Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Detailed guide: where to visit, what to try and how not to fall into the clutches of a bear

A Russian woman visited the Kuril Islands and was surprised by the prices of apples

The sound of the sea, the clink of glasses and cold oysters. Swimming in the ocean, thermal springs and ski slopes. It may seem that we are talking about some kind of foreign resort, but all this can be seen, heard and tried in In Russia ― on distant Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. And here they walk on volcanoes, eat fresh crabs with burdocks and ferns, conquer the hills on ATVs, collect wild berries and run from bears. Correspondent of “Lenta.ru” went to Sakhalin and Kunashir have compiled a guide to this harsh (but only at first glance) edge of the earth.

Sakhalin Island ― crab paradise, Japanese lighthouses and penal servitude

When you look at the world map and see Sakhalin on it, you don’t fully realize the scale of this island. Understanding comes when you get on the train from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Alexandrovsk and find out that you have ten hours to go, and then about an hour by car. It’s longer than from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

More for comparison. Sakhalin is like two and a half Belgium, one and a half Denmark and almost like the whole Czech Republic

Although the southern part of the island is located at the latitude of Yalta, Odessa and Monaco, the temperatures here are not at all southern. It is no coincidence that they joke: “The latitude is Crimean, and the longitude is Kolyma.” Summer on Sakhalin begins only in July, but even at this time there will be no intense heat. Most often, a tourist on a trip will be accompanied by rains, winds and thick fogs. However, the gloomy weather suits the mysterious island.

A bit of history

The Nivkh and Ainu were the indigenous inhabitants of Sakhalin and the Kuriles, and evidence of their traditions and way of life has been preserved in local museums. Since the XVII century, Japanese sailors and Russian Cossacks began to explore the land. The proximity of the two countries determined their rivalry for these territories for many centuries.

At various times, Jean-Francois de Laperouse, Ivan Kruzenshtern, and Gennady Nevelskoy contributed to the study of Sakhalin. And in the middle of the XIX century, the first penal servitude in Russia appeared here. The conditions for the detention of criminals and other objectionable people were ideal ― water, deserted lands and impenetrable forests were all around. The exiles were “re-educated” and then left to settle in order to finally consolidate their rights to the island.

The life of convicts was described in detail by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. In the book Sakhalin Island, he collected extensive statistical data (who lived where, what he did, who he married), and personal experiences. Chekhov recalled penal servitude as a hell and a place of unbearable suffering. Traveling to the ends of the earth undermined the health of the writer, who suffered from tuberculosis, and influenced his further work. Today, Chekhov’s footprints are everywhere on Sakhalin ― in the names of streets, cafes, and natural attractions.

After the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the southern part of Sakhalin and the Kuriles passed to Japan. The new settlers quickly established their own rules there, erected buildings, bridges and lighthouses (some are still preserved), founded factories, and laid hundreds of kilometers of railways and highways. Sakhalin and the Kuriles completely returned to Russia (then the USSR) in 1945.

In addition to the Japanese footprint on Sakhalin, there is also a Korean one. When the Japanese commanded on the island, they brought slaves from Korea with them. Today, representatives of this nationality make up more than 5 percent of the local population and are in second place in terms of numbers after Russians.

According to the locals, it’s good to live on Sakhalin, but you don’t want to move to Moscow even for money. The absence of fashion exhibitions, youth cafes and boutiques here is more than made up for by picnics in nature, boat trips, hiking on the hills and clean air, which literally intoxicates the city guest.

I have everything for happiness inside. If you chase after the outside, you won’t find yourself

Oleg Resident of Sakhalin, guide “Sakhturist65”

A trip to the island should start with a walk around Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: walk through the well-groomed park and botanical garden, listen to an excursion to the Museum of local lore (this is a colorful building in the national Japanese style, surrounded by a wonderful garden) and have a snack in Japanese and Korean restaurants. In the late afternoon, you can climb to the observation deck of the Mountain Air ski resort, which offers views of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and the hills stretching beyond it. And then ― away from the city to meet adventures.

View of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from the Mountain Air ski complex

The bay is Quiet

The road to Tikhaya Bay from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk takes about two hours, part of the way goes along a well-rolled dirt road. On weekends, it can be crowded here ― locals and tourists like to come to Tikhaya for picnics, plunge into the sea and climb the nearest hills. On the way there or back, you can buy crabs in the nearest village.

I was lucky. When we arrived, there was practically no one in the bay, so we managed to enjoy the beauty of this place as much as possible. I would love to come back here again, because it’s just breathtaking!

An irinaturist from Moscow

Also, popular vacation spots for Sakhalin residents are located on the Busse and Tunaich lakes very close to the city. These are lagoon-type reservoirs that communicate with the sea, so there are giant oysters, scallops, sea urchins, trepangs, crabs, spizules, trumpeters and other types of marine reptiles. Gastronomic tours and cooking classes are organized for travelers.

“There are a lot of local fish in Tunayche. There are fish breeding plants in the estuaries of the rivers, where salmon, pink salmon, chum salmon, and coho salmon are bred. We even experimented with Sakhalin sturgeon,” says Oleg, the guide of the Sakhturist65 company.

Cape Giant

Cape Velikan is considered one of the most memorable places on Sakhalin. There is a version that the navigator Ivan Kruzenshtern dubbed him that way, amazed by the beauty and grandeur of the rocks. Nearby there is also Cape Bird, it was so named because of the nesting sea birds. The way there lies along the coast, strewn with seaweed. This storehouse of vitamins and minerals lies right under your feet, filling the salty air with a thick and viscous smell of algae.

Locals eat kelp directly from the ground, just rinsing with water. A solid benefit!

At the cape, the traveler is deafened by bird cries and mesmerized by stone arches and pillars of bizarre shapes resembling troll castles. You can safely go here in any weather ― the cape is equally favored by the sun and thick fog.
On the way, the traveler also passes through the so-called Fairy Forest with dense thickets, rare flowers and berries.

Seaweed lies right under your feet ― take it and eat it

Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky

Only about 9 thousand people live in Alexandrovsk, and there is almost nothing to do in the city. People come here to visit the Anton Pavlovich Chekhov Museum, which houses more than 20 thousand exhibits, including the writer’s personal belongings. Visitors are told about him in a fascinating way and with great love.

Even from Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky they reach the settlement from which the Russian penal servitude began, the village of Douai. “A terrible, ugly and in all respects a shoddy place in which only saints or deeply depraved people can live of their own free will,” Chekhov described it. To be honest, Douai still makes an unpleasant impression these days.

A few shabby five-story buildings, wooden huts that were askew and darkened by time, some brick ruins overgrown with bushes and grass. There is a rusty bed frame with iron springs under the windows of one of the houses. Two girls about six years old are jumping on it like on a trampoline

Like Anton Pavlovich at the time, you wonder what the locals are doing every day. After all, according to the writer, because of poverty, bad weather, the constant sight of desert mountains and the noise of the sea, time here “seems longer and more painful many times than in Russia.”

You can still see the fruits of Russian hard labor today. In the vicinity of Alexandrovsk there is a tunnel cut through the rocky ground by exiles. There, Cape Jonquier juts out into the Sea of Japan with the famous Three Brothers rocks and an abandoned lighthouse of the XIX century.

Aniva is one of the most inaccessible lighthouses in Russia

Aniva Lighthouse

On the southern tip of Sakhalin Island there is the Aniva Lighthouse, built by the Japanese in 1939 and now abandoned. The places here are dangerous for navigation ― the foggy area is full of currents and underwater rocky shoals. The lighthouse is definitely the pearl of the island, because the path and ascent there turns into an unforgettable adventure for the tourist. And it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.

Firstly, you need to get up very early to get to the starting point on the coast. There, adventurers are dressed in raincoats, high fishing boots and life jackets, put into boats (mostly inflatable, with a motor) and sent on an “easy” boat trip. The fragile boat tosses on the waves, spray flies in the face, and the whole extravaganza is complemented by a bone-piercing wind.

Along the way, there is a chance to see whales and killer whales that swim here in late summer, as well as sea lions, seals and fur seals

After about an hour or an hour and a half (you get completely lost in time here), the purpose of the trip is shown, but the difficulties do not end there. You need to get ashore and climb up to the lighthouse on slippery rocks, holding onto unreliable-looking cables and hiding from bird droppings flying in all directions. But the atmosphere at the lighthouse surpasses the expectations of a tired traveler ― dark corridors, a spiral staircase, dusty abandoned furniture, seagull nests and chicks. And through the windows with broken glass there is a view of the blue-black sea beating against the rocks.

Despite the severe destruction, tourists actively visit Aniva and thereby aggravate the condition of the lighthouse. Repairs are due to begin here in 2024. The structure is planned to be strengthened to restore its historical appearance, and a museum is being equipped inside. They promise that guests will be able to “travel back in time and see the lighthouse as it appeared to naval vessels in the forties of the twentieth century.” Will the unique spirit of this place be preserved after the reconstruction? We’ll wait and see.

What else to see on Sakhalin

• The Devil’s and Witch’s Bridges are monuments of Japanese industrial architecture.
• Chekhov Peak rises 1045 meters above sea level. When Sakhalin was part of the Japanese Empire and was called Karafuto, the peak was considered sacred. There was a temple dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu. A picturesque path leads to the top, along which dwarf birches, bagulnik, rhododendrons and Kuril bamboo grow.
• Mud volcanoes ― there are three of them on Sakhalin, the most famous, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsky, is located 25 kilometers from the city. It is a mud field with a diameter of about 200 meters, covered with miniature volcanoes spewing mud and gases. The hiking trail to the volcano is surrounded by a beautiful forest with red book plants.
• The Frog outlier is an eight―meter-high rock, shaped like a crouching frog. It is believed that the place, prayed by the pagans, fulfills desires. Aihor Waterfall is located nearby.
• Cape Krillon is the southernmost point of Sakhalin. In good weather, from there you can see Japan with the naked eye, which is only about 40 kilometers away. It is interesting to see an active lighthouse, Japanese and Soviet fortifications, and the ruins of an ancient fortress.





Those who are lucky enough to catch the sun on Sakhalin, the island holds a colorful sunset

Kunashir ― volcanoes, bears and blooming magnolia

The way to the Kuril Islands ― That’s another test. The easiest way to get to Kunashir is by plane from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, but flights are often canceled due to unstable weather. It happens that passengers have to wait for several days until a small turboprop liner, which you climb not by ladder, but directly from the ground, will be able to deliver them to Yuzhno-Kurilsk airport.

Kunashir, at first glance through the porthole, impresses with untouched lush nature. This is the greenest of the Kuril Islands, and the forests here are not at all the same as in Central Russia and even on Sakhalin. Volcanic soil, marine monsoon climate and thermal springs create a special environment. Birch trees, linden trees, Japanese cedars and maples grow on Kunashir, which are not found anywhere else in our country in the wild. And it’s also only here that fragrant magnolia blooms in its natural environment.

2000 plant species

It was found in the Kuril Reserve on Kunashir, more than 150 of them are listed in the Red Books of Russia and the Sakhalin region

The landscape resembles landscapes from cartoons by Hayao Miyazaki and it is no coincidence that the animator’s homeland, Japan, is only about 20 kilometers away. It’s so close that sometimes phones pick up the connection to Hokkaido better than the Russian one. And upon arrival, the traveler is first greeted by the greeting of the mobile operator: “Welcome to the Land of the Rising Sun!” Tourists are advised to turn on airplane mode, otherwise they will have to pay for roaming.

Japan is called the land of the setting sun here ― Kunashir people meet the dawn and see off the day a little earlier

The only village on the island, Yuzhno-Kurilsk, is not very picturesque. The houses here are built very simple and low—rise – in case of earthquakes, and mostly military and fishermen live in them. In addition to grocery stores and pharmacies, there are several cafes (even with home delivery), a club, pick-up points for popular marketplaces (parcels take longer than a month), a stadium and a swimming pool, a museum of local lore. The locals have a quiet and unhurried life, among their favorite activities are a sauna, hunting, fishing, and quad bike rides.

The tourist infrastructure in Kunashir is still poorly developed ― the answer to the question “Where do you live?” A traveler from St. Petersburg responds: “Yes, in some kind of dorm.” There are several modest guest houses here, and rooms can also be rented from locals. For tourists accustomed to comfort, the Kunashir Resort and SPA glamping opened on the island on July 1. Individual houses with panoramic windows stand right in the middle of the forest, there is a spa complex with water from the hot springs of the Mendeleev volcano, a restaurant, a recreation area by the river. It is convenient that the hotel organizes guided tours.

In Yuzhno-Kurilsk, tourists will be curious to go to the store and be surprised at the prices. Azerbaijani apples sell for 440 rubles per kilogram, pears from Turkey ― for 670 rubles, pomegranates from there ― 1000 rubles apiece, and one passion fruit from China will cost 180 rubles. Pasta costs twice as much as in Moscow, cottage cheese ― about 500 rubles per pack. Everything is expensive, even the fish, which are plentiful here.







Cows on Kunashir feel at ease and calmly relax on the ocean shore

It is worth staying in the village to go to the abandoned lighthouse and take a walk along the Pacific Ocean. Off the coast, the skeletons of ships stand out picturesquely from the water, looking like skeletons of ancient dinosaurs in the fog. Their location is even marked on the map, although for locals it is “just some kind of garbage.” If you walk along the shore further north, you can see the sheer cape of Sukachev and two Damn fingers ― single cliffs surrounded by water. Of the unexpected inhabitants of the island, cows can be found here. They are quietly walking by themselves and relaxing with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

The main attractions on Kunashir were created by nature, so the most interesting begins outside the village.

Volcanic fumaroles

Like the rest of the Kuril Islands, Kunashir is of volcanic origin. Today there are four active volcanoes on the island, the highest and most active of them is Tyata (1819 meters). According to local guide Sergey, the last time the volcano erupted was in 1973. Then volcanologists came to Kunashir, studied the situation and with a light hand called Tyata sleeping. As soon as they were about to leave the island and boarded the ship, he suddenly made himself felt and woke up. Apparently, he did not agree with the status given to him.

In the north of Kunashir, near Tyati, there is the Rurui volcano (1,485 meters), and this is one of the most inaccessible places on the island. There are no tourist routes there, so you can only see it from the sea or by plane. At the foot of the Stream there are Neskuchenskiye springs with mineralized water (there are more than 50 of them). The temperature of the thermal baths reaches 96 degrees in some places.

Once, as a result of an eruption, a young cone was formed in the ancient Tyati crater (in scientific terminology, this phenomenon is called the somme), so it seems to be double. Today Tyata is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world. In good weather, it can be seen from different points of the island, and the most courageous travelers can take a couple of days and climb to the top.

The locals call the Mendeleev volcano the Sleeping Beauty ― if you look from a certain angle, it resembles a lying girl. The volcano is famous for its thermal springs and fumaroles ― cracks from which volcanic gas escapes. These holes buzz and puff with hot steam, filling the air with a very unpleasant smell of rotten eggs. You can’t stay with them for a long time ― you may get sick and dizzy.

The landscapes here are completely alien: yellow-yellow fumarole craters, sulfur deposits, piles of stones of bizarre shapes, haze spreading over the ground. Getting to all this beauty is very difficult, but it’s worth it

Although the height of the volcano is only 887 meters, the traveler will have to walk uphill for about two hours along slippery trails in the bamboo thickets. Thick grass 1.5-2 meters high climbs into your face and forces you to wade through it with not the most decent words on your tongue. In places, you will have to cross streams on slippery rocks and logs, climb ravines. In addition, a bear may inadvertently be nearby.

Usually tourists reach the fumarole field of the Mendeleev volcano and turn back. The bravest continue climbing to the crater, and there the slope is up to 45 degrees.

The most light can be called a walk to the caldera of the Golovnin volcano. Tourists are taken to the cordon of the Kuril Reserve, from there a hiking route begins along a well-trodden path without sharp ascents and descents. Entrance is paid ― 500 rubles per person.













Swimming in a Boiling lake is dangerous ― you can boil yourself alive

There are two lakes in the caldera of the volcano ― Hot and Boiling. They are connected by a channel that was dug by the Japanese, who mined sulfur here. The lake is hot (in fact, the water here is not even particularly warm) goes deeper than 60 meters. It impresses with its crystal purity, and in sunny weather it acquires an azure color. There is a recreation area on the shore, so those who wish can take advantage of a unique chance to swim in the crater of the volcano.

Then the trail leads to the Boiling lake. It is heated by volcanic gases rising from the bottom. The water here reaches a comfortable temperature of 34-36 degrees, but it is dangerous to swim because of the high concentration of chemicals. In addition, there is a risk of being exposed to gas emissions and cooked alive so that the remains will then be impossible to find. And there were such cases, as is recalled by a small memorial plaque on the approaches to the lake.

Thanks to the combination of reddish and white Earth rocks, everything here is reminiscent of Mars. Hot steam spreads over the surface of the silver-blue lake, fog envelops the protected forests. It feels like you’re on another planet again.

A traveler should walk along the shore of Boiling, admire the sulfide-sulfur foam and streaks on the ground resembling liquid mica or gasoline, and walk to the Damn frying pan. This is the name of the underground cauldron under the Eastern dome of the volcano, where mud is boiled at a temperature of 80-100 degrees. You can’t get too close ― this is one of the most dangerous places on the island. And I don’t want to stay for a long time because of harmful gases and an acrid sulfuric smell.

Who is Golovnin and what does treason have to do with it?

The volcano is named after the Russian navigator Vasily Mikhailovich Golovnin. When he was conducting a hydrographic description of the Kuril Islands on the Imperial sloop Diana, the Japanese captured him. The researcher and his team were held in prison in Hokkaido for more than two years, from 1811 to 1813. Despite the difficult conditions, Golovnin collected information about the life of the Japanese and kept a diary of observations.

In the south of Kunashir, the territory of Russia is separated from Japan by the Strait of Treason. It is named so in memory of the expedition of Golovnin, who was treacherously lured to the enemy’s lands.

Cape Columnar

40-50 million years ago, basalt lava poured out of the mouth of the Mendeleev volcano into the sea. The hot mass combined with cold water, froze and cracked. This is how the Columnar Cape was formed, which consists of many even five- and six-sided columns.

The local landscapes resemble either the pipes of an organ, or the scales of a huge dragon

A walk to the Columnar takes an hour and a half along the Sea of Okhotsk. There are curious artifacts on the shore: bottles and wrappers with Japanese characters, lonely slippers and even pillows. Garbage is brought here by storms from Japan. Unfortunately, the powers of harsh Russian border guards do not apply to him.

Along the way, you can also see representatives of the local fauna ― foxes, falcons, white-tailed eagles. It brings crabs, sea urchins, scallop shells to the beach. If you’re lucky, you may come across a fresh octopus ― take it with you and eat it (and they sell in stores for thousands of rubles).

On the cape itself, you can see Japan, fill the film with incredible shots and swim. There are many pristine backwaters here, and the bottom can be seen several meters deep. Locals like to jump off the rocks ― in June the water is still icy, but pleasantly refreshing. They say that it will get warmer towards the end of summer.











It is impossible to approach the rocks of the Golovninsky cliff ― landslides happen right in front of our eyes

Golovninsky cliff

An exciting excursion awaits travelers on the Golovninsky cliff. This is a sheer wall of layered sedimentary rocks, along which the main stages of the Golovnin volcano’s activity can be traced. The ashes of ancient eruptions alternate with marine sediments and create a multicolored striped relief. Waterfalls fall from the cliff into the ocean.

You can only get here at low tide, because at high tide the water comes close to the rocks

Part of the way is off―road, part is along the Pacific Ocean, so people come here by jeeps, all-terrain vehicles and ATVs. People stop at waterfalls, take pictures and have picnics on the beach. By the way, the sand on Kunashir is black, volcanic. Because of this, as well as because of the dense coniferous forests, in translation from the language of the Ainu – the indigenous inhabitants of the Kuril Islands ― the island is called the Black Earth.

Iturup

In terms of tourism infrastructure, Iturup is considered the most developed of the Kuril Islands. There are as many as 20 volcanoes on the territory of 200 kilometers, and 9 of them are active. The highest volcano, Stokap, reaches 1,634 meters, and Atsonopuri, which has an almost perfect cone shape, is considered the most beautiful.

The calling card of Iturup is the White Cliffs, which resemble Iceland or the French Etretat. Wavy ridges of gray-white pumice stone contrast with bright greenery, dark sand and blue water, and due to severe erosion, canyons of bizarre shapes are formed in them.

Tourists also come to Iturup to see the Yankito lava plateau and Ilya Muromets, one of the highest waterfalls in Russia (141 meters). A popular route leads to the Baransky volcano, whose slopes abound with thermal springs, mud boilers and fumaroles. There is also a Boiling river, in which the water temperature is close to 100 degrees. And not far from the city of Kurilsk there is a complex “Baths”, where therapeutic water procedures are carried out.

Shikotan

Shikotan is the only island where the bears have not reached, so you can walk and sleep in a tent there completely calmly. On the other hand, it is not so easy for a person to get there either. An affordable option is a ferry that runs between the Sakhalin port of Korsakov, Kunashir, Iturup and Shikotan. The travel time from Sakhalin is almost a day.

The high shores of Shikotan are indented by beautiful rocky coves, and the main attraction of the island is Cape World’s End. It is located near the village of Malokurilskoye and protrudes into the Pacific Ocean for almost a kilometer. Standing on the edge of a cliff, letting the wind pass through you and listening to the sound of waves, it is really easy to imagine that the world ends beyond the horizon.





White rocks on the island of Iturup in the Sakhalin region

What to try for a tourist on Sakhalin and the Kuriles

Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands are rich in delicacies. The main one, of course, is fish. The pink salmon, familiar to a resident of Central Russia, is not considered food here ― “so, for cat food.” But the counters are full of chum salmon, sims, coho salmon, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon. It is sold fresh and frozen, lightly salted, hot and cold smoked. It is best to come here in August, when there is spawning. Then both fish and caviar will only be off the hook.

The freshest royal and Kamchatka crabs are waiting for gourmets on Sakhalin. Their meat is tender, juicy, the taste is really similar to an imitation of surimi, only everything is natural, without any chemistry. Crustaceans are sold whole and in phalanges, in shell and peeled.

The most sophisticated tourists can go to the crab boat and catch crabs on their own. However, such excursions are not held in the summer season, but from January to March

Another Sakhalin specialty is scallop, which is most often eaten raw or barely toasted on the island. It will be delicious to lightly season the scallops with soy sauce to create a contrast of salty and sweet flavors. There are also oysters here, and they reach downright gigantic sizes.

On Sakhalin, you can try treats that are completely unusual for the townspeople ― sea urchins, octopuses, trumpeters and spizula (these are types of shellfish). By the way, sea urchin caviar is highly appreciated for its rejuvenating and toning properties, the ability to improve the protective functions of the body. It is also a well-known aphrodisiac.













Fish soup is prepared according to all the rules ― with the addition of vodka and burnt firebrand

Sakhalin residents add kelp, sea grapes and boiled fern to salads and soups. Another of the unusual vegetable delicacies is the squirrel. On Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, this burdock reaches such a size that one of its leaves can cover an adult. The stalks are used for food, which crunch very appetiingly on the teeth in pickled form with seasoning for Korean carrots.

For all this gastronomic madness, it is better to go to one of the markets in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, for example, “Success” or “Technician”. Among other things, you can buy Korean sauces and spices, instant noodles, and Japanese sweets there. Do not forget to bring syrup or tincture from the bedbug. This is how the locals nicknamed the krasnika berry for its specific smell (it has nothing to do with bedbugs, however).

Transportation, hotels and other useful information

How to get. The flight to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from Moscow takes 8 hours. Direct flights to the island can also be reached from St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Vladivostok, Irkutsk.

25 thousand rubles

it is worth a ticket from Moscow to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in July and August

The way to Iturup and Kunashir is possible by air ― transportation is carried out by the airline Aurora. The travel time will be about an hour, and a one-way ticket costs around 7 thousand rubles. In addition, both islands, as well as Shikotan, are reached by motor ships that depart from the port of Korsakov and go for about a day. The ticket price is 2,780 rubles.

It is most convenient to travel around Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (for short, the locals call it simply Yuzhny) by taxi. You can call Yandex there, but only Maxim taxi works in the Kuril Islands. Car rental on Sakhalin is, but it is best to go to these parts by an organized tour.

The choice of programs from the capital’s tour operators is small, so tourists are recommended to use the services of Sakhalin companies. Local guides will plan the trip taking into account the vagaries of the weather and other features of the region. In addition, it is difficult and unsafe to get to many attractions without a guide.

Where to live. A traveler on Sakhalin and especially on the Kuril Islands should be prepared for the fact that conditions will not always meet high standards. Nevertheless, there are hotels and glampings in these places for people spoiled by civilization.

The cost of holidays in Sakhalin and Kuril Islands hotels in July for two adults

• Mega Palace Hotel, 4*, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, from 10 thousand rubles per night with breakfast
• Yubileynaya Hotel, 3*, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, from 5,8 thousand per night
• Sunrise Hill Hotel, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, from 17 thousand per night
• Glamping hotel “Kunashir Resort and SPA”, Kunashir Island, from 20 thousand per night in an individual house with breakfast
• Iturup Hotel, Iturup Island, from 5.2 thousand for a room with a shared bathroom, from 6 thousand for a room with a bathtub
• Guest house “Yankito”, Iturup Island, from 31 thousand per night







On a sunny day, Kunashir resembles a Windows screensaver in terms of brightness of colors

What to take with you. Most often people come to Sakhalin and the Kuriles in July and August, but you should not wait for the heat. Even in summer, an autumn-spring jacket is useful on the islands, and in some cases, thermal underwear.

An approximate checklist for a tourist on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands:

• warm clothes ― sweatshirt or sweatshirt, tracksuit, fleece;
• waterproof or quick-drying pants and jacket;
• cotton T-shirts or longsleeves, spare socks, thermal underwear;
• trekking boots or other shoes with non-slip soles;
• sneakers;
• swimsuit and slates;
• headdress;
• sunscreen and repellents;
• raincoat, waterproof shoe covers, light backpack.

Sakhalin guides always carry bear repellents ― flares, howlers and whistles. If a tourist risks going for a walk alone, you need to stock up on such funds. As a last resort, talk loudly, sing, knock on tree trunks with sticks. These sounds are unpleasant for animals and scare them away.

The Kuril Islands are part of the border zone, so you will need a pass issued by the FSB department to visit them. The permit is issued through public services in advance, the document will be valid for a year. While in the Kuril Islands, you should always have your passport and pass with you ― border guards check them regularly.

Having packed your suitcases and backpacks, feel free to hit the road. Having been to the edge of the earth, you will definitely come back different. Perhaps because you will test yourself and go through a lot of obstacles. Or maybe there is something in the air, people and the world here that changes you forever.

“The tape.ru” thanks the Kunashir Resort and SPA Hotel and the Sakhtur65 company for their help in organizing the trip.

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