text:
Ile Mbamou

Ile M'Bamou is an island in the Republic of Congo. It is a government-owned island that is about one hour from Brazzaville.

Get in
To make a booking, you will need to go to Club Nautique (close to the boat ramp at Mami Wata).

Do
The island has cabanas, a swimming area (no pool, only the river), food and drinks for sale, and is very clean and well kept. Not much to do there, so you will need to bring games, entertainment, etc.

There, you can rent one of the following boats: Both boats are motorized. The boat usually leaves the Mami Wata area around 11:00 and returns around 16:00 (schedule is subject to passengers' request).
 * 35-foot hollowed out boat (can seat up to 5 people) for US$140 for 5 people
 * Modern fiberglass boat for US$300 for 8 people

title: Ile Mbamou


text:
Ilfracombe

Ilfracombe is a small town on the North Devon coast in the west of England. It has a beautiful harbour and some wonderful examples of Victorian architecture. Ilfracombe has become a culinary centre for the area with several excellent seafood restaurants, a buzzing cafe culture and Damien Hirsts' 10 The Quay restaurant. Ilfracombe has a vibrant, up and coming feel to it and is perfectly placed for a great family holiday.

Understand

 * Visit Ilfracombe website

By road

 * Ilfracombe sits on the A361 road which is connected to the M5 Motorway near Tiverton. Ilfracombe is typically 2 hours drive from Bristol.

By coach

 * The town is served by National Express coaches, including direct services to Bristol and London (via Heathrow Airport).
 * Several holiday companies offer coach holidays in Ilfracombe.

By train

 * The nearest train station is situated in Barnstaple, at the end of the branch line from Exeter. Local bus services connect Ilfracombe to.

By bus

 * Local buses connect Ilfracombe to the surrounding seaside resorts, including neighbouring Woolacombe, a large sandy beach popular with surfers.
 * Frequent buses also connect Ilfracombe to nearby towns and villages, including Combe Martin, Braunton and Barnstaple: the largest town in the area.

Do

 * Take a day-trip to Swansea or Penarth (near Cardiff) on a paddle steamer – summer only.
 * Take a walk up Hillsborough or Capstone for superb views.
 * Walk the coast path to Lee and Woolacombe and beyond
 * Walk the coast path to Lee and Woolacombe and beyond

Buy

 * Enjoy the High Street with its wide range of independent shops

Eat

 * For pub grub go down Fore Street. At the end before reaching the harbour the George & Dragon as well as the Prince of Wales serve food.
 * Storm in a Teacup is a former rescue boat, turned into an offbeat cafe by Watermouth Harbour. It's open daily 9:30AM-5PM.
 * For pub grub go down Fore Street. At the end before reaching the harbour the George & Dragon as well as the Prince of Wales serve food.
 * Storm in a Teacup is a former rescue boat, turned into an offbeat cafe by Watermouth Harbour. It's open daily 9:30AM-5PM.
 * For pub grub go down Fore Street. At the end before reaching the harbour the George & Dragon as well as the Prince of Wales serve food.
 * Storm in a Teacup is a former rescue boat, turned into an offbeat cafe by Watermouth Harbour. It's open daily 9:30AM-5PM.
 * For pub grub go down Fore Street. At the end before reaching the harbour the George & Dragon as well as the Prince of Wales serve food.
 * Storm in a Teacup is a former rescue boat, turned into an offbeat cafe by Watermouth Harbour. It's open daily 9:30AM-5PM.
 * For pub grub go down Fore Street. At the end before reaching the harbour the George & Dragon as well as the Prince of Wales serve food.
 * Storm in a Teacup is a former rescue boat, turned into an offbeat cafe by Watermouth Harbour. It's open daily 9:30AM-5PM.

Sleep

A couple of B&Bs are located on St. Brannock's Road near the intersection with Bicclescombe Park Road. If you do not want to walk from here to the town centre, a bus stop is right at this intersection.

Connect
As of Sep 2023, Ilfracombe and its approach roads have 4G from EE, but next-to-no signal from other carriers. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Passenger ferries to Lundy Island
 * Exmoor National Park lies 4 miles to the east by road from Ilfracombe
 * Dartmoor National Park is about 1 hour's drive to the south.

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

title: Ilfracombe


text:
Ilgaz National Park

Ilgaz National Park (Turkish: Ilgaz Milli Parkı) is in Western Karadeniz of Turkey. Ilgaz is a ski resort, perfect for day trips from Ankara.

Understand
The national park is centred on the Ilgaz mountain range, which sits right on the geographical and ecological border between the gently rolling Black Sea Region to north and the windswept hills of Central Anatolia to south. Its immensely verdant spruce forests are easily distinguishable no matter which direction you are approaching from, but they are in an especially stark contrast with the dusty plains and hills to south—if you were just passing through, you could swear you saw that solid line which divides what is called as "the sea of trees" in Turkish (ağaç denizi) above from the eternal steppes below.

History
Ilgaz was Olgassys to the ancient Greeks, who knew it as a soaring and unscalable mountain.

The national park was established in 1976.

Landscape
The highest point of the Ilgaz Mountains is Hacettepe, above sea level.

Climate
Ilgaz has an alpine climate, with mild summers and very cold winters. The snow stays for more than one half-year on colder years.

Get in
Ilgaz lies on the highway D765, which connects Kastamonu and its airport in the north (about 20 min driving) with Çankırı (about 45 min driving) and Ankara (200 km, 2½ hrs of driving) in the south (see the "get in" section of Kastamonu article for more details on driving in from Ankara). The main entrance to the national park (easily recognizable by its large wooden sign over the road) is right by this highway, near the 1850-metre mountain pass, which is the highest elevation D765 gets. Unique in the Turkish highway system, the road surface around the pass is covered by cobblestones rather than the usual asphalt to assist the vehicles in icy conditions—which can endure well into April, by the way.

There is also an unremarkable town named Ilgaz on the southern foothills of the mountain, a few kilometres off the highway, but it is almost entirely unrelated to the park apart from being close-by and sharing the same name, so don't get confused and head there (as elsewhere in Turkey, the road signs showing the road for Ilgaz the mountain and the park should be brown, while those pointing to Ilgaz the town should be blue).

See
Postcard-perfect vistas of deep valleys dressed with emerald forests are the main sight around here. In winter, the scenery is almost Nordic—black silhouettes of spruces towering against snow white ground.

Do

 * Skiing. Teleskis are available.

Eat
A restaurant offering Turkish pizza (pide) on the menu does exist within the park.

Sleep
There are hotels and rustic resorts offering bungalows in the park.

title: Ilgaz National Park


text:
Ilhabela

Ilhabela is an archipelago and a municipality in the North Coast of São Paulo.

Understand
Ilhabela is considered one of the natural paradises of the São Paulo coast, along with Ubatuba (Ilhabela means literally "beautiful island" in Portuguese). It is known for its forest-covered mountains, its amazing beaches, its savage trails - and difficult not to mention, also its vicious sand flies.

In pre-colonial times, the largest island of the archipelago, São Sebastião, was called Maembipe by Native Brazilians, who used the island for trade and prisoner exchange. The island was discovered in 1502 by the Portuguese, and although settlement began shortly thereafter, the village of the island was officially founded only in 1806, with the name of Vila Bela da Princesa ("Beautiful Village of the Princess"). The municipality would finally be named "Ilhabela" in 1945. In 1977, the majority of the archipelago's area was declared a state park and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Get in
To get to Ilhabela it is necessary first to go to São Sebastião (the city on the coast, not the island), where a ferry boat, located at the end of Al. São Sebastião (downtown) departs. The bus from São Paulo is about R$70, and ride sharing about R$35-40. There are buses from São Paulo that stop at the ferry boat point, if you are not up to walk 1 km from the São Sebastião intercity bus terminal.

Get around
Since construction in Ilhabela is mostly restricted to the West coast of the São Sebastião island, there is really just one avenue and getting around, by bus or by car, should be simple. The coast has many slopes, making cycling not a very attractive option. Walking is fine, as there are plenty of sidewalks and other infrastructure for pedestrians, but the occasionally long distance between towns can be a problem.

Additionally, the municipality operates several bus services that run the length of the island (one-way R$4 without / $R2.50 with IC card). While not as comfortable as traveling by car, the bus provides a cheaper alternative for those looking to get around the island.

There are also a couple of non-pavimented roads that give access to remote points of the island, like the Castelhanos beach in the East coast. To reach the other side of the coast, you do not necessarily need a 4WD—the road is a proper but unpaved track. Note that only in the morning you are allowed to go west to east, and in the afternoon to go east to west on the Ilhabela-Castelhanos road, which is controlled by the national park staff at the entrance.

The rest of Ilhabela can only be reached by boat or by trails in the rainforest.

Northwest beaches
The beaches of the Northwest coast are easily accessible using the main avenue and the non-pavimented road in the north. Most have calm waters and are adequate for nautical sports. They occasionally suffer from pollution originated in the mainland.

Southeast beaches
The beaches of the Southeast Coast are difficult to access and mostly desert. Many have strong waves, being indicated for surfing.

Trekking and mountain biking
Besides the full south, east, west jungle Bonete Trail, the island offers many shorter hikes, e.g. Pico do Baepi. Also, inside the island, trekking and mountain biking shall give plenty of adventure for those who seek it.

Sleep
Camping, serviced and backcountry, is possible on the eastern side of the island. To find appropriate sites, checkout OpenStreetMap, which is used by many mobile Apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz. If you additionally find good spots to put up a tent, help other hikers by marking the place on OpenStreetMap.

Stay healthy
Ilhabela is, without doubt, a natural paradise, which can also mean hell for humans. The rainforest in the archipelago is well known for the borrachudos, a sand-fly-like insect whose bites will give you an excruciatingly itchy experience. Use a good quality repellent all the time, in every exposed part of your body including the bottom of your feet, in case you are wearing sandals or flip-flops. Or just wear long clothes to cover your body, instead of using all those chemicals.

Beach pollution problems have started to appear in the west coast of Ilhabela, and at some times of the year, some beaches may not be suitable for swimming. The water quality is weekly monitored by the state water agency (CETESB), so if you see a red flag of CETESB in the beach, don't go swimming. Before you go, you can also check the map of the latest weekly beach quality bulletin (in Portuguese, boletim de qualidade das praias) of the state's Environment Department (CETESB).

Connect
Some bus stations in the center provide free WiFi. But just walking around will reveal other open and free WiFi spots.

Go next
Hostels and private rooms are offered:

in the west:

 * São Sebastião – The beaches of São Sebastião are a mixture of rustic paradisiac nature with first class night life. Contains one of the most famous beaches of the São Paulo coast, Maresias.
 * Camburi and Boicucanga – 40 km. It is considered by Paulistas as one of the best beaches on their coastline. There are also quite a few small restaurants and bars along the road going through Camburi. Camburizinho beach is right next door. There are lots of beaches all along this stretch of coastline.
 * Bertioga – 90 km. A laid-back sea-side town with excellent beaches. It's one of the safest towns of the São Paulo coast. From there to Guarujá, Santos or São Paulo.

in the north(-east):

 * Caraguatatuba – 30 km. It is the largest city of São Paulo's north shore. Caraguatatuba is located near the Serra do Mar and is home to the Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar.
 * Ubatuba – 80km. Beautiful beaches are the main attraction of this place, as well as its well-preserved nature. You can do mountain biking and trekking. One of the best places in Brazil to practice surf, nautical sports, diving and birdwatching.
 * Paraty – 150 km. A fully-conserved 18th-century colonial town by the ocean, hidden by tall jungle-covered mountains which used to be a hideout for pirates after the Portuguese ships; a must-see for people interested in history and culture; also good for rainforest hiking and kayaking.

title: Ilhabela


text:
Ilha das Canárias

Ilha das Canárias is an island in Maranhão, a few kilometers from the main mouth of the river Parnaíba. It is home to some 3,000 people, most of who congregate in the settlement known as Canárias, or Porto das Canárias.

Get in
Regular river transport from Porto dos Tatus outside Parnaíba. A motor launch will do this stretch in some 15 minutes.

Get around
All walkable within the settlement.

Eat
The pousada has a restaurant. A quite varied menu, most dishes for two at around R$ 30.

Sleep
There is only one lodging, but a private room might be arranged.

title: Ilha das Canárias


text:
Ilha de Mozambique

Ilha de Mozambique (Mozambique Island) is an island in the Nampula Province in Northern Mozambique with a historical heritage that's among the best in Mozambique, and indeed in all of Africa. It was the capital of Mozambique for nearly four centuries under Portuguese colonization before the move to Lourenco Marques (now Maputo), and had been used as a major base for the Arab traders long before the arrival of the Portuguese. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The tiny, roughly 1 sq km island is connected by a concrete bridge with the mainland and is said to be crowded by 16000 inhabitants, most of them living in shacks with dismal sanitary conditions.

By plane
The closest passenger airport is in Nampula, and it has flights from both other Mozambican and some other major African airports including Maputo, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

By car
The island can easily be reached by road from Nampula. If you're driving follow the road towards Nacala, and turn off at the signpost for Ilha de Mozambique (which is in Monapo). It'll take around 2 hours and the road is good. When you get there you'll need to cross the causeway which costs about Mts 5,000.

By minibus
If you're taking a chapa (minibus) they leave from Ave de Trabhadores in Nampula near the railway station and cost Mts 300.

Get around
Ilha's is fairly tiny and you won't have any trouble walking around it - it's about a 20-minute walk from end to end, and only about 3 blocks wide. Gabriel's has bikes you can hire for the day.

See
Ilha's a mix of colonial Portuguese and old Swahili architecture. It basically divides into two halves - the old Stone Town in the north and the "Reed Town" in the south which is set down from the main streets.

Do

You can take boat trips or just laze on the beach. Swimming is, however, not advisable as the water is very dirty. If you're feeling adventurous, take a dhow over to the mainland at Chaga or Mossuril and explore along the coast there.

Buy
Some great souvenirs to purchase here literally come from the sea. On one hand there are shells and corals and objects made of them, on the other hand there are remains from the many shipwrecks from the waters around the island that have been flushed onto shore. In addition, there are also old Portuguese silver and bronze coins, from the colonial age.

Eat
There aren't that many restaurants on the island, with Reliquias and Escondidinho heading the list up in Stone Town. But you can find a number of local places serving fish and rice or xima. Establishments in Drink also serve food.

Go next

 * Goa Island — has a beautiful lighthouse built in 1870 and a small but nice beach. 25 min by boat.
 * Sena Island and St. Lawrence Island — possible to visit but not much to see.
 * Chocas-Mar — on the mainland coast, this is one of the few beach resorts in the country. Often the beach is rather deserted.

title: Ilha de Mozambique


text:
Ilha do Caju

Ila do Caju is a private nature reserve in Maranhão.

Get in
Easiest access from Parnaíba in the neighbouring state of Piauí, while Tutóia is an alternative. Both require the hiring of a motor launch with a crew at around R$ 400 (up to 5 people). Visits must often be scheduled as much as 5 days in advance, and can sometimes be easier done through a travel agent in Parnaíba than directly with the resort itself. As a rule, you will be denied access unless you book at least one night.

See
Mangrove, dunes, river arms, birds....

Do
Horseback riding.

Eat
A restaurant by the lodgings.

Sleep
Three different lodgings, all next to each other, at around R$ 200 a night (single or double).

title: Ilha do Caju


text:
Ilha do Marajó

Ilha do Marajó is an island at the mouth of the Amazon river, just off Belém in Pará. Apparently the world's largest fresh water island (some 40,000 km², an area larger than that of Switzerland), it has a distinct birdlife and also huge water buffalo farms. It is bathed by the Amazon, Pará and Tocantins rivers and by the Atlantic Ocean. Marajó was once the center of a large and sophisticated indigenous civilization. Its main cities are Soure, considered the "capital", and Salvaterra.

Understand
Marajó has beautiful river beaches where you can't see the other side. Many of them are completely unexplored. It also has the largest herd of buffalo in Brazil.

From December to June, during the flood season, the eastern part of the island is soaked.

Get in
The main access to the island is by ship, which departs from the port of Belém and arrives in Soure, in a journey of approximately 4 hours. Enasa - Empresa de Navegação da Amazônia,, operates large ships, with tickets for R$9.00. Other companies are Arapari, which makes the crossing with small boats or speedboats (1 hr 30 min), Paraense, with small ships, and Henvil, which also makes the journey by ferry (R$22.00). Tickets in the port of Belém.

By air taxi, the journey takes 20 to 30 minutes. Information at Brabo, Soure , Kovacs , Cândido , among many other companies. Shipping can vary greatly; so check with several companies.

Get around
Local buses will take you from the ferry landing onwards. Salvaterra and Soure are the most visited spots, but if you are only in for the day, you might want to keep closer.

See

 * Pesqueiro Beach, in Soure
 * Araruna Beach, in Soure
 * Joanes Beach, 15 km from Salvaterra, with ruins from colonial times
 * Praia Grande, in Salvaterra
 * Mexiana Island, under the Equator, is a private island with a resort, and is an 8-hour boat ride from Belém or 50 minutes by plane.

Eat
Fish, such as tucunaré, pirarucu and tamuatá, seasoned with roots following indigenous traditions, buffalo meat, Tacacá, typical food from Pará, Piracui cake

title: Ilha do Marajó


text:
Ilha do Mel

Ilha do Mel is an hourglass-shaped island just off the coast of Paraná.

By ferry boat
Ilha do Mel is only accessible by ferry boat. It can be reached by regular multi-stop ferries from the port city of Paranaguá, or on shorter direct ferries from nearby Pontal do Sul

Get around
The island has no roads or cars, only a network of sandy trails. Trails spread out from the village center, known as Nova Brasilia, which is on the south side of the narrow isthmus connecting the two parts of the island.

Eat

 * David's Bar and Restaurant, +55 41 426-8008. Typical local dishes of Ilha do Mel and surrounds, this place also sells some local handicrafts.
 * Recanto Tropical Restaurant, +55 41 426-8054. Per-kilo buffet.
 * Restaurante Mar e Sol, +55 41 426-8021. Larger restaurant specializing in seafood.
 * Ilha do Mel Café, +55 41 3426-8080. Cybercafé specialized in delicious brazilian coffee, juices, cakes, snacks and sandwiches. Also, at the bar, serves awesome "caipirinhas" made with top grade "cachaça" from the owners private collection.

Drink

 * Ilha do Mel Café, +55 41 3426-8080. Cybercafé specialized in delicious brazilian coffee.. Also, at the bar that has a good variety of drinks, they serve awesome "caipirinhas" made with top grade "cachaça" from the owners private collection. Attached a book exchange, internet access and a tobacco shop full of cigars.

Sleep
There are many guesthouses in the small village. Those further from the dock are a bit cheaper. Many guesthouses are open only during the busy summer tourist season.

 * Pousada Girassol, Farol da Rochas, +55 41 426-8006. 5 minutes walk south of the dock area. Open year-round. Decent breakfast.
 * Pousada Pôr-do-Sol, Nova Brasilia, 041 3426 8009. From the dock, walk straight inland to the other side of the island, less than 5 minutes' walk. Clean rooms and a nice restaurant attached.
 * Pousada Girassol, Farol da Rochas, +55 41 426-8006. 5 minutes walk south of the dock area. Open year-round. Decent breakfast.
 * Pousada Pôr-do-Sol, Nova Brasilia, 041 3426 8009. From the dock, walk straight inland to the other side of the island, less than 5 minutes' walk. Clean rooms and a nice restaurant attached.

Go next
Despite its relative sleepiness, the island can become unbearably crowded on weekends and public holidays. There are many other islands in the region; to really get off the beaten track, hire a boat and skip over to Ilha das Peças the next island over, or Ilha do Superagui, two islands over. Ilha das Peças can also be reached on a regular municipal passenger ferry leaving from Paranaguá, which visits several other islands on its route and ends up in Guaraqueçaba, on the mainland, also well worth a visit. Around Guaraqueçaba there is a wealth of hiking opportunities in the pristine and immaculate rain forest. Contact Sr. João at the Pousada Chauá for an excellent guide of the region. Ask him especially about the Sebuí trail, an excellent all-day boat trip and hike with marvelous waterfalls and swimming opportunities. The village on Superagui Island can only be reached by chartering a boat or by walking around the southern tip of Ilha das Peças from its village to the straight between the two islands and hailing a boat to come and pick you up from the other shore. The long and deserted beach on Superagui, north of the village, is one of the best surfing spots in the south of the country, and the whole region is excellent for kayaking. On Peças and Superagui there are simple pousadas to stay in.

title: Ilha do Mel


text:
Ilha do Mosqueiro

Ilha do Mosqueiro is an island with a string of beaches just outside Belém. The island has 17 km (11 mi) of beaches with freshwater tides, which draw vacationers primarily in the dry season. The largest settlement on the island is the town of Vila (often referred to simply as Mosqueiro) on the westernmost part of the island.

Understand
In June 2011, an amphibian identified as belonging to the species Atretochoana eiselti was photographed near Praia de Marahú, on the island of Mosqueiro. A. eiselti, previously known only from two preserved specimens dating from the late 1800s, is the largest known lungless tetrapod.

Climate
The island has a tropical climate, with an average temperature of 27 °C (81 °F). The rainy season peaks in March, while the dry season peaks in November.

Get in
Buses leave at least every half hour from the terminal at the Vila´s main square, and can be hailed anywhere en route. R$ 3-4, 1 - 1.5 hours. On weekends and holidays there is a daily boat connection.

Get around
By bus.

See

 * Ilha do Mosqueiro offers numerous beaches, among which are: Praia do Farol, Praia do Bispo, Praia Grande, Praia Marahú, Praia do Paraíso and Praia do Chapéu Virado. All beaches have excellent infrastructure and wonderful landscapes.

title: Ilha do Mosqueiro


text:
Ilha Grande

Ilha Grande is a beautiful Brazilian island, about from Rio de Janeiro and  from São Paulo. The largest settlement on the island is called Vila do Abraão. Together with Paraty, Ilha Grande forms a mixed world heritage site.

Get in
Ilha Grande must be reached by boat from Angra dos Reis or Mangaratiba.

The departure times of the ferry from Mangaratiba, Conceiçao and Angra dos Reis stated on rome2rio.com are outdated (Dec 2020).

There are no scheduled ferries from Conceição de Jacareí (Dec 2020). Avoid illegal vessels in Conceição. They are extremely dangerous and uncomfortable.

There are no banks on the island: bring cash because many hotels, shops and restaurants do not accept credit cards. You can stop at an ATM in Angra dos Reis before hitting the island.

Ferry from Angra dos Reis
The ferry from Angra dos Reis departs every day at June 29, 2024 and the price is R$17 (Dec 2020).

The intercity bus in the morning from Rio de Janeiro to Angra dos Reis is comfortable and costs R$57 (Dec 2021). You can depart from Rio at June 29, 2024 (Feb 2021). From São Paulo you can take a night bus at June 29, 2024 and after 9 hours you arrive at June 29, 2024 in Angra dos Reis (Feb 2021). Check the current departure times on the Buscaonibus app.

From the Angra dos Reis intercity bus station to the port, take a taxi or a local bus for the 2 km or walk 25 min.

There also Blablacar rides offered from Rio to Angra dos Reis for around R$35 (Dec 2021).

Ferry from Mangaratiba
The ferry from Mangaratiba departs early in the morning (Dec 2020).

This might be the case again after the pandemic: ferries operated by Barcas SA Mangaratiba (105 minutes, starting at 08:00, returning at 17:30. Prices are much more expensive than those charged by Barcas SA, which is the government. The Barcas SA are of the government of Rio de Janeiro is much safer and their staff are top professionals. Terminal Santa Luzia is discouraged. Their prices are much higher than those of Barcas SA. Another problem is the operating company of this pier, it offers a fast boat, but at the time of shipment you can embark on an extremely slow boat. Their employees are rude and unprepared to deal with tourism.

Get around

There are no roads and no private cars on the island. A good option is to use Vila do Abraão as a base and plan day trips from there. There are several hiking trails to the many beaches on the island. Some trails can be strenuous in the tropical weather, so be prepared and take plenty of fluid. Night falls early and dawn is short near the equator, so carry a flashlight if you plan to return after 18:00. Many beaches can be reached by boat and several agencies in Vila do Abraão sell packages for the numerous schooners serving the island. It is easy to find one-way trips and pick ups back to Vila do Abraão on many beaches in the evening.

It is possible to walk around the outside of the island in about 4 or 5 days if you're not in too much of a hurry. Its best to start at Abraão and go in an anticlockwise direction, through Dois Rios. Note that accommodation on the back side of the island is scarce and free camping is illegal. At Parnaioca beach on the backside, arguably one of the most beautiful spots on the whole island and worth spending at least a couple of days at, you can ask for accommodation in the local houses (there are only about 8 people living there); ask for Sr. João, he'll help you out. Meals can also be purchased, but variety is very limited, so it might be a good idea to take some food.

See

 * Art Gallery inside of Vivenda das Bromelias Inns
 * Aqueduct
 * Candido Mendez Jail Ruins en Dois Rios - It´s not preserved or restored but come here and remember that the most dangerous criminals in Brazil were kept here
 * In Parnaioca Beach (not easy to reach) there are other remainders of the slave period. The dark past of the island: jail prisoners, slaves, pirates and lepers in the Lazareto Hospital. Many people affirm that they have seen phantoms in Parnaoica or Caxadaco beaches.

Do

 * Snorkeling
 * Kayaking
 * Sailing
 * Diving at Sitio Forte
 * Hiking in the rain forest at Papagaio Peak - A 2-3 hour hike to the peak. Marked, despite some warnings you may hear, and with a beautiful view at the top. Bring lots of water. There are thirteen other well marked trails (trilhas). It's possible to walk around the whole island. Plan at least 8 days for that trip.

Beaches
There are beautiful beaches, some considered to be among the nicest of Brazil.
 * Adventurer Beach (Praia do Aventureiro)
 * Bananal Cove (Enseada do Bananal). A nice quiet location.
 * Feiticeira Beach (Praia da Feiticeira)
 * Lopes Mendes beach in Ilha Grande was once voted one of the top 10 most beautiful in the world by Vogue Magazine. The water is shallow a long way out, making for good surfing conditions. The usual boat route takes you from the main settlement to another beach on the opposite side of the island. From here, there are 20 minutes of relatively steep footpath to Lopes Mendes to get you nice and ready for a dip. Beware of strong currents a bit out.
 * Lopes Mendes beach in Ilha Grande was once voted one of the top 10 most beautiful in the world by Vogue Magazine. The water is shallow a long way out, making for good surfing conditions. The usual boat route takes you from the main settlement to another beach on the opposite side of the island. From here, there are 20 minutes of relatively steep footpath to Lopes Mendes to get you nice and ready for a dip. Beware of strong currents a bit out.

Buy
You find locally owned supermarkets along the western part of the curved road (Rua Getúlio Vargas).

There are a few souvenir shops in Vila do Abraão selling t-shirts, magnets and other stuff. In fact, there is nothing typical or special to buy in Ilha Grande.

Eat
The seafood is generally very good and could perhaps be regarded as a specialty. Many restaurants offer casseroles with several types of seafood, served as a dish for two. Although in the higher price range for Ilha Grande, they are delicious and good value for money. The best place to go for traditional Brazilian is Frutos do Mar located on Rua da Praia. Try their Brazilian fish stew, that alone is worth the journey to Ilha Grande.

 * Pastel de Frango at Crena Beach. There are about 30 restaurants in the island. Some are expensive but there are many cheaper options like hamburgers. Try Food for Kilo; pay about US $0.80 per 100 g for very nice food.

Drink
There is no clubbing scene or electronic dance - at night it's drinking beer in the main square and dancing with live local music like bossa nova, forró, and samba. One popular bar is the Cafe Do Mar, which is on the eastern side of Villa do Abraao. Right next to the beach, they serve cold beer, mean caipirinhas and cool music, in a very chilled out atmosphere. They also have well attended BBQ nights, which offer delicious fresh fish, etc., and serve narghile (also known as sheesha). Kebab is their sister bar in the town, offering Greek-style kebabs with great juices, drinks and cocktails and the same funky atmosphere. Here there is also a little wok bar where you can see them make noodles for you. Restaurante Esquinas Bar is a good place to sit by the beach. You grab a beer, meet some people, buy some artcrafts and hear the locals play Brazilian music. If it rains, don't worry, it'll pass.

Vila Abraao
There are plenty of accommodations in Vila Abraão, plus a couple of camping grounds. Free camping is illegal, although inspection and supervision of beaches is not very frequent.

Budget
There are a handful of hostels on the island. As you get off the boat on the pier go to the second street from the ocean and turn left. Most of the budget hostels are on this street, such as Resta 1. In high season a lot of hostels can be full. Several camping grounds are also available. One which is fairly centrally located and is very likely to have some vacancies is Santana´s Camping. Located on the opposite side to Resta 1 on the street connecting two main streets.

Camping
The best option for budget travelling is camping, which must be done inside legalized areas to avoid getting into trouble. Most camping grounds are priced R$20 (per person) each night, which usually makes the choice a matter of preference. Some of the Campings (such as Camping do Sossego and Camping do Lúcio) accept only couples. The installations below are located on Vila do Abraão, basically comprised of two main parallel streets, which concentrate most services. Rua da Praia runs along the ocean, and Rua Getúlio Vargas runs behind it.

Other areas
Aracatiba town is a cheaper option but it doesn't offer much in terms of tourist facilities, it´s more for weekend tourists who live in Angra dos Reis area already. It's far away from Abraão, Lopes Mendes or Dois Rios, not a very convenient choice if it's your first visit to the island. Bananal Beach or Sitio Forte have nice mini-resorts, a good option for honeymooners.

Connect

 * There is a signal for mobile phones just in a few places.
 * Public phones can be found everywhere.

Go next

 * There is a ferry to Angra dos Reis daily at 10:00. The intercity bus to Rio departs from the central bus station at 12:00, which might be missed when the boat leaves late. Another bus departs at 15:00. There are also several Blablacar rides to Rio. The intercity bus costs R$57 (Dec 2021) and the Blablacar rides around R$35 (Dec 2021).
 * Some boats have Mangaratiba routes at 10:00 with a connection to Rio de Janeiro, but take care choose the Original Fast Connection, with legal vehicles, or-- you need take a minibus to the main route and then take a bus on the highway to Rio. It's better to go to Angra dos Reis, take the Costa Verde bus, wait for the ferry at the pier, and go directly to the bus station in Rio de Janeiro.
 * A couple of agencies, for instance 'Fast Connection Island Travel' with an office right by the piers, offer "express connection" to Rio. You go by speedboat to the mainland and a van transports you to your hotel in Rio. It may not be much more expensive than paying for a ferry ticket + bus to Rio + Uber from the Rio bus terminal. However, the claims of getting to Rio in less than 2 hours should not be counted on. For instance, in case of bad weather the speed boat will not depart and you will be put on the regular ferry - the trip to Rio may then take six hours or even more. Don't risk missing your flight home.

title: Ilha Grande


text:
Ilhéus

Ilhéus is a city in Bahia that is approximately 450 km south of state capital Salvador. This city of 180,000 inhabitants is the hometown of Jorge Amado, maybe the best-known modern Brazilian writer.

History
The City was founded in 1534 and its full name was then Vila de São Jorge dos Ilhéus. It was one of the most important producers of cocoa but nowadays it depends mostly on tourism and industry.

By plane
Closest international airport is in Salvador. LATAM, TRIP and GOL have daily direct flights from Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Porto Seguro and São Paulo to the local airport of Jorge Amado, which is five minutes away from the city by car.

By car
From north or south, drive BR-101 to Itabuna, then take BR-415 eastward to Ilhéus. If you're coming from Salvador, take the ferry boat and avoid the hard traffic of the trucks in the BR-101 by taking the BA-001 instead.

By bus
The bus station in Ilhéus is 3.5 km west of the city centre. A local bus ride from station to the centre of Ilhéus will take about 10 minutes and costs R$2.20.

By boat

 * Porto de Malhado - The harbor is one of the most importants of the Bahia State and receives around 20 cruisers in the high season.

See

 * Natural beauty and beaches
 * Praias do Sul (South Beach)
 * Praias do Norte (North Beach)
 * Lagoa Encantada
 * Estância Hidromineral de Olivença (Hidromineral Waterpark os Olivença)
 * Balneário de Tororomba (Tororomba Waterpark)
 * Morro de Pernambuco (Pernambuco Hill, in Nova Brasilia neighborhood)
 * Oiteiro de São Sebastião (at the back of the Cathedral, it's where the city was founded and still have the ancient canons used for defense in the beginning of the colonization)
 * Praia do Cristo (Christ Beach)
 * Cahoeira do Apepique (Apepique Waterfall)
 * Places
 * Calçadão Jorge Amado (pedonal shopping street)
 * Avenida Soares Lopes (main avenue near the cathedral)
 * Culture
 * Teatro Municipal (City Theater)
 * Cine Theatro Ilhéos (Cinema)
 * Biblioteca Municipal (City Library)
 * Centro Cultural Bataclan (Cultural Center Bataclan)
 * Arquitecture
 * Palácio Paranaguá (City Hall)
 * Casario secular
 * Monuments and memorials
 * Cristo Redentor
 * Escultura na Praia do Malhado
 * Churches and temples
 * Catedral de São Sebastião
 * Convento e Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Piedade
 * Igreja de Nossa Senhora das Vitórias
 * Igreja São Jorge
 * Capela de Senhora Santana
 * Museums
 * House of Jorge Amado. The house of the world famous novelist Jorge Amado. M-F 9AM-noon and 2-4PM, Sa 9AM-1PM, Su 3-5PM.
 * Others
 * Feira de Artesanato
 * Centro Histórico
 * Bar Vesúvio
 * Centro de Convenções

Do
Do not miss the visit to a cocoa farm, you'll learn everything about the manufacturing of chocolate.

Buy
While visiting the Mercado de Artesanato you'll have the opportunity to know the local handcraft production form clothing to musical instruments.

Eat

 * Casa da Moqueca
 * Tempero Nativo
 * Castelino

Drink

 * Another option is the Bar Barrakitica which is considered one of the 100 best bars in Brazil. The bar is located near Jorge Amado's house downtown.
 * In Nova Brasilia barrio, the locals and the tourists mingle in the Mar Aberto nightclub.
 * In Nova Brasilia barrio, the locals and the tourists mingle in the Mar Aberto nightclub.

title: Ilhéus


text:
Iligan

Iligan is a city in the northeastern coast of Northern Mindanao, surrounded by the towns of Baloi and Linamon of Lanao del Norte to the south, the town of Lugait in Misamis Oriental to the north, and the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon to the east and Iligan Bay to the west.

Understand
The first peoples or what is now Iligan are the indigenous Higaonon people; the name Iligan derives from ilihan or iliyan, the word for "fortress" in the Higaonon language. Some say its name was derived from the seasonal surge and outflow of its two major rivers. Local folks call this alluvial phenomenon "ilig". This is the reason why Iliganons consider the monsoon season a blessing because the soil along the riverbanks are fertilized. Its Cebuano-speaking inhabitants likes to believe that Iligan means "where good fortune gravitates".

Iligan is endowed with natural beauty. Not only is it situated on a limestone-rich area, it is also way out of the typhoon belt, earthquakes and other natural disasters. Iligan is also ringed by more than 20 waterfalls (earning the moniker "City of Majestic Waterfalls") and more than a dozen springs distributed evenly within a 30-km radius of the city.

Its rivers and tributaries practically caused Iligan to move forward economically and make it the industrial center of Mindanao today.

Besides its rich natural resources, it is also the home of nationally acclaimed artists, poets, cultural workers and writers.

Iligan is predominantly Christian (93.61%). Iliganons are the mixture of the Muslim and Cebuano population with a minority of Tagalog and some other cultural minorities and immigrants from other places.

By plane

The nearest airport to Iligan City with regular, scheduled commercial flights is Laguindingan Airport in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental. There are multiple daily flights every day from Manila and Cebu with Cebu Pacific, AirAsia, and PAL Express. Flight time from Manila to Laguindingan Airport is approximately 1 hr 20 min. Flight time from Cebu is approximately 1 hr.

 * Cebu Pacific also has flights to Laguindingan Airport from Davao, Iloilo, Dumaguete, Tagbilaran, Bacolod.
 * AirAsia also has flights from Clark and Iloilo

By ferry
There are ferries from Manila, Cebu City, Ozamiz and Iloilo.

 * 2GO Travel: Manila via Iloilo.
 * Cokaliong Shipping Lines: Cebu via Ozamiz
 * Trans-Asia Shipping lines: non-stop from Cebu

By bus
Super Five has buses from Laguindingan and Cagayan de Oro. Rural Transit also has buses from Laguindingan and CDO, as well as Ozamiz and destinations in Zamboanga Peninsula. The ticket price for a CDO–Iligan bus costs

There are two bus stations, one for buses to Cagayan de Oro and one for those headed west and south.

Get around
Jeepneys or jips are the most common public transport in the city with a minimum fare of. Taxis are readily available anytime of the day. It can be radio dispatched, and will pick you up if you give the dispatcher a call. Habal-habal or motorcycles are most common especially in going to the city outskirts or hinterland areas. There is also the famous "Tartanillas" (calesas) that is also a public mode of transportation which serves through Barangay Pala-o and Barangay Tambacan.

Talk
Cebuano is the common language among Iliganons. but most people also speak English and Tagalog, Maranao, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Chavacano, and Waray-Waray are also understood and spoken by a few.

See
There are numerous waterfalls, springs, and beach resorts.

 * Macaraeg-Macapagal Ancestral House - The house boasts as the only house in Mindanao where two Philippine Presidents resided. One being the father, and the other, the daughter, Pres. Diosdado Macapagal and HE Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo respectively. In 1994, upon the instigation of the late former President Diosdado Macapagal, the lot where the house stands and a two-hectare cocoland nearby were donated to the City Government of Iligan for the purpose of developing the place into a tourist destination with a memorabilia of the Macaraeg-Macapagal Family.
 * Bayug Island - Bayug (an island sitio of Barangay Hinaplanon, 3.7 km northeast of poblacion) is traditionally considered as the first settlement in Iligan even in pre-Islamic times.
 * Other places worth visiting: - Laya Ancestral House, Linya Galleria, MVC Park and Lagoon, Rizal Park, Freedom Park.

Do
You may request a tour guide at the City Tourism Office (or take a tour on your own) to incorporate:

 * Buhanginan Hill site of city hall with a good view of the city.
 * Maria Cristina Falls
 * Timoga Spring Pools - Known for its pristine, cool and crystal clear waters freely flowing downstream towards several swimming pools. Shed, snack bars, cottages and lechon (roasted pig) stalls are available.
 * Mimbalut Falls - another waterfall and lagoon with swimming. Picnic tables are available if you simply want to wade and enjoy a quiet scenery and listen to the melodious chirping of birds.

Other things to do

 * In Barangay Hindang lies Hindang Falls and caves, a high two tiered waterfalls with lagoon ideal for swimming. It is nestled with towering peaks sheltering it from the sun and prying people. Other attractions of the barangay are the 6-8 cave clusters. Most caves have narrow entrances with long and deep chambers.
 * Mt. Agad-Agad - Approximately above sea level, very accessible and is good for mountain hikings and campings. A small waterfall is also featured on the way to the top of the mountain. Because it's so easy to climb, you may go up Mount Agad-agad in the morning and come down in the afternoon. But the trek will be much more worth the sweat if you spend the night there. At the peak, the panoramic overlooking view of Iligan City and Mt. Malindang in Misamis Occidental right across Iligan Bay is a spectacle. But wait till evening when the city lights look like the reflection of the stars.
 * Golf and Country Club of Iligan - A 9-hole golf course laid out on gently rolling low green hills which is a favorite among local golfers and others who come to Iligan. It is in Barangay Tipanoy which is about 6 km from the city.
 * Adlaw sa Iligan - On June 16, 1950, President Elpidio Quirino signed into law the charter of the new city of Iligan. In 1984, June 16 of every year was declared as "Adlaw sa Iligan" to commemorate and celebrate the founding of Iligan as a chartered city. It is usually during the weeklong celebration of the Iligan City Charter Day that the city government forges unity and partnership with the private sector and the barangay leaders in fellowship gatherings. Activities that traditionally enliven the occasion are agro-industrial fair, cultural and artistic performances and the Tambayayong Festival, a float competition of various government agencies.
 * Diyandi Festival sa Iligan - Folk-lore depicts Iligan's patron saint, St. Michael the Archangel as the protector of peace. Thus, his feast every 29 September, is a grand celebration in the city. In fact, it has transformed into a month-long festival, the "Diyandi Festival Sa Iligan". Every 27 September, Kasadya streetdancing and merrymaking is participated in by different schools, civic organizations, and ethnic groups. It is a showcase of Iliganon tradition depicting historical, cultural, and religious aspects, group competition of tribal dances, and presentation of a religious stage play.
 * Alimyon Flower Festival - Every Oct 30-Nov 2 flowers are brought directly from cut-flower growers in the farms and are priced cheaper than those displayed at shops and markets. The flowers in Iligan are also sold at Zamboanga City, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Ozamiz, and Pagadian.

Swimming pools

 * Maze Parks & Resort, and Taytay Swimming Pool are a  jeepney ride from downtown Iligan and cost  per person to go in.

Banks & ATMs

 * There is a fee is for overseas bank cards at ATMs.
 * BDO Bank has a Master Card/Visa Card ATM. Max.
 * Metro bank has a Master Card/Visa Card ATM. Max.
 * PNB has a Visa Card ATM. Max.
 * PNB has a Visa Card ATM. Max.

Shopping malls & supermarkets

 * Gaisano Citi Super Mall - Roxas Avenue
 * Gaisano Iligan Main - Cabili Avenue

Iligan delicacies

 * Cheding's Peanuts
 * Sukang Pinakurat
 * Babuyap

Souvenirs

 * Bamboo crafts
 * Ethnic products
 * Souvenir Iligan shirts

Coffee

 * Zoey Cafe - The first espresso bar in town. It offers unique coffee blends, cakes and pastries. Excellent home style meals with a welcoming atmosphere for locals and visitors alike.
 * Aruma Coffee Lounge - Located at the corner of De Leon and Burgos Sts.
 * Brew's Almighty- Michaella's Plaza, Tibanga Highway
 * Homebrew- Located near Andrada Heights, Del Carmen. The food there is so tasty and the atmosphere really brings you to a nature environment where you can relax and chill.

Sleep
Iligan City offers adequate accommodation for every type of traveller. There are economy class hotels, pensionne houses, modest inns, and several lodging houses.

Budget

 * Famous Pension House 1 and 2, 2-A Northgate Street and 21 Milestone Drive. San Miguel Tibanga, 063 225-3966 or 09426337064 or 09322076880. A/c single and double rooms with own bathroom and 40 inch Cable TV. Free Wi-Fi. There are 81 rooms at the two Famous pension houses. Single room 24 hours . double room 24 hours . off for 2nd night and on.

Cope

 * Bureau Of Immigration Iligan office. 2nd floor, room 203. Diocesan Centrum Bldg. Slavador T Liuch Street.

Go next

 * Pagadian is 136 km from Iligan.
 * Ozamiz is 67 km from Iligan (2-hour bus and ferry ride).
 * Cagayan de Oro is 88 km from Iligan (2-hour bus ride).
 * Laguindingan Airport is 56 km from Iligan.

title: Iligan


text:
Ilkley

Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, part of the metropolitan borough of Bradford in the north of England.

Understand
Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding and is a ward within the metropolitan borough of Bradford. Approximately 12 miles (19 km) north of Bradford, the town lies mainly on the south bank of the River Wharfe in Wharfedale, one of the Yorkshire Dales.

The town is popular with tourists and is overlooked by Ilkley Moor; see Yorkshire infobox for the traditional song warning against going there "baht at" ie without a hat. In the 19th century it gained its reputation as a spa town with the construction of Ben Rhydding Hydro, a Hydropathic Establishment. Charles Darwin underwent hydropathic treatment at Wells House when his book On the Origin of Species was published on 24 November 1859, whilst staying with his family at the nearby North View House (now Hillside Court). Tourists flocked here to 'take the waters' and bathe in the cold water spring.

By plane

 * Leeds Bradford International Airport has flight connections across Europe and within the UK. It's 11 miles southeast of Ilkley and is more convenient for here than for Leeds or Bradford, as you dodge the city-centre traffic. This means that flying to London from Ilkley may make sense, whereas the train is always quicker for Leeds-London. Keighley Bus 62 runs direct from LBA to Otley, Ilkley railway station (one hour) and Keighley, M-Sa 6AM-6PM every 30 min; there are only five buses on Sunday.
 * Consider using Manchester Airport for flights beyond Europe. There's a train direct from the airport to Leeds at least hourly.

By train

 * has trains to and from Leeds/Bradford. During Monday to Saturday, daytime services run to/from Leeds and Bradford twice per hour. In the evening, services are hourly to/from Leeds and Bradford Forster Square. On Sundays, services are hourly to/from Leeds and every two hours to/from Bradford.

Do
Hike the Dales Way, to Lake Windermere, over 80 miles through the Dales and into the Lakes.

Stay safe

 * The moors around Ilkley are a popular place for walking pets. If an emergency occurs requiring veterinary attention, then Ashlands Veterinary Centre (119 Leeds Road, LS29 8JS, +44 1943 817000) is an exceptionally good local practice.

title: Ilkley


text:
Illawarra

Wedged between beach and mountains, the Illawarra is a coastal region in the state of New South Wales. This chain of laidback beach towns, anchored by the city of Wollongong, has lots of outdoor recreation and a quieter pace of life than nearby Sydney.

Cities
Stretching from the south of Sydney, down to the Shoalhaven River, the Illawarra has:

 * – the main population centre of the Illawarra.
 * – contains Australia's first Hindu temple.
 * – small quaint coastal town.
 * (includes ) – a largely industrial city.
 * – picturesque town on the cliffs with the largest blowhole in the world
 * – like Kiama, but less crowded and no blowhole.

Other destinations

 * – standing between Sydney's southerly sprawl and the Illawarra.
 * – former mining area, now a popular weekend destination from Sydney
 * – a state park preserving one of the last patches of rainforest in the Illawarra
 * – a national park along the infamous road pass of the same name.

Understand
A popular region for Sydneysiders to relax by the sea, the region was known as Five Islands by the pioneers of the C18th after the group of islands off its coast. Life here is for people who want things more laid back than Sydney.

The region can be said to mark the northernmost part of the NSW South Coast. It consists of a grassy coastal plain, narrow in the north and wider in the south, bounded by the Tasman Sea on the east and the mountainous, almost impassable Illawarra escarpment (forming the eastern edge of the Southern Highlands plateau) to the west. In the middle of the region is Lake Illawarra, a shallow lake formed when sediment built up at the entrance to a bay. The district extends from the southern hills of the Royal National Park in the north to the Shoalhaven River in the south, and contains the city of Wollongong, the fourth largest urban area in New South Wales.

North of Wollongong the plain narrows to a small strip of land between the coast and the escarpment. At Coalcliff and Stanwell Park small valleys are formed allowing further settlement. To the south it widens, and becomes increasingly hillier before reaching Stockyard Mountain, a long divide between the main plain and the Jamberoo Valley, which stretches until it reaches Kiama. South of Kiama is Saddleback Mountain and south of that the Shoalhaven plains and the outcrop of Coolangatta Mountain.

By plane
The nearest major airport is Sydney Airport, north of Wollongong. Train service is available from the airport to the Illawarra; change at Wolli Creek station.

The Illawarra also has its own airport, Shellharbour/Wollongong Airport. LinkAirways has flights to Melbourne-Essendon and Brisbane, although on much a lower scale than you'd get at Sydney.

By train
The Illawarra region is served by train on the South Coast Line (SCO) from Bondi Junction down south via Central (Sydney CBD) and Sutherland Shire and terminates at Kiama; from the south, a separate shuttle train service operates between Bomaderry and Kiama (southern boundary of the Illawarra), passing Berry and Gerringong. Thanks to Sydney's extensive trail network, you can get around wherever you want within the Illawarra by train in a day and only pay around $16.80.

By car
From Sydney, the A1 Prices Highway or the A6 Heathcote Road and the M1 Prices Motorway (formerly NR 1 Southern Freeway) run down south and takes about an hour for the northern sections of the Illawarra, and around two hours for the southern sections of the Illawarra. Traffic jams are common on public holidays, especially on Heathcote Road.

By bus
If you're coming from south-western Sydney, you can catch the 887 bus from Campbelltown to Wollongong train station, via Appin and the University of Wollongong. On weekdays, there are eighteen buses per day. On weekends and public holidays, there are three buses per day to Wollongong.

Get around
There are public bus services, but buses only really operate around the Wollongong area with few services outside it, and the few are usually connecting buses to the southern suburbs of Sydney.

There is one major rail line with two branches; the SCO (South Coast Line) that crosses the region north-south, with one branch to Port Kembla and the other to Kiama. Due to the extensive train network around Greater Sydney, you can use an Opal card; the line is also considered to be a part of NSW Trainlink's Intercity network and get by without spending more than $16.30.

If you're getting by car, which is perhaps the most easiest and convenient, the main route to get by the region is via the M1 Princes Motorway (formerly Southern Freeway), Mt Ousley Road and the A1 Princes Highway which connects the region north-south. The most of the route is a freeway or a limited-access dual carriageway sections. On top of the Princes Mwy, there are several east-west routes, some of which head west and connect the Illawarra region to the Southern Highlands and South-West Sydney.

See cycling in New South Wales § Illawarra for information about cycling in the Illawarra.

See
Some popular spots in the Illawarra are the Stanwell Tops, Sublime point lookout, Minnamurra Rainforest, or seeing the Kiama Blowhole in Action.

Though regional NSW (or regional Australia for that matter) is not particularly known for places of worship that get so many tourists, the Illawarra region has two major places of worship, both which attract visitors from all over the state. The first is the Nan Tien Temple in southern Wollongong, a Buddhist Temple that is particularly visited for its remarkable architecture, and the second is Sri Venkateswara Temple which isn't as well known nor visited as Nan Tien, but was the first Hindu temple in Australia.

Some lesser known waterfalls worth visiting include the two in Macquarie Pass National Park and Maddens Falls in Dharawal National Park. One of the waterfalls in Macquarie Pass NP and Maddens Falls do not require strenuous hiking.

Do
To the west of the Illawarra, is home to some stunning and picturesque waterfalls. The hike up to them is definitely worth it. The Illawarra Escarpment is crisscrossed by hiking and mountain biking trails. Additionally, surfing in these beaches is a popular trend, and most beaches have a lifeguard.

The Grand Pacific Drive is a scenic tourist drive starting from Royal National Park near Loftus, weaves its way down Stanwell Park and Sea Cliff Way before makings its way through suburban Wollongong, Port Kembla and Shellharbour. It then joins with the freeway section of the Princes Highway (not Mwy) at Shellharbour Junction until Bombo and Kiama, where it passes through the town's important points of interests. The tourist drive then joins back at Kiama Heights next to the Kiama Bends until Gerringong, and makes its way down to Bomaderry via coastal Shoalhaven roads (not covered here).

Eat
In the areas of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Port Kembla and Kiama, it's easy to find a variety of food here, for most types of diets, and most cater for allergies. Generally there is a good variety of Chinese, Thai and Indian cuisines available, though arguably they are not really authentic, and have more of the "regional Australianised" taste.

The region also has plenty of cafes. Every town and most suburbs of Wollongong will generally have at least around three to five. You can generally expect to find what you would find in normal Australian cafes, though you may find a larger availability of cold beverages available.

As the Illawarra is in regional New South Wales, most restaurants will usually be open from 11AM and close at 2:30PM for lunch, while reopen between 5 and 6:30PM and then close between 9 and 10PM. Cafes in Wollongong are usually open from 7AM in the morning, though some may only open at 10AM and close by 4PM.

Drink
There are plenty of bars and pubs in Wollongong, but they can get violent after dark.

Media

 * Illawarra Mercury – the region's daily local newspaper.

Go next

 * Shoalhaven is next region to the south
 * Head to the capital of NSW; Sydney

title: Illawarra


text:
Illinois

Illinois is a state in the Midwest of the United States of America. Home to the large city of Chicago, the terrain of this state ranges from rolling farmland in the south to the mud flats upon which Chicago was built.

Illinois is often referred to as the "Land of Lincoln" — Abraham Lincoln resided here for many years before becoming president. Considering how Abraham Lincoln is often regarded as one of the most influential presidents in the history of the United States, this is something the state takes in its stride. Is also an important state in African-American history, with Chicago being a hub of black-owned businesses, and the country's first African-American president Barack Obama having resided here for many years before entering the White House.

Cities

 * – the capital and administrative center of the state. Abraham Lincoln resided here for many years, and many buildings in the city are dedicated to him.
 * – home of Illinois State University, Illinois Weslyan University and the grave site of Adlai Stevenson
 * – home of Southern Illinois University
 * – home of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the state's largest university
 * – the largest city in the Midwest and third-largest in the U.S., a center for theatre, jazz, and railroads, with a complex history and staggering skyscrapers.
 * – charming historical town along the Mississippi River
 * – with casinos, a speedway and the state's most infamous prison
 * – founded by Mormon Joseph Smith, and surprisingly has the oldest winery in the state
 * – a classic Midwestern "Everytown"

Other destinations

 * – is a surprising find in Illinois - the center of a prehistoric Native American city and one of only 20 UNESCO World Heritage sites in the U.S.
 * – Between May 1804 and September 1806, 32 men, one woman, and a baby traveled from the plains of the Midwest to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. They called themselves the Corps of Discovery.
 * and the
 * – Both are located on the Mississippi River in East St. Louis, IL
 * – located along Shawnee Hills Wine Trail
 * – located along Shawnee Hills Wine Trail
 * – located along Shawnee Hills Wine Trail
 * – located along Shawnee Hills Wine Trail
 * – located along Shawnee Hills Wine Trail
 * – located along Shawnee Hills Wine Trail

Understand
Illinois is a mostly flat plains state, with the majority being farmland except for the river valleys and the south, which are hilly and forested. Traditionally, Illinois is subdivided into three culturally distinct regions: Northern, Central and Southern Illinois. Northern Illinois is considered anything north of I-80 and includes the majority of Chicagoland as well as the Quad Cities and Rockford. Central Illinois includes all areas between I-80 and I-70 including Peoria, Springfield and Urbana-Champaign with Southern Illinois occupying all areas south of I-70 including Carbondale. Chicagoland and Metro-East (suburban St. Louis area) may be considered regions within regions and tend to be culturally different than the rest of their area.

Northern Illinois is by far the most diverse area of the state and has some of the largest population centers including Chicago, Aurora, Rockford, Naperville and Elgin. The area benefits from a unique mixture of factors including its location next to Lake Michigan; the concentration of highways, rail and airports in the Chicagoland area and the numerous tourism opportunities in areas such as the Chain O Lakes and Galena Driftless Zone.

Central Illinois is the seat of state government and home to the State's flagship university - the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Small urban areas dot the entire area including Urbana-Champaign, Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, Springfield, Quincy and Decatur. Outside of these cities, the area is largely rural and depends on agriculture as its primary economic engine. Central Illinois has played a unique role in US history as being the home of Nauvoo, an original Church of Latter Day Saints settlement. It also encompasses the region of Illinois informally named Forgotonia which had briefly captured national attention when residents began a mock campaign to either secede from Illinois or the US due to lack of attention in the early 1970s.

Southern Illinois includes the cities of Carbondale, Marion, Mount Vernon and portions of Metro-East. It is noticeably different from the rest of Illinois in that it shares more in common culturally with neighboring Kentucky and Missouri than with the rest of the state and may be informally considered part of the Upland South. The region has been called "Little Egypt," a nickname that may be an inside joke referring to the town of Cairo, which sits at the confluence of Mississippi and Ohio rivers.

People
The Chicago metropolitan area is culturally diverse, with its population being roughly evenly divided among whites, African-Americans and Hispanics. As a cosmopolitan city, Chicago is also home to smaller communities of other ethnicities, as well as immigrants from all corners of the globe. The rest of the state, on the other hand, tends to adhere to the classic American makeup of a white majority with African-American and Hispanic minorities. Although generally regarded as a solid blue state, this is largely due to the relatively large population of the Chicago metropolitan area. Outside Chicagoland and college towns such as Champaign-Urbana, people continue to be deeply conservative.

Tourist information

 * Illinois website

Talk
English is the dominant language in the state of Illinois. Spanish, Polish, Chinese, and Hindi are the languages most commonly heard after English.

Spanish is widely spoken in the Chicago Metropolitan area by its large Hispanic population (mostly of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent), though not well understood outside of Chicagoland.

Although not as prevalent in the past, unique to Chicago is the largest Polish-speaking community in the country. Most speakers today are in neighborhoods and suburbs around O’Hare airport and the language can still be seen in some store fronts, billboards, churches, and even a couple FM radio stations. Another notable Eastern European community in Chicago is the Ukrainians, and you will find quite a number of Ukrainian speakers in the eponymous Ukrainian village, along with Ukrainian bakeries, churches and schools.

The Chinese speaking community is growing very rapidly. Chicago’s Chinatown is one of the state's few ethnic neighborhoods that has experienced dramatic growth in the last couple decades. Traditionally, Cantonese and Taishanese have been the main Chinese dialects spoken in Chicago, though Mandarin is now also spoken due to the large influx of immigrants from all over China.

Hindi, Urdu, and other languages from South Asia have likewise grown rapidly and can be found throughout the whole state. Chicago also has a large Vietnamese-speaking community as it was one of the main destinations for South Vietnamese refugees fleeing the fall of Saigon. The southern suburbs of Chicago are home to a large Arab population, so you might also hear various dialects of Arabic, and even some churches conduct services in Arabic.

Central Illinois is home to an Amish community, who speak Pennsylvania Dutch as their native language.

Besides those Illinois especially around Chicago is very multi-ethnic and hosts dozens of languages from all around the world. There is a small community of speakers of Native American languages though they are mostly transplants from other regions of the country such as Ho Chunk from Wisconsin, Lakota from the Dakotas, and Navajo from Navajo Nation. Unfortunately the indigenous tribes that originally inhabited Illinois are very small in number today and very few native language speakers in those communities remain.

By car
Illinois is accessed through interstates 39, 90, & 94 through Wisconsin, 74 and 80 through Iowa, 55, 57, 64, 70, and 72 through Missouri, 24 through Kentucky, and 64, 70, 74, 80, 90, and 94 through Indiana.

By train
Amtrak serves many different areas of Illinois. Chicago is the main hub of Amtrak's long-distance routes, and a coast-to-coast rail trip will usually require you to change trains in Chicago. You can get into Chicago from virtually all directions, east coast and west coast, north and south. There are numerous daily trains to and from Milwaukee and it is reasonably fast and reliable. There is daily service (the Empire Builder) from Seattle/Portland, Oregon by way of Milwaukee. You can also get in from Washington D.C., New York, and Boston on various daily trains. There are many local trains that serve downstate and southern Illinois that also serve long distance locations. Those routes are as follows:

The UP line from Chicago-St. Louis serves Summit, Joliet, Dwight, Pontiac, Bloomington-Normal, Lincoln, Springfield, Carlinville, Alton, and finally St. Louis. There are 4 trains each day, each way. One of those trains that serves this route is the Texas Eagle, and it will bring you into Illinois from San Antonio, Dallas, Arkansas, and Missouri.

The BNSF route from Chicago-Galesburg-Quincy. Only local service serves the Quincy portion of the line. The other service is provided by 2 daily long distance trains coming from either Los Angeles (the Southwest Chief) or Emeryville (in the San Francisco Bay Area) via Salt Lake City and Denver (the California Zephyr).

The CN route from Chicago-Carbondale has 3 trains each way daily. One long distance train is provided each way daily and will take you to/from New Orleans via Jackson, Mississippi and Memphis.

Some trains have continuing service on certain days of the week to/from Washington D.C. There is regular daily service to/from Washington D.C. via Toledo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia.

Chicago's commuter rail system also reaches into the neighboring states. The South Shore Line connects Chicago Millennium Station with South Bend, Indiana via Gary and Michigan City, while Metra's Union Pacific North Line (UP-N) connects Chicago's Ogilvie Transportation Center with Kenosha, Wisconsin.

There are no direct trains to Illinois from Canada, but you can catch a VIA Rail train from Toronto to Windsor or Sarnia at the border, then transfer onto an Amtrak trains to Chicago after crossing the border into Detroit or Port Huron respectively.

By plane
Chicago has two major airports, O'Hare and Midway. O'Hare is one of the main international gateways to the United States, while Midway is smaller and closer to the downtown. Some of the regional airports also serve a small number of flights from out of state, including in Springfield, Champaign-Urbana, Rockford, Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, and in St. Louis, across the river from Illinois.

By foot

 * The American Discovery Trail connects Illinois with Iowa, Missouri, Indiana and both coasts.

By car
Car travel is best for the majority of the state, easily accessed by interstates. Numerous highways closer to Chicago are tollways, but the rest of the highways are free. EZ-Pass users from the eastern U.S. can use their transponders on the Illinois Tollway at all toll booths. Except for the Chicago Skyway to/from northern Indiana, Illinois has abolished toll payments by cash, and uses electronic tolling exclusively. If you do not have a transponder, you have up to 14 days to pay your tolls online, albeit at double the cost of tolls paid using a transponder. The Chicago Skyway accepts toll payments by cash and credit card, though I-Pass and E-ZPass transponders are accepted, albeit with a 3¢ surcharge for I-Pass or New York state-issued E-ZPass transponders.

By bus
Greyhound buses, Megabus discount buses and its sister bus company, Coach USA, serve many Illinois locales. Chicago and the nearby suburbs are served by the PACE bus system and many large Illinois cities have bus systems of their own. Information on transit can be found here.

By train
Train travel is another way to get around Illinois. Metra train lines serves Chicago and the surrounding suburbs and Amtrak serves significant portions of the rest of the state. While Metra trains usually run on time, Amtrak trains are more prone to running late. Check with Amtrak before making the trip.

By plane
There are flights from Chicago to regional centers in the state such as Springfield, Champaign-Urbana, Peoria and Bloomington-Normal, usually on United Airlines or American Airlines. These fights tend to be expensive compared to flights between major cities.

Chicago
In the Loop, Chicago's commercial district with bustling elevated train tracks and great architecture:

 * Sears Tower (Willis Tower) - one of the tallest buildings in the world, it has an observation deck on the 103rd floor
 * Grant Park for musical performances and Millennium Park for summer fun
 * The Art Institute of Chicago - one of the finest art museums in the world

In the Near North:

 * John Hancock Center A bit shorter, but with a better observation deck
 * The Magnificent Mile Put simply, shoppers' paradise.
 * Navy Pier Entertainment center with many attractions including the Chicago Children's Museum, mini golf, ferris wheel, botanic gardens, and boat cruises

In the Near South, including the Museum Campus:
 * The Field Museum The premier natural history museum in the Midwest, with one of the best preserved T-Rex skeletons on display
 * The Adler Planetarium The first planetarium in North America
 * The Shedd Aquarium Great lakefront aquarium

In Hyde Park:

 * Museum of Science and Industry The best science museum in the Midwest, with hundreds of exhibits including a German submarine, high speed 1930s train, Boeing 727 jet, and an immense train set.
 * The University of Chicago A premier institution of learning in the Midwest

Elsewhere

 * Springfield - The state capital has the capitol building, as well as Abraham Lincoln's tomb, home, and presidential library. Be sure to check out the Old State Capitol as well, notable for its Lincoln heritage and also as the site of U.S. President Barack Obama's declaration of Joe Biden as his running mate in the 2008 presidential race.
 * Champaign-Urbana is one of downstate Illinois's most prized cities. It is the regional capital of Illinois. It is a very urban oasis in the middle of the prairie. Outside of Chicago, it holds the state's largest ethnic population. There are many museums there. Champaign-Urbana is known for historic Memorial Stadium, where Illini Football plays, and for its nightlife.

Itineraries

 * Historic Route 66 began in Chicago and routed through Springfield to St. Louis. I-55 roughly parallels the old route, which still exists in many places as surface streets.

Do
You can go to World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, just east of St. Louis.

Eat
The great cultural and economic diversity in Illinois lends itself to a number of great dining opportunities anywhere in the state. Below is just a sampling of different things found in Illinois:

Chicagoland
Chicagoland is home to one of the largest and most diverse populations in the world (as well as exceptionally varied restaurants and bars). Some of the very regionally specific things available in Chicagoland are:
 * Chicago hot dogs and Maxwell Street Polish
 * Chicago deep dish pizza, stuffed pizza and thin crust pizza
 * Italian Beef
 * Breaded steak sandwich
 * Pączki: A Polish donut traditionally served on Fat Tuesday
 * Chicken Vesuvio: Though available throughout the US, Chicken Vesuvio (chicken cooked with oil, garlic and white wine) originated in Chicagoland. and is a specialty at many Italian restaurants in the area.
 * Chicago-style barbecue: A specialty of the city's African-American community.
 * Jibarito: Plantain sandwich that originated in Chicago's Puerto Rican community.

In addition to those listed above, Chicagoland has world class Russian, Latin American, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Middle Eastern food.

Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois, being so connected to Chicagoland, has many of the Chicagoland staples. In addition, the Rock River Valley and Illinois Driftless Area have excellent produce and a local staple, Mrs. Mike's potato chips, a regional favorite snack.

Central Illinois
Central Illinois' most famous local item is the Horseshoe Sandwich (sometimes just called a "Shoe"), an open-faced sandwich of toast, hamburger, french fries, and cheese sauce, with regional variations (which can include different proteins like chicken or ham). It originated in Springfield but can be found in most of Central Illinois and in the Quad Cities.

The area is also home to an Amish community and an Amish restaurant selling classics such as Amish fried chicken and noodles.

Western Illinois
The Quad Cities have two regional styles of pizza. Beyond that, the region's produce and livestock make for excellent farm to table dining.

Metro East
Restaurants in Metro East tend to share in St. Louis's cuisine.

Southern Illinois
Sharing so much of its culture with the Upland South, Southern Illinois' cuisine tends to be similar to Kentucky and southern Indiana. Burgoo, a spicy stew traditionally made of whatever is available at the time, is served in many parts of Southern Illinois and is closely related to the burgoos made in Kentucky. If served in a restaurant, game bird tends to be the preferred meat. In southeastern Illinois, including Albion and the surrounding area, a stew similar to a burgoo called a "chowder" is served instead.

Drink
Water

The rural water downstate, excluding municipal water but including untreated spring water has a "sulphur" taste and odor to it. It is safe to drink, but the odor and taste can be hard to swallow.

Coffee

Coffee is popular throughout the State with chain coffee houses being very common. Many communities, especially smaller ones outside of the metropolitan areas, will have independent shops. Many of these independent shops have adopted popular drinks (lattes, etc.) and made them their own.

Chicago's diverse cuisine also means it has a great number of different types of coffees. For example, Middle Eastern and Ethiopian coffee is available and can be served in the traditional style.

Beer

Illinois has a number of craft breweries across the entire state, with the highest concentrations in Chicagoland and Metro East. Most breweries will offer versions of American favorites (IPAs, stouts, lagers, pilsners, etc.) though some may produce local favorites. These are always worth trying if you can find them.

Crime
Generally speaking, Illinois is a safe state, but the only city of major concern is East St. Louis.

Although the crime rate of Chicago has dropped significantly, the overall crime rate is still well above the US average. In addition, the city has a long history of public corruption. You are of no interest to criminal gangs unless you give them a reason to be interested in you. Stay vigilant and use common sense; these two practices will most often aid you in avoiding bad situations. Do your research to find out which areas are most unsavory for the out-of-town traveler.

East St. Louis is widely regarded as the most dangerous city in the United States. You have absolutely no reason to be there unless you are an experienced traveller.

Tornadoes
The geographical position and characteristic of the state's western regions make them prone to having a high occurrence of tornadoes throughout the spring and summer seasons. Most of these tornadoes are small scale and short lived, however, this does not mean larger scale tornadoes are totally uncommon. In March of 2006, the city of Springfield was struck by two EF-2 tornadoes and experienced significant damage from this event.

If you plan to visit these regions of the state, keep yourself informed of the current weather conditions and update yourself regularly because the conditions can change in an instant. If you find yourself in a dangerous weather situation, seek shelter immediately.

Refer to the Tornado safety page for more information regarding this matter.

Winter
Northern Illinois can have severe cold weather in the winter, especially in January.

Politics
Illinois has a long history of political corruption, and this is one of many reasons why the state has a high emigration rate. Numerous political officials, including four former governors, have been convicted of corruption. Take care when discussing political issues.

Go next

 * Wisconsin - "America's Dairyland" borders Illinois to the north.
 * Iowa - Rural Iowa lies along Illinois' northwestern border and provides the opportunity to explore America's agricultural heartland.
 * Missouri - The home of St. Louis, the gateway to the west, is just a short journey across Illinois' southwestern border.
 * Kentucky - Located southeast of Illinois, Kentucky is known for its rolling hills, horses, and rural inhabitants, offering travelers a less-visited but tremendously beautiful destination.
 * Indiana - Illinois' eastern neighbor is home to rich basketball tradition and the Indianapolis 500.

title: Illinois