Summer expedition with ethnologist to Chukotka: Lorino whalers, reindeer herders of polar tundra and Cape Dezhnev
CHUKOTKA
July 30 - August 9, 2024
Tour Chukotka, Russia
Tour Chukotka, Russia
summer tour to Chukotka with ethnologist expedition to whalers sea hunters reindeer herders tour Chukchi Inuits Eskimos whales walruses
Tours and Expeditions to Russia Far North of Russia Chukotka peninsula Anadyr
To find yourself in the place, where day turns into night, where from the eastern hemisphere to the western one is only one step, where myriad colonies of walruses are fond of rookeries on the Earth's edge, and whales splash the waters of Pacific Ocean with their tails.
Here survive Inuit and Chukchi cultures, who have adapted to live in harmony with nature, hunting whales and pinnipeds and migrating with their reindeer herds across the endless tundra of the Chukotka Peninsula.
Our expedition will reach Cape Dezhnev - the easternmost point of Eurasia, from where America is visible.
Throughout the expedition we are accompanied by ethnologist, big professional in indigenous peoples of Chukotka.
Here survive Inuit and Chukchi cultures, who have adapted to live in harmony with nature, hunting whales and pinnipeds and migrating with their reindeer herds across the endless tundra of the Chukotka Peninsula.
Our expedition will reach Cape Dezhnev - the easternmost point of Eurasia, from where America is visible.
Throughout the expedition we are accompanied by ethnologist, big professional in indigenous peoples of Chukotka.
Tour to Chukotka. To find yourself in the place, where day turns into night, where from the eastern hemisphere to the western one is only one step, where myriad colonies of walruses are fond of rookeries on the Earth's edge, and whales splash the waters of Pacific Ocean with their tails.
Here survive Inuit and Chukchi cultures, who have adapted to live in harmony with nature, hunting for whales and pinnipeds and migrating with their reindeer herds across the endless tundra of the Chukotka Peninsula.
Throughout the expedition we are accompanied by ethnologist, big professional in indigenous peoples of Chukotka.
Here survive Inuit and Chukchi cultures, who have adapted to live in harmony with nature, hunting for whales and pinnipeds and migrating with their reindeer herds across the endless tundra of the Chukotka Peninsula.
Throughout the expedition we are accompanied by ethnologist, big professional in indigenous peoples of Chukotka.
©️ MZUNGU EXPEDITIONS / Alexey Kolbov, 2020 - 2021
Drone pilot and director: Alex Kolbov aka Mzungu
Drone pilot and director: Alex Kolbov aka Mzungu
SСHEDULE AND COST:
Dates: July 30 - August 9, 2024
Duration: 11 days / 10 nights
Number of participants: 7 - 9
EXPEDITION FINISHED
Everything is included (also local flights to Chukotka and three meals a day), except:
- flight to Anadyr and back,
- health insurance,
- Russian visas (if required)
- additional program items.
Estimated cost of flight Moscow - Anadyr - Moscow: 40,000 rubles.
Single supplement: upon request (Single accommodation is available in hotels. Single apartments are only available upon request).
TRAVEL PROGRAM: TOUR TO CUK
Day 1. July 30, 2024 (Tuesday). Arrival to Chukotka. Abandoned military base Gudym
Chukotka. Abandoned military base Gudym.
Arrival in Anadyr in the middle of the day by Aeroflot flight from Moscow (or, if there are flights, from another city).
Meeting at the airport. Paperwork, passport control.
Meet the guide who will work with the team in Anadyr.
Accommodation in apartments in the village of Coal Mines. Lunch.
Visiting the abandoned military base Gudym. Gudym, built in late 1950th, served as a nuclear weapon base during the Cold War period and was completely hidden underground. Exploration of secret tunnels. Picnic at the military base with packed army ration or local delicacies: red fish, caviar and other.
Meals: lunch, dinner
Accommodation: apartment
Day 2. July 31, 2024 (Wednesday). Anadyr – Laurentius – Lorino
After breakfast, a short transfer to the airport. The airport opens at 8:30. Flight from Anadyr to Laurentius, to the very east of the Chukotka peninsula.
At the airport meeting with our guide and team leader, professional ethnologist. Registration at the border guard office.
Transfer to Lorino (42 km, 1 hour), photographing tundra along the way, stopping in picturesque places.
Accommodation in an apartment in Lorino.
Dinner. Meals, as a rule, will be organized on the basis of the national park, indoors.
Walking tour of the village of Lorino, accompanied by an ethnographer or local residents, Inuit and Chukchi.
The Chukchi are indigenous people inhabiting the Chukotka Peninsula and the shores of the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea region of the Arctic Ocean within Russia. They speak the Chukchi language. Chukchi originated from the people living around the Okhotsk Sea. According to most recent genomic research, Chukchi people are the closest cousins of the First Americans in Asia. Chukchi is traditionally divided into the Maritime Chukchi, who had settled homes on the coast and lived primarily from sea mammal hunting, and the Reindeer Chukchi, who lived as nomads in the inland tundra region, migrating seasonally with their herds of reindeer. The Russian name "Chukchi" is derived from the Chukchi word Chauchu ("rich in reindeer"), which was used by the Reindeer Chukchi to distinguish themselves from the Maritime Chukchi, called Anqallyt ("the sea people").
The Inuit (Eskimo, Yupik) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada, Chukotka and Alaska. The Inuit languages are part of the Eskimo-Aleut family. Inuit are the descendants of what anthropologists call the Thule culture, who emerged from western Alaska around 1000 CE. They had split from the related Aleut group about 4,000 years ago and from northeastern Siberian migrants, possibly related to the Chukchi language group, still earlier, descended from the third major migration from Siberia. They spread eastwards across the Arctic.
Stories about local rituals and traditions. Ritual of Feeding the Spirits
An ethnographer's lecture on the history of whaling.
Dinner (home cooking).
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: apartment
Day 3. August 1, 2024 (Thursday). Acquaintance with the culture of the Chukchi in Lorino
Visit to territorial-neighboring community of sea mammal hunters of Lorino. Meeting with hunters. Welcome speech of the Chairman - Alexey Ottoy, safety briefing and photography procedures. Q&A session.
Breakfast.
Boat trips and grey whale watching, whaling (search, chase and harpooning stages) and the cutting of prey by the local population according to the ancient traditions - to each citizen according to his needs.
We do not participate in hunting. - We observe traditional aboriginal fishing with the permission of the local community. Photography and video filming of animal carving is limited by the decision of the congress of the indigenous communities of Chukotka and is strictly regulated only in the presence of a representative of community of marine hunters. It is forbidden to shoot openly bloody scenes, you need to understand it.
Whaling is a long tradition in Chukotka and is therefore officially allowed for the Chukchi population (Chukchi and Inuit), but within the quotas allocated by the International Whaling Commission, which is about 120 - 140 gray whales and 2 - 5 right whales per year.
Lunch from the meat of marine animals.
Master class on tailoring traditional clothes and making jewelry.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: apartment
Day 4. 2 August 2024 (Friday). Acquaintance with the culture of the Chukchi in Lorino
After breakfast, visit a bone-cutting workshop, talk about the traditional craft. Here you can also order souvenirs of walrus tusk, bone or whalebone. Lecture on the history of Chukotka exploration.
Lunch. Visit sauna, informal communication with hunters. Meeting with representatives of Inuit and Chukchi cultures, discussion on cross-cultural interaction.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: apartment
Day 5. 3 August 2024 (Saturday). Acquaintance with the culture of the Chukchi in Lorino
Breakfast. Participation in the whaling contest: harpooning, canoeing from walrus hide, knotting.
Meeting with representatives of Inuit and Chukchi cultures, discussion on issues of intercultural interaction.
Communication with the participants of the folklore collective.
Trip to the Lorino hot springs, picnic, swimming in the springs, return to the village.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: apartment
Day 6. August 4, 2024 (Sunday). Mechigmen bay. Reindeer herders nomadic camp (optional)
Excursion on the picturesque Mechigmen bay - the territory of the national park "Beringia".
Visit the old settlement of Masik (Mechigmen), where there ancient settlements of whalers of the 13th century are located. Here you can still find the remains of jaw houses built in the form of half-caves of bones of jaws and ribs of right whales. Picnic on the way.
Bird bazaars and other natural attractions of the national park. Here you can find sometimes gray and humpback whales, as well as orcas.
Subject to the accessible location of the nomadic camp, an option (extra charge) is to visit the herding brigade. Photo shooting of the tundra on the way. Arrival at the camp, meeting with reindeer herders, exchange of gifts. Trip to the herd.
Dinner - food of reindeer herders, master class on preparation of dishes from venison.
Conversations with reindeer herders, the campfire stories of life in the tundra.
Master class on lasso throwing for those who wants.
Lecture on traditional exchange between reindeer herders and mammal hunters.
Back to Lorino.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: base in Akkani/apartment in Lorino
Day 7. August 5, 2024 (Monday). Walrus hunting of Chukchi in Akkani
Early in the morning, we go to the abandoned Chukchi settlement of Akkani, which is now a base for Chukchi mammal hunters. Akkani is located in a picturesque bay with numerous whale skulls and other bones on the coast. Akkani is one of the favorite places of brown bears. However, meeting a bear is not guaranteed here.
Observation of the traditional hunting of Chukchi on pinnipeds (walrus). Demonstration of the traditional cutting of walrus, the production of meatloaf "kymgyt". Tasting of dishes made of walrus meat is possible.
Lunch made of meat, mushrooms and berries, walking around the neighborhood.
After a walk in the area of Akkani we will return to Lorino or stay overnight at the base (very basic conditions!), watching brown bears.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Base in Akkani / Apartment in Lorino
Day 8. August 6, 2024 (Tuesday). Dezhnev Cape - the easternmost point of Eurasia and the ancient Eskimo settlement of Naukan
After breakfast we will travel to the End of the Earth. We will make a sea trip to the northernmost part of the Bering Sea, pass through the raging waters of the Bering Strait, and if weather permits, we will go out to the Chukotka Sea relating to the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Here is our main goal - Cape Dezhnev, the extreme eastern point of Russia and the entire continent of Eurasia. Estimated time from Lorino - 4 hours, from Akkani - 2.5 hours.
In good weather and visibility, you can see not only the outlines of the islands of Ratmanov (Russia) and Kruzenshtern (USA), but also the mainland coast of America - Alaska. If weather permits, we go until Uelen – another settlement located on the northern part of Chukotka Peninsula.
Along the way, we will probably observe the tail-beating grey whales, walruses in the water and sometimes on the rookery, and numerous bird bazaars.
We will go ashore in the immediate vicinity of Cape Dezhnev, where there is a monument to Semyon Dezhnev, the discoverer of the strait between Eurasia and America. His notes were published only after his death, a hundred years after he discovered the strait, so all the laurels went to Bering, who saw the strait seventy years later, and Dezhnev just got the name of the cape.
There is also the ancient Eskimo settlement of Naukan of the 11-12th century and the Ekven burial ground dating back to the 2nd century BC. This place, with the remains of half-dugouts of dwellings and utility rooms of the Eskimos: built with stone and whale bones, is located in a stunningly beautiful place and makes an extremely strong impression, atmospherically surpassing the famous Cape Roca in Portugal, located on the opposite end of Eurasia.
Lunch at the easternmost point of Eurasia, next to the Dezhnev monument and the border service point.
Return to Lorino.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: apartment
Day 9. August 7, 2024 (Wednesday). Lorino - Lavrentia - Anadyr
Early in the morning, after breakfast, a visit to the territorial-neighboring community of sea mammal hunters during the morning meeting. Farewell to the hunters.
Buying souvenirs. Transfer to Lavrentiya airport. The ethnologist says goodbye to the team.
Flight to Anadyr. Ferry across Liman to the city. Meeting with a local guide.
Check-in at the Anadyr hotel.
Dinner
Observation of salmon fishing on the shore of the traditional Chukchi village Tavayvaam. Dinner.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Anadyr Hotel, double rooms
Day 10. August 8, 2024. Anadyr
After breakfast, we will go on a city tour (we will visit the monuments to Grinevetsky, Rytkheu, Mandrikov, and St. Nicholas) and an observation deck overlooking Anadyr.
We will visit the museum "Heritage of Chukotka".
After lunch, we will take a walk to the passenger pier, where at low tide beluga whales and seals (a species of seals) catch salmon, standing against the current.
Photographing belugas and seals. Buying souvenirs.
In the evening we will arrange a farewell dinner and exchange impressions.
Folk group performance - throat singing or dancing
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Anadyr Hotel, double rooms
Day 11. August 9, 2024 (Friday). Anadyr - Return flight
After breakfast we will buy souvenirs and cross the estuary, transfer to the airport. Flight Anadyr - Moscow by Aeroflot, departure in the afternoon.
Meals: breakfast
Accommodation: no
* The order of the program can be changed, provided that all the main activities are saved.
** The program is depends on flight schedules (subject to change) and flight weather. Access to the sea and/or tundra also depends on the weather and may be restricted at any time for safety reasons.
*** A member of an expedition to Chukotka must be motivated: respect the culture of the Chukchi and Inuit, be aware of the purpose of the trip and possible adjustments to plans depending on weather conditions, as well as on the decision of indigenous communities. The expedition member must be in good physical condition and able to adapt to an unfamiliar community and culture.
**** If certain visits and/or tours cannot be completed due to external conditions, they will be replaced where possible.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS TRIP:
While preparing for a trip to such a unique region as Chukotka, many questions arise, since such a trip is not easy to plan and conduct, firstly, due to the lack of tourist infrastructure there, and, secondly, due to difficult climatic conditions.
Transport
If you have already safely flown to the Anadyr airport, this does not mean that your trip is guaranteed to pass along the entire route. First of all, a ticket for a domestic flight must be purchased in advance, since in Chukotka there is a constant shortage of seats for flights, and all tickets are sold out in six months, as soon as they appear on sale. In addition, there are frequent delays in departure to the regions, so we strongly recommend buying a return ticket from Anadyr with at least a small margin - one or two days after your return from the region, and with the possibility of changing the departure date.
Once at the airport, getting into the city is not easy. Even if the weather is good, you need to take a taxi to the pier, wait in line for the ferry to cross the estuary, and on the other side get into a taxi again and go to the hotel. For tourists, we organize a barge crossing - after leaving the airport, you get into a minibus that goes to the barge, crosses and takes you to the hotel. But if the weather is not very good - it is stormy, then the crossing may be difficult or canceled, so there is a danger of not crossing. To avoid the risk of not flying the next day (and according to the program we have a flight to the region - in the morning of the next day), then upon arrival in Chukotka we spend the night on the side of the airport, in the village of Coal Mines, so that in the morning we can safely get to the airport. Inspection of the city of Anadyr leave on the way back.
Accommodation
Upon arrival in Anadyr, we are accommodated for one night in private apartments or in the Nord Hotel. Why or? The fact is that at the moment the Nord Hotel is the only one on this coast, and is often used in emergency cases to accommodate people stuck due to the weather. For example, children returning from summer camps. Therefore, this hotel does not accept bookings. So that our tourists are not left without housing, we prefer to deal with private apartments. However, if there are available rooms at the hotel today upon request, we can accommodate you there as well.
When we get to our main place of stay - the village of Lorino, then we will be accommodated in apartments with local residents. Apartments come in different levels of comfort, accommodation options are very limited.
On the route, we can expect to spend the night in a reindeer herding brigade - in tents or yaranga, at the Akkani hunting base - in a house or a beam, here it is supposed to use a sleeping bag.
Upon returning to Anadyr, we plan to check into the Anadyr Hotel, basic standard double occupancy.
Meal
In the village of Coal Mines, in the city of Anadyr and in the village of Lorino, we provide you with three meals a day. During long trips on the water or on the tundra, we organize a picnic - hot tea and snacks. Upon returning to the base, we will already organize a full hot meal. Since tourists come to Chukotka to learn about how the local people live, and the cuisine is one of the most interesting manifestations of culture, we try to give you the opportunity to try the "Chukotka exotic" as much as possible - dishes from the meat of marine animals, venison, fish and caviar. Of course, it is difficult for vegetarians and vegans to organize a full-fledged diet, since everything is brought to stores here during a short navigation period. Sometimes there are interruptions in vegetables and fruits, which are affectionately called the word "freshness" here. In any case, we must know in advance about your food restrictions. In any case, cereals and pasta are in abundance in summer.
Equipment
Before the trip, many ask to send a list of recommended equipment, and when they receive it, they begin to argue: "Why do we need sleeping bags if we don't spend the night on the street? Why do you need boots? The list contains RECOMMENDATIONS! Your right to do as you please. But most visitors underestimate the severity of the local climate. It is worth going out to sea - and you understand that you should have dressed warmer. Boots, for example, are necessary for boarding a boat and disembarking in waves. Of course, we can get lucky and not need boots - sometimes there is complete calm. What if it's the other way around? Are you in sneakers, the wave has risen, and you have to jump into the water? Of course, we will come up with something and get out of the situation. One advice - do not neglect the recommendations, take warm clothes - such as a windproof ski suit, boots (preferably swamps, higher), a sleeping bag, a thermos. We hope that soon a rental point will open in Lorino, and you will be able to rent everything you need there.
Hygiene
In order to avoid embarrassing situations and in order to prevent infections that roam the planet in our time, we recommend (this is exactly a recommendation!) Everyone to bring with them a traditional tourist MSBK - a mug / spoon / bowl / knife - a personal set. When visiting reindeer herders, this is especially useful - there are not enough dishes for everyone in the yaranga, and it is also not very convenient to make the mistress of the house wash for everyone. In addition, and you will be calmer - safer to use your personal bowl or mug.
Sleeping bag is therefore also recommended to have your own - for hygiene reasons. Do not need a bag for ultra-low temperatures - in summer we still sleep indoors, light compact sleeping bag is enough.
Respect for owners
We call on everyone to be attentive and careful to the people we come to. The culture of sea mammal hunters and tundra reindeer herders is a rare phenomenon and a genuine heritage of mankind that needs to be protected. We therefore ask that you listen to the community's requests and demands for different kinds of rules and taboos, including photography and video, which are currently limited and strictly regulated. Please treat this with tact and understanding and do not shoot the bloody scenes of cutting animals, do not photograph the dirt, destruction and drunken people - all this may catch your eye (as in any other place!), but do not need to make of this informational occasion.
Safety procedure
The nature of Chukotka has still preserved its pristine nature - on the one hand, it is insanely beautiful, on the other - dangerous. Even in the village you can encounter face to face with a predator, it should be remembered always, being on Chukotka. Always listen to what the locals say - where you can go and where not.
We'll give you safety briefings at sea and in the tundra, but common sense and caution are the foundation of your safety.
Welcome to the amazing Chukotka! We wish you a lot of positive emotions and unforgettable experiences!
Duration: 11 days / 10 nights
Number of participants: 7 - 9
EXPEDITION FINISHED
Everything is included (also local flights to Chukotka and three meals a day), except:
- flight to Anadyr and back,
- health insurance,
- Russian visas (if required)
- additional program items.
Estimated cost of flight Moscow - Anadyr - Moscow: 40,000 rubles.
Single supplement: upon request (Single accommodation is available in hotels. Single apartments are only available upon request).
TRAVEL PROGRAM: TOUR TO CUK
Day 1. July 30, 2024 (Tuesday). Arrival to Chukotka. Abandoned military base Gudym
Chukotka. Abandoned military base Gudym.
Arrival in Anadyr in the middle of the day by Aeroflot flight from Moscow (or, if there are flights, from another city).
Meeting at the airport. Paperwork, passport control.
Meet the guide who will work with the team in Anadyr.
Accommodation in apartments in the village of Coal Mines. Lunch.
Visiting the abandoned military base Gudym. Gudym, built in late 1950th, served as a nuclear weapon base during the Cold War period and was completely hidden underground. Exploration of secret tunnels. Picnic at the military base with packed army ration or local delicacies: red fish, caviar and other.
Meals: lunch, dinner
Accommodation: apartment
Day 2. July 31, 2024 (Wednesday). Anadyr – Laurentius – Lorino
After breakfast, a short transfer to the airport. The airport opens at 8:30. Flight from Anadyr to Laurentius, to the very east of the Chukotka peninsula.
At the airport meeting with our guide and team leader, professional ethnologist. Registration at the border guard office.
Transfer to Lorino (42 km, 1 hour), photographing tundra along the way, stopping in picturesque places.
Accommodation in an apartment in Lorino.
Dinner. Meals, as a rule, will be organized on the basis of the national park, indoors.
Walking tour of the village of Lorino, accompanied by an ethnographer or local residents, Inuit and Chukchi.
The Chukchi are indigenous people inhabiting the Chukotka Peninsula and the shores of the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea region of the Arctic Ocean within Russia. They speak the Chukchi language. Chukchi originated from the people living around the Okhotsk Sea. According to most recent genomic research, Chukchi people are the closest cousins of the First Americans in Asia. Chukchi is traditionally divided into the Maritime Chukchi, who had settled homes on the coast and lived primarily from sea mammal hunting, and the Reindeer Chukchi, who lived as nomads in the inland tundra region, migrating seasonally with their herds of reindeer. The Russian name "Chukchi" is derived from the Chukchi word Chauchu ("rich in reindeer"), which was used by the Reindeer Chukchi to distinguish themselves from the Maritime Chukchi, called Anqallyt ("the sea people").
The Inuit (Eskimo, Yupik) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada, Chukotka and Alaska. The Inuit languages are part of the Eskimo-Aleut family. Inuit are the descendants of what anthropologists call the Thule culture, who emerged from western Alaska around 1000 CE. They had split from the related Aleut group about 4,000 years ago and from northeastern Siberian migrants, possibly related to the Chukchi language group, still earlier, descended from the third major migration from Siberia. They spread eastwards across the Arctic.
Stories about local rituals and traditions. Ritual of Feeding the Spirits
An ethnographer's lecture on the history of whaling.
Dinner (home cooking).
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: apartment
Day 3. August 1, 2024 (Thursday). Acquaintance with the culture of the Chukchi in Lorino
Visit to territorial-neighboring community of sea mammal hunters of Lorino. Meeting with hunters. Welcome speech of the Chairman - Alexey Ottoy, safety briefing and photography procedures. Q&A session.
Breakfast.
Boat trips and grey whale watching, whaling (search, chase and harpooning stages) and the cutting of prey by the local population according to the ancient traditions - to each citizen according to his needs.
We do not participate in hunting. - We observe traditional aboriginal fishing with the permission of the local community. Photography and video filming of animal carving is limited by the decision of the congress of the indigenous communities of Chukotka and is strictly regulated only in the presence of a representative of community of marine hunters. It is forbidden to shoot openly bloody scenes, you need to understand it.
Whaling is a long tradition in Chukotka and is therefore officially allowed for the Chukchi population (Chukchi and Inuit), but within the quotas allocated by the International Whaling Commission, which is about 120 - 140 gray whales and 2 - 5 right whales per year.
Lunch from the meat of marine animals.
Master class on tailoring traditional clothes and making jewelry.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: apartment
Day 4. 2 August 2024 (Friday). Acquaintance with the culture of the Chukchi in Lorino
After breakfast, visit a bone-cutting workshop, talk about the traditional craft. Here you can also order souvenirs of walrus tusk, bone or whalebone. Lecture on the history of Chukotka exploration.
Lunch. Visit sauna, informal communication with hunters. Meeting with representatives of Inuit and Chukchi cultures, discussion on cross-cultural interaction.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: apartment
Day 5. 3 August 2024 (Saturday). Acquaintance with the culture of the Chukchi in Lorino
Breakfast. Participation in the whaling contest: harpooning, canoeing from walrus hide, knotting.
Meeting with representatives of Inuit and Chukchi cultures, discussion on issues of intercultural interaction.
Communication with the participants of the folklore collective.
Trip to the Lorino hot springs, picnic, swimming in the springs, return to the village.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: apartment
Day 6. August 4, 2024 (Sunday). Mechigmen bay. Reindeer herders nomadic camp (optional)
Excursion on the picturesque Mechigmen bay - the territory of the national park "Beringia".
Visit the old settlement of Masik (Mechigmen), where there ancient settlements of whalers of the 13th century are located. Here you can still find the remains of jaw houses built in the form of half-caves of bones of jaws and ribs of right whales. Picnic on the way.
Bird bazaars and other natural attractions of the national park. Here you can find sometimes gray and humpback whales, as well as orcas.
Subject to the accessible location of the nomadic camp, an option (extra charge) is to visit the herding brigade. Photo shooting of the tundra on the way. Arrival at the camp, meeting with reindeer herders, exchange of gifts. Trip to the herd.
Dinner - food of reindeer herders, master class on preparation of dishes from venison.
Conversations with reindeer herders, the campfire stories of life in the tundra.
Master class on lasso throwing for those who wants.
Lecture on traditional exchange between reindeer herders and mammal hunters.
Back to Lorino.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: base in Akkani/apartment in Lorino
Day 7. August 5, 2024 (Monday). Walrus hunting of Chukchi in Akkani
Early in the morning, we go to the abandoned Chukchi settlement of Akkani, which is now a base for Chukchi mammal hunters. Akkani is located in a picturesque bay with numerous whale skulls and other bones on the coast. Akkani is one of the favorite places of brown bears. However, meeting a bear is not guaranteed here.
Observation of the traditional hunting of Chukchi on pinnipeds (walrus). Demonstration of the traditional cutting of walrus, the production of meatloaf "kymgyt". Tasting of dishes made of walrus meat is possible.
Lunch made of meat, mushrooms and berries, walking around the neighborhood.
After a walk in the area of Akkani we will return to Lorino or stay overnight at the base (very basic conditions!), watching brown bears.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Base in Akkani / Apartment in Lorino
Day 8. August 6, 2024 (Tuesday). Dezhnev Cape - the easternmost point of Eurasia and the ancient Eskimo settlement of Naukan
After breakfast we will travel to the End of the Earth. We will make a sea trip to the northernmost part of the Bering Sea, pass through the raging waters of the Bering Strait, and if weather permits, we will go out to the Chukotka Sea relating to the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Here is our main goal - Cape Dezhnev, the extreme eastern point of Russia and the entire continent of Eurasia. Estimated time from Lorino - 4 hours, from Akkani - 2.5 hours.
In good weather and visibility, you can see not only the outlines of the islands of Ratmanov (Russia) and Kruzenshtern (USA), but also the mainland coast of America - Alaska. If weather permits, we go until Uelen – another settlement located on the northern part of Chukotka Peninsula.
Along the way, we will probably observe the tail-beating grey whales, walruses in the water and sometimes on the rookery, and numerous bird bazaars.
We will go ashore in the immediate vicinity of Cape Dezhnev, where there is a monument to Semyon Dezhnev, the discoverer of the strait between Eurasia and America. His notes were published only after his death, a hundred years after he discovered the strait, so all the laurels went to Bering, who saw the strait seventy years later, and Dezhnev just got the name of the cape.
There is also the ancient Eskimo settlement of Naukan of the 11-12th century and the Ekven burial ground dating back to the 2nd century BC. This place, with the remains of half-dugouts of dwellings and utility rooms of the Eskimos: built with stone and whale bones, is located in a stunningly beautiful place and makes an extremely strong impression, atmospherically surpassing the famous Cape Roca in Portugal, located on the opposite end of Eurasia.
Lunch at the easternmost point of Eurasia, next to the Dezhnev monument and the border service point.
Return to Lorino.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: apartment
Day 9. August 7, 2024 (Wednesday). Lorino - Lavrentia - Anadyr
Early in the morning, after breakfast, a visit to the territorial-neighboring community of sea mammal hunters during the morning meeting. Farewell to the hunters.
Buying souvenirs. Transfer to Lavrentiya airport. The ethnologist says goodbye to the team.
Flight to Anadyr. Ferry across Liman to the city. Meeting with a local guide.
Check-in at the Anadyr hotel.
Dinner
Observation of salmon fishing on the shore of the traditional Chukchi village Tavayvaam. Dinner.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Anadyr Hotel, double rooms
Day 10. August 8, 2024. Anadyr
After breakfast, we will go on a city tour (we will visit the monuments to Grinevetsky, Rytkheu, Mandrikov, and St. Nicholas) and an observation deck overlooking Anadyr.
We will visit the museum "Heritage of Chukotka".
After lunch, we will take a walk to the passenger pier, where at low tide beluga whales and seals (a species of seals) catch salmon, standing against the current.
Photographing belugas and seals. Buying souvenirs.
In the evening we will arrange a farewell dinner and exchange impressions.
Folk group performance - throat singing or dancing
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Anadyr Hotel, double rooms
Day 11. August 9, 2024 (Friday). Anadyr - Return flight
After breakfast we will buy souvenirs and cross the estuary, transfer to the airport. Flight Anadyr - Moscow by Aeroflot, departure in the afternoon.
Meals: breakfast
Accommodation: no
* The order of the program can be changed, provided that all the main activities are saved.
** The program is depends on flight schedules (subject to change) and flight weather. Access to the sea and/or tundra also depends on the weather and may be restricted at any time for safety reasons.
*** A member of an expedition to Chukotka must be motivated: respect the culture of the Chukchi and Inuit, be aware of the purpose of the trip and possible adjustments to plans depending on weather conditions, as well as on the decision of indigenous communities. The expedition member must be in good physical condition and able to adapt to an unfamiliar community and culture.
**** If certain visits and/or tours cannot be completed due to external conditions, they will be replaced where possible.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS TRIP:
While preparing for a trip to such a unique region as Chukotka, many questions arise, since such a trip is not easy to plan and conduct, firstly, due to the lack of tourist infrastructure there, and, secondly, due to difficult climatic conditions.
Transport
If you have already safely flown to the Anadyr airport, this does not mean that your trip is guaranteed to pass along the entire route. First of all, a ticket for a domestic flight must be purchased in advance, since in Chukotka there is a constant shortage of seats for flights, and all tickets are sold out in six months, as soon as they appear on sale. In addition, there are frequent delays in departure to the regions, so we strongly recommend buying a return ticket from Anadyr with at least a small margin - one or two days after your return from the region, and with the possibility of changing the departure date.
Once at the airport, getting into the city is not easy. Even if the weather is good, you need to take a taxi to the pier, wait in line for the ferry to cross the estuary, and on the other side get into a taxi again and go to the hotel. For tourists, we organize a barge crossing - after leaving the airport, you get into a minibus that goes to the barge, crosses and takes you to the hotel. But if the weather is not very good - it is stormy, then the crossing may be difficult or canceled, so there is a danger of not crossing. To avoid the risk of not flying the next day (and according to the program we have a flight to the region - in the morning of the next day), then upon arrival in Chukotka we spend the night on the side of the airport, in the village of Coal Mines, so that in the morning we can safely get to the airport. Inspection of the city of Anadyr leave on the way back.
Accommodation
Upon arrival in Anadyr, we are accommodated for one night in private apartments or in the Nord Hotel. Why or? The fact is that at the moment the Nord Hotel is the only one on this coast, and is often used in emergency cases to accommodate people stuck due to the weather. For example, children returning from summer camps. Therefore, this hotel does not accept bookings. So that our tourists are not left without housing, we prefer to deal with private apartments. However, if there are available rooms at the hotel today upon request, we can accommodate you there as well.
When we get to our main place of stay - the village of Lorino, then we will be accommodated in apartments with local residents. Apartments come in different levels of comfort, accommodation options are very limited.
On the route, we can expect to spend the night in a reindeer herding brigade - in tents or yaranga, at the Akkani hunting base - in a house or a beam, here it is supposed to use a sleeping bag.
Upon returning to Anadyr, we plan to check into the Anadyr Hotel, basic standard double occupancy.
Meal
In the village of Coal Mines, in the city of Anadyr and in the village of Lorino, we provide you with three meals a day. During long trips on the water or on the tundra, we organize a picnic - hot tea and snacks. Upon returning to the base, we will already organize a full hot meal. Since tourists come to Chukotka to learn about how the local people live, and the cuisine is one of the most interesting manifestations of culture, we try to give you the opportunity to try the "Chukotka exotic" as much as possible - dishes from the meat of marine animals, venison, fish and caviar. Of course, it is difficult for vegetarians and vegans to organize a full-fledged diet, since everything is brought to stores here during a short navigation period. Sometimes there are interruptions in vegetables and fruits, which are affectionately called the word "freshness" here. In any case, we must know in advance about your food restrictions. In any case, cereals and pasta are in abundance in summer.
Equipment
Before the trip, many ask to send a list of recommended equipment, and when they receive it, they begin to argue: "Why do we need sleeping bags if we don't spend the night on the street? Why do you need boots? The list contains RECOMMENDATIONS! Your right to do as you please. But most visitors underestimate the severity of the local climate. It is worth going out to sea - and you understand that you should have dressed warmer. Boots, for example, are necessary for boarding a boat and disembarking in waves. Of course, we can get lucky and not need boots - sometimes there is complete calm. What if it's the other way around? Are you in sneakers, the wave has risen, and you have to jump into the water? Of course, we will come up with something and get out of the situation. One advice - do not neglect the recommendations, take warm clothes - such as a windproof ski suit, boots (preferably swamps, higher), a sleeping bag, a thermos. We hope that soon a rental point will open in Lorino, and you will be able to rent everything you need there.
Hygiene
In order to avoid embarrassing situations and in order to prevent infections that roam the planet in our time, we recommend (this is exactly a recommendation!) Everyone to bring with them a traditional tourist MSBK - a mug / spoon / bowl / knife - a personal set. When visiting reindeer herders, this is especially useful - there are not enough dishes for everyone in the yaranga, and it is also not very convenient to make the mistress of the house wash for everyone. In addition, and you will be calmer - safer to use your personal bowl or mug.
Sleeping bag is therefore also recommended to have your own - for hygiene reasons. Do not need a bag for ultra-low temperatures - in summer we still sleep indoors, light compact sleeping bag is enough.
Respect for owners
We call on everyone to be attentive and careful to the people we come to. The culture of sea mammal hunters and tundra reindeer herders is a rare phenomenon and a genuine heritage of mankind that needs to be protected. We therefore ask that you listen to the community's requests and demands for different kinds of rules and taboos, including photography and video, which are currently limited and strictly regulated. Please treat this with tact and understanding and do not shoot the bloody scenes of cutting animals, do not photograph the dirt, destruction and drunken people - all this may catch your eye (as in any other place!), but do not need to make of this informational occasion.
Safety procedure
The nature of Chukotka has still preserved its pristine nature - on the one hand, it is insanely beautiful, on the other - dangerous. Even in the village you can encounter face to face with a predator, it should be remembered always, being on Chukotka. Always listen to what the locals say - where you can go and where not.
We'll give you safety briefings at sea and in the tundra, but common sense and caution are the foundation of your safety.
Welcome to the amazing Chukotka! We wish you a lot of positive emotions and unforgettable experiences!
Cost includes:
Cost excludes (to be additionally paid):
To take with:
• Wear sets fitting weather conditions, including summer wear (trousers, T-shirts, long sleeve shirts) and warm wear (fleece, jamper),
• warm windstopper jacket
• thermal underwear
• hats for all types of weather: baseball cap/hat/suncap and windstop warm hat for sea journeys
• windstopper gloves
• buff
• swimsuits
• raincoat
• comfortable closed trekking footwear (with membrane) and comfortable light shoes (snickers) for walking
• rubber boots (up to you)
• sleeping bag for 10 degree
• anti mosquito net for sleeping (up to you)
• personal hygiene items: towel, wet tissues
• personal medical kit (analgesics, antiseptic, antibiotic, antiviral, your personal medications)
• sunblock set (cream, sunglasses, cap) and wind protection means
• facial anti mosquito net (up to you)
• repellents: sprays, creams
• big backpack for stuff
• small backpack for radial walks (25-30 liters)
• forehead torch
• thermos (up to you)
• photo and video camera, spare batteries
• dry bag for camera and documents (up to you)
• insurance confirmation copy
- Domestic flights from Anadyr to Laurentius (roundtrip)
- transportation costs in Chukotka (transfers, taxi, ferries, boats, all-terrain vehicles)
- twin/double accommodation in hotels and apartments,
- accommodation in yaranga
- full board meals
- permit to the border zone
- entry to the national park zones (payments and permits),
- tickets to the museums
- English and Russian speaking guide, local guides
- English and Russian speaking guide - ethnologist and team leader in Lorino
- ethnologist's lectures about Chukotka in Lorino.
Cost excludes (to be additionally paid):
- Tickets to Anadyr roundtrip,
- medical insurance,
- Russian visa (if required),
- additional extra food, alcohol and souvenirs,
- Additional activities not included in the programme, such as visiting reindeer herders (20,000 - 30,000 rubles: depending on the location of the brigade)
- Extra charge for single occupancy
To take with:
• Wear sets fitting weather conditions, including summer wear (trousers, T-shirts, long sleeve shirts) and warm wear (fleece, jamper),
• warm windstopper jacket
• thermal underwear
• hats for all types of weather: baseball cap/hat/suncap and windstop warm hat for sea journeys
• windstopper gloves
• buff
• swimsuits
• raincoat
• comfortable closed trekking footwear (with membrane) and comfortable light shoes (snickers) for walking
• rubber boots (up to you)
• sleeping bag for 10 degree
• anti mosquito net for sleeping (up to you)
• personal hygiene items: towel, wet tissues
• personal medical kit (analgesics, antiseptic, antibiotic, antiviral, your personal medications)
• sunblock set (cream, sunglasses, cap) and wind protection means
• facial anti mosquito net (up to you)
• repellents: sprays, creams
• big backpack for stuff
• small backpack for radial walks (25-30 liters)
• forehead torch
• thermos (up to you)
• photo and video camera, spare batteries
• dry bag for camera and documents (up to you)
• insurance confirmation copy
KEY FEATURES:
Tour to Chukotka
Chukotka peninsula, Russia
Best season: July - September
Lorino, the capital of whalers, where Chukchi and Inuit people are engaged in whale and walrus hunting, that we can witnesses.
Life in yaranga traditional dwelling of the Chukchi reindeer herders, deep dive into their life and culture, nomading with the camp to a new place in tundra.
Gray whales and walrus rookeries – the unique wildlife of Chukotka.
Cape Dezhnev - the easternmost point of Eurasia.
Underground "lednik" - a giant natural fridges for storage of meat of sea animals.
Bering Strait dividing Eurasia and America. The unique place – the border of the Eastern and Western hemispheres, place where 180th meridian and the Arctic Circle cross.
Ethnologist's lectures about Chukotka, its indigenous peoples, traditions and cultures.
Old settlements of Naukan, Akkani and Masik "Whale valley"
Salmon, red caviar, walrus meat, mantak and other Chukchi delicacies.
Chukotka peninsula, Russia
Best season: July - September
Lorino, the capital of whalers, where Chukchi and Inuit people are engaged in whale and walrus hunting, that we can witnesses.
Life in yaranga traditional dwelling of the Chukchi reindeer herders, deep dive into their life and culture, nomading with the camp to a new place in tundra.
Gray whales and walrus rookeries – the unique wildlife of Chukotka.
Cape Dezhnev - the easternmost point of Eurasia.
Underground "lednik" - a giant natural fridges for storage of meat of sea animals.
Bering Strait dividing Eurasia and America. The unique place – the border of the Eastern and Western hemispheres, place where 180th meridian and the Arctic Circle cross.
Ethnologist's lectures about Chukotka, its indigenous peoples, traditions and cultures.
Old settlements of Naukan, Akkani and Masik "Whale valley"
Salmon, red caviar, walrus meat, mantak and other Chukchi delicacies.
Why with MZUNGU EXPEDITIONS?
- 1UNIQUENESS
We find the most astonishing places on Earth and speed up to reach them. Our motto is to go ahead of road roller, touch the unique and unknown, before it disappears. - 2ADVENTURISM
Wherever we go, we look for challenging activities and adventures, filling the journey with absolutely different spirit and emotions. That is why people join us over and over again. - 3SAFETY
In our trips we pay special attention to safety. All our travels are based on personal experience, equipped with the best gear, involving proved providers and experienced local guides who perfectly know local features. - 4EXPERIENCE
We have a unique experience of the most offbeat expeditions and ascents, deep knowledge of countries and peoples, and are ready to share it with you.
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