text:
Kinkasan

Kinkasan (金華山; also Kinkazan) is a small mountainous island at the tip of the Oshika Peninsula, part of Ishinomaki City. It's not far from Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.

Understand
Literally meaning "Golden Flower Mountain", its spiritual significance and the fact that the island used to be a site for a brief gold prospecting boom ensure a steady stream of visitors eager for some good fortune to rub off. Kinkasan is considered one of the three holiest places in Tohoku region, along with Dewa Sanzan and Osorezan. Today little remains except an impressive Shinto shrine devoted to the gods of wealth, Ebisu and Daikoku. Women were actually banned on the island until the late 19th century, but today, for both sexes, an overnight stay is ideal for those seeking tranquility. According to legend, if you pay a visit to the shrine once a year for three consecutive years, you will have no financial difficulties for the rest of your life.

Get in
Kinkasan being an island, you'll have to take a ferry at some point, so the main question is choosing the ferry terminal.

By train
If traveling by train from Sendai, take the JR Senseki line to Ishinomaki, then change to the JR Ishinomaki line for Onagawa. From here, you can take a 35-minute ferry to Kinkasan. Ferries travel every 2 hours or so and cost ¥1,600 one way, ¥3,040 return.

By bus
Alternatively, you can take a 90-minute bus from Ishinomaki to the whaling town of Ayukawa, from where ferries ply to Kinkasan in 20 minutes (¥900). Services from here are more frequent, as often as every half hour in season with two competing operators.

Get around
Excluding a van ferrying guests up from the ferry to the shrine's ryokan, there is no motorized transport on the island, so you'll have to walk. Some ferry operators in Ayukawa offer sightseeing boat tours around the island, but there are no other points to disembark.

Do
Perhaps a better reason to visit is some fairly good hiking. Major trails head from the shrine to the summit (height 445m, distance 2.4 km) and around the entire island (around 25 km). With some luck you can spot Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), troops of which roam about the island. Pick up a free map and leave plenty of time before you set off though, as the trails are not that well marked; if you get hopelessly lost, head down to the coastal trail.

Buy, Eat & Drink

 * The shrine maintains a monopoly on food, drink and souvenirs on the island. Prices are not unreasonable, and many try the seafood here (yes, whale is also available).

Sleep
Many visitors stay in nearby Ayukawa, though there are lodging options here.

Stay safe
There are two endemic pests on the island: deer and leeches, both of which want to eat things you'd rather keep to yourself. When hiking, keep your trousers stuffed in your boots, and if you do spot leeches remember to use salt or fire to dislodge them, not brute force. Absolutely do not try to feed the deer or the monkeys.

title: Kinkasan


text:
Kinlochbervie

Kinlochbervie (Gaelic: Ceann Loch Biorbhaidh) is a small fishing village in Sutherland in the northwest Scottish Highlands, with a population of 411 in 2011. Few fishing boats are based here, but they come to land their catch to be trucked south.

Get in
Slowly, along twisty narrow roads where you never want to venture with a low fuel tank. From Inverness follow A9 past Tain then head northwest through Bonar Bridge, Lairg (the nearest railway station) and on A838 to Laxford Bridge and Rhiconich. Branch off the main road here for B801, the minor road to Kinlochbervie. Another route from Inverness is to take A835 via Ullapool and on north through Kylesku to Laxford Bridge, then as before.

A838 to Rhiconich and B801 are two-lane just about, you might draw in a sharp breath as you meet oncoming trucks. B801 ends after five miles at Kinlochbervie and a single track lane with passing places continues west to the beaches of Oldshoremore and Shegra. Beyond Shegra is just rough farm track.

By bus: Durness Bus 805 runs from Inverness via Bonar Bridge, Lairg and Laxford Bridge to Kinlochbervie (2 hr 30 min). It continues north to Durness, which has a daily bus to Thurso. It runs Tu Th Sa year-round plus Monday May-Oct, south from Kinlochbervie around 9AM and returning north around 3:30PM.

Bus 806 runs from Durness via Kinlochbervie around 9AM to Lairg and returns shortly after noon. It runs Wednesdays year round plus Fridays May-Oct.

Bus 804 runs May-Oct Tu Th from Lairg (where it connects with the 808 from Ullapool) via Lochinver and Kylesku.

Bikes may be carried between Durness, Kinlochbervie and Lairg, but must be booked at least 24 hours in advance on +44 1971 511223.

On schooldays only, Bus 890 runs from Kinlochbervie at 9AM to Ullapool, setting off back at 2PM. An earlier bus 891 continues from Ullapool to Dingwall, starting back around 2:45PM.

Ferries sail from Stornoway on Lewis to Ullapool.

Get around
You need your own wheels to get around easily.

There is a dial-a-bus service which operates M-F 9AM-5PM, Su 10AM-2:30PM. This covers the road between Rhiconich and Sheigra. Book by phoning 07836736378 or 07780006519 before 6PM the day before.

See

 * commemorate locals killed in both World Wars, and especially Robert McBeath, awarded the Victoria Cross for knocking out a machine gun position at the Battle of Cambrai on 20 November 1917. By that date the Allies had tanks and were pushing German forces back across northeast France. McBeath was 19 years old, a lance-corporal in the 1/5th Battalion of The Seaforth Highlanders, which became pinned down by enemy fire. He stormed the position, shot two dead, captured 3 officers and 30 men, and cleared the way for his unit to advance. After the war he joined the police in Vancouver. On 9 Aug 1922 he arrested a drunk driver, who shot him dead and injured his colleague. The death sentence upon the drunk was commuted to life imprisonment as he was so badly beaten up once in police custody.
 * The Telford Church east side of the village is one of a job-lot of 32 built across the Scottish Highlands by the prolific Thomas Telford. In the early 19th century many people lived a great distance from their parish church. They might not bother attending - or far worse, might go to a Roman Catholic mass (illegal until 1829) or to any of the scary new sects (such as Methodism) that were gaining ground. After the victory over Napoleon, Parliament voted money to build some 200 new churches across England, as thanksgiving to the God who turned out to be Church of England and on their side all along. Similar provision for Scotland was held up by political shenanigans and eventually the entire Highlands were awarded as much as had been spent on a single English church. So they had to be built on the cheap, and the Lowlands got nothing. The "Telford churches" were therefore of a simple austere design. Kinlochbervie's is more correctly "Scourie-Eddrachillis Parish Church", and still in use by the Church of Scotland.
 * is the first beach west of the village.
 * Oldshorebeg (which, as the name indicates, is even smaller) is the next beach, quarter of a mile west.
 * is the last beach that can be reached by road.
 * is reached by hiking up the four-mile track that branches off the lane at Blairmore, between Oldshorebeg and Shegra. Am Buachaille ("The Shepherd") is more like a spearhead, a sea-stack to the west. At low tide you might spot the wreck of a Spitfire, specifically its engine. (Wonderfully robust, those Rolls Royce Merlin engines... and if the damn thing hadn't conked out, the pilot would have flown home instead of ditching. He was not injured.) Sand dunes impound a freshwater loch. A local farmer insisted to his dying day in 1944 that he'd encountered a mermaid of ravishing beauty disporting herself on the rocks: Sandwood really is an isolated place.
 * Cape Wrath the northwest tip of Great Britain mainland is reached via Durness, either by a jolting minibus or a very long hike.
 * North West Highlands Geopark is a that covers Durness, Kinlochbervie, Kylesku and Torridon. Many of the local rocks are over 3 billion years old.

Do

 * Shinty: if you see a match, it's just an amateur effort that needs all the support it can get, so go cheer them on even if you haven't a clue about the rules. The game struggles even in Ireland, and KLB's team folded in 2012. But shinty in Scotland is being revived post-covid, with the Mowi League launched in 2021, so you might come across a game.
 * Walk Highlands describe local trails, including to Sandwood Bay.

Buy

 * Fuel: the filling station is open M-F 8AM-5PM, Sa 9AM-noon.
 * Fuel: the filling station is open M-F 8AM-5PM, Sa 9AM-noon.

Eat

 * Quay House Cafe by the harbour is open 10AM-4PM.
 * Kinlochbervie Hotel and Old School House serve non-residents, see below.

Drink

 * Kinlochbervie Hotel bar serves non-residents.

Sleep

 * Loch Clash Stopover is on the pier next to Spar grocery. There are 5 serviced pitches and 10 hard-standings for overnight caravans and campervans, no tents. £15 / night, no booking, just pay at the shop. Open all year but the site is exposed to winter gales, and when these coincide with high tides the pier is awash.
 * There's a cluster of accommodation at Kylesku, the standout is
 * There's a cluster of accommodation at Kylesku, the standout is
 * There's a cluster of accommodation at Kylesku, the standout is
 * There's a cluster of accommodation at Kylesku, the standout is
 * There's a cluster of accommodation at Kylesku, the standout is

Connect
As of July 2022, Kinlochbervie has no mobile signal from any carrier.

Go next

 * Northeast to Durness for Cape Wrath and Smoo Cave, then along the north coast to Thurso (for Orkney ferries) and John o'Groats.
 * South to Lochinver and Torridon for rugged coastal scenery, then on to Ullapool.
 * Turn off at Laxford Bridge for the direct road southeast to Inverness.
 * North Coast 500 is a motoring route along this coast which takes in Kinlochbervie.

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

title: Kinlochbervie


text:
Kinmen

Kinmen (金門 Kim-mn̂g in Minnan, Jīnmén in Mandarin, literal meaning "golden gate", also known as Quemoy) is a county comprising a number of outlying islands near the People's Republic of China (PRC) but controlled by the Taiwan-based Republic of China (ROC) government.

All the islands of Kinmen county are within just a few kilometers of Mainland China, with the Xiamen city skyline clearly visible in the distance from many areas. Despite, and because of, its status as the front line in the semi-dormant China-Taiwan conflict, Kinmen is highly tourist-oriented, with the main themes being military history, historic architecture, and its signature gaoliang (kaoliang) grain alcohol.

About a quarter of the county, including inhabited areas, is covered by various units of Kinmen National Park, which is largely concerned with preserving historic architecture and former military sites, as well as natural areas.

Understand
The main islands in the county are Greater Kinmen and Lesser Kinmen (Lieyu/Liehyu). Administratively, Kinmen is split into six townships, four of which are on Greater Kinmen. Another has Lesser Kinmen plus its neighbouring small islands, and the sixth is a couple of more remote small islands that aren't open to visitors. The islands are largely rural, made up of a mix of small towns, farmland, and historical sites.

The economy of Kinmen is now based mostly on tourism and the famous Kaoliang liquor (高粱酒). Dried meat from Kinmen is also sold on Taiwan.

Kinmen and Matsu remain sensitive areas and both the PRC and the ROC maintain substantial military forces in the area. Travellers should exercise caution, avoid political discussions, and avoid photographing military installations or even pieces of infrastructure (bridges, dams, etc.) which might be military targets.

Although administered by the Taiwanese government, Kinmen and Matsu are officially considered to be parts of Fujian province, not of Taiwan, by both the PRC and ROC governments. Unlike the main island of Taiwan, they were never colonized by Japan (except for an 8-year occupation related to World War II), instead being governed by the Qing dynasty, and then the Mainland-based Republic of China, during Taiwan's Japanese period.

Local residents often identify as "Kinmenese" or "Chinese" and not "Taiwanese". Politically, Kinmen is a KMT stronghold, with most residents being firmly opposed to formal Taiwan independence. The DPP has made inroads among the younger generation, but most of these Kinmenese end up permanently settling in Taiwan and never go back to Kinmen.

History
In 1949, the Communists won the Chinese civil war, defeating the Nationalists (Kuomintang) who had governed (most of) China from the 1911 revolution until 1949. Since then, there has been a Communist government in most of China (the People's Republic of China or PRC) while the Nationalists held onto Taiwan, which is still officially called the Republic of China or ROC.

The islands of Kinmen and Matsu are near the Chinese coast — Kinmen is about 10 km (under 6.5 miles) from Xiamen — but held by the Taiwan-based ROC. They are symbolically important, and strategically as well, and were often actively fought over from 1949 into the 1970s. The "Artillery Battle of 823" (part of the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis) was one of the key battles that kept the PRC from invading Taiwan. It involved artillery bombardment of Kinmen and Matsu, beginning on August 23 (8-23) 1958.

Relations between the two governments improved greatly in the early 2000s; there is extensive Taiwanese investment in China, and until 2020 (due to both the COVID-19 pandemic and escalating tensions) travel in both directions was much easier than before, with Mainland China becoming biggest source of tourism to Kinmen.

Talk
As in Taiwan proper, most residents throughout Kinmen county speak fluent (if accented) Mandarin, even if it's not the language they prefer to speak with their friends and family. Few people speak English, especially outside of tourist areas, but the level of English is perhaps slightly better than in rural Mainland China.

The local language in most of the county is Minnan (aka Hokkien or "Taiwanese"). Due to its different history, the Kinmen variety of Minnan generally lacks the Japanese loan words that are ubiquitous in the varieties in Taiwan proper, and is instead perceived as being most similar to that of the Xiamen suburb of Tong'an in mainland China. However, Minnan speakers from Taiwan, Xiamen, and Kinmen can all generally understand each other.

In the remote outlying Wuqiu islands, the local language is Puxian Min, which is not mutually intelligible with Minnan.

By ferry
There are ferries from Xiamen in mainland China to on the main Kinmen island, and the link is open to foreigners. Boats are NT$750 (as of June 2013) from Shuitou to Xiamen and ¥155 from Xiamen (Wǔ tōng mǎ tóu 五通码头, Oct 2016) to Shuitou and run once an hour between 08:30 and 19:00 in each direction. There is also a ferry from Quanzhou, but it allows only Chinese and Taiwanese passengers. The ferry from Xiamen Wutong terminal to Shuitou runs every 30 min from 08:00 until 17:30.

There are no public ferries to Kinmen from Taiwan or any other islands under the Taiwan government's control. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was possible to take a ferry from Taiwan to Xiamen (in Mainland China), then take the Xiamen-Kinmen ferry to get to Kinmen. This assumes that you have a visa or visa-free entry eligibility for both China and Taiwan.

Since Kinmen is under Taiwanese control, going there from mainland China counts as an exit. Thus, holders of single-entry visas cannot do short trips to from Xiamen to Kinmen and return. So make sure to clarify your visa situation before hopping on a ferry!

If you are arriving by ferry, the ferry terminal has a tourist information desk that can help find you an inn. There are also money exchange counters, but they will only exchange RMB to NT$; they will not exchange other currencies.

There is also an ATM just outside the ferry terminal (cross the road) that accepts Visa and Mastercard. A UnionPay ATM is in the departure area, where you also find a stall to change RMB to NT$.

At the tourist services counters besides Joane Ranch Restaurant, you can rent portable WiFi (NT$250 per day) or get an unlimited data SIM Card (starting from NT$400 for 5 days). Cash only, no cards.

Orientation
Greater Kinmen island is "butterfly-shaped" with each of its four administrative townships roughly corresponding to one of the four "wings" of the butterfly. It's the largest of Taiwan's outlying islands, and extremely dense with tourist sites. If you're at all interested in military history or historic Chinese architecture, expect to spend at least a few days looking around. It's probably not practical to see "everything", but if you're determined to try, give yourself at least a week.

The western, northern, and eastern sides of Kinmen all face Mainland China, with only the southern side open the larger Taiwan Strait. The airport is located in the middle of the big island's southern coast, while the main urban center, Jincheng (previously spelled "Kincheng"), is tucked into the curve of the west coast. Smaller towns and villages are scattered all around the island. There's no "ring road" around Greater Kinmen island - getting between sites is done by switching between major roads in the island's interior and smaller loops and spurs around the coastal areas (as well as messily criss-crossed farm roads and tangled village allies).

Lesser Kinmen, also known as Lieyu Township, is just southwest of Greater Kinmen and easily reached from the big island by frequent ferries. It's comparable in size to each of the big island's four townships. Though the major roads are in the island's interior, there's something like a (narrow) ring road circling the island, along which most of the tourist sites are located.

There are many smaller islets scattered around the vicinity of Great and Lesser Kinmen, which are mostly occupied by the military. The two largest, Dadan and Erdan (not to be confused with Dadeng, which is claimed by Kinmen County but controlled by Mainland China), are farther southwest from Lesser Kinmen, and sometimes open to tourists.

The Wuqiu islands, also governed as part of Kinmen County, are far to the north off a different part of China's coast, and though inhabited, are controlled by the military and not accessible to outsiders.

By taxi
There are taxis on the island, though you need pretty good Mandarin or Minnan skills to negotiate a rate with the driver. They are also concentrated mostly in the city center, so you can't count on finding one just anywhere. If you can speak Mandarin or Minnan, most of the drivers are quite friendly, so one shouldn't worry about bargaining super hard. Most of them aren't looking to rip you off.

Taxis from the Shuitou wharf to Jincheng city's downtown are NT$250 flat rate, and roughly NT$200 to return to the wharf.

There are a few buses that run around, but they are not frequent and bus stops aren't particularly convenient.

Your own vehicle
Roads in Kinmen are all paved, there are good maps at every village and in every hotel, and navigation apps are mostly accurate. Official road signs are written in both Chinese and English, and are fairly well-placed, but the road network is very extensive and haphazardly laid out, so expect to miss some turns and have to reroute or backtrack. As of July 2022, there also seem to be a lot of road closures that mapping apps don't know about. Some of the "roads" on the mapping apps look more like bicycle paths in real life, but there don't seem to be any strict rules about which vehicles can go where, and locals would presume that scooters (at the very least) are allowed to use them. Beware of high winds, which can strike any time of the year.

By scooter
It's easiest to just rent your own scooter. Your accommodations may be able to arrange this for you, or you can get a 150 cc for about NT$550 per 24 hours at a rental shop. There's one in the airport. There is also a rental place in downtown Jincheng near the northern entrance to Mofan St (模範街). Just as in Taiwan proper, it's illegal to ride a scooter without a scooter or motorcycle license.

Though locals who know the way and aren't interested in stopping anywhere can ride a scooter from one corner of Greater Jinmen island to the opposite corner in about half an hour, expect your travel times to be much longer. Set aside lots of extra time for missed turns, closed roads, and especially for unplanned stops for interesting scenery and attractions. If you're at all interested in military history or historic Chinese architecture, expect getting from one end of the island to the other to end up taking you most of the day.

By bicycle
There are a number of public "K Bike" automated bicycle rental stations (similar to Youbike 1.0 in Taiwan), which are free for the first hour.

Previous visitors said there were bicycles free to borrow for the day at various key locations, such as Zhaishan Tunnel, Jinshui Primary School (金水國小) in Shuitou, the Shuangli Wetlands Area close to Guningtou Battle Museum, Siwei Tunnel on Little Jinmen, as well as various other locations, but it's uncertain whether this is still the case. These rental stations would keep your passport until you return the bicycle, so you would need to be aware of when each rental station closes.

Little Jinmen is particularly great for bike riding as there is a bike path more or less ringing the perimeter of the island (with sections closed as of July 2022), connecting most of the important sights. Greater Jinmen is rather large, and inexperienced cyclists may find the distances to be very intimidating, especially in the extreme heat of the summer or during windy weather (which can happen any time of the year), so plan accordingly.

By boat
Ferries are the only public transportation connecting Greater Kinmen and Lesser Kinmen (Lieyu) islands, at least until the long-delayed Kinmen Bridge is completed.

The ferry leaves every half hour from Shuitou Pier on Greater Jinmen during the day, and takes about 10-15 minutes to cross. As of July 2022, the fare as NT$60 per person plus NT$100 per scooter, each way. Note that scooter space is more limited than passenger space, so bringing a scooter may make you more likely to miss one boat and have to wait for the next one. Tickets can be purchased with cash in the office, but most people use their EasyCard (the same card used on the Taipei Metro and many public transit systems in Taiwan). iPass cards are also accepted, but unlike the EasyCard, you can't add value to them at the ticket office. The boarding process is a bit of a mess - if you're told to park your scooter to the side and wait, get off and stand in line in front of the EasyCard reader machines to avoid losing your place.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was possible to book a public boat from Lesser Kinmen to the Dadan and Erdan islets to the southwest, but as of July 2022 these seem to still be suspended. Due to landings on the islets being sensitive to tidal and weather conditions, we're told that it was necessary to book the boats a week in advance, with cancellations still common in prior to departure.

By bus
Kinmen has a bus service specifically for tourists. Day tickets are NT$200 and include bus rides and guided tours at all destinations (Chinese only). Departure is from the bus station in Kincheng at 08:30 and 13:30. Public buses also go to all parts of the island, including the major sites, the ferry terminal and the airport (red 1 line, 紅一). Buses 7/7A/7B run from the Shuitou Pier, to Shuitou, and finally to Kincheng. Buses 9/10/11 go to the northwest part of the island, particularly the Shuangli Wetland Area and Guningtou Battle Museum. Bus fares are NT$12 or NT$24 for long distances (such as from Kincheng to the eastern half of Kinmen). For Little Kinmen, the fare is NT$10. Understand that buses can be rather infrequent and many do not run late. Also, the bus drivers will skip a station if there is no one waiting there, so press the "get off" button when you want to get off. Kincheng has a major bus station with buses to many parts of the island and also has a very useful tourist office.
 * Line A (morning): to Juguang Tower (莒光樓) and several sites in Shuitou, including traditional architecture, houses by returnees from Southeast Asia (including a Peranakan house) and the Zhaishan tunnels (翟山坑道) an underground navy installation.
 * Line B (afternoon): to Guning, north of Kincheng, to several museums and sites related to military history and the battle of 1949 in particular, and a wildlife museum.
 * Lines C and D start from Shanwai in the east of the island.

See

 * The Wind Lion Gods of Kinmen are unique statues all over the island, you can either see the originals in the villages (this can take some patience and hunting skills) or just go to the new Wind Lion God Park near the ShangYi Airport. They began as simple stones placed at the northeast corners of settlements to ward off evil coming in with the winter seasonal winds. Over time, they developed into brightly-decorated, and slightly humorous, individual lion statues. One of the later trends is to wrap them in red cloth shawls to give them protection from the cold winds.
 * "Republic of China" patriotism nostalgia. All around the island are monuments and giant red inscriptions (in Chinese) containing patriotic slogans, mostly from past decades all oriented around pride in the Nationalists' "Republic of China" as the rightful government of all China, rather than in any separate country of "Taiwan". These may be hard to appreciate if you don't read Chinese though.

Culture and architecture
One of Kinmen's calling cards is its high density of preserved, and often beautifully-restored, historic houses and community temples. These historic buildings (古厝) are a mix of traditional Fujianese styles (with notable differences from Taiwan, such as "saddle"-shaped roofs) and 100-year-old Western-inspired architecture (洋樓) imported by Chinese emigrants returning from European colonies in Southeast Asia. You can find them everywhere, including in downtown Jincheng, but the outer villages (聚落) are much more striking, with large concentrations of restored (or sometimes ruined) old houses and family shrines in the village centers. If you travel around the main island off of the main artery roads, you're sure to run into some of these villages. Many of the old houses are still occupied by families, while others are abandoned, a handful are small museums, and many more have been converted into tourist accomodations (民宿).

Temples
Temples can be found everywhere on Kinmen and Little Kinmen, many of which are very tiny and quaint. They tend to be similar to the ones found in Taiwan, but often with even more spectacular swallowtail roof decorations. Besides the conventional temples dedicated to various Daoist/Buddhist/Chinese folk deities, many of the larger historic "houses" in the outer villages are actually family ancestral shrines.

Nature
Though less famous for nature, Kinmen still has a fair bit of it. The two most proud features are its county bird, the fan-headed Eurasian Hoopoe (rare in Taiwan), which most birdwatchers will be able to find while there, and the Eurasian River Otter, which is also absent from Taiwan proper. You'll have to get really lucky to see a wild otter, but they and the hoopoes are all over the county's tourist souvenirs.
 * The Forest Recreation Area, located along Section3, Huandao East Road, is a multi-purpose area for barbecues, a child playground, botanical gardens, and more.
 * During the winter, flocks of migratory birds come to Kinmen and Little Kinmen to nest. They can be seen and heard at the many lakes and ponds on the islands. The Shuangli Wetlands Area is a good place for information and birdwatching. It's in Nanshan village, very close to Beishan and Guningtou Battle Museum and not too far from Zi Lake (Ci Lake). Buses 9, 10 and 11 go there.
 * Strolling along any of the beaches is quite peaceful and there are two bonus attractions to be seen: crumbling military fortifications and views of Xiamen, especially from the western shore of Little Kinmen or the northwestern shore of Kinmen.

Do

 * Beaches and water sports. In the hot summer months, tourists and locals flock to the Kinmen's beaches, either to play or to dig for clams. One of the major destinations is Oucuo Beach (歐厝沙灘) in the southwest, a huge, wide-open beach of soft, warm-brown sand. There are lots of areas for kids to play in the sand or shallow pools of water, at least during low tide. At low tide you can also see the rusted-out remains of a scrapped battle tank half buried in the sand a ways to the west of the main beach access. Swim at your own risk. Much of Kinmen's coastline is restricted, with no water activities allowed, so check before getting in the water at other sites. Some water sports may be available from tourism operators, such as standup paddleboard (SUP) or windsurfing. There are also swimming competitions in the ocean during the summer.
 * Birdwatching: Birders from Taiwan come to Kinmen to see bird species that are rare in Taiwan proper but common in Mainland China. Besides the county mascot Eurasian Hoopoe, other specialties include Blue-tailed Bee-eaters in the summer, Great Cormorants in the winter, and Pied and White-throated Kingfishers year-round. For beginners, a fun thing to note is that Kinmen's myna birds (visible everywhere) are all indigenous Crested Mynas, while in Taiwan this species has been almost entirely replaced with introduced Javan Myna's and Common Mynas.
 * If you can find all 63 "official" wind lion god statues, the ones that are represented in the park, and present proof to the park office, they will give you a special gift (as of July 2022, there are now over 100 of then on the official map, and we didn't check whether there's still a prize.

Buy
Cleavers are Kinmen's best-known tourist product. They are famous for making excellent quality cleavers; the steel is said to be obtained from the hundreds of thousands of shells that the Communist forces fired at Kinmen, in a failed attempt to take the island away from the Nationalist troops. The most authentic knives and the best place for a factory tour is Maestro Wu's Knives.

It is claimed that a single shell casing can make approximately 60 blades; this is doubtful. Also doubtful is the claim that current blades are made from shell casings, since shelling stopped in the late 1970s.

Finishing quality for cleavers has dropped a lot since the mid-1990s. Even for Maestro Wu's Knife's top selling special-designed cleavers, the words "Made in Kinmen" are barely visible and/or badly engraved. Salespersons were taught to toe the line that "its because the steel's quality is so good that the engraving machine cannot carve the words properly". This is a bad sales tactic and a sorry excuse for a once famous knife brand that was built on quality.

Eat
While Kinmen lacks the high price fancy fare of more populated locales, cheap delicious snack shops are everywhere in the downtown area of Kincheng. Taiwanese favorites such as fried chicken cutlets, fried oyster balls and chow mein can be found without much trouble. Prices average around NT$50 per item which is quite reasonable considering the quality.

Drink
Kinmen is the home Kaoliang liquor (高粱酒), a tequila-like hard liquor that popular all over Taiwan and widely considered to be its national liquor. The factory is located right in the middle of the island, not far from the airport and is hard to miss with its distinctive smell and two two-story liquor bottles guarding the front gates. This is one of the upmarket brands of the widespread Chinese liquor bai jiu, and is often served to visiting foreign dignitaries at state banquets; see Chinese cuisine for background.

Sleep
Prices for stays in Kinmen start from about $600 per person per night in the summer high season. Most of the accomodations are minsu (民宿), something in between a B&B and a small, independent hotel (often misleadingly labeled "homestays"). Many of the mid-range and upper-range ones are located inside beautifully-restored historic houses in Kinmen's outer villages.
 * Visit Kinmen Guest House is a traditional Kinmen old house restored by Kinmen National Park in Shanhou Village, the north east side. Visit Kinmen Guest House provides a place where travelers can stay with a relaxed atmosphere after exploring the beautiful scenery of Kinmen. The guest house has three double rooms for two people and one family room with twin bed that is good for group of four people, rates from NT$1400–2400. Please find us on web for further information.
 * Visit Kinmen Guest House is a traditional Kinmen old house restored by Kinmen National Park in Shanhou Village, the north east side. Visit Kinmen Guest House provides a place where travelers can stay with a relaxed atmosphere after exploring the beautiful scenery of Kinmen. The guest house has three double rooms for two people and one family room with twin bed that is good for group of four people, rates from NT$1400–2400. Please find us on web for further information.

Stay safe
Though formal hostilities with the PRC ended by the early 1980s, Kinmen is still very much a front line area. Visitors are strongly advised not to wander off paved roads when exploring the island due to the possibility of running across old unmarked minefields. It is also advisable to avoid traveling to certain sensitive areas after dark, such as coastal areas or areas near military installations. Visitors should also obey all orders given by military personnel and avoid entering or photographing sensitive areas.

Respect
Most Kinmenese identify as "Kinmense" or "Chinese" rather than "Taiwanese". As such, in Kinmen, labelling the locals "Taiwanese" could sometimes cause offense (though as always, there are also many locals who don't mind or who call themselves that). While you are in Kinmen, try not to refer to the Republic of China as a whole as "Taiwan". To be safe, call the country "Republic of China", and use "Taiwan" only to refer to the island of Taiwan. Likewise, call the local dialect "Kinmenese", "Min Nan", or "Quemoy" rather than "Taiwanese".

Political issues, especially Taiwan independence, are best avoided. Although most residents of the island are strongly opposed to Taiwanese independence, that does not mean they support the People's Republic of China government in Beijing; they are proud citizens of the Taiwan-based Republic of China.

Go next
There are two choices; Taiwan is easily reached by plane, and Xiamen in mainland China is accessible by ferry (as of February 2023, may only be taken by Kinmen residents). To go to Xiamen, holders of most passports need to already have a Chinese visa; there is no office to issue them on Kinmen.

title: Kinmen


text:
Kinnigoli

Kinnigoli is a city of 17,000 people (2011) in Dakshina Kannada. It is a major suburb in the outskirts of Mangalore Tehsil (Mangalore Township) about 32 km from Mangalore City.

Get in
Kinnigoli is a small but important town and can be reached from almost all important towns in the Dakshina Kannada district. It is about 60 minutes by road from Mangalore to where a number of buses ply in 5 minutes average. From Mulky which is about 20 minutes by road and also the nearest railway station, the bus services are once in half an hour. The Holy town of Kateel is about 4 km away and connected very well with frequent buses. The Mangalore airport (Bajpe) is 11 km away and can be reached within half an hour. From Kinnigoli busstand one can get buses to virtually just about anywhere in the Dakshina Kannada district involving just one change in between.

Kinnigoli now has all the prominent telecom companies providing their services. Weekly market held on Wednesday still retains its significance in this era of malls by offering those precious items which Kinnigolians are used to and no malls are capable of serving. For a town of its size, Kinnigoli has amazing number of banks, bakeries, bars and barbers.

Get around
There are plenty of auto rickshaws available in Kinnigoli busstandwhich will take you anywhere you wish. Fares are reasonable. There are taxis also in front of Durga Daya just before you enter the bus stand, most of them are ever-reliable Ambassador cars. If you are a big group and want to tour around Kinnigoli, you can hire mini buses or vans. For transporting goods, there are mini tempos, canters and lorries available.

See
The main attraction of Kinnigoli is nature. A small town surrounded by lush green scenery, gushing streams and jungles around, the eco-diversity of the place has been maintained due to the caring attitude of the local populace. For the adventurous there are trekking trails through which one can trek to Mulky, Kateel, Mangalore, Suratkal and other places. There are plenty of swaying coconut palms, toddy palms and other types of trees all the way. There are two religious places worth visiting in Kinnigoli: One is the Sri Rama Mandir, established even before independence by the GSB community and other is the Our Lady of Immaculate conception Church of Roman Catholic community which also has a chequered history. Additionally the famous temples of Lord Venkataramana at Mulki is just 8 km away and that of Sri Durgaparameshwari temple just 3 km distant. Other temples in the vicinity include Punaroor temple (2 km) from Kinnigoli and Bappanad close to Mulky (8 km away) Every Thursday, the local market comes alive with various types of vendors trading in fish, local produce, vegetables and dry fish. A yoga kendra is located couple of kilometres from the bus stand which offers various types of courses as well as naturotherapy treatments.

In addition, there are small hamlets like Golijora, Rajaratnapuram, Padmanoor, Punarooru, Shibarooru, Kuttettor, and Kilenjur which are basically clusters of people engaged in agriculture. The morning walks in the largely undisturbed jungles of Tudam among the lap of the nature is really soothing. In winter months, usually in December–January, buffalo racing competition called "Kambala" is held in the water filled, post harvest, rice fields named "Kaantabare-Boodabare" in Aikala, just about 3 km from Kinnigol which attracts hordes of spectators including tourists. The competition attracts well fed and trained water buffaloes from round the district and gold medallions along with cash are awarded as prizes. Keen competition and fighting spirit of the buffaloes, trainers and their owners is to be seen to be felt.

Kinnigoli can be called a truly education centre. There is a primary school called St Marys Higher Primary School near the main church, which offers vernacular education up to 7th standard. Marywale convent offers English Co ed up to 8th standard whereas Little Flower High School offers Co ed up to 12th standard. Additional Pompeii Junior College in Talipady has classes from 8th to 12th with choices in Arts, Humanities, Science and Computer education. Nearby located is the Pompeii College which offers undergraduate courses of BCom and BA only. Vijaya College in Mulki (8 km) offers BSc course also in addition. There is also a Rotary English medium school in a place called Moorukaveri (where roads from Kateel, Moodabidri and Belman converge, hence "Mooru" or "Three" in local lingo)which offers education up to 10th standard. For further choices in English medium one can also try Narayanaguru English medium school in Mulky. The literacy levels in Kinnigoli is almost 100% compared to the national average of 50% or so.

There is a regular Kannada monthly called "Yugapurusha" published from Kinnigoli because of which Kinnigoli appears in the newspapers regularly. Thanks to its founder publisher and eminent scholar late Sri K A Udupa, this publication and its exploits have become household news. Various cultural activities and social welfare schemes are held regularly in the publications cultural hall. It has become the epicentre of all cultural activities in Kinnigoli and surrounding areas. The publication also conducts regular literary activities and meets in its premises, bringing in many well known faces of Kannada art, literature and known men of letters to Kinnigoli giving vent the intellectual pursuits of the average Kinnigolian. The exploits of Sri Uduapa are being continued by his son and present Editor of Yugapurusha, Sri Bhuvanabhiram Udupa, in great style and finesse.

The other facet for which Kinnigoli is known for is its "Unity and diversity". Despite the presence of various religious groups like Hindus, Catholics and Muslims and proliferations of languages from Kannada, Tulu, Konkani and Barry language (an offshoot of Malayalam), Kinnigoli has been free from any communal tension over the years. Each community supports and in some cases actively encourage the religious activities of the other without any bias.

Due to the large number of Kinnigolians working abroad particularly in the middle east, there has been a large influx of foreign remittances to the small city. With a result, one can find a large number of stylish mansions and bungalows along the roads leading in and out of kinnigoli. However, despite the building boom, the ecosystem has been carefully preserved by taking care to see that trees are not destroyed and overall green cover remains untouched. As a result, the place still retains its green cover and eco-friendly habitat. For this one has to mainly thank the enterprising Catholics who have been in the forefront of ensuring the preservation of this ecosystem in and around their lovely Mangalore tiled homes.

There are hardly any employment avenues in Kinnigoli and hence the well educated and qualified young men tend to migrate to cities like Mumbai and Bangalore or overseas looking for greener pastures.The main business activity is agriculture, trading and running shops. However, the booming real estate sector is providing opportunities to skilled workers. However it has also led to influx of immigrants from North Karnataka, Kerala and other parts of the country looking for employment since most skilled local population is abroad. This is also leading into some sort of a shift in the demographic structure of the population though in a minor scale and also some resentment about "outside" influence. This has also created a peculiar situation wherein only the very young and very old are residing in the place whereas the cream of the youth is employed elsewhere and the economy is sustained by overseas remittances. For a city of such a small size, practically every known public sector bank like Canara, Syndicate, State Bank of India, Corporation bank have a presence here with their coffers overflowing with Non Resident Indian deposits running into hundreds of millions of Rupees. In addition there are a couple of Cooperative banks and a Catholic bank branch also.

The people of Kinnigoli are fiercely proud of their small little place, so much so that Governments proposal to include whole or parts of the city in a proposed multibillion-dollar mammoth Petrochemical Industrial Region (PCPIR) is being met with stiff resistance. Protest meetings have already been organised and every possible action to prevent acquisition of the agricultural and other land by the promoters of the PCPIR is being contemplated. Due to this fact it is unlikely that this city will see any organised industrial activity in the near future. The major industry which are close to Kinnigoli is a huge 8 million ton refinery of MRPL (Mangalore Refiners and Petrochemicals Ltd) just about 5 km distant as the crow flies. There is also a small scale industry called Canara lamps which produces electric lamps, fittings and fixtures about 3 km from Kinnigoli. On the small scale, there are some rice mills which mill the local produce, mainly rice, and pack them for marketing locally or for selling in Mangalore markets. Employment in these rice mills is limited to unskilled manual labour only.Most of the population is engaged in agriculture. However, non availability of manpower, high costs of labour, lack of irrigation facilities and ageing population are ensuring that less and less of the land is being cultivated. The yields are also falling due to indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers. The main crop is rice which is the staple food. Semi dry or "Kumeri" irrigation is also resorted to for growing sweet potatoes and fresh vegetables.

Do
To be frank, there is nothing much to do in Kinnigoli except laze around and watch the life pass by unless you are a nature lover who likes to live the life on the wild side. There are plenty of trails leading into the jungles for the backpackers and for the advenurous. One can finish roaming around the town in about 2 hours. However, the main street and the busstand where most of the shops are located are beehives of activity. On Thursdays, the weekly market day, the market is filled with vendors who sell a variety of local produce. The betel leaf or "paan" sold in kinnigoli is quite famous around the place and in great demand. The vegetables grown locally and sold in the market are also much sought after for their freshness. As a form of entertainment earlier, regular "cockfights" used to be organised which I think have stopped now. One can also try the famous Prabhu snuff (flavoured tobacco powder which is snorted in small quantities). The jaggery made by hard boiling of the toddy (fermented secretion from toddy palm) is known for its nutritional values.

Buy
Betel leaf, local vegetables, jaggery made from fermented secretions from the toddy palm, snuff, etc.

Eat
Since the local population has sizeable number of Roman Catholics and Hindus, one can try both vegetarian and Non vegetarian food in Kinnigoli though the choice of eateries is fairly restricted. Only a couple places serve north Indian dishes, otherwise all eateries and restaurants serve typically south Indian food. For authentic Goan food one has to look for a Catholic friend for pork and other dishes. Bithul Bar & Restaurant serves Christian delicacies. Rakthi & Dukra maas also is available in Bithul. Sri Ganesh Bhavan is a well known place with a long-standing reputation. In the bus stand there are few more hotels. Hotel Abhinandan offers Air conditioned comfort and good choice of food. Hotel Durgadaya in the busstand offers ice cream and cold drinks in addition. In the last decade a new breed of eateries called "Bar and Restaurants" have sprouted everywhere. Here you can find choices of Indian brand beers and IMFL (Indian-made foreign liquor) which consist of whiskey, rum, vodka, brandy etc. along with food. Among non-vegetarian stuff, fish is very popular followed by chicken with the Bunt community specialising in some mouth-licking delicacies like "Kori Roti". Shilpa Shetty, who is a member of this community, was a winner of the Big Brother competition in UK one year, which made her an international celebrity overnight. She hails from a village close to Kinnigoli. The Catholics however prefer pork and beef in addition to the fish and Muslims sticking to beef and mutton (goat meat). Other notables from Bunt community like Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, a renowned heart surgeon of international repute also was born and brought up in Kinnigoli.

The staple food here is rice, particularly what is known as "parboiled rice". This is prepared by parboiling the paddy in huge containers in the rice mills and then drying in the open sun. Once dried, the rice is dehusked and then packed into straw bundles which weigh up to 30 kg, called as "Mudi" and stored. Such rice is usually stored for longer time in rice silos made again of straw and cemented with cow dung (yes cow dung) from outside. Aged rice is favoured for its taste and flavor compared to the fresh produce. In olden days the milling and dehusking of the rice used to be done manually usually by ladies by pounding the rice on stone containers with wooden sticks. Such milling used to preserve the nutritious content of the rice and considered a healthy practice. These days mechanisation has taken over and most rice is milled in the rice mills by machines. However, it is rare to find "Mudi" these days (which is one of most eco friendly was of storing and transporting rice) since gunny bags made of plastic or jute have replaced since they are cheap, easy to fill and transport. Rice dishes like Dosa (pancake made with a batter of powdered rice and lentils fermented overnight allowing it to rise, idli (steam cooked rice cakes) and vegetable curries are usually consumed for breakfast like in rest of South India. However, each community have their own signature dishes for the special occasions, festivals and Church feasts. Tea is the favoured drink mixed with cream and liberally sweetened with sugar. Coffee made in the similar manner is another favourite.

Drink
Arrack or government liquor is sold through selected outlets. Handful of Bars and a Wine shop near busstand serve the demands of not only Kinnigolians, but people all around. Toddy about which mention has been made elsewhere is banned by the government and no more served. Among non alcoholic drinks there is majjige, a cool milk drink, sherbet, local made sodas and juices are also available.

Sleep

 * Hotel Durgadaya in the bus stand. No a/c rooms. Decent accommodation, linen and clean bathrooms, room service.

title: Kinnigoli


text:
Kinnitty

Kinnity is a village in County Offaly, 13 km east of Birr. In Irish Cionn Eitigh means "the head of Etech", a mythical princess whose head is supposedly buried here, and the rest who knows where. The population (as of 2016) is only 381 but Kinnitty does have accommodation; the main reason to visit is to hike in the Slieve Bloom Mountains.

Get in
Slieve Bloom Coach 841 runs three times M-Sa from Tullamore via Kilcormac to Kinnitty (30 min), Cadamstown, Clonaslee, Rosenallis and Mountmellick.

Local Link Bus 911 makes one run on Friday morning from Kinnitty to Birr, 35 min, and returns early afternoon.

By road from Dublin follow M7 to Portlaoise, then R445 / 440 over the mountains to Kinnitty. You could also take M6 to Tullamore, N52 to Kilcormac then the lane south.

Get around
You'll need wheels to reach the mountain trailheads.

Bike hire is available from Mid Ireland Adventure in village centre. They're open daily 10:00-18:00.

See

 * behind St Finian's Church of Ireland church is a burial crypt for the Bernard family, former owners of the castle. Standing 10 m high, it was built in 1834, with the last burial in 1907.
 * Kinnitty Castle or Castle Bernard is now an upmarket hotel, see Sleep. Non-residents can still visit the High Cross, which is all that's left of St Finnian's monastery. It's 2.4 m tall: the carvings are 9th century though the cross may be much older. It's reached by a path from the castle car park. The castle is from 1811, was torched in 1922 but reconstructed.
 * is a village 6 km northeast on R421 when the road crosses the gorge of the Silver River. St Lughna's Church (Roman Catholic), built in 1842 on the site of a 9th century abbey, has a medieval inscribed grave slab, a 12th century decorated animal head and a human face. The tumbledown Old Morrow's Mill is from 1830. An ancient drystone bridge, perhaps 500 years old, just-about-stands north of the R421 crossing: it's reached by a muddy riverside path 1 km from the village. No trace remains of Cadamstown Castle, though its stone may have been re-used for the mill.
 * 4 km upriver from Cadamstown is a megalithic tomb. Nothing to see but eight large boulders, you come for the riverside walk.
 * is on the main road between Tullamore and Birr. The main sight is the RC Church of the Nativity, built in 1867 but with a remarkable 16th-century Pieta carved from a solid block of oak.
 * is a village 5 km southwest on R421. There's the scrappy remains of an Augustinian priory, with Round Tower, turret and High Cross all sadly truncated, and earthworks from a prehistoric ring fort. Nearby is a Holy Well and "rag tree": people dip scraps of clothing in the water, wipe the afflicted body part then pin the scraps to the bush in hope of cures or blessings. These ensue just as often with charity shop tat and knickers made in China as ever they did with traditional garb.
 * Leap Castle is another 5 km along R421, see Roscrea.

Do

 * Hiking and climbing in the Slieve Bloom Mountains: see separate description.
 * Offaly Way is a 37-km lowland trail from Cadamstown north to Lemanaghan.

Buy

 * De Cleir's is the village store in Kinnitty.
 * Kilcormac has a Centra open M-Sa 8AM-8:30PM, Su 9AM-6PM.

Eat

 * Peavoys is a pleasant old-style cafe doing sandwiches, burgers and the like. They're in Kinnitty village centre and open daily 08:00-16:00.
 * Kinnitty Castle is the place for fine dining, see Sleep.

Drink

 * Slieve Bloom Brewing Company is a microbrewery founded in 2018 within the bar. They produce a stout, red ale and IPA.
 * Downey's
 * Dan and Molly's is a traditional thatched pub in Ballyboy 1 km east of Kilcormac. Dooley's is on N52 through the village.
 * Downey's
 * Dan and Molly's is a traditional thatched pub in Ballyboy 1 km east of Kilcormac. Dooley's is on N52 through the village.

Connect
As of April 2021, there's a mobile signal from Eir and Three in Kinnitty, and all along the road from Birr and onward to Cadamstown. There's no signal with Vodafone. 5G has reached Birr but hasn't extended into the countryside.

Go next

 * Birr is a well-preserved old town with a giant Victorian telescope.
 * Tullamore is best known for its two whiskey distilleries.
 * Roscrea has a castle and many other ancient buildings.
 * Pyramids: if you want to see more, the obvious place to go is Arklow on the Wicklow coast.

title: Kinnitty


text:
Kinsale

Kinsale (Cionn tSáile, "head of the brine") is a small harbour in County Cork, Southwest Ireland. It's 25 km south of Cork city, at the mouth of the River Bandon, and in 2016 had a population of 5281. It's a tourist resort, popular for angling and sailing, and has a concentration of gourmet restaurants.

Understand
Kinsale is a small sheltered harbour in the estuary of the river Bandon. It's popular with amateur sailors and sea-anglers, but is too small for ocean-going ships. But in bygone centuries with small craft, it was well-positioned for trade with France and Spain - and for dodging the attention of English warships patrolling the western Channel.

By 1600 the English controlled most of Ireland but the O'Neills of Ulster remained the last Irish opposition. They called for support from the Catholic continent and Spain weighed in. Several naval expeditions were beset by storms but in 1601 they managed to land troops at Kinsale - the wrong end of the country to help the O'Neills. They became bottled up there so the Irish marched south to join them and break the English siege. They were routed in the battle of 24 Dec 1601; the Spanish remained besieged for three months then surrendered, and were allowed to sail home. Irish rule was broken.

Another continental caller in 1689 was King James II & VII, ousted from the English throne but strongly supported in Ireland. He landed at Kinsale with French troops and marched north, to be beaten at the Battle of the Boyne. He scarpered down to Wexford then to Kinsale where he fled to France, leaving his Irish supporters to fight and die for a lost cause. So in terms of regnal number, that made him James II of England and Wales, VII of Scotland, and Séamus an Chaca of Ireland — "James the Shit".

In 1703 a band of privateers left Kinsale to attack Spanish shipping, and among them was Alexander Selkirk. After a year of storms and battles in the Pacific his ship was in a bad way, and he declared he'd rather be put ashore than continue in it. The captain left him on what we now call Robinson Crusoe Island, and sailed on to have the ship sink under him. Selkirk spent five years as a castaway, and altogether had a more lurid life than the mercantile hero of Daniel Defoe's novel.

The English built up their navy facilities here but Kinsale harbour was too small for late-18th century vessels, let alone the metal steamers of the Victorian age, thanks to the sandbar at its entrance and the rocks known as "The Sovereign's Bollocks". So it was never a major port of emigration, and didn't attract industry and development; the navy base moved to Cork. This means that Kinsale's higgledy-piggledy narrow old streets have been preserved, lined by colourful houses.

The Tourist Information Office is by the main town car park and bus stop on Pier Rd. It's open Tu-Sa 9AM-5PM.

Get in
See Cork for long distance options by rail, sea and air. Bus Éireann 226 runs hourly daily from Cork railway station, Parnell Place bus station and Cork airport, taking an hour to Kinsale. (Bus 226A only goes as far as the airport.) A standard single is €10, it's cheaper with a Leap card.

Local Link Bus 253 runs from Clonakilty via Timoleague and Ballinspittle to Kinsale. There are 5 M-Sa and 3 on Sunday.

By car from Cork take N27 towards the airport then R600 to Kinsale. From Bandon, take N71 towards Inishannon, then R605 to Kinsale.

at the foot of Market Square is also the turnaround stop for the buses.

Get around
Walking should get you everywhere.

Local taxi companies are Kinsale Cabs +353 21 470 6853, and Cab 3000 +353 21 477 3000.

See

 * Town centre has colourful narrow streets.

Further out

 * The Sovereign Islands are a pair of sea-stacks seen from the headland south of Charles Fort. They're a nature reserve and boats may not land, not that they could.
 * Old Head of Kinsale is a spade-shaped headland 15 km southwest of town. The Signal Tower (daily 10AM-5PM), built in Napoleonic times, is a small museum with memorabilia of the Lusitania. In the tower's grounds is a very moving memorial to the 1198 victims of the sinking of the ship, 12 miles off the head, in 1915. On the "blade" of the headland are a ruined 13th-century de Courcey castle and a lighthouse. The head, beyond the ruins of the castle tower, is privately owned and occupied by the Old Head Golf Links. Since the current owner bought the head in the early 1990s, and despite public protest and failed court cases, there has been no public access to it.
 * Garretstown and Garrylucas are beaches west of the head. They're exposed, so they get surf, but may be too rough for family bathing.
 * The Wild Atlantic Way starts at the Old Head. Follow it west on R604; at Ballinspittle the "castle" is just a grassy mound. Keep west on R600 to Timoleague. The headland and coast beyond are described under Clonakilty; only another 2400 km to go to reach the other end in Donegal.

Eat
There's enough cheap and cheerful places, but for a small town Kinsale has a surprising number of excellent gourmet places.

Drink
Blacks of Kinsale distil gin, whiskey and rum, and brew a range of ales. The distillery doesn't offer tours, but you can sample their product at pubs around town.

Connect
As of March 2023, Kinsale has 4G from Eir and Three, and 5G from Vodafone. The signal is patchy on the approach roads through the countryside.

Go next

 * Cork city needs several days to explore, and another 8 km northwest is the famous castle at Blarney.
 * Cobh and Crosshaven near Cork are small ports like Kinsale, but they'll feel very busy and urban by comparison.

title: Kinsale


text:
Kinshasa

Kinshasa is the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It faces Brazzaville, the capital of the neighbouring Republic of the Congo, which can be seen in the distance across the wide Congo River. While sprawling, chaotic and often intimidating, Kinshasa is also a major cultural and intellectual center for Central Africa with a flourishing community of musicians and artists.

Understand
Called Leopoldville after King Leopold II of Belgium during colonial rule, and was re-named to its current name in 1966.

Kinshasa has the largest population of any city proper in Africa with a population of almost 15 million (2020), and ranks as its third largest metropolitan area after Cairo and Lagos. It is also declares itself as the largest French-speaking city in the world, you will find that most people's French is far less than fluent (by any other measure, it still ranks second behind the Paris urban area). After decades of armed conflicts imposed by neighbouring countries, the infrastructures of the once leading modern African city are now being remarkably restored. Chinese companies are involved in numerous projects of reconstruction throughout the city.

Climate
Like other cities close to the Equator, Kinshasa's climate is defined by a dry and a wet season. The dry season stretches from June to September, and in these months the temperature is also a few degrees lower than throughout the rain season.

By plane
Kinshasa's N'djili International Airport used to have a terrible reputation for corrupt officials asking for bribes. They have improved things and it is quite manageable. Just follow everyone else and try not to look like a tourist. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is essential. When flying into Kinshasa, be careful not to lose your luggage tag stub, which you need to show to prove that your luggage is yours. Watch out for being mobbed by volunteer 'helpers' once you are outside the airport, who will want to carry your bags in return for tips. When you return to the airport to leave, you can not drive your car or take a cab onto the airport property without paying for parking or access US$5-10. When departing from the airport, a fee of US$55 must be paid (a receipt is issued) before entering the terminal. Visitors are allowed to go with you into the terminal if they pay a US$10 fee. Many travel companies offer, what locals call, protocol, providing assistance in navigating the arrival process and assisting you in collecting luggage and passing the contrôle des douanes.

When leaving, after passing through a security check, you enter the departures area at the airport which has duty free and an Eric Kayser as well as a Brussels Airlines lounge and a VIP and diplomatic lounge - each has their own access policy. When boarding the flight the final time, your departure tax receipts will be verified by the authorities, your passport checked, and you will pass a final security check before boarding the bus to the plane waiting. It should be noted that you cannot bring water past this final security check towards the aircraft as your bags and person will be checked once more.

A taxi into town will probably cost you US$30-50, and usually has no air conditioning. It is an hour's drive into the centre of Kinshasa. Another option is to get a shuttle offered by one of the travel companies on the right outside the arrivals door. However, the best option is facilitating transportation from local contacts and arranging a chauffeur/private driver to pick you up at the airport.

By train
The railway of Congo covered the entire country during colonial times, but has deteriorated. There is a long-distance passenger service from Matadi once a week (7½ hours, around US$15 for crowded second class and US$65 for "deluxe class" as of early 2021), the country's chief sea port on the Congo River and gateway from Angola 300 km away. It's one of the faster passenger trains in central Africa. Tickets are usually only able to be bought the day of travel shortly before the train arrives and can prove to be difficult to get.

By car
Apart from the road Matadi to Kinshasa a car is no means for overland travel. You might be successful with a 4x4 in the upper northern region (Bangassou - Nia Nia - Isiro) and maybe the axis Kinshasa - Lumumbashi. All other towns are accessible only by air transport or boat.

By boat
You can arrive by boat from Brazzaville, if you have a visa. There are speed boats that go quickly for a limited number of people, or you can take the barge with local merchants if you have time. Ask to go to, which is the ferry terminal.

Get around
The city bus system pales in comparison to the "taxi" system that has risen organically to serve the needs of the people of Kinshasa.

Essentially, these taxis are small buses. They run set routes between embarkation points that are the "stops". The cost between these various points is usually around 350 francs. If one's destination is through multiple points, different taxis will need to be boarded to complete the route, making the system take a good deal of time during busy traffic hours.

People waiting at the stops will move their hands in a variety of gestures to signal which direction they are going. A taxi will then stop and pick up someone if they are going in the same direction and have space in the taxi.

This system works well for the locals. For visitors and foreigners, it can be quite difficult as one needs to know the hand signs, have knowledge of the routes, be ready to sit in cramped, hot vehicles with many other people, and deal with the potential dangers of these vehicles as many are barely road-worthy. Traveling through this manner absolutely requires local help for those unfamiliar with the system. One will also have to speak French or Lingala as the drivers do not speak English.

There are also traditional taxis for hire. They are available for single runs or can be hired by the day. This can be a tricky business and should be handled with care (especially at the airport) as there are those will take people to remote locations and rob them. Again, help from a local is best or using drivers that others in the area have past experience with and trust. Rates for these taxis vary widely and if one does not appear to be of African descent, there will also be an automatic premium added.

Hiring a private chauffeur is in common practice for many foreigners in Kinshasa during their stay. Private taxi service can also be arranged by local travel agencies.

The local official bus service, Transco, runs large buses that provide Urban, interurban, and scholarly transportation across the city-province with a network of 33 lines, frequently used by commuting locals.

See

Do

 * A barbecue on a sandbank on the Congo River is a must. Renting a boat for a day with a driver and all the gear (tables, chairs, a suntent and a barbecue) costs around US$150 at the Yacht Club Kinshasa. The boat can take 8 people, so if you share the cost it is quite affordable. A truly unforgettable experience if you don't forget the meat and the Primus.
 * The Association Belgo-Congolais (ABC) rents out videos (VHS and DVD).
 * Go for a walk/jog along the river in front of the British and German embassies.
 * Go to church on a Sunday morning like most of the locals do.
 * Go out to eat at one of the many restaurants, cafes, bars, and night clubs, live it up like a local.

Learn
Lingala is the local language spoken in this region beyond French. Learning a bit goes a long way to befriending locals.

Lingala is spoken almost exclusively by locals as the lingua franca is French. There is extremely limited knowledge of languages other than French and Lingala (and other tribal and local languages such as Swahili). The government and business sector all operates in French and most people in Kinshasa speak French, especially in the commune of Gombe (the business district), and surrounding communes (I.e. Ngaliema, Kintambo, Ngiri-Ngiri, etc.)

Buy

 * Don't forget to get some arts in (market of value), sometimes called marché des voleurs (thieves' market). Be prepared to haggle and don't pay the initial asking price that will be at least 60-75% over the final price if not more. For some more upscale art you can go to the Academie des Beaux Arts on Avenue Pierre Mulele (formerly Avenue 24 Novembre) or to Symphonie des Arts: towards Kintambo on the Boulevard du 30 Juin, turn right after the elephant when you see the barrier on your right, then it's on your left hand across from the big colonial villa. A more time consuming but far more interesting and personal way to get to know the artists of the country would be to visit their private studios. Prices are high even there for paintings of Lema Kusa, Henri Kalama or Nshole, but worth every penny considering the quality of their works and their international prestige.
 * A more relaxed and fun way to buy street art is to have a beer at . It is on the street off the boulevard 30 Juin towards Justice off the INSS building. Sit at a table and have a drink (Primus is recommended) and the artists will come and show all kinds of artworks all the time. The same rule on negotiating applies as at Marché des valeurs.

The good supermarkets are the following:
 * . Good vegetables and all dry goods that you can find in Belgium.
 * Expresse located on the boulevard, a little off from Peloustore. Here you can find good vegetables and the best "charcuterie", cold cut meat.
 * If you turn on the corner of Expresse, you will see this large supermarket on your left hand. It has the best bread in the city. Alternatively across from it you will find excellent bread (and more) in Patisserie Nouvelle, which also has good possibilities of lunch.

Money
The US dollar is the prevalent currency for most transactions of any significant quantity. Payment in US dollars for a purchase will likely return change to you in US dollars for denominations greater than $5-10. Lesser amounts, and any remainder, will be paid in Congolese francs.

Though the Central Bank sets an official conversion rate from the Congolese Franc to the US Dollar, each business can set their own rate as well during inflation, referred to as the taux or taux du jour. This can be far higher at certain establishments, such as at the airport.

Local street vendors operate almost exclusively in Congolese francs.

Credit cards are not widely accepted so don't count on them to keep you afloat. Only major hotels (for example, The Memling) and some supermarkets will accept them (if there are no connectivity issues).

Cash can be withdrawn from the Pro Credit Bank with a valid international Visa ATM card. Denominations are distributed in USD and/or francs. Ensure that you have notified your bank of your intentions to travel in order to ensure seamless and unhindered use of foreign ATMs.

Eat
There are lots of restaurants for expatriates, where you can pay in dollars but they are very expensive. Don't be surprised to pay up to US$20 for a pizza (and $40 at the hotel for one).

Budget

 * Al Dar, near the hotel Memling. A Lebanese restaurant in the city centre. A shwarma sandwich runs about US$3, and they have taboule, hummus and desserts as well.

There are many cheap roadside stalls, primarily outside Gombe.

 * La Bloque, Bandalungwa. One of the better known roadside stalls.
 * Mama Colonel, Bandal. An excellent restaurant. The menu has only 4 items - chicken, fish, fries and plantain - but they are barbecued to perfection.

Mid-range
The freshwater prawns from the Congo River are incredible - called Cossa Cossa on menus (as distinct from imported saltwater prawns which are Gambas) - generally served with a garlic and chili (pili-pili) butter sauce. A plate of these costs around US$25-40, depending where you eat.
 * Marie Kabuang – A bit difficult to find on the first floor of the Sultani Hotel (Avenue de la Justice), but totally renewed restaurant. Very stylish and modern. Breakfast and lunch (international food) for only US$15, guarantee for a fast service, excellent taste.
 * Cercle Elaeis/La Paillotte. Traditional and international food. Outdoor dining with view on the pool. Expensive but great country-club type setting. Packed with visiting expats and Lebanese families hanging by the pool on weekends.
 * La Piscine. Outdoor tables arranged around a swimming pool-great settings and mediocre food for US$40-50 if you restrained yourself. Greek items and pizza as well as the usual dishes.
 * Pizerria Opoeta and Greg's bar: on the road towards the golf course: closest thing to an international pub. Good pizzas. Excellent seafood thanks to the Portuguese proprietors.
 * Mangoustan restaurant at the Memling Hotel: M-F it serves lunch buffet for US$40 with a large variety of Belgian and international dishes, and on Wednesday evening offers a lavish cheese and charcuterie buffet for $40 with a varying wine-by-the glass selection. Good value. Safe parking facilities. Reservations advisable.

Splurge
The more expensive restaurants are in Gombe.

 * Chez Gaby. Portuguese-style. Frequented by the upper class - the food is varied and excellent and if you want to splash out, there are imported items such as foie gras and European wines.
 * Chez Gaby. Portuguese-style. Frequented by the upper class - the food is varied and excellent and if you want to splash out, there are imported items such as foie gras and European wines.
 * Chez Gaby. Portuguese-style. Frequented by the upper class - the food is varied and excellent and if you want to splash out, there are imported items such as foie gras and European wines.
 * Chez Gaby. Portuguese-style. Frequented by the upper class - the food is varied and excellent and if you want to splash out, there are imported items such as foie gras and European wines.

Drink
Local beer: Turbo King is a darker beer, regular lagers are Primus (which some consider is the best local beer, brewed by the local Heineken brewery) and Skol. European Mutzig comes in smaller bottles. A bit more expensive, and slightly harder to find as it is brewed in Lubumbashi by Simba Breweries, is Tembo, a tasty amber ale preferred by locals and expats. Tembo garners the highest ranking for a DRC beer on ratebeer.com. Lots of expensive French and South African wine available in restaurants and supermarkets. Portuguese costs as little as $3 a bottle at grocery stores catering to expats (Peloustore, Express, etc.).

Kinshasa becomes alive most nights when residents head to Matonge, a place filled with dancing bars, restaurants and night clubs. Lately Bandal and Bonmarche are the more popular "quartiers" to visit the local bars and "discotheques". Go to a local nightclub and learn how to dance Congolese rhythms. Get ready to shake your booty! For those that prefer to stay in Gombe, the following offer good possibilities:

Hotel bars are popular with expats and usually have live music several nights a week.

Water
Do not drink from the tap. Bottled water is readily available. Also, when cleaning your teeth use bottled water.

Sleep
Accommodation in Kinshasa can be very expensive. A consequence of the past problems mean that many organisations only recognise two hotels as having international standards. So the Memling and the Grand have a virtual monopoly. Prices of these two can be in excess of $300 per night plus breakfast. Now a new luxury Hotel called Hotel Royal has opened. Modern boutique hotel with all amenities inclusive.

Connect
Plenty of cyber cafes exist, so don't worry about staying connected.

Purchasing a local SIM card is easy at many locations through the city, such as at Pullman Grand Hotel which have Airtel, Orange, and Vodacom stores.

Stay healthy
Don't drink the local water. Bottled water seems to be cheap enough but sometimes hard to find for a good price. The best way is if you are staying in an upscale hotel that provides it with the room just tip the housekeeping staff to get extra bottles put in your room (usually if you tell them while giving them the money that works the best, and after the first 2 days of asking for the water you usually don't have to worry about telling them anymore, just give them the $5 a day).

Make sure you have all required vaccinations, i.e. yellow fever, typhoid, etc.

Mosquitoes can be a problem in all the city. Malaria medication should be taken.

Stay safe
It is strongly recommended that you have someone with you at all times that is a local (besides while being in your hotel). Taxi drivers will usually stay with you too when going to local shops and making quick stops and will serve as your translator if you get a good one. Be careful with any equipment you have with you such as digital cameras and video equipment. Be careful also of what you take pictures of. Even if they say no photos only at the airport and of government buildings, a lot of times the police and UN people will get upset if you are taking videos at other places where it is supposed to be ok to do. Just be sure to have plenty of locals with you that know what they are doing and can provide security and a way out if you get stuck or in trouble. Follow their advice and pay attention when out and about. When in doubt about taking a photo of something don't until you get very clear instructions that it is ok. Don't keep cameras in open view unless you've been cleared to take a photo (which is just like taking a photo to them it seems). Also be equally prepared for hostility and positive reactions when taking photos.

When travelling by car, always lock all the doors before you set off, as it is not uncommon for opportunist thieves to try to open them and snatch belongings. For the same reason, keep bags and valuables out of reach and out of sight.

If you are approached by people claiming to be police, be wary. If they are not in uniform, they are probably not police but are most likely hoping to relieve you of your money and valuables. A common tactic is for a group of men in a car to show a fake police identity card and ask you to go with them to the police station. Do not get in the car; just walk away. Be prepared to run. Never lose your temper, but keep negotiating in a friendly way; in the end, they will give up.

Road scams include a group of fake police officers in an unmarked 4x4 vehicle that will pull over unsuspecting people driving alone in cars, then forcibly take them in to their vehicle, drive them out to the country, rob them of everything and leave them stranded. While the main targets have been UN staff in obvious white UN vehicles, all foreigners driving should be wary of this group or others operating like them. For general safety, you should never drive alone in a vehicle, especially after dark.

Cope
BBC World Service radio broadcast in English, French and Swahili in Kinshasa on 92.6MHz.

Embassies

 * 🇧🇪 Belgium
 * 🇧🇷 Brazil
 * 🇨🇦 Canada
 * 🇹🇩 Chad
 * 🇨🇺 Cuba
 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇬🇭 Ghana
 * 🇮🇳 India
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * 🇳🇬 Nigeria
 * 🇿🇦 South Africa
 * 🇪🇸 Spain
 * 🇨🇭 Switzerland
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next

 * The Chutes de Zongo waterfalls in Bas Congo are impressive
 * There are boats to Brazzaville across the river.
 * There are boats to Brazzaville across the river.

title: Kinshasa


text:
Kintamani

Kintamani is a highland area in the north of East Bali.

Understand
The area of north-eastern Bali at the Mount Batur caldera, and which encompasses Penelokan, Toya Bungkah, Batur and Kintamani villages, is known widely as just Kintamani. Kintamani, Batur and Penelokan villages sit on the rim of the huge Batur caldera about 1,500m above sea level, and offer dramatic views of the active volcano Mount Batur and serene Lake Batur. Toyo Bungkah village is down at the lake edge.

As well as the lake and the volcano, Kintamani is home to Pura Ulun Danu Batur, one of Bali's key nine directional temples.

Climate
You are high in the mountains of Bali here and the temperature is usually about 15 degrees cooler than down on the coast, and even more so at night. That, coupled with the often cloudy and drizzly weather, makes a sweater or jacket advisable in the day time and vital after sunset.

By car
Kintamani is usually approached from the south with 2 routes in from Ubud (45 minutes), and one each from Besakih (1 hour) and Bangli (30 minutes). There is also an easy way in from the north via a turning off the coast road east of Singaraja (1 hour). All private vehicles pay entry charge to get into the area of Rp 10,000 per person. Keep the ticket as this is valid for the whole Kintamani area, and you may be asked to show it again.

From the popular tourist destinations in South Bali, a trip to Kintamani by car will take 90 minutes plus.

By bus or bemo
There are daily shuttle bus services from Ubud which are widely advertised locally there. Book 24 hours in advance.

Kintamani is served by bemos and buses from Batubulan terminal in Denpasar for about Rp 25,000. These are torturously slow though.

Organised tours to this area are widely offered in all major centres of Bali.

Get around
Not too many visitors choose to stay in this area, but instead view the local sites by car or motorbike in the course of a day.

Bemos do ply the caldera road between Penelokan and Kintamani villages. Look for the orange vans and expect to pay about Rp 10,000 for any local journey. With the climate being quite cool up here, the area makes for pleasant walking.

See
The main attraction for visitors is located around Lake Batur where Penelokan village provides spectacular views of this crater lake and Mount Batur, set in a vast volcanic caldera. Photo opportunities abound, but try to be there as early in the morning as you can manage before the cloud inevitably starts to gather.

Further northwest along the rim of the caldera is Pura Ulun Danau Batur, one of the most important temples in Bali. Entry is by donation here - Rp 10,000 is about right. The temple was rebuilt up on the caldera ridge in 1926 after an eruption of Mount Batur destroyed the old one down in the crater. There are a large number of shrines, but most visitors are drawn to the huge eleven roofed meru in the inner courtyard. This is dedicated to the goddess of the lake, Ida Batara Dewi Ulan Danau who is regarded as the controlling deity of the whole water and irrigation system of Bali. A virgin priestess is resident at the temple to represent the goddess, and she is served by 24 priests who are chosen as young boys and then keep the role for their lifetime. This is a strong example of just how importantly water and irrigation matters are regarded in traditional Balinese culture.

You can visit the Bali Aga village at Trunyan on the eastern shore of the lake by boat from Kedisan. This is recommended in some guides, but first hand reports are frequently negative and speak of some problems. This is an isolated community and one which is not particularly welcoming to tourists, despite relying on income from visitors. If you really must go, catch a boat at the lakefront in Kedisan (or you can charter a boat from Toyo Bungkah) and make sure the price is clearly understood before departing, and that the entrance donation to the Trunyan villagers is included. When you arrive at Trunyan, the key attraction is the cemetery. Ancient customs retained by the Bali Aga here include the open burial of dead bodies in a pit covered by just some light cloth. If you want to visit a Bali Aga village though, then Tenganan near Candidasa is a far better option.

One of the best things about a visit to Trunyan is the views of Mount Batur from the eastern shore of the lake. This provides a very different perspective from the usual view from the crater rim. You can though get those same views by taking the small road around the southern edge of the lake through the villages of Kedisan (where there are a few simple places to stay and eat), Buahan and on to the tiny settlement of Abang. The road ends at Abang, a four-wheel drive vehicle is more appropriate for this skinny and at times very steep road (but you can explore the eastern shore of the lake further on foot, all the way to Trunyan (about 4 km) if you are feeling energetic (you will be stopped by locals along the way asking if you want to go to Trunyan, they may even follow you and tell you that you cannot go there on foot and you must take a boat with them. Take plenty of water for the walk and be prepared for steep hills.

Climbing Mount Batur
A climb to the summit of Mount Batur - 1,700 metres and still an active volcano - to watch the sunrise is a great experience for more energetic travellers. This is a very easy climb of about 2 hours, and local guides abound; they are really not necessary for such light climbing, but you are required to hire one, anyway. Which parts of the mountain are safely accessible change according to local volcanic activity.

All guides are members of the Association of Mount Batur Trekking Guides, which has an office in Toyo Bungkah village (, 03:00-13:00), from where the treks commence. Book at the office or ask to see proof of membership to avoid problems later, and expect to pay Rp 300,000 to 400,000 per guide. The fare is very expensive compared to the entrance fee for Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park in East Java. The association runs a cartel on climbing the mountain, and even if you have successfully scaled Everest, you will be obligated to hire a guide for this fairly low key, simple trek. If you do not book through the association you may be confronted at the start of the climb by the guides; if you do not then pay them, they are known to become aggressive and confrontational.

Use your common sense with the weather, but bear in mind that the paths become very slippery when it is raining, and climbs should be avoided altogether in the depths of the wet season (December to February especially).

There are two commonly used ascent routes. Both are about the same length, but by far the best is from Toya Bungkah itself, as more than half of the climb is through pleasant shady forest. The alternative route from Pura Jati is across ancient lava fields, there is no shade whatsoever, and underfoot conditions can be harsh. Longer treks of up to 10 hours are also available. These get you right off the beaten path, and will appeal more to serious trekkers. One rewarding option is to scale Mount Abang on the south eastern edge of the outer caldera. Ask at the guides association office. To avoid the hassle of constant harassment by touts in the area asking high prices to guide you, book before you arrive in the area. Most hotels in the area do packages including accommodation in the area or book with your hotel and be driven up in the middle of the night.

C.Bali Tours, Suggestion: Book ahead with a hotel listed below (who can arrange a guide). Then when you come to the area just tell the touts that follow you that you already have a booking and guide so they will leave you alone. C.Bali don't wish to see tourists paying inflated prices or being hassled, sometimes bullied.

Pre-dawn climbs timed to reach the peak at sunrise are popular, and also give you the best chance of avoiding the cloud which often envelopes the mountain from mid-morning onwards. From the peak of the mountain the views in all directions are quite splendid. The sun rises over much higher Mount Agung to the east, while the northerly aspect back towards the crater rim road takes in a large volcanic ash slope with several steaming, active cones. A popular little gimmick from the guides during the climb is to cook an egg on lava-heated rock. Fun, but also a stark reminder of just how active this volcano is.

Other things to do in this area

If (and that's a big if) it is passable, the road which circumvents the base of the crater is very much worth a drive. You get some very different perspectives of the mountain from here. From Toya Bungkah the road loops north around Mount Batur, through Yehmampeh, past another important temple called Buki Mentik and then up again rejoining the caldera ridge road between Kintamani and Batur villages. This road is though often so damaged as to be impassable except on foot. You can walk the whole circuit but it is a long trek - about 18 km if you start from the caldera road.

Downhill cycling tours from Kintamani back to Ubud are offered by several operators on the island including Bali Sobek and Bali Adventure Tours. This is a relaxing way to explore the pleasant mountain and hill country between Kintamani and Ubud. The tours normally commence mid-morning from Kintamani, include a lunch stop, and the total duration is 4-5 hours. Expect to pay about Rp 400,000 per person including all equipment, water and lunch.

Buy
Kintamani is the pushy souvenir hawker capital of Bali. They will surely target you the moment you arrive and try to admire the view. If you are confident handling the haggling with these vendors, Kintamani can turn out to be an interesting shopping experience. If you are not, and allow such things to bother you, the level of hassle here can make for an unpleasant experience.

Fruit and vegetables. Kintamani is renowned for growing oranges (especially) and other fruit. You will see lots of streetside vendors in this area selling excellent quality freshly picked fruit. The local orange is called Jeruk Kintamani and is delicious. The areas down around the lake (especially on the eastern shore) are market gardens for all sorts of cool climate vegetables.

Eat
There are a large number of identikit buffet restaurants sited on the main road in Kintamani and Penelokan. These are aimed at tour buses. These restaurants offer fantastic views across the lake, and serve all-you-can-eat lunch buffets at acceptable prices. You could instead head for local food stands and other outlets close to Kintamani market and smaller restaurants in Penelokan.

In Toya Bungkah there are several small restaurants that specialise in locally caught fish from Lake Batur.

Drink
There are no bars here at all. If you are staying at Toya Bungkah you might well run into other travellers keen to exchange chat, and have a few beers by the lake.

Sleep
Few visitors stay in the area but instead take in the sights during the day. Those that do stay do so for the purpose of climbing Mount Batur pre-dawn, and therefore stay down around Lake Batur close to the ascent start point in Toya Bungkah or at Kedisan on the southern shore.

Connect
The area code for Kintamani is 0366.

 * Internet access has finally arrived in this area, and the better places to stay in Kedisan and Toya Bungkah offer internet facilities for non-guests.
 * There are public telephone offices at Penelokan close to the turn off down to the lake, at Kintamani market and in Toya Bungkah.

Go next

 * Onto the north coast to Singaraja and quiet beaches at Lovina.
 * The cultural heartland of Bali in Ubud is just 45 minutes to the south.

title: Kintamani


text:
Kinugawa

Kinugawa (鬼怒川) and Kawaji (川治) are twin hot spring towns in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

Understand
Kinugawa Onsen, known as the "okuzashiki" (奥座敷) or "inner salon" of Tokyo, was opened to development in the early Meiji period, and it became a major destination for those wanting to escape the noise and congestion of the city. The name "Kinugawa" literally means Angry Demon River. The exact provenance is unclear, but the most likely explanation is that this comes from the raging waters within — although the river is now dammed and considerably more placid.

The central area is home to several hotels and ryokan, most with their own hot springs. Unfortunately, due to a decline in group tours and the failure of the area's regional bank, Ashikaga Bank, in the late 1990s, several of the larger hotels have gone under, and their empty hulks scar an otherwise picturesque location: in 2005, the bestselling book Ugly Japan proclaimed it the 3rd ugliest place in the country. Still, the resort is home to dozens of hotels, pensions, and ryokan, and the area--together with nearby Kawaji--still attracts over 2 million visitors each year.

If you can spare the cash and time, it may be worth it head up northward to Kawaji or one of the many tiny hot spring hamlets collectively known as Oku-Kinu (奥鬼怒, "Inner Kinu").

By Tobu Railway from Asakusa

Tobu Railway operates frequent service to Kinugawa from their terminal at Asakusa Station in Tokyo, which is connected to the Toei Asakusa and Tokyo Metro Ginza subway lines. Conventional commuter services take around 3 hr - 3 hr 30 min depending on the time of day and cost ¥1550, with several transfers required. A more convenient way to travel to Kinugawa is on one of Tobu's direct limited express services, which take 2 hours and are operated with either the older SPACIA trains or the newer Revaty trains. Services depart every 30-60 minutes, costing ¥2890 for the SPACIA or ¥2990 for the Revaty. All services conveniently stop at the station for Tokyo SkyTree.

The limited express trains that offer direct service to Kinugawa are called Kinu (SPACIA trains) and AIZU (Revaty trains), with the latter continuing on to the Aizu region. There are also Kegon trains that you can use, but you'll need to change to a local service at Shimo-Imaichi to reach Kinugawa.

Tobu offers a few travel passes for foreign tourists that wish to visit Kinugawa and nearby Nikko. Passes for foreign tourists can be purchased online through Tobu's website, or in person at the Tobu tourist information desk at Asakusa station.

 * Nikko Pass - World Heritage Area: ¥2000 for 2 days. This pass includes unlimited train travel between Tobu-Nikko, Shimo-Imaichi and Kinugawa Onsen, and discounted admission to Edo Wonderland and Tobu World Square. It also includes unlimited bus travel in Nikko between the train stations and the world heritage sites.
 * Nikko Pass - All Area: a 4 day pass costing ¥4520 from mid-April to November, and ¥4150 at other times. In addition to the features of the World Heritage Pass, the All Area pass includes unlimited bus travel from Nikko to Lake Chuzenji, Yumoto Onsen and Kirifuri Falls.

An additional pass available to everyone - not just foreign tourists - is the Marugoto Nikko Kinugawa Free Pass which costs ¥5630-6150 for 4 days. The pass includes unlimited train travel between Tobu-Nikko, Shimo-Imaichi and Kinugawa Onsen, unlimited bus travel on routes in the Kinugawa area, and unlimited bus travel from Nikko to the world heritage sites, Lake Chuzenji, Yumoto Onsen and Kirifuri Falls.

Included in these passes is one round-trip from the Asakusa area on standard commuter trains. You can purchase separate reservation tickets for the direct limited express services on either the SPACIA (¥1340 each way) or the Revaty (¥1440 each way). A 20% discount is given on these tickets when purchased with a pass.

By JR/Tobu from Shinjuku/Ikebukuro
JR and Tobu operate joint limited express trains a few times a day from Shinjuku and Ikebukuro stations that operate to Kinugawa in 2 hr 30 min at a cost of ¥4000. Three of the four trains operate directly to Kinugawa, while one service requires a transfer to a local service at Shimo-Imaichi. Regional JR East passes, including the Tokyo Wide Pass, fully cover this journey. Holders of the national Japan Rail Pass must pay a surcharge for the portion of the trip on Tobu tracks.

By JR only
There is no easy method to reach Kinugawa using the Japan Railways. Kinugawa is best reached by Tobu, but there are a few options for users of the Japan Rail Pass. There is little added cost, but you will have to make a few transfers along the way.

 * Option 1: Take the JR Tohoku Shinkansen from the Tokyo area to Utsunomiya station, then take the JR Nikko Line to Imaichi Station (1 hr 45 min, from ¥5060 unreserved without a rail pass). Walk for 1 km northeast to Tobu Shimo-Imaichi Station, then take a 20 min ride by Tobu service to Kinugawa Onsen (¥250).
 * Option 2: Instead of exiting the JR train at Imaichi, continue another 15 min to the terminal at Nikko Station. Walk 200-300m to Tobu Nikko Station, then use the Tobu trains to go to Kinugawa Onsen via Shimo-Imaichi (30-60 min depending on connection, ¥310).

Japan Rail Pass holders must purchase Tobu tickets separately. IC cards such as Suica and Pasmo can also be used for the Tobu trains.

Before your journey you will want to check train times and connections using Navitime or a similar website.

Note that some hotels in Kinugawa also offer a free or inexpensive shuttle bus service to/from Utsunomiya station. These services usually require a hotel reservation and advance notice.

By bus
Tohoku Express Bus operates one daily round-trip service from Tokyo Station, reaching Kinugawa Onsen station in 3 hr 30 min. The trip costs ¥2500 one way or ¥4000 round trip. The bus from Tokyo leaves at 7:50, and the return trip from Kinugawa Onsen leaves at 15:30. The bus also stops at Tobu World Square.

There is also a twice-daily bus service from Yokohama station, which is the same bus that serves Kinugawa from Haneda Airport (4 hr 30 min, ¥3300).

Get around
Kinugawa is fairly spread out. You can either use the infrequent buses, or the expensive taxis. If arriving by train, be sure to check if your lodgings are closer to Kinugawa Onsen or Kinugawa Kōen station.

See
There is little to see in Kinugawa Onsen itself, but the Nichien Momiji Line, the highway connecting Kinugawa and Kawaji, makes for a fairly scenic drive.

Do
Loll about in hot springs (Kinugawa-Onsen, 鬼怒川温泉). More adventurous types may also want to try battling against angry demons by rafting in the Kinugawa River.

While Kinugawa Onsen offers a pleasant and relaxing experience, some areas of the hot springs are clusters of abandoned buildings. These are hotels that have faced economic problems, and those who like ruins can take a walk from the center of the town to a big uninhabited area.

Two theme parks in the area, collectively known as Kinugawa Theme Park, are major draws for Japanese visitors:

Eat
Most guests eat at their lodgings, but there are a scattering of restaurants just outside Kinugawa Onsen station.

Sleep

The recession of the 1990s hit Kinugawa hard and many hotels struggle with low occupancy rates (or have been outright shut down). This means there are some pretty good bargains to be found, especially off-season.

Go next

 * Nikko, with its national parks and opulent shrines, presents an altogether different picture.
 * Nasushiobara
 * Shioya
 * Yaita
 * Nasu
 * Sakura
 * Takanezawa
 * Utsunomiya
 * Otawara

title: Kinugawa