Russia is the largest nation in the world that borders Asia and Europe. Twelve seas, three oceans, thousands of rivers and a couple of million lakes including the biggest lake in the world, the Caspian Sea and the deepest fresh water lake, the Baikal also a UNESCO world Heritage Site. The Russian Federation consists of 83 Federal Subjects and its capital is Moscow. 80 percent of the population are ethnic Russians and majority of the people are Christians. Russia is also rich in its culture and history. Its climate is known to be extreme, either too hot or too cold.
Russia also has the world’s largest expanse of forest and forest reserves. It is home to some very rare and endemic animal and bird species. There are 1550 animal(266 Mammal) and 780 bird species found in Russia. These include the rarest cat, the Amur leopard, the Amur tiger, the great Siberian Tiger, snow leopard, Kamchatka Brown Bears, Arctic fox, Moose and Blakiston’s fish owl. These can be best viewed at the Lake Baikal or the Blue Eye of Siberia.
Kartoshka to eat and Vodka to drink…u are pretty much set for wildlife watching!
There are several direct flights to Moscow from India and other parts of the World. The best way and cheapest to go around in Russia is by air and there are several connections available on Aeroflot, Sibir, Transareo and no frills Skyexpress.
Kamchatka, a land of volcanoes and brown bears is a beautiful and a very rare site. 19 of these volcanoes constitute the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its fish laden rivers are a huge attraction for around 220 species of birds, several animals and Anglers. The Kamchatka Peninsula has 5 National Parks, 3 state reserves, 8 reserves and 105 natural sites amongst other protected areas. The best time to visit Kamchatka is between June and September with maximum temperatures upto 30 degress celcius. Regions of interest here are the Kronotsky Nature Resrve, which also consists of the Valley of Geysers, the Komandarsky Nature Reserve, Nalychevo, Southern Kamchutka, Bystrinsky, Kluchevskoy and Blue Lakes Nature Parks and Koryaksky Zapovednik known for its Brown Bear sightings.
A beautiful tree less and virgin Kamchutka region is the Commander islands. Commander Islands also known as Komandorskiye Ostrova are a group of four islands, namely Bering, Medny and the islets of Kaman and Toporkov and are located the Russian Far East. Our region of interest for wildlife is the Bering Islands. The islands were named after Commander Vitus Bering after his boat, St. Peter, wrecked there in 1741. One-third of the crew including Bering died on the island. Georg Wilhelm Steller, the ship's physician, botanist and mineralogist, survived the severe cold and winter and left scientific descriptions of the fur seal, sea otter, eagle, sea lion and sea cow, all of which bear his name. The islands were the last home of the Steller's sea cow, which was hunted to extinction by 1769, only 27 years after its discovery. The highlight of course of the islands is the Northern Fur Seals that appear in late April after hibernation.
ACCESS :By Air is the only way to reach Kamchatka. The airport Elyzovo is located 20 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the only city in the Kamchatka Peninsula. There are regular flights between Petropavovsk-Kamchatsky and: Moscow (Aeroflot, Transaero), Saint Petersburg (Rossiya),Novosibirsk (S7, Rossiya), Irkutsk (S7, Yakutia Airlines), Khabarovsk (Yakutia Airlines, S7, SAT Airlines), and Vladivostok (S7, Aeroflot). Yakutia Airlines provides seasonal summer service between Anchorage, Alaska, and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in July and August.
SIZE :2,70,000 sq.km.
WILDLIFE:Kamchatka is home to the largest populations of Brown Bears, Stellar’s Sea Eagles and Wild Salmon. Other land mammals include Otters, muskrat, Kamchatka Sable, lynx, moose, polar wolf, fox and weasel. Bird species include Golden Eagle, Falcon, Osprey Hawk owl, Puufins, Cormorants and Guillemots. Sea animals include the Seals, Otters, Sea Lions and the Rare Gray Whale.
ACTIVITIES:Bear Watching, Bird Watching, Angling, Big Game Hunting, Heli Skiing, Volcano climbing, Acid Lake Water Sports
Lake Baikal meaning “rich lake” in Turkish is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of our favourite destinations in Russia. This holy Lake is the biggest and deepest fresh water lake in the World! The lake is also known for its clear and fresh water and its seals. It is encompassed by the Taiga Forests and the Nordic Steppes. This lake is also one of the oldest lakes dating to around 25 million years. The Olkhon(largest island on the lake), Baikal Mountains, the Angara River(the outflow of the Lake Baikal) is a huge attraction for animal, birds and the wildlifer alike.
ACCESS :
Irkutsk is the nearest airport and domestic flights operate from Moscow, Khabarovsk,Vladivostok, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Magadan, Yakutsk, Yekaterinburg, Saint Petersburg and Sochi. From Irkutsk one can either take a bus or taxi to Listvyanka (on the lake) and then further take a boat to go to Bolshoie koty in the Baikal National Park
One can reach the lake by train as well. Trans Siberian Railway and Baikal Amur Mainline are two major operators. Trains can be taken from Irkutsk station to Port Baykal or Listvyanka.
31,722 sq. km.
WILDLIFE:This Rich Lake Baikal is home to some endemic and non endemic species like the Siberian deer, bear, seals(Baikal seal is the only seal that lives in fresh water), reindeer, elk, marmot, wolves and foxes. A rich population of birds include the white tailed and long tailed sea eagles, black crane, black stork and several swans and falcons.
ACTIVITIES:Wildlife spotting, Boat and Trekking Excursions, Cambing, Rafting, Biking, Hot Spring bathing
This region is a wildlifer’s and photographer’s delight with a whopping wild 7000 lakes, snowcapped mountains and impassable Tiaga forests. It is located in Southern Siberia bordered by Mongolia, Kazkhstan and China. The name "Altai" or "Altay" has in the Mongolian languaget means "golden".
This region can truly be measured in gold with its Rich Nature and Topography teeming with wildlife. High peaked mountains, glaciers, mineral and hot springs are other attractions besides wildlife viewing. The highest mountain of the Altai is the Bulekha at 4506m. Summer months are between May to September and is the best time to visit the region.
ACCESS :The closest international airport to Altai is located in Novosibirsk, which is approximately 300 kilometers away, and offers the best connections for flights to Altai.
The other and most convenient way to get to Altai is to take a plane from Moscow to Barnaul and then take a bus or personal mini-bus to Gorno-Altaisk.
Altai can also be reached by train from Moscow, but the journey is long and tedious but fairly cheap
8,45,000 sq. km.
WILDLIFE:The Altai wildlife include bear, lynx, glutton, Siberian stag, even reindeer and snow leopard , 230 species of birds and 20 species of fish which include umber, loach, white fish . Many unique plane and tree species are also found in the region.
ACTIVITIES:Wildlife viewing, Rafting, Hiking, Caving, Hunting, Paragliding, Horse Riding
Tailor-made holidays & tours for the discerning traveller