Tag Archives: kamchatka-2024

A moment comes when memories of even the most powerful and almost-perfect trip to Kamchatka in the summer of 2024 begin to fade. That went for me recently. So I needed to refresh my memory…

But why was this trip only almost perfect, and not entirely? Simply because one week out of the three was spoiled by dreadful weather! Still, any experienced Kamchatka traveler will tell you that you should allocate at least 50% of your time for cyclones, rain, or just view-spoiling low cloud cover. Or a bigger percentage; or a much bigger percentage. Just ask Vitus Bering. So, as it turned out – we were lucky with just 33%.

In good weather, you see things here that you won’t see in everyday life. Well, except perhaps in Indonesia or New Zealand – though, even there, you won’t find such vivid phenomena as those in Kamchatka. For example, there’s the hot Khodutka lake, the hot beaches of Ksudach, the bright colors of the Koshelev volcano, and bears everywhere – Kamchatka exclusives.

In short, it’s simple: Kamchatka is the most magical place in the world for contemplation-meditation. It only just beat its nearest competitor (New Zealand), but it’s so much more interesting – than everything else on this planet!

As our trip was coming to a close, we took a final helicopter ride around the some of the peninsula’s hotspots (pun not intended!).

Farewell glimpses of southern Kamchatka – of bright colors and snow cover…

…And of the “greenery” of the volcanic ridges:

Read on…

Toward the end of our nearly three-week summer trip to Kamchatka, after already countless splendid days and endless incredible, breathtaking views that we were so fortunate to experience, we finally encountered the single most magnificent day of all. This day became unforgettable thanks to a walk around the peaks of Koshelev. This remote volcano, far from the main tourist routes, isn’t all that well-known, and it doesn’t always greet its rare visitors with good weather. We, however, were lucky: it treated us to an endless riot of shapes and a kaleidoscope of color:

The volcano itself is a complex structure formed by the merging of five (!) different volcanoes.

Read on…

Having had to sit out the bad weather the previous day, we woke the next morning to clear blue, sunny skies – a rare but actually possible climatic phenomenon in Kamchatka. So after a quick breakfast (the weather could turn later in the day, so we had to look sharp), we all hopped into the chopper and flew up to the peak of Kambalny volcano!…

Read on…

When descending the slope of Kambalny Ridge the volcanism goes into overdrive. Everything hissing, boiling, and bubbling, and with every color of the rainbow present. The overall result is a surrealistic scene – like a mini-Uzon. So, of course – we set up camp right in the middle of it!…

Alas, the weather wasn’t great…

Read on…

There aren’t many places in the world where you can find world-class, mind-blowingly beautiful natural objects… without the typical crowds of tourists. But in Kamchatka – you can!…

Of course, I’ve been seeing – and mentioning in my blogposts – the steady rise in the numbers of tourists that visit Kamchatka in recent years, but, all the same, given Kamchatka’s vast size (bigger than the UK), those are still a mere drop in the ocean.

Perhaps the most striking example of the relative touristlessness of Kamchatka can be found at the southernmost end of the peninsula – where there are the two unique and astonishingly grandiose volcanoes – Kambalny and Koshelev. Here’s Kambalny and its eponymous ridge:

And here’s Koshelev:

Read on…

Onward – southward, heading for the inimitable Ksudach volcano – a… Countach among the peninsula’s fastest retro 12-cylinder biggest and most striking volcanoes!…

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been here, but it could be a hundred and I’d never tire of it: its colossal caldera, the new crater growing up inside it, and the two luscious lakes: oh my gigantically grand, green and grandiose!…

The drone comes into its own here:

Read on…

It was farewell to Ksudach, as we choppered down toward the Kambalny and Koshelev volcanoes – which are so far south that you can clearly see three of the northern Kuril Islands. On the way, we passed both Ilynsky volcano and Kurile Lake…

Kurile Lake in so-so weather ->

Read on…

If ever you hear the Russian for “town” (gorod) uttered in Kamchatka, what are normally being referred to are the practically conjoined towns of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Yelizovo (where around two-thirds of the population of the whole peninsula live – ~200,000 out of ~290,000) – here. It’s what happens when there’s a single… micropolis in a region ).

Behind the town there are three charming volcanoes, fondly referred to as the domashny volcanoes – domashny meaning “homely”, “domesticated” (as in – not wild), or “of the home” – kind of like… a pet, or the comforts of a home (also a “home” instead of, say, a “pro” version of something like a product).

Aaaaaany way, the domashnies are the Koryaksky, Avachinsky and Kozelsky volcanoes, which form the much cherished and appreciated backdrop to the administrative center of Kamchatka. Cherished and appreciated, that is, when they’re visible, which is rarely – including when we were there this year, when we only caught brief glimpses of them between passing clouds from the helicopter:

Read on…

Hi folks!

You’ve had volcanoes and geysers and out-of-this-world scenery; now for the more practical side to life in Kamchatka – where to bed down of a night!…

First, let me state the obvious: Kamchatka’s no resort. It has long beaches, but the ocean’s always cold; and Kamchatka’s also hard – and expensive – to get to given it’s so remote. Accordingly, there aren’t the corresponding hundreds of large chain hotels dotting its coastline. But, obviously, there have to be places to stay – and there are; they’re just more modest than your Marriott’s and Hiltons, etc. Nevertheless, the places to stay and the level of service at them is decent, and getting better by the year – as we keep finding out ourselves…

Our first overnight is practically always in or near the village of Paratunka, not far from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky – here. Why? Because it’s built upon magical hot springs: hot, pure mineral water on tap and in the pools of all the guesthouses in the village – which range from the bare basics to rather the luxurious…

This year we spent the night in the village next door to Paratunka called Termalny (Thermal). And here’s the guesthouse we stayed in:

And here’s its naturally-heated pool. Yes – new. Yes – very nice! And just look at the view!…

Read on…

Onward – southward, from Bakening in the direction of Lake Tolmachova – where we were to stay overnight next…

The scenery – once again – magical:

Read on…