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Chucuito

Chucuito is a city on the western shore of Lake Titicaca south of Puno.

Get in
Find a collectivo near Parador mercado a few blocks from bus terminal. Wait for it to fill up. S/1.5 (soles).

See

 * Walk some 200-300 meters uphill from the main square and cross under the power lines. Here you have a nice view of the town, the lake and the surroundings. Look further up: there is a big white cross on the cliff somewhat to the left. That's where the real views are!
 * Walk some 200-300 meters uphill from the main square and cross under the power lines. Here you have a nice view of the town, the lake and the surroundings. Look further up: there is a big white cross on the cliff somewhat to the left. That's where the real views are!

Eat
Plenty of eateries, particularly close to the main square. Set lunches and lake fish specialties.

Sleep
A good handful of simple hostels around.

Go next
Buses and vans on the main road between Puno and the Bolivian border can be hailed any time. For a more comfortable seat, vans to Puno depart from the main square as soon as they fill up, S/1.5.

title: Chucuito


text:
Chugoku

Chūgoku (中国) is the westernmost part of the main Japanese island Honshu. Aside from Hiroshima, most of Chugoku is probably well off the beaten track for a brief visit to Japan; but if time permits, you'll find a region full of memorable sights and experiences, and a side of Japan that's completely unlike the better-known destinations in Kansai and Kanto.

Cities

 * - site of the infamous atomic bomb attack.
 * - beautifully preserved castle town
 * - Home to the great Izumo Shrine, the second most holy Shinto Shrine in Japan.
 * - site of one of Japan's largest and most beautiful historic areas, the Bikan Historic District, as well as the famous Ohara Museum of Art, which is full of famous works from Europe.
 * - Famous for Matsue Castle, one of Japan's few remaining original castles
 * - featuring Korakuen Garden, one of Japan's Top 3 gardens and the brooding black Okayama Castle.
 * - gateway to Kyushu and the Kanmon Straits, best known for turning poisonous fish into gourmet meals.
 * - Home to Japan's only sand dunes, the Tottori Sand Dunes provide visitors with a highly unique experience, including camel rides.
 * - a city with many well-preserved temples.

Other destinations

 * - has the largest plateau and cave in Japan.
 * - home to Japan's oldest and most respected style of pottery.
 * - climbers flock to the beautiful Mount Daisen.
 * - a town with the picturesque Kintai-kyo Bridge.
 * - Location of Itsukushima Shrine, the most photographed shrine in all of Japan.
 * - Silver mines, registered as a.
 * - An island cluster designated as a geopark, known for its nature and scenic coastal views.
 * - a quaint town most famous for Bitchu Matsuyama Castle.
 * - a relaxed town famous for the thousands of cherry blossoms around its castle ruins in Kakuzan Park.

Understand
The name Chugoku literally means "Middle Country", the sole surviving relic of a historical division of Japan into "Near Countries" (近国 Kingoku), "Middle Countries" and "Far Countries" (遠国 Ongoku), based on distance from the capital Kyoto. Strictly speaking, today's Chugoku covers only the Middle Countries along the San'indo and San'yodo roads, and hence Okayama is sometimes not considered a full part of Chugoku, as only 1 of its 3 component provinces (Bitchu Province) belonged to the Middle Country. Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces, along with Tottori's Inaba Province, were part of the Near Countries.

In Japanese, the characters 中国 and the reading Chugoku are also used to mean "China". (The same characters are used in Chinese, but pronounced Zhongguo.) So the Chugoku region is usually referred to with the qualifier "-chihō" (中国地方) or sometimes San'in-San'yo (山陰山陽) to distinguish it from the People's Republic of China. The Republic of China is most usually called Taiwan in Japanese.

Tourist information site
Greater West Japan section in the Kansai Guide site lightly covers the Chugoku region, as well as Shikoku, showing some sample itineraties.

By plane
Hiroshima, Okayama, and Yonago offer both domestic and international connections with other cities in Asia.

Izumo, Masuda, Yamaguchi, Iwakuni, and Tottori each offer domestic flights.

By train
The San'yo Shinkansen line links Hiroshima, Okayama and other major towns to Kyushu in the southwest and Kansai, Nagoya, Yokohama and Tokyo to the east. The less populated northern Japan Sea coast is served by Limited Express Trains with connections to Osaka and Kyoto.

By ferry

 * Ferries from Shimonoseki Port International Terminal go abroad. The Kampu ferry goes to Busan in South Korea regularly.  The Orient ferry goes to Qingdao and Shanghai in China regularly.

By train
The JR West Sanyo San'in Area Pass allows unlimited travel during 7 days in an area approximatively between Fukuoka (on Kyūshū island) and Kyoto (excluding a patch in the north-east), and to the north-east of Shikoku. It includes bullet trains on the San'yō Shinansen (but not the Tokaidou and Kyushu Shinkansen) and many express and local trains. ¥19000 for adults if bought online or in a foreign travel agency, ¥20000 in JR West station ; half of that for children.

World Heritage Sites
The Chugoku region is home to four of Japan's s:
 * Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution (Hagi) - This site contains a variety of sites across the nation. In Hagi the castle town, Ohitayama Tatara Iron Works, Hagi Reverberatory Furnace, Ebisugahana Shipyard, and Shokasonjuku Academy are the designated World Heritage Sites.
 * Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and Its Cultural Landscape (Oda) - Registered as a World Heritage Site in 2007.
 * Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) (Hiroshima) - Registered as a World Heritage Site in 1996.
 * Itsukushima Shrine (Miyajima) - Registered as a World Heritage Site in 1996.

Original Castles
Only twelve original castles remain in Japan, and the Chugoku region is home to two of them:
 * Bitchu Matsuyama Castle (Takahashi) - Japan's highest castle.
 * Matsue Castle (Matsue) - One of only four castles designated as National Treasures.

Reconstructed Castles

 * Okayama Castle, Okayama
 * Hiroshima Castle, Hiroshima
 * Fukuyama Castle, Fukuyama
 * Iwakuni Castle, Iwakuni
 * Kawahara Castle, Tottori

Castle Ruins

 * Tsuyama Castle, Tsuyama
 * Tottori Castle, Tottori
 * Tsuwano Castle, Tsuwano
 * Hagi Castle, Hagi
 * Mihara Castle, Mihara
 * Shimotsui Castle, Kurashiki (Kojima area)

Gardens
This is a list of some of the areas most famous gardens however, there are many other beautiful gardens throughout the region:
 * Korakuen Garden (Okayama) This is the most famous garden in the Chugoku region, as well as one of the top three gardens in all of Japan.
 * RSK Rose Garden (Okayama) A large garden containing a wide variety of roses from all over the world.
 * Shurakuen Garden (Tsuyama) A beautiful 17th century garden with no entry fee.
 * Miyama English Garden (Tamano) An authentic English garden created by the British man Peter Thurman
 * Adachi Museum of Art (Yasugi) Although there is a museum displaying over 1,000 works of art, the highlight of the museum for many is not the museum; it's the garden. Constructed in 1980, the garden is quite new but what it lacks in history it makes up for in size and beauty. This garden has been voted the best garden in Japan by the American Journal of Japanese Gardening.
 * Vogel Park (Matsue) One of the largest greenhouses in the world, as well as an aviary.
 * Yuushien Garden (Matsue) Built for beauty in every season, including winter when the camellia's bloom.
 * Enchoen Chinese Garden (Yurihama) One of the largest Chinese gardens in Japan. Enchoen was first built in China, disassembled, and then rebuilt in Yurihama as a symbol of friendship between Tottori and China's Hebei Province.
 * Tulip Fields (Hiezu) A garden full of beautiful red and yellow tulips.
 * Shukkeien Garden (Hiroshima) An impressive garden built by Ueda Soko, considered to be one of the greatest masters of the tea ceremony.
 * Sesshutei Garden (Yamaguchi) This garden is a reproduction of a scene from one of Sesshu's most famous landscape paintings.
 * Chōfu Garden (Shimonoseki) One of the famous gardens in Castle town Chōfu.

Temples and Shrines
Although temples and shrines can be found in abundance throughout the region, these are some of the most important and most interesting temples and shrines in the Chugoku Region.

 * Izumo Shrine (Izumo) The second holiest Shinto shrine (Ise Shrine in Ise being number one) and certainly one o the most impressive in Japan Izumo Shrine is dedicated to the god of marriage and happiness.
 * Itsukushima Shrine (Miyajima) As Japan's most photographed shrine, one of the top three views in Japan, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site Itsukushima Shrine is highly valued for its spiritual, cultural, and historical significance and has the credentials to prove it.
 * Saijō Inari (Okayama) Considered to be one of Japan's three great Inari shrines,  Saijō Inari is sometimes referred to as a temple, because of its interesting combination of Buddhist and Shinto elements.
 * Mitokusan Sanbutsuji Nageire-dō (Misasa) A cliff-side temple that none has been able to determine how it was constructed.
 * Miho Shrine (Mihonoseki)
 * Motonosumi Inari Shrine (Nagato) A shrine known for its attractive torii gates leading down towards the Sea of Japan.
 * Rurikō-ji Temple (Yamaguchi)
 * Hōfu Tenman-gū (Hofu) One of the Three Great Tenjin Shrines of Japan, it's a popular place to view plum blossoms.
 * Kōzan-ji (Shimonoseki) It is a national treasure, founded in 1327.
 * Sumiyoshi Shrine (Shimonoseki) It is a national treasure.

Historic Districts

 * Fukiya Furusato Village (Takahashi)
 * Bikan Historic District (Kurashiki)
 * Hagi Castle Town (Hagi)
 * Storehouse District (Kurayoshi)
 * Joto Street (Tsuyama)
 * Shoukei Street (Takehara)
 * Saijo Sakagura Street (Higashihiroshima)

Museums
There are many great museums in the region, and every prefecture has its own Prefectural Museum and Prefectural Art Museum that are worth visiting, but the following are some of the more unique and famous museums in the region.
 * Ohara Museum of Art (Kurashiki) This museum has an impressive collection of Western art that anyone with even minimal knowledge about art should be able to recognize most of the artists. Although the European artwork is the museum's claim to fame, it also houses modern Japanese art and ancient Chinese artifacts in separate buildings of the museum grounds.
 * Atomic Bomb Memorial Museum (Hiroshima) As one of only two cities to have ever been hit by an atomic bomb, this museum was built to educate people about the effects of atomic warfare on cities, objects, and of the greatest interest, people. The museums is well-designed and highly educational; a must-see for anyone travelling within the region.
 * Denchu Art Museum (Ibara)
 * Okayama Orient Museum (Okayama) An interesting little museum filled with artifacts from the ancient cultures of the Middle East.
 * Tsuyama Archives of Western Learning (Tsuyama) One of the few museums dedicated to the teaching of Western learning and Japan's earliest interactions with the West.

Nature

 * Seto Inland Sea Visible from Okayama, Hiroshima, and Yamaguchi, the Seto Inland Sea contains many islands and the famous Seto Ohashi Bridge.
 * Akiyoshidai Plateau (Akiyoshidai) The largest plateau in Japan
 * Akiyoshi Cave (Akiyoshidai) The largest cave in Japan
 * Tottori Sand Dunes (Tottori) Japan's famous sand dunes
 * Mount Daisen (Daisen) The highest mountain in Western Japan, often referred to as the Fuji of the West.
 * Mount Fudekage (Mihara) A popular place to visit in the winter to witness the Sea of Fog over the Seto Inland Sea
 * Taishakukyo Gorge (Shobara) A scenic gorge containing Lake Shinyu and Onbashi, one of the largest natural bridges in the world.

Do

 * Chugoku 33 Kannon Temple Pilgrimage (中国三十三観音霊場) A pilgrimage through each prefecture in the region to see historic Kannon temples.
 * 88 Temples of Innoshima

Onsen
The area has a number of famous hot springs. Misasa Onsen in Misasa and Awakura Onsen in Nishiawakura are famous throughout the country for their radium. The Three Onsen of Mimasaka (美作三湯 Mimasaka Santo) are three famous onsen in northern Okayama. They are Yunogo Onsen in Mimasaka, Okutsu Onsen in Kagamino and Yubara Onsen in Maniwa. Yubara Onsen includes the scenic sunayu a famous outdoor onsen below a dam. Yunotsu Onsen in Oda is one of only two onsen in Japan that is designated as a World Heritage Site as a part of Iwami Ginzan. Yunokawa Onsen in Izumo is known as one of the top "Beauty Onsen". Tamatsukuri Onsen in Matsue is a popular onsen in the region with an attractive surrounding area.

Cycling
The region is home to a number of good cycling areas with convenient rentacycle options. The Shimanami Kaido is arguably the most famous cycling route in the country, and it begins in Onomichi, traveling across a number of islands via bridges until you reach the terminus in Imabari on the island of Shikoku. Another popular cycling route is the Kibiji District cycling route that travels from Okayama to Soja past a number of historic sites.

Events
The Saidaiji Eyo in Okayama is the largest "Naked Man Festival" in the nation. Tottori is one of the few places with a tradition of nagashibina, special Hina dolls floated down rivers, held every April and its Shan Shan Festival is a unique summer festival featuring dancers with colorful parasols. The Oki Islands host Bull Sumo the first of September. The White Heron Dance, known as Sagimai, has been held in Tsuwano since the 16th century.

Eat
Famous dishes from the Chugoku region include:

 * Hiroshima Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) - Unlike Osaka's version, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is layered rather than mixed together. It usually includes yakisoba noodles and a lot more cabbage. Because the layering is trickier to do, Hiroshima-yaki is more often cooked by chefs. Traditionally, it didn't have mayonnaise (that's an Osaka addition), but today you can top it however you want.
 * Izumo soba (出雲そば) - buckwheat noodles that you pour the sauce over. Can be eaten hot or cold.
 * Okayama Bara-zushi (岡山ばら寿司) - A colorful mix of seafood that became popular in the Edo Period in Okayama as a way to get around the local daimyo's "one dish on the table" order. The order was meant to force frugality and simplicity, but the local's used the dish as a legal rebellion, creating "one dish" with a lavish variety and gluttonous amount of seafood.
 * Hiruzen Yakisoba (蒜山焼そば) - Yakisoba with chicken covered in a sweet miso-based sauce from the Hiruzen Highlands in Maniwa.
 * Tsuyama Horumon Udon (津山ホルモンうどん) - A type of yaki-udon from Tsuyama famed for its use of horumon, pig and cow giblets.
 * Fugu (ふぐ) - Shimonoseki is known as the capital of fugu (blowfish).

Fruits
The region has the perfect climate for growing fruit, so the region is naturally famous throughout the nation for its delicious fruits.
 * White Peach (Okayama)
 * Muscat Grapes (Okayama)
 * Peone Grapes (Okayama)
 * Pears (Tottori)
 * Hanagosho Persimmons (Tottori)
 * Lemons (Onomichi)

Drink
Some of the most famous beverages from the Chugoku region are:
 * Daisen Water (Daisen) The water from Mount Daisen has been bottled by Suntory, as well as Coke, and can be purchased throughout Japan in stores and vending machines.
 * Jersey Milk (Hiruzen Heights, Maniwa) Milk from the cows raised in Hiruzen Heights, it's said to be quite healthy

Wine and Sake

 * Hire-Sake (Shimonoseki) Sake produced with blowfish (fugu) fins.
 * Maboroshi (Takehara) Popular wine from Hiroshima prefecture.
 * Shimane Wine (Shimane) Unique for the usage of persimmons and ginseng
 * Okayama Sake (Okayama) Famous for both Asahimai and Kibi no hana sake.
 * Legend of Yamaguchi (Yamaguchi) The specialty wine of Yamaguchi City.

Go next

 * Shikoku - Japan's oft-ignored fourth island is easily accessed from the southern coast of Chugoku.
 * Kyushu - Home to the bustling city of Fukuoka, historical Nagasaki, relaxing Beppu, and a variety of natural sites, such as Aso.
 * Kansai - With the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara and the large metropolis that is Osaka, this area offers visitors an endless number of cultural and historical sites, along with great shopping and nightlife.

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

title: Chugoku


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Chugoku 33 Kannon Temple Pilgrimage

Understand
Chugoku 33 Kannon Temple Pilgrimage (中国三十三観音霊場 chugoku san-juu-san kannon reijou) was designated a pilgrimage route in 1981. Each of the thirty-three temples on this pilgrimage route is located in Japan's Chugoku Region and worships Kannon, the goddess of mercy.

Although the pilgrimage route officially consists of thirty-three temples, there are an additional four temples considered to be "Special Sacred Temples" (特別霊場 tokubetsu-reijō) that, despite not being given numbers, are considered to be part of the pilgrimage route.

Okayama
1. 2. 3. Special Sacred Temple: 4. 5. 6. 7.

Hiroshima
8. 9. Special Sacred Temple: 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Yamaguchi
Special Sacred Temple: 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.

Shimane
22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28.

Tottori
29. 30. 31. Special Sacred Temple: 32. 33.

Events
Touring a temple is sometimes more fun on special occasions and festival days. Below are some festivals and special events held at the temples along the pilgrimage route.

 * Saidaiji Eyo - The infamous Naked Man Festival held at Saidaiji Temple in Okayama Held on the third Saturday in February.

title: Chugoku 33 Kannon Temple Pilgrimage


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Mebisa

Mebisa, formally called Chukha, is a town in Chukha district. It has a population of 2,855.

Understand
Chhukha is a new town based around a hydroelectric plant. While it is located in a lush and attractive valley, the town itself resembles a jumble of tenement blocks lifted from New York. Fortunately, buses en route between Thimphu and the border pass above the town, and so there is no need to spend any time there.

Get in

 * Chukha is about three hours from both Thimphu and Phuentsholing.

See

 * Zhangthopelri Lhakhang (monastery). Newly constructed, but quite impressive.

title: Mebisa


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Chhukhung

Chhukhung is a small village in Khumbu with a fabulous variety of additional spellings such as Chuukung and Chukhung. It is located at 4,730 metres above sea level.

Understand
Chhukhung is located at the foot of Island Peak Mountain (see Island Peak Trek)

Get in
Normally from Lukla to Chhukhung it takes seven days, including the two days of acclimatization in Namche Bazaar and Dingboche.

Do
A popular trip is up the 5,546-metre Chhukung Ri, it takes about 6 hours return.

Buy
There are no stores in the village, but the lodges keep a stock of necessities, such as camera film, batteries, throat lozenges, bandages etc. - but remember that prices rise along with the altitude - and Chhukhung is pretty high!

Sleep

 * Panorama Lodge has a great sun-room with views over the valleys and mountains beyond, and the facilities are exceptionally clean and well-maintained.

Go next
There are several options depending on how many days are left before the flight back to Kathmandu. One of them is to go back to Dingboche and from there take the trail that goes up to Everest Base Camp. Or from Dinboche taking the trail that leads to Gokyo.

title: Chhukhung


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Chukotka

Chukotka (Russian: Чуко́тка, choo-KOHT-kuh) is a region in the Russian Far East and is the northeasternmost region of Russia. Located along the Bering Strait, Chukotka is home to beautiful tundra scenery and the indigenous Chukchi people, butt of many Russian anecdotes. Chukotka was governed until 2008 by Roman Abramovich, one of the wealthiest people in Russia and the former owner of Chelsea football club. Never a province to fit in nicely, Chukotka is also the only region of Russia lying in the Western Hemisphere. It borders three Russian regions, Yakutia to the west, and Magadan Oblast and Kamchatka to the southwest.

Cities

 * — the capital
 * — small city on the edge of tundra, site of world's northernmost nuclear plant
 * — the northernmost town in Russia.
 * — port, village in north-east Chukotka with population of between 2,500 and 3,000

Other destinations

 * – Russia's largest national park
 * — the easternmost island of Russia and the only place where you can see land across the International Date Line (outside Antarctica)
 * — an impact crater lake
 * — a

Understand
The Chukotka autonomous district is notable as being the closest point that both Eurasia and Russia gets to North America and the United States. While Chukotka is as large as, it is one of the most sparsely populated regions in Russia, with a population of 55,000.

Chukotka has plenty of natural resources and has one of the highest average wages in Russia.

Talk
The main language in Chukotka is Russian. Other spoken languages include Chukchi and Yukaghir, which are mainly spoken in rural areas.

Get in
The way of getting in would be by either boat or plane at any established points of entry. Passengers of cruise liners are allowed to land on Chukotka and stay for 72 hours without visa and special permission.

By plane

 * Bering Air offers charter flights from Nome to Provideniya Bay Airport on either a Piper Navahoe, taking 80 minutes or a Beach King Air 200, taking 60 minutes. Flights are weather dependent and each airplane carries nine passengers. Charter flights can be arranged from Nome to Anadyr.
 * There are flights from Moscow to Anadyr, but not every day. Transaero Airlines, VIM Airlines and Yakutia Airlines have such flights.

By boat

 * In summer time some cruise ships go from Alaska and stop at Anadyr, Provideniya and more places. Search for "cruise anadyr" on Google. In 2014, Silversea Cruises has such cruises.

By plane
Air is the most used mode of local travel inside Chukotka. Anadyr is the main hub. Chukotavia operates local flights inside Chukotka.

By road
There is a network of permanent roads, however no summer roads connect Anadyr, and the conditions of the roads, including river crossings, are not for normal cars. In winter there is a network of snow and ice roads, which likewise may not be suitable for normal driving. Local roads near settlements are scarce.

Do
Outdoor life:

 * Dogsledding
 * Attend whaleboat or reindeer races
 * Walrus watching (not hunting)

Stay safe
As Chukotka is one of the most sparsely populated areas in Russia, there is little crime and much of the region is safe for travel.

Perhaps the biggest danger is Cold weather. Be sure to cover yourself up with lots of protective clothing, and avoid running or brisk walking during times of cold weather.

Go next
To the north, the next destination is the North Pole, crossing to Alaska in the east would require hard-to-get special permits, and the Russian regions in the south and west (Magadan Oblast, Kamchatka Krai and Yakutia) are sparsely populated and extreme in climatic and natural terms, and unrealistic to get to from Chukotka by land.

title: Chukotka


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Chula Vista

Chula Vista is a large city in San Diego County in Southern California. Originally a farming and dairy city in the early 20th century, by the early 21st century the city had grown tremendously with the addition of several prominent suburbs and business districts.

Get in
Chula Vista is accessible by car through Interstate 5, Interstate 805, Highway 125, and Highway 905. The nearest major airports are San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Tijuana International Airport (TIJ).

The San Diego Trolley Blue Line serves Southern San Diego County, running between Downtown San Diego down to the US-Mexico Border. Chula Vista has three trolley stations: Bayfront/E Street, H Street, and Palomar Street. Private boats can dock at the local Chula Vista Marina.

Get around
Metropolitan Transit System runs several bus routes around Chula Vista, most of them connecting to at least one of the Chula Vista trolley stations.

Do
While a majority of activities can be found in the city of San Diego, there are still several things for visitors to do.
 * Since Chula Vista is surrounded by Silver Strand, it has only a harbor and no beaches. However many boaters and recreational fishers find this to be an interesting area to boat and fish. There is a boat launching ramp located at the J Street Marina Park, off the J Street I-5 offramp. The ramp has a large parking lot for vehicles with trailers, picnic facilities and restrooms. Care should be taken navigating in the adjacent areas of San Diego Bay as there are extremely shallow shoal areas. Refer to a current navigational chart prior to leaving the ramp area. Nearby is South Bay Anchorage, which is free to use, but a permit is required (permits can be obtained from the Shelter Island Harbor Police Office in Point Loma). In the vicinity are several parks and bike trails.
 * In the east is Coors Amphitheater and Knott's Soak City, both in the Otay Valley. The redevelopment of the area occurred in 1997-8 and his since been a popular place for locals and visitors.

Buy
Shopping Centers

Go next

 * National City
 * San Ysidro
 * Imperial Beach

title: Chula Vista


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Chumphon

Chumphon (ชุมพร) is a city and a province of the same name on the Central Gulf Coast of Southern Thailand. With its transport hub of Chumphon Airport in Pathio District, Chumphon is the gateway to the south and the islands of the Gulf of Thailand.

Understand
Chumphon Province is in the upper part of Southern Thailand. The province is symbolised by the Banyan tree often referred to as sacred in both Hindu and Buddhist teachings. It is a gateway to the popular Gulf of Thailand islands of Ko Samui, Ko Phangan, Ko Tao, and Ko Khai. In particular, taking the ferry from Chumphon is the fastest way to get to Ko Tao.

Get in
The public bus service operates from two terminals. The main one is some 10 km out of town, and buses from Bangkok and most other places stop there. The other terminal is in town, and buses from there go to and from Hat Yai/Phuket/Ranong only. They stop at the distant terminal both coming and going. There is another bus terminal in town that goes to Bangkok. It's called Chok Anan tour and it's near the fresh market, opposite the 7-Eleven and just by the DIY store.

The railway station is in the centre of Chumphon town or travelers may wish to alight at Pathio station 30 km north of Chumphon if they are headed to the airport, which is only 7 km away.

Various ferry companies operate ferries to, or within reach of Chumphon, and/or a bus service into the centre of town. For those in the gulf islands wishing to return to Bangkok, Chumphon is much more direct than returning via Surat Thani.

By plane

AirAsia and Nok Air operates multiple flights between Bangkok (Don Mueang, DMK) and Chumphon Airport, Pathio District, Chumphon (CJM).

Airport services
The airport has transit agents for onward travel to Chumphon and the islands including Ko Tao and Ko Samui.

 * Organic Farm produce from Prince Chumphon KMITL University.
 * Chumphon Coffee and Gift Shop adjacent to departure gates offers lattes, cappuccino, and fruit smoothies.
 * Fame Tours and Services have a counter at arrivals hall offering transfer and hotel services.
 * Lomprayah has a counter at the airport offering direct connections to the pier for high speed catamaran transfer services Ko Tao, Ko Phangan and onwards to Ko Samui. Songserm no longer operates ferries from Chumphon. Since the airport is north of Chumphon town, and the pier is south of town at Thung Nakham Noi, this journey is 60 km and takes around 1 hour.
 * The TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) has a tourism information counter offering information on the region adjacent to the airline counters.

By bicycle
There are many smaller roads with little traffic north and south of Chumphon. The coastal road in Pathio District has dedicated bicycle lanes in a unique red bitumen. Chumphon has a bicycle shops where most parts and repairs can be made.

By car
From Bangkok, take either the Phutthamonthon-Nakhon Pathom-Phetchaburi route or the Thonburi-Pak Tho route (Hwy 35) then turn onto Hwy 4 (Phetkasem Rd) at Pak Tho, passing through Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan Provinces before arriving at the Pathom Phon intersection. Take the left turn to go another 8 km into Chumphon via Hwy 4001.

By bus
The Transport Co. Ltd. provides air conditioned buses from Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal, Borom Ratchonni Rd to Chumphon daily. For information, call Tel. +66 24 355605, +66 24 351199. For Chumphon’s Bus Terminal, Tha Taphao Rd, contact Tel. +66 77 502725, +66 77 511099.

Air conditioned buses from private operators:
 * Chok Anant Tour Co., Ltd. Tel. +66 2 4355027, +66 2 4357429 (Bangkok), and Tel. +66 77 511480, +66 77 511757 (Chumphon)
 * Suwannathi Tour Co., Ltd. Tel. +66 2 4355021, +66 2 4355026, +66 2 4355030 (Bangkok), and Tel. +66 77 51 1422, +66 77 501535, +66 77 511244 (Chumphon)

To get to and from these four bus terminals: a) The distant one: Several kilometres out of town in the middle of nowhere! This is the Southern Bus Terminal. Buses from Chokeanan Tour and Patchraporn Tour stop off in here, 16 km from Chumphon city, south along Hwy 41. To get into town from here, wait for a silver coloured minibus to turn up (ask at the bus station), and you will be taken into town for 50 baht, and dropped off any place you request.

You could also hire a taxi or, the cheapest option: turn left from Saladaeng Rd onto Prachauthit Rd and walk about 300 m. On the right is a 7-Eleven and on the left is the in-town bus station. Continue another 200 m to the intersection of Pinijkadee Rd on the right and walk along this for about 100 m. On the other side of the road are white songthaews which go regularly and stop at the bus station. Cost: 50 baht.

b) The bus terminal in-town: walk along Saladaeng Rd, away from the railway station road, with the Fame Guest House on your left, for about 300 m. Turn left into Prachauthid Rd and walk some 300 m and you will see a 7-Eleven on your right and a street opposite. On this street, which curves sharply left, there is a Yamaha dealer near the corner, and the bus terminal is immediately next to this. [This isn't in-town bus terminal as such doesn't exist This is Chok-Anant private station and Suwanathi Tour uses other place in-town]

c) The minibus terminal: This is on Krum Liang Rd (the cheap eats road, at the left end of which is the railway station). Turn right onto it off Saladeng Rd and walk about five minutes, looking up to your right. You will eventually see up an alley a series of minibuses which go regularly to Surat Thani and Hua Hin (every 45 minutes, these stop at Prachuat first). Allow 4 hours to get to Hua Hin as you have to change in Prachuap. Fares to Prachuap, 170 baht, and then on to Hua Hin, another 90 baht.

By train
The State Railway of Thailand provides daily rapid and express train services departing from Bangkok’s Aphiwat Railway Station. Further information, call Tel. 1690, +66 2 2204334, +66 2 2204444 or Chumphon Railway Station at Tel +66 77 511103. For the Thonburi Railway Station (Bangkok Noi), there are ordinary and rapid trains leaving for Chumphon daily. For information, call Tel +66 2 4113102, +66 2 6218701 Ext. 8285106.

Passengers may travel to either Chumphon Station or Pathio Station. Pathio Station is only 15 minutes by taxi to the airport and is the fast-developing transport hub.

If coming from Hua Hin: the fare for the basic non-air conditioned train will cost 49 baht and take about 5 hours. An air conditioned two-carriage train leaves a little earlier and is much quicker but must be booked in advance. Train leaves at 11:30 (there are others though).

There is a 3rd class train from Chumphon to Hatyai via Surat Thani every day at 6am. The fare to Hatyai is 99 baht.

Get around
Local public buses (Route: Chumphon–Sawi–Lang Suan) park in front of the Chumphon market, Tha Taphao Rd from 06:00-18:00.

Motorbike taxis at railway station Taxis are available at the taxi stand which is opposite the Chumphon Bus Terminal. This is the terminal in town. From here buses go to Ranong, then Phuket (08:00, 10:00, 11:15). Pay on the bus. To Ranong 2.5 hours, and Phuket 7-8 hours. The bus goes first to the distant (10 km) terminal.

There are local songthaews but you need local knowledge as to where they are going. White and maybe red ones appear to go at some point to the distant bus terminal.

To orient yourself within the town: The railway station is on Krum Liang Rd. If arriving via train, leave via the ticket office onto the road and walk past the three old steam locomotives mounted on display. After 200 m is the intersection with Saladaeng Rd. Directly ahead on this same road is where the cheap eats are. Turn right into Saladaeng and this appears to be the main hotel strip. You will soon pass the Fame Guesthouse on your left, followed by Sri Chumpon (right), Suriwong (right) and Paradorn (left some 100 m along Soi 4).

See

 * Nationalmuseum Chumphon.jpg

Eat
Pathio Beaches

Chumphon Town

Go next

 * Ko Tao - Known as the best diving site in the Gulf of Thailand, its turquoise water is crystalline, coconut plantations cover much of the landscape, and many beaches are easily accessible by paved road.

 * There are several transportation options from Chumphon:

 * Ko Charoen Car Ferry - Boat leaves from Tha Yang Pier M W F at 23:00 and arrives Ko Tao at 05:00. From Ko Tao, a boat departs for Chumphon on Tu Th Sa. It arrives Tha Yang Pier at 05:00. The fare is 400 baht. For information, contact tel. +66 77 580030, +66 81 7970276.

 * Lomphraya Ferry - Boat leaves from Ao Thung Makham Noi Pier at 07:00 and 13:00 and arrives Ko Tao at 08:45 and 14:45. From Ko Tao boat departs for Ao Thung Makham Noi Pier at 22:00 and 15:00. It arrives at 23:30 and 16:30. The fare is 750 baht.

title: Chumphon


text:
Chunar

Chunar is a town in Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh in India. Located on the Banks of the Ganges it houses a mighty fort with over 2000 years of history. The town also has several temples, tombs and darghas. The famous chunar stone (a form of sandstone) is found in this region. Chunar is best explored by a day trip from Varanasi.

Understand
Chunar is located on the right (east) bank of the Ganges. A Chunar the Ganges takes a northern bend and heads towards Varanasi. The history of Chunnar dates back over 2000 years and has been mentioned in different mythological texts. Chunar also has a significant role in medieval history and its fort served as a citadel for Suris and Mughals. Later the British also had a large presence in the city and the fort still houses a British-era cemetery. The town is home to the famous Chunar stone, a type of sandstone extensively used in architecture and handicrafts.

Get in
Chunar can be reached easily from both Varanasi and Allahabad. While Varanasi is just 30 km, Allahabad is about 120 km. There are regular bus services from both places.

Get around

 * 1) Auto-rickshaw: Auto-rickshaws are available to visit places within and around Chunar. There are no fixed rates, so fix up the price before the tour begins. Do bargain.
 * 2) Car: Most tourists prefer to explore Chunar on a day trip from Varanasi. Varanasi hotels can arrange for cars and the trip may be extended to Mirzapur.

Buy

 * 1) Chunar stone artifacts
 * 2) Local specialties include chini mitti toys and cups.

Eat
Local foods include samosa and lavanglata.

Go next

 * Allahabad (120 km):
 * Mirzapur (36 km):
 * Varanasi (30 km):

title: Chunar


text:
Chuncheon

Chuncheon (춘천, 春川) is the capital of Gangwon (강원, 江原), the northeasternmost province of South Korea.

Understand
For travelers weary of Seoul's crowds and big city atmosphere, Chuncheon can be an ideal place to spend several days. The area, surrounded by rivers and hills, offers a variety of relaxing outdoor activities and small town pace.

It was featured in the popular Korean drama, Winter Sonata, and so it is now a popular destination for tourists from around East Asia.

From Incheon or Gimpo International Airport (ICN or GMP)
Intercity buses from each airport run hourly to Chuncheon Intercity Bus Terminal (춘천시외버스터미널). About half of these are non-stop, while others stop at Gapyeong and Cheongpyeong. Tickets available at the bus booth in the arrivals hall at the airport. An alternative is to take the AREX and then the metro to Chuncheon Station. This option is much more tiresome but also about half the price.

From Wonju Airport ()
Wonju airport only serves one daily flight from Jeju. The airport terminal is basically a bus station, where you check in and then take the bus across a highway to the military runway 1.6 km away. Intercity buses to and from Chuncheon are usually timed to match the flight schedule.

By bus
The Express Bus Terminal (춘천고속버스터미널) and Intercity Bus Terminal (춘천시외버스터미널) are next to each other. Only two bus routes operate from the Express Bus Teriminal: Daegu (3½ hr) and Gwangju (4½ hr). From Seoul and most other cities in the country, buses use the Intercity Bus Terminal.

From Seoul
Dongseoul Bus Terminal (동서울터미널) is the main terminal for buses heading East, and nonstop buses leave regularly every 15 minutes, between 06:00 and 24:00, and charge ₩7,700 with buses departing after 22:00 costing ₩8,500. These buses take around 70 minutes. There are several slower buses in between as well, but it's usually worth the wait to take the nonstop bus.

Seoul Express Bus Terminal (서울고속버스터미널) also has nonstop buses that leave about once every hour for Chuncheon. Although it has a higher fare of ₩9,100 and depart from the express bus terminal, the buses use Chuncheon's Intercity Bus Terminal.

There is also a bus service (number 8000) from Jamsil Station every 40-50 minutes between 07:20 and 21:00. Some buses make an extra stop at Gangchon. Fixed fare at ₩7,700 for adults.

From other cities
The Intercity Terminal is served by most major cities in the capital region as well as the Southern provinces. Many of these routes also stop at several flag stops en route to the terminal, but they aren't easy to locate especially for foreign travellers. There is no extra fare or requirement to get off at these stops.

By metro
The heavy rail line from Seoul to Chuncheon was converted to a metro line in 2010. The Gyeongchun Line runs from Cheongnyangni Station in the northeast of Seoul, although most trains depart at Sangbong Station. The trains leave every 15 minutes or so, and take a little more than an hour to reach Chuncheon. There is an express service as well during the weekdays (same fare). About ₩3,000 from Cheongnyangni to Chuncheon.

By train
There is also a heavy rail service that mostly follows the same line, the ITX-Cheongchun (ITX-청춘). Trains depart hourly from Yongsan Station and make several stops in Seoul (namely Cheongnyangni Station) before heading to Chuncheon. Specific intermediate stops differ by train. ₩8,300 from Yongsan to Chuncheon.

By taxi
Taxis are the most efficient way of getting around Chuncheon. Taxis are plentiful and you can easily find one within a few minutes if you wait on the sidewalk of most busier streets in the city. You may have trouble catching one if you are on the outskirts of Chuncheon or during rush hour when most are in use. The English word "taxi" is used in Korean, so it's easy to ask someone where one might wait to find a taxi.

The taxis are identified by a sign mounted on top of the car, but also have a red LED sign with Hangul lettering inside their windshield. If this sign is lit, it signifies that the taxi is available for hire. They turn this sign off when they are already transporting a customer. Stick your arm out to the street as a taxi approaches and they will stop.

Taxis are the best option for short trips through town and are nice when you need door to door service. They are especially helpful when shopping and you have goods to carry with you as you can put them in the trunk or the back seat (no extra fee). Another benefit is when you have multiple people in your group as the fare is the same no matter how many people ride.

Most taxi drivers speak no English, so it is a good idea to have the address of your destination written in Korean to show the taxi driver.

By bus
Though bus numbers are clearly marked and always run the same routes, most are not on any kind of schedule and you could wait 5 minutes or over an hour at a bus stop. They can also become very crowded and you may have to wait for people to get off after several stops before you can acquire a seat. Bus stops are placed throughout the city, but may be a little walk from where you are staying or from your destination. However, buses are more economical when traveling alone or going very far outside the city. Bus fare is typically ₩1,100 per person. Most Koreans who ride the bus regularly have a chipped card they scan when they board. As a visitor, you will need to put the exact cash into a slot in the front when boarding.

When you approach the stop you need to get off at, press the red button to the right of the exit door located on the passenger side of the bus half way back. This signals the driver to stop and the side doors will open. Exit quickly as it seems they are often off and running again before you can hit the ground.

By bicycle
Bicycles can be rented in several shops in town. One is near Namchuncheon station, once you get out from exit 1, keep walking 200 meters under the railway tracks. There is another store at Chuncheon station exit 2. The rental costs ₩3,000 per hour or ₩10,000 per day.

See

 * View_of_Nami_Island.JPG
 * View_of_Nami_Island.JPG

Buy
Koreans rely heavily on small, individual stores to provide goods and services for specific things. The idea of a mega store that sells everything is more recent, but growing in popularity. There are a few of these type of "mega" stores in Chuncheon, making it easy for a foreigner to find most of the grocery and general household items they need.

Eat

Chuncheon has various districts that are rich in restaurants. One such area is Dakgalbi Street, which is packed with restaurants that specialize in the dish. Dakgalbi (Hangul: 닭갈비) is a delicious grilled chicken dish with vegetables and topped off with a spicy Gochujang sauce. Most restaurants will offer both tables with chairs and tables with floor seating. Chicken, rice cakes vegetables are grilled before you on the table's skillet. Near Kangwon National University's back gate there are a number of places for both Korean and foreign cuisines. Starting a block east of the bus terminal, you will find dozens of restaurants serving a wide variety of Korean dishes. The downtown market has a number of inexpensive food stalls serving all kinds of Korean food. Also get fresh fruits here, sweets, rice cake, meat as well as gaegogi (dogmeat) in season. A five-day market near the main post office also has tasty dishes as well as produce, fish, etc.

Drink
Chuncheon has plenty of bars and small, local establishments that serve beer and coffee and a limited selection of food. These small establishments are called "Hof's".

Sleep
Motels can be found in many places throughout Chuncheon. While they vary in price, they tend to be around ₩40,000.

Go next
Buses depart regularly to most major cities, including Seoul, from Chuncheon's Bus Station, on the south side of town. It may be worthwhile to inquire in advance at the station if unsure of the bus schedules.

A popular place for locals and other East Asian tourists is Nam-i Island, which consists of tree-lined boulevards that are among the set locations for the popular Korean drama serial, Winter Sonata. Particularly romantic when it snows in the winter, and popular among couples.

title: Chuncheon


text:
Chungju

Chungju (충주, 忠州) is a city in North Chungcheong, South Korea.

Understand
Chungju (not be confused with provincial capital Cheongju) is a handy transport hub for various points in the mountains of central Korea. It is a beautiful town that is abundant with tourist sources and Jungwon (the center of a field in Korea) culture. It is also the hometown of Ban Ki moon, the Secretary General of the U.N.

Tourist office
The helpful tourist information office has a counter inside the bus terminal, but opening hours seem to be a bit unpredictable. English spoken and has a wealth of information on the area.

By plane
Nearby Cheongju has a sizeable international airport.

By train
There is one direct Mugunghwa train per day from Seoul, which takes the better part of three hours to putter its way in. Other options are to take the Gyeongbu Line to Jochiwon and transfer there, or even taking the KTX to Daejeon and continuing from there.

By bus
Chungju's sparkling new bus station is located on the northern side of town in a big complex also housing a Lotte Mart hypermarket. There are hourly departures to Danyang (1:30, ₩6,200).

By boat
In season, you can take a very scenic cruise across Chungju Lake to Danyang (2 hours, ₩18,000), and you can go for a sightseeing spin on the lake throughout the year (unless the lake freezes over entirely in winter). The ferry terminal is served by bus 301 (30 minutes, ₩950), which leaves across the street from the bus terminal, but inquire at the tourist information office for schedules (and whether the boats are running) as there are only 9 buses a day.

Hot springs bathing
Two excellent resort areas exist in Chungju-shi:
 * Angseong-oncheon is to the northwest, and can be reached by local bus No. 365. There are several hotels here, each which have a hot springs bathing area in them.  Some have hot springs water piped into the individual hotel rooms.
 * Suanbo is to the south. Local buses go there from in front of the intercity bus terminal in Chungju.  Suanbo is a compact town, with a plethora of hotels and many excellent restaurants.  Culinary specialties of the area are mountain vegetable feasts and game such as pheasants and rabbits. The Hi-Spa, located on the main street near the bus stop, is the main city oncheon.  Several hotels have their own bath areas open to the public.

Go next

 * Danyang - Caves, mountains and temples, widely renowned as North Chungcheong province's premier tourist attraction.
 * Cheongju - The provincial capital, local airport, and historic town in its own right. Birthplace of jikji, the world's oldest moving metal type print book.
 * Suanbo - Hot spring and ski resort.
 * Woraksan National Park

title: Chungju


text:
Chuo Alps

Chuo Alps or Kiso Mountains or Central Alps (中央アルプス Chūō Arupusu) are a mountain range mostly located in Nagano (prefecture). There are several hiking routes in the mountains and most of them are suitable for all hikers and require only a little earlier experience. Out of the mountain ranges of Japan Alps, Chuo Alps is definitely the easiest and a good place to start.

Understand

Most of the action is concentrated around the Komagatake ropeway. A big part of the people here come only to see the views from Senjojiki ropeway station and then head back down. Some climb to the peak of Kiso-Komagatake, and most of the time the traffic drops dramatically if you walk a couple of kilometers away from the station.

Peaks
Mountain range of Chuo Alps include several peaks almost 3 km in height:

 * Kiso-Komagatake, 2956m
 * Hokendake, 2931m
 * Hinokiodake, 2728m
 * Sannosawadake, 2847m
 * Utsugidake, 2864m
 * Minami-Komagatake, 2841m
 * Kosumoyama, 2631m
 * Ena-san, 2190m (not on the map, located little further southwest)

Get in
Komagane, a quiet city of about 30,000 inhabitants, is the number one starting place for Chuo Alps hikes. It features frequent connections to Tokyo with a highway bus and resides also on the JR Iida line, if you wish to take a train.

The Komagatake Ropeway from Shirabidaira (altitude 1,662m) to Senjojiki (2,612m) can take almost one kilometer of altitude out of your hike! One-way ricket costs ¥1180 and a return ticket ¥2200. The buses from Komagane to Shirabidaira run every half hour until 5PM.

The road up from Komagane-kogen to Shirabidaira is permitted only for buses.

There are also various other options for starting your hike. For example, you could approach the mountain range from west. There's a hiking trail starting directly from Kuramoto station and it continues west directly up to Utsugidake. The hike from the station up to Kisodono hut is a long one, but doable in one day, if you start early.

Prepare
Depending on the length of your hike and the accommodation of your choice, you will need at least:

 * A decent hiking map (Shobunsha hiking map #40 covers the mountains and costs ¥800)
 * Proper shoes
 * Waterproof clothing
 * Enough drinking water

Suggested itineraries
All following itineraries assume that you will overnight in mountain huts, so no sleeping bag or tent is required. If you are not hiking during the main hiking season (July-August), you are advised to check if the huts are open.

Three-night hike covering the major peaks
Start the route around noon and catch a bus to the Shirabidaira ropeway station. Ropeway whisks you up to 2612m in only 7 minutes. Take the steep route up to Hoken hut and leave your gear either at Hoken hut or Tengu hut. Climb to Kiso-Komagatake and conquer the highest peak of Chuo Alps. Return to the hut for the night.

Start your day early in the morning and descend back to the ropeway station just to climb back up to the ridge. Leave your backpack at Gokuraku daira and climb Hokendake. Alternatively when leaving the hut in the morning you can climb Hokendake directly and descend directly to Gokuraku daira. Hokendake is a really rocky peak, and thus easier to climb without your backpack. From Gokuraku daira to Kisodono hut the route is rather easy to walk and the views are truly breathtaking. You can see the valleys on both sides of the mountain range. Overnight in Kisodono hut.

Utsugidake is a rocky climb from the hut, but the views are again rewarding. Head south to Minami-Komagatake to conquer your second Komagatake. Backtrack to the hut near the top of Utsugidake and rest for the night. There's still a long trek back down. The route dives into lush forest, when you descend almost 2 km in one day. Finally you will emerge out of the woods near Komagane youth hostel in Komagane Kogen.

Two-night course from Kiso-Komagatake to Utsugidake
Similar route as the previous one, but instead of turning south from Utsugidake, skip Minami-Komagatake and keep heading east towards Komagane Kogen.

One-night Utsugidake hike
Start early in the morning and catch a bus for the first ropeway of the morning (leaves 8AM). Climb up to Gokuraku daira, leave you packs there and conquer Hokendake for the only 2,900m peak on this route. Return to your backpack and keep heading south for the rewarding hike towards Kisodono hut.

Have a good sleep in the hut and start early in the morning. The hike up to Utsugidake is a tough one, but after that the route through the green forest will be easier. After a long hike down, you finally reach the holiday village of Komagane Kogen.

Dayhike to Hinokiodake
Start early in the morning and catch a bus for the first ropeway of the morning (leaves 8AM). Head up towards Gokuraku daira, and if you are feeling fit, leave you packs there and conquer Hokendake before returning to your backpack. Skip Hokendake if you're doing the hike in late autumn, as there won't be enough light to complete the whole course. The views on your way towards Hinokiodake are gorgeous. Catch your breath on the top of Hinokiodake before you turn to Hinokio route and continue your way back down. Soon you will enter a lush forest, which engulfs you during your final legs down the hill. When you will reach the road again, your altitude is 1,160 m - that is, about 1,700 m down in few hours! If you're continuing to Komagane with a bus, the bus stop is a few hundred meters down the road.

Dayhike to Sannosawadake
This leisurely route includes going both up and down with the ropeway. From the Senjojiki ropeway station hike up to Gokuraku daira, turn towards Hokendake, but instead of going up there, turn left towards Sannosawadake. The hike from Gokuraku daira should be about two hours and the trail goes along the ridge, where you have good view to both sides. Backtrack along the same route. If you have time, you could go via the rocky path to Hokendake and descend down to the ropeway station using another route.

Drink
The most important thing is to keep enough water in your pack and drink constantly. Especially during the warm and sunny days, dehydration is a real risk.

There are several spots where you can get drinking water - they are marked on the hiking maps. You can also fill your water bottles in mountain huts.

Sleep
There are several mountain huts (山小屋 yamagoya) along the route, where you can sleep for the night. Overnight with 2 spartan meals costs about ¥7000. Without meals the price is typically around ¥5000.

Stay safe
Hiking in the Chuo Alps is not dangerous and many of the routes are of average difficulty. However, there are certain things that you should keep in mind. It's always better to hike with someone. For example, if you strain your ankle, you will have a friend to take care of you. Although if you are hiking during July or August, there will very likely be other people around as well. Tell someone about your planned route. If you're staying in mountain huts, let the people there know where you are heading next.

Be sure that you have the necessary equipment, enough drinking water and a proper map with you. The weather can change very rapidly and it can get really cold and windy up in the mountains, even in summer. Waterproof clothing is advised. It is very unlikely that you will encounter any dangerous animals during the hike - there are several monkeys though, but they tend to avoid close contact with people. Mobile phone coverage and especially the WCDMA network coverage is restricted in the mountains.

Since the ropeway operates year-round, the Chuo Alps is very accessible even during winter. However, hiking without proper winter hiking gear is not advised. Especially near the peak of Hokendake, where it is, in fact, not allowed. Slips have occurred near that peak which usually results in death. The last segment of the climb is especially dangerous as you are required to scale a steep rocky cliff by grabbing on to a chain.

title: Chuo Alps


text:
Chupei

Chupei, also spelled Jhubei (竹北; Zhúběi), is the administrative capital of Hsinchu County.

By rail
Chupei is accessible via the following stations:

By road
National freeway 1, which runs from Keelung to Kaohsiung, runs through Chupei city.

Vegetarian

title: Chupei


text:
Chuquisaca (department)

The Chuquisaca Department is a region of in south-central Bolivia in a region where the Altiplano merges with the Valles (valleys) into the Gran Chaco lowlands. The name comes from the Quechua name for the capital Sucre.

Cities

 * — one of Bolivia's two capitals, it is a popular tourist magnet with lots to see and do including a charming colonial center, hiking, partying and seeing dinosaur footprints
 * — famous for its handicrafts and arts, and its Sunday market

Other destinations

 * — a mountainous region in the central parts of the Bolivian Andes

Understand
The development of the department and its capital is closely linked to the silver city of Potosí. The area was managed from Sucre because the climate there is less harsh than on the plateau.

The climate is temperate and dry, with warm days and cool nights throughout the year. The eastern Chaco plain is hot and humid in summer and mild and dry in winter.

Get in
Sucre can be reached by bus from the main cities of Bolivia.

title: Chuquisaca (department)


text:
Chur

Chur is the capital of Graubünden in south-eastern Switzerland.

Understand
Chur is one of the oldest towns in Switzerland, having been inhabited since pre-historic times.

By plane
Zurich International Airport is the closest international airport to Chur. Direct trains run between Chur and the airport with a travel time of about 1 hour and 50 minutes, see SBB.

By train
By rail from Zurich, which is 120 km away from the.

By car
Chur is situated near the A13 motorway, heading northbound to Zurich, and connecting southbound with the A2 motorway towards Lugano and Milan.

Get around
Chur is a very small city; much of it is easily walkable. There are taxis and buses, which operate on five different routes. Driving in Chur is possible. However, the old town of Chur is car-free. Trains from Chur to Chur West and Chur Wiesental in the north of the town are available.

Do

 * Hiking or skiing - Go up the Brambrüesch (2,200 metres above sea level). In the winter, you can ski up there. There are a variety of runs - from easy to difficult.
 * Swimming - Go to the swimming pool Obere Au. There are outdoor (50m, M-F 08:00–20:00, Sa-Su 09:00–20:00) and indoor swimming pools (25m, M-Th 08:00–21:30, F 08:00–21–00, Sa-Su 09:00–18:00). In addition to the outdoor swimming pools (50m, children's, and non-swimmer), there is a table tennis table, a football pitch, a volleyball field, and a place to barbecue. Inside, there are three pools (25m with 6 lanes, children's, and non-swimmer) and a slide.
 * Trekking - You can hike from Haldenstein to Tamins. Take the train from Chur to Haldenstein and hike to Tamins (approx. 3 days) any time between June and October. You can eat in the huts along the route and sleep at the Calandahütte and the Ringelspitzhütte. To get back to Chur, take the bus from Tamins.
 * First day (approx. 4 hrs): Haldenstein – Parfuoss – Arella – Oberberg – Pt. 1792 – Altsäss – Haldensteiner Alp - Calandahütte
 * Second day (approx. 5 hrs): Calandahütte – Haldensteiner Tal – Rossboden – Felsberger Älplis – Taminser Älplis – Pt. 2008 – Balsura – Kunkelpass – Pt. 1461 – Beim Ahorn – Grossalp – Ringelspitzhütte
 * Third day (approx. 2 hrs): Ringelspitzhütte – Lawoibach – Hinter Säss – Vorder Säss – Sgaiwald - Tamins

Buy
Most shops can be found along the Bahnhofstrasse and in the old city of Chur. There are international shops like H&M, NewYorker, etc., and local shops. Two big department stores (Coop City and MANOR) are located along the Bahnhofstrasse.

Go next
The well known regions of the Engadin and Prattigau valleys are very easily accessed from Chur, in them containing the ski resorts of St. Moritz and Davos/Klosters. The lesser known resorts of the Surselva and Arosa are the nearest to Chur. All nearby regions can be accessed by road and by train.

title: Chur


text:
Churchill

Churchill is a community North of 53 in Manitoba, best known as the polar bear capital of the world, and only slightly less known as the beluga capital of the world. For a multi-purpose capital, though, it's very small, with a permanent population of only 899 people (as of the 2016 census), who live on the shore of Hudson Bay, the bank of the Churchill River, and just past the treeline of the boreal forest.

Origins
The earliest inhabitants of the region were the Thule people, the proto-Inuit, who arrived around 1,000 BCE before moving north in search of colder pastures, leaving the territory principally to the Chipewyan and Swampy Cree aboriginal groups. See Indigenous cultures of North America. The first European camp here was a Danish expedition in 1619. The cold got to them; the three of 64 who survived the winter set sail for home as soon as the ice would permit.

The town as we know it finds its roots in the history of the Hudson's Bay Company, which in 1717 established a year-round trading post just north of the modern-day town across the Churchill River, joining in the fur trade in northwest America, largely through deals with the tundra-dwelling Chipewyan.

Owing to English worries about potential French aggressors, the post was moved south in the 1730s to a massive stone star fort, Prince of Wales, which is very visible from the town, being just across the river. In 1782 the French Hudson Bay Expedition arrived and captured the badly outnumbered civilian fort garrison without a shot, raided the supplies, but failed in the attempt to demolish this rather well constructed fort. The Governor Samuel Hearne, one of Canada's great explorers, returned the next year and set up shop once more. The same French expedition also took York Factory, 200km to the south, then the capital of the Hudson Bay Company and today uninhabited.

The trading post and river were named after John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (an ancestor of Winston Churchill), who was governor of the Hudson's Bay Company in the late 17th century.

Over the centuries, the fur trade waned, and Churchill might have disappeared, were it not for the ambitious attempts by provincial governments to secure a northern port in central Canada (motivated by the desire to break the monopoly of the Canadian Pacific Railway on grain exports). After more than a decade of construction across the northern forests, the rail line from Winnipeg was finished in 1929, and the Port of Churchill would become the city's economic centre until wheat shipments began to decline in 2012. As grains could be transported less expensively by rail to Prince Rupert in the west or the Port of Montreal in the east, Churchill's seaport languished; the facilities were closed in 2016. The tracks were washed out in various places by May 2017 flooding; Denver-based Omnitrax (the owner of the port and railway at the time) refused to repair the damage, leaving Churchill severed overland until the line was sold in 2018. The new owners rebuilt the railway, and passenger trains resumed in December 2018.

The bears
The Hudson's Bay Company traders were hardy folks, and presumably didn't mind living right in the middle of a major polar bear migration route. The problem of living just north of a giant polar bear colony was always solved rather neatly by shooting any bears wandering into town with shotguns.

Starting around the 1960s, non-locals started taking an interest in the bears, in studying them, photographing them, and generally admiring the intense over-sized cuteness. Locals saw opportunity, stopped shooting the bears, and began the process of converting the town from a minor industrial centre to one of the world's northernmost tourist towns. Live polar bear webcams are operated by conservation group Polar Bear International with backing from Frontier North Adventures and explore.org.

The Western Hudson Bay bear colony is home to roughly 1,000 bears, which summer in Wapusk National Park. Polar bears hunt seals on the sea ice, but when the ice breaks up, they are forced to return to land where they fast until the ice forms again. Prime bear season is October and November leading up to the ice formation, when the colony heads north from the park (and towards Churchill) to get ready for the first freeze. While they wait, they snack intermittently on whatever is around. Kelp buried in snow seems to be a favorite. Things are kind of dull when the ice isn't in, so these curious animals will wander right over to you to give you a good sniff or taste. The taste bit is not a joke—polar bears' sense of taste is so powerful that you will see them regularly licking the air to discern what tastes are out there!

The bears are a threatened species, mainly due to human encroachment on their habitat. Canada has restrictions on hunting them, but does allow hunting by the native peoples and even some sport hunting for those who can afford $20,000 or more for an expedition. None of the allowed hunting is in the Churchill area.

The sea canary
Belugas, with their gleaming white skin, big smiles, and canary-like twitter, have every right to claim the title of world's cutest whale. The west Hudson Bay population, one of Canada's seven, comes back from its winters at the Arctic ice cap to roost, er, calf in the Churchill river bed. At this time, the river is filled with the whales and the zodiac boats are filled with tourists with expensive camera equipment! Up to 3,000 whales enter the river each summer.

Climate
The Aurora Borealis is another good thing to keep tabs on:

Bears can be seen year-round. But the one time of year where they really are everywhere is October–November, before the sea ice forms. At that time of year, you can feel pretty confident that you will have plenty of photography opportunities every time you go out in a tundra vehicle. At other times, you have to wonder whether you are spending a small fortune on transport to see no bears. November is the really snowy month, so expect worse weather, less sunlight, way colder temperatures, but more pretty snow-covered backdrops for bears to play around in. While the sea ice is a bit unpredictable, it's fairly safe to assume that the last week of bear season is more or less the second to last week of November. Beyond that, you could miss them (and the tundra vehicles stop running anyway).

The belugas arrive in mid-June and depart in mid-August. So do the bugs (especially July). As cute as the belugas are, so are the flies as demonic a plague, so bring long pants, long sleeves, bug spray with DEET, and ideally a bug jacket for the possibility that it gets especially bad.

Aurora season is January–March, as the nights are longest and the precipitation (ergo cloud cover) lowest. Given how bleak the deep winter months are in terms of cold and lack of animal activity, though, one might speculate that this "season", while ideal for aurora-watching, is a bit manufactured to stimulate tourism in the slow months—you can see it just fine in November if you have a good night. All you need is a clear dark sky (a new moon is ideal), and good space weather—if you time your visit to coincide with the peak of an eleven year solar cycle, you'll see more intense lights more frequently.

Prepare
It's not easy to visit Churchill (during bear season) without going through a tour company, simply because the tundra vehicles often book up quickly and hotels are full; the train and planes can fill up; and both the buggies and hotels generally require full payment up front with no refunds. You must confirm availability of transport, lodging, and buggy at the same time and then immediately call them back to book all three. Otherwise you could find yourself stuck with a giant bill for a hotel with no way to get out on the tundra to see the bears, or a giant bill for a buggy with no lodging! Other activities (dog-sledding, car rentals, helicopter tours, etc.), are easy enough to book, even after arriving.

Once you have booked everything, it's time to buy a northern wardrobe:

Summer
The summer poses one problem and that's bugs. Tiny no-see-ums, run-of-the-mill mosquitoes, hell-spawn big black biting flies, and everything in between. A dry summer could mean little to no bugs, but it's good to err on the side of DEET. June–August requires insect repellent with DEET. While not necessary, pre-treating some of your clothes with specialized DEET spray for clothing probably won't be something you regret. You will see tourists with bug jackets and screen hats, but that's really a little over the top. Light long pants and long-sleeved shirts are a must, though.

Winter
The cold in Churchill is spectacular.

When you are this far north, you will need some serious winter gear November–March, and potentially in October. Avoid wearing cotton, as cotton gets wet and stays wet. Layers are key, but not enough to keep you warm without a good jacket. If you forgot something, try to pick it up at the Walmart in Thompson, if you are taking the train.

 * Warm wool (or other warm non-cotton) cap, which fits tightly against your skull
 * Parka/very well insulated jacket with hood (lined hood ideal)
 * Protective ski goggles will be especially good for dog sledding, snowmobiling, snow shoeing, or just days with really heavy winds
 * Waterproof boots, ideally rated for -40°C (-40°F) or lower. The ratings are often flat out lies, so make sure to consult with a sales person, and let them know just how cold it is where you are going. Avoid boots with rubber toes, as that rubber will freeze, making and keeping your toes very cold. Anything lined with animal skin or fur will be warmest and most comfortable, albeit very expensive.
 * Long underwear. When in doubt, err on the side of more (merino-) wool.
 * Wool/fleece pants & sweaters; non-cotton shirts. Moisture wicking gear is good. An outer layer of ski pants is nice for breaking the wind.
 * Insulated layer underneath your jacket, which will often come with a ski jacket or good parka.
 * Insulated gloves (i.e., ski gloves)
 * Glove liners
 * Wool scarf
 * Neck protector, especially balaclavas.

You should be able to survive without going out and buying a new wardrobe full of expensive luxuries, but getting what you can of the above will make the trip more cosy.

For more on winter clothing, see Cold weather.

Other essentials
If ever there were a case for a good camera, it's a trip to Churchill! Bring/buy the best you can. Digital cameras don't stand up well to the cold, but they will still work. But bring extra batteries and film (if your camera uses it). In the winter, keep back up batteries close to your body to keep them warm, and switch them out when your active battery in your camera gets killed by the cold. If your camera breaks, Bazlik Jewellers can repair it. A long telephoto lens is generally required for wildlife photography; a good zoom lens may be enough but see Travel photography for a detailed discussion. A waterproof camera is a must if you plan to swim with the Beluga whales in the summer (a GoPro with a waterproof case can be great for video). Bring an extra memory card in case one fails (and the cold can help them fail).

Photographing the aurora requires different equipment. You will need a camera that supports manual exposure (10 to 40 seconds), a fast, wide-angle lens (aperture f/2.8 or better), fast film (800 ASA or better), or equivalent ISO setting on a digital camera, a strong tripod to hold the long exposure in potential high winds, and ideally a cable release or self-timer to trigger shots without stirring the camera. Again, you will want multiple batteries to swap as they freeze. Insulating the tripod can save your hands from freezing. Do not use any filter.

A laptop is a good idea, if only for uploading your photos, to keep your memory cards free to take more high-resolution shots!

Binoculars are great for wildlife viewing.

Especially in the winter, you will have plenty of downtime, so books and cards/games can be nice to have.

Get in

There are two ways to get to Churchill: airplane and train.

The economy seats on the train make for four nights of uncomfortable sleeping, but are cheap. The expensive sleeper cars are much more stylish, and allow you to enjoy the long-distance train experience watching the ecosystemic change out the windows as you travel north. Or, you can catch the train into Churchill and then take a nice quick, painless flight back when you're weary of your travels.

A viable solution for those who would like to get to Churchill faster, while not spending a lot of money is flying from Winnipeg to Thompson, and then taking the train from there. The airport in Thompson is not within walking distance of the train station, but there are plenty of bored taxi drivers to help you.

Airline

 * Travel time directly to Churchill from Winnipeg is 2.5 hours. Calm Air also offers seasonal flights from Thompson a few times a week.

If you are connecting through Winnipeg to get to or from Churchill, allow plenty of time between flights. As you will have to leave the secure area, collect your baggage (if you have any), check in at the airline desk and go through security. As the tiny Churchill Airport has no security screening, passengers arriving in Winnipeg exit straight into baggage claim.

Ground transportation
The airport is about a ten-minute taxi ride from town. Most hotels will pick you up if you ask ahead of time. Some package tours use chartered flights from Winnipeg, in which case the tour company takes care of all the logistics.

By train
Churchill is the most northerly point in Canada that can be reached by passenger train. Taking the train to Churchill is much more affordable than flying, but takes much longer. Via Rail serves Churchill with its Hudson Bay line that begins in Winnipeg. From Winnipeg the train takes about 38-48 hours. You have the option of staying in one of several different sleeper cars, or riding in economy class (depending on how much you want to pay) and trying to find two empty seats to cram yourself into for a miserable night's sleep. Economy supersaver (non-refundable) round-trip tickets run $220-330, while sleeper cars (with showers, couches, and actual sleep) cost $500-900. A two-person cabin runs $1250-1700 per person (prices as of April 2020). Sales for economy class, which can bring the fare down further are published on Via Rail's website every Tuesday (look for the large "Discount Tuesday" banner on the home page). Sales on sleeper tickets are available in a special section of the website at all times expect during a general sale and can bring the price down to $500 return.

You cannot drink your own liquor on the train, nor can you smoke. The fines are astronomical! The train will be stopping often, though, and you can hop off at the stops for a cigarette break. The big break is in Thompson, where you'll have two-five hours to get off, shop at Walmart and Safeway, and get a meal. There's even a little sightseeing to be had there, if you are creative.

A good tip for you train boozers—if you order liquor and a mixer, the mixer is free, so if you bring some of your own mixers... free cokes! The little bottles of wine are decent too. During bear and beluga seasons there is a chef on the train preparing decent, if slightly pricey (free for those in sleeper) fresh meals. Outside of peak season the microwave meals served range from acceptable to disgusting. Most people on board plan ahead and bring food. Cheese, sausage, cracker, fruit, etc. platters are great. A dome car for passengers in sleeper class is usually attached during bear, beluga, and northern lights seasons.

By car
There is no road to Churchill; however, you can drive to Thompson and pay to park your car there (try the Days Inn lot), and continue by train or airplane. The road to Thompson is lonely and subject to closure if a snowstorm hits, though.

Get around
It's quite easy to walk within the city limits on your own. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from one end of town to the other. It's also possible to rent a car in Churchill, and there are several taxi drivers who tend to hang out around the airport and train station.

Car rental isn't at all popular with tourists, even the ones who aren't on package tours, but taking out an SUV is actually a great idea. If you think there's a good chance of seeing the aurora on a given night, rent a vehicle and drive it out of town at night! You'll be away from the lights of the town, and you'll have a mobile heating device/bear escape pod to keep you safe. If you have a day's worth of downtime from your various activities, you can just drive around the passable roads and go bird-watching, find the downed plane, head down through the woods to the observation tower, up to Cape Merry, or create your own wildlife photo tour. Expect the rental to run around $100 and the gas refill before returning to run around... $100 more.

See
Beyond the wildlife and landscapes, there is actually a fair amount of interesting stuff to see there. The historic Hudson's Bay Company settlements are perhaps the most interesting, but are impossible to visit during the winter months (and York Factory is hard to reach even when it's possible). Aside from Cape Merry, that is, which along with the Itsanitaq Museum is an easy and highly recommended sight to see. If you have a car and a free day, head south of the city to the observation tower and east of the city to see Miss Piggy up close.

Do
Activities are wildlife centric, and depend heavily on the season. During polar bear season everyone will head out in the tundra vehicles, while beluga whale season means the Churchill River will be filled with zodiacs and kayaks. Dog sledding can be done any time of the year, although the snowy months are more rewarding. Helicopter tours are pretty exciting any time of the year as well, but the aerial wildlife viewing is best late April through the end of bear season.

Tundra vehicles
The tundra vehicles are the main tour for most Churchill visitors, and also the biggest activity expense. Plan to spend two days out on the tundra during your trip during bear season (you absolutely will not regret it), and therefore $800 per traveller! Tours include a guide, and they are uniformly great (bring cash for a tip), as well as some tasty soup, sandwiches, sodas, coffee, and hot chocolate. Wear all your cold weather gear. You will want to spend some time on the outdoor deck in the back for photography, of course, but the inside is almost as cold—everyone rolls down the windows to take more pictures!

Dog sledding
Dog sledding is a good activity, and fairly inexpensive. But it needs a caveat: you will spend very little time actually on a sled, and dog sledding involves little more than standing or sitting down and letting the dogs do the work. The true art of dog sledding is principally breeding and taking care of the dogs and secondarily logistics for trips. Also, during high season, expect to spend a lot of the time waiting around for your turn, as only two people can ride at a time!

So why do the dog sledding activity at all? The biggest reason is just to learn about the practice of dog sledding, which is pretty fascinating. Your host will take you around to meet the dogs (playing with the dogs is the other big reason to do this), and give you all sorts of background on the history and current practice of dog sledding, including all the competitions in the area.

Dog sledding can be done even without snow. They will simply use a wheeled sled.

As with the buggies, there are two operations in town, run by the two co-founders of the Hudson Bay Quest, a 220-mile (330-km) race from Gillam to Churchill every March (it used to go up along the west coast of the Hudson Bay to Arviat, Nunavut, but the boreal forest makes for a less whiteout sort of run than the flat, snow-covered tundra).

Boating
There are two boating companies specializing in Beluga tours on the river, with Zodiacs and kayaks. The boat tours spend one-two hours on the water and then one more hour on the other bank to explore Prince of Wales Fort. The first is through Lazy Bear Lodge (see above for contact information), which does a three-hour tour for $130 per person, but cannot be booked in advance unless you have a room with them, so a spot would not be guaranteed if staying elsewhere and setting up your trip independently. The other is Sea North:

Snorkelling/diving
Yes, snorkelling! Most tourists are not mentally fortified to jump into a cold, cold river filled with whales, but it is certainly the most up-close way to see the Belugas. Scuba diving is permitted, but there are no guides to take you, so only experienced divers, and you must bring your own equipment to Churchill. You can fill your tanks at the hospital. For snorkellers, though, the two boating tour companies above (Sea North and Lazy Bear Lodge) will set you up with a guide and dry suit or wet suit. Sea North snorkelling in wet suits is available July–August, three hours, $195/person, two person minimum. Lazy Bear Lodge's similar three hour snorkelling tour is done in dry suits for $250 per person.

Buy
Churchill is not exactly a major shopping destination, but there are some fun gift shops, especially if you skip the ones run by the tour companies (which ply their trade mostly by dropping off captive audiences at the end of the tours). The Itsanitaq Museum also has a nice gift shop.

There is one central grocery/general store, which closes at 6PM, but will take care of most needs. The liquor store is in Bayport Plaza by the post office and bank.

Eat
Most hotels will have something to eat, but the main restaurants in town are the three below. Expect high prices, but perhaps surprisingly, the food here is delicious.

Drink
Not long on bars, Churchill really only has two, aside from the Legion: the Tundra Lounge and the Pier Beverage Room at the Seaport Hotel. The Tundra Lounge (see eat above) is a safe bet for a good outing any night of the week, really the only show in town as far as bars go, and it's actually a really great spot. There is frequent live music (usually every Friday) that often gets people dancing, a pool table, and a good mix of tourists and locals. Of the beers available, the Manitoba craft brews from Fort Garry are quite good.

Sleep

Don't expect luxury in Churchill when it comes to lodgings. Everything is going to be basic, but warm and adequate, and with very helpful owners (really, everyone in this friendly town will happily go out of their way for you). The focus of any trip will be on what's outside! Rates are generally priced for two levels: a high price for bear season (Oct-Nov) and a low price for the rest of the year.

Stay safe
Cold weather is theoretically a danger, but you probably won't have an opportunity to get hypothermia, since most all excursions in the winter will involve a vehicle and a fair degree of supervision. Polar bears are a real danger, though. Be careful when walking anywhere on the outskirts of town, such as Cape Merry, by the inukshuk and the big wooden boat behind the town centre, or anywhere outside of town. In such areas close to town you will notice Polar Bear Alert signs "Stop. Don't walk in this area", and if you do see a bear in or near town, call the Bear Patrol immediately at +1 204-675-BEAR (2327).

Because of the dangers posed by polar bears, car doors are never locked in Churchill (don't ever lock your own if renting), and the quickest way to escape danger, if going indoors is not an immediate option, is to simply hop in a car and shut yourself inside. There hasn't been a bear-related death since 1980, but injuries have happened since, and even locals can get surprised by an itinerant bear now and then—stay aware of your surroundings at all times.

Stay healthy
Because of Churchill's size and remote location, the services available at the hospital are limited. Individuals with serious medical issues may be transported to Winnipeg by air ambulance. The provincial government will cover most if not all of the cost of the evacuation for Manitoba residents, but not for other residents of Canada. Those coming from outside of Manitoba may or may not be covered by their provincial health plan or private supplementary plan. Visitors from outside of Canada should always purchase health insurance when visiting Canada unless they are coming on a visa that allows them to apply for provincial health insurance. As the cost for the flight to Winnipeg can exceed $10,000, plus the cost of a ground ambulance in Winnipeg and medical treatment in both Winnipeg and Churchill, insurance for visitors should have a high coverage ceiling.

Connect
You will have Wi-Fi wherever you stay, and nearly all hotels will have an available computer. There is LTE cell data service in town, which also extends to the airport, though don't expect it anywhere else outside of town. Anyone with a Canadian SIM card or whose international carrier has a roaming agreement with any of the three major Canadian cell providers (Bell, Rogers or Telus) should be able to get service.

Go next

There really isn't anywhere to go—you're stranded here! If you fancy a rare trip to remote Nunavut, Calm Air and First air offer a daily flight to Rankin Inlet. The other option would be a custom canoeing trip (summer only, naturally) through Northern Soul Adventures. (See above.) Otherwise you'll likely end up back in Winnipeg, Thompson or Gillam.

title: Churchill


text:
Churchill (disambiguation)

There's more than one place called Churchill:

Australia

 * Churchill (Victoria) - a town in Victoria (state)

Canada

 * Churchill - a small town in Manitoba

 * Churchill Falls - a town on the Churchill River in Newfoundland and Labrador

Ireland

 * Churchill (County Donegal) - in Ireland

United Kingdom

 * Churchill - a village in Oxfordshire, England
 * Churchill - a village in Somerset, England
 * Churchill (County Fermanagh) - in Northern Ireland

United States of America

 * Churchill Downs (of Kentucky Derby fame) - see the Louisville article

title: Churchill (disambiguation)


text:
Churchill Falls

Churchill Falls in Labrador is one of the last company towns in Atlantic Canada. Its population of nearly 700 (2016) work for the Churchill Dam, a 5.4-gigawatt hydroelectric generating station, the third-largest hydroelectric station (by power output) in North America.

Churchill Falls provides several services to travellers on Route 500 (Trans-Labrador Highway). The main attractions of Churchill Falls are:
 * its snowmobile trails, which surround the village and provide access to the backcountry;
 * its nautical activities (eg canoeing, kayaking) on the Churchill Reservoir or on bodies of water or watercourses in the region;
 * its sports and leisure facilities: arena, skating rink, swimming pool, community centres, picnic area, Blackberry Lake beach, auditorium, library, gymnasium, etc.;
 * its immense territory in the hinterland, allowing hunting (caribou) and sport fishing, or nature observation (flora, fauna and landforms);
 * observation in a night sky (without light pollution) of the aurora borealis and stars (including large moving satellites);
 * its hydroelectric plant allowing educational guided tours;
 * its magnificent hiking trail offering bucolic views of boreal nature;
 * its practice area for mountain biking.

Understand
Installed about 300 m (nearly 1000 feet) underground, the eleven-turbine power station cost nearly a billion dollars and took thousands of workers five years to construct. The first power flowed from Churchill Falls on December 6, 1971.

An interprovincial agreement on the development of the Churchill Falls generating station was concluded in 1968 between Quebec and Newfoundland. This agreement set the rates for hydroelectric power from Upper Churchill until 2041. At the time, the only way to transport hydroelectric power from Labrador to North American markets was through Quebec. In 1996, the project brought in $1.4 million/day for Hydro-Québec but only $45,000/day for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The hydroelectric generating station is the ninth-largest in the world and the second-largest to be constructed underground (the main station on the LaGrande River at James Bay is the largest). Much of its power is exported from Québec to the US Northeast.

By car
Access is by the paved Highway 500 (Trans-Labrador Highway) between Labrador City (243 km to the west) and Happy Valley-Goose Bay (288 km to the east).

By plane
There is a tiny local airport, owned by the operators of the generating station; Provincial Airlines flies to Goose Bay and Wabush.

Get around
There is no public transport. The hotel operates a shuttle to the airport, which is 7.5km from the town.

See

 * See a variety of wildlife, including black bears, caribou and beavers

Do

 * Sport fishing. The large, enclosed freshwater reservoirs created by the dam are populated by several species of fish, including lake trout, brook trout (speckled trout) and northern pike.

Buy
There are few services other than a hotel, restaurant, supermarket and fuel station; there is no automotive repair garage.

Drink
The small fuel station has a wide variety of liquor and beers.

Sleep

There are no organized campsites or RV sites at Churchill Falls. However, an RV dump station is available to travellers.

Connect
Bell provides WCDMA (HSPA+) coverage in the town. Head out onto the Trans-Labrador Highway and the signal dies after the first few kilometres. As of 2021, there are no other cell phone providers in Churchill Falls. Visitors can rent satellite phone services along Routes 500 and 510 (Trans Labrador Highway).

Stay safe
Black bear sightings are common in the Churchill Falls area, particularly in the summer and fall. Walkers should use bells or whistles to ward off wildlife. At all times, it is essential to respect wild animals and their environment.

title: Churchill Falls


text:
Churchs Ferry

Churchs Ferry is a small town in the Lakes and Gardens area of North Dakota. It has a population of 12 people as of the 2010 census.

By car
Right on US highway 2, at the junction of US highway 281, about 106 miles west of Grand Forks, or 21 miles west of Devils Lake.

Sleep
Nearest public accommodations are in Devils Lake.

title: Churchs Ferry


text:
Church Stretton

Church Stretton is a small town in Shropshire. Church Stretton is small, but busy and prosperous, and is popular for those who enjoy hillwalking and admiring the scenery of south Shropshire. The worst of the traffic is diverted along the A49, meaning the town is quite a pleasant place for an hour or two's exploration. The backstreets, particularly around the parish church, are especially pretty and secluded.

Understand
Church Stretton is the largest of three settlements in the neighbourhood which bear the name "Stretton", the others being All Stretton and Little Stretton. The word "Stretton" means "settlement on a Roman Road" in Old English. The Roman road in question is the famous Watling Street, which linked the cross-Channel ports of Kent, via Londinium to Viroconium.

Until around 1900, Church Stretton was a very small local market town, but one whose inhabitants gained a reputation for being able to fiercely defend their rights and way of life. The much-maligned Enclosure Acts of the 18th and 19th centuries held little sway here, as the locals rioted every time it was proposed that their common land be fenced off. By the 1850s, the popularity of grouse shooting had all but killed off the prospect of the Long Mynd being parcelled into private estates, and it remains common land to this day, though managed by the National Trust.

The town quickly grew in the early 20th century as a popular spa resort. It was at this time it got the nickname "Little Switzerland" because of its situation among the dominating hills. The hills, while small in height, do have an impressive rockiness, shape and steepness, and so the comparison with the much loftier Swiss Alps is strangely apt.

 * Church Stretton visitor information

By road
Church Stretton is just off the main A49 trunk road between Shrewsbury and Ludlow. The B4371 road from Much Wenlock ends in Church Stretton. The main car park is next to the Co-operative supermarket From the A49, take the first left after the railway station turnoff (Easthope Road).

By rail

 * Wikivoyage has a guide to Rail travel in Great Britain

is served by trains on the Cardiff - Manchester and Cardiff - Holyhead routes, as well as the scenic Heart of Wales line between Shrewsbury and Swansea.

By air
The most convenient airport is  at Birmingham. Straightforward rail connections via Shrewsbury. Alternatively  is not much further and is also accessible by rail.

Get around
Church Stretton is a small town and is easy to get around on foot. There is a local bus service, the 435 run by Minsterley Motors.

Buy
Church Stretton is a busy market town and has many shops, including Shropshire's largest antiques market.

There is one medium-sized supermarket, the Co-op, on Lion Meadow. Otherwise most shops are small independents.

Eat
The town has a number of small restaurants and traditional tea rooms. There are also a number of international cuisine restaurants and take-aways.

Stay safe
When planning for hill-walking do remember that the weather can change quickly. It is also likely to be colder, windier and wetter higher up. The Long Mynd is notorious for being a windy place and for deep snow in winter. Always take with you a good map (Ordnance Survey 1:25000 ideally) and a mobile phone if heading out into the wilds.

Go next
Map of places with Wikivoyage articles nearby

For exploring the surrounding hills, the Long Mynd Shuttle Bus operates on weekends and bank holidays in the summer months. It runs from Church Stretton across the Long Mynd to the Stiperstones and Pontesbury.

title: Church Stretton


text:
Churu

Churu (Hindi: चूरु) is a town in the desert region of Rajasthan, India.

Understand
Churu is the administrative headquarters of Churu District. It lies in the Thar Desert on the National Highway-65 connecting Pali to Ambala.

Get in
Churu can be reached by train from Delhi, Jaipur, Bikaner. It can also be reached by road from Delhi Jaipur, Ambala. The Highways are very good however the country roads in the shekawati region can be a bit dampener. The road from Jaipur and Ambala are the best roads. The nearest Airport is Jaipur (around 5 hours journey) and is well connected by road and rail. Overall it comes out to be cheaper (due to availability of low-cost airlines) if you travel via Jaipur.

See
It is famous for the shifting sand dunes of the Thar Desert and beautiful grand havelis with marvellous fresco paintings, namely Kanhaiya lal Bagla ki Haweli and Surana Haweli, with hundreds of small windows. It also has some fine Chhatris. Nearby the town is a religious seat of the Nath sect of Sadhus where there are life-size Marble statue of their deities and a place for prayers. There stands a Dharam Stup, a symbol of religious equality. At the centre of the town is a fort built about 400 years ago. There is also a wildlife sanctuary "talchhapar". You can see the galloping black deer around you, and you can feed them by hand. Also various species of birds can also be seen.

Go next

 * Pilani
 * Jaipur
 * Bikaner

title: Churu


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Chust

Chust is a city in the Ferghana Valley, Uzbekistan. It is renowned as a city of knife makers. It is small and calm, but interesting to see.

Get in
Microbuses and taxies from various parts of the Ferghana Valley go there. You can find those microbuses in near bazaars.

Get around
On foot or by taxi.

Do
Amusement park - it is a really nice little amusement park. The carousels are old, but that adds to the fun. There is also a disco there, it is open during the day. There are also quite a lot cafes and ice cream shop. The park is attractive, with trees and some fountains. There is also special circus performance there. It is free of charge, but after each performance you can donate some money for the performers. It is very traditional and very interesting to see.

Buy
Knives in the bazaar.

Eat
In the amusement park it is really worth to try some plov. The place is nice and you get to sit in these special outside eating ramps, traditional Uzbek thing.

title: Chust


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Zhudong

Zhudong (竹東, also spelt Chutung, Jhudong, or Judong) is a township of 96,000 people (2014) near Hsinchu City in Taiwan. It's quite a dingy run-down place, but has a nice view of the mountains and a friendly Taiwanese feel.

Understand
Literally, Zhudong means "bamboo east" but in this context, zhu is short for "Hsinchu". Thus, Zhudong lies east of Hsinchu.

If you need any further information about the attractions in the area, you can visit the Tourist Service Center:

By rail
The township is connected to the TRA network and is accessible via the following stations:

Get around
The main town is walkable, but you will need a scooter if you want to visit the more far-flung areas of Zhudong.

title: Zhudong