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Nazca

Nazca or Nasca is a town in Peru's Southern Coast region. It is most famous for the Nazca Lines, a collection of long lines, geometrical figures, and giant drawings in the desert sand that have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Understand

Nasca is a Quechua word meaning "pain" or "suffering". The area was so-named because of the lack of water. The name became "Nazca" under the Spanish, but has now reverted to "Nasca" in official and common use. (The z-spelling is still most commonly used in English.)

Today's Nazca town is on the site of where the ancient Nazca civilization was based after the fall of its first capital, Cahuachi, around AD 400. It has an exotic, dusty, desert setting but holds little enchantment. It can provide between a few hours' and a few days' entertainment depending on one's interest in the ancient Nazca people.

The ancient Nazca people
For much of their history, the Nazca people were based in the Ceremonial City of Cahuachi, an ancient pilgrimage center 28 km southwest of modern Nazca. The society emerged around 100 BC and was active until around AD 750. Its influence stretched from Cañete in the north to Acari in the south. The lower section of the Nazca Valley was likely chosen to situate Cahuachi due to its abundant underground water, which allowed extensive irrigation for improved agriculture.

This civilization was responsible for the famous Nazca lines, giant representations of animals and other designs that are also seen on Nazca pottery and textiles found at Cahuachi. Discovered pottery fragments also suggest that the Nazca people gathered in the desert to perform religious ceremonies, with objects being smashed as offerings to the gods in the sky. The fragments found in the desert among the Nazca Lines are mainly pieces of panpipes and whistles, suggesting the importance of music in the religious rites.

A series of natural disasters, climatic and tectonic, began to undermine the civilization around AD 350. An earthquake destroyed the capital, Cahuachi, in around AD 400, leaving the society to limp into oblivion for next few centuries from its new base in what would become modern Nazca.

Discovery of Nazca culture
Nazca culture first aroused academic interest through its pottery. In the 1890s, archaeologist Max Uhle was studying ceramic samples at the Anthropologisch-Ethnografische Museum in Dresden. The consignment contained many works from South America, including some striking and colourful work from the Nazca people. In 1901 he travelled to Peru to examine their origins. After months of searching he arrived at the Valley of Ica at a place called Ocucaje, where he met farmers who told him about the ancient cemeteries where these colourful ceramics were frequently found. Uhle excavated the sites and found Nazca ceramics at many of them. His work introduced Nazca culture to the wider world.

Discovery of the Nazca lines
The Nazca Lines were first spotted when Faucette, an early Peruvian airline, began flying from Lima to Arequipa in the 1920s. The pilots noticed lines criss-crossing the desert between the valleys of Palpa and Nazca.

The pilots' discoveries led Toribio Mejia Xesspe, an archaeologist, to come to Nazca in 1926. His research arrived at the conclusion that the lines were part of ancient sacred roads. Xesspe never flew over the area and so only saw straight lines; he missed the figures.

A more worthy discovery of the lines was made in 1939 by Paul Kosok of Long Island University. Kosok came to Nazca to study the ancient irrigation systems, the puquios (see below). He surveyed the channels and noted that over 50 of the underground aqueducts were still being used. He was told of other, even older, ancient channels and so set out to the Nazca desert but found only long, shallow furrows. He thought that perhaps these other ancient channels were very far away and so hired a small crop-dusting aircraft to go and find them. On the flight he saw hundreds of lines and geometrical forms in the desert. He later recalled asking the pilot to follow one particular line and being somewhat surprised at it leading to a bird! Kosok later met Maria Reiche, who then devoted her life to studying and preserving the lines.

Nazca channels or puquios
After the fall of Cahuachi, the Nazca people still achieved some notable, though oft overlooked feats. An extensive series of underground channels, the puquios (a Quechua word to describe a natural spring), are one of the greatest legacies of the Nazca culture. This underground system is unique in South America, and perhaps the world, because of its very intricate construction. Over 50 underground channels were built over one hundred years starring in AD 400; many of them are still in use. Some of the best preserved channels are at Cantalloc, also known as Cantayo, where visitors can see a series of spiral blow holes, which were probably used to allow cleaning of the channels' interiors and also to restore them after earthquakes.

Nazca ceramics
The cemeteries along the Nazca River contained the colourful ceramic works that first drew attention to the Nazca people. The high-quality work on vessels shows realistic and complex depictions of the ancient Nazca world: everyday life, animals, plants, fruits, birds, insects and gods are all represented. Vessels showing stylized creatures, including zoomorphic and anthropomorphic designs, sometimes contain over ten colours. Bridge-handle bottles with two landfills are the most common find, but spherical pots were also produced, as well as cups and glasses. The best examples of Nazca ceramics are in museums, such as the Museo Arqueologico Antonini in Nazca, the Anthropological and Archaeological Museum in Lima, the Regional Museum of Ica, and many others in Peru and around the world.

Nazca textiles
The Nazca people's belief in life after death led to mummification of their corpses. The shrouds wrapping the dead were fine textiles, which still retain their quality and colours. The Nazca people, like many other pre-Inca peoples, believed textiles to be spiritually important, leading their textiles to be skillfully produced and depicting sophisticated artistic scenes on fabrics of cotton and the fibre of Andean camels.

Samples from the ancient capital of Cahcuachi can be seen at the Museo Arqueologico Antonini in Nazca.

Get in
There are frequent collectivos (small buses) to and from Ica. They leave when full, it takes 2-3 hr and cost S/13 (soles).

Since 2022 that Palpa bridge is under constructions causing very often more than 1h delay the road connection with Nazca.

There are several direct overnight buses from Cusco (14 hours) and Arequipa (9 hr). Delays can occur in the wet season. Prices vary between S/60 and 170.

There are also buses from Lima (Cruz del Sur and Oltursa buses go via Ica and Paracas) throughout the day and overnight, the journey takes about 6-8 hr.

Peru Hop buses offer comfortable and safe trips to Nazca, with free pickups and drop-offs. There are also free additional stops and tours on the way to Nazca which will make your trip more worthwhile.

Nazca is a small city that does not have a proper bus station. Most of the bus companies are situated on the northwest part of the city.

Get around
Getting around in Nazca is easy. You can walk almost anywhere and a taxi inside of town really costs around S/3 although every taxi driver might try to charge you more.

The big hassle in Nazca are the touts that hang out at the bus stations and on the streets. They represent shady or nonexistent hotels and travel agents, claim to work for your hotel or to offer cheap flights for viewing the Nazca lines. Ignore them and have your hotel pick you up from the bus station.

See

 * Museo Arqueologico Antonini, Av de la Cultura 606 (follow Jr Bolognese about 1 km east). Informative museum about the surrounding archeological sites. It also has a collection of pottery and textiles. In the garden there is a working aqueduct and a scale model of the lines. Entrance US$6.
 * Nazca channels or puquios at Cantalloc The pre-Inca Nazca people developed a system of underground aqueducts to irrigate the dry lands that lacked surface water. Therefore despite the harsh desert climate, the Nazca region hosts fields of cotton, corn, beans, potatoes and fruit still watered by over 30 of these underground  channels. Nearby are various geometric lines etched on the desert. There are also the Inca ruins of Paredones.
 * Cemetery of Chauchilla For many years the Chauchilla Cemetery was looted by treasure hunters, who destroyed the place completely, taking away all the treasures the mummies kept in their tombs for centuries. Grave robbers just left behind the corpses, which can be seen today all over the ground. In addition to skulls and bones, visitors also can see several tombs centuries old, as well as long human hairs, ceramic fragments and others remains scattered on the desert surface. It is the only archeological site in Peru, in which ancient mummies are seen in their original graves, along with ancient artifacts, dating back to 1000 AD. This archaeological excursion is combined with the visit to a Nazca Ceramic workshop, where visitors will learn about the old technique of making Nazca pots and also a visit to the gold extraction centre to see an old way of extracting gold using huge mortars.
 * Chicchitara Carving Rocks, in the Palpa Valley
 * The Palpa Lines

Nazca Lines
The Nazca Lines are the star attraction. Scattered over 500 km² of an arid plateau between the Nazca River and Ingenio River, they are huge representations of geometric patterns, animals, humans figures and thousands of perfectly straight lines that go on for kilometers. They were created by removing surface stones, revealing the lighter-colored soil below. They're unquestionably ancient (dating back 1400-2200 years), and remarkably precise (with straight lines and clean curves). The images are so huge that they are only appreciable from the air, a fact which has led to speculation that the ancient Nazca people either had access to hot air balloons or alien helpers. Most academics attribute the lines' precision to low-tech surveying techniques, but nobody actually knows who made them or why.

From the air
Nazca town is full of hotels and tour agents peddling flights over the lines in Cessnas, few, if any, will offer a decent price. A seat in a six-passenger plane costs US$80 (Nov 2022) -- you may pay less in low season, and 5% more with a credit card. Haggling is necessary. An airport tax of S/30 is usually not included in the price. Buying tickets in advance through an agent online will cost US$100 or more (Nov 2022), so don't do this. Longer flights which include the nearby Palpa lines are also available.

Only consider booking in advance in the high season (December to March) as planes are going up and down all day and flights are generally only 30 min, meaning that hundreds of people can be dealt with daily. Booking with flight operators directly at their airport sales desks allows for easy price comparison and ensures your money isn't needlessly passed through brokers. Never deal with the touts at the bus stops: they will leave you very badly off. The cautious may choose to pay only after taking a flight but buying at the airport is safe enough. Flights run as required from 07:00-16:00, so don't feel pressured, you'll fly when you want to.

The pilots love banking their small planes hard (for good views of the ground for passengers from both sides) and motion sickness can occur. Take a motion sickness pill if in doubt and get a morning flight as there are less turbulence.

From the ground
There is a observation tower (S/2) along the Panamerican highway with a view of three of the figures and a lookout on a mountain. If you get airsick, this is the way to go. You can go there by tour, public transportation, hitchhiking, or taxi (around S/50 per car for a roundtrip). Buses from Nazca to Flores, Cueva or Soyuz pass the tower. Flag a bus down for the trip back to town.

Eat

 * For fast and cheap street food try one of the stands at the south-east corner of the Plaza de Armas.
 * Pacante's fastfood café, Jr Bolognese 464. Simple and cheap burgers, with a friendly owner who likes to talk to gringos.
 * The restaurants you find all over town that are used by natives offer a full menu (soup, a choice of 3-5 main dishes, and a drink) for S/5-10.

Drink
There are several bars along Jr. Bolognesi.

Stay safe
There are various travel agents in town though having an office in Nazca does not guarantee trustworthiness. Be very careful and never buy from people that address you on the street or wait at the bus stop.

If you think that the Peruvian government is worthy of your money, only work with taxpaying businesses that will give you a legal tax invoice (called either a "boleto" or a "factura"). This document will have the name of the business and their VAT number printed on it, and a unique number.

Go next
Cruz del Sur run daily buses to Lima at 11:30 and at 14:30. The trip takes 7 hr approximately.Arequipa is 8 hr away by bus. Cruz del Sur offers buses at 15:00 and also later in the evening. Most of the other companies' buses leave in the evening from 22:00-00:00 (May 2023).

Ica is 2½-3 hr away. Various companies run buses throughout the day. Prices start from S/7. Soyuz was S/12 as of May 2013.

The long trip to Cusco from Nazca can be broken up into three legs if you don´t mind being called "gringo" (if you are one) when hanging out in the intermediary towns. Hourly colectivos ply the paved, but curvy, road to Puquio where you will find 3 simple hostels near the main plaza (S/18 a night for doubles with private bathroom). From there, buses head another 6 hr (S/40) to Abancay. In Abancay, you will find that the Hotel Paraiso next to the bus terminal is your best bet. From there, Cusco is a 5-hr bus (S/20) ride on an equally winding, but paved, road.

Or you can go with one of the bigger bus companies direct: Cruz Del Sur (only Luxury VIP class available for about S/185), Oltrusa (S/99), CIAL (S/80 semi-cama).

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Närke

Närke, archaic spelling Nerike, is a province in the Svealand region in Sweden, bordering to Värmland, Västmanland, Södermanland, Östergötland and Västergötland.

Cities

 * — a county seat with a dominant castle.
 * — known for its prison, and a shoe museum.
 * — a rail intersection.
 * — a popular tourist destination with swimming and natural experiences; the city centre is marked by its wooden buildings and two churches.
 * — a popular tourist destination with swimming and natural experiences; the city centre is marked by its wooden buildings and two churches.

Understand
In contrast to the surrounding forested provinces, Närke is mainly a flat farmland.

Närke belongs to Örebro County, Örebro län, together with western Västmanland and eastern Värmland.

By plane

 * Örebro Airport.
 * Stockholm Arlanda Airport. Train connection with change in Stockholm.

By train
There are direct trains from Stockholm to Örebro and more stations. Train travel from Malmö require a train change. Search and buy tickets from SJ.

Get around
There are local train and bus connections. Search Resrobot.

See
Go and see the castle in central Örebro. It's really beautiful. It was built in the middle ages.

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

title: Närke


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Närpes

Närpes (Finnish: Närpiö) is a town in Ostrobothnia, Finland.

Understand

Närpes is the Tomato Capital of Finland. In the greenhouses all around the local people grow the main harvest of Finnish tomatoes all year around. If you buy Finnish tomatoes in any supermarket in Finland, chances are they come from here. And people are proud of that fact. Otherwise this place is spread out over a large forest area and you need a car to get around. There is also a significant archipelago, much of which is protected as the Kaldonskär–Södra Björkön shore protection programme and the Närpes archipelago Natura 2000 area; there are also many smaller nature reserves.

Mergers have caused Närpes to have several centres and for many people's identity, their own village is important. Övermark is 16 km north-north-east of Närpes centre by Vasavägen (road 6760) or E8, Pörtom an additional 12 km. These are part of the agricultural landscape along Närpes å. Nämpnäs is 8 km towards the coast, Norrnäs 7 km northwards from it, Töjby an additional 11 km farther north. These latter are on Strandvägen ("the coast road", road 673). Pjelax is 10 km south from Närpes centre.

The Finnish-speaking minority in Närpes is tiny, and little Finnish is spoken by the majority, so "survival sentences" in Finnish aren't worth the trouble. The town has its own, ancient Swedish dialect, so understanding the local lingo can be a real challenge even for native Swedish-speakers, although most locals change to standard Swedish when talking to non-Ostrobothnians.

The flourishing agriculture has led to significant immigration from far away (including former Yugoslavia and Vietnam), and the town is an example of successful integration, with some 17% talking foreign languages as mother tongue.

By car
Närpes lies on national road 8 (E8), Näpes centre 5 km west of it, Övermark 2 km and Pörtom at the junction of E8 and Vasavägen (former road 8), on which these other main centres lie.

To reach the centre, coming from the north (Vaasa/Vasa) or south (Pori/Björneborg), take E8 and then transfer to route 673 and 676 to reach Närpes. Coming from the east, take route 67 instead of E8. There are also smaller coastal roads from Kristinestad (Skrattnäsvägen to Pjelax, then Kristinestadsvägen) and Vaasa (Strandvägen, road 673, via Malax and Korsnäs, and then Töjby and Nämpnäs before reaching Närpes centre).

By bus
Buses from Vaasa and Pori stop in Närpes, as does the Flixbus service from Warsaw via Helsinki and Turku to Vaasa. Ingsva has some regional routes. The Onnibus service between Turku and Oulu stops at the highway crossroads (Närpiö th).

Get around

A car is really needed to get around the distances.

Matkahuolto and Opas.matka.fi include some of the bus services to the countryside. The service line offers dial-a-ride service.

See

Do

Events

 * The Tomato Carnival (Tomatkarnevalen) is held every year in July.

Buy
Tomatoes and cucumbers. There is other industry too, but you don't want to pack a bed or a lorry trailer as souvenir, and the furs are mostly sewn elsewhere.

Check for yourself though.

Respect
Don't go into animal rights. Fur farming is big, and also your views on chicken raising and the like might be better not shared with the locals.

There was a scandal surfaced in 2022 about abuse of immigrant labour, in court as of 2023. Tread lightly. While it concerned several businesses, the overwhelming majority of immigrants have been well integrated.

Go next
To Kaskinen (Kaskö), an idyllic harbour town, an enclave of Närpes and the smallest town of Finland; a fusion was discussed in 2019 but turned down by the voters in Kaskö.

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Nærbø

Nærbø is in Hå municipality in Rogaland in Norway, situated north of Varhaug and south of Bryne. Nærbø is part of the flat geographical area Jæren that goes from Brusand in the south to Randaberg in the North.

Understand
Nærbø can be written like Naerboe if your keyboard doesn't have Scandinavian letters. It will not be correct, but understandable to most Norwegians. If you plan on learning Norwegian before coming, please observe that the official written version of Norwegian in the area is "Nynorsk" -a little different from "Bokmål" that is used in most urban areas in Norway and in most of the largest newspapers and magazines.

Get in
Nærbø train-station is located on the Jærbanen railroad. Express-trains doesn't stop at the station, so swap trains in Egersund if you are coming from the south (Kristiansand or Oslo) or use local trains or bus if your're coming from the north (Stavanger). The closest airport is Stavanger Airport, Sola. A runway and hangar for small aircraft and ultralights is located at the northern end of the Refsnes beach. Some ferry services to/from Denmark may include bus travel to Nærbø. Closest international ferries dock in Risavika.

Get around
Use rail, bus, taxi car or bike. The taxi central is in a small building on the town square -right next to the railroad station. If there is none there (knock on the door), call +4751433325. Nærbø enjoys very little snow, so traditionally cyclists from all over Norway come there to exercise on the snow free roads in the winter months. The bus ride from Nærbø (stop across the street from the railroad station) to Bryne takes much longer than the train, but takes quite a scenic route, so it might be worth your time.

See
Aude-Motland - both for the Iron Age settlements remains and the WWII coastal fort.

See the local farms that are very modern, efficient and more environmentally sound than in many other countries.

Do
Bird-watching - In the wild or in the park for exotic birds

Events
Nærbø hosts a bi-annual formula racing festival  in May.

Experience the Norwegian constitution day (17 May) with its flag parades and fairground activities. Just catching a glimpse of the parade may be hard in the larger towns, but it's fairly easy to find a spot here.

Buy
Shopping can be done in individual stores or in one of the two shopping-centres:
 * Amfi Torgsenteret
 * Co-Op.

The most well known consumer article made in Nærbø is the Jarlsberg cheese. You can sometimes get a glimpse of the work inside the almost lab-grade clean environment when standing on the pavement opposite the Samfunnshuset community centre -looking through the basement windows.

Eat
There are places to eat and have a drink in town -in both malls and in other locations: The cafe Jærbuen in the Sammfunshuset community centre, Emelankton in the locales that used to contain his grandfathers hardware store, The Chinese takeaway service and cafe in the old railroad station, The Snadder snackbar in front of the Amfi Torgsenteret mall, and the Marios takeaway on the town square. One of the local specialties is komle.

Drink
The previously "local" beer brand "Tou" is made in eastern Norway now. Two remaining local brands are Berentsen (made in Egersund) and a new brand "Ein Te" (means "One More") that is made in Stavanger. There is no commercially available wine nor spirits from the area.

In the weekends, young people travel to Bryne, Sandnes or Stavanger to party, so rides with the local trains after 22:00 Friday or Saturday can be quite entertaining and/or disgusting.

Nærbø was once hailed as the "Moonshine capitol of Norway" in a newspaper in the 80s. Moonshine is around, but not very much after the Methanol scare a few years ago.

Sleep
There are no hotels nor inns in Nærbø, so in order to get a bed for the night, one needs to go north to Bryne town.

Go next

 * Kongeparken - A family amusement park in Ålgård.
 * Knudaheio - Where the poet Arne Garbord used to live.

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Næstved

Næstved and Karrebæksminde are cities in Zealand.

Get in

 * There are direct trains from Copenhagen twice an hour. It taks 50 minutes. There is also a connection to Puttgarden

See

title: Næstved


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Néoules

Néoules is a town in the Provence region of Southern France.

Get in
Néoules is on the D554, about 5km west of Garéoult. It is 22km from Brignoles (using the D43).

Nearest train stations are Brignoles and Toulon

Get around
A car or bike is recommended for Néoules, although some areas can be accessed on foot.

Eat
Try restaurant la Cigale in Neoules. Decent food with a menu du jour for €19. Not always open, so ring.

Go next

 * Toulon
 * Brignoles
 * Garéoult
 * Meounes
 * Alps Maratime
 * Nice
 * Marseilles

title: Néoules


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Nísia Floresta

Nísia Floresta is a municipality of Rio Grande do Norte just south of the metropolitan area of Natal in Brazil. It is a popular destination due to its beaches and lakes, the most famous being Búzios and Carcará respectively.

Understand
The town of Nísia Floresta originated from a colonial village called Papary, originally populated by native Brazilians and Portuguese settlers. The name "Nísia Floresta" was a given as a tribute to a famous writer from the region that lived in the XIX century.

For such a small town, Nísia Floresta offers many attractions, including the various lakes and beaches, the historical constructions and the seafood restaurants, with the shrimp being the local speciality.

Get in
From Natal, you can take BR-101 to reach the town and the lakes (the entrance to Nísia Floresta is located at São José de Mipibu), or RN-063 (alongside the coast) to reach the beaches.

Get around
Nísia Floresta is a rural area, so you need a car to properly explore it. Of course, you may go around with a bicycle if you have the time and disposition.

Lakes
The municipality contains 22 lakes with clean, transparent waters. Some of the most famous are Carcará and Arituba. Both contain moderately warm waters excellent for swimming, an infrastructure of kiosks, and kayaks and paddle boats for renting.

Buy
Check for local handcrafts, such as bobbin lacemaking.

Sleep
Most visitors to Nísia Floresta stay in Natal. The beaches have a couple of B&Bs.

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Nîmes

Nîmes is a city with a population of around 137,000 in the département of Gard in the south of France. It has a stunning Roman temple whose pristine condition is unmatched by any extant ones in Rome. There are a few other fine Roman relics and Diana's Palace.

By bus
Edgard operates buses to Nîmes from Arles (route C30) and the Pont du Gard (route C21). A one-way ticket costs €1.50 per person.

By car
You can access Nîmes via Autoroute A9, which runs from the Spanish border, and the Spanish motorway AP-7, in the south, and Orange and the A7 Autoroute in the north, or the A54, which connects Nîmes to Salon-de-Provence in the south-east.

Get around
The main sights are all within comfortable walking distance of each other.

See
The three main Roman sites in Nîmes are the Maison Carrée, Magne Tower and the famous Amphitheatre. A combined ticket can be purchased for all three for €12 (€10 for children (7-17) or students), only €2 more than the single entry for the Amphitheatre. There is also a combined ticket which includes the Roman Theatre of nearby Orange. Other key sites include the Temple of Diane and the Nîmes Cathedral, both of which are free.

Eat
The local speciality is the "brandade", chopped cod mixed with mashed potatoes, milk, garlic and olive oil. It can be tasted in many restaurants. You can also try the "Gardiane de taureau", a ragout with bull meat and vegetables. As an appetizer, have toasted bread with "Tapenade", an olive puree made with olives, olive oil and garlic.

Drink
Late night bars along Ave Victor Hugo. Lulu is a popular gay bar at 10 Rue Curaterie, open Tu-Sa from 23:00.

Sleep
A beautiful and expensive hotel is The Imperator.

All located in the retail park Parc Hotelier Ville Active, about 30 minutes' walk from the town centre (and over the main road from Carrefour hypermarket):

Go next

 * Marseille
 * Avignon

title: Nîmes


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Nõva

Nõva is a small coastal village located on the northwestern coast of Estonia.

Understand
Nõva is situated between Haapsalu and Paldiski (around 50 km from each).

By bus
Bus schedules are easily available online – read more under Estonia.

See
Swedes inhabited the coast for hundreds of years so the area is full of Swedish history.

Do
The beach is the biggest attraction of the village.

During summer and autumn you can also wander around the untouched pine forests and pick berries or mushrooms.

Go next

 * Haapsalu – "Venice of the north", and a major seaside resort and medium-sized port city, good for visiting spas, taking mud baths, sailing and swimming. But also interesting monuments of the middle ages, like the cathedral and the Ruins of Haapsalu Castle, and a famous and picturesque Railway Museum can be seen here.
 * Paldiski – A coastal and formerly closed military town during the Soviet era.
 * Noarootsi – A bilingual municipality: Estonian and Swedish. Step into Swedish and Soviet history.

title: Nõva


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Ndola

Ndola is a large city in the Copperbelt of northern Zambia, 10 km from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. With a population in 2023 of 587,716, Ndola is all about mining. It powered the Zambian economy until the 1970s, then the price of copper crashed while oil prices soared, and Zambia sank under huge debts. The city has diversified into limestone, and from 2005 the price of copper recovered, but with little visible benefit to Ndola.

Understand
The crackings and creakings of plate tectonics brought a rich vein of minerals, principally copper, to lie beneath northern Zambia, with the Katanga finger of the Democratic Republic of Congo extending south to share in this. This was loot for the colonial powers, exploiting dirt-cheap local labour in hazardous conditions for a valuable material whose profits were enjoyed far away - by Belgium for what is now the DRC, and by Britain for Northern Rhodesia which is now Zambia. Independence meant that a local clique clawed the profits away from multi-national companies, but with small benefit to the country at large or to those who sweated in the mines. And to the extent that those countries did benefit, there was resentment at sharing the profits, so separatist movements sprang up using much the same rhetoric that they'd chanted against the colonists.

In Zambia Kenneth Kaunda kept a lid on things, but the Congo conflict spiralled into civil war, with Katanga declaring independence and armed conflict in the Congo engulfing even UN non-combatant peacekeepers. On 18 Sept 1961 Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, flew in to resolve the conflict. His aircraft crashed on approach to Ndola and all on board were killed. The circumstances of this have been pored over as closely as those around the death of JF Kennedy, with multiple conspiracy theories. The key point is that he was inbound, with everything still to play for in the peace talks; so this favours pilot fatigue and simple navigational error.

Talk
English & Lamba is spoken in Ndola.

By bus or car
Ndola is about a 4- to 5-hour drive from Lusaka on a well paved road. Many buses run from Lusaka to Ndola. The most reliable are Power tools Logistics, Juldan Motors, UBZ, which runs lots of buses every day. The bus ride to Kitwe, 58 km away, takes 45 minutes. A bus from Kapiri Mposhi, 121 km away, takes 3 hours.

By train
Operated by Zambia Railways, the once-weekly Zambezi train runs from Livingstone (22 hours) via Lusaka (12 hours). is located norteast of downtown.

Go next
Lusaka or a day trip to Kitwe

title: Ndola


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Nea Anchialos

Nea Anchialos (Greek: Νέα Αγχίαλος) (Population: 7,411) is a small seashore town 18 km southeast of Volos, in Thessaly, almost in the middle of the distance between Athens (305 km) and Thessaloniki (230 km).

Thanks to its picturesque, charming nature, clean seaside, the coexistence of peacefulness and the cosmopolitan life and mainly the clean environment and the hospitality of the local people, have made the town one of the biggest tourist resorts of the area. Nea Anchialos has dense vegetation, full of pine trees, vineyards, olive trees, almonds trees.

Nea Anchialos is a seashore city 18 km southeast of Volos, almost in the middle of the distance between Athens (305 km) and Thessaloniki (230 km). Two little hills, Kokkinovrahos and Mavrorahi, rise west-northwest, which attribute to the town its exquisite view of the clear waters of Pagassitikos bay and reveal the excellent laying out.

The beautiful coasts of Nea Anchialos extend to 20 km. There is a variety of beaches with the unique reddish sand (appropriate for sand-baths for people suffering from rheumatism). There is also golden sand as well as cliffs and pebbles. Small bays and ports, which are formed in certain areas, offer indisputably clear water, ideal for swimming, fishing and sea sports.

History
The modern town is built on the ruins of the ancient city of Pyrasos (Πύρασος), and is associated with the nearby city of Thessalian or Phthiotic Thebes (Θῆβαι Φθιώτιδες/Θεσσαλικαἰ), near the modern village of Mikrothivai.

Homer provides us with information about Pyrasos in his list of ships (Iliad B.695). According to Strabo (IX.435), who discusses its topography, as "well-harboured Pyrasos".

Until the construction of Demetrias by the Macedonians, it was the main harbour on the Pagasetic Gulf. It was besieged and captured by Philip V of Macedon in 217 BC, and the city became a Macedonian colony.

Following Philip's defeat by the Roman Republic, in 189 BC the city was moved from the inland site of the old Phthiotic Thebes back to Pyrasos (Nea Anchialos) and became capital of the restored Phthiotic Achaean League. In Late Antiquity, it became part of the province of Thessalia, of which it was the third-most important city and main harbour. The city's prosperity from the 4th through the 6th centuries is attested by the number of its Early Christian monuments, but was brought to an end in a great fire in the late 7th century that destroyed the city. The city was rebuilt and apparently continued to be of some note—its bishop is last mentioned in the 8th/9th century—but never recovered and was eventually eclipsed by the nearby port city of Almyros.

Nea Anchialos (meaning "New Anchialos") was founded in 1906 by Greeks who fled the Black Sea town of Anchialos (modern Pomorie in Bulgaria) after massive anti-Greek riots, provoked by the Greek-Bulgarian struggle in Macedonia.

Climate
Nea Anchialos, unlike other towns in Thessalian plain, enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate with can-be-hot-but-bearable summers (though a little bit humid) and mild winters. Spring and autumn are the best to visit the city, winter is the time to be on the Pelion mountain villages, and summer is definitely dedicated to the numerous beaches of Nea Anchialos and its suberbs.

Get in
The location of Magnesia, in central Greece and a short distance from Athens and Thessaloniki makes it easy and convenient access for visitors with all means of transportation.

The airports in New Anchialos Skiathos and Magnesia in the world and the port of Volos between Europe and the Balkans to Asia and North Africa.

By car
The geographical location of Nea Anchialos is in central Greece with a short distance from Athens and Thessaloniki makes it easy and convenient access for visitors. The Web Our guide will give you the necessary instructions for the best route.

From the E75 highway from Athens or Thessaloniki, turn right at the exit "MIKROTHIVES. Pass Mikrothives and in 5 km you will reach the Nea Anchialos.

Greece has a very bad road safety record in Europe. Driving is often fast and aggressive and the cities are congested, particularly Athens.

Driving licences issued by EU member states are recognised in Greece. Licences from the US, Canada, Australia and Japan can be converted to Greek ones without a driving test, provided the applicant is in possession of a residence permit. Cost is €58.

By bus
Long distance buses travelling to Nea Anchialos terminate at the bus station at the local port. Nea Anchialos is connected on regular basis to Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras and Ioannina.

Local buses connect Nea Anchialos with Volos and Almyros almost every 20 minutes.

For more information contact the local bus station KTEL at the phone number: 24280 76733

By train
Nea Anchialos has regular rail connection from/to Athens or Thessaloniki to Volos and from there by bus or taxi to Nea Anchialos.

For more information contact the train stations.

By plane
From abroad, Nea Anchialos is connected with regular and charter flights.

The Nea Anchialos - Volos Airport is the main attraction of tourists and most important transportation hub in central Greece.

18 km away from the city is the city of Nea Anchialos and 26 km from Volos, is easily accessible from the motorway E75. One can get a bus from the airport terminal or a taxi to come in Nea Anchialos.

Volos has one of the most modern regional airports in Greece. The airport is 18.5 km from Nea Anchialos and 36 km from the city of Volos.

Ryanair with Frankfurt (Hahn) - Milan (Bergamo) and Brussels.

The “Nea Anchialos-Volos Airport” is the only of Central Greece and only 10 minutes away from the centre of Nea Anchialos.

If you take a taxi you will pay approximately €25 (including the luggage). You can also take the bus at Nea Anchialos port. Please advise your hotel of your departure.

On foot
Nea Anchialos is extremely compact and covering it on foot is not a problem. A lot of pedestrian streets and specially the of the sea side are waiting for you to discover the beauty of the city.

By bus
The frequent buses schedule connecting Nea Anchialos with Almyros gives you a cheap opportunity to visit Volos. The bus drive is 15 minutes.

There are very frequent bus schedules to Volos every day almost every 20 min. The bus stop is at Nea Anchialos port and you can buy tickets inside the bus. If your destination is Athens or other major city you better reserve a seat and get a ticket at the bus station located in the center of the city. Buses to Volos start at 05:30 and the last return bus is at 09:45.

By taxi
There are many taxis in Nea Anchialos. If you need a taxi during your stay the best way is to contact your hotel to call it for you.

Don’t take a taxi “without reason.” You can go by foot to most of the important places of Nea Anchialos and Volos. Nea Anchialos Taxi Station - Phone: +30 24280 76340

By car
If you do not have a mean of transportation, you might want to rent a car. There are many car rental companies. Ask your hotel.

See
Nea Anchialos Archaeological Site Fthiotides Thebes, one of the most significant centers of Early Christian Eastern Roman Thessaly, was developed at the area where today's city of Nea Anchialos spreads out. The most important findings of the area are extant parts of early Christian churches, chronologically dated around the 5th and 6th centuries AD. Among the relics of these Early Christian churches and other public buildings and baths of the city, prominent are the splendid mosaics found preserved in rather good condition. Nine basilicas have been found, these include: The remains of the ancient theatre and a Hellenistic stoa can still be seen. Most of the finds are in the Archaeological Museum of Volos, with a few in the Archaeological Museum of Almyros.
 * Basilica A, a three-aisled basilica from the late 5th/early 6th century, dedicated to Saint Demetrius, which served as the cathedral church.
 * Basilica B, or "Elpidios Basilica", also dating roughly to the late 5th/early 6th century.
 * Basilica C, also known "Church if the archiereus Peter" based on a mid-6th century inscription, although it dates to the late 4th/early 5th century. It features "elaborate floor mosaics and is part of a vast ecclesiastical complex".
 * Basilica D, a 7th-century cemetery church outside the city walls.

Folklore Museum George Dionyssiou You can visit the private folk museum of folklore "To Aletri” of George Dionyssiou, a local folklorist and author of several books, who has created it since 1982 at his ground floor of his house. The collection includes traditional rural life objects, costumes, utensils, tools, photos, etc. and traditional occupations. Address: 15, Agiou Georgiou Str. Nea Anchialos - Tel: +30 2428077733

Volos Archaeological Museum The museum, one of the most significant Greek museums of a prototypal layout, a donation by Alexios Athanasakis, was built in 1909. Neolithic findings from the settlements of Sesklo and Dimini are exposed in its rooms, clay figurines, geometric period utensils from the castle of Volos, from Pefkakia, Neapoli and the greater Thessalian territory, classical sculptures, rare articulated figurines, relieves of the Alexander of Dimitrias period. Exhibits of exceptional importance are the rare written steles, preserving 3rd century BC elements of Ancient Greek Painting on marble. Open all year 08:00 to 15:00 (closed on Mondays)

Neolithic settlements of Dimini-Sesklo Visit the Neolithic settlements in the areas of Dimini and Sesklo which were inhabited by the 5th millennium BC. Automatic guided tour in Greek and English. Open Tu-Su 08:30 to 15:00. Tel: +30 2421085960

Buy
The city’s shopping area is in the center at Ellinikis Aeroporias street. There is not a big shopping area, as Nea Anchialos is located between two big cities and the major shopping stores are located in Volos, where you will find a huge variety of branded clothes, shoes etc.. Though, here you can find good quality bargains! Every Tuesday morning there is an extensive flee market next to the church at 30th Iouliou Str.

Oil - Olive Oil: The Anchialos, thanks to climate and topography, produces oil and olives, which boast distinctive flavor and quality. The high nutritional value and unique taste of olives and olive oil Anchialos to have established it as an integral component of the Mediterranean diet.

Wine and Tsipouro: The Anchialos has a long tradition in wine production over the centuries. The Agricultural Cooperative "Demeter" was founded in 1918 and has operated since then continuously. You can buy the local wines from local distributors.

Jam - Sweet: Nea Anchialos grown without the use of fertilizers, a large variety of fruits of excellent quality. The wonderful fruits are the raw material for the famous jam and preserves the women of Nea Anchialos make with exceptional skill.

Pottery: Ultimate original creativity and artistic completeness of the pottery in Nea Anchialos. The variety of shapes and their quality is remarkable. The local artists usually work with no organized facilities but with a special skill using the traditional method of wheel or mold.

Eat
Nea Anchialos specializes in "Tsipouradika" (also called "Ouzeri") where ("Tsipouro") (local Greek spirit) is served with a huge variety of fish & sea food tidbits. There are plenty of "Tsipouradika" along the waterfront near the port. The choices for eating are Tsipouradika where seafood is served, Taverns where mostly meat dishes are served, Restaurants where Greek dishes can be found, Psistaries (Grill houses) where the main dish is grilled meat, Fast Food choices are local “Souvlatzidika” where souvlaki and “gyros” is served. People in Greece usually eats late in the evening (21:00 - 24:00), during day most of Taverns, Psistaries and Restaurants are closed. However Tsipouradika and Fast Food are open all day long.

Greek Tavernas in Nea Anchialos with the Greek traditional drinks tsipouro-ouzo.

Ouzeri-Tsipouradiko.

Restaurants - Tavernas .

Drink
Most of the cafés and bars in Nea Anchialos on the beach front of the town. There is no need to know the number or name.

The city is like a “big family.” Just ask someone for help, and they’ll gladly point you in the right direction!

When we are talking about the nightlife in Greece we mean intensive nightlife till the morning. For many locals the nightlife begins at 18:00-19:00 and finishes at 06:00 in the Morning!

Get mixed with locals and enjoy your favorite drink or cocktail in bars or clubs of Nea Anchialos where drinks & “mezedes” hang-out, and the music theme changes nightly. Many “live” happenings throughout summer.

Cope
Pharmacy Each pharmacy in Nea Anchialos has a notice on the door showing which are open out of normal hours and their addresses and phone number.

Banks There is only an Agricultural Bank of Greece branch in Nea Anchialos. Though there are three ATM points for your convenience. Bank opening hours are Monday to Thursday 08:00 to 14:30, Friday 08:00 to 14:00

Post Ellinikis Aeroporias Str. (City Centre). Phone: +30 24280 76208

Go next
Mount Pelion Pelion the mountain of the Centaurs was chosen by The Twelve Olympians Gods as a summer residence. Today thousands of tourists from all over the world visit it all year round. Here the visitors can taste the delicious fruits of Pelion, the famous sweet candied fruits and preserves, as well as the strong flavors of the local cuisine. Architectural villages adorn the slopes of Pelion built on a densely forested region with abundant waters springing up from everywhere.

Meteora A must-see while you are in the area is Meteora which is a 150-km drive. Meteora is an area in Thessaly and Kalampaka is the city under the rock towers of Meteora. The thing that makes Meteora so special is the monasteries on the top of the rock towers. The monasteries, the amount of peaks to climb and the paths for hiking brings in Meteora the whole year many tourists.

Skiathos Island Visit the island of Papadiamantis and tour at the streets where Mama Mia was filmed. Discover the island's beauty and its emerald beaches.

title: Nea Anchialos


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Nea Kallikratia

Nea Kallikratia is a town in Greece.

Get in
Nea Kallikratia is approximitley 35-40 km from Thessaloniki. There are a multitude of ways to get here the most obvious being by air which is the easiest although not the cheapest option if you plan to travel during the sunnier months. In this case you are not restricted to the two or three scheduled airlines which operate all year round. Because of its unique location on the coast of Central Halkidiki you have to pass it to get to any other resort on the Kassandra or Sithonia peninsula's and so it is easily accessible by all modes of transport except that of any train.

Nea Kallikratia can be reached from Thessaloniki by bus or coach as well as an expensive taxi ride, or from the airport you may find it easier to travel into Thessaloniki to get the regular bus service which is also the cheapest form of travel to the resort. If you hire a car there are a multitude of car hire agencies both in Thessaloniki and at Makedonia airport to meet your requirements, all of which depend on how deep your wallet is. After hiring a car it is no more than a 30 minute trip from the airport or 45 minutes from the city, except for Friday afternoon's during the summer when the roads are busy with everyone from the city flocking to the coasts for the weekend.

Do
The tour of the nearby archaeological site of the ancient city of Antigonia, built by Antigonos-successor of Alexander the Great, is the town's major attraction.

title: Nea Kallikratia


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Nea Phokea

Nea Phokea (Νέα Φωκαία, Nea Fokea) is a village on the Kassandra peninsula in Greece with isolated beaches and big pine-trees which almost reach the sea water. The inhabitants of Nea Phokea are 1,500, but during the summer months this number increases to 10,000. The village is developed enough to offer its visitors hotels, camping sites, entertainment, traditional cafes and seafood tavernas with a view to the sea.

See
In addition to the beaches and the developed surrounding area, one can expect to find archaeological sites, i.e. which are composing the historical indetity of Nea Fokea.

Do
Local celebrations: June 29, Feast dedicated to St.Peter and St.Paul, the Apostles.

Buy
Famous local products: Fish, vegetables, honey.

title: Nea Phokea


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Neath

Neath (Welsh: Castell-nedd) is a town in Glamorgan in South Wales.

Understand
From a small market town, Neath grew into a large manufacturing base for iron, steel and tinplate during the industrial revolution. As of 2011, the town has a population of around 19,500, with 50,000 in the wider area. Although it lacks any specific tourist attractions, its location near the stunning Swansea and Neath Valleys make it a convenient, if not overly inspiring, base for touring these places.

By bus
Bus station is at Victoria Gardens, a five-minute walk from the railway station. Connections from Swansee and Port Talbot.

By car
Just off the M4 between Port Talbot and Swansea on the A465 "Heads of the Valleys" road Merthyr Tydfil to Abergavenny.

Do

 * Attend a rugby game. Neath are the most successful semi-professional team in Wales.

Go next

 * Swansea and the Gower Peninsular - a 30-minute drive
 * The 1,000-acre Margam Country Park - twenty minutes by car
 * Craig y Nos Castle in the Swansea Valley - a thirty minute drive, near Pen y Cae.
 * Port Talbot
 * Afan Forest Park and the South Wales Miners Museum

title: Neath


text:
Nebraska

Nebraska is a state in the Great Plains region of the United States of America. Nebraska has a reputation of being a flat, monotonous region of farm and ranch land, but this stereotype has come from the many people who drive across Nebraska on the Interstate 80 corridor (the Platte River valley). Those who venture off this heavily traveled road discover that Nebraska does have a subtle, wide-open beauty that is all its own.

Regions
Nebraska can be roughly characterized as having four regions

Cities

 * – the largest city in the state and home of the College World Series
 * - the oldest city in the state
 * – the state capital and home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers

Other destinations

 * - rural county
 * – a landmark stone spire surrounded by treeless prairie
 * - rural county
 * – follow in the footsteps of the famous explorers on the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail.
 * – a protected region of Nebraska's wetlands
 * – mixed grass prairie on grass stabilized sand dunes covering 19,000 square miles (49,000 square km) with dunes reaching 300 ft in height
 * – rugged landscape with bluffs that tower over the river
 * – surreal landscape caused by erosion

Understand
Admitted to the Union in 1867, "the Cornhusker State" quickly became known for its cattle and its corn. The state has largely flown under the radar of the outside world and locals are just fine with that.

The name Nebraska comes from the Omaha word Ni Bathaska, meaning "flat water", after the Platte River which flows through the state.

Nebraska is the only triple landlocked state in the U.S., meaning that you'd have to drive through at least three other states (or two states and a Canadian province) to get to the ocean. The title "Nebraska Admiral" (formally, "Admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska") is the state's highest honorary title, bestowed on approval of the state governor; it is not a military rank and carries no duties, pay or other compensation.

Tourist information

 * Visit Nebraska website

Talk
The vast majority of Nebraskans speak American English with a neutral "Standard Midwestern" accent. In some rural areas of the state, people speak with a slight accent best described as "country twang"; this accent is also easy to understand. Nebraska is largely devoid of unusual terms for everyday items, with a few exceptions:
 * Carbonated drinks are nearly universally referred to as pop.
 * Beer served from a keg at a bar is a draw; a half beer/half tomato juice drink in rural areas is a red draw.
 * The town of Norfolk is pronounced Norfork and the town of Beatrice is pronounced Bee-at'-riss
 * The town of Papillion is pronounced Pap-pill'-yun.
 * The town of Plattsmouth is pronounced Platts-myth.

Nebraska has a fast-growing Hispanic population, largely concentrated in its medium-sized cities and Omaha. In these areas, governments, businesses, and community organizations often provide services in Spanish.

By car
Nebraska's major national highway corridor is Interstate 80, which runs east-west across the state, Interstate 29 runs parallel to the state's Eastern border in Iowa and Missouri. Other major highways that enter Nebraska include Interstate 76 (from Colorado), US 81 (major north-south route), US 20 (northern east-west route), US 26 (from Wyoming), and US 385/Nebraska 71 (western north-south route).

By plane
The two major airports in Nebraska are located in Omaha and Lincoln. Omaha is served by all major airlines as well as Alaskan, Allegiant, and Frontier; Lincoln is served by Delta and United. There are no direct international flights to any Nebraska airport. Other airports with commercial service are in Alliance, Chadron, Grand Island, Kearney, McCook, North Platte and Scottsbluff. The Sioux City, Iowa airport serves the northeast corner of the state.

By train
Amtrak makes stops daily in Omaha, Lincoln, Hastings, Holdrege and McCook. The only train serving the state is the California Zephyr. It will bring you in from San Francisco (Emeryville), Salt Lake City, and Denver from the west and Chicago from the east. Amtrak's stops are generally in the middle of the night no matter what direction you come from.

By foot
The American Discovery Trail connects Nebraska with Colorado, Iowa, and both coasts.

Get around
Nebraska is a large, sparsely populated state; the vast majority of Nebraska is best seen by car. Intrastate bus service within the state is served only by Express Arrow and Burlington Trailways (see 'By bus' in the above under 'Get in'). Information on transit can be found here.

Do

 * Attend a Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln
 * Check out a College World Series game in Omaha.
 * Canoe, kayak or tube the Niobrara River in the Sand Hills
 * Enjoy a cheap beer in one of the many bars south of the University of Nebraska campus in Lincoln
 * Eat a piece of real Nebraska beef at one of Omaha's many steakhouses.
 * Bird watch during the spring Sandhill Crane migration in Kearney.
 * Take a tour of historic Bellevue.
 * See Nebraska's Largest flagpole in Sidney, home of Cabela's.
 * Before the dust bowl and drought of the 1930s, Nebraska had many thriving wineries. That era is returning, and there are now nearly 30 wineries across the state.
 * View the world's largest rail yard Bailey Yard from the Golden Spike Tower 8 stories high in North Platte.
 * Visit Omaha's Old Market for great bars and shops
 * Order a Runza at the fast food restaurant of the same name

Eat

 * A past Nebraska slogan was The Beef State, and much of Nebraska's cuisine can still be best described as "meat and potatoes". Stop in any Nebraska city or town and you'll be likely to find low-cost, high-quality, home-cooked dining options.  Nebraska's cuisine has been influenced by the numerous immigrant groups that have settled in the state; for example, you'll find German and Scandinavian dishes in the northeast, Czech meals in some areas, and numerous Italian restaurants in Omaha.
 * Nebraska's rural entrepreneurs have made products from family farms across the state available at GrowNebraska.org.

Drink

 * Kool Aid - the official drink of Nebraska. It was invented in Hastings where there is also a museum dedicated to the drink.

Phone
Mobile phone coverage in most of Nebraska is excellent. Some remote areas in the Sandhills still have no coverage and GSM coverage can be spotty in some areas, but CDMA coverage is good throughout the state. 3G service is available most everywhere and LTE coverage is available in most of the eastern part of the state, and the entire I-80 corridor on all three network.

Public pay phones are rapidly disappearing; many of the smaller towns now only have one. In rural areas, many businesses will let people make local calls.

Internet
Nebraska has, given its population and size, fairly extensive Internet connectivity; however, public Internet access in Nebraska can be hard to find. (Internet cafes are practically nonexistent.) In many places, the best option for public Internet access is a public library; in rural areas, libraries are often only open for a few hours each week.

Wi-Fi Internet access is now provided by many Nebraska businesses, particularly in larger towns, especially in Omaha and Lincoln. Many restaurants, book stores, and coffee shops now offer free Wi-Fi, and will advertise this service by placing stickers or signs on their front doors as well as on their website. Many hotels and motels statewide have added Internet connectivity as an additional amenity as well.

Crime
In the cities of Omaha and Lincoln crime rates have begun to rise due to the increase in population these two cities have experienced over the past several years. These crime rates do vary considerably among neighborhoods, however, it is important to take proper precautions and use the same degrees of common sense you would ordinarily implement while visiting a mid-size American city. If an area appears decrepit and/or seedy, then you probably do not want to remain there for any length of time.

These two cities have also experienced an increase in gang activity. This should is something to be aware of, but generally crime of this nature is inter-gang related and does not affect the ordinary citizen. Nevertheless, don't put yourself in a position that could lead you to becoming caught in the crossfire of rival gangs.

Tornadoes
Nebraska is located within the country's "tornado alley". Throughout the spring and summer seasons, the state often experiences very violent thunderstorms which contain hail squalls and spawn tornadoes of various strengths. It is important to keep yourself informed of the current weather conditions while traveling through or visiting the state during these seasons as conditions can change very rapidly. Television and radio stations provide excellent severe weather coverage.

Refer to the Tornado safety page for more information about this matter.

Winter Storms
During the winter months, blizzards and ice storms do occur, and dangerous wind chills are a possibility. High winds can take even a limited amount of snowfall and form very large drifts -- beautiful to look at, but dangerous if you are stuck far from help. It is important to find a local weather forecast whenever you plan to travel through the more sparsely populated areas of the state.

Go next

 * Iowa - Rural Iowa lies along Nebraska's eastern border and provides further opportunities to explore America's agricultural heartland.
 * Missouri - The state's southeastern neighbor has much to see, from the natural beauty of the Ozarks to the major metropolitan areas of Kansas City and St. Louis.
 * Kansas - Located south of Nebraska, Kansas is generally considered the center of the country, at least in geographical terms, and is nicknamed "the Heart of America."
 * Colorado - The Rocky Mountain state borders Nebraska to the southwest and offers a mind-boggling array of outdoor activities.
 * Wyoming - Home to Yellowstone National Park, the cowboy state borders Nebraska to the west and provides opportunities to experience life on the range in addition to rugged wilderness.
 * South Dakota - Home to such natural and cultural wonders as Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park and Mount Rushmore, Nebraska's neighbor to the north offers a surprising amount for travelers to see and do.

title: Nebraska


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Necedah

Necedah is a town in Southwest Wisconsin.

See
Some travel sights located in the Necedah area include the "Necedah wildlife Refuge" and a Christian shrine.

Go next

 * Cranberry Creek Mound Group is a large complex of mounds built by Native Americans about ten miles north of Necedah. It consists of hundreds of low conical mounds arranged in lines, a bird effigy mound with a wingspan of 125 feet, and a bear or panther effigy.  Archaeologists believe these mounds were constructed from 200 to 800 CE.  They are notable for the large number of mounds, and for their rustic setting.  Rather than a mowed park, these mounds lie in a wild, brushy clearing owned by the Department of Natural Resources.  To get there, follow the instructions on the DNR web page linked above.  Then either drive or walk in a quarter mile from the sign to where 7th Street crosses the drainage channel.  From there continue a few hundred yards to where the first trail, large enough for an ATV, angles off to the southwest.  Follow that trail on foot into the complex.  You should start seeing mounds immediately.  Wear boots and long pants to protect against blackberry brambles.  If you go when the leaves are off, the mounds will be easier to discern, and you'll meet fewer mosquitoes and ticks.  Winter may be the best time to visit.

title: Necedah


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Nederland (Colorado)

Nederland is a city in Colorado.

Get in
By bus from Boulder.

Get around
Park in Caribou Village parking lot and walk.

See
Nederland is full of interesting establishments and residents. Just walk around for a while and talk to people and you'll get an idea. If you come around the time of Ned Fest, the place will be full of hippies, too.

Do

 * Nederland Mining Museum, 200 N Bridge St. Artifacts from mining days. Looming over the building is a vintage steam shovel that was involved in the Panama Canal construction. Free admission.
 * Nederland Mining Museum, 200 N Bridge St. Artifacts from mining days. Looming over the building is a vintage steam shovel that was involved in the Panama Canal construction. Free admission.
 * Nederland Mining Museum, 200 N Bridge St. Artifacts from mining days. Looming over the building is a vintage steam shovel that was involved in the Panama Canal construction. Free admission.
 * Nederland Mining Museum, 200 N Bridge St. Artifacts from mining days. Looming over the building is a vintage steam shovel that was involved in the Panama Canal construction. Free admission.

Buy

 * Nature's Own, 5 E 1st St. Minerals, gems, fossils, crystals, and other unusual finds!
 * Boogie Records, 150 N. Jefferson St. Eclectic collection of pre-owned records with knowledgeable staff.
 * Brightwood Music, 20 E Lakeview Dr #109.
 * Mountain Man Outdoor Store, 20 Lakeview Dr #111. New and used outdoor goods, plus a selection of stickers.

Eat

 * Backcountry Pizza, 20 Lakeview Dr #212 (2nd floor). Pizza fresh from the oven and arcade games. Bring it to Very Nice Brewing Co. downstairs, or stay and have a pint.
 * New Moon Bakery and Cafe. 1 W 1st St. Coffee and surprisingly good breakfast baked goods, including sandwiches. Vegan and gluten free items offered too.

Drink

 * Very Nice Brewing Co, 20 Lakeview Dr #112 (first floor). Just as the name says. Try their beer with a shot of espresso, if it's on tap.

Sleep

 * Boulder Creek Lodge, 55 Lakeview Dr.

title: Nederland (Colorado)


text:
Needham

Needham is a town in Massachusetts, near Boston with a population of 32,000 (2020). Home to Olin College, it is primarily a residential suburb with little historical or cultural interest, although a number of upscale and ethnic restaurants have turned it into a rather unlikely culinary destination

By train
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA OR "T"). Commuter rail Needham Line service linking to Boston. This service runs daily about every hour on weekdays and every 2 hours on weekends. Four station stops in Needham are (in order of increasing distance from the terminal of South Station in Boston) Hersey, Needham Junction, Needham Center, and Needham Heights.

By car
Needham is located right on Interstate 95 (also known as Route 128). Exits 33 and 35 serve Needham. Route 135 runs through Needham.

By bus
Catch the 59 bus from Watertown Square or Newton Highlands.

Get around
The MBTA's #59 bus runs through town, heading to Newton and Watertown. There is a direct connection to the D branch of the Green Line at Newton Highlands. Runs every 50 minutes weekdays and 90 on weekends, no evening service. Given the infrequent nature of the former, a car can be helpful in Needham.

Go next

 * Boston is nearby.

title: Needham


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Needles

Needles is a city in California on the border with Arizona near the Colorado River.

By car
I-40 passes to the south of the city before crossing the Colorado River and entering Arizona.

By train
Needles is a stop along Amtrak's daily Southwest Chief line between Los Angeles and Chicago. The westbound train arrives at 12:49AM and the eastbound train arrives at 12:56AM.

title: Needles


text:
Negara

Negara is a town in West Bali. The name Negara is also loosely applied to all of West Bali, more correctly known as Jembrana. This pages describes the town of Negara and all points of interest in southern Jembrana except Medewi Beach and Gilimanuk, described on their own page. .

Understand
This is the least visited area of Bali, and is sparsely populated, except along the main southern coast road from Denpasar to Gilimanuk, the seaport which connects Bali to Java. Most of the land is covered by the forests and highlands of West Bali National Park and adjacent protected areas. The flatter southern region is very fertile and is rice growing country. Villages have a clean air, partly due to the mass of flowering shrubs which almost obscure the neat little houses. Income is derived primarily from fishing, rice paddies and plantations of coconut, coffee, cloves and vanilla. The main southern coast road runs alongside volcanic black sand beaches.

Jembrana has always been a somewhat isolated regency and largely unaffected by events on the rest of the island. Its history is tied to Buleleng after the Dutch overran that Regency in 1849 and assumed control of Jembrana at the same time. Due primarily to settlement by Bugis people from Sulawesi, the influence of Islam is stronger here than anywhere else in Bali, and visitors will notice the many mosques.

Get in
Negara is on the main coastal road between Denpasar (about 75 km to the east) and Gilimanuk (about 25 km to the west). All buses from Denpasar to Gilimanuk pass through Negara. This road is often very busy and in a very bad state with commercial traffic moving to and from Java.

Get around
Most visitors to this region arrive with a rental car, either with or without a driver, from the more popular tourist areas of Bali. Motorbikes may be available for rental in Negara town.

See

 * Blimbingsari and Palasari. West of Negara moving towards Gilimanuk, the terrain becomes quite rugged and there are some great views into the West Bali National Park. The whole area is sparsely populated, and two areas of some interest are the villages of Blimbingsari and Palasari. The former is a protestant community and the latter catholic, and both were carved of out the jungle by trailblazing Christian pioneers. The communities, whilst Christian, are heavily influenced by Balinese culture. There are epic plays and dances for example which substitute the normal Hindu characters with those from the Bible. Both villages are well signposted from the main coast road between Negara and Gilimanuk at the village of Melaya. There is also a large reservoir at Palasari from where there are great views of the surrounding hills and mountains.
 * Buffalo races (Mekepung) in Delod Berawah about 9 km east of Negara town. Thought to originate in Madura, Mekepung were originally held as part of the harvest festivities in Negara. The colorfully decorated carts and buffaloes race on a 4-km course every 2nd and 4th Sunday morning starting at 07:00. Certainly the main attraction in Negara.
 * Bugis Houses. Look for the architecturally very distinct Bugis houses all around Negara, but especially in the Loloan Timur area. Those visitors who have been to southern Sulawesi will have a sense of deja-vu.
 * Madurese style fishing boats. These very colourful boats adorn the coast south and south west of Negara. The best place to see them in the hours of daylight (they often fish at night) is at the village of Pangambengan which lies about seven km southwest of Negara town.
 * Rambut Siwi Temple (Pura Rambut Siwi). This under-visited temple is about equidistant between Negara and Medewi Beach, and it sits on a low cliff-top overlooking a breathtaking panorama of paddy fields on one side and black sand beaches on the other. Two caves overlook the sea, each with a view of the fisherman’s boats and seabirds hovering above. The temple itself was built by Dang Hyang Nirartha, also the founder of Tanah Lot temple. According to legend, he made a gift of his hair to the temple. Hence the name Rambut Siwi, which literally means ”Hair Worship”. Donation - about Rp 20,000 is right.

Eat
The Wira Pada Hotel in the centre of Negara has a decent Chinese restaurant attached.

Lots of vibrant food stalls at the buffalo races.

Sleep
Few visitors choose to stay in Negara and it is very much a passing through town. Good beachfront accommodation is available at Medewi Beach some 20 km to the east.

For the adventurous, there are informal homestays available at the mission villages of Blimbingsari and Palasari. However, you must be Christian.

Connect
The area code for Negara is 0365.

Go next
If you are heading west, Gilimanuk and the ferries to Java is about 25 km from Negara. West Bali National Park is easily reached from here and the quiet village of Medewi Beach is 20 km east. Regular buses ply all routes in and out of town from the bemo terminal in Jalan Pahlawan.

title: Negara


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Negeri Sembilan

Negeri Sembilan is a state in the west coast region of Peninsular Malaysia.

Cities

 * — the capital city
 * — beach resort town about 33 km west of Seremban
 * — beach resort town about 33 km west of Seremban

Understand
The state's name, Negeri Sembilan, literally means "Nine States" in Malay but actually is believed to refer to nine different villages in which Minangkabau settled in the 19th century (the Minangkabau word for village being nagari). The state's system of government is unique, as a state-based constitutional monarchy with an elected ruler. Somewhat confusingly, Negeri Sembilan has not nine but seven districts, and only four of them are represented by local rulers called Undang, who also has the power to vote for the overall ruler of the state, called the Yang di-Pertuan Besar (roughly translatable as "Big Ruler").

The Minangkabau came in large numbers from their homeland in West Sumatra in the 19th century and today constitute the majority of the Malay population in Negeri Sembilan. Their traditional architectural style influences much of the public architecture in the state, and their cuisine (notably including nasi Padang) is particularly popular here. A diverse state, Negeri Sembilan also has many citizens of Chinese origin, whose ancestors were invited in by local rulers and then the British overlords in order to work the tin mines, starting in the 19th century. A somewhat smaller Indian population, likewise, includes many descendants of labourers who worked the rubber plantations in colonial Malaya.

Talk
Negeri Sembilan is a state that can trace its roots to the Minangkabau heritage which originated from Indonesia. However, just about everyone can understand and speak standard Malay. English is also fairly widely spoken as a second language. The main language among the ethnic Chinese community is Cantonese, though there is also a significant Hakka-speaking minority, most of whom are able to speak Cantonese as well. Most ethnic Chinese also speak Mandarin as it is the medium of instruction schools catering to that community.

By plane
Negeri Sembilan does not have an airport. However, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Selangor is not too far from the state and there are direct bus connections with Seremban.

By road
Negeri Sembilan is located approximately 60 km to the south of Kuala Lumpur via the North-South Expressway (Lebuhraya Utara Selatan) and only 40 km from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). From the airport, various taxi, bus and private car connections are available. There are also air-conditioned bus services which ply the Kuala Lumpur-Seremban route from Puduraya Bus Terminal in Kuala Lumpur.

By train
Negeri Sembilan is accessible from Singapore via KTM (Keretapi Tanah Melayu) interstate train service, which has two stops in the state, at Tampin and Seremban. From Kuala Lumpur, you can take the komuter [sic: Malay spelling] train at KL Sentral station to Seremban.

By boat
There are ferry connections between Port Dickson and Dumai in Riau province of Sumatra, Indonesia.

See

 * Museum Adat
 * Muzium DiRaja Sri Menanti (The Royal Museum of Sri Menanti)
 * Hutan Lipur Ulu Bendol (Lipur Ulu Bendol Forest)
 * Pedas Hot Springs
 * Ulu Bendul Waterfalls
 * Seri Menanti Royal Palace

Go next

 * Melaka, 1 hour away from here
 * Kuala Lumpur, at least 30 to 45 minutes away from here
 * Genting Highlands, Malaysia's famous hill resort, which is at least 1.5 to 2 hours away from here

title: Negeri Sembilan


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Negev

The Negev is a large desert that covers the entire southern half of Israel.

Cities
In addition, cities like Ashdod and Ashkelon are considered by most Israelis to be part of the Negev, but they are included in the Israeli Coastal Plain region on Wikivoyage.

Other destinations

 * – a large Kibbutz north of Mitzpe Ramon on Route 40, starting point for many surrounding trips to places like Avdat and Ein Avdat (see below). Includes the "Field School of the Negev" hostel and a tourist information center, which advises on trails and tours in the area
 * – small town located near the Large Crater

Understand
The least populated area in Israel, the Negev is a home to (among others) the nomadic desert people known as the Bedouin. It offers some truly breathtaking scenery and is home to some fascinating sites and places.

The Negev is the southern region of Israel, covering 55 % of the state's territory and inhabited by some 379,000 Jews and 175,000 Bedouins (nomadic desert Arabs). Contrary to the usual view of a "desert", most of the Negev is not covered with sand. Rather, it is a melange of brown, rocky, dusty mountains interrupted by wadis  (dry riverbeds that bloom briefly after rain) and deep craters. The area was once the floor of a primordial sea, and a sprinkling of marine snail shells still can be found here. Aside from the natural wonders, the Negev plays host to a great number of ancient sites, displaying the rich history of this crossroads of trade between Asia, Africa, and Europe.

By plane

 * Eilat airport closed in March 2019, and all its flights were transferred to Ramon.

 * Ovda Airport closed in April 2019 and all its commercial flights transferred to Ramon; Ovda remains in use as a military airfield.

By train
Israel Railways connects Tel Aviv, Haifa and Ben Gurion airport to Be'er Sheva, with an extension to Dimona, but no further. A longer train line from Tel Aviv to Eilat is in the planning stages.

By bus
Be'er Sheva is served by bus from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. Buses to Eilat travel from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. Towns and villages throughout the Negev are connected by bus to Be'er Sheva, but service could be infrequent.

If you're flying into Ben Gurion Airport and want to head straight to Eilat, you would better get on a short train ride to Tel Aviv Hagana station and board a bus to Eilat from nearby Tel Aviv central bus station. Advance reservation is available on buses to and from Eilat, and there are also night buses.

There are no laws concerning the number of people allowed on buses, so drivers will often pack the bus as full as possible, and you may end up with a young soldier sitting on the floor next to you, with his large semi-automatic poking you in the leg. It is recommended that you call and book your seat in advance in order to avoid standing for your whole ride. Booking on Egged is also available by internet.

You better avoid the busiest travel times, in particular Sunday mornings and Thursday afternoons (when soldiers travel to and from weekend vacation).

By car
Three main highways cross the Negev from north to south:

 * The eastern Jordan Valley route (Route <90>), from Jerusalem past the Dead Sea to Eilat.
 * The central route (Route <40>), through Be'er Sheva and Mitzpe Ramon, merging with the eastern route near Yotvata.
 * The western route (Route <10>), running along the Egyptian border from Gaza Strip to Eilat, built primarily for military purposes and not accessible for private vehicles.

The two-lane highways are generally in good shape. The distance across the Negev from Tel Aviv to Eilat is around 360 km, covered by Egged express bus in 5 hours.

By bicycle
Riding down from the Dead Sea to Eilat (Route <90>) is a pleasant (though uphill) desert experience for most of the way.

Israel has been renovating this route from Arava junction (where 25 meets 90 at the southern terminus of the Dead Sea) since 2007 (a 170-km stretch). The stated goal is to widen the road to 4-lanes and to install rest stops every 45 km. As of 2019, they've only completed 40 km of this from Eilat to Yotvata. This 40-km "improved" stretch is actually far worse than the area north of it. The widened road has zero shoulder, with a curb at the edge of the lane providing no escape route. The safest approach to this 4-lane road is to take the right lane. Most vehicles will use the passing lane to pass you, but some congestion (or cars trying to pass cars while they're trying to pass you) may make for dangerous riding.

The longest stretch on this route is ~70 km without water. And many of the gas stations on this route (your only source of water) have signs up telling you not to drink their tap water. It was unclear why they don't want you to drink their water, but it was clear that at least some of the gas stations were filtering it and mixing it into their products for customers (e.g. slushies).

By thumb
Hitchhiking in the Negev is relatively safe. North of Mitzpe Ramon, and particularly around Be'er Sheva, there is a large Bedouin population. Think twice before riding in a Bedouin car, due to their generally extremely unsafe driving culture and possible questions about their car's legal status. It could be a unique experience though.

 * From Be'er Sheva – A good spot for hitchhiking in Be'er Sheva would be the junction in the very south end of Derech Eilat (hwy 406).
 * From Mitzpe Ramon – Exit of Mitzpe Ramon is a popular and fast spot towards Eilat.
 * Highway 90 – If need to hitchhike your way on the fast 90 highway (Arava Highway) it would be smart enter to one of the small villages or Kibbutz and try to hitchhike from the village's gate. Cars usually drive very fast on the 90 highway and don't notice hitchhikers.

See
Besides the sites in and around the above mentioned cities, the following are worth mentioning:

Ancient historical sites

Natural sites

Other sites

 * Camel herds, owned by the local Bedouins, can be spotted along the main road before and after the.
 * Camel herds, owned by the local Bedouins, can be spotted along the main road before and after the.
 * Camel herds, owned by the local Bedouins, can be spotted along the main road before and after the.

Hiking
The Negev is full of hiking trails open for the public. Very good and detailed hiking trails maps (in Hebrew) are available in every hiking store in the big cities and in some gas stations (₪90-110). Some areas are defined as national parks and there is an entrance fee of ₪20-35, these areas have all the information needed including maps and guides. Going for an independent hike is free, safe, and sometimes the view is more impressive than in the national parks.

Being in a nature reserve like the Ramon Crater after dark (except for marked campground) can cost you a fine of ₪700.

The society for the protection of the nature (SPNI) runs cheap hostels, information centers and nature schools around the country and in a few place around the Negev Desert. You can call them during office hours to get information about trails, military areas, weather and recommendation about hiking activities. Usually the staff is nice, patient and helpful.

Eat and drink
Most of the bigger cities and villages have various drink and eat options.

Campgrounds
The Negev features many free campgrounds, particularly along major hiking routes. Consult a map like OpenStreetMap (which is used by mobile apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz) to find them. Many campgrounds are also listed under Mitzpe Ramon.

Managed sites
See Sde Boker, Mitzpe Ramon, Eilat and Arad for various other accommodation options.

Most of the kibbutzim on Highway 90 have guest houses and offer charming rooms, and meals in their common dining rooms.

Stay safe
Nearly all of the Negev is an arid desert which sees rainfall only a few times a year. While winters can be pleasant, with temperatures hovering around 20°C, summers can be fierce with temperatures commonly over 40°C, but in the afternoon and at night there is a comfortable temperature drop. The climate in the Negev is dry, with hardly any humidity. Bring a large amount of water and register your plans at the nearest police station before going offroad for your own safety, as flash floods are likely to happen if rain does fall, and some parts of the Negev serve as the IDF's main training area.

In northern parts of the Negev, car theft is a major problem.

When hiking in the Negev, dehydration can be a major concern, even in winter. Bring at least 1 liter of water per person per hour of hiking, and drink even if you don't feel thirsty. Wear sunscreen - the sun is very bright, and even if you wear a hat it may reflect off the light-colored rocks and onto your face. Furthermore, the following rules should be followed:
 * Military zones Some areas (marked in red on the map) are used as military areas and closed to the public most of the time. However, these areas are sometimes open for hikers during Saturdays and national holidays.
 * Winter floods When hiking during the winter (October–April), it is mandatory to check the weather before going on a trail. The winter floods phenomenon during the winter in the Negev and Juda Desert is extremely beautiful but deadly at the same time. It is recommended to call every day to the closet SPNI office and ask for the current floods chances.
 * Water and sun - The most common death reason among hikers in the desert is dehydration. Make sure you have at least 3-4.5 liters of water per person per day. It is not likely to find drinkable water during the trail. If travelling in the summer, try to avoid walking too much in the sun without a rest in the shade (and shade is rare in the desert). It is recommended to have at least 10 minutes shadow-rest every one hour. During the winter, the sun is not that dangerous and the temperatures are more comfortable. Many of the sparse gas stations in the desert (particularly along route 90 south of the Dead Sea) have signs up stating not to drink their water. It is unclear why the water is unsafe to drink, but they were filtering it and serving it in products for customers (ie: slushies). Therefore, the water is probably not contaminated with heavy metals.
 * Camping and sleeping Generally it is allowed to camp anywhere in Israel. If you are hiking in a nature reserve (marked in green in the map) it is allowed to light fire and camp only in certain campsites. Lighting a fire or camping in a restricted area could lead to an expensive fine.

Go next

 * Dead Sea – the highly saline lake and immediate surroundings forming the lowest point on Earth, and it is very famous with tourists coming to Israel or Jordan
 * Judaean Desert – great for hiking, for a small part in Israel and most of it being a part of the West Bank, somewhat overlapping the Dead Sea region
 * West Bank – most parts of the Judaean Desert lie within the West Bank, most of which, in turn, is part of the Palestinian territories including destinations like Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho and Nablus
 * Jordan – in the south near Eilat the border crossing to Aqaba in Jordan can be found

title: Negev


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Negombo

Negombo is a quiet town in the western coastal area of Sri Lanka, with a tourist strip to the north on Jetwing Beach. Its key attraction is its proximity to the international airport. Formerly the haunt of budget travellers, rising hotel rates and luxury resorts mean it now attracts tourists for its yellow, sandy beaches and its relaxing and friendly environment. There are a few other tourist attractions, and decent opportunities for diving and water sports.

Understand
The 100-km-long canal network running through the city is still used, and outrigger canoes and modern water-craft ply this route daily, for trade and tourist purposes. Remains of colonization include the Dutch fort built in 1672, as well as centuries-old Portuguese and Dutch houses, administrative buildings, churches and the ceiling frescoes of St. Mary's cathedral church. Negombo is the centre of Sri Lanka's Catholic community, and you can expect to see many churches during a visit.

Negombo is also home to the country's second-largest fish market, the "Lellama", at the north end of the town's lagoon. There are daily fish auctions, which give tourists a chance to meet the area's fishermen and even organise fishing trips into the lagoon and the ocean beyond. Other nearby attractions open to visitors include the Muthurajawela marshland, which is part.

By plane
Getting there: Taxi costs Rs 1500 which can be booked at taxi counters in the departure hall. A trishaw will cost Rs 400–800. Besides, most hotels in Negombo can arrange pickups, but usually it's a pricey option: Rs 1500 to 2500.

There used to be a free shuttle bus from the Arrival Terminal to Katunayake bus stop, but it's no longer available. This bus now goes to Colombo. You may try your luck asking the driver to drop you off at Katunayake, but he may ask for the full fare to Colombo, anyway.

Otherwise, it is 15-min walk to the "Airport" bus terminal. A regular bus fare to Negombo bus terminal is Rs 22 (May 2015). Then take bus #905 to Negombo Beach for Rs 12.

By train
Negombo lies on the Colombo-Puttalam line. The is located in the city center. See the Sri Lanka Railways website for schedules.

By bus
Buses leave the main to Colombo every 30 mins. The journey costs Rs 75 and lasts one hour to one and half, depending on the traffic.

To Kandy: buses depart every 30 minutes from the main bus terminal, Rs 220, 3–4 hours.

To Sigiriya/Polonnaruwa: one bus daily at 14:00 from the main bus terminal. Trip lasts 4 hours to Sigiriya and 6 hours to Polonnaruwa.

To Anuradhapura: buses depart from Periyam Mulla junction bus stop in Negombo, journey takes more than 5 hours.

By taxi or trishaw
To reach Kandy, 100 km east of Negombo, one can take a tuk-tuk to Veyangoda and then get a 2–3 hours train ride.

By trishaw
Trishaws or "tuk tuks" are a common way to travel around. Be sure to negotiate your price ahead of the ride. These days, drivers tends to charge "fixed price" for tourists (e.g. Rs 200 from the Negombo Bus/Train Station to hotels in Lewis Place Street) and especially from Lewis Place it is difficult to catch the passing ones carrying locals if these "stationary" drivers are around.

The PickMe app can be used to get a fare estimate, which is usually significantly lower than prices quoted by local drivers.

By bike
Negombo is very flat so bikes are popular among locals. It is also possible to rent one, for example at

Renting your own vehicle
You can find international companies at the airport or local one in Negombo streets, where you can easily rent tuk tuks, vans, 4x4 or motorbikes, providing you have an international driving license. Note that to rent a tuk tuk, a local license is needed (which can be obtained through a travel agency).

See
Negombo is the area in which most travellers will begin and end their time in Sri Lanka, owing to its proximity to the airport. Negombo is a holiday destination itself, with its beautiful beach being its main attraction. Other things to see include:
 * The canals
 * The canals

Do

 * Boat rides in shallow waters of the Negombo lagoon.
 * Laze on the wide sandy beaches
 * Handicraft and other gift shopping.
 * Diving. There are two diving centres along the main strip, with boats departing from the beach, and roughly 30 dive sites.

Buy
Negombo used to be a major producer of cinnamon. While the trade has moved on, you can still find local cinnamon and vanilla for sale at roadside shops.

Souvenir shops sell Sri Lankan handicrafts such as jewellery with local gems, Batik, etc.

Eat
Local curry houses offer authentic dining for Rs 200. Cheaper, local restaurants are inland from the main strip, Porutota Rd. Roti Talk, on Porutota Rd and opposite Jetwing Blue, offers excellent local roti and chutney for Rs 200–300, and local curry and rice for Rs 700–900.

A mid-range destination, recommended by locals, is located on the southern end of Jetwing beach. It offers Sri Lankan curry & rice, but is most recommended for its pizzas. Expect to pay about Rs 1000 for a meal.

The three Jetwing resorts dominate the upper end of dining. Expect to pay about Rs 3000 for a meal.

Fine dining is one of the most satisfying factor enjoyed by any visitor who comes to Negombo.

 * Finest sea food can be tasted in Negombo. Fresh fish, lobsters, crabs, prawns and shellfish can be ordered in many restaurants. Crabs are sourced from the local lagoons. The fish markets are worth a visit.
 * Also any juicy tropical fruits can be purchased at Negombo food markets.

Drink
Specially Sri Lankan fresh king coconut is cheap and ubiquitous. If you search a bit you will be lucky enough to taste fresh toddy from area.

The local beers are Three Coins and Lion lagers. Locals are generally indifferent, although Three Coins is somewhat more full bodied. Arrack is the local spirit, made from coconut and tasting similar to rum.

Sleep
There are plenty of hotels (both budget and mid-ranged) and hostels in town, mostly scattered around the beach area.

Stay safe
The main roads and beach areas of Negombo have their share of touts and tricksters. Expect to be hailed by taxi drivers, souvenir-sellers and beggars. One man walks the beach with a monkey on a rope, trained to grab hold of tourists' legs.

Go next

 * Colombo — the capital
 * Kandy — 100 km east of Negombo

title: Negombo


text:
Negril

Negril is a major tourist destination in Western Jamaica, known for its white sandy beaches.

Understand
Negril is famous for its 7 miles (11 km) of cool, white sand beaches and another 7 miles of cliffs. One of the most beautiful towns in Jamaica, it has a more laid-back atmosphere than that of Montego Bay and is more touristy than Ocho Rios. When you stay at a hotel on the beach you are literally on the beach when you walk out of the beachside of your hotel. You have probably never seen water this clear or warm. You will be amazed at how far out you can walk in the water before it gets up to your neck. The water is gentler and the sand is whiter (smaller grained aka softer) the farther down (away from town) you are. The end of the beach down by the all-inclusives is the whitest.

The region is also known for the foreign janes (female sex tourists) who visit.

Get in
Fly into the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. Take a 60- to 90-minute shuttle van ride to Negril. It is a very scenic drive along the north coast travelling west. There are many companies and taxis that provide a great service doing airport transfers to Negril.

Get around
The least expensive way to get around is to hire "Route Taxis". Many drivers will attempt to get you to hire them. Many of them are very expensive, even if you try to negotiate with them. Route Taxis, for example, from the Rui Resort on Bloody Bay to downtown Negril will charge about $2 per person. From Rui to Ricks Cafe is about $4 per person. Be sure to set your price with the driver before you enter their taxi!

Current rates (2012) seem to be $100 (Jamaica dollars) along the beachfront road to the roundabout in Negril township, and 100 more for any point past this i.e. around the cliffs. Double this if you are catching a route taxi at night.

Drivers who are not Route Taxis often charge over $10 per person and will tell you that Route Taxis aren't safe (which is not true, it's just a way to get more money from tourists).

See

 * Martha Bray River— a truly magnificent river; one of the longest rivers in Jamaica.

Do
Taking a snorkelling tour in one the glass bottom boats is highly recommended. Watch the famous Negril sunset: it is the sunset to remember.

Buy
The tourist crafts market at the edge of town is a great place to pick up souvenirs and nick nacks. The sellers are willing to bargain especially if you want more than one thing. You can spend American dollars almost anywhere on the island. Most of the roadside stand sellers have a calculator and know the exchange rate. Although the roadside sellers are quite savvy they can be honest to a fault when it comes to bargaining. If you want a better price you can get it.

Eat

 * Sugar Cane, Coconut Jelly Meat, and Jerk Chicken.

Restaurants

 * Rick's Cafe is about the biggest tourist trap in which to view a gorgeous Negril sunset. Cliff diving is available from a sturdy concrete slab perched high atop the sea cliffs, higher than before. There, visitors can test their mettle or leave it to the professionals (note: people have been killed and seriously injured/maimed when cliff jumping - including the so-called 'professionals'). Just remember that if you watch the show, you're expected to tip the professionals.
 * Eddie's De Bar and Grill Jerk chicken plus all the traditional Jamaican dishes, goat, fish and lobster. The bar has great vibes, excellent music, nightly bonfire; truly a Jamaican yard. Just past The Rockhouse Hotel on the left.
 *  Three Dives Restaurant an eatery on the west end that is just past Xtabi Resort. Expect jerk chicken, pork, lobster and snapper - all locally sourced.
 *  LTU Restaurant a locally-styled restaurant perched high on the edge of the cliff, 200 yards from Ricks on the cliff road. The menu offers high quality and a wide range, including vegetarian, and there is a 'specials' board for fresh 'catch of the day' offerings such as Marlin, Kingfish and Mahi mahi.
 *  Royal Kitchen a vegetarian/Ital restaurant on the west end past the M&L Market. $250 gets you a great combo that usually consists of soy chunks, rice and peas, veggies, plus often stew or ackee.
 *  Royal Kitchen a vegetarian/Ital restaurant on the west end past the M&L Market. $250 gets you a great combo that usually consists of soy chunks, rice and peas, veggies, plus often stew or ackee.

Drink

The SamSara Hotel also located in the west part of Negril (past the rock house) has a very nice buy one get one free happy hour from 4-7PM every day!
 * Coconut Water - best straight off the tree, just cut open the coconut with a machete and drink (if you're picky, you can use a straw). You can also buy bottled coconut water basically anywhere on the island, but not as good as getting it fresh from the green coconuts. Good for your heart.
 * Rum Fruit Punch or Red Stripe Beer are Jamaican concoctions. Guinness and Heineken can also be purchased pretty much anywhere that sells alcohol.

Stay safe
Use common sense, especially at night. Negril is generally considered safer than most large American cities.

Drugs
It is illegal to buy and/or use drugs in Jamaica. Commonly, you may be offered marijuana 'smoke... smoke?' by the locals. A pleasant "no thank you" or "yes please!" will usually suffice. Do not be surprised if you are offered drugs several times throughout your stay.

Go next
A little known fact is that you can walk from the far end of the beach to town in under an hour on the beach if you walk along the beach line to where the trees block the way and then take to the grass along the water. Just stay on the shore and you will stumble into the tourist market at the edge of town. There are coconuts and sugar cane for sale in the parking lot. It is a great way to avoid the taxi tax and stay off the road!

To see more of the area in and around Negril, with a local flair, requires a tour guide. Tour guides can be hired relatively cheaply, and will add a lot of life to your exploration of Negril, and Jamaica at large. To find one, it is easiest to ask for a referral from a tourist spot, like Rick's Cafe. One local favourite is Sexy Rexy, a Rastafarian tour guide, but others can be found as well.

title: Negril