kamchatka peninsula

kamchatka peninsula印象

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  TravelTheWorld44

  My family has spend 9 days in Kamchatka on a private tour with Lost World company. It was always the place I really wanted to visit and decided my kids were old enough to do it as a family. We didn't know what to expect when we were planning this trip particularly from the logistics perspective and I have found the comments on this forum very helpful.So here is my reflection on our trip with a view to assist whoever wants to venture into this relatively unknown world of tourism (outside of Russia of course).to start off be ready for:1. to be challenged physically and emotionally - the infrastructure is very run down and it was also surprising to see in some places everyday rubbish which probably never gets cleaned up amongst the amazing UNESCO scenery - just have to ignore. tour does have a fare number of rough-and-tough parts with no toilets or very primitive ones - only takes a day to get used to it really. if you never slept in a tent prior to tour suggest you give it a go before going to Kamchatka - the best places you can't get to without slipping in a tent and you really don't want to miss out.2. totally unpredictable weather - it is easy to blame the tour company for rain and snow and other bad conditions. But a better approach is to be prepared and do your research - suggest for 9 days allocate at least 2 days for 'in case of bad weather' activities and be very clear with the company what you'd like to do in that case prior. Also suggest to add an extra 2 days to your trip if you've decided to go with pre-defined itinerary, or if you can do a private tour allocate at least 2 days to activities which you are OK to give a miss n case of bad weather. We were lucky I think - or so it seemed - that we managed to travel to all parts we've planned to travel to. The only unfulfilled desire was climbing a volcano - may be we have to come back one day ;)3. in summer a lot of mosquitoes around the river banks and generally places with water like hot springs - we were not ready for it and got bitten really badly ... buy local anti-mozzie protection (ask your guide for recommendation) and cover yourself as much as possible even on a hot day. 4. it is cold near the mountains in early summer - bring snow warm clothes.5. lots of travelling from place to place - 3-5 hrs in a car. bring music and games.try to do:1. get to know the locals on your tour - may be we were lucky but I have to say all the staff on our trip - cook, driver, guide, interpreter - were absolutely great and funny and very warm hearted people. Russian have a great sense of black humour and lots of stories to tell which will stay with you for long. They also really like their country and keen to tell/ show you not well known secrets - just ask.2. we've actually quite liked the food that was cooked on a tour. There weren't many fruits and most vegetables were cooked - but we went in early summer so this is just a reflection of the season I think. From Russian food we've particularly liked and therefore recommend - kvas (traditional drink sold along the road usually), buckwheat porridge with meat/ veg rissoles cooked on a tour), dumplings with cherries and potatoes (at the restaurants in hotels) , caviar and various types of smoked fish - the best we've tried anywhere else in the world (have to buy it at the markets - most tours will take you there). And of course there is an amazing taste of Kamchatka's crab !!!!! 3. scenery - this is what this place is about. Don't think any recommendations are necessary - no matter where you go and what you do you'd be amazed by the expanse of beauty and a completely unreal (almost eerie at times) sense of world at its beginnings. it is all around you. One of the best views is from the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski hotel rooms - my son said 'mum, these mountains don't look real - like someone has drawn them on a piece of paper and just spread sugar on the top (there was still snow on the mountains when we went which was early July).' Europe and NZ and Japan and US do have similar landscapes - but we all agreed Kamchatka is unique and different somehow - it almost seemed to me that colour of the sky and grass and rivers is richer and more intense ... we didn't go to Esso and Kyrilskoe lake - we were too early for bears and Esso was a bit far away, but would think these would be some of the best places to experience uniqueness of Kamchatka.4. volcano climbing - if in Kamchatka try to do climb at least one! we've planned Mytnovski/ Gorely trip - but the weather didn't work out.5. avacha bay boat trip - excellent! fishing trip on one of the rivers - really great fun 6. Avachnski volcano - we've only wandered around and climbed the camel mount and we didn't have time for Avachincki climb. really beautiful place so definitely recommend.7. spend at least half a day in the city - we've liked the museum, gift shop (which is like a museum), triny church - new and very pretty and good views over the city, and markets of course.tour company and prices: Lost World has done a great job for us and I wouldn't say the prices were over the top although definitely on expensive side - with exception of helicopter prices which are ridiculous and can't be negotiated by tour companies. However one can see and do a lot without helicopters. In terms of tour prices you just have to compare to Alaska tours - Kamchatka value for money is much much better.All in all I think we'd like to go back some day and we'd probably would use Lost World again - and go to more remote Northern places. May be in Winter !

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  Mac808

  This was an experience of a lifetime. The trip delivered on seeing the bears, active volcanoes, awesome hiking, rugged country, spectacular views from the helicopter and mountain tops. The boat cruise into Avacha Bay with the seafood lunch was really nice. The tour of the Volcanology Institute was interesting. Our guide, Artyom, was brilliant - knowledgeable, fluent English, sense of humour and flexible. One of the tour company owners, Andrey, is excellent with his replies and advice. Would I go back? No, as I have now been, seen and have fantastic photos. Would I recommend it? Yes, for the experience, but prepare yourself for a company that is not really customer focussed. It is a lot of money and the company does not give value for that money.This company has the monopoly in this area and I felt took advantage of this. We were extremely lucky with the weather and got to do most things on the itinerary. However, we had friends (a few weeks after us) who missed out on the Avacha bay trip due to weather and the company did not organise a "Plan B'. They were left to their own devices. Be prepared for weather delays. There are museums, art galleries, volcanology institute, Russian Orthodox Churches, shops and markets that tourists may be interested in and the tour company should be able to organise something to see these in the case of bad weather.FOOD: I understand that we were out in the wild and I would eat what I was given. However, I feel that chicken heart soup as the only dish at lunch is unacceptable! When in the restaurants in Petropavlosk or Paratunka there were no menu choices. I don’t expect the full menu but at least a choice of a meat, fish or vegetarian dish- not just be given the meal of the day. The vegetarians in our group had a difficult time with what was placed in front of them and in some cases they ordered off the menu and paid separately. The "4 star" hotel in Paratunka knew they had a group of 16 coming, but they still ran out of fries, the beer was warm and they only had 1 bottle of the wine we selected. ALL drinks (including water) were not covered in the tour price. The itinerary stated that we would eat out in a restaurant in the town – this didn’t happen, we were only dining at the hotel restaurant with a preset menu. Our lunch on the last day was not included.SAFETY: what safety? The helicopter had no seat belts, no life-jackets, no emergency exit other than the one we entered through (the back doors where they loaded the luggage through were wired together when closed) and the luggage was not secured. It was piled up chest height in the centre of the helicopter with not one luggage net or tie down in place! When we were picked up from the lake the pilot was yelling out through the window "быстро быстро" "quick quick the fog is coming in"! We flew to the helicopter base as the weather was too bad to take us to the base of the volcano to the tents. At one stage the cockpit door was open, it was a total white out through the front window and the 3 in the cockpit were flying by what they could see through the windows at their feet and local knowledge. We were in a very mountainous area and had to fly through a pass. At one stage the helicopter slowed down and dropped altitude as they could not see. It meant something when we landed safely and the 3 in the cockpit all shook each other's hand and congratulated each other!The Kamaz truck we were transported to the volcano in got stuck in snow and it took almost two hours, with all of us helping, to get it out. This was unlucky, but lucky for us it occurred during daylight hours. The night we were driven to the tents because the helicopter was unable to land, meant we were driving over these snow fields in the middle of the night 2 days earlier. It would have been extremely cold if this had happened then. There was a bear in the area.BATHROOM FACILITIES: the bathrooms in the two hotels we stayed in were not fancy but they did the job. Be aware that in summertime the water supply in Petropavlosk undergoes its annual maintenance and the water gets turned off for 2-3 days. People in the tour group after us had no water for toilet or showers during their stay! The toilet facility at the lake and the volcano tent area was disgusting. I have used many long drops in my life and these were a disgrace. At the tent area there was only one long drop for about 50 people which is a squat style, hole cut in wood and you can imagine what was on the wood and the smell. The two toilets at the lake were long drops but with a toilet bowl/seat and not clean. A bathroom was being built in the lodge at the lake and they did turn the hot water on one night, when asked to, for those that wished to shower.AIRPORT TRANSFER: minor detail, but we were left for approximately two hours sitting in the company bus at the airport waiting for another plane to arrive. I felt for the money paid for this tour they should either have put us in a taxi to the hotel, or taken us in and then come back out to pick up the other passengers.SLEEPING: We took our own sleeping bag and roll up mattress for in the tent and in the lodge, but having seen the ones that were available to rent, I would rent to save weight/space in the suitcase. At the lodge there are 8 beds (3 bunk beds and 2 singles) in each of the two rooms. The rooms are extremely small and should really only have 4 people in them to be comfortable. The tents are meant to be 3 person but the two of us took up most of the tent and our luggage was on the outside of the tent.This trip was an experience of a lifetime, a moderate degree of fitness is required to manage the volcanoes where the views are spectacular, make sure you take a good camera, lots of memory storage and spare batteries (there were facilities to recharge). Walking poles were helpful and a camelback water system daypack is ideal for the hikes.I have given this an excellent rating as the experience was amazing, however my rating for the tour company would be poor to average. The guide, Artyom, gets 10/10!

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  HKGHola

  Just returned from a 14 days trip in Kamchatka, a Peninsula in Russian Far East, and opposite to Alaska. We have spent 5 days on the sea, 4 days on active volcano visits and trekking, 3 days on river rafting and salmon fishing and 2 days at the city Petropavlovsk. If you like the natural beauty and wildlife, there are so many things to see here. We encountered humpback whale, killer whale, spot seal sea lion, sea otter and a lot of sea birds like puffin, stellar sea eagle & etc. during the sea journey. We also encountered brown bear family in the wild and got many salmon in the river. Also, the hot spring there was simply marvelous. It's a place that all nature lovers should not miss.

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  cool_alaska

  Kamchatka is beautiful with its volcanoes and mountains, Avacha Bay and the Pacific Ocean. If you go there, things to do would be: visit to valley of the geysers, Paratunka hot springs and, of course, fishing. There is not much to do in the city of Petropavlovsk, if you don't have anyone there. But... Take a taxi and drive on Ob'ezdnaya road. From top of the mountain you will enjoy the best views!

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  FAU_vstk

  Прекрасная природа, вулканы, горячие источники! Из минусов - дорогой перелет, просто погулять негде, нужна машина/снегоход/вертолет.

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  Qwelt

  We ( me and my wife) visited Kamchatka from 3rd to 11th August 2013. We did Muthnovesky, Goreily, Kurilskoye Lake, Valley of Geysers, Avecha Bay and Avichansky during this time and I would say, we did not even see 10% of the peninsula, but covered most of the tourist spots. The places we saw were exactly like what was shown in Natgeo/ Discovery and other sceintific knowledge TV channels. Before you go to Kamchatka, be prepared for these things. a. There are only few tourist companies who can correspond with you in English and it will be very difficult to do this alone even if you know Russian. b. This place and tours are very expensive. A grand Canyon helicopter tour in Las Vegas will cost only USD 250 per person where as a helicopter tour of Valley of Geysers will cost USD 1000 per person. A boat excursion of Avecha Bay costed us USD 750 ( for 6 hours with a lunch) for 2 persons and a simlar tour in Cape Town or in Paracas costed me less than USD 100 for both of us. . c. Be prepared for very quick changes in weather and you would end up doing nothing but waiting for helicopter to fly for many days. Usually, allow 2 extra days even in their Summer time. d. Be prepared to live in primitive conditions when you tour the volcanos ( very small tents, very cold nights and natural toilets). e. You will get very basic food. f. Above all, please work on your fitness level as this involves walking long distances, climbing or trekking, walk on the snow and water etc., Other dos and donts, please follow the instructions given by your tour company. But it is still worth and it is a " once in a lifetime " experience.

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  briaely

  Amongst the steaming geysers, Russian bears, roaring salmon rivers, pristine volcanic mountains and rolling tundra one can find a lifetime of adventure, beauty and culture in Kamchatka. Home to a number of indigenous reindeer tribes, Kamchatka is one of the last remaining unwesternized places in the northern hemisphere. It is difficult and expensive to get there, but many organizations offer packaged trips once you arrive. Check out Lost World Adventures at travelkamchatka.com for more information. I'm an American college student and traveled there with my family when I was in high school. We visited with the Evans reindeer tribe, rafted class III's, hiked inside volcanoes and camped near massive bird colonies. I hope to return someday. Please don't pollute Kamchatka with Western ideologies. Arrive with the utmost respect for the land and the culture. It doesn't need to be turned into a crowded national park.

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  bhawna_12

  been to Kamchatka_Aug'11, turned out to bea trip which was run by a local agency and only 3-9 people were from Ibex,overcharged approx 60% more than the local agency, contacted several time no responce form Ibex, things mentioned on website didn't match, where we cab complanint about this.

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  aller0d

  Природа, катания на лыжах, этнические поселения малых народов, катание на хаски, океан, чистый воздух

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  O2776QF_

  Цены, конечно, неплохо бьют по бюджету. Отдых не из дешевых, мягко говоря. Но чего стоит эта дикая природа, величественные вулканы, насыщенные зеленью сопки посреди города...