Frequently asked questions about Baikal. About cold water on Lake Baikal and beach holidays. Main tourist places

People say: “If you are afraid of wolves, do not go into the forest.” To protect yourself and your loved ones on Lake Baikal, you need, firstly, to know what to watch out for, and secondly, to know how to prevent trouble.

So, what to expect in the Baikal region?

Weather

Firstly, at any time of the year, no matter winter or summer, you need to protect yourself from the effects of the local bright sun. I advise you to purchase protective creams in advance, as this may cause problems. A hat, sunglasses and closed clothing will all save you from burns, which in these parts can be very subtle. Even when it is cool and windy, the sun can be very strong, as in the south.

In summer it can be very hot, but it can also be very cold. IN mountainous areas it might even snow. Such a temperature difference can happen in one day. Especially in June and from mid-August. It can also be very cool in the evening. Therefore, warm clothes and a windproof jacket will come in handy.

In the summer on Olkhon, I managed to sleep on the coast in one sleeping bag without a tent. On such days, my morning came very early, I was in a hurry to move on, since it was very cold.

Ticks

Oh, this is probably the question that worries you most? How to enjoy the virgin beauty of the Baikal region and return from there healthy and alive?

In general, I think that the situation with the tick is greatly exaggerated. The likelihood that you will be bitten by an encephalitis tick is very low. At least I haven't heard of a single outbreak of encephalitis in this region recently. But if you want to be one hundred percent sure, get vaccinated in advance. So as not to overshadow your holiday with unnecessary fears. Ticks are mainly active in the spring. But there is a possibility of meeting them in the summer.

Personally, I haven’t met a single such handsome man on Lake Baikal, but in Krasnodar region, as soon as I noticed a tick on myself, I carefully removed it and tried to treat the wound. My strategy is this: don’t be afraid of anything, everything that needs to happen will happen on its own, regardless of you. In general, prepare clothes with a minimum of holes in advance and rest easy.

Insects

On the northern and eastern coasts, a mosquito net will come in handy. There are many swamps, lakes and forests. Mosquitoes are also active in the evening and in cloudy weather. On the coast, special clothing and some protective equipment will be useful. Various aroma sticks help me a lot. And, of course, smoke from the fire. In general, here to each his own.

Ice

Driving on the ice of Baikal, especially in spring, is very dangerous. If you are going to travel around Lake Baikal by car in winter, be on your guard.

Wild animals

Dangerous wild animals are very rare in the vicinity of Irkutsk, on Lake Baikal and in the mountains. The following may pose a danger: bears (especially in spring), wolves (in packs), large ungulates (during the mating period) and wild boars, as well as females of all these animals with cubs. When meeting an animal, do not turn your back on it and run.

Looked into the eyes - look away. Experienced travelers advise having firecrackers with you, or just something loud. Boars are afraid of the clink of a spoon on a mug, for example. Tested personally, in the Gelendzhik region of the Krasnodar Territory.

Snakes

Snakes are also very rare. The venom of these snakes is not fatal.

And, of course, always remember the telephone number of the Ministry of Emergency Situations - the Unified Rescue Service - 112.

Theft

Well, don’t forget to keep an eye on your things, tents, cars. In summer, at the height of tourist season, cases of theft occur quite often. Be vigilant and attentive.

And finally, I would like to remind you - try not to get into the water when you are drunk. Baikal doesn't like drunk people.

Have fun and safe travels along the Baikal region.

Despite this fact, you should not neglect precautions, since there are indeed ticks in all regions of Siberia. If you want to walk along the coastal Baikal hills or through the forest, you may encounter this unpleasant insect. But if you take basic precautions, your trip will not be marred by an encounter with a tick. In addition, our tours are not conducted in places where the likelihood of tick bites is high. The tick is moisture-loving, does not like direct sunlight and prefers to live in shaded and moist deciduous and mixed forests with tall grass, littered with windbreaks. Ticks concentrate on grass, branches of bushes along forest paths and paths. Contrary to widespread misconception, ticks do not jump onto people from birch trees. The tick lies in wait for its victim by climbing onto the grass up to 1 meter high, clinging to the clothing or fur of the animal and crawling upward, looking for a place to bite. Most often it is found on the head, neck, and shoulders. This gives the false impression that the ticks fell from above.

How to protect yourself from a tick bite?

Dress correctly!
When going to mountainous forest areas, it is preferable to wear light-colored clothing (as ticks are more visible on them). Clothes must have long sleeves and a hood; if there is no hood, wear a hat or cap and tie your hair in a ponytail or braid. It is better to tuck your trouser legs into your socks.
Use protective equipment (repellents)
All repellents can be divided into 3 groups:
1. Tick repellents
For example, “Biban”, “DEFI-Taiga”, “Off! Extreme", "Gall-RET", "Gal-RET-cl", "Deta-VOKKO", "Reftamid maximum"
They are applied to clothing and exposed areas of the body in the form of circular stripes around the knees, ankles and chest. It must be applied before each trip to the forest. These products can also be used to protect against midges. It can be applied not only to clothes, but also to the skin.

2. Repellents that kill ticks, for example, “Reftamid taiga”, “Piknik-Antiklesch”, “Gardex aerosol extreme”, “Tornado-Antiklesch”, “Fumitox-anti-ticks”, “Gardex-anti-ticks”, “Permanon”. These drugs are applied only to clothing. Before treatment, clothing should be removed, the repellent should be thoroughly sprayed, special attention should be paid to the treatment of trouser legs (it is advisable to also treat the underside of the trouser leg to a height of 10-15 cm), trouser waistband, cuffs, and collar. After treatment, the clothes should dry a little, then they can be worn again. Shoes also need to be treated with repellent. A killer repellent usually lasts 15 days, but wet weather can shorten its duration.

3. Combined repellents (killing and repelling ticks) their effectiveness when used correctly is close to 100 percent. These are “Kra-rep” and “Mosquito-anti-mite” aerosols.

It is most preferable to use drugs of the second and third groups. Laboratory tests have proven that with proper use of repellents, 95-99% of attached ticks are repelled.
Every 30 minutes you need to inspect your clothes, conduct a thorough check every 2-3 hours, pay special attention to the following parts of the body: neck, armpits, groin area, ears - in these places the skin is especially delicate and thin, and the tick is most often attached there . If you find a tick on your clothing, you need to carefully remove it and burn it (or put it in a hermetically sealed container and destroy it when possible).
If a tick does bite you, do not try to remove it yourself; seek help from a guide or the nearest emergency room.

If you follow basic precautions, self-defense and hygiene, you will not encounter a tick!

Tour to Baikal without ticks!

The past 2015, with the taboo on holidays in Turkey and Egypt, forced many Russians to reconsider their places that had been established over the years family vacation and take a fresh look at domestic Russian tourist meccas. As it turned out, there are not so many such places in Russia. The Caucasus and the Black Sea coast are, without a doubt, good, but the wave of tourists that rushed into these places and the instantly soaring prices leave an indelible negative aftertaste in the memory of tourists.

But there are places in Russia that are no less amazing in their beauty and quality of recreation, which will not only delight tourists with their natural beauty and variety of recreation options, but will also breathe so much energy and positivity into any traveler that this vacation will remain a bright spot in his memories with a desire to return to these places again. This magical place- Lake Baikal.



Unfortunately, when mentioning the possible tourist trip Many Russians have often formed baseless stereotypes about these Siberian places, which immediately discourage them from getting acquainted with a vacation on Lake Baikal.

Let's try to figure out whether it's really worth planning your next family summer vacation on Lake Baikal and how much it might cost. What is the truth and where are the misconceptions?


Let's consider the most common questions that arise in the mind of any tourist planning to spend their holiday on the shores of Lake Baikal:

1. Baikal is very far away.

2. There is nothing to see at Lake Baikal and it is not worth spending your entire family vacation on it.

3. A trip to Baikal is very expensive.

3. There is no tourism infrastructure.

4. There are a lot of mosquitoes on Lake Baikal and bears walk the streets.

6. You can only go to Baikal in summer

7. Baikal has cold water and beach summer rest impossible there.

8. Going to Baikal on your own is scary! - how to get to attractions? how to build routes? where to stay for accommodation? How to get around all the interesting things in a few days?


So, let’s debunk the myths about holidays on Lake Baikal.

MYTH 1. BAIKAL IS VERY FAR AWAY

Baikal is not at all the outskirts of Russia. Our country is so large that in fact Lake Baikal is located practically in the geographical center of Russia, exactly halfway between Kaliningrad and Vladivostok.



The distance from the capital of our Motherland to Lake Baikal is about 5000 km with a flight time of about 5 hours. This is little more than a flight to Antalya or Hurghada (3.5 and 4 hours respectively). Moreover, the time of departure from Moscow (late evening) and arrival back (early morning) was chosen very conveniently and the road was not at all tiring.


There are two ways to get to Lake Baikal:

- By plane

From Moscow- direct flight to Irkutsk or Ulan-Ude. Aeroflot, UTair, and others fly to Irkutsk from Moscow. Ural Airlines" and S7. In Ulan-Ude - Aeroflot, Transaero, S7 and Yakutia. As a rule, flights are evening. Travel time is 5-6 hours.


From Saint-Petersburg- direct flight to Irkutsk by Ural Airlines and Rossiya airlines.

You can also fly to Baikal from other cities: Ekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Perm, Tyumen, Surgut, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk, Mirny, Tomsk, Barnaul, Blagoveshchensk, Vladivostok, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Yakutsk . Flight time is from 2 to 8 hours.


- By train

From Moscow you can travel without transfers to Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Baikalsk and Severobaikalsk. From St. Petersburg - only to Irkutsk. The journey from Moscow or St. Petersburg will take up to 4 days.

Stations in the south of Baikal Slyudyanka, Tankhoi, Baikalsk are used in the summer to transport tour groups to the Khamar-Daban mountains; in the winter they work in Baikalsk ski resort.

MYTH 2. THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE AT BAIKAL AND YOU SHOULD NOT SPEND YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY VACATION ON IT

Baikal is so multifaceted and unique in terms of options and vacation spots that it is impossible to explore all its beauties even over several vacations! There is almost everything for any type of holiday.



Those wishing to find a worthy alternative For a beach holiday, we can recommend the Small Sea Strait and the Eastern coast of Lake Baikal, where the warm and clean waters of the bays are gorgeous White sand and plenty of sunny days will provide a great time for the whole family.



And believe me, one vacation to explore all the beauty of Baikal will definitely not be enough for you!

Choose your favorite vacation option on Lake Baikal from the variety of species

MYTH 3. A TRIP TO BAIKAL IS VERY EXPENSIVE

More than half of those who come to Baikal are students and pensioners, whose income is quite modest!

Let's look at prices on Lake Baikal in more detail and consider vacation options on Lake Baikal.



The biggest cost component when traveling to Lake Baikal is the flight.

Currently, a flight from Moscow to Irkutsk will cost 12 thousand rubles one way. per person. By train the price is much lower (from 3.5 rubles for a one-way ticket), but not everyone wants to spend more than 3 days in a carriage.

Accordingly, the cost of a round trip flight will be within 25 thousand rubles. per person (Aeroflot provides discounts for pensioners). The rest of the costs depend on your holiday option on Lake Baikal.

Option 1 - vacation through a travel agency

Basically, Baikal tour operators include in their tour package all expenses from the moment they meet you at the airport (Irkutsk or Ulan-Ude) and board the plane back. You pay for the flight yourself.



The advantages of such a vacation are that all questions regarding the organization of your vacation are decided for you by the tour operator. At the same time, in a limited vacation time you can cover as many attractions as possible. But for this you have to pay for a tour package in addition to the flight.

The cost of a tour package depends on the time of year, the duration of the trip and the level of amenities. On average, a week's accommodation with excursions, meals and trips to attractions included will range from 15 to 40 rubles. per person. You can find out more about the prices for tours around Lake Baikal in these sections:

- summer tours to Lake Baikal
- winter tours to Baikal

Option 2 - independent holiday on Lake Baikal

Those who are used to counting money and are not ready to overpay can be offered an independent holiday on Lake Baikal. And don’t be afraid of difficulties - more than 70% of tourists coming to Lake Baikal choose this particular vacation option. Obvious advantages are independent choice of routes and costs. At the same time, you can stay for accommodation either in any of the numerous camp sites on Lake Baikal (prices from 500 rubles per day without meals), or in a tent on any section of the Baikal coast that you like - fortunately, there are such picnics and places on Lake Baikal great amount.


All the variety of independent recreation on Lake Baikal, attractions, contacts and places of accommodation can be explored in separate article.

And if you want to see the route on the map and choose the appropriate one, then go to the page with maps of routes to all the sights of Lake Baikal.

Option 3 - a trip around Lake Baikal with a guide

If you have a rational approach to money and are not ready to purchase expensive tours, but at the same time want to protect yourself as much as possible from possible misunderstandings during the trip and make it as educational as possible, then numerous experienced tour guides can help you. For relatively little money they can help you with planning your route, organizing transfers to vacation spots and activities. interesting excursions. Here is a list of verified and experienced Baikal guides.

4 Recreation option - volunteering

If you want to see Baikal in all its grandeur and at the same time not only not spend a penny for the trip, but also earn money, then during these Amazing places You can come through the volunteer movement. There are a huge number of protected areas on Lake Baikal and helpers are needed here at any time of the year. Since 2003, the international project “Great Baikal Trail” has been implemented on Lake Baikal. You can choose any of numerous nature reserves of Lake Baikal and declare your desire to come as a volunteer.

The choice of holiday option is yours!

But pay attention to the MAIN RULE OF ANY VACATION ON BAIKAL - after your stay, the vacation spot should remain at least as clean as before your arrival! Be friends with your conscience!


MYTH 4. THERE IS NO TOURIST INFRASTRUCTURE ON BAIKAL

Baikal is really not Türkiye and not even Black Sea coast. That is why these places still remain pure, sacred and full of energy and strength. But it is precisely this circumstance that attracts millions of tourists from all over the world to the shores of Lake Baikal every year. More than half of the territory of Lake Baikal is occupied by National parks and nature reserves and staying in these territories imposes certain obligations in relation to nature and the development of tourism infrastructure.



The trip to Baikal begins with arrival in the regional cities of Irkutsk (60 km northwest of Lake Baikal) and Ulan-Ude (70 km southeast). These metropolitan merchant cities have so much originality and legendary history that it is definitely worth spending at least a couple of days getting to know them.

As for the tourist infrastructure on the coast of Baikal itself, it is no less than in Altai or Kamchatka. In any place of tourist activity there will always be recreation centers, cafes, ATMs and shuttle buses.

Nevertheless, many travelers come to Lake Baikal precisely to see it. wildlife and pristine beauty. This is also enough here. But in this case, do not expect any benefits of civilization and first study the Boy Scout handbook and advice from experienced people;)

MYTH 5. THERE ARE A LOT OF MOSQUITOES ON BAIKAL AND BEARS WALK THE STREETS

Here the answer will be short.

There are absolutely no mosquitoes on the coast of Lake Baikal! The cold waters of the lake are unacceptable for the development of the larvae of this insect, which, as is known, develop only in warm water.


Bears often come ashore on Lake Baikal. Photo by Umar Ramazanov

Bears are found only in the northern part of the lake and are dangerous during the period after hibernation (April-May). During the rest of the period, it is a very cautious predator and tries not to catch the eye of humans. Almost throughout the entire territory of Lake Baikal, where tourist routes pass, the likelihood of meeting this owner of the taiga is extremely low. In recent years, there have been a few cases of tourists encountering a bear, and none with a fatal outcome.

MYTH 6. ON BAIKAL THE TOURIST SEASON IS ONLY IN SUMMER

You can relax on Lake Baikal all year round!

At any time of the year there is something to see and do on Baikal; you can come to Baikal all year round - in summer, autumn, winter and spring. The warmest months in the summer season are July and August, and to enjoy winter activities on Lake Baikal it is better to come in February-March, when the lake is covered with the strongest ice.
IN different time a stunning unforgettable vacation is possible!


You can learn more about seasonal holidays on Lake Baikal using a separate link.

And choose a vacation option on Lake Baikal in any season


MYTH 7. BAIKAL HAS COLD WATER AND A BEACH HOLIDAY IS IMPOSSIBLE

At any time of the year at depth, Baikal has a constant water temperature of + 4 degrees. But almost along the entire coast of Baikal in the bays in the summer season (from mid-July to the end of August) average temperature water reaches +20 degrees. And given that Baikal is one of the sunniest places in Russia, any tourist will be able to combine sunbathing and water procedures, diluting the relaxing bodily rest with visits to many cultural and ethnic attractions.



Particularly noteworthy in terms of beach holidays are such Baikal places as Maloye More and the Eastern coast of Baikal, where the water in the bays warms up to +25 degrees. These are ideal places for a beach holiday on Lake Baikal.

MYTH 8. GOING TO BAIKAL BY YOURSELF IS SCARY

This is perhaps the most pressing question for all travelers who are planning an independent holiday on Lake Baikal.
Every year more than a million tourists come to Baikal as savages and before they could not find detailed information O independent rest, since most descriptions of Lake Baikal are on commercial websites of tour operators selling tours or personal pages of tourists who have visited Lake Baikal with highly emotional and subjective posts.

Seeing this situation, we launched the Baikal Fan mobile application.

Now any user of mobile devices, relaxing on Lake Baikal without access to the Internet, can find out all the information he needs about all the most interesting places recreation, events and mapped routes to the most beautiful sights of Lake Baikal.

To do this, you just need to install our guide on your mobile phone and your personal guide-assistant around Lake Baikal will always be in your pocket!
And most importantly, from March 15, 2016, this mobile guide You can download and install on your phone absolutely free!



For those who have constant access to the Internet, our guide section will help you choose a vacation spot on Lake Baikal, which contains detailed and reliably verified information about all the most interesting sights of the Baikal region with detailed description routes to vacation spots, as well as detailed Yandex maps with the sights of Lake Baikal marked. The guide is constantly updated with new articles about this unique lake.

And since you have already read this article to the end and you are interested in the opportunity to visit the fabulous Baikal places, then here is a link to help you to our free guidebook, which presents advice from experienced travelers to Baikal and has answers to all the most frequently asked questions about a trip to Baikal .

TAKE BAIKAL WITH YOU!

Expensive and cheap are subjective concepts, so let's look at specific numbers.

A plane ticket from Moscow to Irkutsk will cost from 12,000 rubles one way, and a ticket from St. Petersburg costs about the same. If you travel by train, a ticket from Moscow will cost you from 8,000 to 17,000 rubles one way. Prices vary greatly depending on the season.

Prices in Baikal hotels range from 2 to 7 thousand, you can rent a guest house for 1500-2000 rubles per day, and a place in a hostel - from 700 rubles. There are both budget and more comfortable camp sites. Most cheap option– car camping sites, but the level of comfort there is significantly lower.

Product prices in major cities about the same as everywhere else. On Baikal there are inexpensive canteens and cafes where you can have a meal at reasonable prices. On Olkhon and in other remote places, food is much more expensive, and there are not many cafes there - knowledgeable tourists They advise you to purchase everything you need in Irkutsk or Ulan-Ude, especially to buy medicines and personal hygiene items.

Are there many mosquitoes on the lake?

On the coast itself there are no or almost no mosquitoes - insect larvae do not breed in cold water, and in Baikal the water is cold most of the year.

It is better to buy mosquito repellents and ointment after insect bites in advance. A mosquito net will also come in handy.

Are there bears on Lake Baikal?

Bears are found only in the northern part of the lake - it is the most inaccessible, and there is practically no tourist civilization there. Bears are most dangerous during the period after hibernation (April-May). The rest of the time, predators themselves prefer not to be seen by humans.

On tourist routes You can spot a bear around Lake Baikal, but such cases are rare. Behind recent years not a single encounter with a fatal outcome for humans was recorded. But – caution should be observed in any case.

Danger can come from packs of wolves, large ungulates (during the mating period), wild boars, and females of these animals with cubs. It is very rare to see them on Lake Baikal, but in such a case it is good to have a firecracker or something with which you can make loud sounds. When meeting an animal, move away from the meeting place, DO NOT turn your back to the animal and DO NOT look closely into its eyes. If you look, look away.

What to take with you to Baikal?

Even if you are traveling in the summer, you will need warm clothes - a sweater, windbreaker, warm trousers. Comfortable shoes without high heels, hats from the sun and wind, a swimsuit or swimming trunks, sunglasses and sunscreen will come in handy (even in winter - the sun is bright on Baikal).

Accordingly, in winter, take warm clothes and shoes, thermal underwear, and a thermos - frosts on Lake Baikal can reach -30 degrees and below.

Take with you a first aid kit, mosquito and tick repellent, and ointments after insect bites. Don't forget your camera, gadgets, chargers and batteries for them, etc. It is better to have cash with you, since ATMs are only available in cities and large regional centers. In villages, cards are usually not accepted.

All basic products, medicines, hygiene items, etc. can be bought in cities or large towns. But if you are vacationing as savages, somewhere far from civilization, stock up on everything you need to the maximum.

Does mobile communication work on Baikal? How much does roaming cost?

In large cities and the most visited places of Lake Baikal there are mobile connection MTS, Megafon, Beeline, Baikalwestcom (Rostelecom). Good signal on Southern Baikal, on the Small Sea and Olkhon Island.

IN protected areas Communication, as a rule, is only satellite. And, of course, in remote and isolated places on Lake Baikal, communication may be weak or completely absent - keep this in mind.

Baikal is included in the tariff zone Far East– Find out the conditions and prices for roaming in advance.

When is the best time to go to Baikal?

You can go to Baikal both in summer and winter. The second half of July and the beginning of August is the time for beach holidays, May and early autumn - good time For hiking and excursions, and in winter, lovers of skiing and ice fishing come to Lake Baikal.

To enjoy winter activities, it is best to come in February-March, when the lake is covered with a strong and thick layer of ice.

The low season begins in October-November - at this time there is nothing to do on Lake Baikal. The lake freezes only by mid-January. Ice drift begins in April-May; in the north of Baikal, ice can be seen even in June.

Important: During ice drift, going out on the ice is dangerous and is highly discouraged.

Is it possible to swim on Baikal, and where?

The water in Baikal is quite cold even in summer - the average surface temperature is +8C°. But in bays and bays the water warms up to +20 - +22C° and even higher - this happens in the second half of July and early August.

It is believed that the warmest water in summer on Lake Baikal is in the Small Sea. This is the name of the area between Olkhon Island and west coast lakes. There are many bays and bays with a flat bottom, where the water warms up well.

You can read about other beaches for swimming on Lake Baikal on our website - we have prepared a separate material.

Friends, what else would you like to know about holidays on Lake Baikal? Ask in the comments!

 

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