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Ligao

Ligao is a city of 100,000 in the province of Albay in the Philippines. It is a young city, having only given that status in 1997, and is largely agricultural in background. Ligao is at the southwest of Mayon Volcano.

Get in
Philippine National Railways operates a limited commuter service between Sipocot, Naga and Legazpi; intercity trains from Manila are suspended indefinitely as of 2013.

By bus
Buses operate daily from Manila to Legaspi vice versa. Try Philtranco, Cagsawa Tours, Penafrancia Tours, RSL Tours, or any of the dozen more bus companies.

By car
Ligao is from Manila, and  from Legazpi, on AH26.

See and do

 * Hobbit Hill, Amtic. Trek up on a panoramic and exhilarating view of Mount Mayon and Mount Masaraga.
 * Hobbit Hill, Amtic. Trek up on a panoramic and exhilarating view of Mount Mayon and Mount Masaraga.
 * Hobbit Hill, Amtic. Trek up on a panoramic and exhilarating view of Mount Mayon and Mount Masaraga.
 * Hobbit Hill, Amtic. Trek up on a panoramic and exhilarating view of Mount Mayon and Mount Masaraga.

Buy
Check out the local market and small shops. Shopping is not at par with the bigger Legaspi market but there are items of comparable quality, and sometimes, the prices may even be a bit lower. The following products are not exclusively available in Ligao, but are widely available and regarded as of high quality.

Woven fiber products made of abaca, hemp, banana fibers, etc., made into items like mats, bags, totes, and screens.

Eat
Craving late night food? Looking to bust that hangover? Check out noodle and congee stands near the bus terminals, try pansit (noodles with hard-boiled eggs and a splash of chili and vinegar), balut (boiled fertilized duck eggs), or goto (rice congee with ginger, chicken and an optional boiled egg, served with fish sauce and some cracked peppers). Or feeling like shopping for grubs? Head straight to the city market, pretty much open from mornings until the evening hours all week. For the more adventurous traveller who is not squeamish about trying street food, it would be worth the adventure to seek out the following food favourites in this city:

 * Pancit rinuguan: fresh egg noodles in meat broth, sauteed garlic and spring onions, topped with a tart and savory stew of cubed pork, tripe, various innards and pork blood. Ask for directions to Deling and Boy del Valle's noodle shop. Most people in the city know them and swear by their pansit rinuguan.
 * Sinapot, another street food favorite; ripe sliced saba bananas dipped in rice flour and sugar batter, held by cacao leaves, and fried in hot coconut oil until crisp.
 * Puto sa abab, a rice cake steamed in coconut shells and filled with some type of coconut jam. A variation of the puto sa abab uses purple yam added to the ground rice.
 * Carinderias - The local Carinderias are a delight and sample linutong balaw (shrimp paste with chilis and pork cooked in coconut milk until reduced and creamy).  Another Ligao specialty is the pinangat(pork, coconut and shrimp paste, and sometimes, river crabs, wrapped in taro leaves and cooked in coconut cream).  also ask for charcoal grilled pork belly or chops.  They are great paired with a soy, chili and vinegar dressing, and lots of steamed white rice. They are usually sold to take home.  There are also little stands not far from the Catholic Church where pork bits on a stick, roast chicken and various other grilled meats are sold.  These stands are usually open way past midnight.
 * Pili nut products brittles, salted, roasted, mazapan de pili
 * Santan coconut jam with slivers of pili nuts. Great with toast or even over ice cream!
 * Dried fish products: Ligao is not far from coastal areas with abundant fish and seafood, hence, the wonderful array of dried and smoked fish products. A word of caution: do not attempt to bring these items through international flights unless they are packed and sealed.

Stay safe

 * There are two police substations in the city.
 * The city has a low crime rate 0.9%, but always be alert as bad elements lurk around you.

title: Ligao


text:
Ligatne

Ligatne (Latvian: Līgatne) is a town in Gauja National Park in Latvia.

Understand
Ligatne is fairly well known for its nature trails, with a great natural park with wildlife animals and "fairy tale" forests with characters from famous Latvian fairy tales. Nearby, also an old Soviet bunker complex can be visited, which was built in case of a nuclear war.

Also, see the official website: http://www.visitligatne.lv

By bus
From Riga, take a coach from the main bus station to Augsligatne, about 90 minutes (on the way to Cēsis). A local bus takes you the last 6 km to Ligatne, or just hitch-hike.

There are also at least two direct buses between Ligatne (including Skalupes) and Cēsis, one around noon and one in the late afternoon.

See: 1188.lv

By car
From Riga, take the Cēsis road (Brivibas iela) out. Augsligatne is 17 km after Sigulda, and Ligatne is 6 km down a road to the left after Augsligatne.

Get around
Everything in Ligatne is basically within walking distance. Nevertheless, you may wish to take a taxi, bus or hitch to the ex-Soviet bunker at Skalupes (4 km). But also hiking there through the forest is possible.

See

 * Līgatne village with peculiar 19th century wooden architecture.
 * Līgatne nature reservation, where you may encounter bears, lynx, moose/elk, European bison, roe deer and red deer as well as many species of birds, safely behind a fence. Inquire at the Tourist Information Centre.
 * Zvartes rock, forest trail and Witches' Meadow on the banks of the Amata River.
 * Zvartes rock, forest trail and Witches' Meadow on the banks of the Amata River.
 * Zvartes rock, forest trail and Witches' Meadow on the banks of the Amata River.
 * Zvartes rock, forest trail and Witches' Meadow on the banks of the Amata River.

Do

 * Canoeing
 * Skiing
 * Canoeing
 * Skiing
 * Skiing

Go next

 * Underground Lakes about 15 km north, see Vidzeme.
 * Sigulda – A town with many interesting castles and historic points of interest. Probably, the most popular destination outside of Riga for foreign tourists, also due to its closeness.
 * Cēsis – One of the country's oldest towns. It has an impressive castle complex of Livonian Order origin, a charming city centre with some cobblestoned streets, and historic wooden buildings.
 * Riga

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

title: Ligatne


text:
Lightning Ridge

Lightning Ridge is an opal-mining town in Northwestern New South Wales. The town still has an outback feel. Tourism is just as big an industry for the Ridge now as mining and artists and designers now call the town home, with galleries and jewellery shops along the main street. After a day of fossicking, mine tours, and soaking in a hot artesian bath, you can get a decent coffee, a nice dinner, good wine, and a cold beer.

Understand
Long-time residents will tell you of a time when the town was rough and lawless, populated by those in search of a fortune, or on the run. It was home to 2,300 people in 2016.

The Lightning Ridge region provides many visual experiences that can't be had elsewhere in Australia.

Get in
Lightning Ridge is easily accessible on a paved road about four kilometres east of the Castlereagh Highway, approximately 75 km north of Walgett.

There is a connecting bus service to the Dubbo XPT, that leaves the Ridge just before 6am, and arrives back in the Ridge before 7PM. It's the best part of a day's trip into Sydney.

There is a airport around 3 km from town, with a walking and cycling path into town. Or most motels offer some kind of pick-up. There is no scheduled passenger service, but the runway is long and sealed, and it is simple to get a charter flight if you wish.

Get around
The town has no public transport and no taxi service. However, the Bowling Club operates a transfer service for patrons, and many of the hotels will also assist with pickups from the airport and other locations for their patrons.

You can think of the town as being the town centre, and the mining areas surrounding it. The town centre is easily walkable, and you can stroll between the club, the art galleries, cafes, pool and artesian baths.

The mining areas start further out, and it can be hard to get to sightseeing locations outside of the town centre without a car or a tour. There are some half-day and full-day tours available in town.

A vehicle is required to visit the many interesting out of town sightseeing locations such as Grawin with 'The Glengarry Hilton' and 'Sheepyard Inn'.

See

 * The Bottle House and museum, 60 Opal St. Lightning Ridge Open most days 9-5.
 * Visit the Walk In Mine to take an underground tour of the opal mines.
 * The Bottle House and museum, 60 Opal St. Lightning Ridge Open most days 9-5.
 * Visit the Walk In Mine to take an underground tour of the opal mines.
 * Visit the Walk In Mine to take an underground tour of the opal mines.
 * Visit the Walk In Mine to take an underground tour of the opal mines.

Do

 * The Lightning Ridge Easter festival with the Lightning Ridge Races is the highlight of the events calendar for the year. Rodeo at night, following by the races on Easter Sunday. If you want a room in a hotel, expect to have to book around a year in advance - or go on the waiting list for a cancellation. Many food trucks and market stalls roll into town as the population swells by thousands.

 * Go fossicking (noodling) after enquiring at the Visitor Information Centre as to where it is possible to do so. It goes without saying that you can't just fossick across the mining leases, so do check first.
 * Go fossicking (noodling) after enquiring at the Visitor Information Centre as to where it is possible to do so. It goes without saying that you can't just fossick across the mining leases, so do check first.
 * Go fossicking (noodling) after enquiring at the Visitor Information Centre as to where it is possible to do so. It goes without saying that you can't just fossick across the mining leases, so do check first.

Buy

 * A black opal at one of the Ridge's opal shops.
 * Artworks produced by local artists.

Eat
Restaurants, cafes and take-aways cluster on the main street.

Sleep
There are two main motels right downtown. There are also caravan parks where you can rent a cabin, park your caravan/RV, or pitch a tent.

Stay safe

 * Be careful around mining areas as there are many deep and dangerous shafts. Take care of your children, too.
 * Exposure - it can be very hot there in summertime.
 * Avoid driving at night or dusk due to the risk of collisions with animals. You'll see numerous kangaroos even on the roads close to town.

Cope
The artesian bore water that comes from many of the taps is safe but tastes awful. Drink rainwater if you can find it, or bottled water if you can't.

Go next

 * Grawin Opal field and the unusual dwellings that are here and elsewhere.
 * Glengarry and visit the "Hilton" hotel
 * Take yourself on a Car Door Explorer trip after obtaining a map from the Visitor Information Centre. These four routes are marked by numbered car doors painted in red, yellow, blue or green. This trip will give you an insight into the lives of miners on the opal fields.

title: Lightning Ridge


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Lignano

Lignano Sabbiadoro  is a seaside resort located on the Adriatic Sea coast of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, in the North-Eastern part of Italy.

It is one of favored summer holiday retreats of Austrians, Germans, Swiss and obviously Italians, who come for the pristine beaches, active nightlife, and culture.

Understand
The municipality is divided into three different districts:
 * Riviera, the Western part of the peninsula, is predominantly residential, with few shops, small villas and low-rise condos set amongst pine trees. There's not so much to do here, unless you only want to relax in a beautiful natural environment. Most tourists you'll see here are home owners.
 * Pineta, right in the centre of the town, features a modest commercial center, popular beaches, and a plethora of night life venues. At Saturday night Pineta, just like the nearby Sabbiadoro, literally becomes flooded with young people who arrive here from everywhere in the region.
 * Sabbiadoro, at the Eastern end of the peninsula, is the oldest neighborhood in Lignano. It contains a bustling promenade with shops, soaring high-rise condominiums and yet even more nightlife and cultural venues than Pineta. Sabbiadoro also hosts two different marinas, and is home to the most important beaches.

Lignano is an exciting city during the summer months, but most of its establishments close in winter. The touristic season goes from May to September. Most hotels and restaurants will be closed aside from these months.

Get in
Most people arrive by car. Lignano is close to Venice Airport and Trieste Airport. Coaches connect VCE with Lignano daily.

Get around
The best means of transportation to get around Lignano are bicycles, mopeds or, if you're in for something unusual, rental rickshaws. Still most tourists will just move by walking, as distances between the various areas of the town are pretty limited.

Bus network
Various urban lines of buses connects the neighborhood of Sabbiadoro with Pineta and Riviera. They can become full up of people, especially at peak times.

By car
Cars might be useful only in night hours, as traffic is very chaotic during the day. It is suggested to park in your accommodation parking and leave it there.

Connect

 * Netcafé, Corso degli Alisei 11. The oldest Internet café in town, open every day non-stop from 7:00am until 2:00am. 16 multimedia PCs where users can surf the Internet or play Internet and network games. B/w printing available upon request. The local also offers wireless Internet access: guests can surf the Internet with their own laptop using a WiFi high-speed connection. Please note that in Italy a personal document is required in order to be allowed  surfing from a public Internet access like the Internet café.

Go next

 * Aquileia
 * Cividale del Friuli
 * Gorizia
 * Palmanova
 * Redipuglia
 * Trieste
 * Venice, just one hour away from Lignano.

title: Lignano


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Liguria

Liguria is one of the official regions of Northwest Italy, on the Ligurian Sea.

Cities

 * - The capital of the region, one of the most populous cities in Italy, and houses the most important port in Italy: the port of Genoa.
 * - Micronation
 * - Micronation
 * - Micronation
 * - Micronation
 * - Micronation
 * - Micronation
 * - Micronation
 * - Micronation
 * - Micronation
 * - Micronation
 * - Micronation
 * - Micronation
 * - Micronation

Other destinations

 * - the coast that stretches from France to Genoa, and La Riviera di Levante, the coast on the Italian peninsula itself - these are the main reasons people visit Liguria
 * - (literally "five lands"), five tiny, picturesque fishing villages, Corniglia, Manarola, Monterosso al Mare, Riomaggiore and Vernazza - perched precariously on the rugged, rocky hills that tumble into the Mediterranean. Together with four other sites it forms the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands (Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto)".
 * - The gulf of La Spezia is known also as the “Gulf of the Poets”, because through the centuries, many famous poets, writers and artists spent their holidays or part of their life in the villages and small towns of this gulf, enchanted by the superb and peaceful beauty of this earthly paradise.

Understand
2,000 years ago the whole northwestern part of Italy, including what are now Piedmont and Lombardy, were inhabited by the Liguris, the people from whom this region gets its name.

Liguria is home to seaside resort towns in the style of Cannes and Monaco, dozens of sandy, rocky and pebbly beaches, in Genoa the country's largest commercial and naval port, some of its most desolate stretches of coast, and terraced hillsides that produce olive oil considered to be more delicate even than that grown in Tuscany.

Get in
Roads and railways run the length of the coast, linking the Riviere with France and the rest of Italy.

Get around
Whether travelling by train or by car, the spectacular journey along the Ligurian coast takes you through tunnel after tunnel, bursting out from darkness into sunlight, the sea sparkling at your side.

See

 * Bussana Vecchia: an old village near San Remo (Province of Imperia) destroyed in the 19th century by a strong earthquake and now inhabited by artists.
 * Cinque Terre and Gulf of the Poets: Reveals the charm of the Cinque Terre with panoramas suspended between sky and sea, hiking trails, vineyards and strips of olive trees, in a corner of Liguria which contains a unique landscape. The unmistakable Art Nouveau style of the gardens and of La Spezia museums, or the charm of the villages of Lerici, Portovenere, Tellaro, famous for poets and writers such as Byron and Shelley and the local beauty in which they found inspiration for their works.

Do
Those who are fond of a good walk will love the Via Del Amore, a long and winding path along the coast which connects the five villages of the Cinque Terre. Stunning views of the sea make for a memorable trek, but it's not for those of a nervous disposition - the path can be quite high above the sea in certain stretches, so if you don't like heights perhaps this won't be for you.

Eat
Traditional Ligurian food is some of the most refined in all of Italy. Tagliatelle is served in various forms here, and torta di verdura is a local speciality, a vegetable pie made with borage and other wild late-winter herbs. Seafood is very popular, as the sea around Liguria is abundant with life. Some typical dishes are:

 * Mushroom pie
 * Mussels stuffed with cheese and herbs
 * Orata (a local fish) cooked with olives and potatoes
 * Gattafin (pasta stuffed with beetroot, onion and Parmesan)
 * Soviore rice pie

Liguria is also the birthplace of pesto sauce.

In all Liguria provinces there's a speciality called ‘Farinata’, which consists of a thin, salty pie made with chick-pea flour which is cooked in a wood oven, similar to those used for pizza. It’s eaten as antipasto or as a nutritious snack and can be topped with Gorgonzola, onion or Salsiccia.

Drink
White and passito grapes are given to the Cooperativa del Gruppo Di Riomaggiore, a modern organization that has streamlined the winemaking process.

Sciacchetrà is a prestigious sweet, white passito wine (not too sweet, however), produced in the Cinque Terre.

Other white wines are Pigato and Vermentino (of which you can also find a variation of in Sardinia) which suffer from a bit from the salty sea climate in which the grapes grow, giving the wine a particular if not unique taste. Red wines are not so common and the only one worth mentioning is Rossese di Dolceacqua.

Stay safe
Liguria is generally a safe region, but beware of pickpockets in some streets of Genoa (Via del Campo and the harbour).

Go next
Liguria stretches east in a narrow ribbon along the coast from France. Mountains separate it from Piedmont to the north, Emilia-Romagna to the east and Tuscany to the south.

title: Liguria


text:
Lijiang

Lijiang (丽江; Lìjiāng) is a small city in Yunnan Province, China; it was once the capital of a small kingdom. Today it is a and a busy tourist town.

Understand
Lijiang is the main center of the Naxi or Nakhi people, though it is by no means a Naxi-only town: at least half a dozen other ethnic groups are represented. The Naxi number under a million and are perhaps best known for their embroidery; they also have their own language with its own hieroglyphic-style writing system, and their own religion, clothing, art, architecture, music and dance. The Chinese government classifies the Mosuo (found mainly further north around Lugu Lake) as part of the Naxi group, but neither the Naxi nor the Mosuo accept this.

Lijiang or nearby Baisha (now a village 12 km north of town) have been important for about 2000 years, when the Naxi settled in the area, and Baisha was the capital of a Naxi kingdom from 658 to 1107. Then the area came under Chinese control and Lijiang became the administrative center. Parts of the old town date back to this period, built during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The town was built where the Jade River divides into three and its streams form the canals and waterways which flow along the old town streets.

In 1278, the Yuan Dynasty appointed the Naxi chief Mu De hereditary ruler of the area, and the Mu family retained power for about 500 years. Today their palace is one of the major tourist attractions of the old town.

Lijiang became known in the west through two men who lived in or near the town in the early 20th century, Austrian-American botanist Joseph Rock who wrote a Naxi dictionary, several scholarly papers, and many articles for National Geographic, and Russian Peter Goullart who wrote several books. It has been suggested that Rock's articles inspired James Hilton's Lost Horizons novel about a fictional Himalayan paradise, Shangri-la, but the claim is controversial.

After China started to admit foreign tourists in the 1980s, Lijiang began to attract many visitors. To fulfill their needs, local people started restaurants and cafes. Chinese people also long for the lifestyle and the excellent environment in Lijiang and started to pour in.

An earthquake in 1996 flattened large parts of the town, though quite a few of the traditional wooden buildings remained standing while far more of the Mao-era brick or concrete structures collapsed. Since then there has been extensive rebuilding, mainly in traditional styles. There have been some complaints that much of that work followed traditions of central China, rather than locally appropriate ones, but most visitors will just notice a lot of rather pretty old-looking buildings.

Get in
Most guest houses in the traditional architectural style are in the old town. As taxis are not allowed to enter the old town, they have to stop at the gates. So either be prepared to carry your luggage a bit or call the hotel to send someone to carry your luggage on a cart.

By plane

There are many flights from Kunming to Lijiang, from early morning to late at night. It is also possible to book a flight to Lijiang from any major city in China, direct flights are available from Shanghai, Beijing etc., but many flights will stop in Kunming and many will require a change of planes there.

The modestly sized airport is 40 minutes from the city. You can take a taxi for ¥100 (official fixed price) to get to the city. There are touts that will offer the same trip for ¥60-80, but it is likely you will find yourself squeezed into the same vehicle with strangers. Alternatively, outside the arrival hall, you will find the airport bus, which leaves regularly when full, for ¥20, to the Blue Skies Hotel near the Guangfang Hotel, which is 1 km from the Old Town. A taxi to the old town will be ¥7-10 from the Blue Skies Hotel carpark.

When leaving Lijiang, arriving at the airport an hour before your flight is sufficient. Taxi back from Old Town to airport is around ¥110, with additional ¥10 toll fee.

Lijiang is at 2,400 m (almost 8,000 feet) so there is some risk of altitude sickness if you fly in from a lower altitude. The risk is not remarkably severe, but it may be more prudent to fly to Kunming at 2,000 m, acclimatise there, then come to Lijiang. Dali would be an interesting intermediate stop. If you do fly direct to Lijiang from sea level, plan to take it easy the first day or two while your body gets acclimatised.

By train

A new bullet train service commenced on January 2019, which can take you to Lijiang from Kunming in 3-3½ hours (6 trains per day). First class seats ¥330-350, second class seats ¥210-220. Some of these trains travel non-stop all the way to Lijiang while others stop at one or more of the following stations: Lufeng South, Chuxiong, Xiangyun, Heqing. The bullet train begins its journey from the Kunming South Railway Station and also stops at the Kunming Railway Station.

There are four normal trains leaving each evening that take 8½-10½ hours. Soft Sleeper ¥226, Hard Sleeper ¥153, Hard Seat ¥89 (Apr 2019).

If you travel as a family, consider the VIP chamber which is at the price of ¥614, one less than purchasing three individual tickets in a four-bed standard room. You may feel a bit tight for luggage storage space, but you gain more valuable privacy, with your own family.

From Dali the train is a faster, cheaper alternative to the crowded buses: A hard (padded) seat is ¥34, and the journey takes only 2 hours from Dali city on a K-class train. (As of April 2019, although there are bullet train services from Kunming to both Dali and Lijiang, these are separate services and it is not possible to take a bullet train from Dali to Lijiang. When this service becomes available, the journey time between Dali and Lijiang will be less than one hour.)

By bus

 * From Dali, minibus/bus/comfort bus at ¥55/60/80 about every 30/60 min, ~3 hr on highway.
 * From Shangrila there are regular services and overnight service from Kunming stop here.
 * from Chengdu there is a direct bus which starts at 11:20 at Xinnamen station in Chengdu. It takes about 24 hours to do the trip, and cost about ¥280. Alternatively, you can take a train from Chengdu to Panzhihua (15 hr, ~¥191 for a hard sleeper) to arrive in the early morning. At the exit of Panzhihua train station, take one of the bus 64 on the left of the exit and get off at the terminus, which is the bus terminal (¥3, ~1 hr). Then, you can take a bus to Lijiang, which run every 45 minutes from 07:00 to 13:00 (from ¥83 to ¥92, ~8 hr).

Get around
Walking is the only option in the old town, while taxis are often the easiest way around the rest of town, meter starts from ¥9 (as of Mar 2019). Make sure you have the exact location info or address for the cab driver. Some of them do not know a whole lot more than you do.

Fracture alert: watch where you are walking. It is easy to trip on the cobblestones or fall into the canals from the walkways or bridges, many of which do not have handrails. The cobblestones can be very slippery when wet.

To see the sights outside the old town, the options are walking, biking, public bus, private mini-bus, or taxi. The public bus mainly stays within the city and stops. The mini-buses are the same price as the public bus within the city. They will have the number of the bus on the front windshield. The price of a mini-bus to a nearby village is ¥1-5, but the starting location within the city is different for most villages. If you do not know where you want to go and are limited on time, the best option is to rent a taxi or mini-bus for the day, but the price can vary wildly from about ¥100 all the way up to ¥300. The price mainly depends on whether you can speak Chinese or not, and how comfortable you look when you try to bargain the deal.

Do

Buy
Loads of tourist shops available in old town. Probably overpriced, but Lijiang does not have as many cases of the Westerner price being too much higher than the Chinese price as in many other parts of China.

 * Burned wood carvings - One of the popular local specialties. Quality varies greatly by the individual artist, and prices vary by shops.  Some shops do custom etchings of your face (near photo-realism) with Lijiang in the background. Expect to have your picture taken, then come back in a few hours.
 * Yak horn combs - Also popular, with some combs also carved from the yak hoof (the ones with the rougher edge on the handle).
 * Naxi clothing - For ¥5 you can get your picture taken in them without having to buy them. Local skirts that include designs that appear  Ancient Egyptian  may actually be based on pictographs that preceded Chinese characters.
 * Art and writing samples (东巴; Dōngbā) - The Naxi have the only living hieroglyphic language in the world, and shops with samples of it, or of the unique Naxi style art, are abundant.
 * Yunnan Coffee - Coffee ground to a fine powder then added to water, although most contain milk and sugar powder already.
 * Warm Clothing - In the Old Town warm clothing is quite expensive if you are just looking for something cheap to keep the chill out. The road just outside the town by the waterwheel has very cheap hats, mitts, and even long johns. Just turn left at the first intersection.
 * Small red coconut - do not buy a small red fruit shaped like a coconut. It is just a coconut painted red and sold for a very high price.  This is a scam.

If you are looking for supermarket that offers fair prices, there is none in Old Town. The nearest option will be 'Dragon Life Supermarket' near the South Gate, along the southwestern part of Old Town, or 'Good Mood Supermarket' near the North entrance of Black Dragon Pool.

Eat
There are three primary types of restaurants in Lijiang: Naxi, Tibetan, and Sichuan. Some restaurants offer more than one type of food. Much Western food is also available, but more expensive. A bowl of noodle costs from ¥12-15 (slightly more pricier than Dali) (as of Jul 2019).

Lots of local snack-type foods available from street vendors, including:

 * Baba - a flat wheatbread available; a savory version sometimes served with chili sauce and a sweeter version that tastes honey-flavored.
 * Naxi style fried white cheese - A soft white cheese cut into slices then fried in a non-greasy batter. Served with sugar sprinkled on top and very delicious (only seen in restaurants).
 * Yak's milk yogurt - Has a bit of a different flavor than cow's milk yogurt, but very good. Commonly served with honey, muesli, and/or fruit.  Can also be made into fruit shakes.
 * Fried yak meat - served on skewers.

Budget
If you are in the old town, it's probably better to get out to find cheap prices.

Drink
There are a couple of local drinks worthy of special mention. Lijiang Yinjiu and Sulima (both commonly available in Lijiang) are modern renditions of ancient beer types of the Naxi and Mosuo people and far more enjoyable than the typical bland Chinese lager. Yunnan is famous for tea, as well (though Pu'er, Yunnan's best-known tea town, is way down south on the road to Xishuangbanna) and every fourth shop is a tea shop specializing in the length and breadth of Chinese tea, the likes of which you will not find in your average Western Chinatown. See Chinese cuisine for details.

Unlike the rest of China, Lijiang's cafés and restaurants shut down around 11PM. The bars have to shut down their music at 23:30. But you can drink until you finish your alcohol. Along the canal you find find it packed with bars. It's packed with people even on rainy days. The cost for a dozen beers ranges from ¥98 at 21:00, all the way to ¥600 around 23:00. The bars along the canal are the most touristy. If you walk past Four Square street deeper into the old town you will find less touristy bars where you aren't constantly asked to buy flowers for the girls.

There are too many bars inside old town to list, but here are a few:

Sleep
Lijiang has plenty of hotels to fit all budgets and styles.

It is sometimes difficult to find specific addresses in the old town; the best option, especially in low season, is to walk around town and check out prices and rooms to see which suits you best, as there are many different options to choose from. In the winter, ensure that there is a heated mattress pad or heating in the room as the nights are quite chilly.

Budget
There are hundreds of beautiful and clean Chinese hotels not listed below. To find them it's best to ask around, or stand in the train station bus drop-off stop (East of the water-wheels central square) with a big backpack and look lost. Nice ladies will approach you: expect to get a double room for around 80Y-100Y, depending on the season.

Splurge

 * Guanfang Hotel. Although not in the old town (it's in the new city), you can get a taxi ride from this hotel to the old town's entrance for a reasonable fee (less than ¥10). Guanfang hotel is part of a hotel chain owned by a Yunnanese hotelier group - it has "Guanfang hotels" in other cities in Yunnan province. The Lijiang Guanfang hotel is built to a resort (bungalow) style. The hotel ground area is very big and you have to walk quite a distance from the hotel lobby to your assigned bungalow (containing a number of rooms). But the rooms are pretty spacious and it's beautifully set and are between 4-5 stars.
 * Hotel Indigo Lijiang
 * InterContinental Hefu Lijiang
 * Hotel Indigo Lijiang
 * InterContinental Hefu Lijiang

Stay safe
The smaller streets in the old town are reported not to be safe at night. Do not walk alone.

As the city lies at the foot of the Himalayas, you may be susceptible to high altitude sickness, especially if you go visit the 3,000 m-high mountains in the area.

Go next
Lijiang is on a popular route described at Yunnan tourist trail. Other major towns along that route are: Both Dali and Shangri-la can also be reached by train. The train trip to Dali is 2½ hours while the trip to Shangri-la takes about 1½ hours.
 * Dali, next main city south. There is a direct bus to Xiaguan, Dali new town. You need to take another bus to Dali ancient city. There is also a direct bus from Lijiang to Dali ancient city; ask your hotel or a tour agent to book the ticket. All of the Lijiang buses pass the Dali old town on the way to Xiaguan. Just tell the driver to drop you off in Dali.
 * Shangrila, next main city north. It is ¥60 from Lijiang to Shangrila by express bus. about 4-hr trip, bus every hour.

Other places in the region include:

Lijiang is also a jumping off spot for treks; see Tiger Leaping Gorge (quite nearby) and Three parallel rivers (more of an expedition).
 * Shaxi, between Lijiang and Dali. Unexploited ancient town unlike Lijiang, is less visited by tourists, but is more popular than it was in the past. As of 2024, it’s possible to get a direct bus to Shaxi from Lijiang’s main bus terminal, so it’s no longer necessary to change buses in the county seat of Jianchuan County.
 * Lugu Lake, north of Lijiang near the Sichuan border, direct bus from Lijiang. As of 2010, the road was under construction and very rough, more than seven hours of rough ride. Presumably construction is now complete, so travel should require about four hours and be reasonably comfortable.
 * Qiaotou for Tiger Leaping Gorge - regular bus services are available from the main bus station. You can also take any Shangrila bound bus and have the driver drop you off at Qiaotou. Costs about ¥25. If you take a Shangrila bus, make sure to ask for the ticket to Qiaotou only, otherwise they will charge you the full fare to Shangrila.
 * For the Three parallel rivers region you will need a guide (readily available in either Lijiang or Shangrila), equipment, and at least a week.

title: Lijiang


text:
Likhauri

Likhauri is a village in Guria.

Understand
Likhauri is just a sweet, picturesque village in the Guria region of Georgia. It is known for its medieval churches in Likhauri and Achi.

By train
Nearest train Station is in Ozurgeti

By bus
You can catch a mashrutka from Ozurgeti.

By car
Likhauri is connected to Ozurgeti with well-developed local road. route from Ozurgeti to Likhauri

Get around
It's a small village, so your feet will serve you just fine.

See

Do
There are two places good to swim: Gogorikidze in Likhauri and Devis Kva in Achi
 * If you follow the main road, along the river, you will soon find quite a picturesque scene of giant boulders, a small waterfall, and more. Local children and others go up there to swim in the summertime, and it's quite shaded and cool.

Buy
There is one small shop, which strangely enough has a fair amount of chocolate, and a pharmacy if you happen to need headache tablets after too many ringtones blasted in your ear. Visit Janverdi Tsetskhladze Farm in village where you can buy homemade honey and enjoy remote village life.

Eat
Both restaurants in Likhauri area are known for trout from the local mountain rivers.

Drink
The restaurant serves beer, or if you're lucky, the villagers will treat you to some homebrew.

Go next
Keep walking to the next few villages, or head back to Ozurgeti.

title: Likhauri


text:
Likoma Island

Likoma Island, along with its sister Chisumulu Island, is in the Mozambican territorial waters of Lake Malawi/Nyasa. Both Likoma Island and Chisumulu belong to Malawi.

Get in
A ferry runs twice a week from Cobuè in Mozambique to Likoma Island. The same ferry also stops off at Chisumulu Island en route to Nkhata Bay back on mainland Malawi.

Eat
Main staple foods on the Island are cassava and maize. Maize is mainly imported from Malawi mainland and Mozambique since the Island is not a conducive environment for such crop. Traditionally, people on the Island eat nsima prepared from cassava flour and maize flour. Fish is the main source of income and many people venture into fish selling. Fishing is mostly done by using locally dugout canoes and small boats. The commonly ate fish are usipa, utaka, and many other different species.

Drink
Tap water is available as well as bottled water. The choice rests on the an individual on what to drink in terms of water.

Soft drinks

A traditional sweet non-alcoholic drink called mahewu or maheu is available in different flavours to suit your choice.

Coca Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Orange squash are other tasty drinks for the thirsty mind.

Alcohol

Alcohol is sold in most parts of the Island and ranges from traditionally brewed gin (local gin called Kachasu and Masese) to factory brewed Calsberg beer and Chibuku. Masese and Chibuke are brewed from maize products. Malawi Gin and Powers No. 1 are also top on the list of visitors who date Malawi.

Go next
To get out of Likoma Island, a ferry sails twice a week between the Island and Nkhata-Bay district in the northern part of the country while on the southern part, Nkhota-kota, Salima and Mangochi districts are the gateway ports. The ferry docks at Nkhota-kota, Chipoka in Salima and Monkey-bay in Mangochi providing access to major cities like Lilongwe and Blantyre.

Air transport is available through Nyasa Air Taxi service which is a chartered service. Other privately owned aircraft are available on charter.

title: Likoma Island


text:
Lilburn

Lilburn is a city in the Metro Atlanta region of Georgia.

Do

 * Lilburn Daze Arts and Crafts Festival, sponsored by the Lilburn Woman's Club, an affiliate of the GFWC, is celebrated on the second Saturday in October and features over 200 vendors. This one day event features local artisans, children's activities, live entertainment, food, hayrides, health screening tent and a petting zoo.   The annual Christmas Parade, held on the first Saturday in December, is always an anticipated event for the community with over 100 entries marching down Main Street ending at Lilburn City Park.

title: Lilburn


text:
Lille

Lille (Dutch: Rijsel) is the core of one of the largest metropolitan agglomerations in France. It has a large and handsome historic centre with beautiful, Flemish-influenced architecture. As a major economic and academic centre, with a very large student population, it has lively nightlife. Situated at the literal crossroads of Europe in the Hauts-de-France region, Lille is within a 90-minute train ride from Paris, Brussels and London.

Understand
Lille is France's fifth largest metropolitan area, and its most northerly. The city sits on the Deûle River, very near to the border with Belgium. While the city is moderately sized (236,000 inhabitants in 2020), over 1.5 million people live in the French side of the metropolitan area, while the cross-border metropolitan area, which covers both French and Belgian territory and includes Kortrijk and Tournai, is estimated to have more than 2.1 million inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region and the prefecture of the Nord department.

Historically, it was the capital of Flanders, and became an industrial powerhouse.

History
While the area of present-day Lille has been inhabited since as early as 2000 BC, the first mention of the city dates back to 1066, when it was referred to as apid Insulam in Latin. Meaning "at the island", this toponym is reflected in both the French and Dutch names of the city, both being contractions of the same expression (L'île and ter ijsel).

Get in
Most visitors will probably arrive by train at Gare de Lille Europe or Gare de Lille Flandres. It is possible to land at the Charles de Gaulle Paris airport and then continue by train, but do not try this at the Ryanair's Paris airport (Beauvais) as there is no train connection at all and the only bus is back to Paris itself.

By plane
Lille has its own international airport, but it is mostly served by flights to holiday destinations around the Mediterranean and other airports within France. That said, proximity to Paris and Brussels allows one to use the airports of either metropolis to visit Lille, especially those with direct train connections to Lille. Visitors from other continents may also entertain the option of landing in one of London's airports and transferring to a Eurostar train to Lille from the British capital.

By train
Lille has two major train stations:

 * Check the SNCF website to see train timetables
 * Check the SNCF website to see train timetables

If you are travelling from the United Kingdom, Eurostar is the best option to reach Lille through the Channel Tunnel. The journey time to Gare de Lille Europe is 1 hr 22 min from London St Pancras International, though you have to check in at least 90 minutes before departure in order to complete border formalities due to COVID restrictions and Brexit. Train connections run regularly by ferry from Calais.

Lille is also linked by TGV to Lyon (3 hours), Nantes (4 hours), Strasbourg (3 hr 20 min), and Marseille (5 hours).

The two train stations are located within easy walking distance of each other, meaning it is therefore possible to connect between services at either station, provided you leave yourself enough time to walk between the stations and find your train, as well as go through security and customs if you are transferring onto a Eurostar service to London.

Another option is to take the TER or the regional, slower moving trains, where a ticket can be purchased fairly cheap to many locations in France and Belgium. The transit bureau for the Nord-Pas-de-Calais offers weekend "Trampoline" passes, where a round trip on TER trains between Lille and several Belgian cities can be purchased for a set price of €20-40, with the freedom of choosing your own train times. Be careful though: depending on the train, cities may be referred to by either their French or Dutch names, which can get confusing.

By bus
BlaBlacar Bus and Flixbus run coach services between Paris, Brussels, London, Amsterdam, Bruges, and more. The bus stop station is located at Gare de Lille Europe.

By public transport
Lille has two metro lines that connect the centre of the city with several suburbs:

 * Metro line mostly serves suburbs on the south side of the city, as well as cutting straight through the centre.
 * Metro line starts in the western suburbs, skirts along the boulevard on the southern edge of the centre, and continues to Roubaix and Tourcoing, finally ending at a hospital adjacent to the Belgian border.

Both lines serve both railway stations.

There are also two tram routes, both starting at the railway stations:

 * serving Roubaix.
 * serving Tourcoing.

There are also bus lines that service all parts of the city.
 * ilévia Public transportation in Lille, In French, English and Dutch. There are also Android and iPhone app in English.

As of May 2023, single tickets are €1.80 + €0.20 charge for the rechargeable ticket. X10 Single ticket €15.40. 24-hour day passes are available for €5.30. Other ticket types are available for longer stays. Machines accept cash and cards. The tickets cover the ilévia metro, buses and trams to any destination, Longer distance intercity trains (to Roubaix for example) require separate tickets.

See
Lille is a cultural and commercial hub with a wide range of restaurants, bars, clubs, museums, and shopping centre. A highlight is its beautiful and historic old town. The night life, thanks to the city's large student population, is cutting edge and lively.

Must see

 * Take a stroll through the old quarter of the city, known as Vieux Lille, and enjoy the cobble-stone streets, the variety of stylish designer shops, gourmet restaurants, and museums. At Christmas Town, you may visit the Christmas Market, take a ride on the ferris wheel in the main square, and take pictures with Father Noel by Christmas Lights. More notable streets like Rue de la Monnaie and Rue Esquermoise are definitely worth the trip.
 * Take a stroll through the old quarter of the city, known as Vieux Lille, and enjoy the cobble-stone streets, the variety of stylish designer shops, gourmet restaurants, and museums. At Christmas Town, you may visit the Christmas Market, take a ride on the ferris wheel in the main square, and take pictures with Father Noel by Christmas Lights. More notable streets like Rue de la Monnaie and Rue Esquermoise are definitely worth the trip.
 * Take a stroll through the old quarter of the city, known as Vieux Lille, and enjoy the cobble-stone streets, the variety of stylish designer shops, gourmet restaurants, and museums. At Christmas Town, you may visit the Christmas Market, take a ride on the ferris wheel in the main square, and take pictures with Father Noel by Christmas Lights. More notable streets like Rue de la Monnaie and Rue Esquermoise are definitely worth the trip.
 * Take a stroll through the old quarter of the city, known as Vieux Lille, and enjoy the cobble-stone streets, the variety of stylish designer shops, gourmet restaurants, and museums. At Christmas Town, you may visit the Christmas Market, take a ride on the ferris wheel in the main square, and take pictures with Father Noel by Christmas Lights. More notable streets like Rue de la Monnaie and Rue Esquermoise are definitely worth the trip.
 * Take a stroll through the old quarter of the city, known as Vieux Lille, and enjoy the cobble-stone streets, the variety of stylish designer shops, gourmet restaurants, and museums. At Christmas Town, you may visit the Christmas Market, take a ride on the ferris wheel in the main square, and take pictures with Father Noel by Christmas Lights. More notable streets like Rue de la Monnaie and Rue Esquermoise are definitely worth the trip.
 * Take a stroll through the old quarter of the city, known as Vieux Lille, and enjoy the cobble-stone streets, the variety of stylish designer shops, gourmet restaurants, and museums. At Christmas Town, you may visit the Christmas Market, take a ride on the ferris wheel in the main square, and take pictures with Father Noel by Christmas Lights. More notable streets like Rue de la Monnaie and Rue Esquermoise are definitely worth the trip.
 * Take a stroll through the old quarter of the city, known as Vieux Lille, and enjoy the cobble-stone streets, the variety of stylish designer shops, gourmet restaurants, and museums. At Christmas Town, you may visit the Christmas Market, take a ride on the ferris wheel in the main square, and take pictures with Father Noel by Christmas Lights. More notable streets like Rue de la Monnaie and Rue Esquermoise are definitely worth the trip.
 * Take a stroll through the old quarter of the city, known as Vieux Lille, and enjoy the cobble-stone streets, the variety of stylish designer shops, gourmet restaurants, and museums. At Christmas Town, you may visit the Christmas Market, take a ride on the ferris wheel in the main square, and take pictures with Father Noel by Christmas Lights. More notable streets like Rue de la Monnaie and Rue Esquermoise are definitely worth the trip.
 * Take a stroll through the old quarter of the city, known as Vieux Lille, and enjoy the cobble-stone streets, the variety of stylish designer shops, gourmet restaurants, and museums. At Christmas Town, you may visit the Christmas Market, take a ride on the ferris wheel in the main square, and take pictures with Father Noel by Christmas Lights. More notable streets like Rue de la Monnaie and Rue Esquermoise are definitely worth the trip.

Other

 * The subway in the long-distance train station Lille Europe is an attraction on its own. In the expansive, main hallway, the wall is covered in a beautiful, large mural depicting various famous landmarks around the world.

Do

 * Chalice Sound System hold regular reggae gigs at various locations around Lille. Check their Facebook page to know when the next event will be.
 * Watch football at Lille Olympique, who play soccer in Ligue 1, the country's top tier. Their home ground (Stade Pierre-Mauroy, capacity 50,000) is in the eastern township of Villeneuve-d'Ascq. Metro Line 1 gets you there (get off at the 4 Cantons terminus and follow the crowd) or park your car at Les Prés station on Line 2 and get the free shuttle bus to the stadium and back.
 * Watch football at Lille Olympique, who play soccer in Ligue 1, the country's top tier. Their home ground (Stade Pierre-Mauroy, capacity 50,000) is in the eastern township of Villeneuve-d'Ascq. Metro Line 1 gets you there (get off at the 4 Cantons terminus and follow the crowd) or park your car at Les Prés station on Line 2 and get the free shuttle bus to the stadium and back.

Events

 * The annual
 * Tour de France starts in Lille on 5 July 2025 and concludes in Paris on 27 July.
 * Tour de France starts in Lille on 5 July 2025 and concludes in Paris on 27 July.

Students
Lille has a very large student population, thanks to the many schools and universities located in the city. There is also a significant international student population, thanks to the Erasmus program.
 * Business schools: Skema, Edhec, IAE Lille, IESEG School of Management, etc.
 * Engineer: École centrale de Lille, ENSAM, HEI, ISEN, etc.
 * University: Lille 1 (Scientific), Lille 2 (Medicine,Law,Political Science,Management,Sports) (and the IEP Lille), Lille 3 (Human Sciences, Arts and Letters), Lille Catholic University (Multi-disciplinary)

For any foreign students wishing to come to Lille, the following website could come in handy: Web Site du Crous

French

 * ICL-Clarife is the language centre for the Institut Catholique de Lille, France's largest private university. Located in the heart of Lille, ICL-Clarife organises complete French language and civilisation study programmes for non-Francophones. Web Site ICL-Clarife

Buy

 * The open market,
 * The pedestrian streets just past Grand Place (rue de Béthune, rue Neuve, Rue du Sec Arembault, rue des Tanneurs, etc.) offer popular clothing chain stores such as Etam, Pimkie, Zara, H&M, Sinéquanone, as well as small pubs, restaurants, and two large cinemas. These buildings reflect beautiful architectural designs and styles from the 1930s.
 * There are dozens of upscale boutiques (e.g., Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Hugo Boss, Kenzo) and trendier, independent stores and restaurants in Vieux Lille.
 * There are dozens of upscale boutiques (e.g., Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Hugo Boss, Kenzo) and trendier, independent stores and restaurants in Vieux Lille.
 * There are dozens of upscale boutiques (e.g., Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Hugo Boss, Kenzo) and trendier, independent stores and restaurants in Vieux Lille.
 * There are dozens of upscale boutiques (e.g., Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Hugo Boss, Kenzo) and trendier, independent stores and restaurants in Vieux Lille.

Eat
Food lovers will find themselves in a foodie heaven in Lille. The dishes of the north are delicious, hearty, and warming, and restaurants pride themselves on serving authentic food at affordable prices. Typical dishes include Potjevleesch, the Welsh, which is a hearty melt of cheddar cheese and fried egg, carbonnade flamande, a hearty beef stew, and, of course, moules frites. Try the maroilles cheese if you're feeling brave--it's the special cheese of Lille with a powerful odor.

Those with a sweet tooth will find hundreds of little patisseries and boulangeries selling more cakes, pastries, and macarons than they knew existed along with an exquisite number of chocolate shops. Guillaume Vincent (12 Rue du Cure Saint Etienne), sells beautifully decorated, rich chocolates.

One of the more popular and affordable (but greasy) eating options are the multitude of kebab shops around the city. For a few euro, you can get a hearty sandwich with shaved chicken or lamb with a side of frites. A local speciality is the kebab with "Fricandelles": sausages that are native to this region. These are a great (and more local) alternative to a fast food chain for a quick bite.

A Lille must have: Delicious stuffed waffles enjoyed at Meert, probably the most beautiful pâtisserie in France. These waffles were the favorite of President Charles de Gaulle. Meert is located on the Rue Esquermoise next to the Grand Place (place du Général de Gaulle). Take the metro Line 1 and get off at station Rihour. There is another location at the Piscine (Museum of Arts and Industry) of Roubaix (Station: Gare Jean Lebas on Line 2). Pastries bought here are to be enjoyed fully and without self restraint.

Mid-range

 * You can try some of Lille's famous "estaminets" (typical restaurants): for instance rue de Gand has two nice restaurants: T'Rijsel and Chez la vieille. The atmosphere is very agreeable, and you can taste some of Lille's typical dishes: Potje'vleesch, Carbonade flamande etc. These restaurants, being rather notorious in Lille, are very popular and it is strongly recommended to book a table two or three days in advance.

Drink
Lille has an amazing nightlife, wonderful bars and nightclubs, and a world of drinks to try. Because it is the north of France, beer is the most popular drink. Try as many kinds as you can, including Belgian ales which are very popular.

Rue Solferino has many bars and clubs. This is the street to visit if you enjoy a lively nightlife and party scene. On Rue Masséna, you will also find countless bars, nightclubs, and restaurants including small delicious kebab stands that are open late until the wee hours of early morning.
 * Salsa the night away at
 * Salsa the night away at
 * Salsa the night away at
 * Salsa the night away at
 * Salsa the night away at
 * Salsa the night away at
 * Salsa the night away at

Sleep

 * Nord Hotel, in the southern part of Lille, about a ten-minute ride on the subway away from the centre of town. When first arriving, the area seems a bit intimidating, but is actually quite quiet. Fairly basic accommodation. Small, clean room and friendly staff. €60/night for a twin room.
 * Nord Hotel, in the southern part of Lille, about a ten-minute ride on the subway away from the centre of town. When first arriving, the area seems a bit intimidating, but is actually quite quiet. Fairly basic accommodation. Small, clean room and friendly staff. €60/night for a twin room.
 * Nord Hotel, in the southern part of Lille, about a ten-minute ride on the subway away from the centre of town. When first arriving, the area seems a bit intimidating, but is actually quite quiet. Fairly basic accommodation. Small, clean room and friendly staff. €60/night for a twin room.
 * Nord Hotel, in the southern part of Lille, about a ten-minute ride on the subway away from the centre of town. When first arriving, the area seems a bit intimidating, but is actually quite quiet. Fairly basic accommodation. Small, clean room and friendly staff. €60/night for a twin room.
 * Nord Hotel, in the southern part of Lille, about a ten-minute ride on the subway away from the centre of town. When first arriving, the area seems a bit intimidating, but is actually quite quiet. Fairly basic accommodation. Small, clean room and friendly staff. €60/night for a twin room.

Stay safe
Despite its charm and dynamic vibe, Lille is not without its share of crime and other socioeconomic issues, and the media have at times portrayed Lille as a dangerous city. As a former industrial powerhouse, Lille suffered greatly from the fall of heavy industry, and right up until the late 1990s the city was marred by crime and poverty. Even if the city and its metropolitan area have made a remarkable economic comeback, crime-related issues are more common here than in other French cities.

During the daytime, taking the basic precautions you would take elsewhere should suffice to avoid trouble. However, do be cautious at night and stick to well-lit streets as much as possible. As a rule of thumb, the city center, old town, and northern half of the city are safe for the most part. On the other hand, try to avoid Lille's southern neighbourhoods as much as possible.

By far the most common issue you will encounter is pickpocketing, which is particularly common on the metro, in the railway station, and in crowded areas (especially on Saturday nights). Alcohol and drug fueled behaviors are also common; this is exacerbated by the large student population., which tends to frequently get rowdy on weekends and at the end of the school year (May to June).

Finally, Lille has one of France's most visible homeless populations. They tend to be more aggressive than in other cities, so watch out for any dubious-looking individuals. They are an unfortunately common sight near the Lille-Flandres station.

Consulates

 * 🇬🇷 Greece

Connect
As of Sep 2021, Lille has 5G from all French carriers. Wifi is widely available in public places, transport, cafes and so on.

Go next

 * Kortrijk and Tournai are in Belgium, but part of the metropolitan area of Lille, quickly reached by local trains.
 * Bruges is a charming old city. Watch out at the border in case you need to change trains or coaches.
 * Arras, with an impressive central square, has most of the Allied memorials from the First World War.
 * Lille is the centre of the Eurostar-TGV network, so Paris, London and Brussels are all within an hour's ride.

title: Lille


text:
Lillehammer

Lillehammer is a small town in the county of Oppland in south-central Norway. The town sits at the intersection of the lake Mjøsa and Gudbrandsdalen, the great valley of East Norway.

Understand
Lillehammer is best remembered as the site of the 1994 Winter Olympics, but it's also worth a visit in the summer for its beautifully preserved late 19th-century wooden houses. Since 2012, it is become famous for the Lilyhammer TV series.

Orientation
Lillehammer is on the shores of Lake Mjøsa, with the bulk of town on the east bank. From the train station it's just two blocks to Storgata, the main pedestrian shopping street in the heart of the old city center.

Lillehammer (25.000 inhabitants), considered Norway's oldest winter sports resort and host of the 1994 Winter Olympics. Lillehammer region provides you with a combination of long-standing tradition and modern activities and services. You will find excellent museums and galleries, Olympic venues, a large number of restaurants and wide selection of shops and accommodation.

The Lillehammer region is also famous for its ski terrain and excellent winter sport facilities. Nearby at Nordseter and Sjusjøen, you will find the best network of cross-country ski trails in Northern Europe, comprising 350 km. The excellent ski centre is located at Hafjell, 15 minutes away by ski bus, and offers a mountain village feel with full amenities and ski in/out accommodation.

By plane
Lillehammer does not have its own airport, but Oslo's Gardermoen is well connected by train with departures once hourly (1:40, 227 Kr each way).

By train
Lillehammer Station is along the main train line from Skien and Oslo towards Trondheim. The trip to Oslo takes about two hours and there are departures hourly.

By car
Norway's main road, the E6, runs through Lillehammer. At Oslo airport Gardermoen south of Mjøsa there are multiple options provided at the airport rental desks. However, one must plan for at least 2 hours drive. Be prepared for road construction delays and slippery roads in winter.

By bus
NOR-WAY Bussekspress and Lavprisekspressen operate bus lines to and from Oslo city centre as well as Gardermoen airport.

Get around
Central Lillehammer is best covered on foot. Buses to various regional destinations depart from outside the train station.

Olympics

Many of Lillehammer's newer sights are related to the 1994 Olympics and are located in the commemorative Olympic Park  (Olympiaparken).

 * Norwegian Olympic Museum, Håkon Hall, Olympiaparken.
 * Norwegian Olympic Museum, Håkon Hall, Olympiaparken.

Do
There are excellent skiing and other winter sports opportunities in winter, as well as some decent hiking in summer.
 * Hafjell - Lillehammer's own alpine slopes, 1994 Olympic venue
 * Kvitfjell - alpine slopes further the valley, 1994 Olympic venue
 * Sjusjøen and surroundings - excellent cross-country slopes in easy terrain

Buy
Lillehammer's main shopping street is the rather inaptly named Storgata ("Big Street"), a pedestrian street lined with wooden houses, boutiques and restaurants.

Connect
Most hotels offer free Wi-Fi.

Go next

 * Gudbrandsdalen is the great valley stretching from Lillehammer almost to Geiranger and Åndalsnes
 * Valdres - the charming uplands west of Lillehammer, next door to Jotunheimen
 * Oslo and the central south-east lowlands.

Other ski/ winter sports resorts
Lillehammer hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics with venues at:
 * Gjøvik
 * Hamar
 * Hafjell
 * Kvitfjell

title: Lillehammer


text:
Lillesand

Lillesand is a small town in Aust-Agder County, on the south coast of Norway.

Understand
The site's original name was "Sanden" (the sand, the beach). In 1641 the neighboring city of Kristiansand was founded. Lillesand received its present name to distinguish the two towns.

By bus
The bus-connections to Oslo and the towns along the western shore of the Oslo Fjord is excellent. Nor-Way Bussexpress has 9 daily connections to Oslo, Konkurrenten.no 4-7 buses while Lavprisekspressen runs twice daily. You are guaranteed a seat - if the bus is full, the bus company will add an extra bus. Lavsprisekpressen provides online ticketing only. Long term buses stops in the outskirts of Lillesand.

By car
E18 runs through the town in an east-west direction. Follow the signs at the exits towards Lillesand from the motorway.

By train or plane
via Kristiansand Railwaystation or Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik. Bus connections to Lillesand.

By ferry
via Kristiansand, where there are ferries from Hirtshals by Color Line and seasonal by Fjordline. Bus connections to Lillesand.

By bus
Nettbuss Sør (blue buses) operates local bus routes within the municipality of Lillesand (see time tables here). In Lillesand center are all within walking distance. If you go west, there are some local buses for example to Høvåg, but it may take a long time between buses.

By boat
Good moorings if you have your own boat. Or take a sight seeing boat from Kristiansand.

See

 * Blindleia is a salt water fjord passage that is protected from the open sea by an elongated archipelago of skerries. Lots of boat traffic in Blindleia at summer time, and many rich Norwegians have their vacation house here. Blindleia pass many picturesque sites, such as Brekkestø, Kjøbmannsvik, Gamle Hellesund and Skottevik.  Sightseeing boat at the summer time.
 * Lillesand Town- and Maritime Museum in the town centre of Lillesand, shows the town's history as a center for shipping and trade.
 * The Fish Market in Lillesand with a restaurant. Fresh fish and delicacies.

Do

 * Take a walk in the center of this rather sleepy but cozy small town!
 * Lillesand offers the perfect setting for activities related to the sea: fishing, sailing, swimming.

Buy

 * In the heart of town
 * Sørlandsparken and Sørlandssenteret, a regional, large shopping centre at the border to Kristiansand
 * Sørlandsparken and Sørlandssenteret, a regional, large shopping centre at the border to Kristiansand

Drink

 * Strandgaden No1 Skjenkestue, taproom in the traditional Hotell Norge.

Connect
Lillesand Public Library

Go next

 * Birkeland, the forest village north of Lillesand
 * Kristiansand, a larger town, but a small city. Kristiansand, Zoo and Amusement park east of the center and downtown that gives the experience of a small city west of Lillesand.
 * Grimstad, the neighboring town in the east which is also a nice little town.

title: Lillesand


text:
Lillooet

Lillooet is the main town in the Fraser Canyon and Bridge River Country region of British Columbia. It was the first native town in the British Columbia Interior, and was briefly the largest town of the Fraser River Gold Rush in 1858-1860. Described by colonial Governor James Douglas as "the prettiest spot for a town on the Fraser I have seen", local scenery was compared by early travellers to that of the Himalayas due to the extreme heights and sheer precipices around Lillooet and in surrounding canyon country. In a pronounced desert-like rainshadow, the town's setting is framed by spectacular cliff walls and towering mountains.

Understand
Lillooet is very hot in summer, often sunny when areas toward the Coast are rainy or areas farther east into the Interior are overcast.

Get in
Lillooet is on Highway 99 and is 225 km (140 miles) from Vancouver, 130 km (80 miles) from Whistler, and 270 km (168 miles) from Williams Lake. If driving from Vancouver, the route via Whistler is more scenic though slightly slower, though for any of the many routes approaching Lillooet from other directions, you will not be disappointed. Lillooet is the perfect weekend getaway or day trip from major centres. With several hotels and motels, B&Bs, restaurants and a well-informed staff at the Visitors Center, Lillooet is well equipped to accommodate a romantic weekend getaway, a quick day trip out of the city and summer family adventures.

Do

 * Sturgeon fishing and river rafting are available through various companies.
 * Mountain biking and hiking. Bike rentals available.
 * Sturgeon fishing and river rafting are available through various companies.
 * Mountain biking and hiking. Bike rentals available.
 * Mountain biking and hiking. Bike rentals available.

Buy

 * Some local stores feature jade products and local gold. Also handicrafts and specialty crops.  Lillooet is famous for its cherries, apricots, local honey, and ginseng.

Drink

 * The Reynolds Hotel and the Hotel DeOro have pubs and liquor stores (see "Sleep" section).

Go next

 * Bridge River Valley - remote community to the west

title: Lillooet


text:
Lilongwe

Lilongwe is the capital of Malawi. It's a very green city, to the extent that sometimes you wonder if there is a city centre at all as buildings in the new town at least are divided by patches of grassy land and trees.

Understand
The capital of Malawi, Lilongwe has a population of about 1.1 million (2015).

Climate
Located at an altitude of 1050 m, the temperatures in Lilongwe are a little lower than one might expect for a city in the tropics. Warm summers and mild winters are characteristic. The rain season lasts from December to March.

Orientation
Lilongwe is divided into the Old Town (to the south) and the New Town (to the north) with the Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary between the two. The Old Town is built around the former village of Lilongwe, while the New Town (also called City Centre or Capital City) sprung up after first president, Dr. Hastings Banda, moved the capital from Zomba to Lilongwe. The quality of the roads is excellent compared to countries like Kenya and traffic doesn't tend to be too much of a problem at all. Lilongwe is divided into areas. So it is worth knowing if your destination is in area 6 or 43 etc. when using a taxi or asking for directions.

By plane
The international departure tax that used to be charged for passengers with foreign passports is included in the airline ticket now.

The airport is about a 30- to 40-minute drive north of town and the taxis charge around (US$20) for the journey from Old Town (presuming you're staying in one of the lodges). This can decrease if you get the taxi from Capital City.

By car
Lilongwe is about 110 km from Mchinji on the Zambian border. Taxis are expensive (around US$50, depending on your bargaining skills), but you can use a minibus or open back truck (matola) for 500/600 kwacha.

By bus
There are regular bus services from Johannesburg, Harare and Lusaka. Intercape has the largest intercity bus route network in Southern Africa.

Get around
The town is very spread out so getting around can be a bit of a chore. You can pick up taxis from the Lilongwe Hotel (in the Old Town) and the Capital Hotel (in the Capital City). If you're feeling adventurous, you can take a minibus. It's very cheap, but you will be getting very familiar with your fellow passengers. There are several routes you can take, including one that goes from the large blue bank in the new town and drops you off in the heart of the old town, next to Shoprite surpermarket.

See

Work
If you're interested in volunteering with animals, the LSPCA (Lilongwe Society for the Protection & Care of Animals) takes volunteers from various backgrounds including veterinary, IT, marketing and animal care and management.

The volunteer programme is an affordable with a minimal commitment of 2 weeks required. With a shortage of vets available to the majority of Lilongwe's residents, the LSPCA undertakes vital work in Lilongwe in helping to promote higher animal welfare standards of domestic and farm animals.

As a volunteer, your work would include visiting local schools to educate them about the importance of animal health and care, community vaccination clinics (rabies and Newcastle disease), spay and neuter clinics, and farm day clinics.

Buy

 * Crossroads Complex, Mchinji Roundabout. With a couple of decent gift shops, a post office, a petrol station, pharmacy, an Indian grocery, ATMs and a couple of fast food joints - South African brands Steers (burgers) and Pizza Inn. Cappucino's coffee shop and cafe is here too - with good breakfast and lunch and iced coffee.
 * 7-Eleven. No relation to the American outfit, this is just a popular supermarket (complete with in-house butchery and bakery) that stocks a wide range of products local and imported.
 * Shoprite. South African chain supermarket, smack dab in the center of town and pretty hard to miss. Most of the tourists passing through town will stop here to stock up. The forex in the same complex has closed so you'll need to cross the street and use the one in the mall (don't bother with the guys on the sidewalk). 'The Grill House' is like Nando's - including menu and sauces. There is also a nice, relatively cheap Chicken Inn, which sells ice cream.
 * Game. Walmart USA-owned Hypermarket opposite Shoprite. Stocks food - a shop for hardware, toys, sport equipment, etc. Expensive, but is the only place to buy certain objects - tents for example.
 * Spar. International chain. Very good bakery, fruit and veg selection and cheap sandwiches, hot lunches, etc. from the deli counter. Expensive food, but sells a good, quality selection. Very Western.
 * Foodworths. Another popular supermarket with a rather impressive produce spread, sandwiches and other ready-made snacks, biltong, a full bakery, and a nice assortment of meats, dairy, other basic foods, and wine. Very expat. In the same complex as a Total petrol station, on Kenyatta b/t Mzimba and Youth Drive.
 * Chipiku. Another popular supermarket selling mostly non-perishables plus a few dairy items, locals shop here to stock up in bulk. Cheapest place for imported alcohol, wine and bulk South African cigarettes. Near the corner of Chilambula and Mzimba.
 * Chipiku. Another popular supermarket selling mostly non-perishables plus a few dairy items, locals shop here to stock up in bulk. Cheapest place for imported alcohol, wine and bulk South African cigarettes. Near the corner of Chilambula and Mzimba.

Budget
There are many local cafes, especially in Area 2, serving cheap meals such as rice, chicken, nsmia, beef.

Shoprite and Spar also have deli counters with hot food, sandwiches and a bakery.

Mid-range

 * Korea Garden Lodge, 5 minutes walk from Mabuya Camp, Mufusa Lodge or old town. Hotel serving Korean food in the restaurant. Mixed reviews. Around US$30 for a double with shared bathroom, US$55 for one with ensuite (July 2013). The Wi-Fi they give you is very slow. It's better to use the KGL-ZyXEL network with WPA-code: kglogde1 (yes, with the typo).
 * Imperial Town Restaurant. A very good, reasonably priced place to eat. Play area for the children and good bar too. Regular live acoustic music is played here too. Good place to interact with guests and meet local expats.
 * Four Seasons, in new town, is a lovely set of restaurants and small shops set in beautifully kept gardens. An excellent Indian restaurant called Blue Ginger with prices ranging from around 1500-2200 kwacha for curries, there is also another restaurant offering pastas, salads and steaks all reasonably priced.  You'll probably need to drive, it's near the Capital Sunbird Hotel in the Government District.  But well worth the trip - there's also a great bar serving some lethal cocktails!
 * Spur, South African chain restaurant. Sells steaks, burgers etc. Sells good ice cream, milkshakes and soda floats too! Muslim-run - so no pork is served.
 * Game complex, Behind the Galito's, Creamy Inn and Pizza Inn complex is Papaya. A nice day time cafe with milkshakes, smoothies and tea/coffee. Sells nachos, wraps and other light bites.
 * Crossroads complex, Here there is the South African fast food chain Steers (burgers, chips) and Pizza Inn. There's also Cappucino's - a good small cafe offering day time meals and good breakfasts. Plenty of tea, coffee and iced coffee too.
 * Noble China, On the first turn off after Sunbird Lilongwe in Old Town. Sells good quality Chinese food. Idea is to order different meals and share - the centre of the table rotates around in order to easily swap dishes around.
 * Noble China, On the first turn off after Sunbird Lilongwe in Old Town. Sells good quality Chinese food. Idea is to order different meals and share - the centre of the table rotates around in order to easily swap dishes around.

Splurge

 * Mamma Mia, Old Town Mall. Lilongwe's fanciest Italian restaurant, much favored by the expat community so reservations strongly advised on weekends. Real Italian pizza, pasta and more, but expect to pay over 2000 kwacha/head for a full meal with a glass of wine, and food quality is a little uneven.
 * Blue Ginger, in Pacific Parade shopping complex, Area 10. Considered the best Indian in Lilongwe.
 * Game complex, next to Game there's South African chains off Galito's (similar to Nando's), Creamy Inn (ice cream, milkshakes, waffles, etc.) and Pizza Inn (with buy one get one free on Tuesdays). All located in the same building. Merely a splurge because it's hard to resist the lure of an ice cream or milkshake after your meal. 2000-2500 kwacha per person, Galito's being the cheapest.

If you're not feeling eating out, there's also a pizza delivery service run from Debonairs at Crossroads. or. Between 900 kwacha for small to 2400 kwacha for large pizzas. Also offer hot subs. Minimum delivery is normally 4400 kwacha.

Drink
Drinking is a lot of locals favourite past times, most are friendly however girls should be wary of over-protective Malawian men!

The only beer brewed in Malawi (bar Chibuku - a grainy, sand like beer coming in cartons!) is Carlsberg. Carlsberg is very local (brewed in Blantyre) and comes either normal (known as a 'Green') or Special Brew, Classic, Stout, Elephant or Light. You can also buy 'Kuche Kuche' - still brewed by Carlsberg but coming in a bigger bottle, less percentage and aimed more for tourists. Glass bottles come in a deposit form in Malawi (so expect to pay 25 kwacha extra per bottle, unless you return some). It is possible to buy other beers in certain bars and clubs - for example Castle, Carling Black Label, Kronenbourg and Heineken. However these are more expensive. Ciders and wines also are available but are imported and more expensive.

Malawi also has its own spirits - notably Malawi Vodka, Malawi Gin (surprisingly this is very good quality gin!), Malawi Rum, Gold Label Brandy or the upmarket Premium Brandy and the cane spirit Powers. These are all cheap spirits per bottle, Powers and Gold Label Brandy normally 600 kwacha a bottle. Mixing with the sugary, very tasty Fanta always works and you see many locals doing this! The Vodka, Gin and Powers can also all be bought in 30ml sachet forms.

Harry's Bar, in the old town, is a good place to have a drink and a burger during the day or to slam Malawi gin and tonic with an energetic local and expat crowd on weekend nights. More of a pre-drink place.

 * Diplomats Pub, (in old town), . Offers good music and cold beers, also a braai (South African word for barbecue, pronounced "brr-eye") outside at weekends. Opens 5PM till 2AM. Great entertainment for the weekend and during the week when no other pubs are open. Popular with locals and expats. Good set of pool tables too (100 kwacha a token) - winner stays on! Also check out Inferno sports bar, behind Diplomats.
 * Alexsander's Bar Around 10 minutes from the downtown by taxi. This bar used to be the hangout place of the Lilongwe white collar's and expatriates. The bar lies in the ground floor of a building that owned by a Malawi born westerner. This place can be a choice if you want to avoid the crowd and relax.
 * Zanzibar Nightclub, known locally as 'Zanzi'. The major nightclub in Lilongwe. Packed every Friday and Saturday night. Normally 500 kwacha entry however this can raise on special events such as music concerts (have featured artists such as the Black Missionnaries and Naeto C.) Be very wary of money, wallets, bags and cameras in this place - lots of pick pocketing has been reported.
 * The Shack, the place to be on Wednesday nights with lots of locals and expats coming every week. Busy only on Wednesdays, free entry too. If you come early (6PM) you can watch the weekly volleyball league teams play. You can even join one if you get talking. Good place but dies down about 2AM. Very sociable place to be.
 * Zanzibar Nightclub, known locally as 'Zanzi'. The major nightclub in Lilongwe. Packed every Friday and Saturday night. Normally 500 kwacha entry however this can raise on special events such as music concerts (have featured artists such as the Black Missionnaries and Naeto C.) Be very wary of money, wallets, bags and cameras in this place - lots of pick pocketing has been reported.
 * The Shack, the place to be on Wednesday nights with lots of locals and expats coming every week. Busy only on Wednesdays, free entry too. If you come early (6PM) you can watch the weekly volleyball league teams play. You can even join one if you get talking. Good place but dies down about 2AM. Very sociable place to be.
 * The Shack, the place to be on Wednesday nights with lots of locals and expats coming every week. Busy only on Wednesdays, free entry too. If you come early (6PM) you can watch the weekly volleyball league teams play. You can even join one if you get talking. Good place but dies down about 2AM. Very sociable place to be.

Budget

 * There are some lodges near the bus station with rooms for around US$10 a night.
 * Lilongwe Golf club (camping only), off Glynn Jones Rd, the campsite is not very busy and you might be the only guest there, but it works out a bit cheaper than a room.

Connect
4G mobile telephone service is available from Airtel and TNM. BBC World Service can be heard on 98.0MHz.

Stay safe
Transport is not always easy to get at late hours of the night so always make sure you have means of transport to getting back to where you're staying. Taxis are available. Lilongwe is said to be unsafe at night so don't walk alone after dark.

Embassies

 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next

 * Cape Maclear, a laid-back village on the south end of Lake Malawi.
 * Salima, the easiest entry point to Lake Malawi, 1-2 hours away. Nice resorts (including Livingstonia Beach Resort) available with gorgeous beaches. A signposted turn off 3 km before Salima beckons travelers to Kuti Wildlife Park with camp sites, A-frame chalets, bar/braii facilities, Small restaurant,game drives and walks, Animals found in the park include sable, nyala, zebra, wildebeest, ostrich, giraffe and waterbuck. At night civets, genets, servals and aardvarks may be spotted. A great spot for birding too! If you plan to go during rainy season, be sure to take a 4x4 just in case. For more info  or.
 * Chipata, the eastern gateway to Zambia, 1-2 hours away
 * South Luangwa National Park – a fantastic wildlife reserve in Zambia. Kiboko Safaris (see Kiboko Town Hotel in Sleep section of this page) and possibly a few others run roundtrip excursions to the park, and with advance notice can arrange visa waivers. The park is great, and this is an easy way to see it if you've got time for a sidetrip.

title: Lilongwe