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Nanaimo

Nanaimo is the central hub city of Vancouver Island in BC, Canada. It is the second largest city on the island and has the second biggest harbour. In many ways it is the smaller cousin of Victoria. Like much of Vancouver Island it has moved from being primarily an industrial town to a tourist city that attracts a large number of retirees from the rest of Canada.

Understand
The Indigenous peoples of the area that is now known as Nanaimo are the Snuneymuxw. An anglicised spelling and pronunciation of that word gave the city its current name.

The first Europeans to find Nanaimo Bay were those of the 1791 Spanish voyage of Juan Carrasco, under the command of Francisco de Eliza. They gave it the name Bocas de Winthuysen.

Nanaimo began as a trading post in the early 19th century. In 1849, the Snuneymuxw chief Ki-et-sa-kun ("Coal Tyee") informed the Hudson's Bay Company of coal in the area. Exploration proved there was plenty of it in the area and Nanaimo became chiefly known for the export of coal. In 1853 the company built the Nanaimo Bastion, which has been preserved and is a popular tourist destination in the downtown area. Coal mines were established in the Nanaimo harbour area.

The gassy qualities of the coal which made it valuable also made it dangerous. The 1887 Nanaimo Mine Explosion killed 150 miners and was described as the largest man-made explosion until the Halifax Explosion. Another 100 men died in another explosion the next year.

An internment camp for Ukrainian detainees, many of them local, was set up at a provincial jail in Nanaimo from September 1914 to September 1915.

In the 1940s, lumber supplanted coal as the main business although Minetown Days are still celebrated in the neighbouring community of Lantzville.

Chinatowns
Nanaimo has had a succession of four distinct Chinatowns. The first, founded during the gold rush years of the 1860s, was the third largest in British Columbia. In 1884, because of mounting racial tensions related to the Dunsmuir coal company's hiring of Chinese strikebreakers, the company helped move Chinatown outside the city limits. In 1908, when two Chinese entrepreneurs bought the site and tried to raise rents, in response, and with the help of 4,000 shareholders from across Canada, the community combined forces and bought the site for the third Chinatown at a new location, focused on Pine Street. That third Chinatown, by then mostly derelict, burned down on 30 September 1960. A fourth Chinatown, also called Lower Chinatown or "new town", boomed for a while in the 1920s on Machleary Street.

Climate
Like much of coastal British Columbia, Nanaimo experiences a temperate climate with mild, rainy winters and cool, dry summers. Nanaimo is usually shielded by the mountains of central Vancouver Island, so that summers are unusually dry for its latitude and location—though summer drying as a trend is found in the immediate lee of the coastal ranges as far north as Skagway, Alaska.

Heavy snowfall does occasionally occur during winter, but the mean maximum cover is only 0.2 metres (7.9 in).

By boat
Most travelers to Nanaimo will arrive from Vancouver.

BC Ferries
There are three car ferries at three different Nanaimo terminals:

 * Connects with Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) ferry terminal in West Vancouver. Ferry crossing is 1 hour and 40 minutes. The ferry departs slightly less frequently than once every 2 hours. First and last departure times vary seasonally with typical inbound and outbound daily first departures being around 6:15 am and last departures being around 10 pm or 11 pm. This is the more scenic of the two ferries from Nanaimo. Located in urban Nanaimo about 5 km north of downtown Nanaimo.
 * Public transit
 * Nanaimo (Departure Bay) ferry terminal is served by bus routes operates by BC Transit on the following routes:
 * Routes 20 and 20A travel between downtown Nanaimo and Woodgrove Exchange (in north Nanaimo) via the ferry terminal
 * Route 25 travels a large single direction loop around Nanaimo, starting at Woodgrove Exchange, stopping at the ferry terminal, stopping in downtown, stopping at Vancouver Island University (VIU), and then ending at Woodgrove Exchange.
 * Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) ferry terminal is served by several of TransLink's bus routes including:
 * Route 250, connecting to downtown Vancouver. Enables connections with Burrard station (SkyTrain Expo Line) at its stop on Georgia St at Burrard St, and with Granville station (SkyTrain Expo Line) and Vancouver City Centre station (SkyTrain Canada Line) at its stop on Georgia St at Granville St
 * Route 257, a limited stop service connecting to downtown Vancouver. Enables connections with Burrard station (SkyTrain Expo Line) at its stop on Georgia St at Burrard St, and with Granville station (SkyTrain Expo Line) and Vancouver City Centre station (SkyTrain Canada Line) at its stop on Georgia St at Granville St
 * Route 262, connecting to Lions Bay and parts of West Vancouver
 * Intercity buses
 * IslandLink Bus and Tofino Bus both stop at the Nanaimo (Departure Bay) ferry terminal. See by bus below.
 * Parking options
 * Short-term and long-term parking are available at the ferry terminal, but parking availability may be limited at peak times. BC Ferries' website identifies the current amount of long-term parking remaining.
 * Amenities
 * Wi-Fi: Free service at the ferry terminal. Not offered on the ferries.
 * Washrooms: Available in the terminal and on board ferries.
 * Eating and shopping: A coffee shop is in the terminal. A cafeteria style-restaurant and a gift shop are on board the ferrie

 * Connects with Vancouver (Tsawwassen) ferry terminal in Delta. Ferry crossing is 2 hours and the ferry departs every 2.5 hours. Inbound and outbound ferries' normal daily departure times are at 5:15AM, 7:45AM, 10:15AM, 12:45PM, 3:15PM, 5:45PM, 7:15PM, and 10:45PM, except that on Saturdays, the last departures are at 5:45PM, and on Sundays, the first departures are at 10:15AM. The route is a quicker option than Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) route to Nanaimo, if traveling from areas south of Vancouver. Nanaimo (Duke Point) is located in an industrial area on a peninsula southeast of downtown Nanaimo, 15 km from downtown.
 * Public transit
 * Vancouver (Tsawwassen): Translink bus route 620, travels between Tsawwassen and the Bridgeport station (SkyTrain Canada Line).
 * Nanaimo (Duke Point): Not available, expect an expensive taxi fare.
 * Parking options
 * Short-term and long-term parking are available at the ferry terminal, but parking availability may be limited at peak times. BC Ferries' website identifies the current amount of long-term parking remaining.
 * Amenities
 * Wi-Fi: Free service at the ferry terminal. Not offered on the ferries.
 * Washrooms: Available in the terminal and on board ferries.
 * Eating and shopping: A coffee kiosk is in the terminal. A cafeteria style-restaurant and a gift shop are on board the ferries

 * Connects with, the north most of the Southern Gulf Islands. Crossing time is 20 minutes with departures are every 35 to 70 minutes.
 * Public transit
 * Nanaimo (Nanaimo Harbour): BC Transit has many routes nearby as the ferry terminal is in the downtown area.
 * Gabriola Island (Descanso Bay): There is no public transit on Gabriola Island.

Reservations

 * Are available for ferries serving Nanaimo (Departure Bay) and Nanaimo (Duke Point)
 * Can be completed on BC Ferries' website or by phone.
 * Are a generally good idea, as ferries can fill up. If you book far enough in advance and prepay with saver fare is available, you may even pay less than showing up at the terminal. Otherwise, reservations increase the cost of the trip, between increasing cost between $2.50 extra and $17, depending on which option you choose.
 * Drivers must redeem their reservation at the ferry terminal at least 30 minutes before the scheduled sailing or they lose their guarantee to be on the sailing and are given the same priority as anyone else showing up at the ferry terminal without a reservation.

The base fare to travel to or from Nanaimo (Departure Bay) and Nanaimo (Duke Point) ferry terminals are the same.

Hullo
Bus route 20 operates to this Hullo's Nanaimo ferry terminal and Hullo also has a free shuttle between the ferry terminal and downtown Nanaimo. The nearest public transit to Hullo's Vancouver ferry terminal is about 400 metres away.

Main airport destinations
FIights to Nanaimo from Vancouver (30 minutes) and Calgary (1.75 hours).

Main airport airlines

 * Flights to Nanaimo from Vancouver and Calgary. The cost to add this onto an Air Canada flight into Vancouver or Calgary is often minimal.
 * Flights to Nanaimo from Calgary.

Seaplanes
Seaplanes operate to Nanaimo harbour near downtown Nanaimo
 * Operate flights to Nanaimo from Sechelt (20 minutes), downtown Vancouver (20 minutes), Vancouver International Airport (20 minutes). Harbour Air operates the De Havilland Otter and operates from a larger terminal on the downtown waterfront. Harbour Air services operate hourly from about 7AM to 6PM. Reservation recommended. The cost is about $55.
 * Operates flights from May to September between Seattle and Nanaimo.
 * Operate flights to Nanaimo from downtown Vancouver and Vancouver International Airport. Seair flies the De Havilland Beaver and the Cessna Caravan and operates from a terminal near the Departure Bay ferry terminal.

By car
Highways serving Nanaimo:

 * Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway). Travelers reach Nanaimo driving north from Victoria. It is about a 90-minute drive from Victoria. This highway travels to Nanaimo (Departure Bay) ferry terminal and continues at Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) ferry terminal in West Vancouver.
 * Highway 19. Travelers reach Nanaimo driving south from Campbell River and Courtenay. This highway terminates at Nanaimo (Duke Point) ferry terminal.

Get around
If arranged ahead of time, cars can be rented at the downtown harbour, Departure Bay ferry terminal or the Nanaimo airport.

By public transit
Also operates the following routes between cities:

 * Route 20 between downtown Nanaimo and Woodgrove Centre with a stop at Departure Bay ferry terminal. Travel time between downtown Nanaimo and Departure Bay ferry terminal is about 10 minutes and between Departure Bay ferry terminal and Woodgrove Centre is about 30 minutes.
 * Route 25 does a large clockwise loop around Nanaimo to assist with travel to and from Departure Bay ferry terminal. It is fastest option to travel from Woodgrove Centre to the ferry terminal (23 minutes). It is also useful for travel from the ferry terminal to downtown Nanaimo (about 10 minutes).
 * Route 50 between downtown Nanaimo and Woodgrove Centre (30 min). The fastest option between Nanaimo and Woodgrove Centre.
 * Route 70 between downtown Nanaimo and Duncan (1.25 hours) with stops in Ladysmith and at Nanaimo Airport. Operates multiple times daily from Monday to Saturday,
 * Route 91 between Woodgrove Centre and Qualicum Beach (1 hour) with stops in Nanoose Bay and Parksville. Operates multiple times daily.

See

 * Pioneer Plaza -- at the foot of Bastion Street, you'll find markers for a self-guided walking tour of the downtown core.
 * Pioneer Plaza -- at the foot of Bastion Street, you'll find markers for a self-guided walking tour of the downtown core.
 * Pioneer Plaza -- at the foot of Bastion Street, you'll find markers for a self-guided walking tour of the downtown core.
 * Pioneer Plaza -- at the foot of Bastion Street, you'll find markers for a self-guided walking tour of the downtown core.

Do

Buy
Nanaimo is the largest city that can be easily accessed by most of Vancouver Island. As leaving the Island to do shopping is expensive and time consuming, Nanaimo has become the shopping centre for Vancouver Island. According to a 1990 Time Magazine article, it has more square meters of retail space per capita than any other city in North America. Much of this shopping is in the large number of malls and big box retailers on the outskirts of at the north end of the city just south of where Highway 19 and Highway 19A converge, such as Woodgrove Centre. However, most of the interesting shops are in the downtown core.

Eat
If you are visiting Nanaimo, you should try a Nanaimo Bar, a delicious dessert that was invented in this city. A Nanaimo Bar consists of a layer of chocolate ganache on top, custard icing in the middle, and a wafer, nut, and coconut crumb base. A number of tourist shops sell Nanaimo Bars along the downtown Nanaimo waterfront, and at least one sells Nanaimo Bar ice cream cones. Nanaimo Bars can also be found in a number of other places, including some grocery store bakeries and at the cafeterias on many BC Ferries sailings, including those connecting Nanaimo with the Vancouver area.

Restaurants in Nanaimo:

Go next
Nanaimo is a hub city for the island, as such it provides good access to a number of locations on the island.

Ladysmith, along the Trans-Canada Highway to the southeast, is a picturesque tourist town.

It is about a 3-hour drive to Tofino and Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park.

North of Nanaimo is Campbell River, Telegraph Cove and Port Hardy.

The beaches of the Parksville/Qualicum Beach region are a short 20-minute drive from Nanaimo. This region also includes Coombs, offering some wonderful rustic and exotic shopping and this is where you find the goats on the roof. It's a favourite spot for locals and an excellent stop for tourists. It's about a 30-minute drive from Nanaimo.

title: Nanaimo


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Nanakuli

Nanakuli is on the west coast of the island of Oahu, Hawaii

Get in
Take the H1 freeway westwards. As you round the southwest corner of the island you will see the Waianae Coast laid out before you, with the expanse of blue ocean to your left.

Get around
The City Bus will get there. Catch with City Bus# 40/40A - Makaha or Route C CountryExpress!

The Bus One-Way Fare: $2. The Bus Transfer: One free with each paid cash fare.

See
Places of Interest

Nanakuli Beach Park (86-269 Farrington Hwy) The west coast of O'ahu is fairly well protected from strong surf conditions even during the winter months making this beach a haven for the winter traveler. Its coral reef slopes gradually downward providing great swimming year round. It has a beautiful and stable sandy beach area.

This beach park is in an area where it had been customary to name places after a body part - Nanakuli literally means "to look at the knee." This is an interesting beach and offers a diversified recreational activity menu.

Principal ocean activities are swimming, snorkeling, SCUBA and skin diving. Swimming is generally safe during the Summer months, but becomes very dangerous during Winter high surf season. Snorkelers and divers should watch out for Winter's strong currents and turbulence.

This beach park is in the driest areas of O`ahu. Be sure you and any keiki (children) who might be with you drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. SUN GLASSESBe sun safe and sensible: Be sure to wear a broad spectrum sun block, tanning lotion, or cream with a sun protective factor of SPF 15+ - and reapply it every two hours. Don't forget your sunglasses and to wear a hat with a wide brim, too!

Do
Sail with whales, dive with dolphins, snorkel with turtles, with the marine biologist led crew of - see Wild Side Specialty Tours

Buy
Rent surfboards, snorkel equipment and bikes Hale Nalu.

Eat
A good Korean BBQ spot exists.

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

title: Nanakuli


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Nananu-i-Ra

Nananu-i-ra is a small island about 1.5km off of the north coast of Viti Levu, in Fiji.

Understand
The island is home to a couple of resorts and backpacker cottage accommodation options (bure) as well as private homes and villas. Most of the appeal of this island is due to its small secluded and relatively uninhabited nature, and as such there are not really any restaurants or businesses.

Get in
Travellers typically arrive there by chartering a local motorboat from the mainland; the nearest town is Rakiraki.

See

 * A must to see is One Bay, a beautiful white sandy beach.
 * Behind this beach there's a tropical rain forest, in which lies an ancient Fijian village. All over the island, there are many archeological sites that are not been studied.
 * Walking around the island you can see burial sites.

Do
Scuba diving around the island is amazing. The Bligh Waters are famous for their colourful soft corals. You can't see everywhere else as many soft coral as in Nananu-I-Ra. The most famous dive site is Golden Dream, it's a very colourful site that lies at a depth of 20 m. The Vatu-I-Ra passage is famous for its strong currents so each dive site on this strait is a drift dive. On this side, the most beautiful dive site is called Mary's Tag. It's a wall of corals that goes down to over 50 m. Very strong current, so you must be prepared.

Around the island the visibility is very good especially from August to January. Arguably the best period of the year to dive in Nanunu is from December to April–May, when the visibility is still pretty, but the water is also warmer (28-29 C°).

There are 2 dive shops on the island.

Sea kayaking

title: Nananu-i-Ra


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Nanao

There is more than one place called Nanao:

Japan

 * Nanao (Japan) - A town on the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa.

Taiwan

 * Nanao (Taiwan) - An aboriginal village in Yilan County.

title: Nanao


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Nanao (Japan)

Nanao (七尾) is the largest city in the Noto Peninsula, the northern part of Ishikawa, Japan. This quiet city has few tourist attractions, but offers several amazing views of nature as well as an honest glimpse into the simple country life of Japan. The hot spring town of Wakura Onsen is also within Nanao city limits, but covered in its own article.

Understand
Nanao was once the economic, cultural, and political capital of Noto province, in what is today known as Ishikawa prefecture. Though it has a history dating back to 718, little remains of the city's past.

The modern city of Nanao was established in 1939, and was expanded in 2004 to include several surrounding towns.

Climate
The climate of Nanao is much like the rest of Ishikawa prefecture - wet and unpredictable. Though the rainy season lasts from July until August, Ishikawa is notorious for its cloudy weather and sudden rain showers all year round.

Summer tends to see more sunny days with temperatures between 25-30°C, while winter is somewhat mild, rarely dipping below 0°C. Snowfall tends to vary year by year, but one can expect at least a few blizzards in the winter months.

Spring has the mildest weather, where winter has melted and flowers (especially cherry blossoms) start to bloom, and it's not yet as hot and humid as summer will become.

Tourist information site
The tourist associations of Nanao City and Nakanoto Town jointly maintain a bilingual guide site.

By train
Nanao is on the JR Noto Line and has local trains coming north roughly every hour from Kanazawa via Tsubata. Limited express trains from Kanazawa stop at Nanao on their way to the JR Noto Line terminus, Wakura Onsen. Nanao is also the terminus of the private Noto Railway to/from Anamizu to the north, and the station shares both lines.

By plane
Noto Airport a small airport. All Nippon Airways from Tokyo-Haneda are offered twice daily.

Komatsu Airport is a larger airport than Noto's, and it offers flights to/from a variety of destinations including: Haneda, Narita, Sendai, Fukuoka, Naha, and Seoul. There is an airport bus that goes to Kanazawa station and takes about 40 min and costs ¥1130. From Kanazawa station it's 1.5 hours and ¥1,280 by local train to Nanao.

By car
Travelling by car is the easiest way to navigate Nanao and its surrounding areas. Coming by car from major cities via expressway, Tokyo is 5 hours away, Osaka is 4.5 hours, and Nagoya is 4 hours.

Entering via express toll roads:
 * Get off the Hokuriku expressway at Kanazawa East IC (金沢東IC) and take the Noto toll road (能登有料 Noto yūryō).
 * You can enter Nanao at any one of four toll road exits: Uwadana Yada (上棚矢駄), Nishiyama (西山), Tokuda Otsu (徳田大津), or Yokota (横田).

Entering via local roads:
 * The #159 and #2 roads head into Nanao from the south.
 * The #1 heads south-east from the upper Noto into Nanao.
 * The #160 heads into Nanao from the north-east.

By bus
While the bus does go most everywhere around Nanao, it should be avoided if at all possible. It's slow and relatively expensive compared to the train. One out-of-the-way area the train cannot go is the scenic Notojima. You can take a bus (能登島交通 Notojima Kōtsū) there from either Nanao or Wakura stations.

Get around

As many of Nanao's best sites are spread across the city, by car is the most efficient way to travel. However, it's certainly possible and definitely rewarding to take a bicycle around to the many scenic spots found on and off the beaten path in Nanao. Those looking for a challenge can make a day out of cycling to the top of Joyama (Nanao's old castle ruins) to take in the view of Nanao city and its bay, followed by a trip to Wakura Onsen to soak in one of its many famous hot springs.

For trips outside of the city the train is a viable option, with trains leaving roughly hourly going both north and south from the centrally located Nanao station. Take care not to board anything but a local (普通 futsū) train, or else you might end up on a train that skips your desired stop and have to pay more for a ticket. Buses are also available at the station, leaving for various destinations at approximately the same intervals.

See

Do

There are several good public onsen in Nanao, outside of Wakura Onsen.

Buy

Eat
Nanao has a variety of restaurants offering both Japanese and Western-style foods. While chain restaurants such as Coco's and Mos Burger are available (both at Bay Mall), there are a plethora of small, out-of-the-way restaurants located in alleys or side-streets that are just as good if not better. Taking a walk around the winding streets between Ribbon street and the main road leading to the Wharf at dinner-time will prove that point!

It's worth mentioning that Nanao is famous for its fresh fish and as such offers some of the best sushi in all of Japan. Three local fish are buri (Yellowtail), tai (sea bream), and maguro (tuna). If you get a chance, you should try these at one of the several sushi shops around Nanao.

Drink
There are many decent hole-in-the-wall bars to be found all over Nanao, and prices tend not to fluctuate too much from bar to bar.

In addition, there are at least a dozen snack bars in Nanao which are easy to find (or avoid, depending on you're fancy). Look for strange, flowery names like "Misty", "Venus", or "Mona Lisa".

Sleep
Nanao has two business hotels and a scattered handful of small inns. If you desire more than just an average stop-over in the Nanao area, Wakura Onsen specializes in ryokan (Japanese-style inns), and has several that would impress any visitor - including Japanese.

Northbound

 * A relaxing stay in Wakura Onsen is only one stop away north via the Noto Railway Nanao Line in Nanao station. Tickets are ¥180 and the ride takes just 5 minutes.
 * The last stop on the Noto Railway Nanao Line is Anamizu. Though buses are available, if you wish to go further into the Upper Noto Peninsula, to places like Wajima or Suzu, a car is the best way to travel.

Southbound

 * Trains leave bound for Kanazawa or Komatsu roughly hourly via the JR Nanao Line. Local train tickets are ¥1,380 and take approximately 90 minutes to Kanazawa. Buses with similar times and prices are also available from Nanao station.
 * Noto Kararibi Limited Express trains bound for Kanazawa make round-trips from Wakura Onsen 5 times daily. If you are in a rush to get to Kanazawa, this train only takes an hour from Nanao (but more than doubles the cost of a ticket). This train pass IR Ishikawa Railway line but all charges are valid with JR pass if you don't stopover at IR line stations.
 * Tokyo may be accessed via transfer at Kanazawa.

title: Nanao (Japan)


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Nanao (Taiwan)

Nanao (南澳; Nán'ào), also Nan-ao, is a city in Yilan County. It has a significant aboriginal population.

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

Other stations in the general region include:

By road
If you're coming by car, Nanao is at about the 130-km mark on Provincial Highway 9.

Get around
The popular places to get around in Nanao include the hot springs and the waterfall.

Connect

 * The iTaiwan free Wi-Fi is available at the train station. See Taipei article for more information on registration.

title: Nanao (Taiwan)


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Nanchang

Nanchang (南昌 Nánchāng) is the capital of Jiangxi Province and is the cultural, economic, and scientific center of Jiangxi. The city has deep ties to Chinese communist history, known as Heroes' City because it was here that the "first shots of the revolution were heard"; it's where the communist uprising of 1 August 1927 began. This is why "BaYi" (8-1; August 1st) is throughout the city, including the central square with its monument. That spirit lives on in the people, who are considered loud and perhaps even aggressive -- even by Chinese standards.

Understand
The city is largely split (both in geography, and in social class) by the Gan river (Ganjiang). Compare the old, cultural, and claustrophobic main city of Nanchang (east of the Gan River) with the new, shiny, almost cultureless city of Honggutan, to the west of the river (where many expats live). It is connected by a few bridges, the BaYi and Nanchang bridges being the most used. The BaYi Bridge joins the old city on the east bank of the river with the new city on the west. The bridge is 'honored' with the communist name "BaYi" (Mao's revolution) but at the same time having Deng Xiaoping's "black and white cats" of capitalistic-communism adorning the old bridge to the new, developed area of Honggutan. The city, like most Chinese cities, is dealing with the new wave of Chinese wealth, and old traditions are quickly eroding in favor of Maseratis and tall 5-star hotels along the river. Perhaps in few places in China is the divide between old customs and new wealth as apparent as in divided Nanchang.

By plane

All departing passengers go through a luggage scan first before proceeding to the check-in counters. Thereafter, proceed to the customs immigration counters and later, the more thorough security screening stations.

Not all international flights park near the terminals with aero-bridge access. Shenzhen Airlines flight from Singapore parks on the tarmac, requiring passengers to descend via stairs to the ground and be transported to the terminals via bus. This is also the case during winter months.

There are a handful of international flights from Singapore, Taipei, Chiang Mai and other Asian cities. Direct, cheap flights to Pattaya, Thailand, are of worthy mention, here. There is an "airport bus" (¥15-20) that is significantly cheaper than taking a taxi (¥80-100). If you do take a taxi, tell the taxi driver "da biao" (meter) to make sure you don't get ripped off. There are usually taxi stand supervisors who ensure the drivers will do this. Taxis to downtown Nanchang Train Station costs about ¥120, including high way tolls. Please do note that Chinese Taxis are usually of the smaller VW Santana model. The boot space is not large enough to fit 2 pieces of 28" luggage. If travelling in threes or more, please use a bigger taxi.

By train
It has high-speed trains running from Shanghai, etc. as well as overnight and standard, slow trains. It's a far taxi ride even into the center of Honggutan (¥45), let alone into Nanchang.

Nanchang Train Station is the old train station in Nanchang. It has a few high-speed trains to nearby destinations Jiu Jiang and Lushan.

Get around
Taxis and buses (and the new "metro" underground rail) are the most popular ways of getting around, but you can also rent motorcycle taxis at your own risk.

Bus journeys are ¥2 (new for 2016) regardless of distance traveled (¥2+ for the double decker buses).

Taxi fare in Nanchang is standard for China, with the initial starting price for a ride in a taxi being ¥8 (new taxis), and for the old taxis (usually light blue or light green) being ¥6 (old taxis) -- both for up to 2 km (or certain wait time). Beyond this mandatory starting-price-region, the rate is ¥1.9 per kilometer. The taxi fare has an additional 20% surcharge at night, between 23:00 and 05:00.

Metro: As of 2023, there are 4 metro lines in the city, with a 5th under construction (as well as extensions to lines 1 & 2)

Motorcycle taxis are another option. While it is illegal to ride a gas-powered bike in Nanchang, but these motorcycle taxi drivers do it in droves - as do many laowai. You can usually get away with it, but it is risky. Even if motorcycle taxi are not ticketed by police, it comes down to your feeling of personal safety, being on the back of a motorcycle. If you don't know the price for a standard distance, you'll probably get ripped off. It's a good idea to haggle about 10-20% (at least) off the cost of what he's offering.

Bicycle: On the streets of Nanchang, there are shared bicycles and shared electric vehicles for rent. If you do not go far away and want to go shopping in the busy streets, it will be more convenient to rent a shared bicycle, which can avoid the congestion of cars. However, it should be noted that you must park according to the regulations, park in the specified parking area and obey the traffic rules and wear a helmet. There are fines if these rules are not followed.

Do
Walk along the west bank of the Gan river on a Saturday or Sunday and buy a cheap kite (Y10-30); join the hundreds of Chinese kite fliers. It's surprisingly fun.

Amusement parks - There is the Wanda Amusement Park in south Honggutan. There is also a smaller "fair" styled (but permanent) amusement park on the west bank of the Gan river (just south of the BaYi bridge in Honggutan). Here you can ride some surprisingly decent (and terrifying) rides, or try the dangerously-fast bumper cars for an awesome thrill and potential spinal injuries. You can also buy a wide variety of food at the outdoor food market, including stinky tofu and all assortments of chicken and icecream.

Bike - Buy a bike for ¥300 at Beijing Lu, ca 200 m off Ba Yi Square and discover the city on two wheels.

Hike and wander around the MeiLing mountains, west of the City. Consider checking out WanLi, a small town and gateway to fabulous hiking, biking, and other routes.

Rafting - At Meiling, there is a fantastic "white water rafting" course. It costs about ¥100, but is well-worth the cost. To get to it, you need to take a taxi or private van up through WanLi and still up, along a winding road and around the side of a hill town. The rafting place is at the end of a small road up there (talk to a local Chinese, who can search baidu for you). The rafting place has about 20 two-person inflatable rafts that bounce down the river (which has been artificially turned into a course with cemented rocks along the sides). Experience class 2 and 3 rapids, and have a lot of fun. You will likely not fall out of the rafts, but you will get soaked. Spend the extra ¥15 and get the "water guns" from the small shop, there. They add a whole new level to a group rafting outing, and are a hell of a lot of fun. Overall, highly recommended experience. Cost: ~¥120 per person, plus transport to/from rafting place.

Paintball, laser tag, and real CS - All across China you can find "real CS" which, although they'll tell you is paintball, is usually laser tag. There's a laser tag place under the Star of Nanchang Ferris Wheel. Some people think that's fun.

Eat

 * Century egg wonton. Century egg wonton is made of century egg and fresh pork, and then mixed with spices to make wonton stuffing. The skin of century egg wontons is thinner than that of ordinary wontons. Wonton soup includes dried shrimps and laver, so that the soup bottom and century egg wonton can be better integrated.
 * Century egg wonton. Century egg wonton is made of century egg and fresh pork, and then mixed with spices to make wonton stuffing. The skin of century egg wontons is thinner than that of ordinary wontons. Wonton soup includes dried shrimps and laver, so that the soup bottom and century egg wonton can be better integrated.
 * Century egg wonton. Century egg wonton is made of century egg and fresh pork, and then mixed with spices to make wonton stuffing. The skin of century egg wontons is thinner than that of ordinary wontons. Wonton soup includes dried shrimps and laver, so that the soup bottom and century egg wonton can be better integrated.
 * Nanchang poaching. Poaching is a common cooking method, but in Nanchang, unique seasonings from Jiangxi are used, resulting in a spicy taste. The most unique among them is the ingredient called footboard (jiao'ban). This is unique to Nanchang. It is a soy product, with two intact tofu skins wrapped in crushed tofu skins. The crushed tofu skins are very absorbent and swell and bulge when cooked.

Drink
MinDe Lu is the main bar street. Here you will find the bars most popular with the expat community, including Muse & C2 Clubs, Queen, and Helen's (nearby). There is also, apparently, a main walking street, with an upscale apartment complex, where there are 3-4 bars and a few clubs, all of which are hopping on the weekends. Another area is found around Fuzhou Road, there is VV club, and CD 1925. Honggutan (west of the Gan river) also has the second Bossa Nova Bar, very popular with Expats.

Stay safe
The people of Nanchang are very loud. Westerners see them as yelling at one another, perhaps even aggressive. Generally, assume the person is just being friendly with you, not affronting. If things do get violent for some reason, note than there are stories floating around in China that Chinese will not fight fair (ie: swarming/group attacks, knives/weapons), in order to save face against a Westerner.

Pickpockets may be around, especially near Zhongshan Road area. They can steal things even from your shirt pocket! Never leave your belongings unattended in restaurants or shops, even if it is an upper-class one.

However, in general most of China (Nanchang being no real exception) is quite safe -- the worst most people may encounter is a taxi driver trying to rip you off.

Go next
Nanchang is a good place to start other trips in Jiangxi Province. It has good connections with Lushan, Jingangshan, Jingdezhen, Wuyuan etc.

Famed Lushan is about 2½-hour bus ride to the north or a 1hr High Speed Train ride at ¥40.

title: Nanchang


text:
Nancy

Nancy is a moderate-sized city in the Grand-Est region of (eastern) France. Nancy is the capital of the French département of Meurthe-et-Moselle, and is the economic capital of the Lorraine region. It is also a major French university centre, with over 47,000 students and three major universities. Once the industrial and cultural powerhouse of Northeast France, the city boasts a very diverse architectural and cultural heritage. Parts of the historical city centre are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

By plane
is a small regional airport, about 30 km north of Nancy. The airport hosts only regional flights (Lyon, Toulouse, Mediterranean coast). Access to and from the city is provided by road (A31 motorway) or by shuttles (fare €8).

By train
Nancy is served by two major railway stations:

The Gare de Nancy Ville is the historical railway station, in the heart of the city, a major hub for national (including TGV) and regional trains (TER Métrolor). Major train lines include:
 * Paris - Nancy: 1 hr 30 min by TGV
 * Strasbourg - Nancy: 1hr 15 min
 * Dijon - Nancy: 2 hr 30 min
 * Lyon - Nancy: 4 hr
 * Luxembourg (city) - Nancy: 1 hr 30 min

There are washing machines on the station, but no baggage room and no lockboxes.

The Gare Lorraine-TGV is 20 km north of Nancy. The station is served only by TGV high-speed trains of the TGV Est high-speed line, linking Paris to Strasbourg. Destinations include Bordeaux, Northwest France, Lille, and various TGV stations around Paris (such as Charles de Gaulle Airport).

Because of local political feuds, the station was built halfway between Nancy and Metz, in the middle of nowhere. Thus, the station can only be accessed by road (A31 motorway). The station includes a taxi station. Additionally, a shuttle operated by the SNCF connects the station to Gare de Nancy Ville.

For schedules, fares and bookings, see the SNCF website.

By car
Nancy is an important regional automotive hub:
 * A31 to the north: Metz, Luxembourg
 * A31 to the west: Dijon, Lyon, Paris
 * A33/D400 (former N4) to the east: Strasbourg, Germany
 * N57 to the south: Épinal

By bus
International bus services are operated by Flixbus. Coaches usually stop at the Porte Sainte-Catherine, near the marina.

By boat
Nancy is crossed by the Canal de la Marne au Rhin, which is open to navigation for small boats and péniches. The Port de Nancy Saint-Georges offers dockage to visiting boats. It is on the eastern edge of the city centre, 500 m away from the place Stanislas.

On foot
Nancy is on the GR 5, a 2,600 km-long footpath that links the North Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.

By foot
Walking is one of the easiest and most pleasant ways to get around. The city centre is very compact, so most places of interest can be easily reached by foot. For example, walking from the railway station to the Porte Sainte-Catherine takes about 20 min. Many streets are pedestrian-only.

By public transportation
The local public transportation system is operated by the Service de transport de l'agglomération Nancéienne, known as STAN. Coverage of the city is decent, but can be found quite wanting compared to other French cities of the same size. It can nonetheless be useful for moving around Greater Nancy, between the city centre and suburbs.

Until early 2023, the city had a peculiar "tramway", actually trolleybuses guided by a central rail set into the roadway. This never fulfilled the promises made by the manufacturer and was notoriously unreliable. It is now being replaced by a normal trolleybus route, but expect the city centre to be disrupted by works to rip up the guiderail.

Buses operate from 06:00 to 21:00. Service is dismal during Sundays and holidays.

On buses, you can buy tickets (€1.30) directly from the driver, but the ticket machines formerly provided at "tramway" stops are still in use. The only credit cards accepted are European-style ones with a chip.

Tickets are valid for one hour. If you'll be moving around Greater Nancy a lot, you might consider purchasing a "Pass 10" (€8.70) or a "Pass Découverte 24h" (€3.30). The latter one is valid for an unlimited number of trips during 24 hours.

There are two STAN offices in the city, where you can find maps and timetables, purchase tickets or ask information about the network.

By bicycle
There are about 130 km of safe bike routes in the Greater Nancy area. Cycling can be an excellent way to get around during spring and summer (much less in winter).

The city has a bike rental system called VélOstan, offering short- and long-term bike rental.

The short-term service is called VélOstan'lib and is quite similar to those found in other French cities. Users can to pick up, and drop cycles to and from over 25 points around the city. You need a credit card (Visa/MC/French CB) to make use of the service. It is very cheap: 30 min is generally more than enough if you stay close to the city centre.
 * 1-day ticket: €1.50, then free for the first 30 min of each ride, €1 for 30 to 60 min, then €2 every 30 min.
 * 7-day ticket: €5, then same fares as the 1-day ticket.

As of 2012, there are very few stations outside the city centre. Be careful not to go too far, as you may not find any station to return your bike to and then be overcharged. There are, however, plans to cover the whole Greater Nancy area.

The long-term rental service is called VélOstan'boutic. Users can rent bikes and accessories for up to one year. Price range from €2 for half a day, to €80 for a whole year. Reduction may apply in certain cases. There are 5 shops around the city, including one in the main railway station (exit Place Thiers).

If you stay long enough to need your own bike, you can find cheap used bikes at the Atelier Dynamo, a small collective workshop. Membership can be as low as €15/year (for students), usable bikes can be found for €25 or more.

By car
The streets of the city are narrow and not adapted to mass traffic. The local authorities are actively discouraging the use of cars in the historical centre, and have set up many pedestrian-only streets as well a labyrinth of one-way streets. Surface parking is rare and expensive. Avoid driving within the city if you can.

There are several underground car parks in the centre, as well as three park and ride car parks on the outskirts of the city. The latter are managed by STAN (see public transportation section for more info).

Taxis
The fares are fixed by the authorities and can vary depending on your destination or the time of the day. Minimum fare is €6.20 (as of January 2011). Taxis cannot be hailed on the street; you need to go to a taxi station or to call for one.

The major taxi companies are:

Highlights

 * The Tourism Office, where you can pick up handy maps and other information, is in a building on the southern side of Place Stanislas, facing the statue's back.
 * The Tourism Office, where you can pick up handy maps and other information, is in a building on the southern side of Place Stanislas, facing the statue's back.

Art Nouveau
There are lots of Art Nouveau buildings in Nancy, of which some examples are listed below:

Cinemas

Le Cameo is a small independent regional chain. Mostly foreign films in original version and a few avant-garde movies. There are two addresses in Nancy:

Learn
Nancy is a major French university centre. With over 47,000 students, it is among the 10 largest in the country.

The city has many universities and research centres, including the prestigious engineering college Ecole des Mines de Nancy. Traditional strong points include law, medicine, computer science, mathematics and material sciences/metallurgy.

The presence of so many students gives the city a very vibrant atmosphere. It is a nice place for spending a student exchange program (such as ERASMUS) or a post-doc.

Buy
A couple of nice bookstores

Local specialities

 * Quiche Lorraine - quiche with little bacon bits—is a local speciality. This can be found in any boulangerie/patisserie for roughly (€2), but the better version can be found in restaurants.
 * Bergamots,
 * mirabelle stuff,
 * macaroons

Eat
The most obvious place to get a bite is the rue des Marechaux, also named rue Gourmande by locals. This little street is lined with restaurants of all kinds. You'll find various French (surprise!), Chinese, Cuban and late-night snacks of varying quality.

Small bakeries and delis can be found throughout the city. Kebab shops and oriental restaurants are numerous around Saint Nicolas street.

At the covered market on Rue St. Dizier you can find fresh fruits and vegetables, a couple of butchers, a triperie, and one stand that sells fresh fish (and a pretty nice selection; you can even get octopus!), plus a couple of small restaurants.

Budget
All these are in the city centre:

Drink
Nancy has its fair share of Irish pubs, wine bars, cafes, and other drinking establishments. The night life is quite active, due to the presence of many students. However, things tend to be more subdued during the summer holidays. Major nightlife spots are in the Ville vieille and near place Stanislas.

In case you need more than just drinks and are looking for a seedier kind of nightlife, you can find it around the rue Mouilleron (west of the railway station), near the Chat Noir night club (see below).

Stay safe
Nancy is a relatively quiet town, but usual advice applies. The city has seen a spike in muggings in the late 2010s.

Most of the upper northern neighbourhoods, known as "Plateau de Haye", as well as the commune of Vandoeuvre, have the reputation to be sensitive areas. As there is little of interest for tourists there, it is probably better to avoid these areas altogether.

Stay healthy
There are two major hospitals with emergency rooms:

However, in case of emergency (even not life-threatening), it is better to call the Centre 15 than to directly to the hospital, as emergency rooms usually have long waiting lines.

Connect
There is no municipal WiFi network. However, many hotels and fast-food joints provide free WiFi to their customers.

There are several cyber-cafés around Saint Nicolas street.

Respect
When talking to locals, do not make unflattering comparisons of Nancy viz. the neighboring city of Metz. The two cities have been political rivals for many centuries. Both are vying for the title of capital of Lorraine. This causes sometimes some crispations. To give you just an example, in 1970, the administrative seat of the Lorraine region was transferred from Nancy to Metz. It caused a small scandal back then, and some people are still bitter about it today.

Go next

 * Metz, the other capital of Lorraine.
 * Lunéville Home of King Stanislas' massive castle.
 * Saint-Nicolas de Port, a small neighbouring town, home of a massive basilica dedicated to Saint-Nicolas. There is also a museum of brewery, set inside a former beer factory.
 * Luxembourg The capital of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg is only 90 min away by train.
 * Strasbourg - The capital of Alsace.
 * The Vosges mountains. Many hiking paths and beautiful scenery. Small, low-altitude ski resorts. 1 hr by car, train service up to Épinal.

title: Nancy


text:
Nanded

Nanded is a city in Marathwada.

Understand
Nanded (Marathi: नांदेड), is the second largest city in Marathwada region of Maharashtra state of India. Nanded is also district headquarters of Nanded District in Marathwada region, or Nanded revenue division. It is known as an important holy place for the Sikh faith.

Get in
Nanded is very well connected by Roads and Railways.

By train
Direct trains are available to Nanded from Mumbai, Aurangabad, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Nagpur, Patna, Delhi, Pune, Sriganganagar, Rajasthan and Amritsar.

By car
Nanded is 650km east of Mumbai by road and about a six-hour drive from Aurangabad and Hyderabad and 11-hour drive from Pune. Several passenger bus services operate from Nanded providing easy overnight connectivity with almost every major city in Maharashtra. These buses are reasonably priced and fairly punctual. The comfort level differs greatly from operator to operator.

By plane
The nearest international airport is Hyderabad (284km).

Do
Gurudwara: Every year thousands of Sikhs, from all over the country flock to Nanded to pay respects to Takht Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib. The Gurudwara trust is gearing up for the tercentenary celebrations, scheduled for October 2008. Its about 10 mins away from the railway station.

Kaleshwar temple: Its a Shiva temple, on the banks of river Godavari. You can even get some primitive boating experience in a huge saucer-shaped vessel. Its actually in the village Vishnupuri, on the outskirts of Nanded.

Treasure Bazar: Eat, shop and watch movies. The biggest mall in the city. It is also having three star restaurant.

Eat
Hotel City Pride It is One of the two Three star restaurant in the city and the best one for Indian, continental and Chinese food and also best accommodation.

HOTEL CITY PRIDE Near Hanumangadh Kaman, Airport Road,NANDED-431605 Maharashtra

Ph:02462-222232/33/34 Telefax:02462-222231 Mob:8805012388/85 E-mail:hotelcitypride@hotmail.com web:www.hotelcitypride.in

Sleep
A star category hotel is going to open at Treasure Bazaar in Nanded. This hotel will cater best of class comfort and services to domestic as well as international tourists.

title: Nanded


text:
Barsana and Nandgaon

Barsana and Nandgaon are twin villages in the Middle Doab region of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Barsana is considered as the birthplace of Radha, one of the consorts of Krishna. Nandgaon is said to be the residence of Krishna's foster father, Nanda.

Orientation
The Nandagram temple is on top of the main hill (which is called Nandisvara hill) here. The village that is on and surrounding the hill is called Nandgaon. Pavana Sarovara is north of the hill. Further north is Moti Kunda.

Directly south of the hill is the main village area. The Narasimhadeva temple and Yasoda's yogurt pot are in this area. Further south, in the outskirts of the village, is Yasoda Kunda and Nanda Kunda. To the east of the Nandisvara hill, just across the road next to the hill, is Lalita Kunda. A little south of Lalita Kunda is Uddhava Kyari. East of Nandagram, about 1½ km into the fields, is Ter Kadamba, which is a fairly difficult place to get to. Charan Pahari, where the footprints of Krishna are enshrined, is west and a little south of Nandisvara hill.

About a kilometre west of Nandagram is Vrinda Kunda, which is located in a secluded place.

A little beyond is the Pan Sarovar, a large lake with masonry ghats along its sides. Legend has it, that this was the place where Shri Krishna used to take his cows for water.

Get in
The easiest way to get here from Vrindavan is to take a taxi, which takes about an hour. To get here by public transportation from Vrindavan you first take a public bus to the town of Kosi (40 km/24 mi) and from there you take a tempo to Nandgaon, which is 8 km away. The Braja Darsana bus comes here after stopping in Varsana. This bus departs at 8AM from the Vrindavan bus stand and also stops near the front of the ISKCON temple.

Do
On Rangili Holi, on the 10th day of the bright half of Phalguna, the day after Holi is celebrated in Varsana, Holi is celebrated here. It is an exciting, popular festival. Many tourists also come here to see the lath mar holi

title: Barsana and Nandgaon


text:
Nandi Hills

Nandi Hills is a hill station in Karnataka State, India. This range of Nandi on the craggy hills (the highest peak being 1500 m) holds the shimmering Amrita Sarovar Lake and offers walks of sylvan beauty. It is a popular health resort today.

Understand

The hills are about 60 km east of Bangalore and about 1500m above sea level. The deviation road at Oordagere on the Bangalore-Tumkur Road can reach it. On the top of the hill, there are temples dedicated to Sri Ugra Narasimha and Sri Yoga Narasimha. On the lower hill there is a temple dedicated to Sri Bhoga Narasimha. There is a Traveler's Bungalow and a Kalyana Mantap on the top of the hill and a Forest Lodge and Taluk Board T.B. at the foot of the hill.

A flight of 1,175 steps leads from the base of the hills to the top. On top was Tipu Sultan's summer retreat and the remains of Tipu's fort bear this out. It was where Tipu Sultan and assorted royalty retired when they sought to escape the din of battle and the heat of the plains. Tipu's Drop, a 600-metre-high cliff face, where prisoners were hurled down the precipice, is an awe-inspiring sight.

Sir Mark Cubbon made this his summer residence when he was Commissioner of Bangalore. Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Queen Elizabeth II were among the other dignitaries who enjoyed their stay here. In 1986, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and the SAARC delegates chose this spot for a retreat after their international deliberations.

You can visit this place at any time of the year. In the rainy season it is extremely wet on the hill. A summer visit will make you spell bound. It's best if you are on top of the hill before sunrise. The wind, fog and clouds that blow towards you in the morning is just amazing. To be on top of the hill by 5:30AM, you need to leave Bangalore at around 4AM. If you are not sure about the route, leave even earlier.

Get in
Fastest and most convenient journey - by car/ bike or Rickshaw There is a motorable road to the top of the hill. Beware there is only one road to the top. You can expect vehicles coming from the other side as well. Around 40 curves to be negotiated before you reach the entry gate where entry tickets (₹5 per head) are issued. Two wheelers are not allowed beyond this point and go to a separate parking zone, whilst four-wheelers are allowed to proceed. You can choose to climb up thru steps and be in the midst of natures lap savouring many different things such as old temple, a very large open tank, Tippus rock and Hanuman Temple, etc.

The hills are on the airport route. After Devanhalli, you need to take a left (there is a sign board having a left arrow for Nandi Hills at that turn) and keep going straight.

From Hebbal flyover take NH7 and take a left diversion (about 10km after passing by BIAL airport flyover) with a signboard in English "Nandi Hills 22 km". There is another left just before it but that leads to a factory. Around 7 km after the BIAL flyover towards Nandi hill across the highway, you can see a fort and birthplace of Tippu Sultan.

More adventurous but also safe - Bangalore to Nandi Hills by Bus All buses leave from Bangalore's central bus station "Bangalore Majestic" or "Kempegowda Bus Station (KBS)". As this is a local bus, tickets (charge around ₹46 per head) are sold directly in the bus. You can book the seats from ticket counter at Majestic with ₹200 per head. That ensures your seat, nothing else.

In the morning and evening there are direct buses. The KSRTC bus to the top leaves at 8:30AM from platform 13 (it varies, but it will be near to that). Returning direct buses from the Hills to Bangalore leave at 2:30PM, 4:15PM and 5PM. But the timings are not strictly followed. Bus might arrive earlier even.

If you miss the direct bus to the top of Nandi Hills, there is a 2nd possibility to reach the hills by public transport: Go to Chikballapur (charge around ₹42 per head) and from there with a private bus to the Nandi Hills. The buses leave every half an hour and it takes about 2 hours to reach the hill.

Take the bus to Chikballapur from platform 11. After about 1 hour you will reach Chikballapur (The station is announced by the bus driver, but it is hard to understand. So better make sure that you check on the right side if you see the bus station sign for Chikballapur.) From Chikballapur there are frequent mini buses to the top. The journey is about half an hour.

There are no buses in afternoon (noon-4PM) from Bangalore so make sure that you arrive before time.

If you do stay the night, there are no buses from Nandi hills heading directly to Bangalore until the afternoon. But, many buses run to Chikballapur throughout the morning, and buses leave constantly from there to Bangalore.

Get around
There is a bus from Bangalore at 7am as well.

Do
Check out the vineyards, grapes and cracked mustard seeds if you are lucky you can see them on the roads where the farmers spread them so that your car can thrash them. Also look out for cracks in the fort wall, which allow you to go outside and get some spectacular views of the plains below, eagles soaring at eye level. However, be careful as the terrain falls steeply down and a fall will certainly crack most of our body.

Buy
Entry fee is ₹5 per person (make sure you buy the ticket, where the bus arrives). There's a ticket for ₹60 for parking car and ₹15 for two-wheelers. Grapes on the way.

 * If you are travelling using a motorized vehicle and get a flat tyre, a Puncture repair shop is at base of Nandi Hills. His contact number is 98809 27002.

Sleep

 * For accommodation at the T.B., contact the Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, Tumkur.
 * There are well-furnished bungalows for lodging and good catering establishments. For reservation of accommodation, the Director of Horticulture, Lalbagh, Bangalore- 2.
 * Hotel Mayura Pine Top, managed by KSTDC. Tel: 91 - 08156 - 250906. No phone booking, booking on first come first served basis. Only three rooms. The rooms are not very clean with mouldy walls, hairy pillowcases, stained sheets. There are very bright lights outside each room that shine in all night. But, the view can not be beat.
 * Hotel Shantisagar - (Lodge & Restaurant) in Chikballapur on the main Bangalore-Hyderabad highway NH-7 (B.B.Road),
 * Hotel Sowmya - (Lodge & Restaurant) in Chikballapur on the main Bangalore-Hyderabad highway NH-7 (B.B.Road),
 * Mayura Deluxe Lodge-B.B.Road Chickballapur Mob:8050327731 Room service is available. Rooms are average.

Stay safe

 * Be careful and do not approach the monkeys and stray dogs on the hill. Avoid feeding monkeys and stray dogs.
 * Do not leave the windows or doors of your car open, even if you are sitting inside. Monkeys can get inside and steal your food. Do not keep food in a manner visible to outside.
 * Bring packaged food since options to eat at the top of the hill are limited.
 * Try to return before sun set. It gets dark pretty quickly after the sun set and driving in the dark can be quite risky. There are sharp turns and steep sides without fence.

Go next
The entry and exit times are now limited to 6AM to 6PM to avoid crimes.

title: Nandi Hills


text:
Nandyal

Nandyal is a town in Andhra Pradesh.

Get in
Nandyal is connected by road from almost all the parts of the state. There are frequent buses from Nandyal to Tirumala - Tirupati, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Kurnool, Adoni, Chittor, Anantapur and Kadapa. There are buses plying to parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu such as Bellary and Chennai. There is also a bus which directly goes to Tirumala - Tirupati.

Nandyal has a railway station (code NDL) that is connected to Vijayawada, Guntakal, Bangalore, Howrah, Goa, Anantapur, and Hubli. The nearest airport is the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad which is approximately 270 km away.

Within the city, auto rickshaws are a common means of transportation.

See
Nandyal is surrounded by nine temples of Lord Shiva (called Nava Nandi). The nine temples include Mahanandi, Shivanandi, Vishnunandi, and Somanandi. Among them, Mahanandhi is famous. One can see a continuous stream of water pouring into an artificial pond. It is believed that this water is so pure that one should travel to the Himalayas to see a place with such pure water in India. The source of water, however, is still a mystery.

The temple at Ahobilam, dedicated to Lord Narasimha is very famous in this region and is situated in a scenic forest which is a two-hour drive from Nandyal.

The Belum Caves are another tourist attraction in this region. A Siva Temple situated at Yaganti near Nandyal. Nandyal has a close association with the Prakasam district due to its proximity with places like Giddaluru, Markapur and Dornala.

Nandyal is also very well known because of its lentil crops. Nandyal was the native place of Pingali Suranna who was a well known poet in the court of the Vijayanagar Emperor Krishnadevaraya of the Tuluva Dynasty.

Do
Visit the Nine Nandis (Shiva Temples) Mahanandi is one of the Nava Nandis. Surrounding Mahanandi within 15-km diameter range, 8 other temples of Nandi are present namely "Prathama Nandi", "Naga Nandi", "Soma Nandi", "Surya Nandi", "Shiva Nandi", "Vishnu Nandi", "Vinayaka Nandi" and "Garuda Nandi".

The suggested visiting order for the Nava Nandis based on practical route is as follows - Prathama Nandi, Naga Nandi, Soma Nandi, Surya Nandi, Siva Nandi, Krishna Nandi, Garuda Nandi, Mahanandi and Vinayaka Nandi. The complete tour can be completed in half a day if you start at 6AM. Engage a diesel auto (for about ₹600) and make the tour. As the roads leading to Krishna Nandi, Siva Nandi and Surya Nandi are cart tracks, rugged at many places, a small car may not be advisable.

Directions for Nava Nandis

 * Prathama Nandi: This Nandi is situated upon a high soil base very nearer to Nandyal railway station.
 * Naga Nandi: Naga Nandi is inside Anjaneya temple, which is located very near the Nandyal bus stand.
 * Soma Nandi: Soma Nandi is towards east of Nandyal (almost inside nandyal town), very near the upcoming jagajanani temple
 * Surya Nandi: Surya Nandi is located on the road to Mahanandi. After about 4 miles from Nandyal look out for a sign called U.Bollavaram village and take the immediate right (identified by an arch erected on two large metal poles) and go for a kilometer to reach this temple.
 * Shiva Nandi: Approximately 13 km away from Nandyal on the road to Mahanandi look out for Thimmavaram village and take a left after this. The small road is also a bus route and twists and turns to lead you to Shiva Nandi. A beautiful, but neglected temple constructed on the Chalukya Architecture lines. Kadamala Kaluva (canal) is a landmark. the temple is in Kadamala village.
 * Vishnu (Krishna) Nandi: located on the road to Mahanandi, 2 miles before Mahanandi, take a left just adjacent to the Telugu ganga scheme canal and follow on the banks for about 4 km of rugged mud road to reach this beautifully serene temple. (proceeding further ahead and taking a left, ask for directions, one can reach Shiva nandi temple also).
 * Garuda Nandi: When you go from Nandyal it is located just before the Mahanandi Temple after you cross the Big Nandi Statue.
 * Mahandi Temple: beautiful temple with natural springs (pushkarini) where one should have a holy dip before entering the temple, but it is suggested to avoid holidays and festival days as the crowd is too much.
 * Vinayaka Nandi: Vinayaka Nandi is situated towards northwest of Mahanandi Temple. It is a small temple located to left of the exit Gopuram as you come out.

title: Nandyal


text:
Nangan

Nangan is an island in the Matsu region of Taiwan. It is the primary and governing island for the Matsu Islands. It is also the largest of the islands. Most flights and boats will fly into Nangan. There are many things to see and most signs are in English, albeit some travelling requires guess and test.

Villages
The capital and location of the airport is Jieshou Village (Shanlong). Nioujiao Village (Fuxing), Fuao Village, Matsu Village, and Renai Village marks the other main villages. They are all tied to Central Blvd one way or another.

Understand
Since Nangan is the main island, there is massive military presence on all corners of the island. China is only a few miles off the coast and quite easy to see on a clear day. Nangan is also the main island, so travelling between islands is mainly via Nangan.

Also do not fear the roads. It may look like a sidewalk, but it is probably a road.

Get around
It is highly recommended you rent a scooter from the airport or Fuao harbor. Go to the Visitor Information and ask for help.

Also do pickup the English Backpackers Guide. It has highly detailed itineraries and somehow manages to provide an incredibly useful map.

Culture and history

 * Beihai Tunnels - A deep tunnel carved into the rock during the late 1960s as a military installation that is now open to the public.

title: Nangan


text:
Nang Rong

Nang Rong (นางรอง) is a town in the Isaan region of Thailand.

Understand
Nang Rong is in no way itself a tourist destination, it is simply the nearest town to the Phanom Rung Historical Park and a convenient base for visiting the temples. That said, this perfectly normal Thai town's general lack of tourism makes it an interesting example of the elusive "real" Thailand.

In these places with fewer tourists little English is spoken and there is far less roman (A-Z) versions e.g. destination names on buses are only in Thai script, menus (when available) are only in Thai script. But locals are very helpful so it is not a problem.

Get around
Motorbike and taxi drivers at the bus station are available but just tell them “it’s walking distance” and they wont persist. Nang Rong is small and if you know where you're going you can walk. Even more fortunately, in the bus station there are several boards that give information about the town and the region, one of these boards has a plan of the town with accommodation marked.

See
Few (if any) tuk-tuks around town. Hotels can organise a taxi to take you to, wait and return from one or both the sites below, Phanom Rung only ฿800, both sites ฿1000 (for 1 to 4 people). If you are alone (1 person) enquire as motorbikes will do the same for ฿600 (both sites). It’s unlikely your diver will speak any English; just driving you around not acting as a guide.

A discounted ticket can be bought for both sites for 150 baht (buy at either site).

Do
Rent a motorbike at Honey Inn and go for a country drive. The roads are in excellent condition. The drive up the hill to the temple has some brilliant viewing points. Isaan is poor and neglected region, so detour through the countryside and see rural Thailand. Arrange an early start and head out at dawn to avoid the scorching sun and tourist buses. Free maps and directions (enough to get you to the temples) are available at Honey Inn.

Buy
There's a 7-Eleven and a Tesco Lotus.

There is a night market catering for local needs (this town is not a tourist destination).

ATMs are everywhere.

Eat
There's a smattering of cheap, pleasant, nondescript eateries. Vegetarians may have trouble here.

Drink
There is at least one bar but well hidden. Restaurants or hostels/hotels sell alcohol.

Connect
Wi-Fi/internet in hotels is OK; not “fast” so uploading photos can be slow but connections seem stable.

Go next

 * Phimai with the Phimai Historical Park Khmer archaeological site
 * Nakhon Ratchasima
 * Buriram

title: Nang Rong


text:
Nanjangud

Nanjangud is a town in Karnataka State.

Get in
It is a temple town and is on the banks of the river Kapila (Kabini) and lies at a distance of 23 km from the city of Mysore. Nanjangud is famous for Srikanteshwara Temple. Nanjangud is also called as "Dakshina Kashi" (southern Kashi).

You can reach Nanjangud by road from Mysore. Catch a state transport bus from Mysore or hire a taxi. Nearest Airport is Mysore which is ironically only 16 km from Nanjangudu. You can reach Mysore by various trains or by a state transport bus. Both are very convenient and comfortable.

See

 * Mahadeshwara Temple on Hallehulli Village Road two km distance from the town.
 * Mahadeshwara Temple on Hallehulli Village Road two km distance from the town.

Buy

 * Parijatha Bakery, near Canara Bank

Eat
Only South Indian food is available in the small restaurants near the temple. A variety of Banana, called 'Rasabale", very tasty is available here.
 * Surabhi Restaurant on Kerala road is very near the highway junction. This is a high class vegetarian restaurant.
 * Ramprakash Restaurant at highway junction offers good vegetarian dishes.
 * Bismillah Restaurant opposite JSS Polytechnic on Mysore Road offers meat and fish dishes at very reasonable rates.
 * Durbar Restaurant on the KSRTC road offers good biriyani.
 * Green Park Restaurant at Sujathapuram offers Kerala style chicken curry cooked in coconut oil. Overbilling complaints are common.
 * Mahalaxmi Restaurant near the temple has vegetarian options.

 * Safa restaurant near the KSRTC depot has meat and fish dishes.

Drink

 * Cafe Coffee Day, opposite Sujathapuram Railway Station on the highway.

Sleep
Hotels and Choultries are available mainly to cater the pilgrims.

 * The temple has a government IB which is very comfortable, but you need permission to stay there. Temple also has a dormitory which is well maintained.

Lot of private lodges have opened up which are good for a nights stay.

Go next

 * Chamarajanagar
 * Kavalande
 * Konanur
 * Mysore
 * Melukote
 * T Narsipur
 * Somanathapura
 * Udupi
 * Shivanasamudra
 * Mandya

title: Nanjangud


text:
Nanjing

Nanjing (南京; Nánjīng), historically also Nanking, is the capital city of Jiangsu Province in China. At more than 8 million inhabitants (of which 6 million live in the city proper), it is one of China's largest cities.

It is in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and is the central city of the lower Yangtze Basin.

Understand
Nanjing is a renowned historical and cultural city, and it was the capital of several dynasties over the course of Chinese history. Its name means "southern capital" (Beijing is "northern capital"). It has many historical sites including the tomb of the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty that is a. It was the capital of the Republic of China under the Kuomintang, from 1927 until their retreat to Taiwan in 1949.

By plane

There is a subway connection between the airport and Nanjing South Railway Station called the S1 line which takes half an hour and costs ¥6. Be prepared for a rather long walk between lines 1 and S1 at the South Station interchange. A taxi ride to the downtown area will take the same time but cost around ¥100.

There are two express-bus routes from the airport to downtown Nanjing - one terminates at the North Railway Station and one terminates at the South Railway Station and connect with the subway and local city buses. The services run at 30 minute intervals, it takes more than an hour to arrive at the North Railway Station. A one-way ticket costs ¥20 and can be purchased from the kiosk outside the arrivals hall.

If you're flying into Shanghai then it is best to catch a high-speed G train from Shanghai Hongqiao train station that takes 75 minutes and costs ¥139.50 (2nd class). There is a slower bus that runs four times a day from both Shanghai airports; it starts at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, makes a stop at Hongqiao Airport and then goes on to Nanjing Zhongyangmen. It costs ¥136 from Shanghai and the trip takes about five hours.

By train

 * Also see High-speed rail in China

There are two main train stations, (sometimes referred to locally as Nanjing North, on the north shore of Xuanwu Lake and is also very close to the Zhongyangmen long-distance bus station) and. Both are very large and look more like modern airports, serving many destinations with high-speed rail links. Both are designed to have arrivals come through the basement and departures from the second floor. Nanjing South is the main station for long-haul high-speed trains to Beijing, Shanghai, Xuzhou, Zhengzhou, Jinan, Tianjin, Wuhan, Hefei and other destinations. For nearby destinations like Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Danyang, Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, Kunshan, you may find Nanjing (North) Station is more convenient. A trip to Hefei takes around one hour, and Wuhan 3½-4 hours. A ride to Beijing usually take 4 hours on a G-series bullet train.

From Shanghai here are many daily departures to and from Shanghai Station and Shanghai Hongqiao Station, which is 75 minutes away by High Speed train (¥139.50 for 2nd class and ¥230 for 1st class) and depending on the route, trains stop at Wuxi and Suzhou. Beijing is about 4 hours away by high-speed train.

The slower "conventional" trains (which include overnight services to nearly everywhere in China) all use the older Nanjing Station.

Nanjing West Station, which you may see mentioned in older guidebooks, has been closed permanently. The former terminal station just west of the downtown area was built in 1908 and it will be converted into a railway museum. Nanjing East and Nanjing North, which your map may show, don't have any passenger service either.

By bus
Nanjing is well connected to Shanghai, Hangzhou and most destinations within Jiangsu, Anhui and northern Zhejiang provinces by bus as well as longer overnight sleeper services to Beijing (12 hours) and Guangzhou (24 hours). Most services depart from Zhongyangmen bus station, a large, clean modern terminal in the north of the city approximately 10 minutes walk to the west of the main train station. The station has English signage and announcements but the ticket clerks generally cannot understand English. Some services into Anhui province depart from Nanjing South (Zhonghuamen) station, which is adjacent to Zhonghuamen metro station. There are also bus stations serving nearby destinations at Hanzhongmen, Nanjing East (to the north of Purple Mountain) and Nanjing North (on the west side of the Yangtze River) although they are less useful to travellers.

By road

 * Also see Driving in China

There is a modern highway system between Shanghai and Nanjing, which can allow you to travel quite quickly from city to city. Beware of traffic in the morning and evening rush hours. If you're just one person, it may be much cheaper to travel by train, but if you're in a larger group, sharing a car service can be cheaper. Keep in mind that you need to be a very experienced driver to handle Chinese traffic, so you may be better served using trains and buses between the cities and taxis in the cities, unless you're really on for a challenge.

By boat
Nanjing is on the Yangtze river. Scheduled passenger liner service is available along the Yangtze river between Shanghai downstream and Wuhan in the Hubei province upstream, although, the river is mostly used for transport of goods.

There are also frequent ferry services across the river, in particular from Zhongshan Wharf (near Nanjing West Railway Station) to Pukou.

Get around
If you're staying more than a few days it's worth buying a Jinlingtong (also known as IC-tong). These are available from any subway station, most bus termini and from any branch of Huaxia Bank (look for an information window displaying the letters 'IC'). The card costs ¥75 and contains ¥25 refundable deposit and ¥50 credit, and can be topped up at the aforementioned locations. The card can be used on the subway, all city buses (but not all suburban buses), cross-river ferries, taxis (although drivers are reluctant to accept them and may tell you the scanner is broken) and in some Suguo convenience stores.

By taxi
Taxis are a great way to get around and most trips will cost less than ¥25. The cab driver should start the meter as soon as you are picked up (all meters start at ¥9 + ¥2 service fee); if the cab driver doesn't start using the meter and if you don't say anything they may assume you don't know any better and overcharge you. Ask for a printed receipt detailing the cab number, kilometers traveled, times, and money exchanged from the driver upon exiting the cab. Don't expect to get a cab during both the morning and afternoon rush hours; demand is high and the drivers make their shift changes around these times. Tipping is not expected in cabs in China, so the price on the meter is the price you should pay along with a two yuan gas tax fee (There is an additional receipt for this fee.). Unlike cabbies in Beijing or Shanghai (who frequently shuttle foreigners around and may be accustomed to gratuity under the table) tipping in Nanjing is an alien concept. You are likely to befuddle but please a driver by insisting that they accept additional 'free' money. As with anywhere else in China, you are very unlikely to get a driver who speaks any English, so unless you speak Mandarin, remember to get your hotel's business card, and get hotel staff to write down your destination names in Chinese to show your taxi driver before you set off.

By subway
The Nanjing Metro is a clean, cheap, safe and fast way of getting around. The system has 5 urban and 5 suburban lines, with more under construction. It covers most of the central city, and links two railway station and the airport. The lines are as follows:
 * Line 1 runs from Maigaoqiao in the north to the China Pharmaceutical University (CPU) in the south, via Nanjing Railway Station and Nanjing South Railway Station. There are 3 interchanges: to Line 2 at Xinjiekou stations in the city centre, to Line 10 at Andemen Station, and to Line S1 at Nanjing South Railway Station. Services between run every 3 minutes.
 * Line 2 runs from the Olympic New Town area in the west and follows Hanzhong Lu and Zhongshan Donglu to the east, terminating nearby the Purple Mountain scenic area. Trains run every 6 to 8 minutes. There are interchanges to Line 1 at Xinjiekou stations in the city centre, and to Line 10 at Yuantong station.
 * Line 3, that runs parallel to line 1 more or less north–south, runs from Linchang to Mozhou Lu via North Railway Station/Fuzimiao/South Railway Station. There are interchanges with line 1 at Nanjing Railway Station, Nanjing South Railway Station and with line 2 at Daxinggong.
 * Line 4, runs east–west.
 * Line 10 runs from Andemen, via the Olympic New Town area around the Olympic Sports Centre, crossing the Yangtze River to the west, terminating the Yushanlu station in Pukou area. There are interchanges to Line 2 at Yuantong stationt, and to Line 1 at Andemen stations.
 * Line S1 is also called airport line, runs from the Nanjing South Railway Station to Nanjing Lukou International Airport. Trains run every 10 minutes. There are interchanges to Line 1 at Nanjing South Railway Station.
 * Line S3 runs from the city center to the west.
 * Line S7 runs in the south suburbs.From downtown Nanjing to Lishui District.
 * Line S8 runs from Taishanxincun to Jinniuhu, is an urban metro in Jiangbei area (the area north of Yangzte River).
 * Line S9 runs in the south suburbs.

Trains run from approx. 05:00-23:00. Single-journey tokens cost ¥2-9 depending on distance and can be purchased from vending machines in the station. Stored-value tickets are also available (see above) and give a 5% discount.

As in most Chinese cities, you need to scan any luggage/bag in an X-ray machine before entering the metro.

By bus
Buses are handy for getting around - particularly places that are inaccessible by subway, although Nanjing's bus system feels a little aged compared to Hangzhou and Shanghai and has no English information. Google Maps displays bus services for Nanjing and some tourist maps such as those sold around the train station will have bus routes. However, as metro construction advances, bus lines are constantly re-organized to fit changed demands, so that any printed information you receive may be outdated.

Buses running within the city proper will carry a route number displayed on a red placard below the front windscreen next to the entrance door. Low-numbered routes (1-100) follow major thoroughfares and link major shopping, residential and transportation hubs. 3-figure route numbers follow indirect routes and run around quieter residential streets and are less handy for travellers, but can be an interesting way of seeing Nanjing's ordinary working-class neighbourhoods. Routes displaying the Chinese character 游 (you, "travel") are primarily aimed at tourists and link all the major tourist sights. Routes numbered '8XX' e.g. 801, 806, 813 etc. are night buses which run approximately twice an hour 23:00-05:00 when the regular service ends. Buses heading to surrounding suburban towns depart from hubs on the edge of downtown such as Nanjing Train Station (North/East), Changjiang Daqiao (Yangtze River No.1 Bridge - going north-west), Hanzhongmen (West) and Zhonghuamen (South/East). These services display the name of the suburb/town that they serve in Chinese characters and have no route number.

Fares are a flat ¥2 on numbered services except for some routes which run older non-airconditioned buses which charge ¥1 - no change is given so have some coins ready. For suburban routes, fares are charged by distance and a conductor collects the fares. There's a discount of 20% for IC card users. Many bus stops are some distance apart (often 3-4 blocks) so keep an eye out for your stop and an ear out for the stop's name on the PA announcements (which are only in Chinese). If the bus is quiet then press the buzzer next to the door to signal to the driver that you want to alight.

By tram
Nanjing has a two-line tram system, opened since 2014. One line operates in the southwest of the city. The second one is in Qilin Town, on the east side of Nanjing. It doesn't use a continuous overhead wire for power supply, but rather the vehicles carry batteries/capacitors, which are recharged at the stops.

By bicycle
Nanjing is fairly cycle-friendly with segregated bike lanes on most busy roads - however there are a lot of bikes on the road so care should be taken. Generally, the pace is quite slow, and some of the hills in the central-west part of the city can be tiring to climb (but fun and a little scary to descend). It's possible to cycle around and up the east and west slopes of the Purple Mountain. The bike/pedestrian paths around Jiangxin Island and along the south bank of Yangtze River are popular places for cyclists.

Bikes can be rented from most youth hostels - but ensure that the tires are pumped up and the brakes work before setting off. Short distances can be covered using the shared bikes which can be found everywhere on streetsides, mostly the blue Hello bikes and the yellow "Meituan" bikes.

The cheap bikes sold in department stores and supermarkets are very poor quality and shouldn't be relied upon. For higher-quality, higher-performance bikes: Giant, Trek and Specialized all have stores in Nanjing. Remember to carry a strong lock - bike theft is common.

See
The city pass can be bought for ¥100 at the entrance to any of the big parks in the city, such as the zoo or Yuhuatai Memorial Park and provides you with free entry to 21 different locations. You need to provide a passport photo for each pass and they are valid for one calendar year.

Art and design

 * 南艺图书馆1.jpg
 * 南艺图书馆1.jpg

Purple Mountain 紫金山
Some say that Nanjing is all about Tombs. Plan an entire day just exploring the mountain and surrounding areas. The park has a shuttle "train" you can ride and is included in the price of certain tickets. There is also a cable car going up the hill for ¥25 one-way and ¥45 round-trip, or you can walk.

You will need to make a reservation (free) to enter the park, which can be done either via WeChat (Chinese only) or by showing your passport at the tourist information centres.

The area is home to the tombs of three very important historical figures:

A Purple Mountain pass might be worth buying if you plan on visiting 2 or 3 of the parks on the mountain. The Purple Mountain pass can be bought for ¥100 at the entrance to Sun Yat-sen's Memorial (and possibly at any of the other parks on the mountain) and provides you with entry to nine parks.

Work
All of the universities and various other schools hire language teachers. See Teaching English for ideas on how to find a job teaching English overseas.

Locally, jobs - including frequent requests for native speakers of less widely taught languages such as Italian and German - are often advertised on the bulletin board at Skyways; see the "Eat" section for its location.

Eat
Local specialties include xiaolongbao (小笼包), thin skinned dumplings filled with soup and meat, that are served steaming hot in baskets and tangbao (汤包), which are similar, but much larger and filled with crab meat and soup. The soup in these is drank with a straw. Another local specialty is salted duck (盐水鸭 yán shuǐ yā), which is a whole duck that is pickled, boiled and then served cold. Restaurants serving these can be found all over Nanjing usually in small hole in the wall restaurants or dining halls (餐厅) for cheap. You'll usually be able to find them served alongside yaxue fensi duck blood noodles (鸭血粉丝) another local specialty.

Budget

 * Nanjing has dozens of small noodle (miantiao), wonton (hundun), and pot sticker (jiaozi) shops on many of its streets. Qingdao Lu, a secondary street running northbound before the intersection of Shanghai Lu and Guangzhou Lu has a few excellent miantiao shops, including a Hui restaurant (Hui are a Chinese ethnic group that practices Islam), which serves only mutton and beef. Here, a massive bowl of hot soup and noodles will only cost you about ¥8. The area closer to Nanjing University has plenty of good, cheap eats, including a series of jiaozi vendors. At most Jiaozi shops you order and pay at the cashier desk by the entrance and you'll be given a ticket which you must take to the serving window. There are so many of these shops that it's not worth mentioning specific ones; just walk around and go into anywhere that looks good.
 * If it's late-night munchies you're after, just head down any small backstreet and follow your nose and you're sure to find a small BBQ joint. These smokey little restaurants offer spicy meat kebabs (usually beef or lamb) along with BBQ'd vegetables, bread, fish and even sticky-rice balls and also serve beer starting at about ¥4 per bottle. Look for 真火烧烤 on baidu maps for a cheap and authentic Chinese BBQ experience, or 丽哲韩式烧烤 in the alley across from the gas station near the east gate of Nanjing Normal University for a more upscale Korean version.
 * Street food is safe, cheap, and tasty. Just walk around the streets after 22:00 and you'll inevitably find some barbecue, wonton, fried noodles, or fried rice. In the Nanjing University Gulou Campus area, three great spots are on the intersection of Ninghai Road and Hankou Xi Road (宁海路和汉口西路) near the east gate of Nanjing Normal University, at the south gate of Nanjing University on Guangzhou Road (南京大学鼓楼校区广州路校门), and on Hankou road (汉口路) between the two gates of Nanjing University. Anywhere with more than 4-5 carts should have some tables to sit at and some bottled beer.
 * If you can't read Chinese and you're a bit picky on what you eat, there's an excellent restaurant called A Simple Diet, located just off Hunan Road (next to McDonald's). Here they have taken the Japanese innovation of recreating the menu items in plastic so that you can simply point and order. You'll be given a card upon entry - when you order, hand it to the staff who will stamp your card. When you leave, take your card to the cashier's desk to pay.
 * You can find inexpensive, Western-style sandwiches at the popular American sub shop Subway, which has four stores in Nanjing; two in the Carrefour stores, one in the Golden Wheel shopping mall, and one in the popular Da Yang department store. The Walmart (wa-er-ma) in Xinjiekou has an extensive grocery and live foods market on the basement level. McDonald's has a number of restaurants in the city, if you're interested in their ¥7 menu (the Chinese equivalent of the Dollar Menu).
 * If you want to self-cater of just stock up on snacks/drinks then Nanjing has plenty of supermarkets and convenience stores. The main supermarkets in the central area are Times Extra (on Zhongyang Lu close to Xinmofan Lu subway station), Lotus (near Zhongyangmen Bus Station), Walmart (on the 2nd floor of Wanda Plaza Mall in Xinjiekou) and Carrefour (on Zhongshan Dong Lu). There are also many Suguo CVS convenience stores which are similar to 7-Eleven and stock drinks, snacks, instant noodles and cigarettes. Most Suguo stores accept payment using the IC transport card. There's a high end BHG supermarket on the basement (food court) level of Aqua City mall.

Mid-range

 * There is an extensive food court underneath Xinjiekou off of Fashion Lady shopping mall with lots and lots of options. Included is a Dairy Queen.
 * There is an extensive food court underneath Xinjiekou off of Fashion Lady shopping mall with lots and lots of options. Included is a Dairy Queen.
 * There is an extensive food court underneath Xinjiekou off of Fashion Lady shopping mall with lots and lots of options. Included is a Dairy Queen.
 * There is an extensive food court underneath Xinjiekou off of Fashion Lady shopping mall with lots and lots of options. Included is a Dairy Queen.
 * There is an extensive food court underneath Xinjiekou off of Fashion Lady shopping mall with lots and lots of options. Included is a Dairy Queen.
 * There is an extensive food court underneath Xinjiekou off of Fashion Lady shopping mall with lots and lots of options. Included is a Dairy Queen.
 * There is an extensive food court underneath Xinjiekou off of Fashion Lady shopping mall with lots and lots of options. Included is a Dairy Queen.
 * There is an extensive food court underneath Xinjiekou off of Fashion Lady shopping mall with lots and lots of options. Included is a Dairy Queen.

Splurge

 * If you have some time to explore, check out a few other options in Nanjing, including the two restaurants in the upscale shopping area of Deji Plaza on the 7th floor as well as a cafe on the 3rd floor. All three are good stopping points after a hard day's shopping at Louis Vuitton, or just before hitting the arcade or cinema. Near the New Cafe on Qingdao Lu is a small German cafe inconspicuously tucked away. Very good coffee in a cozy Bavarian/Thuringian environment. Expect to pay at least ¥25 for a good cup of coffee (which is the same as anywhere in Nanjing). Also worth checking out is a restaurant on the outskirts of Confucius Temple that offers a 14 course dinner; it might best be described as Chinese tapas. This is a very good way to sample dishes that you might not want to purchase entree-sized portions of anywhere: coagulated duck's blood soup, tofu, and so on. A fun way for more finicky groups to experience real Chinese food.
 * If you have some time to explore, check out a few other options in Nanjing, including the two restaurants in the upscale shopping area of Deji Plaza on the 7th floor as well as a cafe on the 3rd floor. All three are good stopping points after a hard day's shopping at Louis Vuitton, or just before hitting the arcade or cinema. Near the New Cafe on Qingdao Lu is a small German cafe inconspicuously tucked away. Very good coffee in a cozy Bavarian/Thuringian environment. Expect to pay at least ¥25 for a good cup of coffee (which is the same as anywhere in Nanjing). Also worth checking out is a restaurant on the outskirts of Confucius Temple that offers a 14 course dinner; it might best be described as Chinese tapas. This is a very good way to sample dishes that you might not want to purchase entree-sized portions of anywhere: coagulated duck's blood soup, tofu, and so on. A fun way for more finicky groups to experience real Chinese food.
 * If you have some time to explore, check out a few other options in Nanjing, including the two restaurants in the upscale shopping area of Deji Plaza on the 7th floor as well as a cafe on the 3rd floor. All three are good stopping points after a hard day's shopping at Louis Vuitton, or just before hitting the arcade or cinema. Near the New Cafe on Qingdao Lu is a small German cafe inconspicuously tucked away. Very good coffee in a cozy Bavarian/Thuringian environment. Expect to pay at least ¥25 for a good cup of coffee (which is the same as anywhere in Nanjing). Also worth checking out is a restaurant on the outskirts of Confucius Temple that offers a 14 course dinner; it might best be described as Chinese tapas. This is a very good way to sample dishes that you might not want to purchase entree-sized portions of anywhere: coagulated duck's blood soup, tofu, and so on. A fun way for more finicky groups to experience real Chinese food.
 * If you have some time to explore, check out a few other options in Nanjing, including the two restaurants in the upscale shopping area of Deji Plaza on the 7th floor as well as a cafe on the 3rd floor. All three are good stopping points after a hard day's shopping at Louis Vuitton, or just before hitting the arcade or cinema. Near the New Cafe on Qingdao Lu is a small German cafe inconspicuously tucked away. Very good coffee in a cozy Bavarian/Thuringian environment. Expect to pay at least ¥25 for a good cup of coffee (which is the same as anywhere in Nanjing). Also worth checking out is a restaurant on the outskirts of Confucius Temple that offers a 14 course dinner; it might best be described as Chinese tapas. This is a very good way to sample dishes that you might not want to purchase entree-sized portions of anywhere: coagulated duck's blood soup, tofu, and so on. A fun way for more finicky groups to experience real Chinese food.
 * If you have some time to explore, check out a few other options in Nanjing, including the two restaurants in the upscale shopping area of Deji Plaza on the 7th floor as well as a cafe on the 3rd floor. All three are good stopping points after a hard day's shopping at Louis Vuitton, or just before hitting the arcade or cinema. Near the New Cafe on Qingdao Lu is a small German cafe inconspicuously tucked away. Very good coffee in a cozy Bavarian/Thuringian environment. Expect to pay at least ¥25 for a good cup of coffee (which is the same as anywhere in Nanjing). Also worth checking out is a restaurant on the outskirts of Confucius Temple that offers a 14 course dinner; it might best be described as Chinese tapas. This is a very good way to sample dishes that you might not want to purchase entree-sized portions of anywhere: coagulated duck's blood soup, tofu, and so on. A fun way for more finicky groups to experience real Chinese food.

Drink
Nanjing's bar scene is constantly changing. If you are visiting Nanjing, it is best to talk to locals or expats who can show you the best places to go in the moment. There is a government order is in place to shut down all bars and clubs at 02:00. Some places remain open, however, so it is best to meet people who can take you there.

1912 District
Night life in Nanjing is very much alive, and you can find the epicenter in Nanjing's 1912 District, which is comparable to Shanghai's Xintiandi. It is roughly a city block of two and three-story buildings, with paved courtyards between. Almost all are restaurants, bars or nightclubs, with a few spas and upmarket clothing shops in the mix. Many of the buildings look like they might have been around since 1912, and the newer ones match the style of the older ones. The location is great; right downtown just west of the Presidential Palace. There is underground parking for cars and extensive outdoor parking for bikes and motorcycles on the North side of the complex. The best way to experience this is to get there and hop between bars and clubs, buying some beer from convenience stores, and making friends along the way. Some more Chinese-style clubs will have free drinks for foreigners, but this free alcohol is low-quality or fake.

To get here, tell a cab driver to take you to 1912 (yi jiu yi er), or take the subway to the Fuqiao stop on line 3 (浮桥地铁站) and go a few blocks south. The area is south of the intersection of Zhu Jiang Lu and Tai Ping Bei Lu (珠江路 and 太平北路) across the river.

Shanghai Lu
The area around Shanghai Lu, which runs between Nanjing University and Nanjing Normal University, has quite a few expats - mainly foreign students or English teachers from the two universities - and some places that cater to them.

Sleep
Many accommodation providers, especially those in the sub-¥180/night category, do not accept foreigners. The yellow-exteriored 7 Day Inn chain, for example, will not accept foreigners in Nanjing even though this hotel chain is a good option in the ¥160/night range in most other Chinese cities.

Stay safe
There have been many instances where foreign guys accompanied by Chinese girls in bar areas have been harassed or even stabbed and killed in fights. You are generally safe if you avoid conflict, even if this means swallowing your pride and walking away from someone insulting you or your girlfriend. There is little to gain by escalating a conflict instead of running away, especially in China where police will commonly side with Chinese citizens. Most crime happens late at night with at least one person under the influence of alcohol, and armed robbery is unheard of. However, unsecured possessions may be stolen at night such as unlocked mopeds.

Pickpocketing is a problem in Fuzimiao as well as on crowded buses, the subway and around the main transport hubs. Because Nanjing has a relatively small number of foreigners for a city its size, the common scams seen in Shanghai and Beijing are almost non-existent, however you may still see the occasional dodgy salesman selling counterfeit goods in Fuzimiao.

Be careful if taking the bus to the airport from Zhonghuamen bus station as many touts claim to be the official bus service, however there is a strong risk of being overcharged or driven to a location several kilometres from the actual airport. The official bus departs from Gate 7 and tickets should be paid for at the gate. Bus tickets are ¥20 as of July 2012. Also be careful of fake taxis operating from the bus stations and occasionally the railway station - always use the official taxi stand and ignore any taxi touts.

Although traffic is slightly calmer than most Chinese cities it can still be much more manic than most Western countries - take the usual precautions when crossing the road and also remember that right turns on a red light are sometimes legal in China (however in Nanjing most of the case there should be a dedicated right turn signal for right turn lane) so people driving across the crosswalk while the 'walk' sign is showing aren't actually breaking the law. Also be careful of motorbikes and bicycles driving on the pavement.

Many Nanjingese may have a resentment towards the Japanese because of the events during World War II. If you are Japanese, don't let this put you off visiting as the locals will still be very welcoming, however it's recommended not to appear too conspicuously Japanese and keep any opinions to yourself. The Nanjing Massacre killed and displaced such a large number of Nanjingnese people that most of the people living there now are descended from those that arrived within the last few decades to repopulate the area. Younger Nanjingese are more open and will often be more than happy to discuss the war.

Go next

 * Lake Tai is reasonably close, a common weekend getaway for Nanjing residents.
 * Zhenjiang is directly bordering Nanjing to the west and accessible by train or bus.
 * Suzhou, known its gardens and canals, is less than two hours away by fast train to the east on the way to Shanghai.
 * Hangzhou, one of China's most popular tourist cities, is about two hours away by fast train to the south.
 * Yangzhou is about one hour away by slow train from Nanjing.
 * Huangshan or Yellow Mountain is a national park on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is 7–8 hours south of Nanjing by slow train.
 * Hefei, an aggressively boring city known for not being a tourist destination, is a short train ride east of Nanjing.

title: Nanjing


text:
Nankoku

Nankoku (南国) is a city in Kochi prefecture, Japan.

Tourist information sites

 * The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site.

 * The city has info pages in English on Guidoor.

Do
Cycling is very easy, and Monobe River offers good canoeing opportunities.

Eat
Local tomatoes are very good. Local hard, stick cookies are also good.

Drink
Nearly all Kochi people love drinking sake. Watch out!

Go next

 * Kami
 * Konan
 * Geisei
 * Aki
 * Kochi
 * Yasuda
 * Nahari
 * Kitagawa
 * Muroto

title: Nankoku