Sakhalin Island, known in Japan as Karafuto (樺太), is located in the
Russian Far East. The fish-shaped island lies in the Sea of Okhotsk and
Sea of Japan north of Hokkaido, Japan, separated from the mainland by
the Strait of Tartary. It occupies the bulk of the territory of the
Sakhalin region, which, in addition to Sakhalin itself, includes the
Kuril Islands.
Sakhalin is a real end of the earth, but not a
small island lost in the Pacific Ocean like the Kuril Islands, but a
large and distinctive region with its own railway network and industry.
Although the most interesting natural attractions on Sakhalin are nature
almost untouched by humans; diverse, different from the mainland Far
East and landscapes colored by mountains and sea - there are also
historical sites here. Sakhalin is the place where Russian culture came
into closest contact with Japanese culture, and some traces of their
interaction are still noticeable.
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is a city on the southern tip of the
island, the largest on Sakhalin; administrative center of the region.
Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky is the oldest
settlement on the island, a port on the shore of the Tatar Strait;
Chekhov lived here during his work on Sakhalin
Korsakov
is a port city in the southern part of Sakhalin
Uglegorsk is a city
in the central part of Sakhalin, the center of coal mining
Nogliki is a village in the north of
Sakhalin, an oil production center and the northernmost point of the
Sakhalin Railway
Okha is a city in the north
of the island, an oil production center
Kholmsk
is a port city on the western coast of Sakhalin
Makarov is a city in
the central part of Sakhalin, dominated by the fishing industry.
Shakhtersk is a city of miners in the Uglegorsk region
The island's territory has been inhabited since prehistoric times. It
is assumed that people came here via a land isthmus, which arose when
the level of the World Ocean dropped, after which two main nationalities
were formed on Sakhalin - the Nivkhs and the Ainu. The Nivkhs lived in
the northern part of the island, as well as in adjacent areas of the
mainland. The Ainu inhabited the southern part of Sakhalin and the
Japanese island of Hokkaido. After World War II, most of the Ainu were
deported to Japan, the rest were completely assimilated (and in Japan
even today the Ainu are not favored at all, since they are all
hereditary “non-citizens”, just like the Koreans). The Nivkhs still
exist as one of the small peoples of Russia.
From the end of the
13th century, the territory of Sakhalin belonged to the Mongol Empire,
then to the great Ming Empire of China, but none of these large empires
left visible traces in the history of the island. In the middle of the
17th century, the Japanese came to Sakhalin, and soon Russian pioneers
appeared here, but for two centuries, Russian and Japanese colonialists
coexisted peacefully. Although there are still few people on Sakhalin,
at that time there were, of course, even fewer, so there was enough
space for everyone. Moreover, vast undeveloped territories remained, and
the key geographical question of communication with the mainland was not
even clarified. For centuries, Sakhalin was considered a peninsula. Its
island nature was finally established only in 1849 by the Nevelsky
expedition, which discovered the strait of the same name.
Since
1855, Sakhalin has been a joint possession of Russia and Japan. 20 years
later, Russia exchanges the southern part of Sakhalin for the northern
Kuril Islands, but after the Russo-Japanese War (1905-1906) it returns
southern Sakhalin to Japan. The border is drawn completely arbitrarily,
along the 50th parallel, because there are still very few people here.
After the defeat of Japan in World War II, Southern Sakhalin again
passes to Russia, all Japanese are evicted from the island, and besides
the Russians, only captured Koreans who worked in Japanese camps during
the war remain here. During Soviet times, the population of Sakhalin was
replenished with migrants from all over the USSR, but the national
composition remained almost unchanged. Koreans make up the second
largest ethnic group (5% of the population), and the total population of
Sakhalin is about 500 thousand people (2010). Although all Sakhalin
cities were built (or completely rebuilt) after the war, the island
still uses Japanese infrastructure: especially railways and trains.
The basis of Sakhalin's economy is the development of offshore oil and gas fields. Fishing also plays a significant role, but coal mining has practically ceased. Oil and gas fields are jointly developed by Russian and international companies, so there are many foreigners on Sakhalin. Offshore development projects have received the same names: “Sakhalin-1”, “Sakhalin-2”, etc. However, only the first two are in effect, and even those are of great concern to environmentalists. The old Sakhalin industry - coal mining in particular - is in decline.
Due to the proximity of the cold Sea of Okhotsk, summer on Sakhalin
can be very cool and humid in the north, but quite warm in the south,
and noticeably warmer than on the parallel mainland coast. If in the
north, even at the height of summer, you can see unmelted ice floes in
the sea, then in the south, high humidity leads to hot and stuffy
weather (above +22 degrees is already quite difficult to bear). Until
the end of May, the temperature may not rise above +10 °C, but in
October, daytime temperatures in the shade often reach +20 °C (a real
golden autumn!). The average winter temperature is only −6 °C in the
southern part of the island, but can drop to −24 °C in the northern part
and on some days reaches −40 °C, and sometimes even −45 °C in the
Tymovskaya Valley. In summer, the average temperature does not exceed 19
°C.
The southern part of Sakhalin is influenced by the warm
current in the Tatar Strait: winter here lasts from December to March,
summer - from June to September and even until early October. Warmer sea
water makes the climate milder than on the opposite, mainland side of
the strait. The north is characterized by much colder weather: winter
lasts from October to May, a very mild summer includes only 2 months -
July and August (only in mid-June the foliage on the trees begins to
bloom). Sakhalin has high cyclonic activity all year round, one of the
highest in the country (more only in Kamchatka). The average annual
precipitation on the island is high and averages about 800-900 mm,
characterized by both prolonged summer rains and very heavy snowfalls in
winter - in the mountains the snow cover can reach 5 meters, and in one
night it can easily fall up to 1.5 meters snow. Due to the proximity of
the Pacific Ocean, typhoons with thunderstorms and squally winds are
common, mainly in the south of the island. In general, the climate is
more humid and with significantly more precipitation than on the
mainland coast of the Tartary Strait.
Sakhalin is a seismic zone.
On the island and in the nearby sea it shakes regularly (every year),
sometimes quite noticeably.
So living on Sakhalin, in terms of
the wide variety of weather conditions and regular disasters, is not
even boring.
Sakhalin has an area of 70,000 km2 and is the largest island in
Russia. Several geographical names familiar from school are associated
with it: the La Perouse Strait separates Sakhalin from the Japanese
island of Hokkaido, and the Strait of Tartary is located between
Sakhalin and the mainland. The strait narrows to the north and at its
narrowest point is called the Nevelskoy Strait. Sakhalin is
characterized by complex and even mountainous terrain. Two mountain
ranges stretch from north to south (West Sakhalin and East Sakhalin
mountains, heights up to 1600 m) with a valley in the middle. To the
north, the area decreases and turns into swampy taiga, and in some
places even tundra. The middle and southern parts of the island are
characterized by dense forests.
Sakhalin is located in a zone of
seismic activity; Earthquakes, including destructive ones, are common
here. For example, in 1995, an earthquake completely destroyed the city
of Neftegorsk in the north of the island, and in 2007 Nevelsk was badly
damaged.
The fauna of Sakhalin is very diverse. More than 2,000
brown bears live in the forests, which can often be found on roads and
even near populated areas. Sables and otters are also common, but are
more difficult to spot. Reindeer live in the north of the island, and
whales live in the sea: the coastal zone of Sakhalin is the main feeding
ground for the endangered population of Western Pacific gray whales.
Beluga whales and fur seals also live here.
The Nivkhs are the only ethnic group that has lived on Sakhalin since ancient times. About 2,000 Nivkhs live on the island - mainly in its northern, taiga part, with its center in the village of Nekrasovka, not far from the city of Okha. The Nivkhs are characterized by a traditional, semi-nomadic way of life: in the summer they live on the coast, and in the winter they go along the rivers deep into the island. The main occupations of the Nivkhs are hunting and fishing. In the 20th century, more and more representatives of the indigenous people moved to a sedentary lifestyle in mixed villages and assimilated (not without pressure from the authorities). Nevertheless, the unique Nivkh language, which is not included in any of the language families, still remains. In recent years, there has been a certain revival of the national culture of the Nivkhs. In particular, shamanism remains. According to Nivkh beliefs, Sakhalin is a giant beast lying on its stomach in the ocean, and the trees represent the fur of this beast. If the animal is disturbed, it wakes up and an earthquake occurs.
Anton Chekhov, who voluntarily went to Sakhalin to conduct a
population census, described in detail Sakhalin life at the end of the
19th century in his documentary story “Sakhalin Island”. At that time,
the island was one of the main places of exile, and the authorities thus
solved two problems at once - they removed unreliable citizens away from
themselves and contributed to the development of new remote territories.
The realities of the Sakhalin hard labor appear bleak, and for the
metropolitan public of that time, Chekhov’s story became a revelation
(now it is rather perceived as a harbinger of camp literature of the
20th century and, despite all the documentation, contains many
psychological moments). The theme was developed in the book “Sakhalin”
by Vlas Doroshevich, who visited Sakhalin several years after Chekhov,
and the story “Katorga” by Valentin Pikul, dedicated to the events of
the Russian-Japanese War.
Before the trip, you can read Chekhov’s
story (which, by the way, contains a lot of useful information about
local nature) and compare it with current impressions, because Sakhalin
still remains a kind of “end of the earth”, lost on the outskirts of
Russia, and for most residents of the country this is not more than a
spot on a geographical map.
The main language of Sakhalin is Russian. Koreans constitute the largest national minority and primarily inhabit the middle part of the island; however, many of them no longer speak Korean. Due to its proximity to Japan, employees of restaurants and hotels in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk may know Japanese at least at a minimal level, but you should not count on it.
Sakhalin has no land connections with the mainland. Construction of
the tunnel began in the late 1940s, but ended with the death of Stalin.
Since then, the project has been discussed several times and is still
being discussed to this day, but it looks no less fantastic than the
construction of a tunnel between Sakhalin and Hokkaido - especially
taking into account the current state of the BAM and the Sakhalin
Railway. Today, you can only get to Sakhalin by air and sea.
Theoretically, in winter it is possible to cross the ice of the
Nevelskoy Strait near the city of Lazarev, but reliable (and successful)
cases of such movement are unknown.
On Sakhalin, heavy rains,
snowfalls, and sometimes typhoons are common - during such periods
(especially in winter), communication with the island can be completely
interrupted. Water transport is more susceptible to weather anomalies
and is generally less predictable in time. If the main goal of your trip
is Sakhalin itself, it is more convenient to use an airplane, although
the sea route has its own charm in terms of natural and ethnographic
impressions, as well as the very feeling of a long and difficult journey
to the “end of the earth.”
The territory of Sakhalin is not part of the border zone, so your movements around the island will be limited only by the availability of roads and suitable vehicles, as well as communication with bears and other representatives of the local fauna. Entry to Sakhalin is almost always accompanied by passport control, during which foreigners are registered for some unknown reason, while Russians’ passports are simply looked at. The islands adjacent to Sakhalin are also not included in the border zone; in the Sakhalin region only the Kuril Islands belong to it.
Although the population of Sakhalin is small, air traffic here is quite active. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport accepts flights from many Russian cities; international traffic has been closed since 2020. Local airports operate in the cities of Okha and Shakhtersk, the village of Nogliki and the unknown village of Zonalnoye, which is located near the village of Tymovskoye and the city of Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky. All these airports have more or less regular connections with Khabarovsk, operated by Yakutia Airlines. Planes fly to Okha almost every day, to Nogliki usually every other day, and flights to Shakhtersk and Zonalnoye occur no more than 1-2 times a week.
By ship
Ferry Vanino-Kholmsk
The main waterway to Sakhalin is the
year-round Vanino-Kholmsk ferry crossing. Vanino (on the mainland) can
be reached by rail from Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok,
and from Kholmsk it is easy to travel deeper into the island. The ferry
is focused on cargo transportation, which completely determines its
schedule, further complicated by difficult weather conditions. A one-way
crossing takes from 14 to 18 hours and is possible no more than once a
day, since only two ferries out of three available carry passengers.
Usually the motion on a ferry is no stronger than on a train, but
sometimes there are strong waves in the Strait of Tartary. If you are
unsure that you will be able to handle the ferry ride well, take
anti-sickness tablets with you, as the flight attendants are not
guaranteed to have such tablets.
It is strongly recommended to
pre-book seats on the ferry for the desired date by calling the ticket
office in Vanino +7 (42137) 7-40-88 (24 hours a day). Even in the low
season there may be no places available, for example, due to the
transport of a group of military personnel. Reservations are possible
approximately one month before the trip. Before booking, decide on the
type of cabin. If funds allow, choose a stateroom on the upper deck,
where double, quadruple and deluxe cabins are available. In the lower
deck cabins, located just above sea level, the windows are covered with
a cover, leaving passengers without a view of the Tartary Strait and
without daylight. There are 2-berth, 4-berth and 8-berth cabins
available. In reality, 8-berth cabins contain only 6 berths. All cabins,
including doubles, have bunk beds only. The double cabin is quite
spacious; in addition to a bunk bed, it has a wardrobe, a table, a sofa,
and a sink with a tap. The 8-berth cabin, naturally, is not so spacious
and does not have a sink. Some passengers may be unpleasantly surprised
by a lower level of service than on airplanes or railways: old furniture
in cabins, leaking taps, rusty pipes in toilets. However, the bed linen
is quite clean. The total cost of the ticket consists of the base price
indicated on the ferry operator’s website, the ticket office fee (420₽),
the reservation (220₽) and the bus ticket (170₽) from the station to the
pier. The full price of a ticket for a 2-berth cabin on the upper deck
is 2,636 rubles, and for an 8-berth cabin on the lower deck is 2,097
rubles. As you can see, the price difference is not that big compared to
higher comfort. All prices are for 2017. The ticket price includes a
simple hot meal: pasta with sausages and tea. From May 15 to October 15,
travel on the upper deck without a berth in the cabin is possible. Such
a seat costs 1541₽ including all fees.
The day before departure,
call the ticket office again to confirm your reservation and clarify the
ferry departure time. Having arrived at Vanino station, go to the
station building, where the ferry ticket office is located directly
opposite the entrance. To the left of the entrance is the waiting room,
to the right is the hall with the railway ticket offices. At the ferry
ticket office they indicate the arrival time of the next ferry from
Kholmsk and the start time of ticket sales for this ferry (usually an
hour before arrival). First, tickets are purchased based on reservation.
Once there are no passengers with reservations left at the ticket
office, all remaining seats go on free sale. Therefore, it is important
to be at the ticket office at least an hour before the ferry arrives in
order to have time to redeem your reserved seats. A free meal voucher is
issued along with the ticket. A sure sign of the arrival of your ferry
is the appearance of a large group of arriving passengers in the station
building to buy train tickets. From the moment the ferry arrives, it is
recommended not to go far from the station so as not to miss the
announcement about boarding the ferry. From the arrival of the ferry to
its departure to Kholmsk it usually takes about three hours. If your
ferry is still on the way, you can go into the city by crossing the
railway tracks along the viaduct. After the announcement of boarding the
ferry, passengers' luggage begins to be checked for the presence of
prohibited items. The check is carried out by private security officers
of the Ministry of Transport of Russia at a special table right in the
waiting room. Inspecting the luggage of each passenger takes
considerable time, since only a hand-held metal detector is used. After
security, you go through the side gate to board a bus that will take you
directly to the ferry. Passengers enter the ferry from the side through
a gangway on the pier. Find your cabin and obtain bedding from the
flight attendant. Now all the worries are behind us, there is very
little time left before departure. It's time to go to the upper deck to
watch the ferry depart and admire the panoramic views of the Vanino
port.
About an hour after departure, passengers are invited via
loudspeaker to receive free food with coupons in a cafe located on the
upper deck. You can exercise your right to food stamps only for two
hours. After this, the cafe offers hot meals with a choice of several
options, confectionery, baked goods, hot and cold drinks for money. You
can pour boiling water from special containers completely free of
charge, which will certainly come in handy if you take instant noodles
on the road. Cafe opening hours: from 9.00 to 22.00 (kitchen until
21.00) with breaks for sanitary hours. On the upper deck you can also
use the shower for 220₽ (soap, shampoo and towel provided). The lack of
Internet and mobile communications provides an excellent opportunity to
meet new people with interesting travel companions. If the sky is
cloudless at night, take advantage of the rare opportunity to admire the
starry sky without city light. The flight attendants will wake you up in
advance if the ferry arrives in Kholmsk at night or early in the
morning. In Kholmsk, a bus will also be waiting for passengers at the
pier, which will take them to the sea terminal, from where buses depart
to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
The Korsakov-Vladivostok service is regular and year-round, but
exclusively for freight.
The most famous (and, needless to say,
the only) alternative to the ferry is the crossing across the Nevelskoy
Strait in the village of Lazarev, Khabarovsk Territory, which operates
during the navigation period (usually from May to October). This
crossing is purely unofficial. The width of the strait here is less than
ten kilometers, so it can easily be crossed by boats and motor boats
supplying the village of Pogibi on Sakhalin. You need to hitchhike to
Lazarev from Komsomolsk-on-Amur, then look for a suitable boat (or motor
boat) and cross. The main problem, however, is how to then get to the
inhabited areas of Sakhalin. The village of Pogibi has regular
connections with the mainland, and not with the island, so the road to
Okha is impassable at times. Nevertheless, many travelers managed to get
to Sakhalin (or leave the island) this way, covering the section to Okha
(about 120 km) on foot, by bicycle, and even by hitchhiking.
Both
ferry services transport cars. However, the cost of transportation
obviously exceeds the cost of renting a car on Sakhalin. In Lazarev, of
course, it is impossible to transport a car, but, according to
eyewitnesses, it is possible to transport a bicycle or motorcycle.
If you are traveling by car from the mainland, then the only
acceptable option is to drive to Vanino along the P-454 road (see
details in the similar section in the description of Vanino). The port
station also serves as a railway station, and the main entrance of the
port will be located not far from it.
The car traveler is
strongly recommended to contact representatives of the SASCO company (in
Russian - Sakhalin Shipping Company) in advance (10-15 days in advance),
or submit a preliminary application for transportation of the car to the
DalTransService agency via the Internet by e-mail
daltransservice@sakhalin.ru, or contact with a representative of the
Vanino port (if you are coming from the mainland) by phone 89147587449.
If this is not done on time, then you will have the interesting option
of waiting your turn for loading for a week. Of course, they may meet
you halfway, but you shouldn’t count on it too much. Do not think that
this is discrimination of your rights: all ferries of the Sakhalin
series are designed exclusively for the transportation of railway cars
and containers and are not at all suitable for the transportation of
cars. Cars are purely secondary passing cargo, and heavy-duty trucks
with perishable cargo have priority, and you are preparing to park
across the rails...
The cost of transporting a passenger car at
the beginning of 2017 is about 20 thousand rubles, payment is accepted
by card.
The southern part of the island has a good (by the standards of the Far East) transport infrastructure, but in the north there are practically no roads or transport.
Sakhalin Airlines operates daily flights from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Okha and 2-3 times a week to Shakhtersk. Tickets can be purchased on the airline's website.
The main railway line of Sakhalin runs along the eastern coast from
Korsakov to Nogliki. The line along the west coast is shorter: there is
passenger service on the section from Kholmsk to Ilyinsk. In Ilyinsk, a
bridge connecting two roads begins. The Kholmsk - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk line
is abandoned and partially dismantled or stolen.
Trains run daily
on Sakhalin:
001E/002E Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Tymovsk - Nogliki: night
branded train, reserved seat, compartment and SV cars
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Tomari: evening/morning diesel train RA3
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Poronaysk: evening/morning diesel train RA3
(2022)
Travel time to Tymovsk is 10.5-15 hours, to Nogliki 13-15
hours.
Suburban service exists only in the suburbs of
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Kholmsk. Commuter trains are practically useless
for traveling between cities.
The Sakhalin Railway can
confidently compete for the title of the slowest railway in Russia.
However, there is a certain romance in the railways of Sakhalin. The
railway tracks remain from Japanese times.
The current schedule
of long-distance trains/purchase of tickets is on the website of the
Russian Railways; the full schedule (together with commuter trains) is
here. Information can be obtained by phone. +7 (4242) 71-21-34.
In the south of Sakhalin there is almost no suburban railway service, so buses and minibuses are active. From Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk you can go to almost any city in the southern part of the island. The main routes are to Korsakov, Kholmsk, Dolinsk (every 30-60 minutes). In the north, bus service reaches Shakhtersk and Poronaysk. Then terra incognita begins, where there are no long-distance bus routes, but buses connected to trains run from Tymovsk station to Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky and from Nogliki to Okha. Current schedule here, information by phone. +7 (4242) 72-25-53.
The road network basically follows the location of the railways: two
highways run from south to north along the western and eastern shores,
bridges exist in the south (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Kholmsk) and north of
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (Ilyinsky - Arsentyevka). The western road ends just
north of Shakhtersk, and the eastern one continues to the northern part
of the island, to the cities of Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, Nogliki and
Okha. Most roads are in poor condition and often have no asphalt
surface: for example, the road to Okha is mostly dirt. For road trips
off main roads, an SUV is required.
Distances from
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk:
Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky – 550 km
Korsakov – 31
km
Nogliki – 630 km
Okha – 860 km
Kholmsk – 81 km
Due to
the poor quality of roads, car rental is not developed. Most companies
offer rentals with a driver, and this really makes sense, since visiting
almost all natural attractions will require an SUV, as well as the
skills to drive over rough terrain and ford rivers. The best way to
search for cars is through advertisements on the Internet.
Car
rental, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, st. Lenina 553 (2nd floor). ☎ (4242)
62-16-21, 61-96-19. The only official rental car that provides cars
without a driver. However, the area of use is limited to southern
Sakhalin up to Poronaysk, and even a trip to Poronaysk will cost 1.5
times more than driving around Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and its surroundings.
Hitchhiking is common, although not very effective due to low traffic flow. The main difficulty is to wait for at least some car.
Sakhalin is most interesting for its natural attractions. The cities
here are relatively young and unattractive, so amateurs must be content
with ethnographic impressions.
Mount Vaida is the highest point
of the mountain range in the middle part of the island. This small
mountain, just under a kilometer high, is the site of intense karst
activity, causing the formation of caves and unusual external fossils.
The most interesting are the Vaidinskaya Cave with picturesque
stalactites and stalagmites, as well as the Cave of Bear Tragedies,
where the bones of bears and tools of ancient man were found. On the
surface there are pretty alpine meadows and small mountain lakes. In the
first half of the 20th century, Mount Vaida was the border between the
Russian and Japanese parts of Sakhalin, and it was from here that the
offensive of Soviet troops began in 1945. Earthen fortifications and
numerous, often funny, memorials still remind of military events. The
nearest settlement is the village of Izvestkovy, connected by road (but
not by public transport) to the Smirnykh railway station. Entrance to
the caves is free, but it is not recommended to explore them without the
help of a local guide or an organized excursion. Excursions from
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk are organized by:
Mishka Tour company. ☎ +7 (4242)
46-17-70.
Cheremshansky waterfall is one of the most beautiful
waterfalls in Sakhalin. It is located on the right tributary of the
Cheremshanka River, 26 km from the mouth. The height of the waterfall
itself is 13 meters. You can get to it from the turnoff at 17 km of the
Arsentieva - Ilyinsky highway. Or from the village of Cheremshanskoye.
There is also a road through Tomari. The shortest route from the city of
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk will be about 175 km (of which 150 km are asphalt-soil
and 25 km of forest road) and will require about 3.5-4 hours one way; It
is advisable to use an SUV to complete this route!
The Kholmsk -
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk railway was built by the Japanese in the 20s of the
20th century and connected the eastern coast of the island with the
western, crossing the Sakhalin Mountains. The difficult terrain required
the construction of many tunnels and bridges. After the war, the road
was actively used by the Soviet Union as a direct route from the ferry
in Kholmsk to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, but in 1993 traffic was stopped due to
the emergency condition of some sections. By now, the rails have been
partially dismantled, but you can still walk along the entire route of
the former road, see interesting engineering structures and simply
admire nature. The full route (85 km) will take 2-3 days, but a shorter
walk from Nikolaychuk station (suburban trains from Kholmsk) to the
village of Chaplanovo (intersection with the highway) is also possible.
Hiking along the abandoned railway requires caution due to the disrepair
of the bridges, as well as minimal hiking equipment, including a
flashlight for negotiating the tunnels.
Cape Krillon is the
southernmost point of Sakhalin. You can get here from the village of
Shebunino, where a minibus goes from Nevelsk. For the next 70-odd
kilometers, the road mainly runs along the coast (right along the beach)
and is only passable by an SUV. There will always be mountains on one
side and the sea on the other. Interesting landscapes, the opportunity
to see the local fauna, as well as Cape Crillon itself with a
lighthouse, border outpost and weather station. The lighthouse appeared
here at the end of the 19th century and is still in operation.
Lake
Tunaicha is located 45 km from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the largest lake in
Sakhalin. Tunaicha is popular among ornithologists and simply wildlife
lovers. You can get to the lake by minibuses going to Svobodnaya or
Okhotskoye, or by ordering transport from a travel agency.
Moneron Island is located southwest of Kholmsk. Despite its significant
size (an area of about 30 km2), the island remained uninhabited for a
long time and was only occasionally visited by biological expeditions,
along with amateur ornithologists and divers. Moneron is interesting for
its unique underwater life: due to the warm Tsushima Current, even
subtropical mollusks live here. Visibility in the water often reaches
30-40 meters and allows diving. The above-water world is no less
interesting: rocky shores, deep canyons, beautiful waterfalls and alpine
meadows. Moneron and small adjacent islands are home to colonies of
birds, and there are also rookeries for seals and fur seals. You can get
to the island by helicopter or boat from Nevelsk (50 km south of
Kholmsk). The territory of Moneron is a national park, but there is no
independent tourist infrastructure yet - excursions are organized by
Sakhalin travel agencies. Diving on the island is provided by the
Sakhalin Diving Club.
Tyuleniy Island is a small rocky island in
the Sea of Okhotsk, 12 km southwest of Cape Terpeniya. One of the
largest seal rookeries and seabird nesting grounds. The territory of the
island is a protected area, so you can only get here with a guided tour.
Sole organizer of excursions:
Center for Promotion of Tourism
Development. ☎ +7 (4242) 48-68-89.
The Zhdanko Ridge is a
picturesque mountain range of volcanic origin north of Tomari and the
village of Tikhaya. The length of the ridge is 13 km, and its length is
only 1.5–2 km. The ridge was formed as a result of the solidification of
molten lava coming to the surface of the earth. The area is especially
beautiful in spring, when harsh rocks are interspersed with bright green
vegetation. There are two to three day routes that run along the entire
ridge. It is convenient to get there by the postal and luggage train
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Tymovsk, arriving at Tikhaya station around noon.
Alpine skiing - Mountain Air resort in the suburbs of
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Hiking in the Sakhalin Mountains allows you to see
the unique nature of the island; travel agencies conduct organized hikes
in the most interesting areas.
Scuba diving is developing on Moneron
Island. In principle, there are many other places suitable for diving on
Sakhalin and the surrounding islands, but the lack of infrastructure,
along with the difficulties of the border regime, makes their use
difficult.
Rafting is organized by travel agencies in
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on the surrounding rivers, mainly from the beginning
of May to the end of June, when the water level is highest. The Bykovsky
rapids on the Krasnoarmeyka River is one of the most difficult, and a
simpler route runs along the Lyutoga River from the village of
Pyatirechye to the village of Petropavlovskoye, located a few kilometers
north of Aniva Bay.
Everyday Sakhalin food is no different from all-Russian food, and for
special occasions in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk you can find dishes from almost
any cuisine. Since the occupation of the southern part of the island by
the Japanese, Korean cuisine products have been included in the diet.
Salads made from fern, sea grapes, burdock, heh with pollock and other
seafood are popular. They can be bought in any supermarket, but the best
ones are still sold in the pavilion near the trading house. Grocery
stores have a large selection of local sauerkraut Kimchi and imported
freeze-dried products. In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk there are many restaurants
with Korean cuisine (Davno-Davno) and small cafes in the food courts of
shopping centers (City Mall, Stolitsa). As for fish and seafood.
Delicacies are sold in villages along the roads, but it is in such
places, according to the observations of the Sakhalin residents
themselves, that they offer products that are not the freshest,
skillfully disguising them as freshly caught products, and, moreover, at
high prices. It is better to buy in specialized stores in the city. The
most common are crabs, smoked salmon and red caviar, which costs at
least 1500-2000 rubles per kilogram, or 280 rubles for a 140-gram jar
(2012). In the northern part of the island there are more traditional
dishes prepared from local ingredients: dried (yukola) and frozen
(stroganina) fish, seal meat, venison, bear meat, mushrooms and northern
berries such as crowberries and blueberries. Korean and Japanese cuisine
are common in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Local alcoholic drinks are
represented by beer, which is brewed in many cities of Sakhalin. The
main producer is the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk brewery Kolos, which produces
more than a dozen varieties. Beer from Japanese producers is available
for sale.
Sakhalin is a fairly safe region for travel, although the island's
capital, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, is notorious for having the highest child
crime rate in Russia. In general, if standard precautions are followed,
there should be no problems from people. Local residents are for the
most part friendly to travelers, although many at the same time have a
sharply negative attitude towards central Russia and especially Moscow.
Natural hazards are numerous. Typhoons, prolonged snowfalls and
simply sudden changes in temperature are common, and earthquakes occur
regularly. In addition, wild animals pose a serious danger - primarily
bears, which are found everywhere outside cities. The basic rule of
behavior is to scare the bear with sound. Sudden movements or an attempt
to escape can, on the contrary, provoke aggression. In most cases, bears
do not engage in direct confrontation with humans, but for long hikes it
is useful to have means of protection - a gun or a flare. Bears are
attracted to food, which therefore needs to be stored in airtight
containers or plastic bags.