Answer researched by Olga Senina
Summer is the best time for travel in Russia, and the opportunities for ecotourism are much greater than commonly thought, although accessing Russia’s most unique ecological area requires some creativity, commitment and flexibility from travelers.
Visiting the parts of Russia that feature interesting ecology is typically more expensive than in Europe, and you cannot always count on five-star accommodation. There is no infrastructure to speak of; there is no mass tourism. You have to create everything from scratch for exclusive projects, said Alexei Mironov, General Director of the Special Travel Club.
And, unlike a visit to the African savanna, where it is possible to see a variety of animals in a short period of time, Russia’s forested landscape hides its animals from outsiders, according to Vladimir Krever, the biodiversity coordinator in WWF’s Moscow office. “Don’t believe travel agents who promise you will see an Amur tiger in the wild. Even scientists who have been studying the species for 20 years consider themselves lucky if they have seen a striped tail in the bushes. The Arctic is a different story. You will see white owls, walruses, musk ox, northern deer and the grey whale, if you are lucky.”
The Arctic is a popular destination for European tourists who like to learn something new, said Mironov. Some of them are lovers of the Arctic, who have been to its other places. Some are drawn to Franz Joseph Land (you can reach via an icebreaker from Murmansk), which was visited by all the famous northern explorers. Others want to see Vrangel Island, which is the biggest breeding ground for the polar bear.
However, there is an additional expense. During the summer season, up to 15 ships ferry passengers near the Norwegian Arctic destination of Spitsbergen. In the Russian Arctic, there are no more than two or three, so there is a significant price difference. For example, a 10-day tour to Spitsbergen might run 4,000 euros, while in Russia such an adventure will cost you up to double that.
View Off the beaten path in a larger map
And getting to Vrangel Island requires more travel than getting to Mombasa. First, you will have to go to Chukotka in Russia’s Far East, where Roman Abramovich, probably better known to you as the owner of Chelsea Football Club, was once the governor. From the Chukotka capital, you board an ice-breaker and head towards your destination past Cape Dezhnev, the northernmost point of Eurasia. At a most conservative estimate, it will cost you about 7,000 euros, not including the airfare.
Those who love mountainous scenery will not regret the time and effort required to reach the valley of geysers on Kamchatka and see the smoking Kuril volcanoes. But this is no cheap trip either: A day-long tour to the geyser valley will set you back $500 and the only way to get there is by helicopter, says Krever. And this is after you get to Kamchatka itself.
A slightly more accessible destination is Lake Baikal, the world’s largest and deepest fresh-water lake, hugged by mountain ridges and cone-shaped mountains. There are hot-water springs and a place where you can see the notoriously skittish and cautious ringed Baikal seals, Buddhist centers and shaman sites. It has more tourist infrastructure in place, and a visit there will cost you about 1,000 euro per week.
In terms of unique landscapes, the most easiest destination for European tourists, in terms of both price and distance, is the Curonian Spit, a narrow sand bank (just 400 meters wide in some places) in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad separating the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Bay. The weather is nearly always nice here, which makes for pleasant walks among the dunes, the green “dancing” forests where all the trees lean one way because of the constant winds, and a visit to the bird station where they ring migratory birds, some of which are in the Red Book of endangered species. According to Krever, this trip should cost no more than 200 euros a day, including meals, sightseeing and souvenirs.
Recently, the Kenozersky National Park in the Archangelsk Region has become extremely popular with foreign visitors. A stay there costs 50‑70 euros a day. The park has pristine nature and vestiges of the pagan culture of the Russian North: sacred groves and worshipped stones take visitors back to the pre-Christian era. For example, while the wooden architectural ensemble on the island of Kizhi in the Republic of Karelia preserves only the architecture, Kenozersky Park preserves the spirit, whose custodians are the local people, a far cry from Indian reservations in America, said Krever. The local nature helps preserve the unique Northern European fauna. The park is an international Important Bird Area in European Russia.
References:
WWF Russia
http:// www.wwf.ru/
Russian National Parks and Reserves
http://oopt.info/index.php?page=60
National Parks of Russia
