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Dachau

Dachau is a city with about 44,800 citizens in Upper Bavaria, Germany and has a history of more than 1,200 years, but best known for being the location of the very first Nazi concentration camp. This has cast a pall over the rest of this small and pleasant town 20 km (13 mi) outside of Munich.

Understand
The first known documentation dealing with Dachau dates back to the year 805, although earlier settlements go as early as 1000 B.C. and the Romans were maintaining a salt road through the city at the beginning of the first millennium. Dachau first came to prominence during the Middle Ages, when Duke William IV of Bavaria commissioned the palace of Dachau in 1546-1577. From that time on until the end of the monarchy in Bavaria in 1918 the town had always been a retreat for Bavarian kings, dukes and nobility, which is no wonder as the palace and the surrounding gardens offer a staggering view of the Alps and Munich, weather permitting. Towards the end of the 19th century Dachau became a town famous for its impressionist painters like Carl Spitzweg.

However, the city's history took a turn for the worse with the advent of the Nazi regime: Dachau was chosen to be the site of the very first Nazi concentration camp in 1933. Mostly political dissidents, non-conformist intellectuals and priests were imprisoned in the camp. Although Dachau was mainly used as a staging ground to ship prisoners to eastern death camps in Poland, approximately 42,000 people were murdered between 1933 and 1945 in the Dachau camp itself or its 169 sub-camps. After World War II the camp was first used to house displaced persons and then converted into a memorial site, which opened in 1965, to remind visitors of the darkest time in German history. Today Dachau has a big cultural scene as well as a still impressive picture-perfect old town and palace, because it completely escaped Allied bombing during World War II.

By car
Dachau is conveniently located at several autobahns. Furthermore, with B 304 and B471 two major federal highways run through the city.
 * A 8: Stuttgart - Dachau - Munich (exit 78 Dachau/Fürstenfeldbruck)
 * A 92: Deggendorf - Dachau - Munich (exit 2 Oberschleißheim)
 * A 99: circular autobahn around Munich (exit 10 München-Ludwigsfeld)

By train
Regional trains from Munich Central Station run three times an hour and take 25 min to reach Dachau. Munich public transport network tickets are valid in regional trains as far as Dachau, too.

By suburban train (S-Bahn)
Dachau is part of Munich's public transport network MVV. To get to Dachau, you have to take S-Bahn line S2, which brings you to Dachau station, close to the center of town. Most city buses stop at the station, including those which take you to the Concentration Camp Memorial Site.

By tour
Several tour operators offer tours from the center of Munich to the Concentration Camp Memorial Site, including transportation, for approximately €20 per person.

Get around
The historic center of Dachau is small enough to be explored on foot. For destinations that are not located within the center, like the Concentration Camp Memorial Site, the extensive bus network provides and feasible alternative to using your own legs. As Dachau is part of Munich's public transport network, the tickets are also valid in the Dachau buses.

Eat

 * Alte Liebe, Im Lus 4, Mitterndorf, +49 8131 667131,

Drink

 * Seven Days, Schleißheimer Str. 12, +49 8131 299877
 * The Harp, Pfarrstr. 3, +49 8131 86258

Go next

 * Munich
 * Other Holocaust-related sites: see Holocaust remembrance

title: Dachau


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Dachstein

The Dachstein is a 20 x 30 km limestone massif in the Northern Calcareous Alps, in Austria. The summit is at 3,000 m (although different maps invariably quote 2,997 - 3,003 m), with dozens of other peaks above 2,500 m. The Dachstein is situated on the border between Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) and Styria (Steiermark). Parts of the massif also lie within Salzburg state.

The Dachstein massif is most famous for its large glaciers, which flow from south to north towards the Hallstatt and Gosau valleys. It is also famous for giant cave systems, including an ice cave, accessible from the northern side of the mountain (Obertraun and Hallstatt).

Get in
A cable car provides quick and easy access to the top of the Südwand and the back of the Hallstatter and Schladming glaciers. From the cable car station, you can hike onto the glacier, surrounding summits, or climb to the Hoher Dachstein summit (3000 m).

Fees and permits
A return journey on the cable car costs €47 (price updated July 2023).

Buying a ticket on the cable car includes the cost of the toll road from Ramsau to the cable car base station. Otherwise, the road toll is €6 per person.

See

 * Krippenstein & the Dachstein Caves - For an alternative view of the glacier, take the cable car from Obertraun up to the Krippenstein, via the Eishöhlen and Mammuthohlen (ice caves and Mammoth caves respectively).

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

title: Dachstein


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Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a district of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu wedged between the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The two taluks – Dadra and Nagar Haveli are separated from each other by a few kilometers – are both on the west coast, at the mouth of the Daman Ganga river.

Cities

 * – Capital city of the district.

Other destinations

 * – A small town near Silvassa.
 * – A small town surrounded by Gujarat.

Understand
The district of Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a small piece of land wedged between the Maharashtra and Gujarat. Until 1954, this area was under Portuguese colonial rule. Between 1954 and 1961, it was self-governing. On its integration with the Indian Union in 1961, Silvassa was made its capital.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli was used to be a union territory of India until January 2020, when it was merged with Daman and Diu. As of 2021, Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a district of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

It is less than 500 km2 in size, covered with tall trees and winding rivers. The hospitable, kind, unselfish native local tribal people have their own customs, dances and rituals which are quite fascinating. The district enjoys a very pleasant climate from November to March, which is the best time for a visit. Temperatures during the summer are comfortable too, even during the day, due to the district's proximity to the sea.

By plane
Surat International Airport, Surat, Gujarat is 138 km from Silvassa. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is 159 km from Silvassa.

By car
Dadra and Nagar Haveli almost touches the National Highway 48 Mumbai-Vadodara-Delhi. Silvassa is about 14 km from Bhilad via Naroli and 14 km Vapi via Dadra.

By train
The nearest railway stations are in Vapi and Bhilad in Western Railways, which are about 14 km (9.9 mi) & 18 km (8.7 mi) respectively from Silvassa. All major Mail/Express trains are available at Vapi including August Kranti Rajdhani, Satabdi, Ahinsa, Karnavati etc.

Do
There really isn't any order of things that you can do. If you are looking for a quick weekend getaway, Silvassa is a good place. You can be holed up in any one of the many resorts in Silvassa and surrounding areas, or you can let yourself loose in the lush green sights of the surrounding flora and fauna.

Sleep

Go next

 * Daman (India)
 * Diu

title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli


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Dadyal

Dadyal is a town with lot of small villages in Azad Kashmir. Some villages are: Amb, Ankar, Bathrui, Balathi, Chatroh ,Darruni, Haveli Bagal, potha, Siakh, Sahalia, Bhalot, Ratta, Surakhi, Khadimabad, Batli, Kandore, Mohra-Kalyal, Mohra-Kanyal, Mundee, and a lot more

See

Buy
There are two money changers in town: City Express (Kazmi Plaza) and Overseas Express (Akhtar Plaza).

Eat

 * Snoopy Inn
 * Shujah Hotel
 * Main Bazaar-including Bismillah Hotel and Restaurant in downtown Dadyal.
 * Thara Sweets and Bakers
 * Thara Sweets and Bakers

title: Dadyal


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Daegu

Daegu (대구, 大邱), formerly romanized as Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is South Korea's fourth largest city (after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon), and the third largest metropolitan area in the nation, with over 2.5 million residents. Daegu is in southeastern Korea, about 80 km (50 miles) from the seacoast, near the Geumho River and its mainstream, Nakdong River in Gyeongsang-do.

Understand
Daegu is in the middle of a wide, flat valley, rectangular in shape, and hosts one of the country's largest US military bases. It was promoted to a federal territory city (a city under the direct control of the central government) in 1981. In addition, in 1995, it was promoted from a federal territory city to a metropolitan city and maintains the current name of Daegu Metropolitan City. The obligatory South Korean slogan for the city is 'Colorful Daegu'. The Chinese character "大", which means there are many large hills, was used.

Daegu administers itself, although it is mostly surrounded by North Gyeongsang province and therefore is placed there in our hierarchy. Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang Province are often referred to as Daegu-Gyeongbuk, with a total population of over 5 million. During the Joseon Dynasty period, the city was the capital of Gyeongsang-do, which was one of the traditional eight provinces of the country.

Climate
Daegu has a cool version of a humid subtropical climate. The mountains that comprise the basin trap hot and humid air. Similarly, in winter, cold air lies in the basin. The area receives little precipitation except during the rainy season of summer, and is sunny throughout much of the year. The average temperature for January, the coldest month in Daegu, is -4 °C (25 °F) and for August, the warmest month, is 31 °C (88 °F). Daegu's nickname is "Daefrica" (대프리카) because it is deemed as hot as Africa. In summer they install sculptures on the streets to make fun of this nickname.

By plane

The airport is on the east side of the city. To go to the downtown area, take a bus (No. 401, fare: ₩1,100) or ride a taxi. A taxi ride to the Dongsungro district in the center of the city costs around ₩7,000 and takes 25 minutes, while the fare for the 10-minute ride to the Dongdaegu train station is around ₩3,000.

Hotel Airport in the area has a room rate from around ₩130,000 including tax.

By train

There are two train stations in the city. One is Dongdaegu (East Daegu) station and the other is Daegu station. Both stations are connected by Subway Line 1.

You can take high speed KTX train or quite inexpensive Seamaeul and Mugunghwa train if you are to spend less on transportation.

For traveling by train, visit the Korail website. It provides timetables, fare, and some information around their stations.

By car
Gyeongbu Expressway: The Longest Expressway in the country from Seoul to Busan

Central Expressway: An expressway located in the eastern part of the country, contrary to its name.

By bus
Daegu is in the middle of the extensive intercity bus system in South Korea. Buses go directly from Daegu to Seoul in just under 4 hours. Integrated Express Bus Website provides ticket reservation service. The bus fare varies.

By public transportation
Daegu has three subway metro lines. The first two lines intersect at the main downtown stop of Banwoldang.

Line 1 (red line) runs from Daegok to Ansim and Line 2 (green line) runs from Munyang to Sawol. Stops are announced in Korean and in English. Subways typically run from 05:30 to 23:30. Tickets can be purchased from machines.

To enter the subway, scan your token and hold on to it because you will need to insert the same token as you exit.

The monorail, Line 3 (yellow line) is connected in the downtown with Line 1 at Myeongdeok Station and Line 2 at Sinam Station. Line 3 will run from Chilgok to Beommul.

Ticket machines marked "complimentary tickets" are for people with specific types of South Korean Identity cards, such as pensioners.

In addition to the subway, there is a way to travel by bus. The fare is ₩400 for children, ₩850 for teenagers and ₩1,250 for adults. In the case of express buses, the price is a little higher.

People can transfer up to 30 minutes after getting off, and they can transfer to Daegu city buses, urban railroads, Yeongcheon city buses, and Gyeongsan city buses.

By taxi
Taxis are cheap and easy to find. The basic fare is ₩3,300, and ₩100 per 134m and ₩100 per 32 seconds will be charged. People in Daegu do not use street addresses. To give directions, you should give the nearest landmark to your destination such as a department store, hotel, or movie theater.

By tour bus
Daegu operates a City Tour Bus that passes by many cultural remains and otherwise touristy places, runs 5 times a day. It is open year-round and operates from 10:00 everyday departing from Daegu Tourist Information Center, Dongdaegu Train Station and Banwoldang. It costs about ₩5,000 for an adult with discounted fares for school students. Road map and leaflet can be downloaded from here.

See

 * Parks include Bongmu Reports Park between Daegu Airport and the entrance of Mt. Palgong, it has playgrounds and equipment for tennis, Jokku, badminton, shooting and so on; you can enjoy of outdoor variety sports. Not only Mt. Palgong, but also Apsan Park, 83 Tower, Daegu Arboretum, Dalsong Park, are also good for sightseeing.

Festivals
Various festivals in various themes like the Colorful Daegu Festival, Dongseongno festival, Palgongsan maple festival, Biseulsan azalea festival, Korea in Motion Daegu, and so on, are held by the city, each ward, or the specific groups, all through the year. In late August, Daegu hosts the Asian Bodypainting Festival, a sister event of the World Bodypainting Festival in Seeboden, Austria. And every summer during July, Daegu Chimac Festival celebrates what Koreans love to enjoy, chicken with beer, and will take place at Duryu Park in Dalseo-gu, Daegu. The term "chimac" is a portmanteau of chicken and maekju (meaning "beer"). With over 880,000 visitors in 2015, and one million visitors during the festival of 2016, the number of total visitors continue to increase as this festival steps up to become one of the most significant events in Korea. This year's festival will include music and cultural performances, making the entire festival overflow with youthful energy.

Daegu Dalgubeol Lantern Festival is the annual event, held in Daegu city, when people gather altogether to make their own colorful lantern, write some wishes on the lantern and fly them together during sunset time. This event is held to celebrate Buddha's birthday every year on April or May at Duryu Park.

Daegu International Musical Festival Exciting melodies have filled the air across the city every summer as the city hosts its annual musical festival since 2006. Along with a splendid opening concert, the DIMF Awards, a variety of international performances attract musical manias as well as citizens. The DIMF, as the first international musical festival in Asia, offers a chance for musical producers and agencies as well as people to come together and share the joy of musicals with the world.

Sports
Watch baseball, one of the most popular sports in the country, at Daegu Samsung Lions Park (home to Samsung Lions) and football at DGB Daegu Bank Park (Daegu FC). Choi Won-kwon is the interim director of Daegu FC.

Work
Like all South Korean cities, Daegu has numerous job openings for English language teachers at public schools and private academies. See The South Korean article on Teaching for more details.

Buy
Daegu has several department stores and a shopping district all around downtown. Also, to the northeast, there is a Costco.

 * Seomun Night Market, Daegu on April 7th, 2017.jpg
 * Seomun Night Market, Daegu on April 7th, 2017.jpg

Eat

 * Daegu Jjimgalbi. The local specialty consists of beef ribs cooked in a worn out aluminum pot seasoned with spicy red pepper powder and chopped garlic. This is completely different from the steamed short ribs cooked in soy sauce served in other areas of Korea. Its unique feature is the tongue-tingling, burning sensation it creates when enjoyed with soju (hard Korean alcohol) or rice mixed with leftover spices. Unlike the steamed ribs from the Seoul and Gyeonggi Province areas, the way its sweet and spicy taste sets your tongue ablaze is unparalleled. It first appeared in the early 1970s on a residential street in Dongin-dong, Jung-gu, which has since blossomed into a small "village" of local food establishments.
 * Daegu Ttarogukbap. For over fifty years, Daegu has been the only place in Korea where rice and soup are usually eaten separately, whereas other regions customarily mix their rice and soup together. In Korean, "ttaro" means "separate" and "gukbap" means "soup and rice". Putting them together to form the Korean compound word "ttarogukbap," the meaning becomes "rice and soup served separately". This dish, uniquely found in Daegu, is made with beef shank, leek, and radish cooked in a broth with plenty of red pepper powder and chopped garlic. It has an unrivaled aftertaste that is both spicy and refreshing. Its flavor is the epitome of Daegu's unique "spicy and burning" taste.3미-뭉티기.jpg
 * Mungtigi. It is sliced raw bottom round steak, which can be seen all over the country, but Daegu's is the most famous. It is also called Meat sashimi, and unlike ordinary Korean-style raw beef, raw meat is served without shredding or seasoning, and is dipped in soy sauce and red pepper paste.
 * Daegu Kkultteok.jpg
 * Daegu Anjirang Gopchang Gopchang means small intestine of a cow, and ‘Anjirang Gopchang Alley’, famous for gopchang, is in Nam-gu:
 * Daegu Kkultteok Kkultteok means rice cake soaked in honey. Daegu Kkultteok is a glutinous rice cake made by cooking glutinous rice flour and melting brown sugar with the heat from the rice cake, making it look like it is coated with honey. It is a local food that can be tasted in Daegu. Although its exact origin or creation period is unknown, it is a rice cake that has been made and commonly sold for a long time mainly in Gyodong Market, Seomun Market, and Yommae Market in Daegu.
 * Daegu Kkultteok Kkultteok means rice cake soaked in honey. Daegu Kkultteok is a glutinous rice cake made by cooking glutinous rice flour and melting brown sugar with the heat from the rice cake, making it look like it is coated with honey. It is a local food that can be tasted in Daegu. Although its exact origin or creation period is unknown, it is a rice cake that has been made and commonly sold for a long time mainly in Gyodong Market, Seomun Market, and Yommae Market in Daegu.
 * Daegu Kkultteok Kkultteok means rice cake soaked in honey. Daegu Kkultteok is a glutinous rice cake made by cooking glutinous rice flour and melting brown sugar with the heat from the rice cake, making it look like it is coated with honey. It is a local food that can be tasted in Daegu. Although its exact origin or creation period is unknown, it is a rice cake that has been made and commonly sold for a long time mainly in Gyodong Market, Seomun Market, and Yommae Market in Daegu.

Drink

 * Nightlife is usually found outside the main universities (Kyungpook, Keimyung) and in the downtown area (Banwoldang). Banwoldang is where the greatest concentration of foreign restaurants lies, and weekend nights are filled with people shopping, walking, or sitting in the innumerable pubs, coffee shops, and cafes.

Budget
There are a few options for budget accommodation in Daegu. There is one hostel in Daegu, and plenty of motels and jjimjilbang (찜질방) for the budget-minded. See the main South Korea article for more information on these options.

Guest houses are a cheap accommodation option at around US$20–30 per night.

Stay safe
Like the rest of Korea, all of Daegu is safe at any time of the day. However, westerners, especially minorities or men with Korean women, may encounter hostility from drunken men, but this is increasingly rare. The water is safe, but newcomers with sensitive stomachs should be prudent with street food or with the spice levels. Be aware that some ATM machines close before midnight if you need late-night drinking money.

Korean taxi drivers may drive somewhat erratically. Drivers are usually honest and being cheated on fares is not common.

Go next

 * The major cities of Seoul, Daejeon, Ulsan or Busan via the KTX.
 * Andong, home of the annual International Mask Festival and World Heritage rated Hahoe Folk Village.
 * Gayasan National Park, home to Haeinsa, one of Korea's Three Jewel Temples and a World Heritage Site.
 * Gumi, nearby electronics powerhouse, but not without its fair share of hiking opportunities too.
 * Gyeongju, Korea's cultural capital and home to World Heritage rated Donghaksa Temple.
 * Gyeongju, Korea's cultural capital and home to World Heritage rated Donghaksa Temple.

title: Daegu


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Daejeon

Daejeon (대전, 大田, formerly Taejon) is the capital of South Chungcheong province. Yuseong Hot Springs Resort and Daecheong Dam are amongst the city's most popular tourist attractions.

Understand

Daejeon is the 5th largest city in South Korea, with a population of approximately 1.5 million. It is in the centre of Korea and is at the crossroads of national rail and road transport routes, the Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway.

The city has been promoted as a city of science and education centred about Daedeok Science Town, more lately called Daedeok Innopolis. The Daejeon municipal government dubs itself a core city of research and development and the cradle of Korea's cutting-edge science sector.

More than 200 research institutes, including the research and development facilities of Samsung, LG, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), are located within Daedeok Science Town in Yuseong-gu on the far outskirts of town, locally referred to as "Daedeok Techno Valley". This, plus the "Daedeok Innopolis" cluster of KAIST, Chungnam National University and government research institutes lend themselves to the city's local nickname: the Silicon Valley of Korea.

The local image is generally good enough to rank fourth after Seoul, Busan, and Jeju in 2019, first in quality of life, health, environment, transportation, and administrative capacity index in 2021 and second after Seoul in the comprehensive sector.

It is also a city with a very well-established local autonomy system. As a result, the World Federation of Local Governments was held in October 2022. More than 1,000 local and local government councils from 140 countries participated as members.

Climate
Daejeon has a monsoon-influenced, 4 season climate that lies within the transition between the humid continental and humid subtropical climatic regimes (Köppen Dwa/Cwa respectively). Monthly mean temperatures range from −1.9 °C (28.6 °F) in January to 25.5 °C (77.9 °F) in August.

Orientation

Daejeon is 167.3 km from Seoul, 294 km from Busan and 169 km from Gwangju. It is also close to the proposed site of a new administrative city, Sejong City

Daejeon is separated into 5 administrative divisions or gu (구), (districts), all of which maintain their own tourist website in English. The divisions are largely run along rivers bisecting the city.

 * Daedeok-gu  (대덕구; 大德區)
 * Dong-gu  (동구; 東區)
 * Jung-gu (중구; 中區)
 * Seo-gu (서구; 西區)
 * Yuseong-gu  (유성구; 儒城區)
 * Dunsan is not a gu, but is the central business district and where you will find the majority of the shops and restaurants. The area is served by three stops on the subway: City Hall, Government Complex and Galma stops 111, 112, 113 respectively. For more upscale shopping and accommodation, head over to the Yuseong hot springs resort town (Yuseong-gu), which is the northwest part of the city, and is serviced by the Yuseong-spa subway stop. The former city centre is located in Jung-gu and serviced by the Jungangno subway stop.

Gyeryongsan National Park straddles the city border to the west. Three streams which eventually join with Geum River, called Gapcheon (갑천), Yudeungcheon (유등천), and Daejeoncheon (대전천), flow through the city from south to north.

Tourist information
To pick up a map you can visit the information desk in EXPO Park or in Daejeon Station. For district tourism offices please see

Get in
Daejeon is a road and rail transportation hub in South Korea. Two major expressways, Gyeongbu Expressway and Honam Expressway, and two major railways, Gyeongbu railway and Honam railway, are joined here. Travel time between Daejeon and Seoul using the high-speed railway system, otherwise known as KTX, is about 1 hr. The nearest airport to Daejeon is Cheongju Airport in the neighbouring city Cheongju and at least 30 min by road to the north of Daejeon.

By plane
The local airport provides a few options for international travelers, with Cheongju International Airport (Hangul: 청주국제공항; Hanja: 淸州國際空港)  just north of Cheongju city. There is a railway station next to the airport, called Cheongju Airport station, which is on the Chungbuk Line although it is 600 m from the airport. The usual way to reach Daejeon from the airport is via intercity bus.

Nevertheless, most travelers will arrive in South Korea via Incheon International Airport and get to Daejeon via the plentiful high speed train or bus services.

Parking for 1,100 vehicles is available opposite the passenger terminal. The facility is open from 06:30-22:00.

Cheongju International airport has a very limited schedule, with flights to Jeju for a few times a day.

Korean Air has two flights a week to Hangzhou in China and two flights a week to Bangkok in Thailand.

 * Buses to Daejeon Dongbu Terminal, Cheongju Airport ↔ Daejeon Dongbu Terminal - ₩3,500
 * Buses to Daejeon Dongbu Terminal, Cheongju Airport ↔ Daejeon Dongbu Terminal - ₩3,500

By train
Daejeon lies on the main train line connecting Seoul and Busan. There are two principal train stations in Daejeon, the main Daejeon Station and the secondary Seo-Daejeon Station. Both are served by the KTX, the Korean high speed bullet train rail service. It takes about 1 hr from Seoul to Daejeon (₩23,700; Economy Class; Feb 2019) and 100 min from Daejeon to Busan.

Conventional trains take about twice as long but come at a considerably lower price. As an example at the other end of the spectrum an unreserved "deluxe floor" seat on the Mugunghwa from Seoul will set you back less than ₩9,000 and take almost 2 hr. A similar train from Busan to Daejeon will take almost 4 hr but costs under ₩15,000. If these sound unreasonable, bear in mind that trains down the main line in Korea do sell out, especially on Sunday afternoons and into the late night so you may no have a say in the matter. On the bright side, the last Mugwanhwa from Busan terminates at Daejeon, so if stuck on its cold, cold floor, you can usually upgrade yourself (to 1st class even) after Daegu.

There are several railway stations. The station you will arrive at or leave from depends on where you're coming from or where you're going. If using the KTX Gyeongbu Line or the KTX Honam Line you may want to try and get off at Shintanjin Station to the north of the city or Seodaejeon Station to the southwest if using the KTX Honam Line.

 * Arriving on the North-bound Line—intermediate points are Cheonan·Asan ⇒ Gwangmyeong ⇒ Yongsan ⇒ Seoul (northern terminus)
 * Arriving on the South-bound Line—intermediate points are Dong-Daegu ⇒ Miryang ⇒ Gupo ⇒ Busan (southern terminus)
 * Arriving on the North-bound Line—intermediate points are Cheonan·Asan ⇒ Gwangmyeong ⇒ Yongsan ⇒ Seoul (northern terminus)
 * Arriving on the South-bound Line—intermediate points are Nonsan ⇒ Iksan ⇒ Gimjae ⇒ Jeongeup ⇒ Gwangju ⇒ Naju ⇒ Mokpo (southern terminus)
 * Arriving on the North-bound Line—intermediate points are Cheonan·Asan ⇒ Gwangmyeong ⇒ Yongsan ⇒ Seoul (northern terminus)
 * Arriving on the South-bound Line—intermediate points are Nonsan ⇒ Iksan ⇒ Gimjae ⇒ Jeongeup ⇒ Gwangju ⇒ Naju ⇒ Mokpo (southern terminus)

Tickets for Korail (Korea National Railroad) services can be purchased at station windows, travel agencies, or [www.letskorail.com/ebizbf/EbizBfIndex_eng.do online].

By bus
To add to the confusion, if entering via bus, there are three intercity bus terminals, and several pick up stops for the airport bus express.

 * Dongbu inter-city bus terminal connects to major cities in South and North Chungcheong province. Dong-bu express bus terminal connects to most major cities in South Korea via express way. They are share a building in Yongjeon-dong, Dong-gu.
 * Seobu bus terminal in Yucheong-dong, Seo-gu, connects to western regions of South Chungcheong province such as Nonsan, Buyeo, and Daecheon. Yuseong bus terminal located in Bongmyeong-dong,
 * Yuseong-gu, connects to northern regions of South Chungcheong province such as Gongju, Yesan, Dangjin, and Cheonan.

There are two bus stop around government complex, some of express buses depart from Dong-bu and Yuseong stop by as well as the bus destined for Incheon airport (the ride takes 3 hr 15 min).

Incoming buses terminating at Dong-bu terminal drop all passengers off at a random one of a few petrol stations or empty carparks near the terminal. Don't be alarmed. Whilst inconvenient for those transferring on, this does leave you on the right side of the road to grab the local express bus #2 down to the central Korail/subway station.

Get around
Locals and those staying for a longer time can purchase a Hana bank rechargeable transportation card, which offers free transfers. When you open an account at Hana bank, this smart bank card can be charged with money to be used on buses, taxis. "Hankkumi" transportation cards are also available at manned booths within the subway stops. These cards cost ₩2,500 and are rechargeable at the station or at many GS 25 locations. Its one subway line bisects the city and runs south-east from the north-west corner. Only central Daejeon, old downtown (Daejeon station area) and a handful of sites are convenient to reach solely by subway. The subway is compatible with Seoul T-money passes. Hankkumi cards or tags contain both Hankkumi and Seoul T-money functionality.

By bus
The inner-city bus service is extensive, but a bit slow. Most buses pass through Daejeon station which does not have a bus rank. Instead, they all leave from one of about 10 stops dotted around the area. Note that bus routes 1 and 2 are express stops and annoyingly not even typically marked on the handful of bus shelters where they do stop. City bus services in Daejeon buses are divided into four types.

Each type of bus has a different colour; red, blue and green (2).

 * Red buses express cover 2 routes (1 and 2). They stop at major bus stops, ensuring a rapid transit service.
 * Blue buses regular connect the downtown areas with the suburbs.
 * Green buses there are 2 types of green - coloured buses:
 * One of the green buses connects all districts within Daejeon, and the other connects Daejeon with its neighboring areas.

Bus fares vary depending on the passenger's age group. Children, middle and high school students, and adults. A Traffic card is available and offers discounts and free transfer. T-money also works for discounts and free transfers,

Each bus has two doors:
 * The front door for entry and back door for exit.
 * Place your transit card close to the card reader upon entry and exit. Cash payment is also available.

Routes

 * Expo Park - 121, 301, 606, 705, 911, 918
 * Daejeon O-world - 301, 115, 311, 314, 318, 315
 * Bomun-san (Mt.) - 119, 619, 618, 108, 313, 620
 * Gyejok-san (Mt.) - 103, 617, 311, 314
 * Daecheong Dam - 72, 73
 * Gubong-san (Mt.) - 210, 114, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
 * Jangtae-san (Mt.) - 22
 * Sikjang-san (Mt.) - 611, 619, 607, 313, 60, 61, 62, 63, 71
 * Manin-san (Mt.) - 501
 * Uam Historial Park - 311
 * Jangsu Town - 312, 313
 * Donghak-sa (Temple) - 107, 48
 * Daejeon Korail Station - 1, 30, 31, 52, 60, 62, 63, 102, 311, 501, 511, 512, 603, 605, 606, 607, 612, 616
 * Seodaejeon Korail Station - 119, 201, 202, 314, 612, 613, 701
 * Shintanjin Korail Station - 2, 71, 72, 75, 703, 704, 705
 * Dongbu Intercity and Express Bus Terminal - 2, 102, 105, 106, 201, 501, 601, 602, 607, 611, 616, 701, 802
 * Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal - 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31, 32, 34, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 113, 316, 916
 * Yuseong Intercity Bus Terminal - 109, 911

A full bus route map is printed on practically every last bus shelter in town. Navigation may be easier if used in combination with a pocket-sized printed copy of the numerical list above.

Two city tour buses also run, doing daytime trips between "science" sites such as the Currency Museum, Expo park and KAIST. Night time trips between "night" sites include Yuseong Spa and Daecheong Dam. They wind across town via various pick-up spots prior to the tour and tend to end at Yuseong, but perhaps the most convenient pick-up point is at the park at the rear (south side) of City Hall.

The City Bus Free Transfer System allows bus passengers holding a traffic card to transfer to another bus or subway three times at no additional cost. When using this system passengers are only required to pay a single fare for up to 4 segments of travel in a single direction. The traffic card allows 3 free transfers within 80 min of the first boarding, with 30 min transit time subsequent to the passenger placing the card on the card reader when exiting. Another service will need to be boarded and the card read again within the specified 30 min (off the bus) period. Check the city website (English version is available) for the latest schedules, departure times and costs.

By subway
Daejeon's first subway line opened in 2006, connecting Daejeon Station to both the western and eastern parts of the city. The subway stations are fed by buses, and the fare is ₩1200-1,400 a ride, with tickets easily bought from machines (select the price according to the map it displays, enter money, get a token). The subway itself is extremely clean and tidy, and the stations are regularly decorated with art courtesy of local university arts students or schoolchildren. Small musical performances aimed at the older generations of Koreans (often some quite pleasant jazz actually) are sometimes held in Daejeon and Seodaejeon-negori stations.

Daejeon Subway Line 1 is the first of a planned 5-line subway system for the city. It connects Daejeon station in the original city centre, with the newer sections of this city, including Dunsan. The other lines have not yet opened and future plans for the extra lines appear to remain speculative.

By taxi
Daejeon is quite spaced out, so taxis fares can run up quickly. For a cross-town trip, expect to spend up to ₩10,000, far higher if travelling to the lesser developed outer regions west of the bisecting mountain range, north of Yuseong, or around Shintanjin. The width of town can be covered usually in ₩4,000-5,000. Daejeon experiences near city-wide gridlock from 17:00 to almost 00:00 on Fridays and 17:00 to 19:00 on weekdays so use the subway to cross the length of the city and catch a taxi from there to cover the width. Unregistered taxis are a common sight around the Dongbu bus terminal, so keep a keen lookout for the "It's Daejeon" logo on the side of the vehicle or a meter in the front if you don't wish to be mislead or deceived by unlicensed operators in un-metered vehicles.

By bike
Daejeon has a system of public-use bikes Tashu, which is available for a nominal fee for short rentals, although it can rise quickly for extended use (>1 hr as of July 2014). The system requires a mobile phone number and Alien Registration Number to use. Note that stations are present mostly in the central valley, and may be empty or filled (thus preventing returns). Check for stations near your destination via the station's computer before renting a bike. Although bikes are maintained, they are quite often broken, so be sure to check the bike before renting. Bicycle roads exist in larger roads and riversides but tend to be filled with pedestrians and tend not to yield to cyclists.

On foot
Daejeon is mostly far too spread out to be convenient to walk between attractions. However, Expo Park, the National Science Museum, Hanbat Arboretum, Dajeon Museum of Art, Mannyeon-dong, and even Dunsan-dong (although this last one is pushing it) are situated close enough to one another to wander back and forth.

See
There are 8 specific localities designated by the city government as scenic attractions, these are the Eight Sights of Daejeon.

Many of the other cultural centres and sight seeing places are located in Yuseong-gu district with the exception of Ppuri park and Daejeon Zoo.

 * Q20919 Daejeon Station A01.jpg
 * Gazebo in Ppuri Park.jpg
 * Q20919 Daejeon Station A01.jpg
 * Gazebo in Ppuri Park.jpg
 * Gazebo in Ppuri Park.jpg
 * Gazebo in Ppuri Park.jpg
 * Gazebo in Ppuri Park.jpg
 * Gazebo in Ppuri Park.jpg

Do

 * 대전시민천문대 Daejeon Observatory.jpg
 * 대전시민천문대 Daejeon Observatory.jpg
 * 대전시민천문대 Daejeon Observatory.jpg
 * 대전시민천문대 Daejeon Observatory.jpg
 * 대전시민천문대 Daejeon Observatory.jpg
 * 대전시민천문대 Daejeon Observatory.jpg
 * 대전시민천문대 Daejeon Observatory.jpg
 * 대전시민천문대 Daejeon Observatory.jpg

The Dreamland theme park up on Mt. Bomun, despite being marked on many maps, has-been closed and demolished.

The river flood plain adjacent to Expo Park is where a lot of expatriate action takes place on the weekends outside of the festival, and also makes for a nice stroll.

Whilst Dunsan downtown tends to cater to the retail-loving crowd, the downtown area in central Daejeon (Jungangno subway station) and particularly the area a few blocks south tends to be rather artsy, including many small, often privately run art galleries. Some of these are attached to independent coffee shops. Occasionally on Sundays there are street stalls run by local arts students.

Festivals
Daejeon has a history of attempting to jumpstart annual festivals (a Winter lights festival in Jungangno for example) only to have them fall on their face after one year. Signs still promote some of these on the outskirts of town.

Hike

Any, or all, of 5 mountains designated by Daejeon tourism amongst the city's eight most popular sites:

 * Mt. Sikjangsan (southeast)
 * Mt. Bomunsan (south)
 * Mt. Gubongsan (southwest)
 * Mt. Jangtaensan (south)
 * Mt. Gyejoksan (northeast)

Most have either a typical Korean gazebo at the top or a historic fortress wall, or often both. Jangtaesan has a treetop walkway. Springs offering drinking water are marked on the local maps. To find the start of the myriad hiking trails, a good rule of thumb is to look for burial mounds on the hills, as they are often lurking just behind them. Once on the trail, trail marking and intersection signposting is really good, but the actual start point locations are almost never announced.

Sports
Watch baseball, the national sport, at Hanbat Baseball Stadium (Hanwha Eagles) or football at Daejeon World Cup Stadium (Daejeon Citizen FC).

Watch volleyball at Daejeon chungmu Stadium (Samsung Bluefangs Club)

Buy
The city's traditional market is located next to the train station. The market by Daejeon Station is the general market, really nothing to write home about as far as appearances, the speciality stores are excellent, and you can get plants (from seeds to pots) which are not always easy to come by. Some household goods, and cheap clothes. The street to the southeast, outside the market perimeter, specialises in tools. South East Asian import canned and packet food including Mi Goreng (Indonesian-Malaysian dried instant noodles) and phone cards can be found at the International Food shop. Exit Daejeon Station through exit #3 and go straight for less than a minute. It's a very small shop that's located right in front of the traffic lights.

A second, slightly smaller traditional market exists in Yuseong. Further traditional markets still can also be found near Seodaejeon Korail station, opposite Hanbat stadium, and a little further east of the Dongbu Intercity bus terminal.

For further discounts, Nouen wholesale market is located north of Yuseong. Take the subway line and get off at the World Cup Stadium stop (the subway plays a little soccer theme song so you can't miss it).

There's a Costco directly beside Seodaejeon station. Costco offers OK discounted prices, and most everything is in bulk, but you can get some hard to find goods imported from the USA. You will need a personal (Gold Star) membership for ₩35,000, or you can use your card from home. It can solve dry food purchasing for a month or more in a single trip; watch out for seasonal specials, the November truffles make for nice, and cheap, gifts. For those without CostTo membership, E-mart Traders offers similar services with no membership requirements (not to be confused with E-mart proper). The Seodaejeon area also has the stock standard Home Plus, as well as some clothing department stores. The area is becoming rapidly one of the most affluent in the city so expect to see fancier outlets opening here over time. Uniqlo (Japanese unbranded clothing chain) is also located nearby on the basement floor of the Say Two Department Store (good to know in winter as it sells cheap thermals). The Lotte Department Store in Yongmun-dong has a Uniqlo as well (2nd floor).

E-Mart and Home Plus is relatively ubiquitous, and a bit dear too. It does, however, offer a variety of basic house goods for settling into a new home, deodorant, as well as basic general produce (both fresh and dry), which are marginally cheaper than the prices in most corner stores, as well as offering it all in one stop. If you can't afford to set up your new home here, perhaps try tracking down a Daiso, a Japanese "1,000-won store" chain that stocks all sorts of kitchenware and just general use plastic items.

For cool summer shopping and warm winter shopping head underground. Underground shopping can be found connected to subway stops at Daejeon Station and Jungang-no, stops 104 & 105 respectively, on line 1.

If looking for general Korea souvenir-items, two shops, quite literally opposite one another are underground at subway Exit 2 of Daejeon station (stop 104 on Line 1). They specialise in a wide variety of trinkets including from mass-produced items from elsewhere in the country.

Also, department store shopping is popular for the more affluent of Daejeon at Timeworld Galleria, Lotte Department Store and CGV; each of which also have a movie theatre on their top floor. Timeworld plays host to an array of full price brand outlets such as Burberry and Louis Vuitton, which despite the lacking crowds, still insists on having its patrons queue up to enter. The basement sells a wide variety of imported foods.

Most electronic needs can be found at TechnoWorld, which is close to KBS tower in Manneyong-dong, Seo-gu. For further consumer electronics, try the street running between Government Complex Daejeon subway station to Timeworld Galleria in the vicinity of Dunsan E-Mart: this street has no fewer than 3 electronics department stores Hi-mart, Jeonja Land plus smaller speciality stores LGgoodshop. Apple has a retailer called Frisbee outside Jungangno subway station, Jung-gu.

For funky independent-made items, keep an eye out for university-run arts fairs. There's no real way to know when you'll find one, but they are seemingly quite common.

Eat
In addition to the copious amounts of Korean restaurants and Koreanized "Japanese" izakayas scattered all over town, some foreign restaurants, including some offering Italian cuisine, can be found around the two main downtown districts of Dunsan-dong (opposite Timeworld) and near Jungangno station. Some nicer restaurants also still exist up near the World Cup Stadium.

Oddball theme restaurants are scattered around town. For example, there are a couple of eateries in Dong-gu near the Intercity bus terminal subscribing to the "hobbit mushroom" school of architecture, a restaurant called literally Nameless (이름없음, Ireumeopseum) in front of Woosong university whose decor could be best described as "clusterbomb of ropes", and a full military themed chicken joint on the wrong side of the tracks in Shintanjin (follow the road/lane due south from the Loving Hut listed below).

Sit-down sushi roll restaurants (as opposed to sushi trains) are scattered about Jungangno and Dunsan and can be a good option as the generic copy-cat business model typically involves picture-menus and prices under ₩10,000 a meal. Options go beyond sushi to salads, pastas, gratins, and Japanese style omu-rice. Korean-style sushi, not to be confused with kimbap is extremely flamboyant in appearance.

Finally, if just looking for a quick snack, don't be afraid to try the street food. In central Daejeon around Jungangno there are at least 1-2 of the standard Korean odeng stands. Standard etiquette is to literally just grab a stick, eat it, and pay after you finish, the most common price is ₩500. Topokki (떡볶이tteokbokki) is a spicy ricecake and eggs in red spicy sauce. Stalls plus a handful of vendors with permanent shop-fronts can also be found here. The funny looking "buns" you may see the owner frying up are in fact essentially an inside-out pancake with syrup and nuts.

The following are a few of the more outstanding or unusual eateries:

Drink
There are two major "downtown" areas for drinking in Daejeon. One is in new-town in Dunsan-dong, opposite the Timeworld Galleria shopping complex, and a short walk from Government Complex Daejeon subway station. The second is in the city centre of old Daejeon, down by Jungangno subway station.

In addition, two further large drinking quarters exist in Yuseong and around Chungnam University as well as opposite Seodaejeon Korail station. Smaller areas of bars naturally exist beside each of Daejeon's universities, such as Hannam in the far east and Woosong in the far south.

Budget
Jjimjilbangs are not ubiquitous, but they are there. Check that they allow overnight sleeping first.

 * Another jjimjilbang is available in the Rodeo Town building, between City Hall and Tanbang subway stations, and walking distance (~1 km towards and beyond City Hall) from downtown Dunsan.
 * A Youth Hostel has dorm accommodation for ₩7,000-8,000 per night. It is located in southern Yuseong, approximately a 10-min walk south from Hanbat Nat'l University or you can take the 102, 103, 104 or 113 bus to its western termination and then walk east for its approximate location. You will then take the left fork and going away from the terminal, which is adjacent to the restaurant buildings, and you will see a left turn, about 250 m, which leads to a very big youth hostel. It appears to be intended mainly for conventions and conferences. There are just rooms where you get a blanket to sleep on the floor so don't expect beds. Showers are shared.
 * A Youth Hostel has dorm accommodation for ₩7,000-8,000 per night. It is located in southern Yuseong, approximately a 10-min walk south from Hanbat Nat'l University or you can take the 102, 103, 104 or 113 bus to its western termination and then walk east for its approximate location. You will then take the left fork and going away from the terminal, which is adjacent to the restaurant buildings, and you will see a left turn, about 250 m, which leads to a very big youth hostel. It appears to be intended mainly for conventions and conferences. There are just rooms where you get a blanket to sleep on the floor so don't expect beds. Showers are shared.

Mid-range
You can look for love motels which vary in quality, price and cleanliness. Many of these are centred in Dong-gu, near the Dongbu Intercity Bus Terminal or in old downtown in Jung-gu, south of the Jungangno nightlife district. Most western-style hotels with close proximity to the subway line are in the Yuseong Spa vicinity. This is also where you will find the splurge hotels so inquire ahead. Outside of Yuseong, chain hotels also exist around the Government Complex Daejeon.

Learn
A few of the universities in town accept considerable numbers of international students.

Work
Daejeon has numerous job openings for ESL/EFL teachers at public schools and private academies. Most teaching jobs require applicants to be a native English speaker and to have a 3-4 yr college degree. Salaries for teaching jobs generally start between ₩2.0 and 2.5 million per month and often include free housing and round-trip airfare on a 1-year contract. Since the Korean won has dropped precipitously in value relative to other major currencies, salaries are starting to rise.

Connect
PCbangs (internet cafes) are peppered over the entire city and dirt-cheap to use, plus complimentary internet-enabled PCs are a common sight in independent coffee shops.

An immense range of international calling cards are available from the International Food shop outside Daejeon Korail station, as well as from smaller shops located beside universities catering to international students, such as the one outside Woosong West campus' main East Gate.

Stay safe
Daejeon is a very safe city by global standards. Note that Daejeon does not play host to a US military base, and as such, anti-American sentiment (and by extension, anti-Westerner sentiment) is low. If anything in town could be deemed dangerous, elderly drunks occasionally congregate around the front of Daejeon Korail station at night, including weeknights. Ironically, they are more inclined to hurl abuse at or chase down groups of obvious foreigners than individuals.

Daejeon's tap water is "drinkable" however residents tend to boil their water or purchase affordable bottled water, or fill their own bottles at local parks or at the mountain springs that surround town.

Cope
For a police emergency, dial 112. For a fire or ambulance emergency, dial 119.

For various help, consider visiting the DICC.

Cleaning services will exist at high-end hotels, otherwise, find a local dry-cleaner by looking for the sign setak (세탁).

Go next
According to the city government, you can get to anywhere in South Korea from Daejeon within half a day.

Seoul and Busan are less than an hour and two hours away, respectively, on the KTX. Gyeongju is also now rather accessible courtesy of the new Shin-Gyeongju KTX stop between Daegu and Busan. Seo-Daejeon Korail station will similarly link you up to Gwangju.

There are several pick-up spots around town for the airport bus, which charges a princely sum of about ₩14,000 for the ride (₩3,500 for the regular inter-city bus). Also, see this articles Get in section for information on travel to Jeju. Another option to get to Jeju would be to take KTX to Busan and catch a ferry but this would be both less economical and efficient.

Closer places of interest include:

 * Mt. Daedun, one of Korea's more famed mountains (you may have seen photos of its suspension bridge) is close by at a 45-minute bus trip away. Buses depart from the Dong-gu Intercity bus terminal at 10:30. Miss it and you're out of luck.
 * Gongju, adjacent city and former capital of Baekje, known for its Beakje tombs. Also the gateway to hiking a nearby national park.
 * Cheongju, Daejeon's airport, and historic town in its own right. Birthplace of jikji, the world's oldest moving metal type print book.

During festival season, Daejeon is the natural transfer point for travellers from the south end of the country heading to Boryeong for its expat-oriented mud festival.

title: Daejeon


text:
Dagestan

Dagestan (Russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н; Avar: Магӏарухъ Жумхӏурият) is the most culturally diverse republic in the Caucasus, and at the Caspian Gates between Persia and Europe has been of historic significance since antiquity. Plagued by a decade of conflict since the turn of the century, Dagestan has been a safe and attractive travel destination off the beaten path for several years. Sandy beaches along the Caspian coast and the rural wilderness of the majestic Caucasian mountains await in this region not yet overrun by mass tourism.

It is a republic of the Russian Federation in the North Caucasus bordering Chechnya and Georgia to the west, Stavropol Krai and Kalmykia to the north, the Caspian Sea to the east, and Azerbaijan to the south.

Cities

 * — capital and largest city, a fast-growing multi-ethnic metropolis on the shores of the Caspian Sea
 * — in central Dagestan in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus Mountains
 * — walled city and on the Caspian in southern Dagestan; one of the most impressive historical sites in Russia
 * — a popular beach resort
 * — a relatively large city (for the region) near the border with Chechnya
 * — known for its naval base that is home to hovercraft and ekranoplans, and Caspian Sea Monster
 * — famous for its grape vodka, cognac, and traditional blacksmithing guild
 * — a city located is northwest Dagestan

Towns and villages

 * — a majestically set mountain aul with more tourist facilities than any other
 * — a small mountain village in the eastern (and therefore easiest to get to) section of Dagestan's mountainous region, with more history on view than in most villages.
 * — mountain town with a historic fortress and lake
 * — a mountain town famous for the Persian pottery named after it
 * — a small picturesque aul with a historic minaret in the mountains of southwestern Dagestan, near the Georgian and Chechen borders; probably not a safe area for travel

Other destinations

 * — a marshy bay of the Caspian Sea, a bird watcher's paradise, part of the Dagestansky Nature Reserve
 * – spectacular canyon, among the deepest in the world, and suitable for rafting. It is often referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Caucasus. The with a height of 232.5 m is the tallest arch dam in the Russian Federation, holding back a 42 km² lake upstream from the canyon.
 * — deep gorge with steep cliffs and half a dozen waterfalls along the way, the gorge itself is about 5 km long but continues with a trekking path all the way to Gunib.

Understand
Dagestan shares with its Caucasian neighbours the towering mountains of the Greater Caucasus, rushing Caucasian rivers, and spectacularly situated stone auls, mountaintop villages. But in an already diverse region, Dagestan is a wonderland of ethnic and cultural diversity. About 35 separate ethnolinguistic groups live in this Scotland-sized republic and the region contains an amazing 12 language families. For all this cultural diversity, Dagestanis are fairly united in their Islamic religion — virtually all non-Russian ethnic groups are Muslim. This is probably true since almost 32,000 people have left in a mass exit from Dagestan since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Many of those people were the Mountain Jews, Juhuro, who spoke Persian or one of its dialects.

Get in

Makhachkala will almost certainly be your first destination, whether by plane from Moscow, or by train via Rostov-on-Don through Mineralnye Vody.

Get around
Marshrutkas are the standard way of getting around the region, and will take you most anywhere you intend to go. The twice-daily train between Makhachkala and Derbent is also a good option.

Driving or hiking the mountainous regions would be a fantastic way to travel between villages and to enjoy Dagestan's striking natural beauty.

Talk
Within the seven language families of the Dagestanian language grouping (unrelated except by geography) alone there are about 30 languages, many of them considered among the most difficult in the world to master. Fortunately, everyone, regardless of nationality, understands the lingua franca, Russian. The indigenous Avar language, spoken by the Avar, is the second lingua franca of the region. Azeri is also widely used in the southeast Caspian region around Derbent; those who speak Turkish may be able to make themselves understood in this area. However, English is spoken by almost nobody, even in Makhachkala. Getting around is nearly impossible without at least understanding some basic Russian.

Because English is rarely heard anywhere in Dagestan, the language immediately attracts attention on the street. In cities such as Makhachkala and Derbent this will be met with curiosity from locals who only rarely encounter tourists, however in the mountain wilderness near the border with Chechnya this attention could be unwanted. See the Stay safe section for more details.

The five indigenous literary languages (and therefore the most rewarding to study) are the aforementioned Avar, as well as Lak, Dargwa, Lezgian, and Tabasaran. Avar is the most widespread, and there is an Avar Theater in Makhachkala devoted to performances of works in the language. Avar has around 800,000 speakers in Russia and Azerbaijan and has been written since the 14th century.

See
Derbent has Dagestan's main attraction in its ancient walled city, a, and the single most important historical attraction in all of the Caucasus.

The mountains of southern and southwestern Dagestan, the high peaks of the Greater Caucasus, should be a principal attraction. Mountains topped with auls, small villages filled with stone houses and home to famed chivalric mountain tribes are as fascinating culturally as they are beautiful.

If you'd like to catch a glimpse of Dagestani culture and beauty, check online for a copy of the late Sergei Bodrov's haunting film, Prisoner of the Mountains (Кавказский пленник), which was shot in a Dagestani mountain aul, hiring the villagers as extras.

Nature

 * — mountain lake with turquoise waters, a serene and peaceful atmosphere, not yet overrun by tourists
 * , one of the largest sand dunes in Eurasia, part of the Sarykumskye Barchany dune area and the Dagestansky Nature Reserve
 * — majestic waterfall surrounded by pristine nature. Near Khunzakh.

Do
Most activities of any interest indoors, mainly cultural performances and sporting events, are to be found in Makhachkala.

Buy

 * Famed Dagestani rugs
 * Beluga caviar
 * Traditional swords and daggers of the various ethnic groups
 * Traditional hats and costumes

Eat
Dagestan is renowned for its delicious local dishes: hinkal (a tasty pasta/dough-like entity served with garlic sauce and some kind of meat, usually young, boiled lamb), chudu (a quesadilla-like thin dough with special meats, cheeses or vegetables inside), and shashlik (roast shishkabab, usually lamb meat).

There are countless cafes serving Dagestani and Russian foods. A few, newer Chinese and Japanese restaurants have opened, but the food lacks authenticity and flavour. Western foods are likewise a scarcity, and there are no Western food chains anywhere in Dagestan. And don't be fooled by the many advertisements for 'pizza' — even by typical Russian standards, the pizzas lack the most basic ingredients of pizza: sauce, cheeses, etc. The closest you'll come to finding a real steak will be at the new El Gusto Cafe close the centre of Makhachkala, a delightful restaurant where you can find a few other Western dishes satisfactorily prepared.

Drink

You will have no problem getting a drink, be it in a house in a mountain aul or a cafe/bar in Derbent.

Sleep
The best developed lodging facilities (still pretty basic) are in Makhachkala and Derbent, but you should be able to find guesthouse with little difficulty in any town or village. The Dagestani peoples still retain their legendary chivalric hospitality, and will go out of their ways to find you a place to stay.

Learn

 * Dagestan State Technical University — located in Makhachkala
 * Dagestan State Medical Academy, Makhachkala (formerly known as Dagestan State Medical Institute). Caters local and international students, mainly from southeast countries.
 * Dagestan State Technical University — located in Makhachkala
 * Dagestan State Medical Academy, Makhachkala (formerly known as Dagestan State Medical Institute). Caters local and international students, mainly from southeast countries.
 * Dagestan State Technical University — located in Makhachkala
 * Dagestan State Medical Academy, Makhachkala (formerly known as Dagestan State Medical Institute). Caters local and international students, mainly from southeast countries.
 * Dagestan State Technical University — located in Makhachkala
 * Dagestan State Medical Academy, Makhachkala (formerly known as Dagestan State Medical Institute). Caters local and international students, mainly from southeast countries.
 * Dagestan State Medical Academy, Makhachkala (formerly known as Dagestan State Medical Institute). Caters local and international students, mainly from southeast countries.

Work
Dagestan has one of the highest unemployment rates among the regions of the Russian Federation, although the situation here is better than in neighboring Chechnya or Ingushetia. Salaries are also low, and the population most often receives no more than $ 200-250 per month. Dagestanis themselves often move in search of a better life and to earn money in major cities of Russia.

Stay safe
As perhaps the most multi-ethnic and multi-cultural republic in the Russian Federation, Dagestan has had its share of violence in the late 1990s. It became internationally infamous as a hotspot of Islamic terrorism, extremism, corruption, crime, and instability. The security situation was a result of Islamic extremists in neighbouring Chechnya, which sporadically spilled over into Dagestan, Ingushetia, and other republics in the Caucasus in their attempts to establish an Islamic state in the region and implement Sharia law. Unlike in Chechnya, Islamic extremists struggled to establish a foothold in Dagestan, however. When some 3,000 Islamic fighters launched an invasion of Dagestan at the end of the 1990s, instead of being received as 'liberators', they met fierce resistance of the Dagestanis who did not welcome the invading extremists. With the help of Federal forces, the invaders were beaten back to Chechnya within a few weeks, and responded by launching guerilla attacks over the next decade. The conflict grew in complexity, with Chechen insurgents fighting a war of attrition with Dagestani law enforcement and Federal security forces. As time passed, the Salafist extremists became increasingly isolated as they also attacked the moderate Sufi Muslims in Dagestani communities for their difference in interpretation of the religion. Attacks against police stations and Russian officials were regular events throughout Dagestan until 2013.

This changed with the rise of ISIS in the Middle East, and after being unable to establish an Islamic Caliphate in the Caucasus after trying 15 years, many extremist cells relocated to Iraq or Syria to continue the fight. The Dagestani and Federal governments filled the vacuum by ramping up law enforcement efforts and rounding up remaining extremists cells. The strategy has been successful, and terrorist attacks have become a rare event in Dagestan since 2015. If/when they do take place, they are mostly aimed at government officials or police stations in the capital, and never target tourists or ordinary civilians. After the demise of ISIS, the Federal government has systematically repatriated surviving fighters and convicted them of terrorism activities which carry long prison sentences in the Russian Federation. The strategy was successful to keep radical extremists off the streets, and in combination with a change of leadership in Chechnya, has allowed peace to return to Dagestan since 2016-2017.

With that in mind, most of Dagestan is now a safe travel destination for foreign tourists. All of the major cities, including the entire Caspian Sea coastline (Makhachkala, Izberbash, Derbent, Kaspiysk) are very safe for travel. The situation is more nuanced in the mountainous regions where the terrain makes effective law enforcement difficult. The inaccessible mountains are an ideal hiding place for terrorist cells. Nonetheless there have been no reported terrorist attacks for many years. The Dagestani people are already culturally diverse, and are curious about tourists with foreign cultures visiting their country. They also understand the economic opportunities offered by tourism.

Crime levels are very low in the rural villages and towns, but slightly higher in the major cities. Theft and pickpocketing are common in the tourist areas and at beaches, although violent robberies are rare. When travelling inland, expect security checkpoints and random searches, so carry a copy of identity documents at all times. Security forces are generally helpful, but corruption is sky high in Dagestan, so bribes are occasionally expected to 'grease the gears' and speed up your passage. Officers will likely only speak Russian, so a short written summary of your travel itinerary in Russian will be helpful if you don't speak Russian. A local guide may make life considerably easier. It helps to have the phone number of your hotel or host family at hand.

Since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2022, unrest has again increased in Dagestan, as Russian security forces are distracted by the ongoing conflict. There is considerable opposition against the large-scale conscriptions that has have led to a disproportional fraction of young Dagestani men drafted into the army. Although protests thus far have not yet turned violent, it is wise to stay away from such events, and avoid bringing up the subject of conscription during conversations.

Respect
As with the rest of the North Caucasus, Dagestan is a conservative and highly religious place. By applying a bit of common courtesy, you should have no problems getting around.

The civil war is still fresh in memory, and 25 years of political turmoil in the region has left the population divided. The security situation is a sensitive subject and should be avoided. The Dagestani peoples have a strong identity and resisted the 1999 Chechen invasion of their country, and do not want to be associated with any kind of extremism or terrorism. Likewise the extremists that left Dagestan to join ISIS in the Middle East is an extremely sensitive subject, and many Dagestani have been indirectly involved.

The role of the Russian federal security forces is another sensitive subject which has divided opinions. In larger cities, people are generally more supportive of the Russian military because terrorist attacks used to target government and security facilities in large cities. In the mountains, on the other hand, the Russian military has a poor reputation because of their strategies to end the civil war, which included blockades of entire towns and mass arrests. Depending on whom you ask, the Russians can be considered a peacekeeping or foreign occupation force. Soviet era naval base in the Caspian Sea, 3 km off the Kaspiysk coast, miserably rusting away since the dissolution of the Soviet Union

Finally, the Soviet era is a sensitive subject among the older Dagestani. To the traveller, it may appear as if much of the Soviet legacy consists of ugly concrete housing blocks, but those who lived in Dagestan when it was part of the Soviet Union remember it for its investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and perhaps most important of all: safety and security. The effect of the Soviet Union divides young and older generations in Dagestan. Soviet monuments (such as Lenin statues) and rusting infrastructure are a daily reminder of the Soviet days that many older Dagestani remember melancholically.

Mobile
In Dagestan there are four GSM operators (MTS, Beeline, Megafon, Dagestanskaya Sotovaya Svyaz') and two 3G-UMTS operators (Megafon, Beeline), and they often have offers that give you a SIM card for free or at least very cheap. If you are planning to stay a while and to keep in touch with Dagestani and other North-Caucasian peoples, then you should consider buying a local SIM card instead of going on roaming. If you buy a SIM card from a shop you'll need your passport for identification. It only takes five minutes to do the paperwork and it will cost less than US$10.

Embassies and consulates
There are no embassies or consular services in Dagestan. Most embassies and consulates are 1900 km away in Moscow.

Go next
Just across the border with Georgia is the breathtakingly gorgeous region of Tusheti, but the border is for all intents and purposes closed, so the route to Georgia becomes extremely long and indirect via plane.

The border with Azerbaijan is open, but it is reputedly a very bad experience. However, Northeastern Azerbaijan is a wonderful place for treks in forest covered mountains.

The most obvious next destination would be Chechnya, with its shared culture, proximity, and similarly beautiful mountainous landscapes.

title: Dagestan


text:
Dahab

Dahab (دهب) is a town in Egypt, 85 km (53 miles) north of Sharm el-Sheikh on the Gulf of Aqaba, near the southern tip of Sinai. It is a place that many have fallen in love with over the years, and return to time and time again.

Understand

Dahab was once an isolated coastal village inhabited only by the local Bedouin. In 1980, there were fewer than 30 Bedouin families in Dahab. Like the Bedouin inland, they had a self-sustaining lifestyle but in Dahab this was based on fishing as well as traditional goat herds. During the summer, many inland Bedouin came to Dahab for fishing and to collect dates, and to enjoy life by the sea. To this day, favourite presents from Dahab (for the inland Bedouin) are dried fish and dates.

Dahab's isolated location, idyllic setting and laid-back Bedouin hospitality made it a favourite destination for all who stumbled upon it. In the beginning (1970s), this was mainly Israeli soldiers or people from the kibbutz during their leave. During the 1980s it turned into a hippie hangout, and in the 1990s adventure enthusiasts from around the world began to discover Dahab's natural wonders. The combination of Red Sea and Sinai desert make Dahab perfect for world class windsurfing, scuba diving, freediving, rock climbing and of course desert trekking with the Bedouin. Add to this cheap accommodation on or near the beach, inexpensive food and drink and a relaxed atmosphere, and you have a heady enticement for the young and young at heart.

Today's Dahab has evolved into an "alternative resort" - the home of independent and adventurous travellers, but also with some more upmarket resorts and hotels. Most of the latter are in the Laguna area or outlying. For some people, this mix is part of Dahab's charm ("everyone welcome"), others regard the mix up as a problem: Prices in Assalah are artificially increased which makes it less and less interesting for backpackers, though some locally-run camps still keep affordable. In contrast to that, many package tourists and families won't feel comfortable with the lacking conveniences and the all-handmade-look among the hippies. Note the grotesque, forever unfinished concrete structures as a sign of this mismanagement.

Still, for everyone with an open mind, Dahab is definitely worth a visit and a place to fall in love with. Particularly in the old part of Dahab (Masbat and Mashraba), you will rarely find a visitor who comes only once to Dahab. To many people this has become a second home.

Climate

 * See also: Egypt

The climate is sunny and very dry with almost no rainfall. Summers are very hot at days and warm at nights, but winters are warm with mild nights.

By bus

 * Buses no longer run to and from St Catherine.

 * From Cairo – Six daily Go Buses, taking 9 hr from Cairo's Turgoman station (central), Abbasseya station (30 min from centre) and Heliopolis (near airport). Buses may not serve all stations. Best to buy tickets in advance, especially for the night buses.

 * From Sharm el Sheikh town – The bus operator is East Delta. Their published timetable is only a statement of good intentions: services have been pruned back, and this is likely to get worse during 2020. But insha'allah, they may run from Sharm to Dahab at 6AM, 7AM, 8AM, 9AM, 2:30PM, 5PM, 8:30PM; and from Dahab to Sharm at 8AM, 9AM, 10AM, 11:30AM, 12:30PM, 3PM, 4PM, 5:30PM, 7:30PM, 8:30PM, 9:30PM and 10PM. The bus takes just under 2 hr.

 * From Sharm el Sheikh airport – Your first problem is to get to Sharm bus station 17 km away, see Sharm el Sheikh "Get in" for taxi tips. The bus service is erratic, so if you are arriving in the evening your best plan is to pre-arrange a taxi all the way to Dahab, see below. If you do get the bus, notice it stops at wayside halts to pick up waifs and strays, and at a checkpoint and filling station only 5 km from the airport: but will it pick up or drop off anywhere nearer the airport? No chance, they have probably had the frighteners put on them by the taxi cartel.

 * From the north – This is even more erratic, with maybe one bus or none at all from Taba through Taba Heights and Nuweiba, continuing from Dahab to Sharm. East Delta may not be able to say until shortly before departure whether one is running today.

By taxi
Always arrange this in advance through your accommodation! They should be able to negotiate something near the local price, about half what you would achieve by haggling yourself.

From Sharm el-Sheikh town or airport a fair price to Dahab would be LE600 (€40) for the whole cab. The airport cartel charges LE1,000, and while for trips within Sharm you can stomp out of the airport and try for a street taxi, that is less likely to work for an out-of-town trip.

From Taba a taxi all the way to Dahab might be LE1,500.

By boat
See Nuweiba for details of the ferries from Aqaba in Jordan. These also ply to Taba Heights further up the coast; this route is faster but you need to arrive in Egypt via Nuweiba if you are travelling beyond Sinai and therefore need an Egyptian visa.

Reaching the ferry port from Dahab is by bus or taxi. Usually a bus leaves Sharm at 8:30AM calling at Dahab at 10:30AM on the way north to Taba. So if you phone around 9AM, there should be word on whether it is running today, whereupon you either head for the bus station or negotiate a taxi.

Orientation
Dahab has 3 distinct parts:

 * 1) At the centre is Masbat Bay – Almost evenly divided by a floodway (the funny bridge over dry sand - except during a rare but impressive flash flood). The tourist area of Masbat effectively stretches north to Eel Garden (or Meleil as the Bedouin call it), and South through Mashraba. A corniche runs along this entire stretch of beach. This can be considered central Dahab, and you will find everything you need here.
 * 2) A short taxi ride south is the Laguna (El Goze) – This is where the Corniche ends in the south. Here you find Dahab's first resort hotels (Hilton, etc.) You also find all municipal services: bus station, hospital, city council, etc.
 * 3) Assalah – The residential area, mainly Bedouin but also with some foreign expats and Egyptians now also living amongst the Bedouin.
 * Plus outlying hotels – Stretching north towards the Blue Hole, and South to Wadi Gnai, there are around 15 outlying resort hotels - mainly booked as package holidays.
 * Plus Protected Areas – Dahab is bordered by 2 protected areas: in the south, Nabq Protected Area starts at Wadi Gnai, as in the North Ras Abu Galum Protected Area starts at the Blue Hole. 52% of the Gulf of Aqaba coastline is protected area, which is very important for managing growth and for preserving the reef and eco system. No building is allowed in protected areas, except traditional Bedouin structures.

By taxi
A taxi within the centre should not exceed LE30, and LE40-60 for further out including the bus station, as of Aug 2021. Expect them to try to charge you twice that.

On foot
Getting around Dahab on foot is quite simple, the promenade runs right along the seafront and all the usual amenities are located along it.

By bicycle
Bicycles are a convenient way to get around Dahab and to get to surrounding sites such as Blue Hole and Three Pools. There is little traffic, and bikes are common so cars take them somewhat into account (as compared to anywhere else in Egypt). There are dedicated bicycle rental stores, but accommodation such as hotels may also have some available. One is located next to Peace Bridge, which quotes LE100 for one day.

For some parts (such as the last part to the Blue Hole), an off-road bike is preferred. On the other hand, most rental places already seem to be mostly offering mountain bikes.

See

 * Very tall palm trees – Straight and stiff-leaved: how many can you spot? Yes, they are mobile telephone masts.
 * Very tall palm trees – Straight and stiff-leaved: how many can you spot? Yes, they are mobile telephone masts.

 * St. Catherine monastery and Mount Sinai are accessible as of 2023 but the previous public busses seem to no longer run and thus your options are to book a taxi or an organized tour ($25 everywhere in Dahab).

Offshore
Dahab's main offshore attractions are described here, north to south (the usual direction of current), as there are various ways to enjoy them. Dive shacks and other shore facilities are listed under "Do". The coral is very close to shore so you just walk in, but only at selected access points to limit the damage to coral and to you. Boats are only used for outlying sites with no access track. The tidal range in Dahab is at most a metre so all depths cited have that degree of flex.

 * Rick's Reef is often combined with the Canyon by a gentle drift.
 * Rick's Reef is often combined with the Canyon by a gentle drift.
 * Rick's Reef is often combined with the Canyon by a gentle drift.
 * Rick's Reef is often combined with the Canyon by a gentle drift.
 * Rick's Reef is often combined with the Canyon by a gentle drift.

 * Abu Telha and Abu Helal are at the north edge of Dahab, with a smaller canyon. The road is paved this far.
 * The spit off the spit south end of the promenade is exposed to wind and currents, so people windsurf here but divers and snorkellers seldom come.
 * Gabr el Bint further south has no road access so you get here by boat.
 * The spit off the spit south end of the promenade is exposed to wind and currents, so people windsurf here but divers and snorkellers seldom come.
 * Gabr el Bint further south has no road access so you get here by boat.
 * The spit off the spit south end of the promenade is exposed to wind and currents, so people windsurf here but divers and snorkellers seldom come.
 * Gabr el Bint further south has no road access so you get here by boat.
 * Gabr el Bint further south has no road access so you get here by boat.

Do

 * Kayaking – Sea kayaks are available for hire. From LE50/hr, or try a guided night kayak—great for hot summer nights.
 * Yoga, Reiki, and Chi Gong – As of 2020 no-one is advertising classes, probably the thing to do is link up informally with others.
 * Learn Arabic – and see Egypt. But make a start before coming here so that you can confidently exchange greetings and salutations. It's Egyptian Arabic you will use, do not bother with MSA which only newsreaders and government officials declaim.
 * Do nothing – Just chill, that is the most traditional activity in Dahab. Watch the rippling sea and the changing pattern of light over the mountains.
 * Learn Arabic – and see Egypt. But make a start before coming here so that you can confidently exchange greetings and salutations. It's Egyptian Arabic you will use, do not bother with MSA which only newsreaders and government officials declaim.
 * Do nothing – Just chill, that is the most traditional activity in Dahab. Watch the rippling sea and the changing pattern of light over the mountains.

Diving and freediving
There are dozens of diving and freediving centres in Dahab, but some are not properly licensed by the Ministry of Tourism (subject to annual inspections and fees). Before you book, check the CDWS web site to make sure you avoid blacklisted centres:

 * Deep Blue Divers , +20 121134668,  is a fully-equipped, 5-Star Gold Palm Padi resort close to the reef. Small dive groups with highly qualified instructors and divemasters to enjoy a full range of Padi courses and guided dives at affordable prices.
 * Poseidon Divers. Get into technical diving or simply do fun dive or courses in a safe and professional way. It is the only PADI Career Development Centre in town, and is a PSA and TDI Instructor facility (the only one in Egypt). You will get no shortage of divers if you do your PADI DiveMaster or Instructor course here which is a definite plus for the quality of your course.
 * Deep Blue Divers , +20 121134668,  is a fully-equipped, 5-Star Gold Palm Padi resort close to the reef. Small dive groups with highly qualified instructors and divemasters to enjoy a full range of Padi courses and guided dives at affordable prices.
 * Poseidon Divers. Get into technical diving or simply do fun dive or courses in a safe and professional way. It is the only PADI Career Development Centre in town, and is a PSA and TDI Instructor facility (the only one in Egypt). You will get no shortage of divers if you do your PADI DiveMaster or Instructor course here which is a definite plus for the quality of your course.
 * Deep Blue Divers , +20 121134668,  is a fully-equipped, 5-Star Gold Palm Padi resort close to the reef. Small dive groups with highly qualified instructors and divemasters to enjoy a full range of Padi courses and guided dives at affordable prices.
 * Poseidon Divers. Get into technical diving or simply do fun dive or courses in a safe and professional way. It is the only PADI Career Development Centre in town, and is a PSA and TDI Instructor facility (the only one in Egypt). You will get no shortage of divers if you do your PADI DiveMaster or Instructor course here which is a definite plus for the quality of your course.
 * Poseidon Divers. Get into technical diving or simply do fun dive or courses in a safe and professional way. It is the only PADI Career Development Centre in town, and is a PSA and TDI Instructor facility (the only one in Egypt). You will get no shortage of divers if you do your PADI DiveMaster or Instructor course here which is a definite plus for the quality of your course.
 * Poseidon Divers. Get into technical diving or simply do fun dive or courses in a safe and professional way. It is the only PADI Career Development Centre in town, and is a PSA and TDI Instructor facility (the only one in Egypt). You will get no shortage of divers if you do your PADI DiveMaster or Instructor course here which is a definite plus for the quality of your course.
 * Poseidon Divers. Get into technical diving or simply do fun dive or courses in a safe and professional way. It is the only PADI Career Development Centre in town, and is a PSA and TDI Instructor facility (the only one in Egypt). You will get no shortage of divers if you do your PADI DiveMaster or Instructor course here which is a definite plus for the quality of your course.
 * Poseidon Divers. Get into technical diving or simply do fun dive or courses in a safe and professional way. It is the only PADI Career Development Centre in town, and is a PSA and TDI Instructor facility (the only one in Egypt). You will get no shortage of divers if you do your PADI DiveMaster or Instructor course here which is a definite plus for the quality of your course.
 * Poseidon Divers. Get into technical diving or simply do fun dive or courses in a safe and professional way. It is the only PADI Career Development Centre in town, and is a PSA and TDI Instructor facility (the only one in Egypt). You will get no shortage of divers if you do your PADI DiveMaster or Instructor course here which is a definite plus for the quality of your course.
 * Poseidon Divers. Get into technical diving or simply do fun dive or courses in a safe and professional way. It is the only PADI Career Development Centre in town, and is a PSA and TDI Instructor facility (the only one in Egypt). You will get no shortage of divers if you do your PADI DiveMaster or Instructor course here which is a definite plus for the quality of your course.
 * Poseidon Divers. Get into technical diving or simply do fun dive or courses in a safe and professional way. It is the only PADI Career Development Centre in town, and is a PSA and TDI Instructor facility (the only one in Egypt). You will get no shortage of divers if you do your PADI DiveMaster or Instructor course here which is a definite plus for the quality of your course.
 * Poseidon Divers. Get into technical diving or simply do fun dive or courses in a safe and professional way. It is the only PADI Career Development Centre in town, and is a PSA and TDI Instructor facility (the only one in Egypt). You will get no shortage of divers if you do your PADI DiveMaster or Instructor course here which is a definite plus for the quality of your course.

Desert excursions and trekking
Lots of agencies along the beach front are touting excursions. But the hotel and dive resorts also organise these, and have a stronger incentive to make sure their customers are happy. Trekking might involve hiking, horse-riding, camels, or various off-road vehicles.

 * Day trips might be to Wadi Qnai and Ein Khudra. These places can feel touristy and crowded but in the 2020 travel slump that is unlikely to be a problem.
 * Overnight is when you really get the desert experience. The canyons fall silent, stars blaze in a clear sky, the coffee-pot stews by the camp fire, and you sure wish you would brought an extra pullover and toilet roll.
 * Longer trips are grandly called a "safari", which of course is the Arabic word for a journey. The traditional destination was inland towards Mount Sinai, but this remains compromised by the terrorist threat. Tours also venture as far as Petra in Jordan, Jerusalem in Israel, and Cairo and Luxor in Egypt: they are all top-rank destinations well worth seeing, but deserve a trip in their own right. These safaris may involve a flight from Sharm but more often a very long bus ride, where the rest hours of the driver (and of the oncoming drivers) may be a concern. You may also need an Egyptian visa, which you do not for the Dahab area: the safari agencies can arrange this quickly.

Rock climbing
The Sinai Desert has excellent rock climbing in the granite mountains and wadis. October–April only (i.e. not the hot summer months). The main area near to Dahab is Wadi Qnai:

 * Vast amounts of perfect bouldering on granite boulders in shaded, sand-floored valleys
 * Single and multi-pitch equipped sport routes for all levels of climbers in Waterfalls, Camel Canyon and Wadi Connection
 * Top roping area especially for beginners and children in Middle Qnai
 * Plus new routing possibilities for sport climbs in many easily accessible areas.

Desert Divers have led the way in developing rock climbing in the Sinai. They can arrange for permits to Wadi Qnai, equipment hire, drivers, guides and anything else you might need. They have published the Sinai Rock Climbing Guide complete with topos and route descriptions. Their instructors are happy to share/offer advice to experienced climbers who can 'self-guide', or they can help you improve your climbing with beginner and Advanced technique courses.

St. Catherine also has incredible tradclimbing and bouldering. Base yourself in the village at Fox Camp or Sheikh Mousa Bedouin Camp with easy access (5 min to 2 hours) to more than 60 routes. All long multipitch (7+ pitch), but wide range of grades. If you are a group, it is great fun to head deep into the desert by camel where you will find unclimbed lines almost everywhere you look! Absolutely no bolting allowed in St Catherine, and please respect the holy mountains of Mt Sinai and St Katherine by walking the traditional pilgrimage paths rather than climbing.

Buy
Great buys are the usual Egyptian suspects: water pipes, rugs, oriental lamps, shirts in different lengths with embroidery, backgammon games, silver jewellery, etc. Prices are geared for tourists, so haggling is a must, pay max. 50-60% of the first price offered, anything else is a rip-off. If you are not sure about the price, go to the next shop, they all offer more or less the same things, and start bargaining again there.

Look out for Bedouin handicrafts, some beautiful pieces are available. Hand embroidered and made in Dahab, St Catherines and El Arish by Bedouin women. Sheikh Salem House has a good selection of items as does some of the other Bedouin establishments in Dahab.

It is almost impossible to get rolling tobacco in Dahab, be prepared if you are not keen on factory made ones.

Eat
The trick to eating cheaply in Dahab is to avoid seafront establishments and go a block or two inland, where prices are half for equivalent quality. Lots of budget places in the back lanes serve falafel, koshari, chicken and fish. For fish, the prices shown are usually per kilo not per fish. Try bargaining.
 * Ali Baba Hotel has a good restaurant, see "Sleep".
 * Blue Beach Restaurant within Blue Beach Hotel does local and western-style food.
 * Sea Bride on El Farid St does good sea food but increased their prices sharply at the start of 2020. They're open daily 11AM-11PM.
 * Marine Garden Camp on the Lighthouse strip has basic rooms from LE400 double but is better known as a restaurant.
 * Star of Dahab has good sea food, see "Sleep" listing.
 * Sea Bride on El Farid St does good sea food but increased their prices sharply at the start of 2020. They're open daily 11AM-11PM.
 * Marine Garden Camp on the Lighthouse strip has basic rooms from LE400 double but is better known as a restaurant.
 * Star of Dahab has good sea food, see "Sleep" listing.
 * Star of Dahab has good sea food, see "Sleep" listing.
 * Star of Dahab has good sea food, see "Sleep" listing.
 * Star of Dahab has good sea food, see "Sleep" listing.

Drink
There are several bars on the beach. You can also buy beer, wine and liquor in special shops called Drinkies. One is located at Azzahla market square, another in Mashraba in the small road after Sea Bride fish restaurant.

Some Egyptian alcohol brands mimics the names and labelling of better known liquors elsewhere. Restaurants will often advertise Stella beer, which is not Stella Artois, as well as Sakkara, Luxor and Heineken.

 * Elzar Bar, next to the ruins of the old harbour on the beachfront. The best place in town for anyone wanting to get pissed late at night. Chris the Aussie barman is always on hand until the sun comes up serving a variety of alcoholics including the drunken Welshman and unconfrontational Dave the Canadian nice man.
 * The Furry Cup, at the Blue Beach Hotel, where local Westerners hang out at the sound of U2, Coldplay, etc. The only place in Dahab where you can get Western hard liquor brands instead of the fakes.
 * The Furry Cup, at the Blue Beach Hotel, where local Westerners hang out at the sound of U2, Coldplay, etc. The only place in Dahab where you can get Western hard liquor brands instead of the fakes.

Sleep
Dahab has lots of budget to mid-range accommodation and lacks upmarket places. Prices are low by western standards and even lower once you go 100 m back from the beach strip.

Budget

Mid-range

 * Blue Beach Club is located between Eel Garden and Lighthouse. Clean ensuite, air conditioned rooms at reasonable prices and a fresh water swimming pool are available.
 * Blue Beach Club is located between Eel Garden and Lighthouse. Clean ensuite, air conditioned rooms at reasonable prices and a fresh water swimming pool are available.
 * Blue Beach Club is located between Eel Garden and Lighthouse. Clean ensuite, air conditioned rooms at reasonable prices and a fresh water swimming pool are available.
 * Blue Beach Club is located between Eel Garden and Lighthouse. Clean ensuite, air conditioned rooms at reasonable prices and a fresh water swimming pool are available.
 * Blue Beach Club is located between Eel Garden and Lighthouse. Clean ensuite, air conditioned rooms at reasonable prices and a fresh water swimming pool are available.
 * Blue Beach Club is located between Eel Garden and Lighthouse. Clean ensuite, air conditioned rooms at reasonable prices and a fresh water swimming pool are available.
 * Blue Beach Club is located between Eel Garden and Lighthouse. Clean ensuite, air conditioned rooms at reasonable prices and a fresh water swimming pool are available.

Stay safe
See the warning in the Sinai and Egypt articles for information about the security situation in Dahab.

Women travellers are safe in Dahab, but please be savvy:
 * - Dress: Bikini is fine on the beach and on the promenade around the bridge, topless is not okay. Cover up in town in western casual style - shorts are okay. Of course it is a double standard, so you will observe cetacean expanses of wobbly male flesh as divers wriggle in and out of their kit.
 * - Local men: flirting and even chit-chat are likely to be interpreted very differently here than in the west. Be friendly but don't invite more than you want.

Snorkeling along the reef can be hazardous if the wind gets up. Waves may dash you onto the sharp coral, the current may carry you past your exit point, and in a rising sea you may have difficulty spotting the next safe exit. Other water users have more escape options, eg divers can re-descend to pick out a route inshore.

Drugs, particularly marijuana, are widely available in Dahab but not legal. You would risk large fines and maybe a lengthy stay in one of Egypt's notoriously squalid prisons.

Child beggars: If you signed up for a group activity, like snorkeling along the coast or going for a tour into the desert, you will likely encounter child beggars. They usually are in a group of 5, boys and girls and will try to sell you bracelets. They are very instistive from the beginning and if you look at them, talk to them or buy from them, their style will get even more agressive and pushy and would be somewhat shocking.

Go next

 * Along the coast to the south, Sharm el Sheikh will feel very busy and tourist-trappy after Dahab. Going north, Nuweiba and Taba are little developed.
 * Crossing into Israel, Eilat is a brash building site. Just use it as a base or for its airport, or head swiftly on towards Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, or Jordan. Bear in mind that Israel does not stamp your passport but the Egyptian border post at Taba does, so it will be obvious from the exit stamp that you crossed into Israel.
 * Aqaba in Jordan is more conveniently reached by ferry from Nuweiba. It has great diving and is within an hour's drive of fabulous Petra.
 * Cairo and raffish Alexandria deserve several days to explore.
 * Luxor until 2019 involved travelling via Cairo, but will become more accessible if the Sharm-Hurghada ferry restarts in 2020.
 * Pilgrims to Medina and Mecca can reach them by ferry from Nuweiba (horribly congested for Hajj, quieter for Umrah at other times). Your Saudi Arabian visa needs sorting well in advance.

title: Dahab


text:
Dahlonega

Dahlonega is in Georgia's Historic High Country. It was the site of a major gold rush, claimed the first in the US by local citizens. Gold mining continues to be an important part of cultural identity of Dahlonega and several mines remain open as tourists attractions. It is also home to the University of North Georgia.

By car
From Atlanta, GA Approximately 1 1/4 hrs.

GA 400/US 19 North from Atlanta until end GA 400 ends. Left onto GA 60 after 5.5 miles GA 60 runs through the Dahlonega square.

From Athens, GA Approximately 1 3/4 hrs.

US 129/GA 15 Atl North from Athens, GA near Jefferson GA 15 Atl turn towards Commerce, GA and US 129 is joined by GA 11. In downtown Gainesville, GA US 129 turns off and heads north to Cleveland, GA. Continue to follow GA 11 called Ee Butler Parkway til it merges with GA 60 called Greene Street. GA 60 and GA 11 soon spilt Stay left onto GA 60 called Thompson Bridge Rd. 20 miles later GA 60 runs through the Dahlonega square.

From Chattanooga, TN Approximately 110 miles - 3 hrs.

I-75 South. Go South on I-75 to Dalton, GA. Take Hwy. 76 to Ellijay. From Ellijay continue south on Hwy. 52 to Dahlonega.

From Birmingham, AL Approximately 3 1/2 hrs.

I-20 E take I-20 East to Atlanta, then I-285 by-pass north toward Chattanooga. Take GA 400 North to the end. Left onto GA 60 after 5.5 miles GA 60 runs through the Dahlonega square.

Get around
Having a car would be best because there are many sites that are spread out, but central Dahlonega, along the downtown square, is navigable by foot.

Lumpkin County Transit operates with just two buses and offers door-to-door transportation on a first-come, first-served basis by appointment. "Nominal fees" are based on mileage. It's operated by Lumpkin County’s Emergency Services Department. For details call 706-864-6900.

Drink
Dahlonega has several wineries.

For coffee, food, and live music, head over to The Crimson Moon, just off the square.

title: Dahlonega