old Finstown Rd and free to enter anytime.
 * , circa 1000 BC, is a stone-lined underground chamber accessed by a hatch and a ladder. In it were found the bones of six adults and a dozen children, who may have been interred later. It's 3 miles west of Kirkwall on A965 towards Finstown, in a farmyard. Free to enter any time.
 * is a similar smaller burial chamber from 3000 BC. You need to crawl down the passageway into the chamber. It's a mile further west along the Old Finstown Rd and free to enter anytime.

Do

 * Pickaquoy Leisure Centre west side of the Peedie Sea has a gym, pool and fitness classes. You can pay-as-you-go without membership.
 * Cinema: New Phoenix Cinema is within Pickaquoy Leisure Centre.
 * Orkney Golf Club is on the main road a mile west of town. White tees 5407 yards, par 69, visitor round £25.
 * Orkney Golf Club is on the main road a mile west of town. White tees 5407 yards, par 69, visitor round £25.

Events

 * Norwegian Constitution Day on 17 May each year commemorates Orkney's historical links, with a parade and guests from Norway.
 * Orkney Folk Festival is held in late May - a few concerts are in Kirkwall, but it's mostly in Stromness.
 * St Magnus International Festival, founded in 1977 by a group including Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, is a week-long arts event in late June, with the next starting F 20 June 2025.
 * Island Games is a sports event in alternate years for 40 islands that don't field Olympic teams. The next are hosted by Orkney, multiple venues but mostly around Kirkwall, 12-18 July 2025. The 2027 games are expected to be in the Faroes.
 * Orkney County Show is an agricultural show in Bignold Park on the second Saturday in August, with the next on Sa 10 Aug 2024.
 * Orkney International Science Festival is first week in September and most events are free. The next is 5-11 Sep 2024.

Buy

 * Craft shops are Ortak Jewellery on Garrison Rd (daily 9AM-5PM) and Longship at 13 Broad St (M-Sa 10AM-5PM). Orcadian Bookshop at 50 Albert St is open M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-5PM.
 * Supermarkets are Tesco, Lidl and Co-op, side-by-side on Pickaquoy Road A963, 400 yards south of the bus station. There's another Co-op in the centre of town.

Budget

 * Takeaways include Harbour Fry on Bridge St, and Willows Chinese on Willow Rd.
 * Strynd Tearoom The Strynd +44 1856 871552, M-Sa 10AM-4PM. A cosy tearoom in an alley beside the cathedral, good cakes.
 * Archive Coffee at 8 Laing St, M-Sa 8:30AM-5PM, Su 11AM-4PM.
 * The Daily Scoop at 42 Broad St, daily 9:30AM-5PM.
 * Kirkwall & St Ola Community Centre Broad St +44 1856 871552, M-Sa 9:30AM-4PM. Popular cafe opposite the cathedral.
 * Trenabies 16 Albert Street, M-Sa 8:30AM-:30PM & Su 11AM-3PM. Good vegetarian choice.
 * Cafelolz The Strynd, Tu-Sa 10AM-2PM.
 * Pomona Cafe 9 Albert Street, M-Sa 8AM-5PM.

Mid-range

 * Indian Garden at 37 Junction Rd, daily 4PM-midnight.
 * Lucano at 31 Victoria St, daily 7:30AM-9PM.
 * Busters Diner 1 Mounthoolie Place, daily 4:30-8:30PM.
 * Empire Chinese 51 Junction Rd, daily noon-2PM, 5-11:30PM.
 * Hotels: see below for restaurants at The Storehouse, Orkney Hotel, Kirkwall Hotel and Ayre Hotel.
 * Hotels: see below for restaurants at The Storehouse, Orkney Hotel, Kirkwall Hotel and Ayre Hotel.

Drink

 * Pubs include Torvhaug, Skippers, Bothy Bar and Auld Motor Hoose.
 * Try the local whisky, and the beer from Orkney Brewery on the north Mainland near Skara Brae.
 * Orkney Distilling make Kirkjuvagr Gin on the seafront by Ayre Hotel, tours available.

Budget

 * Peedie Hostel is on the seafront sandwiched between Ayre Hotel (below) and the Peedie Sea.

Mid-range
Lots of small B&Bs in Kirkwall. All accommodation is independent and family-run, with no chains. There's no stand-out "Splurge" hotel, but prices are steep in the mid-summer peak.

Further out

 * Scapa Flow Lodges are on Scorradale Rd near Orphir.
 * Scapa Flow Lodges are on Scorradale Rd near Orphir.

Connect
As of July 2024, Kirkwall and its approach roads have patchy 4G from EE, O2 and Vodafone, and a basic mobile signal from Three. 5G has not yet reached Orkney.

Go next

 * Kirkwall is within easy reach of the rest of Orkney. Top sights on Mainland are Stenness with its neolithic remains, Stromness the old fishing port, and the road across the Churchill Barrier past the Italian Chapel.
 * Beyond Mainland, visit one of the other islands for a tranquil contrast: Shapinsay is the closest.
 * The ferry north takes you to Lerwick in the Shetland Islands.
 * Or return south to the Scottish mainland - which you'll have to do to reach the Hebrides and other Scottish islands.

title: Kirkwall


text:
Kirkwood

There is more than one place called Kirkwood:

Canada

 * Kirkwood (New Brunswick) - A city in the province of New Brunswick.

South Africa

 * Kirkwood (South Africa) - A town in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa.

United States of America

 * Kirkwood (California) - A town in the state of California.
 * Kirkwood (Illinois) - A town in the state of Illinois.
 * Kirkwood (Missouri) - A town in the state of Missouri.
 * Kirkwood (New Jersey) - A town in the state of New Jersey.
 * Kirkwood (New York) - A town in the state of New York.
 * Kirkwood (Pennsylvania) - A town in the state of Pennsylvania.

title: Kirkwood


text:
Kirkwood (California)

Kirkwood is a city in California.

Understand
Kirkwood is named after Zack Kirkwood, a cattle rancher who settled in the area and opened an inn in 1863. The Inn was used as the original junction of Alpine, El Dorado, and Amador counties. The lines were redrawn so it no longer is on the border of El Dorado county but it is still in existence as the Kirkwood Mountain Resort. The Inn is a California State Historic Landmark.

Get in
Kirkwood is located about 30 minutes from South Lake Tahoe and around 3 hours from the San Francisco Bay Area. Highway 89 runs right past the main entrance to Kirkwood Valley.

Do
Ski

title: Kirkwood (California)


text:
Kirov

Kirov (Russian: Ки́ров KEE-ruhf) is the capital city of Kirov Oblast, Russia.

Understand
The population of Kirov is approximately 507,000 people (2018). The city dates back to at least 1374 and has been known as Vyatka and Khlynov. It is named after Soviet leader Sergey Kirov who was assassinated on December 1, 1934.

Get in
See Russia for details of getting to Russia.

By train

Kirov is on the Trans-Siberian Railway, with plenty of trains from Moscow (12-14 hours), Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Izhevsk, and the Russian Black Sea coast.

By bus
Kirov Bus Terminal serves routes from Yoshkar-Ola, Kazan, Naberezhnye Chelny, Syktyvkar, Ufa, Cheboksary, Izhevsk, Ulyanovsk, as well as many towns in Kirov Oblast.

Public transport
Public transport includes a network of buses, trolleys and marshrutkas. A ride on public transport costs ₽30. Route maps can be found online.

Taxi
Taxis are plentiful.

Museums

 * Museum of Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Ulitsa Lenin 93. House museum where the eponymous Russian satirist was exiled from 1848-1855.
 * Modern Art Center 'Gallery Of Progress', an art exhibit of sorts at Ulitsa Gorkogo 5 over by the Jam Moll.
 * Museum of Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Ulitsa Lenin 93. House museum where the eponymous Russian satirist was exiled from 1848-1855.
 * Modern Art Center 'Gallery Of Progress', an art exhibit of sorts at Ulitsa Gorkogo 5 over by the Jam Moll.
 * Museum of Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Ulitsa Lenin 93. House museum where the eponymous Russian satirist was exiled from 1848-1855.
 * Modern Art Center 'Gallery Of Progress', an art exhibit of sorts at Ulitsa Gorkogo 5 over by the Jam Moll.
 * Museum of Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Ulitsa Lenin 93. House museum where the eponymous Russian satirist was exiled from 1848-1855.
 * Modern Art Center 'Gallery Of Progress', an art exhibit of sorts at Ulitsa Gorkogo 5 over by the Jam Moll.
 * Museum of Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Ulitsa Lenin 93. House museum where the eponymous Russian satirist was exiled from 1848-1855.
 * Modern Art Center 'Gallery Of Progress', an art exhibit of sorts at Ulitsa Gorkogo 5 over by the Jam Moll.
 * Modern Art Center 'Gallery Of Progress', an art exhibit of sorts at Ulitsa Gorkogo 5 over by the Jam Moll.
 * Modern Art Center 'Gallery Of Progress', an art exhibit of sorts at Ulitsa Gorkogo 5 over by the Jam Moll.

Religious buildings

 * Aleksandrovskiy Kostel, Ulitsa Derendyayeva, 46. Prominent church that holds concerts and has a stately organ.
 * Aleksandrovskiy Kostel, Ulitsa Derendyayeva, 46. Prominent church that holds concerts and has a stately organ.
 * Aleksandrovskiy Kostel, Ulitsa Derendyayeva, 46. Prominent church that holds concerts and has a stately organ.
 * Aleksandrovskiy Kostel, Ulitsa Derendyayeva, 46. Prominent church that holds concerts and has a stately organ.

Parks

 * Pond near Diorama
 * Dvorets Pionerov Memorial Park
 * Zarechny Park
 * Pond near Diorama
 * Dvorets Pionerov Memorial Park
 * Zarechny Park

Monuments

 * Monument of the Family
 * Tank T-34: Monument to the Heroic Work of Residents of Kirov
 * Monument of the Family
 * Tank T-34: Monument to the Heroic Work of Residents of Kirov

Theatre

 * A. Afanasyev Kirov Puppet Theater

Festivals and events

 * Igloo Building competition - a team competition for the best snow sculpture in different nominations. It is held in the Fairy-Tale Preserve site in the "Zarechniy "park across the Vyatka River usually in March.
 * Greenlandia Festival - a 3-day Russian bard music festival that takes place in July every year in Bosharovo not far from Kirov. Alcohol free, kids friendly festival with multiple concerts. Some people camp, some just come for selected concerts.
 * Greenlandia Festival - a 3-day Russian bard music festival that takes place in July every year in Bosharovo not far from Kirov. Alcohol free, kids friendly festival with multiple concerts. Some people camp, some just come for selected concerts.

Buy
Local crafts are unique and beautiful:

 * Dymkovo toys - a famous local ceramic toy can be found in big shopping centers, in specialized crafts shops (e.g. Vorovskogo 52 or Upita 13) or in the special Dymkovo toy shop on Svobodi 67.
 * Matryoshka nesting doll - Kirov is one of the center of Matreshka production. Matreshka from this region (Vyatskaya Matreshka) is inlaid with straw and is exceptionally beautiful and unique.
 * Kukarka Lace (aka Vyatka Lace or Kirov Lace) is a type of traditional handmade bobbin weaving and one of the well-known folk Kirov arts. Together with other local crafts made out of straw, woodknobs (nodule), skein, or juniper keep they can be found in the multiple crafts shops around the city.

Eat

 * "Danar" ("Данар")- is a Turkish doner concept. Fresh ingredients from the region, low prices. More than 20 locations around the city.

title: Kirov


text:
Kirov Oblast

Kirov Oblast (Russian: Ки́ровская о́бласть KEE-ruhf-skuh-yuh OH-bluhst') is a region in the Upper Volga, bordering Nizhny Novgorod Oblast to the southwest, Kostroma Oblast to the west, Vologda Oblast to the northwest, Arkhangelsk Oblast and Komi Republic to the north, Perm Krai to the northeast, Udmurtia to the southeast, and Mari El to the south.

Cities

 * — the region's capital and principal city, on the Trans-Siberian Railway; it has sights to see, but is not very distinctive
 * — the region's only other city, besides the capital, is a small industrial city and not a tourist destination
 * — a large town on the Trans-Siberian Railway with a cathedral; a good base for any expeditions off into the Nurgush Nature Reserve
 * — a small, quiet, historic town with an excellent 18th-19th century architectural heritage
 * — small town with a memorial museum to the great Russian painter Viktor Vasnetsov, who was born in this area
 * — small city in the south of the oblast, and centre of the timber and rope manufacturing industry

Understand
Kirov Oblast is probably about as close as you can get to a Russian version of the American "flyover state." The few sites of much interest to a tourist are in the capital, Kirov, but most Trans-Siberian Railway passengers will probably skip even that. If you ever get to the city, note that Kirov is home to traditional Dymkovo toys.

Talk
See Russian phrasebook.

By air
The most important airport in the region is.

By train
Trains depart daily for Kirov from Moscow and take about 18 hours.

The Trans-Siberian Railway stops at Kotelnich, Kirov, and Zuevka (from west to east).

Go next
The next major stops on the Trans-Siberian Railway are Galich, Kostroma Oblast to the west and Glazov, Udmurtia to the east.

title: Kirov Oblast


text:
Kirtipur

Kirtipur is a town in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, 5 km southwest of Kathmandu on a rocky hill between 1,300-1,500 m in elevation. It is one of the oldest settlements in the valley, and was an ancient capital of Nepal.

Get in

 * Bus - leave from the Ratna Park bus station in Kathmandu. The trip will take about 30 minutes and should cost less than ₨. 50.
 * Taxi - cost should be negotiable between ₨. 500-1,000.
 * Mountain Bike - a trip of about 1 hr, turning off the Ring Road at Balkhu, following the paved road (Dakchhinkali Road)south towards Chobar, turning west onto the Kirtipur Ring Road.
 * Walk - Kirtipur is just west of the Bagmati river from Patan and can be reached on foot in about 2 hr.

Get around
Once you are in the town everything can be reached on foot.

Buy
Kirtipur has little commerce directed at tourists, but visitors will enjoy walking through the local markets. Most market activity takes place at the foot of the Kirtipur hill with the temples and other cultural sites on the top of the hill.

Sleep
Although Kirtipur is close to Kathmandu, it's far enough away to have cleaner air and so might make a nice location for a night's stay.

Connect
Wi-Fi will be available at most hotels and lodges as well as restaurants and cafes.

Mobile phone coverage is good within the valley.

Go next
Kirtipur is just across the Bagmati river from Patan and its Durbar Square, one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley.

Explore some of the many villages in the Kathmandu Valley.

Visit Kathmandu, perhaps as a day trip from the relative quiet of Kirtipur. The capital city has three World Heritage sites within its boundaries and two more in neighbouring cities.

title: Kirtipur