Where is Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is located in the southern part of Eastern Siberia, near Mongolia and Manchuria, China. It usually requires a connecting flight from Irkutsk. You can take a public **** bus from Irkutsk's public **** bus terminal to Baikal Lake. But because of the language barrier, it is recommended to charter a bus directly.
: How to get to Lake Baikal
1. Airplane
The nearest airport to Lake Baikal is Irkutsk Airport. There are many direct flights from China, not only from Shanghai, Beijing and Harbin, but also from Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenyang and Manzhouli. It takes about 3 hours to fly from Beijing to Irkutsk airport.
Official Irkutsk Airport website (in Chinese):https://iktport.ru/zh/
Airport floor plan (in Russian):https://iktport.ru/ru/13-passengers/142-skhema-terminalov.html
From the airport to Irkutsk city center is very close and convenient. We recommend taking a taxi, it only takes 15-10 minutes. Rubles are cheap enough that you don't have to carry your luggage on public transportation. There are buses 4 and 20, but there is no Russian English and there is no guarantee that there is a risk of getting off the wrong stop. The bus stop should be outside the airport, a few minutes walk.
It is recommended to charter a bus from Irkutsk to Baikal, or you can take the daily bus to Baikal from the bus station in the city center.
2. Siberian Railway
The longest railroad in the world, the main artery of Russian railroad transportation. It connects Moscow with the Russian Far East, with a stopover in Irkutsk. Train tickets can be booked on the official website (see me on the official website: http://eng.rzd.ru/)
Everyone is interested in taking the international train from Beijing directly to Moscow. In fact, it is not all on the Siberian Railway, but a branch line from Chita, which takes about six days from Beijing to Moscow.
Driving
Driving to Lake Baikal is also exciting. Self-driving is divided into direct to Russia and self-driving within Russia.
But the most important thing is a driver's license! Theoretically you need either an international or a Russian license to drive in Russia! Many people have successfully rented and driven cars in Russia with their home country's license, which is theoretically not allowed. If they are caught by the police they will be fined. But there is also news that Russia has relaxed its self-driving policy. Anyway lots of luck.
If you drive directly to Russia, you will need to get an ATA document book for your vehicle, which is the equivalent of carrying your vehicle with you as outbound cargo! (Hmmm! That's really what it means in theory~). In addition to a lot of vehicle paperwork, the ATA requires a large deposit. If you are not comfortable driving your own car, you can rent a car in Harbin or Manzhouli. The formalities are the same, and the dealerships will provide some help~
How to choose a place to stay
To visit Lake Baikal you usually stay in Listvyanka town or Olkhon Island, the largest on the lake.
Town of Listvyanka
The town of Listvyanka is located at the point where the Angara River flows into Lake Baikal, and is a town where you can enjoy the scenery of both the Angara River and Lake Baikal. The town is also very conveniently located from Irkutsk, with public ****cars taking only 1 hour. It is possible to take a day trip here, but staying overnight is a much better experience. The scenery is pristine and idyllic in the summer, and in the winter you can experience various ice programs at Lake Baikal. There is a Baikal Museum in the town, showcasing the changes and ecology of Lake Baikal. It's a great place to learn the full extent of Lake Baikal and Baikal seals~
Olkhon Island
Olkhon Island is the largest island in Lake Baikal, but there are less than 1,500 inhabitants on the island. From Irkutsk to Orkhon Island, you can take the daily departures from the central bus station, but they are limited, early, and involve language exchange. Rubles are worthless, and it's easier to rent a car or carpool~Olkhon Island is not as close and large as the town of Listvyanka. If you are on a day trip, you can only do a limited number of programs. It is highly recommended to stay on the island in winter. The way to get to the island is special. You can sit in the air hovering
Orkhon Island is slender and surrounded by mountains on the east coast, with the highest peak more than 800 meters from the lake. Although only 730km in size, Olh?o has a rich topography of coniferous forests, grasslands and deserts.The village of Hurier is the largest town on the island, where most of the BB restaurants are clustered. Whether you are on the southern or northern route of Olh?o Island, you need to start from here. The village of Hurier is also considered to be the center of shamanism in the north, and many of the B&Bs that stay here have a view of the shaman's stone on the surface of Lake Baikal. Many shamans make the pilgrimage every year and it is a very Russian town.
The unique landscape of Lake Baikal
From January to May the lake surface of Lake Baikal freezes, the thickness of the ice is 70-115cm. although we are often scared by the cold air of Siberia, but the winter of Lake Baikal is not as cold as the Arctic Circle, which is equal to or not as cold as the northeast of the motherland. The scenery changes a lot during the four seasons and is worth seeing~
In summer, the peak season of Lake Baikal is in August. Glaciers melt into plentiful lakes, and everything basks in the sunshine, enjoying the lazy, cool summer days.
Baikal in the fall is like an oil painting, full of red leaves on the mountains, shuttling between the leaves of the small train bubbling with steam, facing the sunset sky.
The Shamanic Sanctuary of Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is also a sacred place for shamanism in the north. Shamans don't just exist in Return of the Pearl and the Northeast Dancing Gods, but are still prevalent in the West. Many shamans will make a special pilgrimage to Lake Baikal to the legend of this place. From its birth to its continuity, Lake Baikal has spoken of its uniqueness, richness and mystery since the beginning.
Shamansi
Located just north of the town of Huril on the island of Olihon, the magical shaman's stone can be seen directly from some of the B&Bs in Huril. The story of the shaman's stone is very legendary and a must-see for shaman followers. Legend has it that a sinful man is brought to the Shaman's Stone to stay there for a night, and if he is not swallowed up by the waves of Lake Baikal during the night, his sins can be cleared. Although we can only see the shaman's stone exposed in the corner of Lake Baikal, the shaman's stone is actually rolled into a mountain at the bottom of the lake. The history of shamanite may go back to the formation of the tributaries of the Angara River. In ancient times, people may have witnessed moments when the shamanite went through geological changes without moving, leaving behind legends.
Hoylake Point
Located in the northernmost part of Olhon Island, it is said that God turned a woman who was jealous of her husband into stone, or that a dragonfly lost its fangs at an inopportune moment. It may have appeared because a celestial body that fell thousands of years ago was used to create echoes from rock reflections, which is even more mysterious. In winter, you can photograph very clear icicles and huge ice caves here.
Lake Baikal qualifying feature
Blue ice bubbles
The origin of blue ice actually refers to glacial ice, but blue ice and bubbles can be seen on the ice of Lake Baikal. (Though the principle is a bit different)
Lake Baikal is so big that it's not winter and it freezes as soon as the temperature drops. The formation of ice takes several layers and eventually forms later. More than a meter thick ice formation takes early winter. And the bubbles and ice cracks are beautiful, both related to the formation of several layers of ice. Bubbles are caused by methane gas released by plants at the bottom of the lake, and ice cracking is caused by the compression and expansion of the lake water due to temperature.
The Baikal seal
There are many species in Lake Baikal that should live in the ocean. two-thirds of the more than 1,700 species are endemic to the area. in 1996, Lake Baikal was listed as a World Natural Heritage site. What attracts many tourists is the Baikal seal, the world's only freshwater seal, the world's smallest seal ~ habitat is the whole of Lake Baikal ~
Playing in Baikal
Round Lake Train
Round Lake Train is a very popular experience in Baikal. It was originally part of the Siberian Railway and is now used only for sightseeing. There are two kinds of steam trains and electric trains. The steam train is very retro, time and space seems to go back to the Middle Ages, and seamlessly blends with the natural beauty of Lake Baikal; the electric train will not lose. Reprinted image from "Snow Train," which has been very cold lately.
Shanghai Lake Project
Hovercraft, icebreakers, cruise ships, speedboats, and unexpected water projects like Baikal. Needless to say, cruises and speedboats, both in summer and fall, are boat rides t
Hovercraft and icebreakers are awesome, a feature you won't find anywhere else on Lake Baikal. Hovercraft glide over the ice, break the ice, and navigate through the icy water. Why bother going back to the Arctic Circle? This is the sea, which is even more magnificent when you think about it.
Diving Ice diving
The bottom of Lake Baikal is teeming with life, and in 2004 a study showed that it also has some of the clearest water in the world, so Baikal is perfect for scuba diving, and in winter you can ice dive!
Mountain biking
If you want to experience the bold fighting nation, riding a mountain bike in summer or fall will also feel like a Hollywood blockbuster~
: Travel Tips
1. Visa is not difficult, don't worry!
2. Russian English is poor, make sure you do your homework about ordering food and station names before traveling.
3. winter to Lake Baikal must wear sunglasses, to understand the dizzying snow ~ white snow reflecting sunlight can easily make people feel blinding and vertigo.
4. Winter travel is very easy to cut off the power of the phone and camera, be sure to prepare a good backup power.
5. You can spend and withdraw money with your UnionPay card without any problem. It's best to change some money at the Bank of China in China first.