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Eastern Plains (Colorado)

The Eastern Plains are a region in the state of Colorado, in the United States of America.

Other destinations

 * Jackson Lake State Wildlife Area
 * Delhi, Colorado is home to the state's last remaining wig-wag signal, a popular spot for railfans and tourists alike.
 * Jackson Lake State Wildlife Area
 * Delhi, Colorado is home to the state's last remaining wig-wag signal, a popular spot for railfans and tourists alike.
 * Jackson Lake State Wildlife Area
 * Delhi, Colorado is home to the state's last remaining wig-wag signal, a popular spot for railfans and tourists alike.
 * Delhi, Colorado is home to the state's last remaining wig-wag signal, a popular spot for railfans and tourists alike.
 * Delhi, Colorado is home to the state's last remaining wig-wag signal, a popular spot for railfans and tourists alike.
 * Delhi, Colorado is home to the state's last remaining wig-wag signal, a popular spot for railfans and tourists alike.
 * Delhi, Colorado is home to the state's last remaining wig-wag signal, a popular spot for railfans and tourists alike.

Understand
Roughly speaking, this region is bounded on the:

 * South, by Oklahoma and New Mexico state lines.
 * West, by the Front Range, metropolitan Denver Area and South Central Colorado.
 * North, by the Wyoming and Nebraska state lines.
 * East, by the Kansas state line.

Region boundaries in Colorado are indistinct, and sometimes contentious. If you're looking for a destination/attraction that you think should be in this region, but can't find it, check the pages for Denver Area, South Central Colorado and Front Range.

This is the largest, but most sparsely populated, of Colorado's regions. It occupies the easternmost third of the state, stretching from Nebraska in the north to New Mexico in the south. The only substantial city in the region is Pueblo, on Interstate 25 south of Denver (which is in its own region) and Colorado Springs (grouped with the south central region).

Most visitors to Colorado view this area as one to simply drive through quickly, en route to Denver and the mountains. However, there are some points of cultural/historic interest connected with the Santa Fe Trail, which passed through the southern part of the region. The National Grasslands throughout the region preserve wild lands that provide a reminder of what the Great Plains were like before the arrival of settlers from the east.

By train
Through the Eastern Plains, Amtrak runs the Southwest Chief: from Chicago to Los Angeles, stopping in Lamar, La Junta, and Trinidad. Additionally, the California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville stops in Fort Morgan between Denver and McCook, Nebraska.

For more information, see Wikivoyage's article Rail travel in the United States.

By plane

 * Pueblo Memorial Airport

Get around
During the winter, heavy ice and snow are a major concern, which can make driving difficult and slow going. Always check the weather and road conditions before heading out. Even on a clear winter's day, make sure your vehicle's wiper fluid reservoir is full. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) spreads both sand and magnesium chloride on the roads, which makes for an impenetrable, gluey mess on your windshield.

title: Eastern Plains (Colorado)


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Eastern Plantations

The Eastern Plantations area Côte d'Ivoire stretches to the east of the Bandama River and Lac de Kossou to the border with Ghana.

Cities

 * - official capital

Get in
Yamoussoukro Airport

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

title: Eastern Plantations


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Eastern Province (Saudi Arabia)

The Eastern Province (ash-Sharqiyah) is the largest province in Saudi Arabia, covering the entire Gulf coast of the country as well as the Saudi parts of the vast Empty Quarter. It is the main center of oil production in Saudi Arabia, and also home to the bulk of Saudi Arabia's Shi'a Muslim minority.

Cities
The three main cities of the Eastern Province are all tightly clustered together and no more than a 15-min drive apart from each other.

 * — the capital of the Eastern Province
 * — headquarters of Saudi Aramco
 * — the gateway to Bahrain

The rest are scattered around the coast:
 * — Biggest Industrial city of Saudi Arabia
 * (al-Ahsa) — the world's largest oasis

Other destinations

 * — the largest sand desert in the world

By plane
Dammam's airport has services from around Saudi Arabia and limited international flights to major cities in the region. Flying in via Bahrain is also a viable option.

By train
There are four trains a day from Riyadh to Dammam via Hofuf.

By car
The King Fahd Causeway connects Khobar to Bahrain.

Get around
Public transport is very limited, so having your own wheels will really pay off here.

Do
You can find various activities and things to do in Eastern Province. Some of the most popular activities in the area are related to dessert and sand sports, such as camping, quad safari and hiking. Other popular activities are the ones that focus on enjoying the clear water, fishing, boat trips and diving.

Eat
You can find all kinds of cuisine here. You find a lot of Indian and Pakistani restaurants. Finding standalone vegetarian restaurants is impossible. A delicacy in Saudi Arabia that you should try is dhub. Dhub is a delicacy among the Arabian Bedouins. You can either boil it or roast it and serve it with rice. Most of the meat can be found in its armored tail. In English it's commonly referred to as the spiny tail lizard (Uromastyx microlepis).

Like the rest of Saudi Arabia, pork is banned. If foreigners sneak pork in the province however, you could get into severe trouble with the authorities. So don’t expect any bacon or sausages on your travels in hotels and restaurants.

Drink
Alcohol is strictly forbidden in the Eastern province like the rest of Saudi Arabia. Heavy penalties and a prison sentence could apply or foreigners will get deported.

Always carry a bottle of water with you in the desert as temperatures can reach over 40 degrees or sometimes 50 Celsius. Fruit juice and soda are popular with locals too.

Stay safe
Carry your passport/work permit all the time. You can asked to produce your documents any time of the days and night. Do not point your camera at a lady. Do not carry alcohol/drugs into Saudi Arabia. Avoid carrying medicines unless you have a prescription along with it. Do not carry any pornographic material with you.

title: Eastern Province (Saudi Arabia)


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Eastern Province (Sri Lanka)

Eastern Sri Lanka is a province in Sri Lanka.

Cities

 * — The Eastern Province's capital. It is also a deep-water naval base
 * — the second largest city of the Eastern Province amid sea and lagoons
 * — the administrative capital of the Ampara District
 * — the administrative capital of the Sammanthurai Area

Other destinations

 * — a popular surfing and tourist destination
 * — a crescent-moon bay with shallow water and fringing reefs
 * — a long sand strip, quite clean for Lankan standards and well maintained

Get in
Trains run from Colombo to Trincomalee (7 hours 35 minutes day, 8 hours sleeper, three per day) and Batticaloa (8 hours 40 minutes day, 9 hours sleeper, two per day) but note there is no train directly linking these two cities.

Do

 * Swim in the blue water of Passikudah bay
 * Learn to ride a wave at Arugam Bay
 * Take a boat ride to experience snorkeling around Pigeon Island Island National Park (Nilaveli)
 * Tour the swamps south of Arugam Bay and watch exotic birds and huge crocodiles

title: Eastern Province (Sri Lanka)


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Eastern Samar

Eastern Samar is a province forming the eastern part of Samar Island in the Philippines.

Being on the east coast, the province boasts spectacular high waves from the Pacific Ocean making it ideal for surfing. Every year, Calicoan Island become the staging ground for an international surfing circuit competition.

Towns

 * — a surfer's paradise known for its golden sunrises
 * — has many beaches such as Calicoan beach, and Sapao beach (Dumpao). There is a beautiful cave

Understand
Most of the province's coastal towns face the Pacific Ocean. Its colorful and rich historical past dates back to the year when Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan landed on the shoreline of Homonhon Island, an island belonging to Guiuan, Eastern Samar. During the Filipino-American war, American forces burned and massacred village folks in Balangiga in revenge and looted the church's centuries-old bell. During World War II, Guiuan Airport in Guiuan, Eastern Samar served as staging point for the air bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The atomic bombs that fell through the two cities where flown out of Guiuan Airport.

By land
There are buses from Manila to Borongan and Guiuan, stopping also at other towns along the way, and there are also buses and UV Express vans from Calbayog, Catbalogan and Tacloban.

By plane
Cebu Pacific has closed operations at Borongan Airport due to security concern over the runways of the airport. Guiuan Airport is also not operating commercial flights but is open to chartered flights on private planes operating from Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

Get around
Going in and out of the province is serviced mostly by land transport provided by private van operators.

See
Islands
 * Suluan Island
 * Tubabao Island
 * Kantican Island (Pearl Island)
 * Divinuvo Island
 * Divinuvo Island

Historical sites & museums
 * Navy 3149 Base
 * Guiuan World War II Operating Base

Beach resorts, beaches & dives
 * Sulangan Beach
 * Sapao Beach
 * Guitagican Beach
 * San Julian Beach
 * Mercedes Beach
 * Canhugas Beach
 * Black Sand Beaches of Cabong
 * Marine Park Beach Resort

Natural parks & caves
 * Santa Monica Caves
 * Menasnge Park
 * Sangat of Ando
 * Ganap Cave
 * Locso-on Cave
 * Barawalte
 * Marabut Rock Formations

Waterfalls, rapids & hot springs
 * Hamorawon Spring
 * Binaloan Rapids
 * Bihid Falls
 * Springs of Borongan

Churches & lighthouses
 * Church of Immaculate Concepcion
 * Santiago Monument
 * Divinubo Lighthouse

title: Eastern Samar


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Eastern Shore (Maryland)

The Eastern Shore region is Maryland's part of the Delmarva Peninsula, which is shared with Delaware and Virginia's Eastern Shore. The area is rich in culture and history, making it a great travel destination for anyone who's looking to soak up the local culture!

West of Delaware

 * (called "Bethlem" by locals)
 * — a historic town of 10,000 by the Bay Bridge, one-time home to Harriett Tubman, and even Annie Oakley.
 * — A town on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.
 * — small historic town on the Chester River.
 * — another historic town near the birthplace of Frederick Douglass.
 * — A historic, small, waterfront town.
 * — pretty, historic small town, with nice boutique shopping.
 * — pretty, historic small town, with nice boutique shopping.
 * — pretty, historic small town, with nice boutique shopping.
 * — pretty, historic small town, with nice boutique shopping.

South of Delaware

 * — historic, but gritty port town—the one-time seafood capital of the East Coast.
 * — the popular beachside resort town, known best for its boardwalk and nightlife.
 * — historic small town and county seat.
 * Rock Hall
 * — the largest city in the region.
 * — several historic small towns

Other destinations

 * — a true gem of the East Coast shoreline; a barrier island with a beautiful beach, wild ponies, and nature trails through the bayside wetlands.
 * — the Great Shellfish Bay, and the source of Maryland's maritime and seafood culture.
 * — a quiet collection of three tiny islands home to fishing communities and the historic Hooper's Island Lighthouse.
 * — a pretty island off the Bay Bridge, home to historic Stevensville.
 * — a watermen island long lost in time, with nary a car to its name.
 * - The visitor center is 1 of 36 stops on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway (a 125-mile, self-guided historical tour by car with 36 sites that chronicles Harriet Tubman's search for freedom from slavery). The visitor center is open 7 days a week with free admission and contains exhibits, library, theater and gift shop.

Understand
The Eastern Shore was largely isolated from the rest of Maryland until the construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in 1952. As a result, values tend to be conservative and closely related to the rural South, as opposed to mainland Maryland or Virginia, which is perceived by locals as more liberal. For this reason, many residents take offense being compared to Marylanders from across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. This sense of alienation from the rest of Maryland has spurred several attempts to split off from the state of Maryland. Proposals have been debated in the Maryland General Assembly in 1833-1835, 1852 and in 1998 for the Eastern Shore becoming its own state. Because of its unique location, Maryland's regions portray different regional characteristics.

Many, if not most, residents of the Eastern Shore consider themselves Southerners. Maryland was a border state during the Civil War. By 1860 49.1% of the African Americans in the state were free.

Geography
The Eastern Shore is part of the Delmarva Peninsula. The topography of the Eastern Shore is flat. Mountains are non-existent and hills are rare. Because of its proximity to the Chesapeake, the Eastern Shore has several islands, marshes, beaches, and inlets.

Climate
See Delmarva Peninsula

Talk
The Eastern Shore, because of its proximity to Virginia and historic isolation from the Western Shore, maintains a Southern accent akin to the Tidewater region of Virginia. This is especially true of the four counties on the "Lower Shore" or counties nearest Virginia: Wicomico, Dorchester, Somerset, and Worcester. In addition, are interesting dialects to be found in the isolated island communities of the Chesapeake Bay, particularly, Smith Island, where pseudo Elizabethan-era English accents have been preserved.

By car
US-50 and US-13 are the main roads into the Eastern Shore, with US-50 leading from Annapolis and the rest of Maryland, US-13 leading north south from Eastern Virginia to Delaware. US-301 is the most useful road for the seldom-visited northern parts of the region.

By plane
The nearest major airports are: Washington Dulles International Airport, Reagan National Airport , Baltimore-Washington International Airport , and Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico County Airport.

SBY is in Salisbury, MD which is about a 27-mile drive from Ocean City by way of US-50. While SBY is not a big airport, it is included on this list because it is the only somewhat big airport on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The only airline that flies into SBY is American Airlines. There is an onsite Enterprise Rent-A-Car location at SBY and other transportation options include: Coast to Coast Limousine Inc, Gene's Limousine Service Inc, Gene's Taxi Co, Yellow Cab, Bailey's Taxi Services, Salisbury Taxi Co, and other taxi services.

BWI, DCA, and IAD are all in the D.C.-Baltimore metropolitan region which is on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay. Most major airlines fly into these airports and many car rental agencies have locations at these airports. There are also many taxi and limousine companies and bus services in the D.C.-Baltimore metropolitan region.

The BayRunner shuttle is the airport shuttle services for BWI. The Eastern Shore pick up/drop off locations are: Ocean City, Ocean Pines, Salisbury (not at airport), Cambridge, and Easton. Greyhound also has several stops on the Eastern Shore and an onsite location at BWI.

If you are traveling to one of the more northern parts of the Eastern Shore, it will be closer to fly into Philadelphia International Airport. SBY is the closest airport for the southern parts of the Eastern shore. If you wish to fly into a larger airport, then Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, Norfolk International Airport , and Richmond International Airport all might be closer than BWI, DCA, and IAD depending on your destination.

Most major airlines fly into PHL, ORF, and RIC.

The airlines that fly into PHF are American and Delta.

By train
Amtrak's nearest train stations are: Baltimore- Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Baltimore- Penn Station (BAL), Newark, DE (NRK), Wilmington, DE (WIL), Richmond- Main Street Station (RVM), Richmond-Staples Mill Rd (RVR), Williamsburg, VA (WBG), Newport News, VA (NPN), Washington, D.C.- Union Station (WAS), North Philadelphia (PHN), and Philadelphia-30th Street Station (PHL). From these train stations you can take a bus to various cities on the Eastern Shore.

By boat
There are many ferry services in Maryland.

By foot
The Appalachian Trail goes from Maine to Georgia and 41 miles of the trail are in Maryland and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park rails to trails route stretches from DC to Columbia. Once you've walked in Maryland follow google maps walking directions to you're desired Eastern Shore location.

By bus
Shore Transit System has over 200 stops in the tri-state area. Greyhound has a few Eastern Shore stops.

By car
Unless you prefer to stick to the water when traveling, a car is an absolute necessity to have a good time on the Eastern Shore. The aforementioned routes are also the principal roads around the region, especially US-50.

By boat
Ferries are available from Crisfield to Deal Island, Smith Island, and Tangier Island. Marina's are quite easy to come by for travelers with their own boat! The Chesapeake Bay's fingers extend towards virtually any town, save those right by the Atlantic beaches, so a private boat will really get you to just about all the small historic towns and nature reserves dotting the landscape.

By bike
The region's relatively flat landscape lends itself well to bikers. There are multiple bike shops, and there's no shortage of scenic bicycle trails.

See
The Chesapeake Bay is likely the main attraction on the Eastern Shore. It is rich with activities, watermen culture, great seafood, and is simply beautiful. To learn more about Chesapeake culture, there are a number of good museums around the region, such as the J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum and seafood processing plant tour in Crisfield and the Maritime Museum of St. Michaels. Smith Island is another great stop for Chesapeake watermen culture, where you'll find accents dating back to Victorian England, and a local sense of place and purpose inseparable from the Bay and its sea harvests. Hooper's Island is a bit less exotic than Smith Island, but still a great off-the-beaten-path locale for natural beauty and the historic Phillips Seafood Factory.

The ever-popular resort town of Ocean City, in addition to the beach and boardwalk, has a couple offbeat museums, most notably the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum. It is also next door to the gorgeous barrier island of Assateague Island National Seashore. Assateague, with its natural beauty and wild ponies strolling the long, quiet, white sand beach, is not to be missed. Other picturesque tourist destinations include the small historic towns around the region, particularly south of US-50. The town of St. Michaels on a neck surrounded by water, the colonial former port of Oxford, Chestertown, Stevensville on Kent Island, and Snow Hill are all great options for lazy strolls and historical sightseeing.

Do
The Eastern Shore is rich with wild areas, most famously Assateague Island National Seashore and State Park, but also less known state parks, forests, and wildlife preserves. Look for deserted beaches on Janes Island State Park by Crisfield and kayaking/canoeing in Pocomoke River State Forest by Snow Hill.

Ocean City has long been popular with Baltimoreans and Marylanders from across the bridge in general, thus rendering the flavor of Ocean City life unlike that of the rest of the Shore. The skyline, featuring many tall hotels and condominiums, is also a stark contrast to the rest of Delmarva. On the southern end of Ocean City is a highly popular recreational boardwalk spanning over thirty blocks and featuring carnival rides and games, restaurants, bars, arcades, and clothing boutiques.

Waterfowl Festival is an annual wildlife arts and sportman's expo located in Easton. It draws tourists from all over the U.S. and the world and usually falls on the second weekend of November.

Like the Western Shore, the Eastern Shore has a lively sailing and boating culture.

Buy
The Eastern Shore is not a big metropolitan shopping corridor—visitors from the rest of the state consider it quite the reprieve from that sort of thing! Nonetheless, there is the big Centre at Salisbury, a large mall with Boscov's and many other stores.

Other local shopping is mostly limited to small, but charming, boutiques and quiet souvenir shops in the smaller historic towns that see significant tourism. St. Michaels is considered the regional center of this type of small town boutique shopping.

Eat
No trip to the Eastern Shore would be complete without having sampled the region's world-famous Blue Crabs and 7-layer Smith Island Cake. Many restaurants in the area serve crab, crab cakes, and Chicken Chesapeake (Chicken with Crab Imperial). Crab cakes, soft-shell crab sandwiches (for the strong-stomached), cream of crab soup, and of course good old steamed crabs served with Old Bay may be the area's most famous dishes, but the other seafood is quite tasty as well.

Drink
Nightlife like you'll see in urban areas is largely absent from the Eastern Shore, with the one very glaring exception of Ocean City, which is full of nightclubs, bars, and the like, which operate even in the slower winter season. However, smaller towns often have a bar or two, even if they're not the happening places Ocean City bars are.

Sleep
Hotels outside Ocean City are going to be cheap to mid-range, bland chains. For more local character and charm, however, do as the Maryland and D.C. visitors do, and opt instead for any of the beautiful, historic bed & breakfasts around the countryside and the small towns, where you will really get to meet locals, and relax in a pretty setting.

Stay safe
Poison ivy is widespread along forest edges. It shouldn't prevent you from enjoying nature, but learn to recognize it before you go off-trail. Ticks, mosquitoes and chiggers abound during summer months. Humidity can be quite high during the summer, so stay well hydrated. The Copperhead, a poisonous snake, is found in some areas, though less commonly than in the hills and mountains across the Bay. Jellyfish live in the Chesapeake Bay during warm-weather season, and can be a hazard to swimmers.

The county's vast areas of agricultural land provide a perfect habitat for whitetail deer, which are often involved in car accidents. Be vigilant on the road, especially at night, at dawn and dusk, and in the breeding season from October to January.

Crime is generally not an issue for visitors to the Eastern Shore, but it's wise to watch your belongings closely if you visit the Ocean City area during spring break and summer weekends, when the area sees hundreds of thousands of vacationers, including many young people.

Go next

 * Just to the south in Eastern Virginia are Chincoteague and Tangier Islands. The former is known for its beauty and wild ponies (similar to Assateague, but with houses and rental possibilities), and the latter is the twin of Smith Island, with the same time-stopped-in-the-eighteenth-century culture.
 * Just north of Ocean City are the perhaps even more popular beaches of Delaware at Rehoboth and Bethany.
 * If you're looking for more Chesapeake culture, look to the west in Annapolis, or to the southwest in the small historic towns of Southern Maryland. The latter is a bit hard to reach by car, but a very manageable boat ride. Or even look north to a very different culture, but one still firmly tied to the Bay, in the big port city of Baltimore.

title: Eastern Shore (Maryland)


text:
Eastern Shore (Virginia)

The Eastern Shore region is Virginia's part of the Delmarva Peninsula, which is shared with Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore. It is a long narrow peninsula within the larger Delmarva Peninsula, extending south from the Maryland part, connected to the rest of Virginia only by a bridge at the south end. It comprises Accomack and Northampton counties.

By bus
Star Transit . +1 757 787-8322. Bus service operates between Chincoteague and Cape Charles. Buses run only four to six times Monday through Friday. Most buses run between 6AM and 6:30PM while others run between 6AM and 4:30PM. The main transit hub for all routes is at the Walmart in Onley. Nelsonia Royal Farm is the transfer point for Blue, Gold, Silver and Orange Routes.

See
Parksley

In the small town of Parksley, there is the Parksley Railroad Museum.

Wallops Island

Visit the Wallops Island NASA Visitor Center, where you can explore the rich history of NASA's involvement on the island.

title: Eastern Shore (Virginia)


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Eastern Siberia

Eastern Siberia is a region in Russia.

Cities

 * — Irkutsk Oblast's second largest city, on the Trans-Siberian Railway
 * — a large city on the Baikal-Amur Mainline
 * — center of Zabaykasky Krai and an important site for the exile of the Decembrists
 * — the region's largest city and most visited destination
 * — the capital of Tuva claims to be the exact center of Asia
 * — on the northern Buryat shores of Lake Baikal
 * — the capital of Buryatia and a center for Buryat culture

Other destinations

 * . Located between Buryatia and Irkutsk Oblast, is the deepest and oldest lake in the world and also the planet's largest body of freshwater. Lake Baikal is the exclusive home of the freshwater seal.

title: Eastern Siberia


text:
Eastern Sierra

The Eastern Sierra is the remote east side of the Sierra Nevada region of California. The desert-like yearly rainfalls compete with small streams draining down from the snow-covered mountains to create a barren land with regions of verdant green.

The largest industry in the Eastern Sierra is tourism. Lodging and campsites are plentiful. Activities that appeal to the traveler are various and plentiful.

Cities

 * -- County seat of Mono County. A classic western courthouse continually in use since the late 1800s.
 * -- Closest town to Mono Lake; has access to Yosemite. Best gas station food on Planet Earth.
 * -- Best known for its ski resort, it's also a good, cheap place to stay in summer when visiting the region.
 * -- Largest town in the Eastern Sierra. It has a hospital, chain stores (K-mart, Rite-Aid, etc.), and world-class climbing & fishing.
 * -- Home to the Eastern Sierra Museum - a treasure in the heart of the Eastern Sierras.
 * -- Mt Whitney trailhead. Interagency visitor center for Eastern Sierra & Death Valley.
 * -- Mt Whitney trailhead. Interagency visitor center for Eastern Sierra & Death Valley.

Other destinations

 * Bodie -- State Historic Park, a "ghost town" once famous for mining, purposefully maintained in a state of "arrested decay" by the California State Parks. Located between Bridgeport and Mono Lake east of U.S. 395.
 * -- Internment camp where American citizens of Japanese descent were imprisoned during World War II
 * Bristlecone Pines At nearly 5000 years of age, these are believed the oldest living trees on the planet. They are found on numerous desert ranges reaching into the subalpine zone, however the main interpretive sites are at Schulman and Patriarch Groves in the White Mountains.  This range also has California's third-highest peak and extensive opportunities for day hikes and multi-day backpacks.  Access to the main groves from 395 is via a 24 mile drive starting near the town of Big Pine.
 * -- Ski area in the winter; becomes fantastic mountain bike park in summer.
 * -- Highest point in the 48 contiguous United States
 * Owens River -- Mostly gone. To visit the water, travel to Los Angeles.
 * Owens Lake -- A dry lake now. Before Los Angeles was built, steamship service took passengers across the lake.
 * Owens River -- Mostly gone. To visit the water, travel to Los Angeles.
 * Owens Lake -- A dry lake now. Before Los Angeles was built, steamship service took passengers across the lake.

Understand
The Sierra Nevada mountain range, like most ranges in the lower-48 states, runs north to south. Approaching the Sierra Nevada from the west is a very gradual process of small hills leading to larger hills, leading to small mountains, and so on. The east is a sheer cliff in comparison. At 4000 feet of elevation near Lone Pine, one can look straight up to the 14,505 ft (4,421 m) snow-capped top of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the United States outside Alaska.

This extreme change in elevation explains why there are no roads across the Sierra between Kernville and Mono Lake. In winter all but one of the passes are closed, and there are no crossings between Kernville and Lake Tahoe.

The Eastern Sierra receives very little rainfall because it lies in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada. Since weather systems generally approach the Eastern Sierra from the west or southwest, they dump most of their moisture onto the western flanks of the Sierra Nevada, leaving only a small amount for the Eastern Sierra.

The Eastern Sierra is part of the Great Basin. Water that falls in the Great Basin does not flow naturally into an ocean. Instead, water flows into various inland lakes such as Mono Lake and Walker Lake.

Large amounts of water are captured at the surface or pumped from the ground, and diverted to Los Angeles.

Get in

 * From the Los Angeles region, take US 395 north.
 * From the Lake Tahoe or Reno areas, take US 395 south
 * From Yosemite National Park, take SR 120 east to US 395

Get around
US 395 runs from north to south through the entire Eastern Sierra.

Some of the passes on US 395 require snow chains during or shortly after snowstorms in the winter. Since you can't predict mountain weather, plan on carrying chains if you travel north of Bishop during the winter.

See

 * Mono Lake

Do

 * Fishing — Mountain lakes and abundant small streams are much sought after by fishermen.
 * Hiking — Many trails lead up into the mountains
 * Mammoth Lakes is a popular skiing destination for people in the southern half of California.

Stay safe
In winter, the higher elevations north of Bishop are subject to mountain storms. Be prepared with snow chains for cars, or even road closures.

In summer, the lower elevations in Bishop and further south can be quite hot. Stay hydrated, and you'll avoid headaches (from dehydration) or worse.

Go next

 * Yosemite National Park
 * Death Valley
 * Los Angeles
 * Lake Tahoe
 * Reno

title: Eastern Sierra


text:
Eastern Slovakia

Eastern Slovakia is bounded by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, and Hungary to the south.

Go next
Central Slovakia | Poland | Ukraine | Hungary

title: Eastern Slovakia


text:
Eastern Slovenia

Eastern Slovenia is the far northeastern region of Slovenia.

Cities

 * - the second largest city in Slovenia
 * - one of Slovenia's oldest cities
 * - the second largest city in Slovenia
 * - one of Slovenia's oldest cities
 * - the second largest city in Slovenia
 * - one of Slovenia's oldest cities
 * - one of Slovenia's oldest cities

Do

 * Banovci Spa
 * Moravci Spa
 * Lendava Spa
 * Radenci Spa

title: Eastern Slovenia


text:
Eastern Spain

Eastern Spain is in Spain.

Regions

From north to south, Eastern Spain covers the Mediterranean regions of:

Talk
In Catalonia and Valencia (and also in the Balearic Islands), Catalan is spoken. In the Valencian region, this language is called "Valencian", a variety of the Catalan language. Spanish is also spoken throughout these regions. In tourist regions, you can usually get by using English, but a phrasebook will definitely come in handy outside of them.

The Murcian dialect of Spanish is spoken in Murcia. The only exception is the small area known as El Carche, where Valencian (Catalan) is the main language.

Go next

 * To the east, Balearic Islands. An archipelago in the Balearic Sea with culture and cuisine that are similar to those of the rest of Spain but have their own distinctive features.

title: Eastern Spain


text:
Eastern Sudan

Eastern Sudan is the region of Sudan lying to the east of Khartoum, along the Blue Nile. It consists of the states of Al Qadarif, Blue Nile, Kassala and Sennar.

Cities

 * (Gedaref) — capital of Al Qadarif state
 * — capital of the Blue Nile state

Other destinations

 * —

Go next

 * Eritrea
 * Ethiopia

title: Eastern Sudan


text:
Eastern Taiwan

Eastern Taiwan  makes up the entire East Coast of Taiwan.

Regions
Eastern Taiwan is split into the following three counties, from north to south:

Cities
The following are the most relevant cities, towns and villages from a tourist point of view:
 * – Has one of the most beautiful coastal views in Yilan.
 * – A laid-back surfers' destination off most travellers' routes.
 * – A small town with an art and backpacker community, an old sugar factory, an archaeological site and surf spot.
 * – Touristic centre of the Hualien County and base for exploring the nearby Taroko Gorge.
 * – Famous island-wide for it's plentiful hot spring resorts. It's also home to some great hiking trails and waterfalls.
 * – It has Yilan's largest aboriginal population and has a few good hiking trails.
 * (台東 or 臺東) – The youngest city in Taiwan and was developed by Japan as a base for Pacific expansion. Taitung's population is strongly Aboriginal, Hoklo and Hakka. It is by far one of the most laid-back, relaxing, and beautiful of Taiwan's cities.
 * – A popular surfing destination, which offers spectacular sunrise views and is the disembarkation point for whale watching.
 * – The main city of the Yilan County, with two big department stores, YouAi and Luna Plaza, National Yilan University, a big sports park, a decent cultural centre, a small but tasty night market, and some general great eats.

Understand, see, do, etc.
See the county articles linked above for all the details.

Go next
Eastern Taiwan is connected to all other regions of Taiwan. However, only by car it is actually convenient to leave for any of these regions. If you depend on public transport, exit and entrance into Eastern Taiwan is mostly only convenient via Northern Taiwan through Yilan County in the very north, or through the most southern crossing (by railway) into Pingtung County, with 370 (slow) kilometres in between.

title: Eastern Taiwan


text:
Eastern Tarai

The Eastern Tarai consists of the eastern part of the Tarai Mountain Range in Nepal.

Cities

 * — the second largest city in Nepal after Kathmandu.
 * — the second largest city of the Morang district after Biratnagar
 * — the second largest city of the Morang district after Biratnagar
 * — the second largest city of the Morang district after Biratnagar
 * — the second largest city of the Morang district after Biratnagar
 * — the second largest city of the Morang district after Biratnagar
 * — the second largest city of the Morang district after Biratnagar
 * — the second largest city of the Morang district after Biratnagar
 * — the second largest city of the Morang district after Biratnagar
 * — the second largest city of the Morang district after Biratnagar

Other destinations

 * Janaki Mandir - A temple complex in the city Janakpur in the eastern Terai marking where semi-divine figure Sita was born and raised, and married Rama, hero of the epic Ramayana. A seven-day festival celebrates Sita's birth at the end of April/beginning of May. Probably the exact dates vary from year to year, being set astrologically.

Understand
The Terai, or plains, of eastern Nepal lie along the Indian border. Much of the land is taken up by rice and jute cultivation, though areas of forest remain in the north where the plains meet the hills. A large amount of the forest was cleared in the last century, and many settlers migrated to the area from the hills and from India, making the area one of the most culturally diverse regions in Nepal.

This region has many rural areas, but also boasts the largest industrial area in the whole country, expanding from the Rani Mills area to the Duhabi River. Biratnagar Jute Mills and Dhanawat Matches are among the nation's oldest industries. Both Biratnagar and Indrapur also have universities.

title: Eastern Tarai


text:
Eastern Tennessee

East Tennessee is a region of Tennessee that covers roughly the eastern third of the state, generally locations east of the edge of the Cumberland Plateau.

Cities

 * - McGhee Tyson Knoxville Airport
 * - Home of Bristol Motor Speedway
 * - Home of the Chattanooga Choo Choo and the Tennessee Aquarium.
 * - A City with Spirit
 * - Golf Capital of Tennessee and the Cumberland County Playhouse. Home of Fairfield Glade.
 * - Bible versus Darwin on trial
 * - Where early American frontiersmen duked it out
 * - Gateway to the Smokies
 * - One of America's Most Charming Towns & Villages
 * - The Model City
 * - Home of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville
 * - Home to the Foothills Fall Festival & Maryville College
 * - The Secret City
 * - Dolly Parton's Hometown
 * - The Peaceful Side of the Smokies
 * - The Quiet Side of the Smokies - Located beside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, between Pigeon Forge and Townsend.
 * - Home to the Foothills Fall Festival & Maryville College
 * - The Secret City
 * - Dolly Parton's Hometown
 * - The Peaceful Side of the Smokies
 * - The Quiet Side of the Smokies - Located beside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, between Pigeon Forge and Townsend.
 * - The Secret City
 * - Dolly Parton's Hometown
 * - The Peaceful Side of the Smokies
 * - The Quiet Side of the Smokies - Located beside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, between Pigeon Forge and Townsend.
 * - The Peaceful Side of the Smokies
 * - The Quiet Side of the Smokies - Located beside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, between Pigeon Forge and Townsend.

Other destinations

 * - Country Legend Dolly Parton's amusement park.
 * - Country Legend Dolly Parton's amusement park.
 * - Country Legend Dolly Parton's amusement park.
 * - Country Legend Dolly Parton's amusement park.
 * - Country Legend Dolly Parton's amusement park.
 * - Country Legend Dolly Parton's amusement park.

See

 * Norris Dam The first Tennessee Valley Authority dam, has overlooks with great views of the dam, lake, and valley. Has Norris Dam State Park around the lake behind it. Exit Interstate 75 at exits 122 or 128
 * Sunsphere A Knoxville landmark with its golden glass, and an observation deck.
 * Rock City, Lookout Mountain, Ruby Falls Landmarks in Chattanooga, can be packaged together.
 * Lost Sea America's largest underwater lake, in Sweetwater.
 * Knoxville Ice Bears A hockey team in Knoxville.
 * Coke Oven Museum, historic coal processing ovens, northwest of Dunlap.
 * Tennessee Volunteers SEC college football team in Knoxville.

Go next

 * Middle Tennessee - The Middle Grand Division extends east from the Tennessee River including both the Central Basin and the Highland Rim. It is the state's most prosperous area, including cities such as Nashville.
 * West Tennessee - The Western Grand Division extends west from the Tennessee River and is the northern boundary of the Mississippi Delta cultural region.

title: Eastern Tennessee


text:
Eastern Thailand

Eastern Thailand comprises the seven provinces that lie south of Isaan and east of the Central Plains, sandwiched between Bangkok and Cambodia.

Cities

 * — border town and the way to Angkor Wat in Cambodia
 * — some nice markets and temples
 * — interesting waterfalls
 * — important industrial town
 * — notorious den of sleaze trying to clean up its act
 * — closest town to Khao Yai National Park
 * — capital of the province of the same name
 * — known for a spicy sauce and seafood
 * — the gateway to the Ko Chang Archipelago

Other destinations

 * — natural getaway that straddles the border with Isaan
 * — fast developing island with lots of beaches and a fishing village
 * — unspoiled and relatively unknown island near Ko Chang
 * — small island 7.5 kilometers off the coast of Pattaya
 * — island with white beaches that is shaped like a cross
 * — the nearest thing to a paradise island around Bangkok
 * — the island that tourism (almost) forgot

Understand
Geographically the smallest of the five regions of Thailand, Eastern Thailand contains just seven provinces. Five of its provinces border the Gulf of Thailand, and three share borders with Cambodia, all of which have at least one international border crossing (Aranyaprathet being the busiest).

While Pattaya is the original mass tourism destination, the islands of Ko Samet and Ko Chang also turned into popular beach destinations. On the other hand, the islands at the eastern tip of the region are some of the most scenic and untouched in the country.

By plane
Most visitors arrive by bus from Bangkok, but there are airports at U-Tapao which is between Sattahip and Rayong meaning to serve the areas around Pattaya and the Eastern Gulf Coast.

Go next

 * Angkor Archaeological Park — amazing Cambodian ruins which can be reached from the Aranyaprathet border crossing
 * Khao Yai National Park — jungles, tigers, waterfalls
 * Sihanoukville — beach resort in Cambodia

title: Eastern Thailand


text:
Eastern Thrace

Eastern Thrace (Doğu Trakya, usually simply called Trakya) is in the Marmara Region of northwest Turkey. Geographically it covers all of European Turkey from Istanbul and the Bosphorus to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria; however the metropolis of Istanbul is a distinct region spanning the Bosphorus and is described on other pages. The rest of Eastern Thrace, described here, is administered in four provinces (Çanakkale, Edirne, Kırklareli and Tekirdağ), but these have little relevance to travelers, and it's more convenient to consider three terrains.

Istranca Mountains and the Black Sea coast
Forested mountains, lakes and quiet beaches.

 * in the forests has a remarkable 15th century foundry.
 * has long sandy beaches and one of the few floodplain forests in Europe.
 * is a beach resort with a monastery carved into the rocks. The strip extends east to Kastro, within Istanbul metropolis but easier reached from here.
 * inland is a hub for the surrounding region, with a 16th-century Ottoman mosque.
 * has a Byzantine cathedral-turned-mosque called "Little Hagia Sophia".

The Istranca Mountains extend into Bulgaria, where the range is known as Strandzha.

Thracian Plains
Gently rolling plains cover this region, astride the major routes between Istanbul and Europe.

 * is a former capital of the Ottoman Empire with a historic city centre: highlight is the Selimiye Mosque.
 * has an old mosque and an Ottoman bridge, but is mostly modern.
 * has a 16th century mosque and river bridge, but is otherwise modern with little reason to linger.
 * is industrial.
 * is large and industrial.
 * has a well preserved old quarter full of traditional wooden and neo-classical architecture.
 * means "the long bridge" - built in the 15th century, it's over 1 km long.

Marmara and Aegean coasts
Miles of beaches, stony and sandy, crowded and lonely alike; fishing towns, vineyards and pine forests.

 * , site of ancient Perinthos, is now a small resort town.
 * is a coastal city with some traditional wooden architecture.
 * is near the Greek border, and is the access route to the Gulf of Saros.
 * is on the Maritsa delta, with wetlands, a Byzantine citadel and long sandy beaches.
 *  The Gulf of Saros is lined by small resorts: from Enez east are Sultaniçe, Vakıf, Yayla, Erikli, Mecidiye, Ibrice Limanı, Gökçetepe and Sazlıdere.
 * is a line of small towns in a wine-growing region, with beaches and some Greek architecture.
 * is a historic town where the Ottomans first controlled the Straits of Dardanelles.
 * in the south of Gallipoli Peninsula has ferries across the straits and centuries of military history.
 * Gallipoli landing sites, cemeteries and memorials are all around Eceabat.
 * is Turkey's largest island, with a small Greek community (who call it Imbros) and abandoned villages.

Understand
Eastern Thrace is located in the northwestern corner of Turkey and makes up 3% of the country's landmass — seemingly tiny, but the region is only slightly smaller than Belgium.

Eastern Thrace is essentially a peninsula surrounded by Greece (Western Thrace) and Bulgaria (Northern Thrace) to its west and north respectively and bounded by the Black Sea, the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, the Dardanelles, and the Aegean Sea to the northeast, east, south, and southwest respectively.

The central parts of Eastern Thrace are dominated by the Thracian plains, which are fairly... well, plain. These plains produce much of the country's wheat and sunflower, and a ride through in sunflower season (July) is indeed very pleasant amongst yellow flowers. However, being one of the powerhouses of Turkish economy, more east you go on the plains, less agricultural the landscape becomes—around Çerkezköy and Çorlu is essentially nothing other than an urban conglomeration going hand in hand with endless rows of factories (in an irony of fate, the Romans knew this area as the Campus Serenus, "serene countryside"). The northeastern coast and its adjacent area, on the other hand, is dominated by the low-lying range of the Istranca Mountains covered with lush broadleaf forests, typical of the Turkish Black Sea coast, as well as the northern reaches of the region along the Bulgarian border. The southwestern parts dominated by the Ganos and Koru Mountains, another low lying mountain range, and the Gallipoli Peninsula are covered mostly with pine forests, and Mediterranean scrub in addition to vast vineyards, which supply almost half of Turkey's wine production.

The culture of today's Eastern Thrace shares many similarities with the cultures of the Balkan countries as much of the region's population is descended from people who immigrated from those countries starting in the late 1800s.

History
The Thracians were an Indo-European people who formed a distinct culture around 1000 BC. Their homeland of Thrace was fluid and ill-defined, but stretched from the Bosphorus into Bulgaria and western Greece. In Greek legend they were the tribe of Thrax, son of Ares god of war, and they were described as war-like, but those accounts reflect times of conflict with Persia, Greece or Rome. The Greeks had already settled the Marmara coast from 4000 BC, founding cities such as Tekirdağ, but never colonised much inland. In the 5th century BC the defeat of the Persians created a power vacuum which enabled the Thracians to unite in the Odrysian Kingdom, centred on what is now Plovdiv. It fell in the 3rd century BC when Macedonia became the new superpower, and the Thracians were never again a nation. They became assimilated into Greek and Roman culture and disappeared from history. Their new rulers saw their military value and recruited them into armies, so the dust and bones of the Thracians lie scattered from Barcelona to Delhi. They left behind tumulus tombs for their nobles, some pottery and similar artifacts, some elements of place names, and not much else - little is reliably known about them.

In the first century BC the Roman Empire gained control of the Greek city-states on the coast and the Thracian tribes inland. In 46 AD they annexed the area into the province of Thracia, with the capital at Perinthus (nowadays Marmara Ereğlisi). Fertile Thrace was an Imperial bread-basket, and it lay on the main route between their two metropolises: from Rome to Brindisi as the Via Appia, then crossing by sea to Dyrrachium (Durrës), then overland east as the Via Egnatia through Thessaloniki, Kavala, Ipsala, Enez, Perinthus, Silivri and finally into Constantinople / Byzantium / Istanbul. In 285 AD Diocletian divided the Empire, with Thrace ruled from Byzantium; in the 10th century the area changed back and forth between Byzantium and the Bulgarian Kingdom.

The Ottoman Turks' first power base was in Thrace in the 1350s; they rose to conquer Istanbul, control the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, and found the Ottoman Empire. The area thus controlled crucial land and sea routes, and even in the dying days of that Empire in 1915, the Ottomans were able to repulse Western attacks by sea then land on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Thrace took on its modern shape in the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, which adjusted national borders: Western Thrace now lies in Greece and Northern Thrace in Bulgaria, leaving Eastern Thrace as the European part of Turkey. The Treaty also mandated population interchanges from what had been a diverse region, so Greeks and Bulgarians were expelled to their own countries, while Muslims or ethnic Turks were uprooted from around the Balkans to live in Turkey. Relations across that border were cold or cordial by turns over the subsequent century. In the early 21st century Eastern Thrace lies on the border between Turkey and the European Union.

Climate
Eastern Thrace generally has a dry-summer temperate climate, with four distinct seasons and some continental influence. Summers are very warm on the coast, hot inland, with infrequent (but heavy) showers and thunderstorms. Winters are cool to chilly on the coasts, cold inland, and generally quite overcast. Rain and snow alternate throughout the winter, with snow getting more common as one goes inland. Fog is common in valleys and on the shores, especially in spring and fall.

Talk
Turkish is the language of choice in the region, as elsewhere in most of Turkey. The local dialect is loaded with slang and other colloquially used words mostly originating from other Balkan languages (mainly Bulgarian), but if you can speak Turkish, locals will mostly switch to standard Turkish when they see you're not from the area. Regardless, the local dialect is among the most similar to standard Turkish, which is based on the Istanbul dialect.

The most frequent foreign language is English. The successive waves of immigration from Bulgaria within the last one and a half centuries mean finding someone who speaks fluent Bulgarian (or its Pomak dialect) is also a possibility, depending on the location.

Place names on highway signs are of course everywhere in Turkish, but are most likely to cause confusion heading towards the border, when they refer to places known in the west by entirely different names. These include: Yunanistan is Greece, Batı Trakya is Western Thrace, Gümülcine is Komotini, Dedeağaç is Alexandroupolis, Selanik is Thessaloniki, Bulgaristan is Bulgaria, Burgaz is Burgas, and Sofya is Sofia. These names are picked out in yellow or brown over the standard blue / green highway signage. Hudut means "border".

Get in
is Turkey's main port of entry: it's northwest of the city so with a hired car you'll reach Thrace within an hour. There are also buses from the airport via Lüleburgaz to Edirne, and via Çorlu to Tekirdağ, where you can change for buses towards Gelibolu and Çanakkale. If you fly into the other city airport Sabiha Gokcen, that's Asia-side and you face a cross-city journey to go west.

just across the straits from the peninsula has flights three days a week from Ankara.

A train runs west into Europe every night from Istanbul Halkalı station, with stops at Çerkezköy, Alpullu, Edirne and the border at Kapıkule. Here it divides, with one portion heading to Sofia and the other to Bucharest; see TCDD for times and fares. Two regional trains run daily from Halkalı to Çerkezköy, Çorlu and Lüleburgaz where they branch either to Uzunköprü or to Edirne and Kapıkule. In summer a car train runs 2 or 3 times a week from Villach in Austria to Edirne.

By road from Istanbul city or IST airport follow the motorways west. By road from Bulgaria you normally cross at Kapitan Andreevo / Kapıkule near Edirne and join E80. From Bulgaria's Black Sea coast you enter at Dereköy and head south on E87. From Greece you cross at İpsala. Cross-border buses are suspended in 2022. From the Troy coast around Çanakkale or South Marmara coast around Bursa you nowadays sweep across the Dardanelles on a magnificent bridge, opened in March 2022.

Ferries criss-cross the Dardanelles, with the Europe-side ports at Gelibolu and Eceabat. They sail to Tekirdağ from Erdek and Bandırma on the far side of the Sea of Marmara, with some calling at the islands. They no longer sail along the coast of Thrace from Istanbul.

By bus
The radial routes from Istanbul have the best service, maybe hourly. The main bus operaters are Istanbul Seyahat, Kale Seyahat, Metro Turizm and Pamukkale.

There are also direct buses from Istanbul Airport to Edirne and Tekirdağ, and north-south from Çanakkale via Keşan and Uzunköprü to Edirne.

A swarm of minibuses and dolmuş also buzz between the towns - some to schedule, others setting out whenever they're full. They're frequent in the industrial eastern areas. Little villages in the hills might have only one or two a day, setting out early for the local big town, and returning mid-afternoon when villagers have completed their errands.

By car
The main highways run from Istanbul towards the Greek and Bulgarian borders, along the Marmara coast, and down the Gallipoli peninsula. The main routes are:

 * D100 Istanbul – Silivri – Çorlu – Lüleburgaz – Babaeski – Edirne and into Bulgaria
 * O-3 / E80 (toll) parallels D100 but bypasses the town centres.
 * O-7 from Anatolia bypasses Istanbul to the north, then runs by IST airport to join O-3 at Silivri.
 * D110 / E84 leaves D100 near Silivri for Marmara Ereğlisi – Tekirdağ – Keşan and into Greece.
 * D550 / E87 leaves D100 near Edirne for Uzunköprü – Keşan – Gelibolu - Eceabat for ferries to Çanakkale.
 * D555 / E87 leaves D100 near Babaeski for Kirklareli and the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.

All roads are tarmac-sealed, even to outlying villages, but width and state of repair varies with the road's importance.

See

 * Bridges and causeways: the Ottomans needed to carry their roads across Thracian river valleys that were not deep, but wide and dangerous in spate. They built a series of attractive multi-arched bridges-cum-causeways, some over 1 km long. Many remain in use for light traffic. There are good examples at Edirne, Lüleburgaz, and of course at Uzunköprü which means "long bridge".
 * An even longer bridge soars across the Dardanelles above Gelibolu, an amazing 3.563 km span opened in March 2022.
 * Mosques are the main legacy of early Ottoman times, since they've been maintained against earth tremors and land developers. The best are by the 16th century Sinan, and Edirne has the best of the best.
 * War Memorials of 1915 for the Allies and the Turks are at the south end of Gallipoli peninsula around Eceabat.
 * Tumuli are ancient burial mounds for kings and nobles, little man-made hills all over the region, especially near Vize.
 * Dolmens and menhirs are Stone Age. There's a scattering north of Edirne around Lalapaşa and Süleoğlu.
 * Caves: Dupnisa Cave is richly decorated with dripstone and full of bats; it's in the mountains between Demirköy and Kırklareli. Kıyıköy has a monastery carved out of the bedrock, and Saray has caverns etched out by rivers.

Do

 * Wine-tasting in autumn as the new vintage is produced - Şarköy District has the most vineyards. You can do it yourself, producers often accept walk-in wine-tasters for a token fee or purchase, and tour companies in Istanbul offer day-trips.
 * Scuba diving: the Gulf of Saros, reached via Keşan, has the clearest waters and the best wildlife. The First World War shipwrecks have long been off-limits, but in Oct 2021 the Gallipoli Historic Underwater Park (Gelibolu Tarihi Sualtı Parkı) opened to supervised recreational diving. That came too late in the season for dive operators to get started, so locations and facilities are not yet established.
 * Oil-wrestling (yağlı güreş) is practised all over Turkey, but the national competition is held in Edirne in June. Wrestlers coat themselves in olive oil then try to grapple their slippery opponent to the ground.
 * Düğün is a traditional village wedding feast: everyone's invited, and so are you if you happen by.
 * The Sultan's Trail is a 2500-km hiking and cycling trail between Istanbul and Vienna, retracing the steps of Suleiman the Magnificent on his campaign upon the Habsburg capital. It follows the foothills of the Istranca Mountains in the north of the region. On the ground, it is not marked, but the GPS tracks are available through its website.
 * Observe the centenary of the Turkish Republic on 29 Oct 2023. Events will be nationwide; the programme has not yet been announced but given its place in the nation's history, the Gallipoli and Çanakkale area is sure to feature prominently.

Eat
It'll help if you like Turkish food. Few outsiders have settled in Thrace and few western tourists visit, so you don't find the range of cuisines of Istanbul or the big Med resorts. All the towns have a cafe strip, usually near the bus station, with quality much-of-a-muchness. Most serve beer, wine or rakı but the sign Alkolsüz means they don't.

Köfte are meat-balls, and Tekirdağ and Uzunköprü have their own versions of these.

Ciğer is fried liver. It's an Edirne specialty and ferociously peppery.

Fish and other seafood is popular in the coastal towns - including shrimp, but it's probably been shipped in from some place like Indonesia. Freshwater fish such as trout (alabalık) are farmed around Enez, Vize and Saray.

Desserts: Tekirdağ has some gloochy specialty desserts. Ice-cream is enjoyed everywhere, and there's a renowned ice-cream shop at Necatiye, by the D100 turn-off beyond Babaeski.

Drink
Wine: Turkey doesn't have geographical designations, but produces from various grapes, mostly red. Vineyards are in the hills facing the Marmara coast, especially in Şarköy District, see individual towns for some you can visit. Many will accept individual visitors so long as you look like a genuine customer. You can also take an organised wine tour, following the Thracian Vineyard Route: these might visit Vino Dessera near Kırklareli, Arcadia and Chamlija near Lüleburgaz, Chateau Nuzun near Marmara Ereğlisi, Barel, Barbare and Umurbey near Tekirdağ, Melen and Kalpak in Şarköy District and Suvla near Eceabat.

Rakı is Turkey's national drink, the aniseed-flavoured spirit similar to anise, ouzo, sambuca and arak. Traditionally much was made in Tekirdağ, though production has relocated to Alaşehir 140 km east of Izmir. It's made from raisins or grapes, or less often from figs, beet sugar or other sources, and the first distillation creates a very strong spirit called suma. This is mixed with aniseed and water, re-distilled, re-diluted then matured for 30 days. It's sold at 40% abv strength and always drunk in a long glass mixed with water, which turns it cloudy. It's nice with appetisers, meze or seafood.

Stay safe
Beware traffic even on back country lanes, and safeguard valuables.

The seas are not tidal, but may have stiff currents. Swimming across the Dardanelles is only for endurance athletes with suitable back-up and coastguard clearance, it's not a Sunday afternoon lark.

Go next

 * East is the seething, maddening and unmissable metropolis of Istanbul.
 * Southeast across the Dardanelles straits brings you to Southern Marmara region and ancient Troy — Istanbul to Izmir describes a set of itineraries leading down to Izmir.
 * West you enter either Greece or Bulgaria — see "Talk" above to decode the highway signs.

title: Eastern Thrace


text:
Eastern Townships

The Eastern Townships (in French, Cantons de l'Est) is a region of Quebec that offers ski slopes and trails, lakeside cottages, historic villages, Quebec's wine route, microbreweries, and excellent food tourism opportunities.

ait is nestled between northern Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Settled by Loyalists fleeing the United States during and after the Revolutionary War in the 18th century, the Townships share a climate and architectural and cultural heritage with much of New England. The region also got a lot of Irish immigration in the 19th century.

Cities

 * — summer resort town at the head of Lake Massawippi
 * — tourist town with alpine and backcountry skiing, mountain biking,multifunctional trails and international horse shows, 45 minutes from Montreal.
 * — an industrial town focused on textiles
 * — known for its wineries
 * — ziplines and a book festival, but not at the same time
 * — known for its zoo
 * — nice village that caters to tourists; it is also a major cottage destination for Montrealers
 * — charming town at the head of Lake Memphremagog
 * — the true treasure of the Eastern Townships, a popular summer destination that is not to be missed
 * — Historic town on the St. François River
 * — university town and unofficial capital of the region
 * — historic treasure; today a thriving border town
 * — a charming village with excellent year round outdoor activities and a strong artistic community

Other destinations

 * — a small village on the Maine-Québec border, surrounded by mountains and two provincial parks

Understand
The region comprises counties that had been divided into townships after the traditional method of land grants of the original New England and New York settlers. Earlier French settlement along the St Lawrence River had divided the landscape into parishes and seigneuries. The tourist region now covers most of the region. The administrative region, officially called Estrie, is slightly smaller. The principal cities are Sherbrooke, Granby, Magog, and Cowansville.

The towns of Drummondville, Victoriaville, and Thetford Mines are part of the historical region. The region has summer colonies used by vacationing Montrealers and several ski resorts, including Mount Orford, Ski Bromont, Mount Sutton, and Owl's Head.

History
The first inhabitants of the region were the Abenaki First Nations. The names of many towns, lakes and rivers of the area are of Abenaki origin.

The region was part of New France until the 1763 Treaty of Paris which granted the region to the British. Shortly after the American Revolution, a few United Empire Loyalists, who fled the revolution in order to stay loyal to the British Crown, settled in the Eastern Townships. Most of the immigration from New England, however, happened in the early 19th century, thirty or so years after the Revolution. Most were farmers seeking new lands, something the townships had to offer.

English-speaking inhabitants remained a majority in the Townships until the 1870s. Today the region is heavily Francophone, with the notable exception of Lennoxville, which is about evenly divided between English and French speakers. It hosts the region's only English-speaking university, Bishop's University and the only English-language junior college, Champlain College - Lennoxville.

Tourist information

 * Eastern Townships Tourism- website

Talk
This has been one of the main English-speaking regions of Quebec, but French has always been spoken here and today it is the predominant language. Young people may be bilingual in French and English, though very few people over the age of 40 are fluent in English.

Get in
There is a minor airport just east of Sherbrooke, the Aéroport de Sherbrooke, with no scheduled flights. Montreal's Trudeau International Airport is the main airport for the region.

There is no train service to the Eastern Townships. The nearest access is through Montreal, or at Drummondville's VIA Rail station.

Limocar offers bus service from Montreal to Sherbrooke via Magog. La Québécoise has service to Sherbrooke from Victoriaville and Quebec City.

By car, Autoroute 10 is the fastest way from Montreal and the new Autoroute 30 provides a link to Ottawa, while Americans coming from Vermont will want to take Interstate 89 or 91. Access from Quebec City, the Mauricie, and the Centre-du-Québec regions is done via Autoroute 55.

Get around
The easiest way to get around the Eastern Townships is by car. Bus services exist from Montreal to most towns and villages (such as Granby, Sherbrooke, Magog and Sutton) but it can be difficult to get from one village to another without private transport. The only rail service is a tourist train, the Orford Express dinner train between Magog and Sherbrooke, which moves very slowly as the track is in poor condition.

Automobile travel in summer is generally easy, you may want a car with air conditioning as the Québec summers can be on the hot and humid side. In the wintertime, any vehicle registered in the province must have winter tires between December 15 and March 15. Vehicles registered outside of Québec do not need to follow this law, but winter tires are a very good idea when driving anywhere in Québec during the winter season. See winter driving for discussion. Autoroutes and major roadways are fully cleared by snowploughs relatively quickly, but back roads, side streets, alleys and other ways may be maintained poorly. Temperatures trend much lower than other regions south of the Townships, and frequent snowfalls mean a very high average seasonal snowfall when compared to, for example, southern New England.

See
Granby Zoo, which includes a water park and an amusement park, is home to nearly 1,500 animals from over 225 different species, among which are elephants, giraffes, gorillas, and tigers.

The Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Stanstead is an international library: a black line across the floor denotes the border between Canada and the U.S. that runs through the library. The opera has most of its audience seats on the American side, and the stage is on the Canadian side.

The Sherbrooke Museum of Fine Arts (Musee des Beaux Arts) displays works of universal value and local flavor, focusing on the works of artists of the Eastern Townships.

Do
Yamaska National Park near Granby, is a provincial park that protects a vast humid zone around the Choinière reservoir; it is sought out for its forest, beach, walking and biking paths, and boating; it is considered an important bird sanctuary. Boats, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, bikes, etc., available for rent.

The Bromont Ski Area near Bromont is a year-round recreational area with skiing, evening skiing, water park, mountain biking and multiuse trails. The largest lit skiable area in North America. The summer waterpark offers a heated wave pool, kilometres of water slides, and mountain alpine luges. The largest mountain biking area in Eastern Canada. Close to 40 km of multiuse trails for hiking, trail running, enduro or cross-country.

Mont Sutton has downhill skiing and snowboarding, and beautiful glade skiing at Quebec's third largest snow resort.

Cross country ski and snowshoe enthusiasts are well catered for at Plein air Sutton, half-way between Sutton village and the mountain.

Go next

 * Montreal

title: Eastern Townships


text:
Eastern Uganda

Eastern Uganda is a region of Uganda.

Cities

 * - the source of the Nile
 * - border town.
 * Lumino
 * Iganga
 * Bugiri
 * Kumi
 * Namayingo
 * Palisa
 * Budaka
 * Mayuge
 * Palisa
 * Budaka
 * Mayuge

title: Eastern Uganda


text:
Eastern Ukraine

Eastern Ukraine (Ukrainian: Східна Україна) is the industrial coal-mining region of Ukraine, home to much of the country's ethnic Russian population.

Regions

 * Dnieper Ukraine (Приднепровье, Наддніпрянщина) — Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the northern part of Kherson Oblast, and the middle and north part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast
 * Donbass region — Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, disputed as of October 2022
 * Pryazovia — Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the southern part of Donetsk Oblast, and the eastern part of Kherson Oblast
 * Sloboda Ukraine (Слобожанщина,Слобідська Україна) — Kharkiv Oblast, parts of the Sumy Oblast, Donetsk Oblast, and Luhansk Oblast

Cities

 * – The center of Dnipropetrovsk region, part of the Dnieper Ukraine area
 * – former capital of Donetsk Oblast, primarily known for its plant for the production of sparkling wine bottles the classic way
 * – A spa therapy resort
 * – Major industrial hub on the shores of the impressive Kamianske Reservoir
 * – The second most populous city in Ukraine and its first capital. In Sloboda Ukraine area
 * – A major industrial center, in Dnieper Ukraine region
 * – former capital of Luhansk Oblast
 * – a major urban and industrial hub of the Donetsk coal basin area
 * – A major industrial center, climatic and mud resort. Part of the Pryazovia area
 * — a base for visiting the coast
 * – The center of the West Donbass coal basin
 * – has a significant chemical production centre
 * – Center of Zaporizhzhia region, part of the Dnieper Ukraine area

Talk
Although Ukrainian is the sole official language throughout Ukraine, most residents of Eastern Ukraine speak Russian as their native language.

See
In Dnieper Ukraine, visit Dneproges in Zaporizhzhia. It was the first power station on the Dnieper, the flagship of the electrification plan, and the energy base of the Zaporozhye industrial complex. You can also here find Khortitsa island.

The longest promenade in Europe is in Dnipro.

In Donbass, the (Дружковские окаменевшие деревья) near Kramatorsk, are a geological monument: petrified trees outcrop of the Carboniferous period.

The mining and heaps throughout the region create a distinctive industrial landscape.

Do
The has five major hiking routes, and guided excursions are available, along with shorter hiking routes that access historical and cultural monuments.

The has many archaeological, natural, historical, and recreational sites. It is in the northern part of the Donetsk region.

Stay safe
See the warning box at the top of the Ukraine article, and consult your foreign affairs ministry.

title: Eastern Ukraine


text:
Eastern Virginia

Eastern Virginia is an often-visited area of Virginia, bordered on the west by the Fall Line, and on the east by the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. It is best known for its beaches and colonial history.

Regions
Eastern Virginia is mainly comprised of peninsulas - three divided by rivers on the mainland, and the Eastern Shore, which is separated from the rest of the state by the Chesapeake Bay.

Cities

 * (town)
 * (town)
 * (Gloucester Courthouse article covers Gloucester County)

Other destinations

 * - the "living history museum" in the historic district of the town of Williamsburg that recreates Virginia's 18th century capital as it appeared preceding and during the American Revolution.
 * - the "living history museum" in the historic district of the town of Williamsburg that recreates Virginia's 18th century capital as it appeared preceding and during the American Revolution.
 * - the "living history museum" in the historic district of the town of Williamsburg that recreates Virginia's 18th century capital as it appeared preceding and during the American Revolution.

Understand
Eastern Virginia was the first part of the state to be settled, beginning with Jamestown in 1607. The region is home to Virginia's historic triangle, which includes Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown, site of the decisive battle of the American Revolution.

Eastern Virginia contains several of Virginia's largest cities and most-visited tourist attractions. Besides the historic parks listed above, Virginia Beach, Busch Gardens, and the museums in Hampton and Newport News draw large crowds.

Talk
Most residents of Eastern Virginia speak only English. On Tangier Island, located in the Chesapeake Bay, the local dialect is one of the few still influenced by Elizabethan English. Agriculture on the Eastern Shore also brings in a migrant population, for whom Spanish is generally the first language.

Get in

 * Norfolk International Airport
 * Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport
 * Amtrak services Williamsburg, Newport News and Norfolk
 * Interstate 95 from the north or south
 * Interstate 64 from the west

Get around

 * Interstate 95 borders the region, running north and south.
 * Interstate 64 runs through the area east and west.
 * The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel connects the Eastern Shore to the rest of the state.

See

 * Jamestown Settlement, a living history museum recreating the first permanent English settlement in the New World.
 * Yorktown Battlefield, site of the surrender of General Cornwallis, marking the end of the American Revolution.
 * Tobacco Plantations, along the James River on John Tyler Highway (VA 5).
 * Virginia Air and Space Center, Hampton
 * Mariner's Museum, Newport News
 * Virginia Marine Science Museum, Virginia Beach

Do

 * Virginia Beach
 * Busch Gardens, Williamsburg. The beer company's original theme park.
 * Chincoteague Oyster Festival Held in October, a ticket gets you all-you-can eat oysters and other seafood done in a variety of ways.

Eat

 * Chesapeake Bay Crabs While not as iconic as their Maryland cousins, they're from the same body of water. Buy a bushel and make a meal of it with some fresh local corn and tomatoes.
 * Peanuts and Pork, Surrey and Smithfield. Just a ferry ride away from Williamsburg, you can find a town that celebrates its local favorites with dishes like Peanut Soup. Peanuts also feed the local pigs, qualifying them for 'Smithfield Ham' status.

Stay safe
Over the years, the driving in the area has been deemed as horrible.

Go next

 * Washington, D.C.
 * Maryland
 * North Carolina

title: Eastern Virginia


text:
Eastern Visayas

Eastern Visayas is one of the three administrative regions in the Visayas group of islands, and is designated Region VIII out of the 17 regions of the entire Philippines.

Wikivoyage divides the Visayas up without using the administrative regions; see the Visayas article for details.

The region is a destination for marine adventures like scuba diving, snorkeling and surfing. At the southern end of Leyte island, Sogod Bay boasts of a massive underwater coral gardens ideal for scuba diving and snorkeling. The smaller island of Biliran is popular to beachcombers with its pristine white sand beaches.

For geological wonders, along its shores at the northern part of Samar island are towering rock formations in Biri and Capul, Northern Samar, and in the Leyte Gulf side of Marabut, Samar. There are volcanic lakes located in the various islands of the region, most notable of which is Lake Danao in Ormoc City.

For road trips, the three major islands of the region are each encircled by a coastal highway. Countryside driving can be a relaxing experience with views of the ocean and seas atop the mountains of Samar. San Juanico Bridge connects Leyte and Samar islands between Tacloban City and Sta. Rita, Samar. Biliran Bridge connects Leyte and Biliran islands.

Historical sites such as Homonhon and Limasawa islands, two of the stops Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan made during the first recorded voyage around the world, are located in the region. Homonhon Island is at the southern end of Samar Island while Limasawa Island is at the southern end of Leyte Island.

The region is home of the Pintados and Sangyaw festivals. On the month of June each year, Pintados and Sangyaw festivals are held in the region's capital Tacloban City. These festivals are the region's biggest crowd drawing events coinciding with the religious festivities of Tacloban City honoring Señor Sto. Niño, the Patron Saint of Tacloban. Other smaller festivals and festivities are held in every town annually at different dates.

Provinces
The region includes the large islands of Leyte and Samar, the medium-size island of Biliran between them, and a number of small islands nearby. It is divided into six provinces as follows: On Leyte Island: On Samar Island: On its own island:
 * Leyte
 * Southern Leyte
 * Eastern Samar
 * Northern Samar
 * Samar (Western Samar)
 * Biliran

Cities

 * – capital of Leyte province and regional center
 * – in Leyte province
 * – capital of Eastern Samar province
 * – in Samar Province
 * – capital of Samar province
 * – capital of Southern Leyte province
 * – in Leyte Province

Understand
The city of Tacloban is the educational, cultural, commercial and trade center of the region while the neighboring town of Palo, Leyte is where most agencies of the national government is located. Hence, it is the government center for Eastern Visayas region.

Waray people are perceived to be difficult and brave. Although this may be true in some instances, the Warays are just like other ordinary Filipinos who share the same level of hospitality. This perception was rooted to the heroism and gallantry of local folks in many battles fought during World War I and II.

Talk
The main local languages of the region are Cebuano and Waray, with Waray predominating on Samar Island and northern Leyte, and Cebuano predominating elsewhere. The two languages are related members of the Visayan language group, but are not mutually intelligible. Tagalog is also quite widely spoken since it is an official language and used in schools, but it is not indigenous to the this region. It is also related, but more distantly.

As anywhere in the country, English is common but the level varies enormously and is generally better in the cities and among the educated classes.

As anywhere, many Filipinos speak multiple languages. You should not be surprised, for example, to meet someone whose native language is Waray but who can also speak Cebuano, Tagalog and English, perhaps plus one or two foreign languages picked up during stints as an overseas contract worker.

By air
Tacloban City is the jump-off point of the region. Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Air Asia serve the city from Manila and Cebu daily. Other secondary routes served by local airlines from Manila are Catarman Airport, Calbayog Airport and Ormoc Airport

By land
All cities and capital towns in the region are accessible by bus from Manila, Cebu, Davao. The biggest regional terminal is at Tacloban City where buses and vans have direct connection to all cities and provincial capitals in the region. The five major seaports (ferry terminal) of entry to the region is at Silago, Southern Leyte for buses coming from the island of Mindanao, Bato, Leyte for buses coming from island of Bohol, Palompon, Leyte for buses from Cebu, and the two ferry terminals at Allen, Northern Samar for buses coming from Luzon island. The islands of Leyte, Samar and Biliran are interconnected by bridges with the beautiful San Juanico Bridge connecting Leyte and Samar islands.

By sea
For scheduled passenger ferries, Ormoc City is the main entry point from the province of Cebu while the town of Bato, Leyte is the entry port from the island of Bohol. The town of Palompon is the seaport for scheduled passenger vessels from Manila and Mindanao.

Get around
Bridges connect Leyte Island to both Samar Island and Biliran Island.

 * Buses and vans connect Tacloban City to all other capital cities and towns within the region. From the provincial capitals, mini buses and jeepneys connect the capital city or town to all outlying towns belonging to each province. In some instances within a province, jeepneys and vans connect two major neighboring towns.
 * There are available vans for hire going to every destination in the region. In most cases, in rural towns, motorbike for hire is the common form of transportation from the town proper to the inner barangays or villages.
 * The entire region is encircled by a coastal road from end to end since most of the towns are in coastal areas. Very few inner towns can be located at the central part of each island.

See

 * San Juanico Bridge - the longest bridge in the Philippines, constructed in the 70s.
 * Agas-agas Bridge - the highest bridge in the Philippines.
 * McArthur Landing Park - World War II memorial park dedicated to General Douglas McArthur of the United States Armed Forces.
 * Coral gardens at Sogod Bay
 * Canigao Island
 * Calicoan Island surfing
 * Pinipisakan Falls

Itineraries
Fly to Catarman, Northern Samar Proceed to Laoang, Northern Samar for white beaches or Proceed to Biri island Then proceed to Allen, Northern Samar Proceed to Calbayog all the way to Catbalogan Either proceed to Borongan going to Calicoan or Go straight to Tacloban from Catbalogan Go to Ormoc, proceed to Maasin Proceed to Sogod Bay, then to Silago Return to Tacloban and fly out

Do

 * Scuba dive and snorkel at Sogod Bay.
 * Surf at Calicoan Island where international surfing competition is held every year.
 * Visit the historical Homonhon Island, where Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, as commissioned by Spain, first set foot on Philippine soil in the year 1521.
 * McArthur Park in Palo, Leyte, where General Douglas McArthur made his landing, liberating the Philippines from the Japanese invasion during World War II.
 * Take a dip at Danao Lake in Ormoc City.
 * Explore the breath-taking Biri island
 * See the magnificent Rock formations in Marabut, Eastern Samar.
 * Experience countryside setting of the region on a road trip along its coastal road encircling around the region from east to west and north to south.
 * Explore the many lakes and waterfalls which are aplenty in the region.
 * Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival (June 29-30)

Eat

 * Binagol, the native sweet delicacy indigenous to the town of Dagami, Leyte sold in the sidewalk of Tacloban City.
 * Moron, the rice chocolate delicacy also indigenous to Dagami, Leyte but now made everywhere in the region.

Drink

 * Tuba, a local wine made from coconut sap with coloring mixture from mangrove bark.

Sleep
Bigger hotels can be found in the cities of Tacloban, Ormoc and Calbayog. Leyte Park Hotel & Resort in Tacloban City is the region's biggest hotel; it overlooks San Pedro Bay. Beach resorts can be found in outlying coastal towns; one well-known one is Calicoan Surf Camp at Calicoan Island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar.

See the province and city articles for details.

Stay safe
The Eastern Visayas is among the highest risk areas in the country for typhoons; this is where most storms coming in off the Pacific make landfall. Travellers should check weather reports regularly and either take precautions or, even better, get out of the area when a storm is expected.

The Eastern Visayas were hit extremely hard by Typhoon Haiyan, one of the largest tropical storms on record, in November 2013. Thousands were killed and whole towns flattened. Cleanup and rebuilding were almost done when they were hit again by another big storm, Typhoon Ruby, in December 2014.

For tourists traveling to outlying towns and interior villages, it is advisable to register with the Municipal Tourism Officer at the town hall.

Go next
Ferry and bus trip to:
 * Cebu at Ormoc City Pier
 * Matnog at Allen Ferry Terminal
 * Mindanao at Silago Ferry Terminal
 * Bohol at Bato Pier
 * Masbate at Palompon Pier

title: Eastern Visayas


text:
Eastern Zambia

The Luangwa Valley, largely covered by the Eastern Province of Zambia is, arguably, the least developed. Some say this is because it's simply the most inaccessible. However, the Luangwa Valley is notorious for failing to support former President Frederick Chiluba in either of his bids for office. Therefore, some interpret underdevelopment as a kind of punishment.

Nevertheless, Eastern Province retains one of Zambia's most precious resources — South Luangwa National Park. Possibly the best game park in Africa, South Luangwa boasts four of the Big Five (sorry, Zambia's only rhino are in Livingstone) coupled with extremely low tourist traffic (due, in large measure, to its inaccessibility). No other game park in Africa can match this combination.

Cities

 * — the provincial capital
 * — small rural town famous for its castle
 * — famous for its rice and how difficult it is to get in
 * — the gateway to South Luangwa National Park

Talk
Nyanja is the language most spoken in the Eastern Province, although Tumbuka, Chewa, Senga are also popular.

Actually, Nyanja is a variant of Chewa. The Chewa people in Eastern Zambia are referred to as "Nyanja" speaking because when they arrived in Eastern Zambia they commonly used the praise term "Ife a ku Nyanja", meaning "We people of the lake". Nyanja is a Chewa word for lake. Before the Chewa people settled in Eastern Zambia, they passed through modern day Malawi along the shores of lake Malawi. Their fascination with this big body of water made them continue to refer to it long after they had left it behind.

By taxi
Chipata is roughly 12 km from the border of Malawi along Lusaka Road. Taxis taken from the Malawian side can take you to Malawi customs, but you'll have to change once on the Zambian side.

Do

 * Tikondane Community Center: a community center run by and for the people in Katete. It has a community school and an adult education program. Tour the permaculture garden, take a weaving class, learn to play traditional drums, watch a traditional women's dance (interpretive dance/storytelling to teach young women coming of age) on Fridays

Eat

 * Nshima - staple food of the people of Zambia. Maize meal mad into a stiff kind of dough, much like polenta. It is eaten with vegetable, sauce and maybe meat.
 * Groundnuts - peanuts! Very good.
 * Kapenta - tiny dried fish, an acquired taste.
 * Maheu or mageu - a type of drink made with maize, very sweet and calorific.

title: Eastern Zambia


text:
East Estonia

East Estonia or Ida-Viru county is in north-eastern Estonia, on the border with Russia. This region includes the far east of Estonia between the shores of the Baltic Sea and Lake Peipsi. There is the city of Narva which houses several monuments including the castle of Hermann which faces the Russian border. There are relatively few historic sights here, but, unusually for Estonia, there are many Soviet architectural and industrial remains in varying degrees of abandonment.

Cities

 * – Estonia's eastern-most and third largest city, on the Narva River, which is the border with Russia. Famous for the Hermann castle, right opposite of the Ivangorod's castle, and the Kreenholm factories. Even though it might seem grey and dull.

 * – The capital of the county, but rather uninteresting from a travellers point of view.
 * – Famous for the Kiviõli ash hills, created by the oil shale industry, that rise to 138 m and 135 m — among the highest artificial mountains in the Baltics.
 * – A large concentration of industrial settlements with Soviet architecture, and inter-war architecture of the independent Estonia. Also, a quite unique Orthodox church of the 1930s, in the style of Cubism, and a shale mine and museum in the nearby Kukruse village.
 * – Contains the famous Pukhitsa convent/nunnery, the only Orthodox monastery in the whole of Estonia.
 * – A cozy fishing village at Lake Peipsi.
 * – The beach side town on the Narva River near Narva.
 * – A poor but now recovering town with an interesting artificial mountain made of ash from its oil shale power plant, which has been depositing ash in the location since the 1930s.
 * – A beautiful coastal town in the east and formerly closed city with the best ensemble of Stalinist architecture in the entire Baltics. Built after the war with an uranium processing plant, successfully redesigned after Estonia's independence.
 * – A small coastal and historic resort town.

Other destinations

 * – Estonia's newest national park

Understand
East Estonia corresponds to the Ida-Viru county. This region includes the far eastern Estonia between the shores of the Baltic Sea and Lake Peipsi. Ethnic Russians make up 71% of the population and Estonians 20%.

Geography
Lake Peipsi is located between Russia and Estonia, and the fourth largest lake in Europe. It is nice for swimming at the beautiful dune beaches on its northern side. The rest of the lake is mostly a swamp. The tourism of the lake's northern side is relatively developed – free campsites, very well maintained, and overlooking the beach. On weekends in summer, many Estonians put up their campsites around the lake.

By bus
From Tallinn, the region is a little over an hour by car, and 2-3 hr by bus or train. Buses from Tallinn to Narva go on average every hour and usually make intermediate stops in Kohtla-Järve, Jõhvi, Sillamäe.

Travelling from Saint Petersburg, this will be the first region of Estonia you will arrive in.

By train
Trains are infrequent – between Tallinn and Narva the trains run twice a day, making stops in Kiviõli, Püssi, Jõhvi and at Kohtla-Nõmme station.

Get around
Bus and train schedules are easily available online – read more under Estonia.

By bus
Most villages, towns and cities are connected by regular bus services. Smaller places are often only served in the morning or noon, and late afternoon (17:00-18:00). Cities generally have buses up to 21:00. Make sure that you do not miss the last bus.

By train
A train line is available between Narva and Tallinn.

Landscape

 * The Valaste Waterfall in Kohtla-Järve along the Ontika cliff around 10 km north from Jõhvi. The Valaste waterfall is most impressive in early spring; then, the winter snow is melting and volume of cascading water is greatest. During winter the waterfall freezes and forms fairy-tale like ice sculptures.

History and museums

 * The Shale mines and museum in Kohtla-Järve has an interesting exhibition about the origin of the oil shale, the history of its extraction and its modern use.
 * The Ash Mountain near Kiviõli is the highest ash mountain in the Baltic. The ash is from a oil shale power plant, which has been depositing ash here since the 1930s. Nowadays, the mountain is used for motocross.
 * The grave of Kalevipoeg, 7 km south of Kuremäe: the legendary hero of the Estonian epic poetry fought somewhere in these local forests. Thee actual grave is probably lost forever, so a symbolic stone has been placed.

Castles and manors

 * There are several castles and manors near Kiviõli. Purtse Castle, built in 1421, has been fully restored. Maidla Manor was erected between 1764-1767. Erra Manor was built in 1547, but only ruins remain. Püssi Manor has a small museum dedicated to the history of its educational background.
 * South of Jõhvi, on the way to Tartu, you'll find Iluka Manor, a large and beautiful manor house of the late 19th-century with neo-Gothic elements, Pagari Manor, a pretty and preserved manor house mainly of wood, and Mäetaguse Manor, a classic manor house of the late 18th century turned into a country spa hotel.
 * Kukruse Manor and Järve Castle near Kohtla-Järve.

Do

 * Beaches and resort towns of the northern coast of Lake Peipus and at the Baltic Sea
 * The Aidu Water Sports Centre, south of Kiviõli, is a former shale quarry that has been transformed into an active recreation centre on the water, which includes a rowing channel for paid canoeing, independent rowing and diving.
 * Mäetaguse Manor Spa, 19 km south of Jõhvi, offers massages, body treatments, a spa area, saunas, disc golf, kick bikes and a children’s adventure track.
 * Explore Viivikonna, a near-ghost town southwest of Sillamäe.

Sleep
Accommodations in the region worth mentioning and outside of the above covered cities, towns, and parks:

Stay safe
The region is known for industrialisation, but also poverty, unemployment and abandoned properties, and a larger Russian population. Hence, keep track of your property, do not walk alone at night, and do not behave in any provocative way. Crime has increased slightly in the past.

Go next

 * North Estonia – Famous for the financial centre of the country, Tallinn, and the Lahemaa National Park.
 * South Estonia – Famous for the intellectual hub, ancient city and university town Tartu, and many picturesque town like Viljandi.
 * Russia – Organised boat trips without visa into Saint Petersburg for up to three days are possible.

title: East Estonia


text:
East Flanders

East Flanders is one of the five provinces of Flanders (Belgium). Its capital is Ghent. Four major rivers - Scheldt (Schelde), Leie, Dender and Durme - run through the province area and lend their name, fame and strength to the region.

Cities

 * — capital of the province with an impressive amount of medieval heritage and a numerous student population.
 * — famous for its carnival.
 * — the Nieuwdonk and Donkmeer lakes attract many people for recreational walks during the summer.
 * — mostly famous for its picturesque banks of the Lys river and the Ooidonk castle.
 * — centre of the regional horticulture.
 * — small town in the south of the province. Its location in the Flemish Ardennes makes it a great place for cycling.
 * — famous for having the largest market square in Belgium, its annual balloon festival and many great cycling opportunities in the surrounding region (Waasland); gateway to the famous ghost village of Doel, and the splendid Dutch fortified city of Hulst just across the NL border.
 * — a former heaven for artists, it has a few museums of regional painters.
 * - gateway to the hills of the Flemish Ardennes. Close ties with Lamoral, Count of Egmont: Egmont's castle, Egmont's museum, Egmont's crypt and two statues. Leeuwergem and Breivelde castles. Archaelogical Museum 'Archeocentrum Velzeke'. Cobble-stoned Paddestraat well-known from the Tour of Flanders.
 * — small town in the south of the province. Its location in the Flemish Ardennes makes it a great place for cycling.
 * — famous for having the largest market square in Belgium, its annual balloon festival and many great cycling opportunities in the surrounding region (Waasland); gateway to the famous ghost village of Doel, and the splendid Dutch fortified city of Hulst just across the NL border.
 * — a former heaven for artists, it has a few museums of regional painters.
 * - gateway to the hills of the Flemish Ardennes. Close ties with Lamoral, Count of Egmont: Egmont's castle, Egmont's museum, Egmont's crypt and two statues. Leeuwergem and Breivelde castles. Archaelogical Museum 'Archeocentrum Velzeke'. Cobble-stoned Paddestraat well-known from the Tour of Flanders.
 * - gateway to the hills of the Flemish Ardennes. Close ties with Lamoral, Count of Egmont: Egmont's castle, Egmont's museum, Egmont's crypt and two statues. Leeuwergem and Breivelde castles. Archaelogical Museum 'Archeocentrum Velzeke'. Cobble-stoned Paddestraat well-known from the Tour of Flanders.
 * - gateway to the hills of the Flemish Ardennes. Close ties with Lamoral, Count of Egmont: Egmont's castle, Egmont's museum, Egmont's crypt and two statues. Leeuwergem and Breivelde castles. Archaelogical Museum 'Archeocentrum Velzeke'. Cobble-stoned Paddestraat well-known from the Tour of Flanders.

Understand
Dutch is the language spoken in the province of East Flanders and it's the only official language in the province and the rest of Flanders, the local dialect is called "East Flemish". English is also spoken by most people.

Events
Aalst Carnaval is a three-day carnivalesque popular festival. Traditionally, on Sunday and Monday before Ash Wednesday the original carnival procession parades through the streets of Aalst.

Ronde Van Vlaanderen is the most important cycling race in Flanders of the year. The tour has its finish in Oudenaarde. In April.

Lokerse Feesten is a music festival in Lokeren in late July to early August.

Eat

 * Mattentaarten, a local speciality from the town of Geraardsbergen.

title: East Flanders


text:
East Frisia

East Frisia (German: Ostfriesland) is a region of Lower Saxony in Germany.

Cities

 * — a regional transportation hub with buses departing for the ferryports of several East Frisian islands
 * — ferry to Norderney and Juist
 * — named for the Prussian ruler, this city used to be Germany's most important military harbour
 * — ferry to Norderney and Juist
 * — named for the Prussian ruler, this city used to be Germany's most important military harbour
 * — named for the Prussian ruler, this city used to be Germany's most important military harbour
 * — named for the Prussian ruler, this city used to be Germany's most important military harbour

Other destinations

 * — the large national park area stretches along the North Sea coast of East Frisia and Elbe-Weser Triangle between Ems and Elbe river estuaries.
 * — the large national park area stretches along the North Sea coast of East Frisia and Elbe-Weser Triangle between Ems and Elbe river estuaries.

Understand
East Frisia has a very large per-capita average consumption of tea: 300L/person/year, according to the New York Times. East Frisia is part of the historical homeland of the Frisians, which continues West into the Netherlands and North into Schleswig Holstein, where it is called North Frisia. While Frisian culture - especially their consumption of tea which is traditionally sweetened with rock sugar - is still alive and well in parts of East Frisia, it and especially the Frisian language has come under threat of assimilation since the late 19th century. East Frisia is largely a rural area and apart from the coastal destinations there is little of interest to most visitors, however the beaches and islands do draw millions of tourists (mostly Germans) every summer. East Frisia is also notable within Germany for Ostfriesenwitze ethnic jokes about East Frisians who are supposedly dimwitted and hillbilly-like.

By train
There is direct Intercity service from Central and even Southern Germany to Norddeich Mole during the summer with connections to the boats to the Juist and Norderney. Emden is also a stop for direct Intercity trains. The other ports and major cities are not as well connected and sometimes a short stretch by bus (integrated with the railway ticket) may be needed to get you to the boat.

By plane
Some of the East Frisian islands as well as some of the cities in the region have small airfields with domestic flights as well as general aviation. Unless you are in Germany already, they will be of little use to you and you might instead fly into Bremen or Hamburg and take the train from there.

By bus
Flixbus serves a few points in this region

By boat
Most of the East Frisian islands are only reachable by "their" port by regularly scheduled public boats. As the waters are rather shallow, they can only leave at high tide, so check in advance when the boats leave to avoid sitting at the harbor for hours.

See

 * East Frisian Tea Museum Norden Norddeich provides seminars and tastings in addition to exhibits.

Drink
While coffee dominates the surrounding regions, East Frisia has a strong tea culture with some of the highest tea consumption rates in the world. Tea here is drunk with rock candies and with cream on top. Tea is an important part of the region's identity. There are annual tea festivals, and even a tea museum in Norden.

Go next

 * Oldambt — the region just across the Dutch border, including 'windmill city' Winschoten

title: East Frisia