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Furano

Furano (富良野), which is in the geographical center of Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, is an amalgamation of several quaint farming towns around a small municipal center. Furano is famous for its remarkably light and dry powder snow, beautiful fields of lavender, vineyards, and its unique Hokkaido Belly Button Festival.

This guide covers three municipalities in Furano basin: Furano, Nakafurano and Kamifurano.

Understand
Furano is known as Heso no Machi (the Belly Button Town) due to its central location. Furano's inland location (almost 100 km -- about as far inland as Japan gets) and high elevation result in a continental climate, the reason behind Furano's successful ski hill and wine industries. There is a very large temperature variation, so a light jacket is recommended even in the summer. Summer midday temperatures may exceed 30 °C, and midwinters will drop below -30 °C. Furano has very heavy snowfall in the winter.

The population is approximately 26,000, including the incorporated communities in the outskirts. The population of the main municipal area is said to be about 16,000. Don't expect to meet a large number of English speakers outside of the major hotel and tourist areas.

There has been a substantial increase in foreign skiers and snowboarders, particularly from Australia. Furano seems set to enjoy the same skiing success that Niseko has.

Meanwhile, the Furano Basin has become more and more famous for its summertime lavender fields, which draw multitudes of visitors from Taiwan and China as well as from all over Japan.

Tourist Information Sites
Guide sites by local tourism associations:
 * Furano City: Furano Index, multilingual guide site.
 * Nakafurano Town: bilingual.
 * Kamifurano Town: multilingual.

By plane
The nearest airport to Furano is Asahikawa, which has flights to major Japanese cities but only limited seasonal connections elsewhere. Furano Bus has around 7 services per day directly from the airport (1 hour, ¥840).

During the ski season, Hokkaido Access Network also runs direct buses from Sapporo's much larger New Chitose Airport (3 hours, ¥5000).

By train
Furano is the terminus of the JR Furano Line from Asahikawa. There are 12 direct trains daily, with the last train leaving JR Asahikawa Station at 22:37.

Furano is also on the JR Nemuro Line from Takikawa. In the winter ski season, there is one daily Ski Express Train from Sapporo at 08:04, otherwise you'll need to connect via Takikawa. All services eastward towards Nemuro have been discontinued.

By taxi
If you are arriving at New Chitose Airport after 20:00, an expensive taxi ride might be necessary. It may cost ¥25,000-35,000 depending on season if booked in advance, and more if not.

By car
Furano is accessible by Highway 237 and Highway 38. There is no direct expressway. The closest expressway exit is Takikawa, about 45 minutes away. In good weather, it takes about 3 hours to reach Furano from Sapporo and 1 hour from Asahikawa. Driving to Furano in winter can be quite dangerous and is generally not recommended — unexpected blizzards, snow drifts, and icy roads are common.

By train
The JR Furano Line runs north to Asahikawa, through the scenic Furano Valley, full of flower fields in the summer. The Furano-Biei Norokko tourist train runs daily from June through August and on weekends into the fall. It stops at Nakafurano with its lavender slopes, at the seasonal Lavender Field station near Farm Tomita, and at Kamifurano near Flower Land Kamifurano. Yamabe Station on the JR Nemuro Main Line east (toward Obihiro) offers access to mountain-climbing trails on Mount Ashibetsu, which is located within the Taiyou no Sato park, about 45 minutes' walk from the station.

By bus
Furano Bus provides most local bus services. The office is located directly across the street from the entrance to JR Furano Station. Conveniently, their office is shared with the Furano Tourist Association, which can provide advice on how to reach tourist attractions by bus. Overall, the bus service is poor, with only a few buses each day going to many of the major destinations.

By taxi
Due to the lack of effective public transportation, taxi services in Furano are very good. The largest carrier, Furano Taxi, has a cell-phone interpretation system which can provide service in English, Chinese, and Korean. Their fleet also contains wheelchair-accessible and other special-needs vehicles. For a small group, taxi can be quite affordable, with fares to many tourist attractions under ¥2,000 per trip. There is a 20% fare increase for late night (22:00 to 05:00) or winter (Nov 25 to Mar 31) services.

By car
Furano has a high traffic accident rate and one of the highest fatality rates for accidents in Japan. Rights of way are often confusingly marked on back and rural roads, where locals will often drive in excess of 100 km/h. Driving is not recommended during the peak summer holidays (o-bon or local festival periods) due to the severe traffic congestion. If you are unfamiliar with winter driving in Japan, do not start here. A four-wheel drive vehicle is highly recommended. Many minor roads will be solid ice, and major roads may ice or drift over during the evening and early morning. The stop lines and center lines will be completely invisible at many intersections — look for the blue signs which designate them. With that said, Furano has a generally poor public transit system, and many of Furano's unique attractions are best reached by car. Be careful when drinking — even a sip of wine puts one over the legal driving limit in Japan.

By bicycle
Rental cycles may be found near the train station. With the station at your back, several souvenir shops on the left side have bicycles for rent. They may not offer a helmet (adults in Japan almost never use bicycle helmets) but helmets may be available if you ask. Many hotels and pensions will also lend out bicycles. It's safest to stay on sidewalks wherever possible.

On foot
It's quite possible to explore the small downtown area on foot. The Kitanomine ski village is also very accessible by foot, although winter conditions can be severe. Other areas, such as Rokugo, are quite spread out, with several kilometers between points of interest. During winter, one should be very careful of footing, as paths and streets are often slick ice.

See
Furano's main attractions are outdoors, though there are a few other options.

Flower gardens

In Furano area, there are many flower farms and tourist flower gardens. The best time to see is around July.

Do

Other winter activities include snowmobiling and ice-hole fishing.

Buy
Local goods include Furano Wine and carrot juice. Hotel shops and grocery stores sell these.

Drink
Alcohol can be bought from convenience stores or most hotels, either in the restaurants or via vending machines. There are several local businesses, as well.

Go next

 * Daisetsuzan National Park — Japan's largest, directly north of Furano
 * Biei
 * Minamifurano
 * Shintoku
 * Nakafurano
 * Shimizu
 * Obihiro
 * Asahikawa
 * Ashibetsu

title: Furano


text:
Furore

Furore is a village of about 800 people on the Amalfi Coast. It overlooks the beautiful "Fjord of Furore", a narrow body of water located at the mouth of an overhanging valley.

Understand
In 1997, like the whole Amalfi Coast, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also part of the club of the most beautiful villages in Italy, of the City of Wine Association and of the Painted Country Association.

Climate
The average temperature of the coldest month, January, is +10.7 ° C; that of the hottest month, August, is +26.8 ° C.

Precipitation has a summer minimum, a peak in autumn-winter and is still abundant even in spring.

By car
Driving along the Amalfi Drive (SS163), from Positano, pass the Marina di Praia and the Fiord of Furore, continue towards Amalfi. You will find a junction with a left turn towards Agerola, Furore.

Driving from Naples, leave the Motorway A3 at Castellammare di Stabia, follow the indications for Gragnano, Pimonte, Agerola, Furore.

Driving from the South, Salerno, continue towards Vietri sul Mare and continue along the Amalfi Drive Strada Costiera Aamlfitana, passing trough Cetara, Erchie, Maiori, Minori, Castiglione di Ravello, Atrani, Amalfi, just outside Amalfi at the junction for Positano, turn right towards Agerola, Furore.

Furore is 264 km from Rome, 55 km from Naples, 35 km from Salerno and 40 km from Sorrento.

By bus
The extra-urban connections with the other municipalities of the Amalfi Coast are operated by the Sita, whose buses travel along the state road 163 Amalfitana and the state road 366 of Agerola.

See

 * The Fiord of Furore, the Fishing Village, the Paper Mill, House of Anna Magnani (La Storta) and House of Roberto Rossellini (Il Dottore)
 * Church of San Giacomo Paintings of the History of Santa Margherita;
 * Church of San Michele (set for the episode "Il Miracolo" of the film L'Amore with Anna Magnani and Roberto Rossellini)
 * Church of Sant'Elia Famous Triptich by Angelo Antonello da Capua 1479.
 * "The Painted Town". Walls of the houses along the road painted with murals.

Do

 * Trekking Furore is the ideal location for trekking along the slopes of the Lattari Mountains, and not far from the Highway of the Lattari Mountains: "The Path of the Gods." Other interesting and spectacular paths especially for the views, Sentiero della Volpe Pescatrice (The Fishing Vixen Path) from Punta Sant'Elia to the Fiord of Furore, and the path of the Agave in Fiore (The Agave in Flower), along this path leading from Punta Sant'Elia to Praiano, you will be able to find many agave, that after producing the incredible flower will die.

Buy

 * Wine Furore winery Marisa Cuomo Gran Furor, produces excellent DOC wines, brands include Furore red and wine, Fior d'Uva and Rosso Riserva
 * Pomodorini del Piennolo Cherry tomatoes, kept in bunches on a string.
 * Potatoes, Prickly pear and Prickly Pears liquors.

Go next
From Furore you can easily reach Amalfi, Positano, Praiano, and Ravello. Enjoy a nice and breathtaking drive along the Amalfi Coast or take one of the local convenient and useful SITA buses. From Amalfi, there are daily boat connections with the island of Capri, Positano and Salerno. Furore is also a convenient location for visiting Pompeii, Herculaneum and Mount Vesuvius. Easy access to Capodichino Airport Naples, motorway A3 Castellammare di Stabia, and the new Salerno Costa d'Amalfi Airport

Salerno_Costa_d'Amalfi_Airport in Pontecagnano - Salerno

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

title: Furore


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Fushun

Fushun (抚顺; Fǔshùn) is a city in Liaoning Province of China.

Understand
Fushun is a prefecture level city in the east of Liaoning. Within the area is Xing City (In Manchurian: Hetu Ala). This was the former capital of the Manchurian Late Jin Dynasty, founded in 1616 which later became the Qing Dynasty of China. Nearby is the Yongling Tomb where members of the royal household were laid to rest. Both Xing City and Yongling Tomb are now preserved as tourist attractions and are UNESCO world heritage sites.

In the early 20th century, the area came under first Russian and then Japanese control. Fushun was developed as a major coal mining and heavy industrial area. This city was called 'Coal Capital of China'. Fushun was also the site of China's first non-ferrous metal production plant - Fushun Aluminium Plant. During the 1980s, a significant petrochemical industry was developed. It is now the largest petrochemical and refined chemical producer in China. With these industries came inevitable pollution. In 2001, the city launched a drive to improve its environment, introducing new equipment into the factories, especially the Aluminium Plant.

Lei Feng is little known to the wider world, but in China, he is a household name. Lei Feng was held up by Mao Zedong and other leaders of China as an example for the whole country to copy, a model of the communist idea. Fushun was the city of his military career and a museum here tells his life story.

By plane
The nearest airport is Shenyang Taoxian International. It is about 30 to 40 minutes drive by road to Fushun form this airport. Shenyang Taoxian has frequent flights to destinations all over China as well as Japan, North and South Korea, Russia and other international routes.

By road
The Shenfu Express Way connects Fushun with the nearby provincial capital, Shenyang. The journey takes about 30 minutes. From Shenyang, a number of express ways radiate out to other cities in Liaoning as well as neighbouring provinces.

By bus
Regular buses or coaches run the route between Shenyang (from Minzhu Lu, opposite the south railway station) to Fushun South railway station form 5AM till 7PM every day. They leave when full which may be as frequently as every 10 minutes. The fare is ¥10 and journey time is about 60 to 90 minutes. On route the bus will stop at various tourist sites (Dongling, Garden Expo, Royal Ocean World) to pick up or drop off. On entering Fushun city, the bus passes Fushun south station then takes a circuitous route round the whole city before stopping back at the south station again. Bus company tel: +86 413 7614552.

Other less frequent buses run to other cities in Liaoning and Jilin. There is also a direct bus to and from Beijing.

By train
There are two train stations in Fushun - the North and the South stations. Trains run through this station from locations such as Shenyang, Beijing, Tumen and Tonghua and other cities en route between these points. Fushun South Station Tel: +86 41 3262 4816.

Get around
There are two bus stations neighboring the North and South train stations. Routes run throughout the city. The Yongling tomb and Hetu Ala City (Xing City) world heritage sites can be reached by bus from Fushun South station. This route runs every half an hour between 7:30AM and 4:30PM and the fair is ¥16.

Wanghua District (望花区; Wànghuāqū)
These sites are to the south and west of Fushun city, within the urban area.

Shuncheng District (顺城区; Shùnchéngqū) and Xinfu District (新抚区; Xīnfǔqū)
These sites are on the north and east side of the river within Fushun City urban area or within easy travel of the city.

Dongzhou District (东洲区; Dōngzhōuqū) and Fushun County (抚顺县; Fǔshùnxiàn)
These sites are outside of Fushun city to the east but still within easy travelling distance.

Xinbin and Qingyuan Manchu Autonomous Counties
These sites are some distance east from Fushun city centre and should be given adequate time for travel. Hetuala City and the Qingyong Tomb are a short drive from each apart.

Buy
Fushun is home to China's biggest open cast coal mine, so it isn't surprising that you can buy coal here. What may surprise you is that the coal can be carved and polished into ornaments and jewelry. The area also produces large amounts of amber which also is used in jewelry. A traditional Manchu product available locally is deer musk. In Xinbin County they produce Cashmere wool products of high quality. Another local art form is tree root art. The contorted roots of trees are polished and turned into artworks.

Drink
Fushun's nightlife is not fancy. Not many people will stay out past mid-night. The largest night club is "F1 Club", close to "Imperial Palace Bath" in the central district of city. In front of which there is a statue of Chairman Mao. The club is large and modern style and various shows will be on sometimes.

title: Fushun


text:
Futaleufu

Futaleufú is a small town in Southern Chile, in the Northern Chilean Patagonia, 10 km from the Argentinian border.

Understand
Futaleufú is locally known as Futa. A growing tourism industry specialising on whitewater rafting, fishing, mountain biking, hiking, and canyoning.

By car
Futaleufú is at about 50 km from Esquel in Argentina; from Chaitén, the distance is similar.

By bus
From:
 * Chaitén – Daily via Villa Sta Lucia; 2,000 pesos, 4 hr.
 * Esquel (Argentina) – Buses cost 4,500 pesos and take 3 hr. Towards Esquel, buses leave on M W F 08:30 and 18:30.
 * Puerto Montt, Osorno – Buses take around 12 hr, including two border crossings since they go through Argentina.

By plane
Futaleufú is most easily accessed by plane from the airports in Esquel and Bariloche, in Argentina.

Get around
The town is entirely walkable.

Do

 * Rafting, kayaking, canoeing (Nov–Mar) – There are class IV and V rapids here. The beautiful river, and its surroundings, are arguably one of the best rafting spots in all of Latin America. Many companies offer trips, for around 45,000 pesos for half a day.
 * Swimming – Hike out of town west along P Aguirre Cerde, after 30 minutes along a gravel road you come to a large bridge. Just on the left is a stony "beach" with a makeshift diving board. Excellent spot for swimming in the crisp clean waters, which are better than the swimming areas on the main road into town.

Sleep
Lots of hospedajes have camping spots.

Go next

 * Esquel
 * Los Alerces National Park

title: Futaleufu


text:
Futamatagawa

Futamatagawa is a Town in Kanagawa prefecture, part of Yokohama City.

Understand
In 1889, Futamatagawa was created as Futamatagawa village. In 1926, Futamatagawa station was built, and still serves quite a lot of passengers every day. In 1939, the village was integrated into Yokohama City.

Get in
Go from Tokyo Station to Yokohama Station in JR Tokaidou line (東海道線), transfer to Sotetsu line (相鉄線) at Yokohama Station, it takes about 50 minutes and costs ¥650.

title: Futamatagawa


text:
Futuna Island

There's more than one place called Futuna Island:

Vanuatu

 * Futuna Island (Vanuatu)

Wallis and Futuna

 * Futuna Island (Wallis and Futuna)

title: Futuna Island


text:
Futuna Island (Wallis and Futuna)

Futuna Island is one of the two Hoorn Islands in Wallis and Futuna. It covers an area of 83 square kilometers. It is an island attached to the Wallis-Putuna Islands in the South Pacific Ocean, which is a self-governing foreign territory of France. It is called Futuna in French. Along with Wallace I. and Alofi I., it is the main island of the Wallis-Putuna Islands, forming the Putuna Islands (or the Hornet Islands). Both islands on the Putna Islands are the remains of old volcanoes, bordered by surrounded reefs.

History
The island is known as the place where Pierre Chanel, a French priest, was martyred in 1841 and became the only Catholic saint in the Polynesian region. It is also said that it was marked on a European map when Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire, a Dutch navigator traveling around the world in 1616, touched the island. They called the island Hoorn Eylanden after the city of Hoorn, where Schouten was born, and it was settled under the name of Hoorn.

Regions

 * Alo - the chiefdom comprising the eastern two-thirds of the island. The Alo chiefdom also covers the neighbouring Alofi Island, which is uninhabited.
 * Sigavé (Singave) - the chiefdom comprising western third of the island

Villages

 * Leava - the capital of Sigavé, and the island's third largest village
 * Mala'e - the capital of Alo
 * Ono - the island's largest village, in Alo
 * Taoa - the island's second largest village, in Alo

title: Futuna Island (Wallis and Futuna)


text:
Fuxian

Fuxian Lake (抚仙湖 Fǔxiānhú) in Yuxi, Yunnan province is the fifth deepest lake in China and also very clean.

Understand
The main urban center by the lake is Chengjiang, which lies on the northern edge of the lake. The Chengjiang City Government administers not only the city's urban area but also smaller towns and villages on the lake's north shore such as Haikou and Luchong. The southern parts of the lake are divided between Huaning and Jiangchuan.

Get in
Chengjiang is easily reachable by bus from Kunming or Yuxi. From Chengjiang, there are buses to all sides of the lake.

See

 * Lake
 * Mountains
 * Food
 * Stars (before, during or after drinking)

Do

 * Horse riding on the western side of the lake
 * Occasional paragliding goes on in these parts...

Sleep
Along the shore are villages with guesthouses and hotels. Around Luchong village are several five stars hotels. The east coast has fewer tourists and the hills are a great place to camp cause you have amazing views of the sunset.

Go next

 * Tonghai County, with a smaller Qilu Lake, across the mountains south of Fuxian Lake

title: Fuxian


text:
Fuxin

Fuxin (阜新; Fùxīn) is a city in Liaoning Province in China.

Understand
It is located in northwest Liaoning Province, China. The Xinjiang Railway, with a total length of 131.5 km, passes along the coast. It consists of five districts, one county, and one autonomous county, which was separated and installed in Fushin County in 1940. The distance from Shenyang is 147.5 km.

title: Fuxin


text:
Fuzhou

 * This page describes the capital of Fujian Province. For the city in Jiangxi, see Fuzhou (Jiangxi).

Fuzhou (福州; Hók-ciŭ in Fuzhou dialect, Fúzhōu in Mandarin) is the capital of Fujian Province in China. An older romanisation is "Foochow". Population is about 4.4 million in the city, 7.1 million for the whole prefecture.

Fuzhou is known in China as a city of parks, plazas and man-made green space, designed to compensate for its extensive urban sprawl and the heat effects of concrete and asphalt. This phenomenon is so pervasive that entire research papers and case studies are written about Fuzhou's green space evolution.

Districts
The name "Fuzhou" is somewhat ambiguous; it can mean either the city itself or the entire prefecture. In terms of administrative divisions, Fuzhou has the typical Chinese structure. There is no separate government specifically for the city of Fuzhou; instead the Fuzhou officials administer the entire Fuzhou Prefecture, which is divided into urban districts and more-or-less rural counties. Each district or county has its own local administration. The person who gets called "mayor of Fuzhou" in English is actually the chief administrator for the prefecture.

Within the city itself — the area this article covers — there are four districts. Cangshan (仓山区; Cāngshānqū) is south of the river. Gulou (鼓楼区; Gǔlóuqū) and Taijiang (台江区; Táijiāngqū) are downtown areas right on the north side of the river, and Jin'an (晋安区; Jìn'ānqū) is north of those. In general these district names will not matter for travellers, but they are used in addresses.

Other areas within the prefecture are covered in separate Wikivoyage articles:
 * Mawei (马尾区; Mǎwěiqū), the port area, 20 km downstream, east of downtown
 * Changle (长乐区; Chánglèqū), a town of about half a million with the airport, on the coast to the east beyond Mawei
 * Fuqing, an industrial town of about half a million, on the coast south of Fuzhou
 * Pingtan, an island off the coast next to Fuqing
 * Minhou, a large region on both sides of the river, partly suburbs and partly still quite rural. Several universities have campuses there, and they all employ foreigners as English teachers.

Wikipedia has a full list of administrative divisions, with a map. It includes several which Wikivoyage does not yet cover.

Understand
Fuzhou is an old port city and has been an administrative center since the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE). Marco Polo visited it around 1290. In the era of tea clippers, Fuzhou exported more tea than any other Chinese port. Much of the best tea came from the Wuyi Mountain area, up the river from Fuzhou.

Today, it is the provincial capital and administrative center, and also a major center for light industry. Nike has a factory there, and a Taiwanese firm that makes shoes for Adidas, Reebok and others has four. All are large factories, with several thousand employees each. Fuzhou is right across the straits from Taipei, and there is fairly heavy Taiwan investment.

The city is on the Min River, a few km inland from the sea, and the actual port is in the downstream suburb Mawei which has been a center for shipbuilding for several hundred years. In 1884, the French destroyed a dockyard at Mawei, sinking a good part of the Chinese navy and killing hundreds. There is a museum to commemorate this. For a more general view of Fujian's seafaring history, visit the Maritime Museum in Quanzhou.

There are many mountains and waterfalls in the hinterland around Fuzhou, while sandy beaches are abundant in the coastal areas, especially in the town of Changle and the island of Pingtan.

The region has its own culture and language, and an architectural style distinct from other regions in China and Fujian, which can be found both in the city and in the towns and rural areas around it. The city has the oldest wood structure in South China (Hualin Temple) and has one of the largest historic downtown districts in China "Three Lanes and Seven Alleys" with over 200 residences from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Fuzhou, and more generally Fujian, has always been outward-looking and some people in more-or-less every overseas Chinese community in the world can trace their ancestry to the area, with some examples of places where Fuzhou people form the majority among the ethnic Chinese community being the Malaysian cities of Yong Peng, Setiawan, Sibu and Miri. Fuzhou people also form the second largest group after the Cantonese people among the Chinese community of New York City. There is also an enclave of Fuzhou people in Shanghai.

In recent decades, most of the illegal Chinese immigrants smuggled to Western countries and to Japan and Taiwan have come from the Fuzhou region, with Changle, Fuqing and various more rural areas as the main sources. The trade is largely controlled by the region's "snakehead" gangs who are not at all nice people. In 2003, the Taiwan coast guard intercepted a boatload of young women presumably bound for Taipei's brothels; the crew threw them overboard to get rid of the evidence and several died.

Talk
Fuzhou and the surrounding area have a local language called Fuzhou Hua (福州话, literally Fuzhou speech), which is part of the Mindong (闽东话, literally East Fujian speech) branch of the Min family of Chinese dialects. This is not mutually intelligible with Mandarin (standard Chinese) or any other Chinese dialect, not even other Min (Fujian) dialects. The same language is spoken by some in the overseas Chinese communities of New York and Southeast Asia where it is known as Hokchiu or Foochow in the latter, and on the Taiwan-controlled islands of Matsu. These days, Fuzhou Hua is primarily spoken by the elderly and middle-aged people; most younger locals cannot speak it unless they were raised by their grandparents or grew up in the countryside.

As everywhere in China, Mandarin or standard Chinese is widely spoken. It has been the only language used in government and education for decades and acts as the lingua franca for Chinese from different regions to communicate. Fuzhou, like any prosperous coastal city, has many migrants from poorer provinces who have come seeking work; nearly all of them speak Mandarin but not Fuzhou Hua.

By plane
There is an official airport express (航空快线) that is misspelled "ARPORT EXPRESS" in English. There are regular departures from the airport to town and from town to airport between 05:30 and 21:30 (departure times vary by destination). The shuttles leave from different stations in town, and the ¥50 ticket can be purchased online and on Wechat (Chinese language only, the official account is 元翔空港快线). Although a Chinese name and ID card number is required during booking, these details are not checked. Travel time is about an hour.

By train
There are two railway stations in Fuzhou. The (old) Fuzhou Railway Station in the northeast of the city (the northern edge of the city center). The (new) Fuzhou South Railway Station, which was built in an empty field some on an island some 20 km south of the old station; there is now some development around it, of little interest to a visitor.

Both railway stations are served by Line No. 1 of Fuzhou Subway; the ride between the two takes just over 40 min. The (old) Fuzhou Railway Station can be reached via #5 or #22 city buses, or it is cheap and quick by taxi from anywhere in central Fuzhou. If going to Fuzhou South, a taxi to it will be ¥50 or so from downtown and take about half an hour, about half the time it takes from the subway.

By taxi
Taxis are cheap, from ¥10 for short trips and under ¥30 for almost any trip in town. Taxi rates are ¥10 for the first 3 km, and then ¥1.4 per km and one more after 23:00. Taxis are more available in the downtown area and always available at train stations/Fuzhou airport.

Taxi stands exist across Fuzhou. Beware that almost all taxis will refuse to stop if there are traffic cameras nearby, especially at parks with entrances along busy roads. It is always more advisable to identify a nearby taxi stand and wait there.

If leaving Fuzhou proper (going to a more rural district), taxis will often round up to a multiple of ¥10 to compensate for the lack of return visitors. If you're having trouble finding a taxi driver that is willing to go to a rural district, going to a train station is generally a good idea. Taxis line up for hours at a time at train stations and are desperate for fares.

Didi Dache operates in Fuzhou. It is possible for foreigners to sign up with a Chinese phone number, and to use a foreign credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or Amex). However, your bank must support a second factor fraud screening, such as Securecode for Mastercard or SecureKey for American Express. Many of its drivers will also wait at train stations, shopping malls and outside higher end restaurants, haggling prices with potential clients, however, these trips are not covered by rideshare app insurance and have no protections since they're completed out of the app. It's inadvisable to take an unlicensed driver unless you're fluent in Mandarin or are genuinely stuck. They are generally very aggressive and may follow you, just reply No need, thank you ("Bu Yao, Xie Xie") until they get the message.

By bus
Buses are often crowded, but run often and more-or-less everywhere for ¥1. Most are air conditioned. If the bus you require is packed just wait until the next one, or the one after, it should only take 5–10 minutes, being stuck on a dangerously overloaded bus with several dozen/hundred people sweating all over you is an experience best avoided, especially in the summer months. However, you should be aware that bus service stops at 22:00, so the last buses are often very crowded and sometimes you cannot get one. Taxis and enterprising drivers will offer group rides from crowded bus stops to other parts of town, usually for ¥15.

As of January 2019, there are construction sites for the new metro lines all over the city, blocking multiple lanes of many main roads and causing huge traffic jams. Make sure to leave early if you need to be somewhere on time, as even short distances might take 30–60 minutes due to the traffic.

By Metro
Fuzhou has opened metro lines, , , and. Another two lines are under construction, and several more are planned. Line 6 opened in August 2022, with a second phase extension to Shibakongzha under construction and Line 4 opened partially in August 2023.

When you take the subway, you should buy a single journey ticket from ticket vending machine. TVMs only accept ¥1 coins and ¥5, ¥10, and ¥20 banknotes, if you do not have change, you can exchange the change in Customer Service Center. Reloadable cards are available from customer service desks at each station, and can be used on both lines. As each line of the subway is operated by different companies, cards can only be reloaded on the line that you purchased the card on.

If you are carrying handbags or luggage, these bags must pass through the X-ray checks at the stations. Take out any liquids and hand them to the security officer for inspection, where you will be asked to take a sip or have the liquid weighted. Although they may not offer it, you have the option to ask for either. It is inadvisable to bring cans and un-resealable beverage containers through security.

All Metro announcements are trilingual in Mandarin, Fuzhou Hua and English.

Architecture and buildings

Parks and nature

Fuzhou is a city of parks; the number of parks is extreme for a city of its size and stature. Fuzhou has embraced a very strong emphasis on creating densely compacted communities that tend to lack much beyond concrete, and retroactively compensating for this with green spaces.

Buy
The most famous handicrafts of the area are:

There are also carvings in wood and jade, paper umbrellas and combs made of ox horn. As a general rule, these are generic crafts procured from Alibaba, T-Mall or Taobao, and resold to tourists. Unless you see an active workshop producing these goods in the store, assume that it is being resold and that there is a considerable markup over the original price.

You may be offered ivory. Most nations have banned ivory to protect endangered species; do not buy it unless you are certain it is fake. In China, this is quite likely, but it is hard to be certain and it might be harder yet to convince customs officials if you try to bring it home.

It is generally a very poor idea to purchase Western branded goods in Fuzhou, as these product almost always carry a substantial markup.

Eat
Local specialties include:

Splurge

 * Korean restaurant (in Ramada Hotel). One of the best Korean restaurants in the city. BBQ in the table and good quality. Try the meat selection and the vegetables. More than ¥200/person.
 * Korean restaurant (in Ramada Hotel). One of the best Korean restaurants in the city. BBQ in the table and good quality. Try the meat selection and the vegetables. More than ¥200/person.

Budget
There are a number of cheap hotels around Fuzhou Railway Station. (The new Fuzhou South Railway Station has a lot fewer lodging options in its vicinity). However, be sure to call ahead to confirm that they can register foreigners.

Splurge
There are some nice hotels in Fuzhou:

Connect
The area code for Fuzhou is 591.

China Unicom and China Mobile will register phone plans with foreigners; however, smaller outlets may sometimes lack the knowledge to do so. A passport is required, and it's highly advised to visit an outlet in a highly trafficked area.

Go next

 * Mount Wuyi - scenic area famous for tea, ancient cliff burials and relics of the 3000-year-old Minyue Culture. The landscapes here are surreally beautiful.
 * Xiamen - three hours by bus, an hour and a half on the new fast train.
 * Qinyun Mountain - a scenic mountain area about 65 km from Fuzhou near the small town of Yongtai. Lots of great walks through river valleys with tons of sub tropical flora and fauna and those ubiquitous waterfalls. Worth an overnight visit.
 * Langqi Island - a 45-min bus ride from Fuzhou, via Mawei. On the east of the island there is a splendid beach with few visitors. Cute old ferry takes you there from the mainland for ¥2.
 * Fujian Tulou - round earthen houses built for multiple families and easy fortification when two main doors are closed. Southwestern part of Fujian Province. Many tourist buses leave out of Quanzhou and/or Xiamen.
 * Quanzhou - old city between Fuzhou and Xiamen, reachable by bus or train. Around the year 1000 this was the main shipping port for south China and Marco Polo wrote extensively about it when he visited. Good temples and a 1000-year-old mosque, which has been rebuilt.

title: Fuzhou


text:
Gabú

Gabú is a city in Guinea-Bissau.

By car
It is a three-hour drive from Bissau, one 1-hr drive with a good road all the way.

See
Small colonial centre with a catholic church.

Buy

 * There is a
 * There is a

The people have the traditional clothing and wear of the local people in markets.

Eat
There are a few decent restaurants in town.

Drink

 * There is a guy selling

Gabú is known for its nightlife and discotheques that close during Ramadan, however.

Go next

There is a not-too-bad dirt road to Pirada border to Senegal, and also, it is possible to go to Guinea-Conakry from Gabú.

Taxis to Labé, Guinea costs 15'000 CFA plus 3'000 CFA for one piece of luggage. Prepare to spend up to 16 hours on bumpy and dusty mountain roads.

title: Gabú


text:
Gaberoun

Gaberoun is a small former Bedouin village on a wonderful oasis, around 150 km west of Sabha in the North African country of Libya.

History
A small tribe inhabited the oasis, the ruins of their settlement are scattered between the palms at the north-western shore of the lake, the exact dates of original occupation of the village is unknown. There are Bedouins who say the site has been occupied for many hundreds of years.

Climate
Hot! The highs are high but be aware, the nights can be cold.

Get in
Drive from Sabah. It's around 3-4 hours in reasonable Jeep conditions.

See
The oasis, this is why it's famous. The village is not fully inhabited any more, but the tickle of tourists that do get to this place are met usually by some locals who sell accommodation for the night, tea and some local hand made souvenirs.

Do
Chill out, and relax on the oasis shores that, although salty, are wonderfully refreshing.

Buy
Local souvenirs.

Sleep
Local accommodation, that is just basic sleeping huts can be hired at a very low cost. But remember to take your own sleeping bag(s) and other sleeping comforts for a great night sleep.

Stay safe
Be careful with local animals, sand snakes are common and can be found in shaded areas, but an altercation is rare.

Go next
Drive to Sabah, or if you really want to test yourself, hitch ride with a trader, or go solo into the unknown.

title: Gaberoun


text:
Gabes

Gabès (Arabic: قابس, Gābis) is in the Gulf of Gabès, along the Tunisian coast, and the last stop for the railway line heading south. For most tourists, you will pass through Gabès on the way to another city.

By train
There are direct trains from Tunis, journey time about six hours, as well as regional trains from Sfax that takes about two hours. The main station, is located on Ave Mongi Slim. The national railway operator SNCFT sells online tickets and at ticket offices in stations.

There are two types of trains from Tunis: Direct and Express. The direct trains are quite run-down and dirty, doors might not close, etc. Getting the first class tickets for a few dinar more will at least guarantee you a bit cleaner compartment.

By bus
While the bus may drop you off near the louage station, the bus station is (unverified) located about 200 m to the south-west.

By louage
The main louage station is near the Palmerie.

Louages to Matmata, however, leave from a different place: the Esso station about 300 m to the east of the main louage station. The first louage will get you to Matmata Nouvelle (New Matmata) for 1.5 TD, and another louage to old Matmata (1 TD).

Eat
Fast food places line the louage station area.

Sleep
Hotel options in Gabes are not impressive. Most tourists will want to catch a series of two quick louages to Matmata, or another destination.

Go next

 * Matmata
 * Sfax

title: Gabes


text:
Gabon

Gabon is a country in Central Africa with an array of landscapes and wildlife in its 13 national parks.

A small population, and oil and mineral reserves, have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries. The country has generally been able to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity.

Cities

 * - the capital
 * - on the coast of the South Atlantic Ocean
 * - on the coast of the South Atlantic Ocean
 * - on the coast of the South Atlantic Ocean
 * - on the coast of the South Atlantic Ocean

Other destinations

 * — mangroves and tidal flats are home to migratory birds and turtles.
 * — savanna crossed by rivers with rope bridges for the locals; home to forest elephants, buffalo, & antelope.
 * — misty forests rich in orchids, begonias, & other flora.
 * — two of Central Africa's most magnificent waterfalls; gorillas, chimpanzees, & forest elephants gather around its rivers and waterholes.
 * — a 100-km stretch of virgin beaches and adjacent rainforest, both scenic and a place to view leopards, elephants, gorillas, & monkeys on the beach.
 * — mix of savanna & dense forest along the Ogooue River; float along the river in pirogue, view ancient rock engravings, or track gorillas or mandrill monkeys with a pygmy guide.
 * — sandy peninsula home to the world's largest population of nesting leatherback turtles.
 * — highland forest with large sandstone domes, home to elephants and forest-dwelling antelope and giant hogs.
 * — a park in thick rainforest with a river running through it.

History
What is now Gabon has been inhabited for thousands of years, first by Pygmy hunter-gatherers and then starting perhaps as early as 1500 BC, various different Bantu tribes arrived in several waves. Portuguese explorers and traders were the first Europeans to arrive, in 1472. The nation's present name originates from "Gabão", Portuguese for "cloak", which is roughly the shape of the estuary of the Komo River close to the capital of Libreville. Soon, Europeans were trading for natural resources and slaves. In the 19th century, the French became ascendant in the area. The coast was colonized by the French in 1839, and the remainder of Gabon in 1885. Gabon gained independence on 17 August 1960.

Since independence, Gabon has been one of the more stable African countries. Autocratic President Omar Bongo was in power from 1967 until his death in 2009. Gabon introduced a multi-party system and a new constitution in the early 1990s that allowed for a more transparent electoral process and for reforms of governmental institutions. A small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous sub-Saharan African countries. Despite being made up of more than 40 ethnic groups, Gabon has escaped the strife afflicting other West African states.

Climate
Tropical; always hot, humid. During the months of June to September, the climate is a little cooler (20-25°C).

Terrain
Narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south. Highest point is Mont Iboundji at 1,575 metres. Gabon is crossed by the Ogooué, the country's longest river which is 1,200 kilometres long.

Important holidays
Independence Day: 17 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968)

Visa
Citizens of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritius, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, and the G20 countries can enter without a visa. Citizens of European Union, Australia, Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, China(including Hong Kong and Macau), India, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, United States and United Arabic Emirates can obtain visa on arrival for 90 days. All holders of an entry authorisation issued by Immigration prior to arrival can also obtain visa on arrival. The e-visa system is usable by citizens of any country which requires a visa to visit Gabon. The visa is issued 72 hours after the application and is valid only for those arriving via Leon Mba International Airport in Libreville. The fee for a visa to enter the country is typically €70-85.

By plane
Air France flies to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, other airline mostly fly to inner-African destinations.

Air France fly from Paris to Libreville, Royal Air Maroc flies from Europe via Casablanca. Turkish Airlines fly from North America, Europe and Asia via Istanbul, RwandAir fly from Europe, West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa via Kigali, Ethiopian Airlines fly from north America, Europe, east Africa, Southern Africa via Addis Ababa. There are also flights to Brazzaville, Congo with RwandAir.

By car
There are several border crossings, though the roads are not good and a 4x4 is recommended.

Get around
The easiest way to get around outside of cities is by bus (typically 6- or 9-seater cars, but sometimes minibuses). There are many and they are very cheap (e.g., FCFA 7000 to go from Libreville to Lamberene). Within cities, taxis are plentiful and are very cheap. No fare should be more than FCFA 5000 for one person. Fares depend on distance (and whether the driver will be able to find more fares at your destination). A 2- or 3-minute drive will cost FCFA 100, and FCFA 2000 is plenty to go from Owendo train station to the centre of Libreville. Taxi prices typically double after 21:00.

By plane
Air Service has scheduled flights to Oyem, Makouko and Franceville/Mvengue. Air Nationale flies to Franceville/Mvengue. There are flights to Franceville/Mvengue every day of the week except Tuesdays and Thursdays. Africa's Connection has daily scheduled flights between Libreville and Port Gentil, weekly flights from Port-Gentil/Libreville to São Tomé & Príncipe and to Loango National Park.

By car
There are some paved roads in Gabon, if you are staying in one of the major cities a car should suffice. If you plan on venturing onto some of the unpaved roads outside the major cities a 4x4 is required. There are less than 800km of tarred roads in Gabon - some of them in a bad condition. During the rainy season it is difficult to travel outside the major city areas even in a 4x4 vehicle.

By train
The Trans-Gabon railway goes from Owendo to Franceville. The trip takes 12-18 hours, and is often delayed. Train times change according to the season. The current timetable (Basse 2014 as of March 2015) has trains both ways on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Two trains are in use - the Omnibus and the Express. Both take a similar time, but the Express stops at less small stations. Air-conditioning is present in VIP, 1st and 2nd on the Express, and only VIP and 1st on the omnibus.

By bus
A few wealthy Gabonese entrepreneurs have invested in new buses for bus lines to service the larger interior cities. Mostly these buses serve the cities with paved roads leading to and from them. Since Air Gabon closed down, these bus lines have greatly increased their routes.

By boat
Boat travel is available all along the coast of Gabon and dozens of miles up the Ogooue river to Lambarene. Boats leave daily to/from Libreville and Port Gentil. River trips from the mouth of the big river at Port Gentil to Lambarene (Albert Schweitzer Hospital) are available every few days. Hotel Olako arranges weekly boat transfers between Port Gentil and Omboué (close to Loango National Park), transfers take between 3 and 4½ hours (depending on the type of boat and engine).

Talk
French is the sole national language, with 80% of the population able to speak it. There are various native languages as well, the most significant is Fang, spoken by 32% of the population as their mother tongue.

There are moves to promote English in education, but it is generally not widely spoken.

See

 * Statuette debrazza de la Corniche.

 * Franceville Stadium.

Do
Chez Beti - a small seaside safari camp near the village of Nyonie owned and operated by a French ex-pat. Clean, air-conditioned cottages and all-inclusive family style meals accompany the evening Landcruiser and sunrise walking safaris. Wildlife sightings can include elephants, buffalo, monkeys, parrots, hornbills and other local fauna. The camp is located just a few km south of the equator, along a pristine stretch of beach. Prices are very reasonable and include roundtrip transportation from the marina in Libreville; consisting of an hour long boat transit to a small landing in the mangroves, followed by a 45 minute 4x4 trip along jungle roads to the camp. Contact information: tel. 07 57 14 23 or 06 03 36 36, e-mail: castorene7@live.fr

Money
The currency of the country is the Central African CFA franc, denoted FCFA (ISO currency code: XAF). It's also used by five other Central African countries. It is interchangeable at par with the West African CFA franc (XOF), which is used by six countries. Both currencies are fixed at a rate of 1 euro = 655.957 CFA francs.

ATMs
All Ecobank ATMs in Gabon take Mastercard and Visa card for cash withdrawal.

Eat
The Balbool restaurant serves delicious western food with very cheap prices. Ask for the big Balbool soup.

Drink
The cheapest local beer is Regab, it costs FCFA 500-2000 and comes in a 650 mL bottle.

There are fantastic fruit juices available: "D'jino" Pampelmousse (grapefruit), Ananas (pineapple), Citron (Lemon) in 300 mL bottles at FCFA 400 and in a 1.5 L bottle at FCFA 900 if bought in a shop.

Sleep
There is just one main international hotelier in operation in the country - Radisson in the form of Radisson Blu and Park Inn Radisson in Libreville. Apart from this, there are budget and economy hotels in the various municipalities of Gabon.

Long-term lease on apartments is also an option.

Work
A visa and letter of invitation are required for foreigners working in Gabon.

Stay safe
Gabon is a somewhat safe country compared to its neighbors, but don't let that fool you as pickpockets and other types of crimes targeting tourists are still common and you should practice common sense. Libreville and Port-Gentil are generally safer than the other areas of Gabon.

Gabon has been politically unstable since the coup, and its advised to avoid any gathering as it may turn violent. Police may also confiscate your passport and interrogate you on why you came to Gabon.

Stay healthy
Malaria is common, so visitors should take malaria pills and a mosquito net when travelling in Gabon.

HIV/AIDS is a common disease in Gabon with 8% (1 in 12) of adults infected.

Don't drink the tap water.

Respect
The people are generally very friendly, respectful and helpful to visitors.

title: Gabon


text:
Gaborone

Gaborone is the capital of Botswana. It is in the south of the country, near the border to South Africa. Generally it is a clean, safe and functioning city that is spreading ever further outwards into a suburban sprawl that today measures about 15 km from east to west.

Understand
From a dusty one-horse town in the 1960s, Gaborone has developed into a substantial city of 420,000 inhabitants in the metro area (as of 2011). There is a definite city centre based around the train station and the government enclave of Khama Crescent. However, numerous shopping malls are dotted all over the city, diluting the prominence of the downtown area.

Gaborone's nomenclature confuses most new arrivals. Different parts of town are called blocks, extensions, phases, etc., and there can be several names for the same place. Below is a rough guide:

 * The Extensions - to the east of the railway line radiating out from the Government Enclave. Extensions 9 and 11 are probably the wealthiest parts of Gaborone. Extension 15, out near Riverwalk Mall is known as 'the Village'
 * Gabs West - the inner blocks to the west of the railway line, inside the Western Bypass. Gabs West is sub-divided into Phases 1, 2, 4 and industrial.
 * The Blocks - to the west of the railway line, outside the Western Bypass. The blocks number 5 - 10 running south to north (although Block 9 is an outlier being the southernmost of the blocks, and there is a Block 3 directly north of the downtown area). Some maps (including Google Maps) label the Blocks as high numbered Extensions (e.g. Block 8 is made up of Extensions 35 & 36) but everyone will refer to an area by its block number.
 * The Central Business District refers to a patch of undeveloped land in the centre of the city that is being developed into overly modern hotels and offices (including the new Lansmore hotel)
 * Phakalane a new-build suburb 12 km north of the centre of Gaborone - based around a golf estate - on the east side of the A1 Francistown road. South-west of Phakalane is the still to be developed Glen Valley
 * Gaborone North - a developing suburb out towards the airport to the west of Phakalane.
 * Broadhurst is an older suburb to the northeast of the centre. On the southern edge of Broadhurst are Partial and Maru-a-Pula
 * Tlokweng a poorer suburb to the east of the Notwane River, home to several nice guesthouses.

Knight Frank, a real estate agent with an office near the Shell Garage on the Main Mall, has a useful map of the city.

 * Gaborone tourist information

Get in
Customs is very slow, but easy to get through (as appears to be the case for most of Africa). Have an address on hand for where you will be staying and they hardly give you a hassle.

By plane

 * Air Botswana, in the Main Mall, Phone: 395 1921. Provides international connections from Cape Town, Harare (Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays) Johannesburg (daily), Lusaka, as well as domestic flights from Francistown, Kasane and Maun. Typical fares from Gabarone are in US$ 200 - 400 range.
 * Airlink, flies in from Johannesburg.
 * Ethiopian Airlines flies in from Addis Ababa via Victoria Falls.
 * Ethiopian Airlines flies in from Addis Ababa via Victoria Falls.

Taxi rides from the airport to the city centre cost P150 (pula). It costs less going to the airport, P60-80.

Domestic
You can arrive from most big cities in the country by bus. However, do arrive at the bus station early, as the buses can fill up very quickly, and sometimes just leave as soon as they are full. Bring water, as the buses are often not air conditioned, and if you do not manage to get a seat, it is likely you will have to stand until at least halfway to your destination, particularly on week-ends.

 * Gabs - Francistown: approx. 6 hours, P96/person
 * Francistown - Maun: approx 6 hours, P110/person

From South Africa
There is a daily bus that connects Pretoria, South Africa with Gaborone. The bus is operated by Intercape and the tickets can be booked online or purchased at one of their offices. The bus departs from Pretoria Station on Paul Kruger & Scheiding Street at 13:15 and arrives at the Kudu Shell Service Station in Gaborone at 21:10 (an 8-hr bus ride). This bus makes a brief stop at the Johannesburg bus station to pick up passengers. As of 2011 the bus fare was 195 rand per person.

The bus is pretty nice: tourist class, reclining seats, and a working bathroom. However, be prepared for the Christian materials on-board. Basically, all the movies that are played on the Intercape bus have overly religious messages in them.

The border crossing between South Africa and Botswana is pretty straight forward. The passengers get off the bus (without the luggage, just the documentation) at the South African immigration check point to get their exit stamps, then they walk over to the Botswana side to get their entrance visa stamps. Be careful, buses sometimes do leave passengers stranded in the border without telling them.

By train
Botswana Railways operates two daily trains, one day and one overnight service, linking Gaborone with Francistown as well as Lobatse, near the border with South Africa. is on Station Rd, behind the huge Station mall.

By taxi
Public taxis are generally small white cars and can be identified by their blue license plates. These cars travel designated routes, generally going to areas/neighbourhoods that combi routes do not. The fare for a taxi is P7. Since taxis can only hold a maximum of 5 passengers they also tend to be quicker than a combi in completing their route. You can catch a taxi at many combi stops and ask them to drop you off anywhere along the route. For route information simply ask the driver of the taxi. If you need to go to a particular destination not on the taxi route then ask for a "special", see cab section below.

By cab
A cab is a private taxi or a "special" which takes you directly from your origin to destination. This may be a public taxi with a blue licence plate or a privately run cab. Generally you must request a cab by phone. There are several cab companies in Gabs and many display contact information on the cab. You can also hail public taxis on the road and request a special. To give directions, its usually better to give Plot numbers or easily identified places rather than street names (which aren't commonly used). If a driver gives you a good rate, ask him for his cell phone number and remind him of the place where you are staying. Using one driver the whole time you are in Gaborone can end up saving you money. Don't worry if you hail a cab with someone inside. Offer to split the fare for the destination and save each other some cash. Don't be afraid to try and discuss lower fares. Most trips should be P20-30 (e.g. Main Mall to Game City is around P30).

 * AB Cab, tel. 390 2147.

By combi
Combis are white vans that are like mini-buses. Combis cost P6, as of 2022. The only Combis that cost P4 are the ones going through the Old Naledi Ward (an area designated as a Low Income Residential Area). There are no route maps, but there are different lines, so just ask the driver if that line passes where you need to go. If you know the direction you need to go, start walking there -- combis will honk at you as they are passing, to let you know they're behind you.

Modern architecture
Gaborone was constructed as a planned city in the 1960s, much like Brasilia. Therefore you will find a great deal of modern architecture, in particular in the Government Enclave. Such buildings include:

Cinemas
Movies typically cost P40 per seat (2012). It is assigned seating, so tell the cashier your preference when buying the ticket. Theaters usually show big-name movies (as a small theater in the US would). There are three cinemas in Gabs, one in Riverwalk Mall, one in Game City Mall and one in Masa Centre.

Buy
Gaborone abounds with shopping malls, and pretty much every South African chain store has at least one branch somewhere in the city. Unfortunately this crowds out local independent shops. Coupled with seemingly rampant collusion and price fixing among retailers makes Gabs a disappointing and quite expensive place to shop, despite the 14% VAT rate.

There are, however, a few arts villages and local workshops that buck the trend, and a visit can make a pleasant diversion for an afternoon.

Independent art

 * Wood carvings and colourful prints are high quality and reasonably priced; most are imported from other African countries.
 * Wood carvings and colourful prints are high quality and reasonably priced; most are imported from other African countries.

Eat
Gaborone is not an exciting place to eat, and the city suffers more than most from South African culinary hegemony. However if you keep your expectations low there are some interesting nooks and crannies to interest your taste buds.

The restaurants below are organised by compass point from the city centre.

City Centre

North-east North-west

South-east

Tlokweng

South-west

Chain restaurants with multiple outlets

Groceries

 * Prices for Western goods are at EU prices; local goods (corn meal) are inexpensive at grocery stores.
 * Choppies and OK Foods are local chains. They have the cheapest prices and are located in all areas of Gaborone.
 * Woolworths is in several of the main malls and has much higher quality produce and more European food selections. If you want exotic fruits or vegetables or good cheese, definitely the store to go to.
 * Pick-and-Pay, South African chain, has better quality and is more expensive than Choppies.
 * ShopRite, South African chain has stores all over Gaborone with lower prices.
 * SPAR in the Main Mall seems to be the cheapest for fruit juices (about P5.25 for 1 Litre of 100% fruit juice).
 * For a budget, buy a pie at Pie Time and then a drink at Spar. (P8.25 for a full meal).
 * In all super market malls, there is a grocery store.

Clubs
Covers range from P20 to P100. Many have dress codes. And like most places, the popular nights at each place vary. Check with local Batswana (people from Botswana) for time relevant information.

Sleep
Gaborone compares to South Africa in terms of accommodation choice and costs. There are a handful of large chain hotels costing P800+ offering conference facilities, curio shops, evening restaurants, gyms and bars - and dozens of smaller guesthouses, lodges and bed & breakfasts varying in quality, cleanliness and price. However it is difficult to go much below P400 per night for a room. For those staying for months rather than days there are a handful of relativity expensive serviced apartments, although these are often full. Finally if you have your own car and want to keep away from the city there are some good options out in the bush 15 km to the south of Gabs that cost about the same as a guesthouse in town. There is also one Backpackers hostel in Gaborone.

Budget
If you travel on a shoestring or are staying in Gabs for weeks or months the following may be of interest.

Connect
There are internet cafes all over the city, in practically every shopping centre. Prices range from P10-P20 per hour. Many cafes have memberships of 5-20 hours which provide cheaper rates. Network speeds are moderate to good. Many cafes also offer photocopying services.

Stay safe
People in Botswana are very friendly and the crime rate is relatively low, but always be aware of your surroundings. When going out at night to a restaurant take a taxi called from your hotel. Take the mobile number of your driver and call him when you want to go home. Do not walk around at night away from places with lots of people. At night, do not walk back 5 blocks to your hotel from a pub. Do walk around during the day. Basic common sense will keep you safe from criminals. You should have a safe and pleasant trip as hundreds of thousands of other people have each year. If you're staying at a hotel it is safe, but beware for some residential areas affected by burglars.

Stay alert when driving in cars for smash and grabs when using mobile devices near traffic lights (talking on the phone without a handsfree kit is illegal anyways).

Beware when walking at evening or night in street corners as muggings occur, displays of wealth and property make you a target, particularly tempting objects such as mobile phones, laptops.

Crowded public areas are a heaven for pickpockets. Be cautious especially if you are a woman with a handbag. Areas often affected by such crimes are near Old Naledi, Mogoditsane, Broadhurst, Phase I and II.

Police are honest and helpful but sometimes can be late to respond.

When driving to rural areas be extra careful as cows and wildlife often walk in the middle of the road. Be prepared to stop for a herd of goats. Do not drive at night unless you know what you are doing. Drunk driving on weekends and holidays is common and dangerous. Drivers do not look out for or give way to pedestrians. Be very cautious when crossing any street day or night. Do not immediately get out of your car if bumped/hit from behind - drive to a public place (service station/restaurant) to inspect for damage. Do enjoy the beauty!

Police: dial 999 for the helpline or 351161 Fire Brigade: 998

Health
Gaborone Private Hospital Emergency number: 997

Bokamoso Private Hospital Tel: 369 4000

Princess Marina Hospital Tel: 362 1400

Med Rescue ambulance (+267) 3901601 Emergency number: 992 Mascom Cell phone Emergency: 147

If you are headed to the north of Botswana like the Okavango Delta and haven't packed any anti-malaria pills, it is possible to get a prescription and have it filled in Gaborone. Try Capital Medical Centre at the Riverwalk Shopping Centre, Dr. Banu Khan (narrow glass door on the left-hand side of the Pharmacy that is right behind the stairs that go up to the second floor), for a drop-in appointment. The consultation visit to get a prescription will cost you P165. As of 2011 the cost of an anti-malarial drug called Doxycycline was P1.00 per pill, and Malarone was P44.33 per pill. Tel: 370-0066/7

Consulates and embassies

 * 🇨🇦 Canada
 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next

 * Kanye, 100 km south, accessible by bus.
 * Francistown is a 5- to 7-hour bus ride away; there is also an overnight train service.
 * The South African border is a little more than 10 km away. Nearby destinations in South Africa include Rustenburg, Pilanesberg National Park and Sun City. Johannesburg is about 8 hours away by bus.
 * The South African border is a little more than 10 km away. Nearby destinations in South Africa include Rustenburg, Pilanesberg National Park and Sun City. Johannesburg is about 8 hours away by bus.

title: Gaborone


text:
Gabrovo

Gabrovo (Bulgarian: Габрово) is a city in the Balkan region of Bulgaria. The city is also home to two museums, several historical churches and monuments in and historic bridges over the Yantra River, all popular destinations for tourists and sightseers.

Understand
Once an industrial city which produced much of Bulgaria's textiles, carpets and clothing, Gabrovo has reinvented itself since the fall of communism as a popular tourist destination, providing a comfortable place to stay, shop and dine and quick access to many local destinations. The town won one of the biggest prizes in a national survey for "The best living town in Bulgaria": Gabrovo won the "Greenest (Ecological) city" and came in second in readers’ choice contest.

Gabrovo began as communities harnessing the power of the Yantra River for mills and water wheels. A result of this legacy makes Gabrovo the longest city in Bulgaria as it follows the river, running north from the Balkans Mountains.

Climate
The city has a continental climate, owing to its position close to the Balkan Mountains and distance from the Black Sea. Gabrovo has hot summers and cold, snowy winters – which is good for the popular ski resorts in the nearby Uzana area. This part of Bulgaria has all four seasons, although spring is brief and falls mainly in April. The average high daily temperature in summer is about 27 °C and in winter about 4 °C.

Get in
Its favourable geographical location, at the geographical centre of Bulgaria, makes it possible for Gabrovo to provide quick connections to airports, river ports and seaports across the country. Convenient roads connect the Gabrovo Municipality to many surrounding municipalities and towns.

By car
Gabrovo is at an intersection point of two of the national arterial thoroughfares, which are of great significance to the European road network, i.e. road E-85 as part of the trans-European transport corridor № 9 (Helsinki - St. Petersburg - Kyiv - Bucharest - Ruse - Veliko Tarnovo - Gabrovo - Dimitrovgrad with deviations to Greece and Turkey) and Hemus Motorway Sofia – Varna.

By bus
Regular daily buses connect Gabrovo with most of the other major cities in Bulgaria, including Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Rousse and others. These may be dedicated lines, serving only Gabrovo and the other city, or Gabrovo may simply be one stop among many.

By train
Gabrovo may be accessed through a railway spur at an intersection with the European railway line C-E 95 (which runs north-south) in the small village of Tsareva Livada. Stops on the mainline to the north include historic Veliko Turnovo and the major transport hub of Gorna Oryahovitsa and stops to the south include the mountain villages of Tryavna and Raduntsi and the city Stara Zagora on the southern side of the Balkan Mountains. The spur line from Tsareva Livada runs several times a day, though there are sometimes two-hour layovers at the Tsareva Livada railway station between the Gabrovo train and trains running on the main north-south line.

By plane
There are no airports in Gabrovo or the neighbouring cities of Kazanluk or Veliko Turnovo. However, arranging transport by bus or train from one of the Bulgarian cities with an airport to Gabrovo is relatively simple.

Gabrovo's distance from Bulgarian airports:
 * Sofia – 220 km
 * Varna – 274 km
 * Bourgas – 234 km
 * Plovdiv – 150 km
 * Gorna Oryahovitsa – 60 km

Get around
Gabrovo is home to many taxis, marshrutkas, 11 urban bus lines bus lines, four urban trolley lines and five urban minibus lines, all of which offer quick transport at low cost to destinations across the city. The municipal government building, cultural centre, library, theater, the city bazaar (vegetable and farmer's market), several restaurants, bars, shops, hotels, and both museums are also close to the centre of the city, placing them all with in easy walking distance of each other.

By bus
Bus transportation is available all around the city. Thanks to the Municipal passenger transport (Общински пътнически транспорт ГАБРОВО) there are around 30 bus lines, which can get you wherever you want to go in Gabrovo city. Some of the buses are new. Ticket price is 1 лв. The official website of Public transport in Gabrovo can be found here. A timetable of all bus stops and routes can be found here.

Buy
Gabrvo offers a profusion of shopping opportunities, including the Central Mall of Gabrovo (just south of the city center), the Terra Mall (north-west of the city centre by about 1 km), a Technopolis (north-west of the city centre by about 3 km) and a Billa Supermarket (north-east of the city centre by about 1 km). In addition are many shops selling souvenirs, clothing, shoes, books and numerous Bulgarian delis, which are referred to as magazines.

Drink
Drinking establishments are common in Bulgaria and Gabrovo. Beer and alcohol are available at almost all coffee shops, restaurants and shops where food and refreshments are available. There are few establishments which serve only alcohol.

Go next
Hiking, biking and camping opportunities are widely available in the nearby Central Balkan National Park and in the Nature Park Bulgarka, which is home to Ethnographic Complex Etara, Dryanovo Monastery, Sokolski Monastery, Shipka Pass, and the Uzana area. Also, the Gradishte Trail (Екопътека Градище) leads from the city centre to the ruined fortress overlooking Gabrovo. The Bozhentsi Trail (Екопътека Боженци - Дряновски манастир) leads to the village and the Dryanovo Monastery.

title: Gabrovo


text:
Gadiara

A village at the confluence of the Hooghly and Rupnarayan rivers, Gadiara is considered to be an ideal destination for weekend tourists and makes a good escape from the hustle and bustle of nearby Kolkata and Howrah.

Get in
Gadiara is about south of Howrah.

By bus
Regular buses are available from Esplanade in Kolkata. Bagnan–Garchumuk bus is available via the Shyampur bus stop and Shyampur–Gadiara bus is available from the Shyampur Bus stop.

By train
Local trains are available from Howrah for Bagnan. Local conveyance bus, auto from Bagnan to Gadiara via Shyampur.

By car
From Howrah, drive down NH 16 up to Bagnan and turn left to Shivpur. The picnic spot is beyond Shivpur.

By ferry
People who want to visit via Diamond Harbour can go there by ferry from Raichak, which is available from 5PM to 5.30PM.

See and do
The confluence of the Hooghly and the Rupnarayan rivers is the main sight in the town. The rivers are extremely wide here and the surroundings have a typical rural atmosphere. You can also enjoy river cruises in country boats. Picnic spots are available in the tourist complex.

Buy
Flowers made of coconut leaf.

Eat and drink
Good Indian food at a reasonable price is available at New Chalantika Tourist Lodge. Basic local fast food stalls are situated near the bus stand. A bar is also there, open from 11AM to 11PM. Local green coconut is also available near the river bank.

Sleep

 *  New Chalantika Tourist Lodge, AC & Non-AC rooms ₹250-₹350-₹700, Reservation from Kolkata Phone 09433585945. Lodge direct phone: 03214-263108/127 Mob: 09732583213
 *  New Chalantika Tourist Lodge, AC & Non-AC rooms ₹250-₹350-₹700, Reservation from Kolkata Phone 09433585945. Lodge direct phone: 03214-263108/127 Mob: 09732583213

Go next

 * Diamond Harbour
 * Geonkhali

title: Gadiara


text:
Gadsden

Gadsden is a city in the Appalachian foothills of Alabama.

Understand
Gadsden was settled in the early 1800s. It has prospered over the years through riverboat commerce, steel production, railways, and agriculture. Though the industry slumped in the late 1980s, and then moreso with the departure of Goodyear, the city was awarded the All-America City Award in 1991 for tackling community-wide challenges. The population in 2019 was about 35,000.

By train
You can only take the Amtrak as far as the 4th Street station in Anniston.

By car
I-59 has three exits in Gadsden:

 * 188 to Reece City (Al-11) & Noccalula
 * 183 to Atalla & West Gadsden
 * 182 to I-759, East Gadsden and Rainbow City

I-59 can be reached from I-24 in Chattanooga, TN or I-459 and I-20 in Birmingham.

AL-431 (Huntsville to Opelika) and AL-278 (SR-74, Hamilton to Piedmont) merge in Gadsden.

title: Gadsden


text:
Gaeta

Gaeta lies in the middle of "Riviera di Ulisse" in Italy. It is located between Rome and Naples, and is one of the most important tourist seaside resorts of the Tyrrhenian coast, with much historical, religious and monumental heritage.

It offers excellent hotels, a fine tourist port, sport facilities, and a number of golden sandy beaches located on the western coast.

Do
Gaeta's beaches are situated between the green vegetation of the hills which slope to the rocks and to the crystal-clear blue sea. In the very heart of the town, between Mt. Orlando and Fontania, is. On the small, nearby beach of Fontania, one can still see the ruins of an ancient Roman Villa. Northwards, one finds the beaches of, , , , that still partly maintain their natural and scenic beauty.

On a promontory almost completely surrounded by the sea, there is the "Urban Park of Monte Orlando", dated to 1986. The lock of surrounding sea is "Oasi blu" and is managed by the WWF for scientific and educational purposes.

The rest of the town stretches through typical medieval lanes and streets, a wide castle, Roman monuments, historic churches and many wonderful beaches.

Go next
Sperlonga

title: Gaeta


text:
Gagetown

Gagetown is a village of 700 people (2016) in the Saint John River Valley region of New Brunswick.

Understand
It is the birthplace of Sir Leonard Tilley, a Father of Canadian Confederation.

It hosts an artists' colony and marina on the Saint John river between the entrances to Washdemoak Lake and Grand Lake, two excellent three season sailing paradises. From the sea, The reversing falls at Saint John present an obstacle except during slack tide, when many vessels transit the gorge. The sea side harbour hosts cruise ships and ocean cargo vessels, with a public dock attached below the Delta Hotel, beside the Coast Guard dock, at one end of the sheltered pedestrian walk to the farmer's market at city centre, about half a mile walk away, with many other shopping facilities and attractions nearby. The river continues on, up to just below downtown Fredericton, where a railway bridge no longer opens to sailboats, about above the falls.

The military base, CFB Gagetown, is closer to Oromocto, to the west of the village.

Get in
From the east or west, take Route 2 (Trans-Canada Highway) and exit onto Highway 102 south.

From Saint John and the Bay of Fundy, take Highway 7 north from Saint John to Grand Bay-Westfield, then exit onto Highway 102 north.

From Fredericton, there is a Maritime Bus 3-4 times a day to Oromocto (15 min, $8-12). From there, you have to take a 30-min taxi ride to Gagetown.

Fredericton is the nearest commercial airport.

See

 * The annual Marblehead to Halifax racing flotilla rendezvous at Douglas Harbour in Grand lake.

Do
Sailing charters and chateau cabins with moorings are available, but are scarce and need to be booked in advance.

Sleep
The Falls, Kennebacasis Bay, Long Reach, Belleisle Bay, Evandale and the lakes provide affordable accommodations for sailors and many free docks and moorings. Solitude, fishing and water sports are attractions, as are river hotels common during steamship days but scarcer now, offer quality shoreside berths, or shoreside camping facilities.

title: Gagetown


text:
Gagra

Gagra is a town in Abkhazia, sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. Its subtropical climate made Gagra a popular resort.

Gagra is located on a narrow coastal strip 2–3 km wide. It represents a continuous subtropical garden with fountains, ponds and walkways. The nicest part of town is the Old Gagra with its magnificent views over the mountains and the bay.

Understand
Greater Caucasus mountains almost meets with the sea in the Gagra area which creates a microclimate that protects city from the cold winds and holds warm sea air. Because of this, Gagra is the warmest place on the Black Sea coast.

By plane
Getting to Abkhazia can be done by plane or train. First, to the city of Adler (suburb of Sochi Russia). Then, about 8 km to the border with Abkhazia, from where it's 22-24 km to Gagra.

By train
There is a direct train from Moscow to Sukhumi that passes Gagra, which runs at least 2 times a week and more often during summer. Alternatively, get any train to Sochi and then take a bus to Gagra.

By bus
There are buses from Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don heading to Sukhumi, Ochamchira, Gali which passes Gagra on its way.

By boat
During summer there is a boat service from Sochi to Gagra, which costs ₽550.

See

 * Mansions of the early twentieth century.
 * Mansions of the early twentieth century.
 * Mansions of the early twentieth century.
 * Mansions of the early twentieth century.
 * Mansions of the early twentieth century.
 * Mansions of the early twentieth century.

Do

 * Swim at the beach.
 * Paragliding from Mamdzyshkha mountain (1873 m). It will take several hours to get up to the mountain by jeep and then at least 30 minutes flight back to the Gagra beach.

Go next

 * Auadhare - Abkhazian resort, 18 km from Lake Riza, located at an altitude of 1,600 m, famous for its mineral springs and sulfide waterfall with sparkling water.

title: Gagra


text:
Gainesville

There is more than one place called Gainesville:

United States of America

 * Gainesville (Alabama) - A city in the state of Alabama.
 * Gainesville (Florida) - A city in the state of Florida.
 * Gainesville (Georgia) - A city in the state of Georgia.
 * Gainesville (Missouri) - A city in the state of Missouri.
 * Gainesville (New York) - A town in the state of New York.
 * Gainesville (Texas) - A city in the state of Texas.
 * Gainesville (Virginia) - A city in the state of Virginia.

title: Gainesville


text:
Gainesville (Florida)

Gainesville is in North Central Florida. It is home to the University of Florida, and Santa Fe College.

By car

 * Interstate 75 runs north and south to the west of Gainesville.

By plane

 * American Eagle (Dallas Ft Worth; Charlotte NC; Miami)
 * Delta Connection (Atlanta)
 * Delta Connection (Atlanta)

Other nearby airports for flights to/from additional destinations are in Jacksonville, northeast of town along SR-24/US-301/I-10; and Orlando  located  southeast via I-75/FL-Turnpike/SR-528.

By bus

By bus

 * Gainesville Regional Transit System (RTS), . RTS provides fast frequent service throughout the City of Gainesville and to some of the outlying areas.

Bus service is provided on more than 35 routes. Some bus lines provide service until 2AM on weeknights. Late night service, referred to as the Later Gator, is provided on some lines, Wednesday through Saturday from 8PM to 3AM.

Here's a breakdown on service levels:

Weekdays 6AM to 2AM (Most Serviced Lines), Service can run from every 8 minutes on most utilized lines to every 60 minutes on less utilized lines. Make sure to check individual schedules.

Saturdays: 7AM to 7PM on most lines. Service every 30 to 60 minutes. Special Late Night Bus service begins at 8PM and ends at 3AM. These buses run every 10 to 15 minutes.

Sundays: 9AM to 5PM, very limited service. Buses only run every 60 minutes.

During school breaks and the summer holiday, RTS service runs less frequently with most routes ending service by 11PM.

See

 * University of Florida, . These folks are serious about their football and basketball. A full calendar of entertainment in sports and the arts is available. For information on the school's sports teams, known as the Gators, see the dedicated website.
 * Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. University of Florida's stadium known as "The Swamp" seats over 90,000. It's one of the largest (and loudest) anywhere.
 * Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Florida's Stephen C. O'Connell Center has a reputation around the country – enthusiastic and friendly if you're a Gator...noisy, deafening and menacing if you're the opposition. Florida's student section, dubbed the "Rowdy Reptiles", has made the O'Connell Center one of the toughest places to play in the nation.
 * Lake Alice on the UF campus. Lake Alice is a sanctuary for alligators and birds. At dusk, bats that roost in a nearby bathouse fly out to feed on the insect life that the lake nourishes. A trip out at dusk to watch the cloud of bats is a popular local pastime.
 * The Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo. Tours by appointment.
 * Lake Alice on the UF campus. Lake Alice is a sanctuary for alligators and birds. At dusk, bats that roost in a nearby bathouse fly out to feed on the insect life that the lake nourishes. A trip out at dusk to watch the cloud of bats is a popular local pastime.
 * The Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo. Tours by appointment.
 * The Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo. Tours by appointment.
 * The Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo. Tours by appointment.
 * The Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo. Tours by appointment.
 * The Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo. Tours by appointment.

Buy
University of Florida Bookstore: Florida Gator fan gear and books.

Drink
There are bars all over Gainesville. It's traditionally known as a huge drinking town.

The town in general isn't quite as hip and wild as it once was. As admission standards at the university continue to rise, a different crowd has trickled in. But there's still plenty of diversity, and partying, in Gainesville.

The area referred to as mid-town, directly across the street from the school on University Ave., has some of the more traditional Gainesville bars. Grog House, Salty Dog, Balls, XS, and Gator City all share the same building. Almost any night of the week one can find great specials and large crowds. Nearby is the restaurant/bar Swamp housed in a former professor's house. It is a can't-miss both for the atmosphere and the decent food.

The downtown area is a combination of clubs and more laid back bars. Places like the Loosey's, Lillian's (a former music store) and Stubby's, a bar that features hundreds of imported beers, cater to an older crowd. Clubs such as :08 and Sky having dancing and music but are usually most crowded on "ladies' night."

Bars close at 2AM due to the "Rave Law", passed in the late 1990s when Gainesville became one of Florida's premier rave scenes. Last call can be as early as 1:30AM. After the bars close, roads can be dangerous due to drunk drivers.

Go next

 * Orlando is 1½-2 hours south. Take I-75 South to the Florida Turnpike, then East.
 * Jacksonville is 1½ hours north. Take US-301 North to I-10, then East.
 * Miami is 5½ hours south. Take I-75 South to the Florida Turnpike, then east to I-95, then south.
 * Atlanta is 5 hours north along I-75.
 * Tallahassee is 2½ hours West. Take I-75 North to I-10, then West.
 * Tampa is 2 hours south along I-75.
 * Daytona Beach is 2½ hours east. Take US-441 South to Ocala, then State Rd 40 East.

title: Gainesville (Florida)


text:
Gainesville (Georgia)

Gainesville is a city in Georgia's Historic High Country. The city of Gainesville is one of the larger cities in the Historic High Country along with Rome (Georgia) both with populations around 30,000. The city is located in Hall County (Georgia) in the Central High Country. The city is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is close to the shores of Lake Lanier and less than an hour's drive to downtown Atlanta. Gainesville is home to an Amtrak station.

Understand
Known as "The Poultry Capital of the World", Gainesville is where the big city merges with small farming communities. It is home to a racially diverse population with 42.21% White, 37% Latino, and 14.26% African American. It is a transportation hub for the surrounding communities so it's a great base. In-between Atlanta and the country side and many small tourist towns, it would be easy to overlook the several reasons to stay in Gainesville.

By plane
Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport has two runways and is used mainly for private and corporate charter flights.

The closet international airport is Atlanta's Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

By train
Gainesville is served by Amtrak via its Crescent route that operates daily between New York City and New Orleans.

By car
From Atlanta, GA Approximately 1 hr.

Take I-85 North. At exit 113 I-85 forks. The right fork, I-85, continues to Greenville, SC. Stay left and take I-985 to Gainesville.

From Greenville, SC Approximately 2 hrs.

Take I-85 South. Take exit 137 for US-129/GA-11 toward Gainesville/Jefferson.

From Athens, GA Approximately 1 hr.

Take GA-15 Alt N/US-129 out of Athens and follow until entering Gainesville.

By bus
There is a Greyhound bus station located at 1780 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Get around
A car is most convenient for getting around town.

Gainesville Connection is the bus service for Gainesville. It operates six lines. Fares are $1 with free transfers within the hour.

Do
Gainesville has lots of shoreline and coves along Lake Lanier, though depending on climactic conditions around the time of your visit it may look inundated or like a shrunken puddle.
 * Attend the annual Gainesville Spring Chicken Festival.

Learn

 * Brenau University

Go next

 * Helen
 * Buford
 * Dahlonega
 * Dawsonville
 * Cumming

title: Gainesville (Georgia)


text:
Gainesville (Texas)

Gainesville is a city in the state of Texas. It is the county seat of Cooke County.

Get in
Gainesville is on I-35 near the Oklahoma border, about 30 minutes north of Denton, and US Highway 82, 30 minutes east of Sherman. It is also served by Amtrak and its Heartland Flyer service. The Heartland Flyer goes between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City once each day in both directions, south in the morning and north in the afternoon. is located at 605 E California St, just west of downtown.

title: Gainesville (Texas)


text:
Gainsborough

Gainsborough is a town of 23,000 people (2019) in Lincolnshire.

Sleep

Connect
Gainsborough and its approach roads have 4G from all UK carriers. As of Nov 2022, 5G has not reached town.

title: Gainsborough


text:
Gairloch

 * Not to be confused with Gare Loch, the sea inlet between Helensburgh and the Rosneath Peninsula

Gairloch is a straggling community along the west coast of Ross and Cromarty in the Scottish Highlands, with a population of 620 in 2020. The land is hilly and farming isn't very productive, but shellfishing remains a traditional occupation.

Get in
From the south, travel via Inverness then north up A835 towards Ullapool, branching off at Garve for A832 past Loch Maree. This road continues north beyond Gairloch, passing Loch Ewe (with Inverewe Gardens) and Little Loch Broom to rejoin A835 at Corrieshalloch.

Westerbus 700 runs once M-Sa from Gairloch around 8AM via Achnasheen, Strathpeffer and Dingwall to Inverness, taking 2 hr 30 min, and returning to Gairloch around 5PM. Bus 711 sets off around 9AM and goes as far as Dingwall (which has a railway station), returning at 1PM.

Get around
You need a car. There's no local public transport except a school bus: Westerbus 705 runs once on schooldays from Torridon at 7:30AM to Gairloch and returns at 3:30PM.

See

 * The coastline is scenic with wildlife. Right by the harbour, you'll see seals and perhaps even minke whales. To the south is Badachro and Red Point, to the north is Melvaig and the lighthouse.
 * , built in 1912, is on the headland 12 miles north of Gairloch, follow B8021 to the end of the public road at Melvaig. The last couple of miles are private track but you can walk it. The lighthouse is nowadays a B&B, plus the self-catering "Officers' Quarters", so you can't go in or drive up the track except as a booked guest.
 * commemorates those lost in the 1941-45 supply mission to Russia (see below). It's at the end of the lane from Poolewe along the east side of the Melvaig peninsula.
 * , built in 1912, is on the headland 12 miles north of Gairloch, follow B8021 to the end of the public road at Melvaig. The last couple of miles are private track but you can walk it. The lighthouse is nowadays a B&B, plus the self-catering "Officers' Quarters", so you can't go in or drive up the track except as a booked guest.
 * commemorates those lost in the 1941-45 supply mission to Russia (see below). It's at the end of the lane from Poolewe along the east side of the Melvaig peninsula.

Do

 * Fishing: there's a choice of sea-fishing from shore, harbour or boat, or fly-fishing in the nearby lochs and streams.
 * Marine sightseeing tours. Gairloch Marine Life Centre has daily boat trips for wildlife spotting.
 * Golf: Gairloch GC is nine holes. Twice around is 4499 yards, par 62, visitor day ticket £30.
 * Gairloch Highland Gathering is held in late June or start of July, the first Saturday after schools break up. Bands, games, food, drinks, dancing, Highland sports and so on.
 * Rent a boat at Gairloch Boats, for a fee of £50 per hour you can rent a boat for as long as you like and take a self-guided tour around the bay. You can often see shoals of dolphins and seals around the area. You operate the boat by yourself and will have to navigate around much larger vessels with only a radio (which often does not work) and the very friendly staff's phone number, as such, it's not for the faint of heart!
 * Rent a boat at Gairloch Boats, for a fee of £50 per hour you can rent a boat for as long as you like and take a self-guided tour around the bay. You can often see shoals of dolphins and seals around the area. You operate the boat by yourself and will have to navigate around much larger vessels with only a radio (which often does not work) and the very friendly staff's phone number, as such, it's not for the faint of heart!

Buy

 * Buddha by the Sea is an offbeat gift shop in village centre. It has a reasonably sized book store, in addition to a cafe that features a fantastic view of the bay and serves small selection of traybakes and hot drinks.

Eat

 * The Steading Bistro is a coffee shop & cafe open F-W 11AM-5PM.

Drink

 * Bars include The Millcroft and The Old Inn in Gairloch village, and Badachro Inn some miles south. They serve food and may have accommodation.
 * Badachro Distillery makes whisky, gin and vodka. No tours. Lochewe Distillery closed in 2017.

Sleep

 * Sands Caravan & Camping, open April-Oct, is half a mile north of the hostel on B8021 towards Melvaig. Wild camping is also possible, but the weather and the midges are a torment.
 * Inverewe Gardens Camping & Caravanning, open all year, is just south of the gardens along A832.
 * Inverewe Gardens Camping & Caravanning, open all year, is just south of the gardens along A832.
 * Inverewe Gardens Camping & Caravanning, open all year, is just south of the gardens along A832.
 * Inverewe Gardens Camping & Caravanning, open all year, is just south of the gardens along A832.
 * Inverewe Gardens Camping & Caravanning, open all year, is just south of the gardens along A832.

Connect
As of July 2022, Gairloch has 4G from EE, O2 and Vodafone, but the signal is very patchy on the approach roads, and there's nothing from Three. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Go north to Ullapool, for ferries to Stornoway on Lewis.
 * South is Torridon and Kylesku, thence to Skye.
 * East takes you via Strathpeffer into more pastoral country around Inverness.
 * North Coast 500 is a driving itinerary that loops through Gairloch.

title: Gairloch


text:
Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg is a city of 70,000 people (2020) in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Understand
Gaithersburg was settled in 1765 for agricultural purposes. It grew into a town after the opening of a stop on the B&O Railroad in 1872; however, the area remained predominately rural until the 1970s. It is now famous for being the site of the headquarters of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

By plane
Baltimore-Washington International Airport is a 45-minute drive from Gaithersburg. It is also accessible via ICC Bus 201.

Washington Reagan National Airport is a 35-minute drive from Gaithersburg and is accessible via the Metrorail (though this takes more time than driving).

Washington Dulles International Airport is a 40-minute drive from Gaithersburg but takes significantly longer using public transportation.

By train
MARC offers service to/from Union Station in Washington, D.C. as well as service to/from Rockville, Germantown, Frederick, and Harpers Ferry via its Brunswick line. The schedule is geared towards commuters with relatively few trains during midday and none on weekends. is located at 5 S Summit Ave and is also in Gaithersburg.

The end of Metrorail 's Red Line, Shady Grove Station, is very close to Gaithersburg.

By bus
RideOn Bus operates service between Gaithersburg and other locations in Montgomery County, including Rockville, Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Wheaton.

By carMe
From D.C. and the south or west take the Capital Beltway (I-495) to Interstate 270 North. Exits 8, 9, 10, and 11 serve Gaithersburg.

By car
A car is best used to get around the city. The local public bus system, RideOn Bus, can be used if traveling along major routes.

Go next

 * Rockville
 * Frederick
 * Germantown
 * Washington, D.C. — About 25 minutes south via Interstate 270 or Metro.

title: Gaithersburg


text:
Galapagar

Galapagar is a town of 34,000 people (2018) in Madrid. Bullfighting, stock-breeding, meadows and beef are the main features of Galapagar.

By road
Take the A6 (Carretera de La Coruña) leaving via the exit Nº 36 at Km.35 "Galapagar/La Navata" Follow the road through La Navata for about 5km until you reach the village.

By rail
There is a regular rail service; two lines through Madrid serve the station of Galapagar/La Navata - C8 & C10 on the Madrid Cercanias network. For times and fares, visit the railway web site.

By bus
There is a good bus service from the bus station at 'Moncloa' in north-western Madrid; three lines 631, 632 and 635 run through 'Torrelodones', 'La Navata' and 'Parquelagos'. Services vary, given above in descending order of frequency, but the village is large and well served with some late night services. Journey time is about 30 minutes. See the bus company site for timetables and prices.

Get around
Galapagar is in fact a municipal borough comprising of a collection of villages and housing estates. The urban centre has a population of 9-10,000 people, and other areas such as the village of La Navata (about 40 minutes walk) or the large housing development of El Guijo (too far to walk - maybe a couple of hours) have populations of several thousands each. For this reason Galapagar is sometimes referred to as a town (though always as a pueblo in Spanish). Foreigners are adamant that with a total population of nearly 30,000, it must be a town, though locals still regard it is a village. In fact the Spanish word pueblo can be translated as town or village, depending on population and other factors such as those mentioned above - hence the confusion.

Whatever you want to call it, getting around Galapagar's 'casco urbano' is easily accomplished on foot, but moving between the component villages and estates requires a ride by car, bus, or taxi (if you can find one - don't bother trying at night).

The railway station is at La Navata and is 40 minutes walk from the village. The best bet is a bus from outside the station. There is a restaurant/bar 'El Tablao' next to the station where they should be able to help you call a cab. The taxi service can be reached on the telephone number 91 858 06 77.

title: Galapagar