call our experts
800-728-2875
business hours
M-F: 8-5 PST
800-728-2875
business hours
M-F: 8-5 PST
asia / pacific: asia
z-Natural Treasures of the Russian Far East
price
2012
|
Ctgy |
Type |
Price ($US) |
|
B | Ocean Suite |
$8425 |
|
A |
Ocean Suite |
$9820 |
|
AA |
Ocean Suite |
$10750 |
|
JS |
Junior Suite |
$11680 |
|
DS |
Deluxe Suite |
$13440 |
|
BS |
Balcony Suite | $15195 |
|
PHS |
Penthouse Suite |
$16955 |
*Prices are per person based on double occupancy
One way charter flight between Petropavlovsk and Narita - $1350
duration
11 daystrip dates
Coming Soon!trip level
highlights
KushiroKunashiro Island
Iturup Island
Urup Island
Chirpoy Island
Yankitcha Island
Matya Island
Skaly Lovushky
Onekotan Island
Paramushir Island
Atlasova Island
Russkiya Bay
Zhupanova River
Petropavlovsk
accomm types
Small Ship
Day 1 - Otaru, Hokkaido (overnight onboard)
Enjoy the afternoon exploring the quaint township of Otaru, with an overnight aboard before disembarking the following day with complimentary transfers to the main city on Hokkaido, Sapporo.
Accommodations: Orion II
Included Meals: dinner
Day 2 - Korsakov, Sakhalin
A tour of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and the surrounding area are included in today’s visit to Sakhalin. Visit several highlights of the town including the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Resurrection and Sakhalin's regional museum. The museum will allow us an insight to the history, natural history and even the geology of the area. At the cathedral, have the opportunity to hear a Russian Choir perform. Also visit a city park where a special cultural performance, including Cossack dancing, will be held in our honor.
Accommodations: Orion II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 3 - At Sea
Spend this day relaxing aboard the luxurious Orion. Mingle with fellow guests as the crew gives presentations on the regions you will be visiting on this adventure.
Accommodations: Orion II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 4 - Urup Island & Chirpoy Island
Head to a large bay (Natalia Bay) on the northwest coast of Urup. Make a Zodiac landing on one of the beaches there and explore this island. Like the other Kuril Islands, it is a chain of old volcanoes covered with small green plants. In Natalia Bay you may see small Russian fishing boats, near the entrance to a river with white floats, connected to fishing nets in the anticipation of a fine salmon catch. Urup has one of our few population centers. The village of Kurilsk welcomes us with the traditional vodka, bread and salt, at the landing. There’s usually a dance performance, and a demonstration at the village gymnasium. The overgrown park still has a bust of Lenin.
Approaching Chirpoy Island, volcanic activity will sharpen your senses. This island is more than one volcano. Chirpoy Island is still developing. This can be witnessed by a new volcano s forming in the center of the island. Like the volcanoes on the other Kuril Islands, these are all composite or strato volcanoes, made of layers of ash, large volcanic rocks and thick lava. Orion ll will try to move into the large bay near the newer volcano. At Brat Chirpoy, under the supervision of a Russian Fish and Wildlife ranger we can do a Zodiac cruise just offshore and see a Stellar sea-lion rookery.
Accommodations: Orion II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 5 - Yankitcha Island & Matua Island Island
Tiny Yankicha, the emergent tip of an extinct volcano, is stunning. The steep-walled caldera is broken to the south and so is flooded by the sea, forming a tranquil lagoon where harlequins and sea otters show their stuff and crested and whiskered auklets nest. The inner grassy slopes rise to the rocky rim where fulmars nest and kittiwakes smother the cliffs. Near the lip of the lagoon a is a gap in the beach which fills with thermal waters- a serious setting for a natural hot spring bath. The very fit can hike to the peak of the island and those who make the effort are rewarded with a panoramic view of the caldera, fringed with jagged peaks.
On Matua the big draw is the abandoned air-base – bunkers, half-tracks, an anti-aircraft gun, rotting bacteriological-and-chemical-warfare suits, the occasional helmet, and a mound of cooked .762 ammunition.
Accommodations: Orion II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 6 - Skaly Lovushky & Onekotan Island
Exploring the remote Kuril Islands of Skaly Lavuski will reveal thousands of seabirds, sea lions and fur seals. They will greet you with a cacophonous rant as you step ashore from our Zodiacs. As we explore this rarely visited pristine wilderness, be on the lookout for the whiskered auklets that breed here.
Accommodations: Orion II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 7 - Atlasov Island & Shumshu Island
This morning explore the remains of the one time Soviet occupation of Atlasov. The island had previosuly been used as a fox farm and a womens prison and a large concrete light house still stands on the island today. Various walks on the island will be offered.
Shumshu is the northernmost of the Kuril Islands. Hundreds of sea-otters, in the kelp beds just offshore make fabulous viewing from our Zodiacs, which will get you close to the otters as they go about their daily business. As an interesting side note, the beaches of Shumshu are littered with glass fishing floats, used by the Japanese to float their fishing nets in the days before plastic floats became the norm. As with all destinations in the Russian Far East the actual weather and conditions on the day will dictate the exact location visited and the activities undertaken. This afternoon, enjoy zodiac cruises to observe the rafts of sea otters as well as landings to explore the coast and wetlands of the island itself.
Accommodations: Orion II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 8 - Vestnik Bay, Kamchatka
Take to the zodiacs to look at the abundant water fowl in the water and observe their nests high up on the cliffs. The number and variety of birds here is impressive. Some of those we can see include tufted puffins, spectacled guillemots, and red necked phalaropes. The Utashud Islands in Vestnik Bay have some interesting sea caves ideal for Zodiac cruising. Sea otters and harbour seals will also most likely be seen.
Accommodations: Orion II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 9 - Zhupanova River
To the north-east 120 km of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy the Zhupanova River watershed boasts being one of the most productive trout rivers in the world. The Kamchatka south-eastern Peninsula and river is home to the richest rainbow trout habitat. The Zhupanova drains a 1.1 million acre area extending into the central Kamchatka Range of volcanic mountains. The river contains exceptionally large trout, some reaching 7.3-9 kg, (12-15lbs) five species of Pacific salmon, and two species of Anadromous char (Salmo alpinus L). The Zhupanova is a resting place for migratory birds, who gather here in the thousands during their fall migration. The Russian Far East has more brown-bears than Alaska, and the Zhupanova, before or during the annual salmon run is a good place to see them. The eye stopper here is the huge steller sea-eagle, the heaviest eagle in the world. They build their nests overhanging the river, and there is the opportunity to see chicks, as well as adults.
Accommodations: Orion II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 10 - Petropavlovsk
Good weather will unveil spectacular views of the four active volcanoes, a massive harbor, and one of the oldest towns in the Russian Far East. The explorer Vitus Bering laid the first foundation stone there in 1740, later Captain Charles Clerke, Captain Cooks successor was buried there, he died of tuberculosis before HMS Resolution arrived. As the crossroads of the continents, it was the jumping off point for both of Bering’s expeditions.
Today Petropavlovsk is still home to a Russian submarine base. Weather permitting, a helicopter trip, can target the Valley of the Geysers, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and probably the second biggest collection of geothermal features after Yellowstone. It is a once in a lifetime experience. So for those who can, its worth it. Overnight, and enjoy this wonderful destination spot, for tomorrow you will be heading home.
Accommodations: Orion II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 11 - Disembark - Petropavlovsk
Enjoy a delicious breakfast, say your farewells, and disembark for home.
Accommodations: n/a
Included Meals: breakfast
Deposit and Final Payment: To secure your reservation a deposit of 25% of the fare is required. The deposit must be accompanied by a completed and signed Guest Booking Form and is due within 7 days of booking. Final payment must be received no later than 90 days before sailing. Separate conditions apply to the Cancellation Protection Plan.
Cancellation Policy: The following cancellation fees will apply to all reservations. The day on which written notice is received will determine the applicable penalties.
Day on Which Notice is received Penalty
121 days and over - 50% of deposit
120 - 91 days prior 100% of deposit
90 days or less 100% of fare
No show - no written notice 100% of fare
Travel Insurance: We highly recommend our travelers protect their investment with Travel Insurance. Please note that you must purchase your Travel Insurance policy within 14 days of booking your trip for it to cover pre-existing medical conditions.
Shoreside Expeditions: We include a number of complimentary shore experiences utilizing our Zodiacs. In addition we offer an exciting and diverse selection of optional shore experiences which can be either booked for in advance or reserved on board and charged to your on board account. Due to limited numbers on some experiences we recommend you pre-register to avoid disappointment. Details will be provided with your ticket.
Arrival/Departure Information: The Natural Treasures of the Russian Far East cruise begins in Kushiro and ends in Petropavlovsk. Embarkation time is between 3:00 – 4:00pm on day of departure. Disembarkation is after breakfast on final day between 9:00 – 10:30am. Please schedule flights based on these time frames.
Qualifications: This trip will be enjoyed by anyone who is in good health and leads an active life. Any medical condition, advanced pregnancy or disability must be advised to AdventureSmith Explorations when a request for accommodation is made. On every Orion voyage extensive use of the ship’s Zodiacs will be made transporting guests between ship and shore. It is anticipated this travel may be physically demanding from time to time. In order for the crew to determine if safe passage can be offered, guests may be asked to provide additional information, such as a medical assessment of their fitness for expeditionary travel. All guests must sign a disclaimer on board to participate in offship activities. Guests should be sure to bring on board sufficient supplies of any prescription medication they may require.
General Information: This trip is subject to AdventureSmith Explorations Terms & Conditions:. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A packing list, extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information is sent upon confirmation. We strongly recommend the purchase of Trip Insurance through AdventureSmith Explorations. If purchased within 14 days of sign-up, the pre-existing condition exclusion is waived.
We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! Call today.
