BDI6. Baikal Cruise by m/s Imperia (6 days)

5 DBL deluxe cabins (bath, toilet, TV, video, PC, telephone, air condition, electricity 220V)

18 TWN standard cabins (shower, toilet, TV, video, air condition, electricity 220V)

2 SGL standard cabins (shower, toilet, TV, video, air condition, telephone, electricity 220V)

Itinerary:

Listvianka –Peschanaya Bay - Olkhon Island – Malye (Small) Ushkaniyi Islands – Chuvyrkuysky Gulf - Olkhon Island – Kadilnaya Pad' - Listvianka

• Peschanaya (Sandy) Bay - one of the most famous and scenic places of the lake. The Bay was given the name of Siberian Riviera, moreover, it is declared to be under protection as a part of natural treasury. Coming here you feel as if the Creator while working on lake Baikal felt special inspiration exactly here and put all his love into the made by him cliffs, smooth slopes of the hills and perfectly shaped semi-oval of bay beach. Wind and water constantly blow out and wash out sandy soil from under the roots of famous “walking” trees, which grow on the sandy slope in the northern part of the bay.

• Olkhon Island - the geographical, historical and sacred center of the Baikal Lake. It is the treasury of ancient legends and historical traditions. With its position in the central part of Baikal, near the maximum depth point (1637m), Olkhon has got the whole variety of natural Baikal landscapes. Olkhon has steppe landscapes with long and well warmed-up bays, rare for these areas sandy patches with dunes and hills, mixed deciduous forest with relic fir-groves, amazing marble cliffs covered with red lichen. For those who love wild nature and photographers it’s a real fount of immensely various landscapes and majestic sceneries.

• Shaman Rock – one of the nine Asian places of worship, located not far from Khuzhir settlement, has become a kind of visiting card of the lake, one the most famous key images of Baikal: there is no film or photo album about the lake, which can do without the picture of this place. The cave in the cliff of this cape is called Shamanka and it’s one of the most worshipped sacred places, where they made sacrifices and swore oaths since the time immemorial. Sacred Shaman Rock with the cave going through it and with access to it only for a shaman has been prohibited area for a long time, so nobody could go through the cave and even approach it.

• The Ushkaniyi Islands archipelago consists of four islands: the Bolshoy (Grand) Ushkany, the Tonkiy (Thin), the Krugly (Round) and the Dlinny (Long). The islands located in the middle of the lake is the top of the submarine Academic Ridge elevated above the water surface. The islands are formed of marble rocks of very unusual colors.
  Malye Ushkanyiyi Islands are three small islands: the Tonkiy (Thin), the Krugly (Round) and the Dlinny (Long). Compared with the fourth one (Grang Island) they are actualy very small.
  Settlers from the Russian North (“Pomors”) discovered in these islands a lot of the Baikal freshwater seals and called the archipelago the Islands of Hares (Pomors called seal "sea hare"). Later the islands received their modern name - the Ushkaniye Islands (Old-Siberian word “Ushkan” (from Russian “ukho” -ear) also means "hare").

• Zmeinaya (Snake's) Bay - The bay got its name because of the non-poisonous snakes sometimes appearing here. The bay is famous for hot bicarbonate-sulphate-sodium springs on the land and under water (temperature is from 35C to 45C, water has hydrogen sulfide odor and flavor, fluorine content of 10 to 23 l/mg). Sources used for treatment of sciatica and musculoskeletal diseases.

• Kadilnaya Pad' (Incense Gorge) - place where limestone was mined in ancient times. Now this place is protected area. Picturesque mountain path goes to famous Kadilinskiye Caves. In the cultural layers of this caves the remains of two ancient cultures were found: the Stone Age and the Iron Age. On the way for caves you can see the surface outcrops of rocks. Some of them have intricate shape formed under the influence of weathering. Along the way you will go through the Devil's Bridge, where the trail passes by the cliffs.

• 20/07 - 25/07/2012

Note: a cruise may be cancelled if the number of passengers is less than 35.

Costs for individual tourists – 2012:

 Included:

• full board
• excursions, recreational payments
• visit to shaman
• everyday entertaining programme onboard
• service of English-speaking guide/ interpreter
• banya
• transfers

 Not included:

• visit to the museum of Local Lore
• bar service
• fishing

Accommodation, transfers and other services in Irkutsk and Listvyanka are available for extra fee. Please inquire.