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Northern Finland and Russia
Sunday 10 - Sunday 17 July 2005 (8 days)
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 Brown Bear (courtesy Finnature) |
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With the 'recce' trip taking place after our brochure goes to press, we will only give brief details of the tour here, with the full details coming out in autumn 2004.
Going on a bear-watch...and we're not scared! We start by returning to log hides on the Finnish/Russian border where magnificent Brown Bears come during the long, light summer evenings to feed on the salmon provided for them by local wardens. The bears can be within yards of the hides for several hours, offering superb photographic opportunities, with a chance to see other forest mammals including Wolverine. The disadvantage? Well, once you are in the hide, you do have to stay in there for the whole evening, and through the early hours of the next morning if the bears stick around. So the hides are equipped with bunk-beds and sleeping bags, and toilet facilities - and you can choose what 'night-snacks' you'd like provided, in case the sight of all those bears stuffing themselves makes you peckish! The hides are also equipped with an amplifying microphone & headsets for hearing the birds and wildlife in the surrounding forest. We then head across the Russian border, to the White Sea, where we cross to the island of Solovetski. Beluga whales gather every summer in the White Sea, not far from the Russian Karelian town of Belomorsk, providing ecotourists and scientists with an extraordinary opportunity to observe and even communicate with these pure white whales. The small village of Solovki on Solovetski Island in the White Sea, four hours from Belomorsk by ferry, is comprised mostly of log-built homes surrounded by potato patches. What makes it unique is the pink granite medieval monastery that sprawls through the centre of the village. Inside the gates rises one of the Russia's oldest cathedrals, whose onion domes contain huge bells that are still rung twice a day. The Moscow-based Shirshov Institute of Oceanology has established a Beluga research station a few miles north of the cathedral, where biologists have erected a log tower at the tip of a skinny, boulder-strewn glacial ridge that all but disappears at high tide. This vantage offers a stunning view of the whales when they concentrate to exploit a tidal swell that attracts schools of herring. The Belugas visit the area in small groups led by a 'scout', who signals the rest of them if fish are present. And finally - will there be mosquitoes? Well, yes, some, but the main summer flush of these pests of the arctic is over, and with a good dose of repellent, you shouldn't be that badly troubled by them. Once again we'll be in the good hands of our friends from Finnature. Itinerary Day 1 We depart London mid-morning to arrive in Helsinki and connect with an afternoon flight to Kaajani. Here we meet our Finnature guide and travel to Kuhmo. Overnight Kuhmo Day 2 A morning birdwatching around Kuhmo can produce a range of breeding and migrant species, including the chance of Rustic Bunting, Parrot Crossbill and Three-toed Woodpecker. After lunch we travel to Lentiira close to the Russian border. After checking in at our lodge, a former frontier-station, we meet up with the local bear-guides, who will take us out to the hides. The entire evening, and part of the next morning will be spent in the three hides, before we return to the lodge for a well-earned rest. Local birdwatching around the hotel can produce a range of breeding and migrant species, including the chance of Rustic Bunting, Parrot Crossbill and Three-toed Woodpecker. Overnight Lentiira Day 3 After breakfast we head for the frontier crossing into Russia, birdwatching en route. Across the border we have a long drive to the small town of Belomorsk (Sorokka in Finnish) located on the mouth of the White Sea (Belomor) Canal. We stay at the very basic Hotel Gandvik (the only hotel in Belomorsk). Overnight Belomorsk Day 4 After an early breakfast we take a boat trip on the White Sea to the island of Solovetski. The crossing takes about 4 hours. The Belugas will be observed from the boats anchored off Cape Beluzi with transportation to and from the vessels by zodiac. The staff on the vessels follow modern methods of locating the Belugas developed by the Oceanographic Institute in Moscow and the Moscow Marine Bioacoustic Laboratory. We should be able both to see and listen to the Belugas with their help. Overnight Solovetski Island Day 5 After breakfast we spend the whole morning exploring a 15th-century monastery on the main island, Solovetski. Later we head back to Cape Beluzi for more Beluga watching. Overnight Solovetski Island Day 6 After breakfast departure by local fishing crafts to the Bolshoi Zayats Island, a smaller island close to the main island of Solovetski. Visiting the largest Jatulin stone labyrinth in the world, thousands of years old labyrinths. We return to the mainland in the evening and drive to Belomorsk. Overnight Belomorsk Day 7 We drive to Kostamus with stops en route for birdwatching, and have a final lunch in Russia before heading for Vartius where we take the frontier crossing back into Finland, returning late in the evening to Kuhmo. Overnight Kuhmo Day 8 We should have some time for birdwatching this morning before heading for Kajaani airport to catch the homeward flight. Accommodation: In Kuhmo, three/four star hotels with all rooms en suite. At Lentiira we have rooms in a simple lodge. On Solovetski Island we stay in a reasonable quality hotel, but in Belomorsk the hotel is very basic, although there is a possibility of a new and better hotel being ready here in 2005. Some rooms do not have en suite facilities and single rooms are not available in all the accommodation. Leaders: John Muddeman and a Finnature guide |
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Numbers : Maximum 12 clients Price: £ 1,895 Single supp.: £ 70 Deposit: £ 300 per person The price is per person, and is fully inclusive of scheduled return economy-class flights London-Kaajani via Helsinki, airport taxes, accommodation, all meals, minibus transport, incidental tips, and the services of the leaders. The price excludes travel insurance, drinks and other personal expenses. * The single supplement just applies to the two nights in Finland Manchester departures to Helsinki may be possible depending on flight schedules. Please enquire for details. |
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