Top Things to do in Kolyma Krai
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Top 10 Things to do in Kolyma Krai, Far Eastern District
Discover the best top things to do in Kolyma Krai, Russia including Kamchatka Peninsula, Valley of Geysers, Avachinsky Volcano, Khalaktyrsky Beach, Volcano Mutnovsky, Mammoth Museum, Mask of Sorrow, Paratunskiye Hot Spring, Avachinsky Bay, Kingdom Permafrost.
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1. Kamchatka Peninsula
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 171 reviews
Reviewed By agrant1942 - Los Angeles, United States
In August 2017 we visited Kamchatka, Russia for the first time. Two weeks should be considered minimal for a first visit there, certainly not enough, surely we will return for more. The place is amazing, in many aspects it is unique in comparison with other tourist destinations, and this is said after extended trips over the past 30 years to Australia, China, Japan, South East Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia & Indonesia) to Europe and of course in the United States. Kamchatka is different, emphasis on different. Unless you are an extreme winter sports buff, the touring season in Kamchatka will limit your visit to the months of July – August, maybe from late June to Early September but that is already taking a risk with the weather. Not that in July or August you will sunbathe on a beach, no way, but at least there is a chance for relatively dry days and passable terrain, as most sites and sights in Kamchatka are accessible via rough gravel roads and by foot, some only by helicopter. So prepare for extensive walking. We arrived by flight from Anchorage. It is a weekly flight of Yakutia Airline which is available only 10 weeks each summer. Other options (certainly longer and perhaps cheaper) are via Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Moscow, and Vladivostok, Russia. But enough with the introduction, what we have seen and experienced is more important. Rafting and fishing on a river, climbing up volcanoes, viewing bears in the wild, walking by steaming Sulfur fumaroles and bubbling mud pools, with a native ethnic festival and a few museums to cap the visit, all this in two week – WOW !!! Our host was Martha Madsen (an American from Homer, Alaska living in Kamchatka for over 20 years and worthy of a story in her own right) who runs a lovely Bed and Breakfast place in Yelizovo, as well as the Explore Kamchatka (www.explorekamchatka.com / [email protected]) service. Martha organized the entire visit including tours, guides, translators, vehicles, helicopter flights, rafting, overnight stays, several visits to geo-thermal pools, in short – everything (!!!) in a most professional yet personal and friendly manner. We feel that we have gained a friend. For specifics and details, kindly see the following reviews: Mutnovsky Volcano Gorely Volcano Kurile Lake Kamchatka Museum of Local Lore Small Valley of Geysers T-34 Tank Monument The fact that during our two weeks in Kamchatka and with its reputation for erratic weather we did manage to see some 90% of the planned program is thanks to Martha’s skill and knowledge. As already stated by one far greater than myself (Gen. McArthur): “We Shall Return”.
2. Valley of Geysers
3. Avachinsky Volcano
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 78 reviews
Reviewed By WhiteHuskyPL - Wroclaw, Poland
Magic place where you feel the spirit of Kamchatka. Superb experience where you can ski from the top. Bring your food first:)
4. Khalaktyrsky Beach
5. Volcano Mutnovsky
6. Mammoth Museum
7. Mask of Sorrow
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 123 reviews
Reviewed By andrewmU2655XD
This monument is located approx. 3 km outside of Magadan. It is a 2 km drive from the city center, a left turn on Popova street, and a further 1 km to the top of Krutaya hill, which is approx. 200 meters high. It was dedicated in 1996, and sculpted by Ernst Neizvestny. The year of dedication and other relevant information, is found on a plaque at the rear of the statue. A model of the monument site and of the mask is in the local museum Gulag exhibit. The location of the site was specially selected, as a transit camp for Gulag prisoners was located at the bottom of the hill. We had visited transit camp locations in Vladivostok and Komsomolsk on Amur during our vacation.The car park below the statue offers beautiful views of Magadan City and Bay area, but we were unable to enjoy this view because of the fog, which is quite usual Magadan weather. The walk to the monument will take a few minutes, as it is necessary to climb 100 steps, after passing through a small arch in the car park. On the right side of the steps are memorial stones and concrete models of the names of Gulag camps in the Magadan area. On each of the stones there was a symbol. The symbols were difficult to see due to the overgrowth of the shrubbery and grass where they were placed, but we got a good photo of a soviet star and hammer and sickle insignia which was on a stone near to the path. The concrete names related to eleven of the Gulag camps, one of which was Dneprovsky, where we had camped overnight on the previous day. The monument itself is approx. 19 meters tall. It is a concrete mask design which has tears in the shape of human heads falling from it's left eye, and a prisoners number UU937 under it's right eye. There are steps leading to a door, up the right cheek of the mask. The door is behind the nose of the mask and was closed.The back of the mask is hollow, and depicts a bronze sculpture of a woman sitting on her haunches and weeping in a prison cell. Above the weeping lady is a cross on which a headless figure is positioned, above which is a skylight. In the upper car park, which is on a path behind the monument, there is another cross on a hill. This cross was not a part of the memorial, but it didn't seem to be out of place either in this solemn area. We had driven more than half of the 2,000 km Kolyma highway (road of bones), and visited the many monuments and memorials along the way. The visit to the Dneprovsky camp and the local museum gave us a better understanding of the suffering of the Gulag prisoners. We had also visited a mass grave site in Vladivostok which was related to the time of Stalin;s purges.The Gulag was a very sad part of Russia's history, and there is a saying in Russia that every family was affected by Stalin's Great purge. This monument is a must see when visiting Magadan.
8. Paratunskiye Hot Spring
9. Avachinsky Bay
10. Kingdom Permafrost
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 236 reviews
Reviewed By Faila
In the simplest terms, this was an ice cave with beautiful and elaborate carvings . I visited during hottest part of summer and inside it felt like winter! The cave is dug in the side of mountain. It is well maintained and I felt safe the entire time. With your admission you are supplied with a pair of clean boots, a large heavy clean coat, and a clean hard hat as a safety precaution. The elaborate ice carvings were incredible; some were interactive including a small ice sled run!! This is a great activity for adults and children!
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