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Malczyce

Malczyce is a small town on the Oder River in Dolnośląskie Voivodship in Poland.

By car
Right off the E52 between Wrocław and Legnica.

By train
PKP

By bus
PKS

Eat
There are a few restaurants and pubs in Malczyce.

Drink
There are a few pubs in Malczyce, some with nice outdoor decks and sitting areas.

Sleep
There are no hotels in Malczyce. However, many residents offer bed and breakfast service.

Go next
There are many nice forest and riverside hiking trails in the area.

title: Malczyce


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Malda

Malda (Bengali: মালদহ Māldaha), also known as English Bazar (Bengali: ইংরেজবাজার Iṁrejbājār), is a city in the northern plains of West Bengal. Because of its location, it is an important junction and entry point to Siliguri from the southern part of West Bengal. The river Ganges makes its entry into West Bengal near Manikchak in Malda district.

By train
Malda is well connected by railways and is covered by both ER and NFR. There are three railway stations in the city, including, and.

All trains going to North Bengal stop at Malda Town railway station. There are some direct trains from Malda Town; connecting Bangalore, Chennai, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Dibrugarh, New Delhi, Guwahati etc.

By bus
Malda town lies on National Highway 34, and all buses plying from Kolkata to Siliguri in the North will give a halt at Malda. By road it is 332 km away from Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. Regular buses ply between Kolkata (Esplanade Depot) and Malda. Buses are operated by NBSTC, SBSTC and WBTC. There are Volvo and Night sleeper bus services between Kolkata and Siliguri. One can avail this service too to reach Malda or Raiganj.

See

 * Johuratala Kali Bari - A century old temple dedicated to Goddess Kali. It is advisable to visit this temple with some time in hand, as the line to offer Puja gets pretty long.
 * Johuratala Kali Bari - A century old temple dedicated to Goddess Kali. It is advisable to visit this temple with some time in hand, as the line to offer Puja gets pretty long.
 * Johuratala Kali Bari - A century old temple dedicated to Goddess Kali. It is advisable to visit this temple with some time in hand, as the line to offer Puja gets pretty long.

Do
The folk culture of gombhira is a feature of Malda, being a unique way of representation of joy and sorrow in daily life of the common people, as well as the unique medium of presentation on national and international matters.

Buy
Malda is famous for mango, it is called "mango city". Definitely buy mangoes if you are travelling to the city between April-June. There is a mango market beside University of Gour Banga. Mango pickle, jam and jelly are available in the two famous main shopping areas, Rathbari Market and Chittaranjan Market, throughout the year. Otherwise, there is nothing special about Malda but those who are very keen to buy something can look for Murshidabad silk. Those who are traveling by car can look for fresh vegetables, particularly extra-large brinjals.

Eat
Some eateries in Malda are: Rajani Ganhdha (Continental Lodge), Purbanchal, Fiza (Kalinga Hotel), Rojgere Ginni (Chanakya Hotel), Payel restaurant.

Malda is famous for special varieties of mango that are available in summer. Also, there are two special variety of sweets available only in Malda, naming Kansat Chamcham and Rosokadamba. One can try Aamsattwa made from mango, the most famous being that made from Gopalbhog mango.

Drink
Almost all brands of drinks are easily available. Quite a few liquor shops are available selling varieties of drinks. Normally drinks are available in the hotels but those who are particular about it should preferably carry it.

Stay safe
As it is a low lying basin, the area is prone to flood.

Go next

 * Balurghat
 * Murshidabad – about 140 km from Malda
 * Siliguri – about 250 km from Malda
 * Kolkata – about 347 km from Malda

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

title: Malda


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Malden (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Malden:

United States of America

 * Malden (Illinois) - a town in Illinois.
 * Malden (Massachusetts) - a town in Massachusetts.
 * Malden (Missouri) - a town in Missouri.
 * Malden (New York) - a town in New York.
 * Malden (Washington) - a town in Washington.
 * Malden (West Virginia) - a town in West Virginia.

title: Malden (disambiguation)


text:
Malden

Malden is a suburb of Boston in the state of Massachusetts. Its population was 66,000 in the 2020 census.

Understand
The city of Malden, Massachusetts was incorporated as a separate town from Charlestown in 1649. A monumental city to the American Revolution, Malden was the first town to petition the colonial government to withdraw from the British Empire. More recently, Malden was home to the first same-sex marriage in Massachusetts in 2004 at Cambridge City Hall. Many notable people have called Malden home, including musician Norman Greenbaum and former Governor of Massachusetts and United States Ambassador to Italy John A. Volpe.

Get in
Given Malden's proximity to Boston, you can refer to the Boston and Boston for most of the details. Malden is not that far from Logan Airport.

By train
Orange Line : Malden Center and Oak Grove, the last two stops on the Orange line, are in Malden. Wellington Station does have connections to various bus routes that serve Malden.

You can also take the Commuter Rail's Haverhill line from North Station to get to Malden.

By bus
From Saugus, take the 430 bus to Malden center. The 137 bus can take you to Malden coming from Melrose. From Medford, the 101 goes direct to Malden center, and the 134 goes to Wellington station. From Everett, you can take the 104, 99, or 106 buses to get to Malden.

By car
Take Route 1 to the Lynn Street, Salem Street or Route 60 exits.

From Interstate 93, you can take the exits 29, 32, or 33 (Route 28, Fellsway, or Malden/Medford exits). Then travel along routes 60 or 28 the rest of the way to get into Malden.

From Route 16, switch to Route 28 at Wellington circle to access Malden.

By public transit
The Orange Line is not that useful to get around Malden, than it is to get in and out of Malden. As such, you'll have to use the buses to get around Malden. Malden Center MBTA Station hosts a lot of bus routes fanning out in all directions, make connections between buses here.

The 101, 100, and 108 buses run along the western edge of Malden, serving primarily residential areas. The 106, 430, and 411 buses cross Malden from west to east. The 99, 132, 131, and 137 buses serve areas in the north of Malden. The 104, 105, 106, and 99 buses serve areas in the south of Malden.

Bus service can be very infrequent at times, or not run at all at weekends.

By car
A car can be very useful to access areas far from Malden's city center, especially given the infrequent bus service, or if it's the weekend. In the Malden city center, parking can be hard to come by.

See
Malden has a lot of parks throughout the city, with 30 scattered throughout.

Eat
With a growing Asian American population, there has been a growth in places with Asian American cuisine.

Go next

 * Take the Orange Line into Assembly Square in Somerville
 * Boston Proper is only a 15 minute ride on the Orange Line.

title: Malden


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Maldives

The Maldives (Dhivehi: ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ Dhivehi Raajje) are an archipelago in the Indian Ocean with picture-perfect beaches, strikingly blue water, and luxury resorts. There are 200 inhabited islands and 154 islands with tourist resorts. Just under the surface of the beautiful blue ocean, there's a wealth of wildlife to see: over 2000 species of fish in all colours of the rainbow roam the clear waters around the islands.

Regions
The Maldives are an archipelago of 1,192 coral islands formed of 26 atolls, or atholhu in Dhivehi — the source of the English word. These are not single islands, but giant ringlike coral formations hundreds of kilometres wide that have fragmented into countless islands.

Atoll naming is complex, as the atolls have both lengthy traditional Dhivehi names like Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi, and snappy code names like Baa that refers to administrative regions and may consist of more than one geographical atoll. The code names are the letters of Dhivehi alphabet, but being easier for non-Maldivians to remember and pronounce, the code names are popular in the travel industry and are hence also used here. Of the 21 administrative atoll groups, only (parts of) 10 are open to tourism, and from north to south these are:

The other atolls are Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu, Gnaviyani, Haa Alifu, Noonu, Haa Dhaalu, Laamu, Njyavinani, Shaviyani and Thaa.

Cities

 * — the capital and by far the largest city, crammed onto a small island and by some measures the world's densest city
 * — the Maldives' second city in the far south of the archipelago, the former capital of the short-lived United Suvadive Republic
 * — just north of Addu, well off the beaten track
 * — largest city in the northern Maldives

Other destinations

 * — one of the inhabited islands of Lhaviyani Atoll
 * — island belonging to North Ari Atoll
 * — smallish inhabited island and the capital of the North Ari Atoll
 * — an isolated inhabited island that administratively belongs to North Ari Atoll. It's also the largest producer of watermelon in Maldives.
 * — smallish 1 km long island of Alif Alif Atoll

History
The heritage of the Maldives is told in legends, in records of old copperplates, coral-carved ancient scripts and echoes of traditional culture. The story tallies in known South Asian history with mentions of the great Mauryan ruler Emperor Ashoka.

After being a Sultanate under Dutch and British protection, the Maldives gained independence from the British in 1965 and became a republic in 1968. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom ruled over the country with an iron fist and did not hesitate to jail dissidents. He was re-elected five times in more or less rigged elections. Resistance to his rule culminated in violent rioting in 2003 and 2004. Much to everybody's surprise, free and fair elections were held in 2008, and Maumoon conceded defeat to opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed, "Anni". By December 2011, though, the tables had turned. Most of Nasheed's allies had left his government and there were increasingly large anti-government protests. Nasheed resigned in 2012 under murky circumstances and then lost a controversial 2013 election to Maumoon's half-brother Abdulla Yameen, whose administration has cracked down on political freedom and imprisoned opposition figures. During his rule, Yameen withdrew the Maldives from the Commonwealth, and pivoted his foreign policy away from Maldives' traditional ally, India, to align more closely with China in exchange for Chinese investments.

In the 2018 election, Yameen was defeated by opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Despite fears that he would refuse to step down, Yameen publicly conceded the election shortly after, and handed power peacefully to his successor on 17th November 2018. Under Solih, the Maldives re-joined the Commonwealth in 2020, and has largely pivoted Maldives' policy back to India, though it has continued to maintain cordial ties with China.

The tsunami of 26 December 2004 caused extensive damage to the Maldives - of a population of only 290,000, over a third was directly affected by the tsunami and more than 15,000 people were left homeless. The economic damage alone was over 62% of the GDP or US$470 million. The immediate response from international donors and agencies mobilized more than US$400 million in aid after the disaster, much of which was used to help misplaced persons rebuild their homes and infrastructure damaged by the waves.

Economy
Tourism, Maldives largest industry, accounts for 28% of GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes. Over 1.7 million tourists visited the islands in 2019. Fishing is the second leading sector. The Maldivian government began an economic reform program in 1989 by lifting import quotas and opening some exports to the private sector. Subsequently, it has liberalized regulations to allow more foreign investment. Agriculture and manufacturing continue to play a minor role in the economy, constrained by the limited availability of cultivable land and the shortage of domestic labour. Most staple foods must be imported. Industry, which consists mainly of shipping, boat building and handicrafts, accounts for about 18% of GDP. Maldivian authorities worry about the impact of erosion and global warming on their low-lying country; 80% of the area is one metre or less above sea level.

Culture
Maldivians are entirely Sunni Muslim, and the local culture is a mixture of Sinhalese, South Indian and Arab influences. While alcohol, pork, dogs and public observance of non-Muslim religions are banned on the inhabited islands, the resorts are allowed to exist in a bubble where almost anything goes.

Note that the weekend in the Maldives runs from Friday to Saturday, during which banks, government offices and many shops are closed. You won't notice this at the resorts though, except that lunch hours may be shifted for Friday prayers.

Climate
The Maldives are tropical, with plenty of sunshine and temperatures around 26.4°C (79.52°F) to 31.5°C (88.7°F) throughout the year. However, rainfall increases considerably during the April-October southwest monsoon, particularly from June to November.

Read

 * The Maldives: Islamic Republic, Tropical Autocracy by J. J. Robinson, a journalist who lived in the Maldives through some of its 21st-century political turmoil. In addition to an interesting look at what life is like for foreigners in Malé and for staff behind the scenes at the resorts, the book gives a detailed and surprisingly readable account of the complex political crises that the country experienced between 2008 and 2015.

Visitor information

 * Visit Maldives website

Talk
Maldivian (Dhivehi), a close relative of Sinhala (spoken in Sri Lanka) but with borrowings from Urdu, Hindi, Arabic and many other languages, is the official and national language. It is written in a remarkable hybrid script called Thaana, which uses Arabic and Indic numbers as the base of the alphabet, written from right to left with Arabic vowel signs. The script is thought to have originated as a secret code for writing magical formulas so that outsiders can't read them, which would also explain why the ordering of the alphabet is, as far as linguists can tell, random.

English is widely spoken, particularly by government officials and those working in the tourism industry. English is also the language of instruction in schools. "House reef" describes a coral reef accessible from the beach or jetty, thus you may hear discussions about whether an island has a good house reef or not.

Since the Maldives are a popular destination for German and Italian holidaymakers, a sizeable number of local resort workers speak German and Italian. This may vary depending between resorts.

Entry requirements
The Maldives have a remarkably easy visa policy: Everybody gets a free 30-day visa on arrival, provided that they have a passport valid for a minimum period of 1 month from the date of entry, a return journey confirmed ticket and entry requirements to the onward destinations, a prepaid confirmed hotel booking at a registered hotel or proof of financial means for sufficient funds to support the stay in Maldives (US$100 + $50 per day). See the Maldives Immigration website for details.

Traveller Declaration must be filled in and submitted by all travelers travelling to and from Maldives, within 96 hours to the flight time. The form has to be submitted electronically via IMUGA.

Importing explosives, weapons, firearms, ammunition, pornographic material, materials deemed contrary to Islam including ‘idols for worship’ and bibles, pork and pork products, and alcohol into the Maldives is forbidden and all luggage is X-rayed on arrival. Exporting sand, seashells or coral is forbidden. All dogs are banned from the Maldives. See the Maldives Customs Service website for details.

By plane
Practically all visitors arrive at Velana International Airport, on Hulhulé Island next to the capital city Malé. The airport is served by a wide array of flights from China, India, Sri Lanka, Dubai, major airports in South-East Asia, and charters from Europe. Many flights stop in Colombo (Sri Lanka) on the way.

If you want to get an amazing aerial view of the islands, try to get a seat on the left side of the flight.

British Airways flies directly from London Gatwick to Malé during the winter (October to March). No direct flights operate from London Heathrow, however, it is possible to get an indirect flight via India or the UAE for example. Singapore Airlines flies daily direct from Singapore to Malé, with late night timings.

Gan Airport, on the southern atoll of Addu, serves a few international flights.

Departure taxes are included in your ticket.

By boat
There are no regular passenger boats to the Maldives. Even yachts usually steer clear, as navigating around the reefs is hazardous and permits are expensive. Dogs are banned from the Maldives. Even if they remain on your boat the authorities can be extremely sketchy about this compromise, and this can put the life of your dog at risk, should the officials you are dealing with not be sympathetic to your situation. Be sensible and do not bring them into any Maldivian port.

Get around
There are four main ways of getting around in the Maldives: domestic flight, boat, seaplane and private yacht (liveaboard). The boats are the Maldivian equivalent of a car, while seaplanes and private yachts (liveaboards) are mainly reserved for tourists.

Seaplanes prefer not to operate at night, so if you arrive at the airport after dark and are going to a distant resort, you may have to spend the night in Malé, Hulhumalé or at the airport hotel in Hulhulé. Private transfers, though expensive can be opted for resort transfers, instead of spending the whole night at Malé City. Private transfers could cost US$500-800. On the way back, there may also be a significant gap between the time your transfer arrives and your flight departure. Check with your resort or travel agent.

By plane
No point in the Maldives is more than 90 minutes away by plane from Malé, and visitors to the more far-flung resorts use air taxi services. There are four main operators: Manta Air, Flyme operates scheduled flights from Malé to Maamigili, Dharavandhoo and Hanimaadhoo, Trans Maldivian Airways which flies DHC-6 Twin Otter seaplanes that take around 15 passengers. The company schedules most planes at 6PM the previous day. Delays are frequent, it is not rare to wait for 5 hours in the TMA lounge. Seaplane scheduled in the evening has a high risk of being cancelled as delays add up and the sky becomes darker, in such cases TMA will make you take a combination of domestic flight and boat, potentially making you reach your destination well after dinner time.

Scheduled inter-island services are provided by Maldivian, which flies from Malé to Gan, Maafaru, Thimarafushi, Dharavandhoo, Funadhoo, Fuvahmulah, Hanimaadhoo, Ifuru, Kaadedhdhoo, Kadhdhoo, kooddoo, Kudahuvadhoo, Maavarulu, Faresmathoda, Hoarafushi, Madivaru and Kulhudhuffushi. Travel permits are no longer required.

By boat
The taxi boats generally take tourists to and from the islands in the North and South Malé atolls. They come in all different shapes and sizes depending on the quality of the resort you stay, and the Four Seasons has a large enclosed motor cruiser with drinks and food, while the lesser resorts have open-sided dhoni fishing boats.

Public dhoni ferries and cargo boats are available for more the independent-minded and budget-conscious. The main operator is MTCC, who list schedules and fares on their website.

The previous system of requiring written invitations and Inter Atoll Travelling Permits (IATP) for those wishing to visit other islands has been abolished; you're now free to travel wherever you wish. IATPs are still required if you wish to dock your own yacht, see Customs for details.

By bus
There are a number of bus routes around the capital including those which connects with the airport. They are run by RTL.

See
Most visitors come to enjoy the countless plush resorts, excellent beaches and stunningly colourful underwater life. Due to the isolated position of the island, the number of animals on land is limited, but the ocean has a wealth of wildlife. You will likely see plenty of anemones, different kinds of rays, octopus, squid and even giant clams. Whales, dolphins and turtles are spotted often. The Baa Atoll, named a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in 2011 and one of the richest coral reefs in the world is becoming the main tourist draw while also becoming an example of sustainable tourism in a protected area. In short; snorkelling or diving is an absolute must, see the Do-section below for more information.

The gorgeous and ubiquitous white sand beaches are a sight by themselves, especially with the tropical island setting they are in. A flight to one of the many resort islands gives spectacular aerial views of these picture-perfect islets, defined by rims of white sand and wide strokes of cobalt blue water.

Yet, if you can pull yourself away from your luxury holiday spot, the capital city Malé might be an interesting diversion. The bustling financial and political centre of the country has a few sights. Try the National Museum for a touch of history. While the building may not look too promising, the museum's fine collection includes beautiful Arabic and Thaana engraved woodworks, religious pieces, weaponry and other historic artefacts. The town also has a number of worthwhile mosques. The 17th-century Old Friday Mosque is the oldest one in the country, and officials are often willing to let polite and properly dressed visitors in. The Grand Friday Mosque & Islamic Centre is its 1984 modern counterpart, and dominates the city's skyline. While simple in design, the large, white marble structure and the shining gold dome is an attractive sight.

Diving and snorkelling
Aside from making the water bungalow rock on your honeymoon, the primary activity on the Maldives is scuba diving. The atolls are all coral reefs hundreds of kilometres away from any major landmass, meaning that water clarity is excellent and underwater life is abundant. Manta rays, sharks, even a few wrecks, you name it, you can find it in the Maldives.

While diving is very good by world standards even in the immediate vicinity of Malé, visibility and the chance of encountering large pelagic fish increases as you head to the outer atolls. Many divers opt for live-aboards, which can work out much cheaper than paying high resort fees. Currents vary considerably, with generally little inside the atolls but some powerful streams to be found on the sides facing the open sea. Water in the Maldives is warm throughout the year and a 3 mm shorty or Lycra dive skin is sufficient. Diving is possible throughout the year, but rain, wind and waves are most common during the season of the southwest monsoon (June-November). The best time for scuba diving is from January to April when the sea is calm, the sun is shining and the visibility can reach 30 m. There are decompression chambers on Bandos in Kaafu (15 min from Malé), Kuredu in Lhaviyani Atoll and at Kuramathi on Alifu.

The one downside to diving in the Maldives is that it's quite expensive by Asian standards. Prices vary considerably from resort to resort, with specialist dive resorts offering better prices. In general, a single boat dive with your own gear cost around US$50, and US$75 without. Beware of surcharges: you may be charged extra for boat use, guided dives, larger tanks, etc. On the upside, safety standards are usually very high, with well-maintained gear and strict adherence to protocol (check dives, maximum depth, computer use, etc.) being the rule rather than the exception.

Hanifaru Bay is a protected biosphere by UNESCO and is famous for some of the largest congregations of manta rays on the planet.

Surfing
The Maldives is becoming an increasingly popular surfing destination. Turquoise water and perfect waves make it an ideal and uncrowded destination for surfers looking for smooth surfing conditions. The best period for surfing in the Maldives is between March and October; the biggest waves occurring in June, July and August. This paradise is exposed to the same swells as Indonesia is, except that its higher latitude and its South-East exposure offers cooler and less hardcore surfing.

The O’Neil Deep Blue Contests held in the Maldives have placed Maldives firmly on the world’s surf map. While most of the recognized surf breaks are in Malé Atoll, there is certainly more to be discovered.

Specialized companies organize tailored multi-day boat trips in the region, allowing surfers to move easily from one point to another and maximizing the surfing time.

Money
The local currency is the Maldivian rufiyaa, denoted by the symbol "Rf" or "MRF" (ISO code: MVR). It is divided into 100 laari. However by law, resorts price services in US dollars and require payment in hard currency (or credit card), so there's no need to change money if you're going to spend all your time at the resorts. Most hotels have a shop but this is limited to diving and holiday essentials (sun cream, sarongs, disposable cameras, etc.) Some excursions from resorts will take you to local islands where there are handicraft type things to buy, but they are typically made outside the Maldives and sold at significant markups.

Coins come in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 laari, 1 and 2 rufiyaa. Banknotes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 rufiyaa. The current series of rufiyaa banknotes is printed entirely on polymer.

If you are heading to Malé City or the other inhabited atolls, exchanging some rufiyaa will come in handy. The coins, in particular, are quite attractive and make an interesting souvenir in themselves, but the smaller denominations are rarely used or seen. The rufiyaa is tied to the US dollar within a 20% band but is practically 15:1. US dollars are near-universally accepted: shops usually exchange them at 15:1 or 10:1.

Maldivian rufiyaa can be changed at Bank of Maldives in the arrival area of airport. If you want to change rufiyaa back to your currency before departure, you need to keep the receipt. After check in, at Bank of Maldives in the departure area of airport, you can change rufiyaa back to the currency you previously changed to rufiyaa, not exceeding the amount listed on the receipt. The Bank of Maldives may not have small notes of your original currency though.

Tipping
Tipping is not compulsory in the Maldives as a 10% service charge is added to everything, although it is not certain that the money is passed on to the staff.

Over the years the tipping culture has changed in the Maldives, mainly due to overseas visitors giving varying amounts of cash as tips.

Costs
Maldives is expensive for those who have comfort and service-oriented tourism in mind. Resorts have a monopoly on services for their guests and charge accordingly: for mid-range resorts, US$1000 per week per couple is a conservative budget for meals, drinks and excursions, in addition to the cost of flights and accommodation. Practically anything, including hotel rooms if booked locally, has a 10% "service charge" added, but tips are expected on top.

For an adventurous traveller who has time, Maldives can be a very affordable and rewarding experience, with prices comparable to Malaysia. A number of inhabited islands have guesthouses with typical prices €25-40 per room. On more remote islands, renting rooms in villages is possible at even less. Food is inexpensive, and fish curries are delicious. Public ferries will transfer you between different islands of the same atoll for a few US dollars (though for less obvious locations, there will typically be 1 ferry per day and no ferries on Fridays). For transfers to remote atolls, one can negotiate with cargo boats, which would often take people for €14-38, depending on the destination. Cargo boats do not have schedules and depart when loaded. One may expect 1 boat in 1-3 days for each atoll.

It is important to have in mind that staying on inhabited islands implies respecting the strict Muslim norms including no alcohol, modest dress, reserved behaviour. However, the locals are very welcoming and the experience may be much deeper and more rewarding than staying in resorts.

Eat
All the resorts are self-contained so they have at least one restaurant, which generally serves the type of cuisine expected by their guests (i.e. modern European or generic Asian). Breakfast is almost always included, and most resorts offer the option of half-board, which means you get a dinner buffet, and full board, which means you get a lunch and dinner buffet. These can limit the damage compared to ordering a la carte, but your options are typically very limited and drinks are often not covered, not necessarily even water. If you're planning on drinking a lot, it may be worthwhile to go all inclusive, but even this typically restricts you to house drinks.

The only other place to find food is Malé City. This comes in two forms. Either small restaurants aimed at the tourists (of which there are a couple of nice Thai restaurants), which are often expensive, or small cafes called hotaa, selling local Maldivian food at prices as low as Rf20 (US$6) for a complete meal.

Maldivian cuisine

Maldivian food revolves largely around fish (mas), in particular tuna (kandu mas), and draws heavily from South Indian tradition, especially Kerala. Dishes are often hot, spicy and flavoured with coconut, but use very few vegetables. A traditional meal consists of rice, a clear fish broth called garudhiya and side dishes of lime, chilli and onions. Curries known as riha are also popular and the rice is often supplemented with roshi, unleavened bread akin to Indian roti, and paaparu, the Maldivian version of crispy Indian poppadums. Some other common dishes include:

 * mas huni — shredded smoked fish with grated coconuts and onions, the most common Maldivian breakfast (eat it as is or wrap it in roshi)
 * fihunu mas — barbequed fish basted with chili
 * bambukeylu hiti — breadfruit curry

Snacks called hedhikaa, almost invariably fish-based and deep-fried, can be found in any Maldivian restaurant.

 * bajiya — pastry stuffed with fish, coconut and onions
 * gulha — pastry balls stuffed with smoked fish
 * keemia — deep-fried fish rolls
 * kulhi borkibaa — spicy fish cake
 * masroshi — mas huni wrapped in roshi bread and baked
 * theluli mas — fried fish with chilli and garlic

Drink
As the Maldives are Muslim, alcohol is banned from the local population. However, nearly all resorts, live-aboard boats and the Hulhulé Island Hotel (on the same island as the airport) are licensed to serve it, usually with a steep markup.

Tap water in resorts may or may not be drinkable: check with the management. Bottled water is extortionately priced, with US$5/bottle being typical.

Sleep
The Maldives had a longstanding policy of keeping tourists on dedicated islands, which meant they could only stay in full-service resorts where the cost of a night's accommodation started around US$200 and went up into the stratosphere, and the vast majority of visitors continue to opt for these. However, from 2008 all the islands were opened to tourism, and backpacker-friendly guesthouses starting from US$30 a night opened on inhabited islands across the archipelago.

Resorts
Most resorts take up their own island (1500 x 1500m to 250 x 250m), meaning that the ratio of beach to guests must be one of the best in the world and it is hard to imagine that you would ever have to struggle to find your own private piece of beach to relax on. Many have a "no shoes" policy and with such soft sands, it is easy to love this idea.

The range and themes or the resorts are impressive, and most people will find one they like. They can be grouped into three types:

 * Dive resorts, designed primarily for divers. Geared expressly for people who want to spend most of their time underwater, facilities on land are limited, but the house reef is usually excellent. Often found in the more far-flung parts of the archipelago.
 * Holiday resorts, designed primarily for families. These are large and have a full complement of facilities (several restaurants, day-care centres, etc.), but don't have the over-the-top luxury and have less privacy. Most of these are located on Kaafu, with easy access from Malé City.
 * Luxury resorts, designed primarily for honeymooners and the jet set. The place to be if you want designer furniture, gourmet food and a plasma TV in an overwater villa reachable only by rowboat, and are willing to pay high prices for the privilege.

A Maldivian classic is the overwater bungalow, built on stilts directly above a lagoon. While these look fabulous and sound appealing, they have their downsides:
 * They're usually packed tightly together, often sharing a wall, meaning little privacy.
 * Especially at low tide, the water level may be too low to allow swimming or snorkelling.
 * Resort facilities may be a fair distance from the bungalows.
 * The lapping of waves is romantic enough on a calm day but can make it next to impossible to sleep if a storm blows through.

These factors vary from resort to resort, so research carefully. A good one is definitely worth trying at least once, but many Maldives repeaters prefer a bungalow with a private beach.

When considering where to go, factor in transport time and costs from the airport: the more far-flung resorts generally require an expensive seaplane transfer and you may have to stay overnight at the airport on the way. On the upside, the further away you are from Malé, the more peaceful the islands and the better the diving.

Many resorts, especially the smaller dive-oriented ones, cater largely to a single nationality, leading to "Italian" resorts, "Dutch" resorts, "German" resorts, etc. While almost all welcome any nationality and have some English-speaking staff on hand, you may be cut off from any evening entertainment and have problems e.g. diving if you don't speak the local lingo.

Guesthouses
There are guesthouses on inhabited islands, and Maafushi island is popular with looking for hassle-free accommodation of this type. Low-end prices are €25-35 per night.

Examples include: Equator Village on Addu Atoll, a former British Royal Air Force base converted to a 78-room hotel. The cost is around US$100-150 per person per day all-inclusive (including some alcohol). Another unique location is Keyodhoo Guest House, this guest house is on top of a recreation centre built by an Australian after the tsunami (US$20 pp/per night). Most visitors are scuba divers or adventure travellers. Other Inns/B&B can also be found on Vaavu Atoll, Dhaalu Atoll, Kaafu Atoll, North/South Malé Atoll and Ari Atoll Hangnaameedhoo. Only a few of these inns and B&Bs have their own pool. Confirm if bikinis are allowed on the beach. The distance between the inns and beaches are usually short, but visitors should still dress appropriately to Maldive customs.

Village homestays
More independent-minded travellers and those looking for cultural experience may consider renting rooms in villages. This will require either walking through the village and asking around if you're particularly confident of your social skills or inquiring in Malé City whether someone can put you in contact with their friends or relatives on a remote island for such an informal homestay. Prices can be as low as €15 per night for a clean functional room.

Learn
The first university in Maldives (Maldives National University) was inaugurated on 15 February 2011. Operated under the aegis of the Department of Higher Education and Training, MCHE and the Islamic University of Maldives are the only free public degree-granting institutions on the island. The college offers a range of degrees, diplomas, and certificates, with particular emphasis on engineering, health science, education, tourism, and management. The average enrolment at MCHE is around 4,000 students in long-term (that is, more than one academic year) programs and around 2,000 in short-term (shorter than one academic year) courses. State-owned institutions such as Maldives Polytechnic and TVET Maldives offers free technical and vocational training to help develop skills for employment. Several private institutions offer internationally recognised undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Work
Getting a job in the Maldives can be tricky. It is not the kind of place where you can just turn up and start job hunting. Generally, the resorts take on a mix of local and international staff so you need to approach the resort Human Resources departments. There is a good mix of jobs but a lot of the roles are diving based (divemasters, instructors, photographers, etc.)

Most resorts are predominately one or two nationalities so finding the resorts that match your language skills helps. After that experience always helps (especially for diving instructors as the Maldives are well known for their strong currents and half of the time the currents will take you straight out into the Indian Ocean).

Generally, if you get a job with a resort then they will get you a work permit and pay for your flight, food and accommodation. They don't really have much choice, it's hardly as if you can pop out to the supermarket and pick up a pizza for dinner.

Stay safe
Dial toll-free number 1478 or (+960) 9790070 to contact the tourist police at anytime for information or assistance.

Most visitors to the Maldives stay in “resort hotels” where crime levels are relatively low. Nevertheless petty crime, including the theft of goods left unattended on the beach or in hotel rooms, does occur. You should take care of your valuables and other personal possessions, especially when travelling in Malé City. Use safe deposit boxes on island resorts.

The sea around the Maldives can have strong tidal currents and a number of tourists drown every year. You should always take local advice before entering the sea.

You should be sensitive to local dress standards when on local islands or if staying on an island where the resort is not the exclusive property on the island – cover your shoulders and avoid short or tight-fitting shorts (men and women). Bikinis are only allowed in a designated area on some local islands. Nudism and topless sunbathing are not allowed anywhere, including on resort islands.

Maldives has very strong anti-drugs laws. Importing or possessing drugs can carry severe penalties, including life imprisonment. Locals and police are likely to treat seriously the possession and consumption of alcohol, and being intoxicated, outside resorts and liveaboards.

Same-sex relations are illegal and convicted offenders could face lengthy prison sentences and fines.

Cases of sexual harassment are not rare in Maldives. Solo female travellers should be vigilant.

Blasphemy, criticism of Islam and proselytizing by non-Muslims in Maldives, including the public possession and distribution of non-Muslim religious materials (such as the Bible), is illegal.

Stay healthy
Health facilities are established in each inhabited island with island level primary health centres, followed by a higher level of health facilities and speciality care hospitals at the atoll level, and tertiary care facilities at the urban/city level. If you fall seriously ill during your stay, you may be transported to another country for adequate medical care.

There are no serious problems with diseases in the Maldives. Beware that tap water may not be drinkable at all resorts: enquire locally. The Maldives are malaria-free, but some islands do have mosquitoes and catching dengue fever from them is possible, albeit highly unlikely. For those coming from regions infected by yellow fever, an international certificate of inoculation is required.

Most of the problems come from diving or sun-related injuries. Heatstroke always causes problems in the tropics but couple that with divers spending hours at a time on a boat wearing a wetsuit and overheating of one form or another is a real issue. Keeping this in mind, such injuries will be easily avoidable as long as you drink lots of water and get into the shade as much as possible.

Lots of the resorts have their own doctor or nurse and most are within easy reach of the decompression chambers. Malé City has efficient and fairly modern hospitals but bear in mind that it is a long way to get medically evacuated home from.

Respect
Much of what is considered good manners in South Asia is applicable to the Maldives.

Maldives is a highly religious country and local laws reflect the fact that the country is an Islamic country. You can very easily elicit strong responses by speaking negatively about religion, especially from an agnostic point of view.

Connect
There are two mobile operators: Dhiraagu and Ooredoo. Both of them sell local prepaid SIM card or eSIM with the internet connection at competitive rates. The first-mentioned of them is the leading local telecom company which has wider coverage while prices are about the same with its competitor. They both have shops right next to the airport arrivals area upon exiting. Also, both offer 4G/5G data connections. Also if you plan to sail maybe you can be interested in satellite service offered by Ooredoo.

Most hotels and cafés offer public Wi-Fi but connections are usually slow. A local mobile number is needed to purchase time at many Wi-Fi hotspots around the country.

Emergency services
Dial 119 or (+960) 3322111 for police, (+960) 3322211 for flight information, 118 for fire and rescue, and 191 for coast guard.

title: Maldives


text:
Maldon

Maldon is a town in Essex.

Understand
The town lies at the eastern end of the River Blackwater Estuary and on the River Chelmer. It's best known for its sea salt. Dating back to 913 (when the town was identified in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle), the area was settled by East Saxons in the 5th century (the area to the south of the town is still known as the Dengie Peninsula names after the Dæningas).

Maldon is the name of both the town and the surrounding district.

The town has long been a base for the famous Thames Barges, many based at Hythe Quay on the northern edge of the town at the confluence of the Rivers Chelmer and Blackwater. These magnificent vessels no longer serve their historic goods transport purpose, but surviving and restored vessels are available for charter and recreational trips.

By road
The main road into Maldon is the A414.

By train
Maldon train station fell victim to the Beeching Report and closed in 1964. However, these nearby stations all have connections to London Liverpool St: You can get a bus to Maldon directly from Chelmsford train station.

By bus
First Group run a number of services to/from the town, including
 * 31B/31C/31X Chelmsford to Burnham via Maldon
 * 33 Chelmsford to Southminster via Maldon.
 * 73 Chelmsford to Maldon
 * 75 Essex University, Colchester to Maldon

By bicycle

 * National Cycle Route 1 running from Shetland Islands to Dover runs through the town passing through Colchester to the NE and Chelmsford to the west.
 * National Cycle Route 16 Bishop's Stortford to Southend-on-Sea connects with National Cycle Route 1 4½ miles N of the town.

Get around
The town is small enough to see on foot.

Drink

 * New Hall Vineyards, established 1969, are on Chelmsford Rd in Purleigh; tours available.
 * New Hall Vineyards, established 1969, are on Chelmsford Rd in Purleigh; tours available.
 * New Hall Vineyards, established 1969, are on Chelmsford Rd in Purleigh; tours available.
 * New Hall Vineyards, established 1969, are on Chelmsford Rd in Purleigh; tours available.
 * New Hall Vineyards, established 1969, are on Chelmsford Rd in Purleigh; tours available.

Stay safe
Maldon is probably one of the safest out of all the towns in Essex. But that doesen't mean there is no crime. General common sense will keep you out of any danger. The north west area of Heybridge should be avoided on foot at night, it is known by locals as a pretty rough area. The park at West Maldon Community Centre on a Friday night is sometimes a favoured hangout for drunk teenagers.

Be aware that all the streetlights are turned off after midnight, and it would be strongly ill advised for you to walk the streets at that time. (The first night the lights went out a girl was violently attacked whilst walking home).

Connect
Maldon and its approach roads have 4G from all UK carriers. As of Feb 2023, 5G has not reached town.

Go next

 * Chelmsford - 10 miles W.
 * Colchester - 20 miles to NE.
 * Southend-on-Sea - 20 miles S.
 * Bishop's Stortford - 30 miles WNW.

title: Maldon


text:
Malé

Malé (މާލެ), pronounced Maa-leh, is the capital of Maldives. The city occupies the entire islet of Malé at the southern rim of North Malé Atoll. Malé is occasionally dismissed by travellers as a mere transit point with "nothing to do", and it is indeed not a party place. However, it does have a distinctive character of its own, with narrow streets, colourful houses and a strong communal feel, and it may be interesting to stop a little longer and soak in the atmosphere if you've got time on your hands.

Understand
Malé is home to over 250,000 people, on island only long and  wide. By some measures, it is the world's densest city. The new island of Hulhumalé, built (as the name says) between Malé and Hulhulé (the airport island), has been reclaimed from the sea to provide some much-needed extra space.

The neighbouring islands Hulhumalé (artificial) and Vilimalé are served by frequent and very cheap public ferries and provide much quieter get-aways from the capital city. To see the "real" Maldives (i.e. the ones familiar from postcards) you have to get further away, of course.

Orientation
Malé's main street Boduthakurufaanu Magu, home to banks and most government buildings, runs across the coastline of the island. Roughly in the middle is the square of Jumhooree Maidhaan (Republic Square), a handy reference point since it has a giant flagpole visible from far away. From the flagpole extends a series of ten jetties running eastward, with jetty #1 (the Presidential Jetty) right in front of the square and jetties #9 and #10, used by the airport ferry, at the northeastern tip of the island.

Get in

Most visitors to the Maldives are met by travel agent reps right outside Customs, who then whisk them away to their resorts by speedboat or seaplane. If your destination is the city, turn left, cross the road and head for the public ferry dock. Ferries to the city take about 15-20 min for Rf 10 and leave every 10-15 min during daytime, every 30 min after midnight. Another option is to take a taxi or bus. Many taxis ask for up to a Rf 100 fee to cross the bridge, even though the government forbids them from charging more than the flat rate.

You will not be allowed into the airport's air-conditioned departures area until flight check-in opens, usually 2-3 hours before your flight (check the monitors hanging above, a number next to your flight indicates the boarding counter number). Facilities "outside" include nursing room, lounges, money exchange counters, ATMs and a help desk.

Get around
Malé is small enough to walk around in an hour, and almost all sights are concentrated on the north shore, within a 15-min walk from the airport ferry.

Public transportation in Malé City is available in taxis, which charge a flat rate of Rf 30, Rf 70 Malé to the airport, Rf 80 Hulhumalé phase 1 to the airport, Rf 85 Hulhumalé phase 2 to the airport, Rf 85 between Malé and Hulhumalé phase 1, Rf 100 between Malé and Hulhumalé phase 2, Rf 40 between Hulhumalé phase 1 and phase 2, Rf 5 extra between 00:00 and 06:00. No charge for trunk usage. Taxis can be booked via Avas Ride mobile app.

MTCC Greater Malé Bus operates metro bus service between Malé, Hulhumalé and within Hulhumalé and Malé, shuttle bus service between Malé, Hulhulé and Hulhumalé, Hulhulé, which charges Rf 10 to main routes, Rf 5 within Hulhumalé, Rf 7 within Malé, Rf 15 between Hulhumalé phase 2, Malé and Hulhulé, MTCC bus service uses the visa/mastercard and touchlink card for cashless transactions which can be purchased for Rf 20. MTCC bus tickets can be bought via Raajje Transport Link (RTL) website and mobile app. Metro buses are not able to hold luggage.

Expect the buses to be crowded during rainy weather, and take the timings as a rough estimate, since traffic density weighs down heavily on them.

There are also ferries from the Hulhumalé ferry terminal to Hulhumalé and the airport every 20-30 minutes.

See

 * Malediven Rückflug Hulhumale 6.jpg
 * Hulhumalé is in a short bus or boat ride away. Boats leave from their own terminal, next to airport ferries (upstairs of the terminal building is a good restaurant with great harbour views!). Hulhumalé is an artificial island where new buildings are rising rapidly. There is also a nice looking beach on the other end of the island from the jetty. There are restaurants and cafes on the island.
 * Vilimalé is in a short boat ride away. It's the fifth ward of Malé (counts as part of the city) and was once a resort. When arriving by ferry, turn immediately left to come to the beach and some old bungalows. Beaches on the other side of the island feature strong currents, so beware, casualties are reported there every year. Compared to the bustle of Malé, this ward is much more relaxed.
 * Malediven Rückflug Hulhumale 6.jpg
 * Hulhumalé is in a short bus or boat ride away. Boats leave from their own terminal, next to airport ferries (upstairs of the terminal building is a good restaurant with great harbour views!). Hulhumalé is an artificial island where new buildings are rising rapidly. There is also a nice looking beach on the other end of the island from the jetty. There are restaurants and cafes on the island.
 * Vilimalé is in a short boat ride away. It's the fifth ward of Malé (counts as part of the city) and was once a resort. When arriving by ferry, turn immediately left to come to the beach and some old bungalows. Beaches on the other side of the island feature strong currents, so beware, casualties are reported there every year. Compared to the bustle of Malé, this ward is much more relaxed.
 * Malediven Rückflug Hulhumale 6.jpg
 * Hulhumalé is in a short bus or boat ride away. Boats leave from their own terminal, next to airport ferries (upstairs of the terminal building is a good restaurant with great harbour views!). Hulhumalé is an artificial island where new buildings are rising rapidly. There is also a nice looking beach on the other end of the island from the jetty. There are restaurants and cafes on the island.
 * Vilimalé is in a short boat ride away. It's the fifth ward of Malé (counts as part of the city) and was once a resort. When arriving by ferry, turn immediately left to come to the beach and some old bungalows. Beaches on the other side of the island feature strong currents, so beware, casualties are reported there every year. Compared to the bustle of Malé, this ward is much more relaxed.

Do

 * There is a small artificial beach on the east coast, about a ten-minute stroll from the airport ferry. It's not much compared to other beaches on the Maldives, especially as most locals bathe fully clothed, but there is some excellent surfing if you're experienced enough.

Buy

 * A fishmonger prepares to clean and butcher a pair of large fish in Malé.jpg

Eat
During Ramadan, many cafes and restaurants are closed, or only open after sunset. The restaurant at the Nasandhura Palace Hotel (see Sleep) is open during the day.

Drink
No alcohol is available on Malé, even at the hotels, with the solitary exception of the Hulhulé Island Hotel.

Sleep
Many visitors to the Maldives end up spending a night on Malé City out of necessity, as transfers to more far-flung resorts are generally only available during daylight hours. Malé's guesthouses are targeted primarily at travelling locals and may not provide air-conditioning. The price starts at US$20. Guesthouses can be rented through Airbnb.

Hotels in Malé City cost about US$40 to US$240 per night. You will find many hotels on the artificial island Hulhumalé which tend to be cheaper, and you may expect a beachfront room for US$31 or a bit more. It's a good idea to book before arriving in the Maldives as immigration will want to know where you are staying. If you are a tourist, tourist tax is added to the price.

Respect
Dress respectfully if visiting Malé. Men should wear at least T-shirts and shorts below the knee, while women should keep their shoulders and legs covered.

Stay safe
Anti-government protests have broken out at various times in the past two decades, often turning into riots that were sometimes brutally suppressed by the government. Avoid participating in protests or political activism.

The narrow roads can become traffic-congested, and often flood during the two monsoon seasons.

Crime rates in Malé are low, although some advise not walking around alone after dark.

Embassies and consulates

 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next
From Malé, resorts all around the Maldives pick people up and whisk them to their idyllic shores. If you are in the Maldives for longer than a few days, you should consider leaving Malé and checking out another island such as:
 * Mahibadhoo the capital island of Alif Dhaal Atoll, 78 km (42 nautical miles) south-west of Malé
 * Maafushi

title: Malé


text:
Malealea

Malealea is a small village in western Lesotho.

title: Malealea


text:
Malgrat de Mar

Malgrat de Mar is a seaside town on Spain's Costa del Maresme. It is popular with visitors from northern Europe who enjoy the hotels and the Mediterranean. Malgrat is also heavily visited in October when the youth soccer competition Costa Brava Cup is on.

By plane
The nearest airports are Barcelona El Prat Airport     and Girona Costa Brava

By train
Served by Rodalies-RENFE Rodalies-Renfe trains  line connects to Barcelona where you can change train to go to airport. It also goes to Maçanet-Massanes where you can change train to Girona (and connect to the Girona airport)

By car

 * The Motorway goes from Barcelona to Palafolls
 * The  goes parallel to C-32 but along the coast, crossing all villages
 * The  to Blanes and Costa Brava

Road Cycling
You can train along the coast in the N-II road between El Masnou and Santa Susanna. Or try the road from Arenys to Port of Collsacreu to Sant Celoni.

In Sant Pol de Mar starts the bv-5128 and then the BV-5031 until Mataro. This route is a favorite among locals. They call it "el pollastre" (the chicken).

Mountain Bike
Head up to the Parc del Montnegre i el Corredor, for trails along the forests.

Buy
Alongside the Passeig Marítim, by the beaches, there is a variety of shops selling electronics (probably fake), softguns, sport kits (La Liga, Premier League and more), restaurants and grocery.

Go next

 * Blanes beach resort with two botanical gardens and modernist buildings is easily reachable by coach or ferry.
 * Visit the neaby Parc del Montnegre i el Corredor

title: Malgrat de Mar


text:
Malham

Malham is a village in North Yorkshire known for Malham Cove, a large curved limestone cliff. There is no church in the village but at Kirkby Malham to the south.

By bus
Infrequent buses from Settle and Skipton, twice a day on weekdays run by The Little Red Bus and Pennine Buses.

By car
Only reached by unclassified roads; best to use a map if coming by car.

By foot
Malham is on the Pennine Way between Thornton-in-Craven and Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

Get around
It's easy enough to walk between all the places listed below.

See
Two of the most exciting limestone features in Yorkshire

with

Sleep

Connect
As of March 2024, Malham and its approach roads have 4G from EE and O2 but no signal from Three or Vodafone. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next
All the roads from Malham are very scenic. Malham is on the Pennine Way and the typical next stop northbound is Horton-in-Ribblesdale (14½ miles). Southbound, one might aim for Gargrave (6 miles), Thorton-in-Craven (10½ miles) or Earby (12 miles).

 * Settle
 * Grassington
 * Skipton

title: Malham


text:
Mali

A landlocked country in the Sahel, Mali remains one of the poorest countries in the world, but it has wonderful musicians and some incredible sights, including four UNESCO World Heritage sites and the historic city of Timbuktu.

Cities

 * — the booming capital and largest city by far, fastest growing city in Africa, with a good claim to be the music capital of West Africa.
 * — small city on the Niger in the far east of the country, one time capital of the Songhai Empire, and home to the Tomb of Askia.
 * — Mali's westernmost big city, by the border with Senegal, and best known for being the hottest continuously inhabited location in Africa.
 * — a remote Tuareg city, with notoriety as a centre of the Tuareg rebel movement and for Al Qaeda activity.
 * — a city across three islands in the middle of the Niger; gateway to Dogon Country.
 * — Mali's third largest city and one-time capital of the Bamana Empire.
 * — Mali's second largest city and one-time capital of the Kénédougou Empire.
 * — the legendary Saharan city of gold, trans-Saharan trade, and Islamic scholarship is nowadays a (fairly commercialized) centre of Tuareg culture.

Other destinations

 * — a sandstone plateau in the Sahara home to rock paintings, salt mines operated for centuries, and a surprising array of wildlife.
 * —a trek through this landscape of scattered cliff-side villages is not to be missed by any Mali visitor. The famous Bandiagara Escarpment is a World Heritage Site
 * — once a religious and commercial centre to rival Timbuktu, this small town of multi-storey mud buildings is quite a sight. It has declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Seeing Djenné from a rooftop offers an intriguing and unusual landscape, with its soft texture, rounded lines and melancholic colouring.  It also features the largest mosque in the world made completely out of mud, which is restored every year by the community after the rainy season.
 * The Niger Inland Delta where the Niger splits into many rivers across a broad floodplain, which forms a giant lake on the edge of the desert during the rainy season.

Understand
The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France on 22 Sept 1960 as the Mali Federation. Senegal withdrew after only a few months, and the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. The country was then governed by dictatorships until 1991. In 1992 the country's first democratic presidential elections were held.

Just under half the population is less than 15 years old. The great majority of Malians are Muslim, some also practice indigenous beliefs, and a tiny number are Christian. Around 10% of the population is nomadic. Most Malians work in agriculture and fishing.

History

Mali was once part of three famed West African empires which controlled trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt, slaves, and other precious commodities. These Sahelian kingdoms had neither rigid geopolitical boundaries nor rigid ethnic identities. The earliest of these empires was the Ghana Empire which expanded throughout West Africa from the 8th century until 1078.

The Mali Empire later formed on the upper Niger, and reached the height of power in the 14th century. Under the Mali Empire, the ancient cities of Djenné and Timbuktu were centres of both trade and Islamic learning. Mansa Musa, who ruled in the early 14th century, is regarded as the wealthiest person in history (est. $400 billion adjusted for inflation!) owing to the Malian Empire's production of gold & salt. He used this wealth to build some of the impressive mosques still to be found around the country. The empire later declined, and was being supplanted by the Songhai Empire. The Songhai people originated in current northwestern Nigeria. In the late 14th century, the Songhai gradually gained independence from the Mali Empire and expanded until eventual collapse largely due to a Moroccan invasion in 1591. The fall of the Songhai Empire marked the end of the region's role as a trading crossroads. Following the establishment of sea routes by European powers, the trans-Saharan trade routes lost significance.

In the colonial era, Mali fell under the control of the French beginning in the late 19th century. By 1905, most of the area was under firm French control as a part of French Sudan. In early 1959, Mali (then the Sudanese Republic) and Senegal united to become the Mali Federation and gained independence from France on June 20, 1960. Senegal withdrew from the federation in August 1960, which allowed the Sudanese Republic to form the independent nation of Mali on September 22, 1960.

Climate
The country's climate ranges from tropical savannah (trees and grass, with tree density increasing as one travels south) in the south to arid desert in the north, with the Sahel in between. Much of the country receives negligible rainfall; droughts are frequent. Late May or early June (depending on how north one is) to mid or late October or early November is the rainy season. During this time, flooding of the Niger River is common, creating the Inner Niger Delta. After the rainy season is a cooler period when many plants are still green; this is from early November to around early February. From mid February until the rains start in May or June is the hot, dry, period, with daytime temperatures reaching maximum in March and April. This time of year is hot and extremely parched.

People
Mali consists of diverse Sub-Saharan ethnic groups sharing similar, historic, cultural and religious traditions. Various Mandé ethnicities (e.g., Bambara, Khassonké, Mandinka and Soninké) constitute more than half of Mali's population. Other significant ethnic groups include the Fula, Tuaregs and Moors, known as Azawagh Arabs.

Holidays

 * New Year's Day (January 1)
 * Army Day (January 20)
 * Martyrs Day (March 26)
 * Easter Monday
 * Eid al Fitr (Islamic religious observance)
 * Independence Day (September 22)
 * Christmas Day (December 25)

Visa requirements
Mali is not a country you can just waltz into. There are few visa-free arrangements in place, and thus, almost everyone requires a visa to visit the country.

Visas are not required for citizens of Algeria, Andorra, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Indonesia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Macau, Mauritania, Monaco, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo and Tunisia.

If you require a visa to visit the country, you must possess a valid passport and you must submit the following: visa application forms, passport photos, a travel itinerary, flight tickets, and an invitation letter from a Malian organisation or individual (a hotel reservation will normally suffice for a tourist visa).

Visa fees tend to be expensive. For US citizens, it costs $131 to get a Malian visa (regardless of the type). Other citizens of other countries may have to pay even more money to get a Malian visa, so keep an eye out. As a general rule of thumb, the longer you intend to stay, the more expensive the visa will be.

At the Malian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, a 30-day visa costs CFA25,000 (2018).

By plane
Air France flies daily non-stop from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Bamako (and return). Royal Air Maroc is a little cheaper than Air France and has daily flights from Europe and New York via Casablanca in Morocco. There are also smaller companies, such as Point Afrique, who fly cheaply to & from Mali in the busy tourist season. Air France and RAM arrive and depart in the middle of the night - so even if you are planning a budget trip it may be worth splurging for a nice hotel the first night where you can make real reservations and maybe even get picked up at the airport. TAP Portugal also flies daily from Lisbon.

Many African and pan-African airlines fly into Mali, for example: Ethiopian Airlines, Air Mauritania, Tunisair, Afriqiyah Airways and numerous others. Some of these airlines also have feature connections to Mopti.

The airport is about 20 minutes drive from the centre of Bamako. There are fixed rates for taxis to different parts of town: to find them, cross the roadway in front of the airport and go the right-hand end of the block of kiosks. You will see a group of taxi drivers and a board with prices. In Aug 2007, the price was CFA7,500.

However, if you know the local language enough, you might be able to bargain the official price down to CFA4,000 or even CFA3,000, especially if you arrive during the day. Make sure you board an official taxi though (see the Stay Safe section below). There is even well-hidden restaurant: follow the exit road past the barrier, and it is on the right, surrounded by trees, about 50 m from the terminal building. They're very friendly and serve basic but filling and tasty snacks. For getting back to the airport from Bamako, try negotiating hard and you may get a rate significantly cheaper than the set rates for the airport to Bamako.

If you fly Royal Air Maroc, beware that Casablanca Airport is notorious for opening checked-in bags and removing valuables. Also luggage can arrive late.

As is common with many other airports, there will be people trying to push you into unauthorised taxis and to change money, and some are even allowed into the airport terminal itself. Avoid them.

By train
The only rail line, between Bamako and Dakar, has not operated since the summer of 2009. For more info.

By car
There are several ways to get to Mali by car.

The most popular routes are from Senegal (especially since the Dakar-Bamako trains stopped) and Burkina Faso. The road from Gao to Niamey has been paved and a bridge is being built in Gao so the entire journey from Niamey to Bamako can be completed on paved (if not remote) roads.

There are also decent land crossings from Mauritania (paved) & Guinea. The Ivorian crossing leads into a region of northern Cote d'Ivoire controlled by rebels and, while fairly safe, will lead you through countless roadblocks and "officials" demanding bribes; if travelling to southern Cote d'Ivoire, you're better off travelling through Burkina Faso & Ghana.

There is a remote desert crossing with Algeria near Tessalit, but it is dangerous (prone to banditry and used for smuggling) and remote. It may be closed to tourists; even if not, the Algerian side is dangerous (banditry and al Qaeda extremists!) and requires a military escort.

By bus
It is possible to reach Mali by bus directly from a variety of African cities. These include, but are not limited to, Dakar, Ouagadougou, Abidjan, Niamey & Accra.

There is public transport almost all the way from Europe to Mali be it buses or bush-taxis. The only exception is from Dakhla, Western Sahara, to Noudhibou, Mauritania where you can easily get a ride with a Mauritanian trader.

By boat
Mali has two large rivers that are navigable at least part of the year, both of which cross into neighbouring countries, although only the Niger has much in the way of pirogues.

 * The Senegal River crosses into Mali from Guinea in the south and follows a northwest course into Senegal.
 * The Niger crosses into, appropriately enough, Niger. Large boats are only active August-November and do not continue far past the border, but small pirogues regularly ply between Gao and Niamey with many stops along the way.

By bus
The main cities along the paved road into the north are connected via bus (Bamako, Segou, San, Mopti, Gao). A separate paved loop runs through the south (Bamako, Bougouni, Sikasso, Koutiala, Segou) There are many different companies with different schedules but they all have more or less the same prices. Normally a ride to Mopti (600km, half the way up), endures approximately nine hours; a ride to Gao at least 12. All times are very rough, however, and few bus companies will even give you an estimated arrival time as different drivers drive different speeds and it is not improbable that the bus breaks down and needs a repair or stops to help another bus. It is usually possible to make a reservation several days before, recommended during the tourist season, though one rarely has a problem just showing up 30-60 minutes before the bus leaves. More reliable companies include Bittar, Bani and Banimonotie (Sikasso region) among others.

Bus companies:
 * Bittar Transportation

By taxi brousse
To get around one can take the "Taxi - Brousse", the bush taxis. They are the main connection between towns which aren't connected via bus. They are very slow and they sometimes break down or stop to help other broken down taxis. So sometimes the ride takes longer than expected. Unlike the buses, these rarely run on a set schedule, so you generally just need to show up at the station (in a larger town) or sit by the roadside (in smaller villages) and wait for the next to come along - locals may be able to give you some idea what to expect.

By taxi
In any larger city, taxis will be plentiful and are usually an easy way for the tourist to get where they are going without trying to figure out the local public transport system (if one even exists). Be prepared to bargain, as they will generally try to overcharge you - in Bamako CFA1,000 should get you anywhere in the city during the day (or up to CFA1,500 at night), while crossing the river will be CFA1,500-2,000. Also, tell the driver clearly if you do not know the location of the place you want to go, as they are rarely forthcoming about admitting that they don't know it and will often expect you to give directions, especially if it is not a popular or common destination.

By private car
A good option for a larger group or travellers who value comfort over economy is to rent a private car. A 4x4 is strongly recommended if you will be leaving the main highways (this includes the trip to Timbuktu). There are very few asphalt roads, and they are all single-carriageway outside towns, though most are in good condition. One leads into the North of the country (Bamako, Segou, San, Mopti, Gao), another branches off after Segou to cross the Niger at the Markala dam and goes as far as Niono, while another goes from Bamako to Sikasso and on into Ivory Coast. There are private people who rent out their 4x4 cars for a ride (in which case make sure you've got insurance and a carnet de passage, and plenty of petrol), but generally renting a car means renting a car and driver. This is strongly recommended as Malian roads and drivers can be unpredictable and the vehicles unreliable (better to have the driver figure out what that loud rattle is or why the engine started smoking!).

Travel within Bamako can be difficult for the business traveller and leisure tourist alike. One of the best options is to rent a car with a chauffeur. This can be done on a by-day basis and is an enormous help for someone that is new to the city. When trying to visit numerous places in one day, it becomes difficult to rely on the local taxi system. The chauffeur is a local resident and will know most of the names of the places that you need to go. There is no hassle in finding a parking spot as the chauffeur can wait for you while you attend to the business at hand.

For the tourist, this option can be your solution to seeing the city of Bamako in a care-free manner. Trips out of the city are available as well, although the fare can be somewhat higher than intra-city rates. Gas is an additional cost to the renter. A distinguished man by the name of Aldiouma (pronounced al-Jew-ma) Togo runs a classy operation is open to negotiation for rates. Usually around CFA25,000-30,000 per day for intra-city use. Slightly less than double that fee for extra-city travel. His info: Aldiouma Togo: Cell: +223 642-6500 Home: +223 222-1624 togoaldiouma@yahoo.fr

By plane
It is possible to travel across Mali by plane, as numerous companies have sprung up. It is possible to fly (usually from Bamako) to cities such as: Mopti, Timbuktu, Kayes, Yelimané, Gao, Kidal, Sadiola, and others.

The planes, typically, are Czech turboprops (LET-410s) and small Russian jetliners (Yakovlev YAK-40s). Air travel in Mali is fast but, compared to a bus ride, expensive. It is not, however, foolproof - often you are at the mercy of the carrier, who may choose not to fly on a certain day if too few passengers show up! You can generally get tickets at the airport before flights, however the best bet is to book a ticket in advance.

Société Transport Aerienne (STA) and Société Avion Express (SAE) are the two most popular, and most reliable, carriers.

By boat
It is possible to travel around Mali by boat, however this is very seasonal. The most common option, only really possible in the wet season, is a barge to/from Timbuktu. There are also very small boats, "pirogues" in French, which are available to be hired almost anywhere - they are essentially large canoes. When the big boats are not running you can still charter a pinasse (like a big, motorised pirogue). Or use one of the public pinasses. These will run for another 3 months or so before the water levels being too low for them as well. You can navigate the river all the way from near Bamako to Gao, though the level drops more rapidly in the portion between Bamako and Mopti.

By train
Rail services in Mali are limited to a twice- or thrice-weekly train between Bamako and Kayes.

Talk
In a constitutional reform in 2023, French was demoted from its official language status, but it remains the lingua franca for communication between interethnic groups. Bambara (or Bamanankan in the language itself), along with numerous other African languages (Peulh/Fula, Dogon, and Tamashek, the language of the Tuareg people), are spoken by 80% of the population. Few people speak French outside bigger towns, and even Bambara gets rare in some regions. Very few people speak English. A Songhai phrasebook is available on the French Wikivoyage.

See
The Great Mosque of Djenné, built in 1907, is made completely of mud, and it has five stories and three towers. Every spring the people replaster the Mosque. Regrettably, entrance to non-Muslims is not allowed. Apparently this prohibition is a consequence of a fashion photo-shoot held by Vogue inside the mosque in 1996, which was regarded by the locals as "pornographic".

Sites and cultural landscapes making up the Mali Empire can be seen in different parts of the country.

Do

 * Cruise the Niger River on a traditional pirogue.

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

The West African CFA franc is envisioned to be reformed into the "eco" as the unified currency of all West African countries (the CFA is mainly used by former French colonies in the region). As of 2023, the change is planned for 2027.

Shopping
There are plenty of crafts in Mali. Various ethnic groups have their own, trademark masks. There are some great musical instruments; blankets; bogolas (a type of blanket); silver jewellery, and leather goods. The Touareg people, in particular, produce attractive silver and leather goods, including jewellery, daggers, spears, swords and boxes. Local music also makes good souvenirs.

ATMs
All Ecobank ATMs in Mali take Mastercard and Visa card for cash withdrawal. A list of locations is shown on their web site.

Eat
The most universal Malian dish is rice with sauce, often peanut "tiga diga na," tomato/onion/oil or leaf/okra based which is usually served some fish or meat if purchased or prepared for guests. "To", a gelatinous corn or millet food served with sauce, is another Malian classic, though more a village food than something most tourists would encounter. In the north, couscous is also quite common.

In the largest cities, decent "western" restaurants can be found, charging near western prices. Bamako even has good Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, Lebanese and more. In smaller places, the standard Malian restaurant serves chicken or beef with fries and/or salad - usually edible and affordable, but boring and not particularly Malian. The better places in the more touristy areas may also have some local specialities. "Street food" is a lot more fun (and super cheap) - breakfast will be omelet sandwiches, lunch is usually rice with a couple sauces to choose from, and dinner presents many options including beans, spaghetti cooked in oil and a little tomato, potatoes, fried rice, chicken, meatballs, beef kebabs, fish, and salad. You can find little tables along the roadsides and near transport centers.

Snacks you may find for sale include little cakes (especially in bus stations), various fried doughs (either sweet or with hot sauce), peanuts, roasted corn if in season, sesame sticks, and frozen juices in little plastic sacks. Fresh fruit is widely available and always delicious. Some of the best are mangoes, papaya, watermelon, guavas, bananas and oranges - the particular selection depends on the season.

Of course, as in any tropical, underdeveloped country, food borne disease is a major concern for the traveller. The main culprits for diarrhea are untreated water (especially in rural areas) and fruits and vegetables which have not been peeled or soaked in bleach water - salads (even in fancy restaurants!) are likely to cause problems. Food, especially meat, should be thoroughly cooked; this is likely more an issue with Western food in restaurants than with Malian foods which are usually cooked for hours. Drink bottled water, and consult a doctor about bringing an antibiotic like cipro to treat diarrhea that is severe or does not improve over a couple days.

Drink
Treat tap water with suspicion. It is often so heavily chlorinated that one suspects few bugs could possibly survive in it. But short-term visitors will be safer with bottled water. There are several cheap local brands, but be warned that they are only drunk by foreigners and wealthy Malians: don't rely on finding bottled water in shops patronised by "ordinary" Malians. Soft drinks such as Coca-Cola or Fanta are more widely available and safe. Street vendors sell water and home-made ginger and berry drinks in little plastic bags. They are often iced which makes them very refreshing in the heat. Generally, you shouldn't drink these without treating them first.

However, one which is called "bissap" in French and "dabileni" ("red hybiscus") in Bambara, is made from hibiscus flowers that are boiled during preparation, and so generally is safe to drink. It is a particularly delicious non-alcoholic drink you shouldn't miss. In Bamako, it is possible to purchase at most corner stores treated water in small plastic bags for CFA50; these are much cheaper, and of course more environmentally friendly, than bottles. The bags are marked with a brand name; be careful not to mistake them for the tap water that is sold in unmarked plastic bags by street vendors. Also widely sold in this way is sweet milk and yoghurt, which are normally clean because the bags are industrially filled. Fresh milk can also be bought from buckets at the roadside in some villages, although it should always be thoroughly boiled before drinking as it can carry tuberculosis bacteria (often Malians do this before selling, but it is safer to do it yourself or at least ask).

Sleep
There are various types of accommodation options of various prices and qualities. You will pay USD60-100 per night (and up) for a what would be a decent to nice hotel by western standards. At the other end of the spectrum you can pay about USD5-10 per night for a bed or mattress, usually with mosquito net and sheets, in a room or on the roof. Such places will usually have toilets and showers in a shared facility (think camp site camping with less gear). All tourist areas have hotels or auberges and many places will also have homestays. Sleeping on the roof terrace, if available, is not only the cheapest option but also usually the coolest and gives you the pleasure of sleeping under the stars, which are incredibly bright outside of Bamako because there is so little light pollution. However, use a mosquito net and be prepared to wake to prayer call at 05:00.

Learn
Mali has numerous musical instruments you can learn. In particular it is a popular place to learn how to play various drums (bongo, djembe,...)

Work
Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. The average worker's annual salary is approximately US$1,500. However, seasonal variations lead to regular temporary unemployment of agricultural workers.

Stay safe
Mali is politically unstable and therefore lawlessness is wide spread. In June 2012, Mali was hit by a political crisis and a civil war, which temporarily split the country into two parts: the north being named as "Azawad" and being controlled by a group of Islamist rebels, whilst the south experienced a military junta. Travelling in Timbuktu and Gao provinces is particularly extremely dangerous, and as of July 2012, the Islamist rebel groups have ordered all shrines which are considered to involve idolatry to be destroyed. The U.S., Canada and UK travel advisories have since continued to advise against all travel to Mali at this time.

The train between Bamako and Kayes is notorious for theft: if taking the train, you should exercise extreme caution, carry a pocket flashlight, and keep your belongings with you and valuables directly on your person at all times.

You also have a good chance of encountering the police. They are generally mostly concerned with directing traffic and fining people for improper papers, so you have little to fear from them, but always at least carry a copy of your passport and visa (and preferably the original if keep it secure).

Carrying only a driving license is not sufficient and might lead to a ride to the police office unless you bribe your way out. Notice that the police in Bamako often stop taxis, although this can be somewhat avoided by never putting more than four passengers in the car and by taking only "official" cabs (the ones with the red plates only: in Bamako, a car with white plates is not an official taxi even if it has a taxi sign on top, regardless of what the driver may tell you).

The northeast half of Mali (everything north and east of Mopti Province) is simply not safe for travel, as the murky alliance of Al Qaeda and Tuareg rebel groups have been targeting foreigners for kidnappings. Unfortunately, in late 2011, these kidnappings occurred in other parts of the country as well (including the capital), and tourist-kidnapping by terrorists is a real concern.

Although homosexuality is legal in Mali, an investigation by the Pew Global Attitudes Project in 2007 showed that 98% of Malians surveyed believe that homosexuality is a way of life that should be rejected - a rate similar to Kenya and Egypt. LGBT travellers should be careful with public displays of affection.

Some political restlessness as of July 2020 stemming from the overturning of results of parliamentary polls for 31 seats by the Constitutional Court that resulted in candidates from President Keita's party getting re-elected; there have been protests in the city of Bamako.

Vaccinations
Although it is rarely enforced, you are required to have an international vaccination card showing immunization against yellow fever. It is also recommended to get Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, typhoid, and meningitis vaccinations. You may also consider getting a polio vaccination due to the outbreak of polio in Northern Nigeria that has spread around the region.

Malaria
Mali is highly endemic for malaria, including s. falciparum malaria, the most acute variety. All travellers should plan to take a malaria prophylaxis throughout their time in Mali (mephloquine and Malarone are the most common). The other main precautions are to use insect repellent in the evenings and to sleep under a mosquito net in all but the fancy, sealed, air-conditioned hotels. This will significantly lower your exposure to malaria as the mosquitoes that carry the parasite are only active at night, but you would want to take these precautions even without the risk of malaria simply to avoid being covered in itchy mosquito bites! You will almost never see or be bothered by mosquitoes during the day.

Food and water
The rule "cook it peel it or forget it" should be followed. Also water should only be drunk out of sealed bottles or after it is sterilized through boiling or chemical utensils. The food is another issue. It's sometimes difficult to know if it's cooked long enough. Also, to Westerners, the unusual spices are sometimes the cause for sickness, especially diarrhea. Also expect little stones or bits of grit in the meal, especially the local couscous (this doesn't mean it's unsafe though, as it has been cooked long and thoroughly). For the traveller the main danger is diarrhea. For mild diarrhea you should be sure to get lots of rest, drink lots of clean water and eat soft plain foods. If the diarrhea is severe or lasts several days, be prepared to take antibiotics. During the illness the body will lose a lot of water and salt. Coca Cola (sugar and water) and pretzel sticks (salt) are available everywhere and can help with recovery. There are also instant powders that have the necessary glucose and salts available to purchase.

Respect
Greeting people is very important. You should get familiar with the greetings in French or, better, in Bambara. Vendors should be treated in a proper way, even when you buy just fruit or bread. It is very important to show a general interest in the other person, so ask about family, work, children, and so on. The answer is simple: "Ça va" (It's all right). The interlocutor should not answer in a negative way.

Example:
 * "Bonjour. ça va?" (Good morning. Are you all right)?
 * "Et votre famille?" (And your family?)
 * "Et vos enfants?" (And your children?)
 * "Et votre travail?" (And your job?).

The history of French colonial rule, and subsequent French domination even following independence, is a sensitive topic. Anti-French sentiment has been rising since the late 2010s, though it is generally the French government and French corporations, not individual French tourists, who are the subject of public anger. On the other other hand, pro-Russian sentiments have also been on the rise, and many Malians are grateful to the Russians for their help in expelling the French military from Mali.

title: Mali


text:
Malibu

Malibu is a beach city hugs the Pacific Ocean, north of Santa Monica in the northwest corner of Los Angeles County. Because of the town's location on the ocean and the proximity to downtown L.A.'s studios, Malibu has become a fixture in American culture, and has been featured on popular TV shows such as Two and a Half Men and Hannah Montana.

Understand
Malibu and its beaches are frequently listed as one of the must-see spots of the West Coast and the United States in general. However, the popularity of this city of 11,000 people (2020) is at odds with its residents. Local politics in Malibu are dominated by measures to keep outsiders out and to slow the growth of the city to keep it from turning into other beach side towns like Santa Monica or Newport Beach. Politicians and citizens alike often vote in favor of measures that make it more difficult for tourists to visit Malibu. These range from regulations on services like AirBnb to refusing to stripe additional parking spots at popular beaches. Malibu is a beautiful location worth visiting, but be aware of parking restrictions and other difficulties when attempting to see its beautiful beaches.
 * Malibu City Council website

Get in
Take Pacific Coast Highway (California State Route 1) north from Santa Monica. From Los Angeles International Airport, take San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405) north to Santa Monica Freeway (Interstate 10) west. The Santa Monica Freeway intersects the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica. If driving on a weekend, expect traffic on PCH and very limited parking at the beaches.

LA Metro bus 134 provides service to Malibu from Santa Monica and Washington/Fairfax transit center.

Get around
The main (and pretty much only) route through Malibu is along the Pacific Coast Highway. It's the "main street" of Malibu. PCH runs the length of the town and is really the only way to get from one side of the Malibu to the other.

Do

 * Head to famous or  for a great day at the beach.
 * For a great coast view, head to . From PCH heading north, turn left on Heathercliff and left on Dume Drive. Take Dume drive as far as you can and turn right at the end of the road. There is a park on the cliff with a few trails where the locals like to jog. Follow a trail or two to the tip of the point. You'll know when you get there. There will be a bench and a wooden sort of deck in the middle of the trail. From here you can see all of the coast out to Palos Verdes, watch surfers below, and listen to the sounds of sea lions and dolphins. Point Dume, Zuma Beach and Westward Beach have been filming locations for numerous movies and TV programs such as Planet of the Apes, I Dream of Jeannie, D-Day 6th of June (1956); D-Day Battle of Omaha Beach (2019); Iron Man Parts 1-3, Fast & Furious, Lucifer, Star Trek Enterprise-Earth Beach, and Knight and Day.
 * Malibu Pier. The historic Malibu Pier is a quintessential stop for visitors, offering beautiful ocean views and a glimpse into Malibu’s coastal charm.
 * Getty Villa. Modeled after an ancient Roman villa, the Getty Villa is an art museum that houses a vast collection of ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan artifacts. The museum’s gardens and architecture are as impressive as its collection.
 * Malibu Pier. The historic Malibu Pier is a quintessential stop for visitors, offering beautiful ocean views and a glimpse into Malibu’s coastal charm.
 * Getty Villa. Modeled after an ancient Roman villa, the Getty Villa is an art museum that houses a vast collection of ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan artifacts. The museum’s gardens and architecture are as impressive as its collection.
 * Malibu Pier. The historic Malibu Pier is a quintessential stop for visitors, offering beautiful ocean views and a glimpse into Malibu’s coastal charm.
 * Getty Villa. Modeled after an ancient Roman villa, the Getty Villa is an art museum that houses a vast collection of ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan artifacts. The museum’s gardens and architecture are as impressive as its collection.

Sleep
Malibu hotels span the spectrum from luxury to family motels. Most of the Malibu hotels are along the main coastal road, Pacific Coast Highway, and several are located along the beach. The nearby communities of Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Woodland Hills and Santa Monica may offer less expensive options.

Go next

 * Santa Monica - A neighboring beach city that is much more touristy than Malibu and features a famous pier.
 * Pacific Palisades - Located south of Malibu, the Palisades are home to multi-million dollar homes set amongst the hills overlooking the ocean, as well as the J. Paul Getty Villa which features classical sculpture.
 * Further northwest are the cities of Ventura and Santa Barbara with the Channel Islands National Park.
 * Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Miles of scenic roads and hiking trails through the mountains behind Malibu, as well as historic sites such as Malibu Creek State Park.
 * San Fernando Valley. The suburbs inland, to the east.

title: Malibu


text:
Malindi

Malindi and Watamu villages are known for their wonderfull Indian Ocean beaches, which are among the best and most picturesque in Kenya.

Understand
Malindi has very nice hotels, visited mostly by Italian tourists. The beaches of Malindi are not as spectacular as the Watamu beaches (25 km to the south), and a disadvantage is that the sea is often coffee brown from the Sabaki River, which is not the case in Watamu.

By plane
Malindi Airport is a small airport where international flights do not land, only national ones. The arrival is therefore with change in Mombasa (about 110 km away) or Nairobi (570 km).

National connections:
 * 1) Jambojet: flies from Jomo Kenyatta Nairobi and Lamu.
 * 2) Fly540 Air: flies from Jomo Kenyatta Nairobi and Lamu.
 * 3) Airkenya: flies from Wilson Airport Nairobi and Lamu.
 * 4) Mombasa Air Safari: flies from Mombasa and Lamu.

By bus
Malindi is connected by intercity coaches from Mombasa and Nairobi on a regular schedule.
 * 1) Modern Coast  buses from Nairobi.
 * 2) Dreamliner  buses from Nairobi.
 * 3) Buscar EA  buses from Nairobi.
 * 4) Pwani Tawakal  buses from Mombasa.
 * 5) Mash Poa  buses from Nairobi.
 * 6) Tahmeed buses from Mombasa.
 * 7) Hakuna Matatu Bus buses from Nyali, Kilifi, Diani Beach and Watamu

'''It is not safe to travel by bus from Malindi to Lamu. You must fly'''.

Get around
Hire a tuk-tuk (three-wheeled taxi): most journeys cost Ksh 200 (shillings) or motorbike taxi at Ksh 100. Cheaper, greener and even more fun is a bicycle boda boda (ride pillion on the cushion over the back wheel) but disappears because of motorbike taxi. Normal taxis are the safest and most comfortable transport, and for your safety should be preferred over tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis at night.

See

Watamu beaches
The fine sandy beaches of Watamu are among the best and most scenic beaches in Kenya. The main beaches are:

Buy
Malindi Town is mostly clogged with traffic, which makes shopping a bit stressful, while in Watamu it's much more relaxed. There is a curio (tourist) market, close to the pier. On the main market in the old town, all kinds of foodstuffs are available.
 * 7 To 7 Supermarket. Lamu road. 7AM-7PM. Wide variety or goods for sale. Sells cheese. Reasonable prices.
 * 7 To 7 Supermarket. Lamu road. 7AM-7PM. Wide variety or goods for sale. Sells cheese. Reasonable prices.
 * 7 To 7 Supermarket. Lamu road. 7AM-7PM. Wide variety or goods for sale. Sells cheese. Reasonable prices.
 * 7 To 7 Supermarket. Lamu road. 7AM-7PM. Wide variety or goods for sale. Sells cheese. Reasonable prices.
 * 7 To 7 Supermarket. Lamu road. 7AM-7PM. Wide variety or goods for sale. Sells cheese. Reasonable prices.
 * 7 To 7 Supermarket. Lamu road. 7AM-7PM. Wide variety or goods for sale. Sells cheese. Reasonable prices.

Watamu area
There are many restaurants and bars in Watamu. Due to the domination of Italian and British tourists the dishes are adjusted to the taste of these guests.

Sleep
Accommodation in Malindi is not expensive but it's recommended that you get a guest house.

There are many hotels at good rates:

Connect
Internet and telephone: are In most hotels there is Wifi, often however only at the front desk. If you want to be independent of the hotel network, or you need a faster network, there are three Kenyan network providers Safaricom, Airtel, Telkom. These offer Internet bundles and also SIM cards for mobile phones. Passport is required for registration. If you often have to call home or for business, a Kenyan sim card is very worthwhile too for the phone. The main Airtel store in Malindi is along Lamu Road. Airtel and Telekom have 10 GB of data good for 30 days for Ksh 1000.

Go next

 * Mtwapa: A town 20 km north of Mombasa, where many European life and a centre of night life
 * Mombasa: A must-see location and most important town on the coast
 * Lamu: It has retained its historic character as the oldest continually inhabited town in the country and one of the most important Swahili settlements.
 * Mtwapa: A town 20 km north of Mombasa, where many European life and a centre of night life
 * Mombasa: A must-see location and most important town on the coast
 * Lamu: It has retained its historic character as the oldest continually inhabited town in the country and one of the most important Swahili settlements.
 * Mombasa: A must-see location and most important town on the coast
 * Lamu: It has retained its historic character as the oldest continually inhabited town in the country and one of the most important Swahili settlements.

title: Malindi


text:
Malinska

Malinska is a little picturesque town on the north-west side of the island of Krk in Croatia. Malinska abounds in vegetation, coves and beaches which are known by the crystally clear adriatic sea. Climatic conditions are ideal; for it is protected from strong winds, especially in winter. Malinska has mild winters and warm summers and that's the reason why it has been visited by numerous guests for over a century.

Understand
Malinska was an old fishing village and port for wood exportation until the beginning of the 20th century, when it started to develop into a tourism destination, initially as a favorite retreat of Viennese nobility. The name Malinska has its origins in the 15th century, and it is related to the water-mill that was built in the village and was important for the whole island of Krk.

By car
Over the bridge from Mainland (toll fee).

By bus
Bus company Arriva Croatia runs sixteen buses daily from Rijeka to Malinska for one way ( return). With same buses Malinska is connected with other destionations on island Krk as well as Mali Lošinj and Cres.

On foot
Beautiful seaside path from Njivice to Malinska called "Rajska cesta" is great way to come to Malinska simply by foot. It is one of the most popular walking path on whole island Krk. Walk from Njivice to Malinska is about 6-7 km long and takes around one and half hour. Take enough of water with yourself since there are only forest, rocks and sea on the way.

Get around
Malinska doesn't have any public transport, since city is small enough that you can get everywhere by foot within half an hour of walking.

During the summer months it is possible to rent a bike, scooter or quad bike on Lukobran, place where most of the boats are coming. Price by the hour or by the day. Full price list.

title: Malinska