Bears And Volcanoes of Kamchatka, Russia

In the far east of Russia lies the land of bears and volcanoes. That is the Kamchatka peninsula situated between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west. The volcanoes of Kamchatka are UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We visited in the summer of 2012 and the memories are still vivid – it was truly unique experience with Kamchatka Lost World Tours. The flight from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (the main town on the peninsula) was about 8 hours. The accommodation, food and travels were well organised and we felt comfortable (except probably the camping night in the middle of reindeer herder’s camp).

Things to see and do here are outdoor activities mainly, such as hiking volcanoes, going into lava tubes, herding reindeer, helicopter trips to Kuril Lake and the Valley of Geysers, as well as swimming in natural hot springs, which this land is full of.

The pink hue of the water is the salmon spawning…

The bears were everywhere in the shallows of the lake.

Active and dormant volcanoes on the horizons.

Natural hot water pools in the wild – those are used by the bears, as well as some tourists (Not at the same time!).

Stellar Sea Eagle (juvenile) feeding on salmon at Kuril Lake.

The water was turquoise colour in some parts of the lake – pretty sight!

We reached the reindeer camp by helicopter from Esso town. It was in the wilderness and we saw fresh bear prints near the river bank, which together with the strong winds caused a sleepless night in the tiny tent.