NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
BOSTON, MA
PERMIT #59427
Harvard University
Harvard Museum of Natural History
26 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138-2902
Kamchatka & the Russian Far
East: Reindeer Herders & the
Ring of Fire
August 11–24, 2011
Dear Traveler,
Our unusual adventure focuses on the wild Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia's east coast, a wide
volcanic promontory thrusting upward from the Pacific Ring of Fire. The most spectacular
volcanic region in the world, Kamchatka boasts a high density and variety of active volcanoes, and
contains the Volcanoes of Kamchatka UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Travel Program
Kamchatka is without exaggeration one of the most spectacular regions in Russia. Here one can
26 Oxford Street find an abundance of beauty: snowcapped volcanoes, steaming geysers and thermal hot springs.
Cambridge MA 02138
Wildlife abounds amid the mountains, tundra, forests and rugged coastline, to create a wonderland
(617) 495-2463 phone for any adventurous traveler. Sable, ermine, Siberian bighorn (or Snow) sheep, the Kamchatka
(617) 496-8782 fax brown bear, Stellar's sea eagles, sea otters, crab and salmon are all found in large quantities.
www.hmnh.harvard.edu/travel
Hunting, fishing, and reindeer breeding have always been traditional occupations for the natives of
Kamchatka. On this journey we venture north to the seldom-visited Esso region, meeting Koryak
and Even native peoples. We also helicopter to a traditional summer camp of indigenous peoples
who live a semi-nomadic lifestyle and breed reindeer.
This 780-mile long peninsula (not to be confused with Siberia further west) was visited by Russian
Cossacks over three hundred years ago; at that time it took more than a year to travel to
Kamchatka, at the edge of the world. Up until 1993, no foreigners were allowed to visit this
region, and even today though some visit this region by ship, even fewer visit it by land.
Planned highlights:
• Visit the Amur Tiger Rehabilitation Center, a small, privately-run establishment within the home
range of the rare Siberian tiger
• Take a helicopter excursion to the fantastic Valley of the Geysers, where geysers, mud pots,
thermal springs, and steam vents erupt from the valley floor
• Enjoy splendid views of Avachinsky and Koryaksky volcanoes, looming over the city of
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
• Cruise Kamchatka’s Avacha Bay to spot wildlife and admire mountain vistas
• Venture to the village of Esso to learn about the two major indigenous peoples of Kamchatka, the
Koryak and the Even
• Helicopter to a traditional summer camp of indigenous peoples who live a semi-nomadic lifestyle
and breed reindeer
We hope you can join us on this exciting adventure to this remote region. Space is limited to a
maximum of 20 travelers, so please contact us early to reserve your space. We can be reached by
telephone at (617) 495-2463, by e-mail at hmnhtravel@oeb.harvard.edu or by fax at (617) 496-
8782. This and other HMNH trips can be found at www.hmnh.harvard.edu/travel.
Kind Regards,
Lauren Bruck
Director of Travel Program
Harvard Museum of Natural History presents
Kamchatka & the Russian Far East:
Reindeer Herders & the Ring of Fire
August 11–24, 2011
ITINERARY (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner) family of three great tigers roaming throughout the enclosure, in the
process of rehabilitation and providing biological data for the Russian
Thursday, August 11 – Saturday, August 13 Academy of Sciences. Learn about conservation efforts and the history
Depart USA / En route / Arrive Vladivostok, Russia. of the Amur tiger. Return to Vladivostok, stopping en-route for dinner
Depart USA on international flights. Arrive in Vladivostok in the at a local restaurant. Hotel Hyundai or similar (B, L, D)
afternoon. In 1860, the Russian Empire annexed an important piece
of land from China—a slice of Pacific seacoast from the Amur River Tuesday, August 16
down to Korea. Golden Horn Bay was chosen as the new Pacific port Vladivostok / Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
and named Vladivostok, meaning “Rule the East.” An ideal deepwater
We transfer to the airport and fly to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. A
harbor with an average of 295 ice-free days a year, it grew from a naval
beautiful sight greets us: mountainous terrain highlighted by three
outpost to a thriving merchant city, close in proximity to China and
snow-capped volcanoes. The peninsula is home to some 150
Japan. Due to its importance as a border zone city and the home of
volcanoes, 28 of which are active, including those closest to the city of
the Navy, Vladivostok was declared off-limits to foreigners and most
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Kamchatka lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire,
Russians following WWII. On January 1, 1992, after the dissolution
at a point where the Pacific Plate is sliding underneath the Eurasian
of the Soviet Union, the city was declared officially open and began to
Plate at a rate of about 80 mm each year. This is the source of
welcome travelers. This evening enjoy a welcome dinner. Hotel
dynamic volcanism over the whole peninsula. Upon arrival, we
Hyundai or similar (Meals aloft, D)
transfer to the hotel. Depending on the time of arrival we will have a
short tour around the city, or just check in to the hotel and go for
Sunday, August 14 dinner at a local restaurant. Avacha Hotel or similar (B, L, D)
Vladivostok
Today we tour Vladivostok. See the railway station, built in 1912 and Wednesday, August 17
decorated with bold Socialist-Realist murals, and the unusually Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky / Avacha Bay Cruise
animated statue of Lenin across the street. Ascend to the Eagle’s Nest
Founded by Vitus Bering, the city is named after the two ships he
observation platform, from which we can admire the whole city and
sailed into Avacha Bay in 1740, the St. Peter and the St. Paul.
Golden Horn Bay on a clear day. We take private, guided tours of
Prominent explorers including Bering, La Peruse, and Charles Clark
several museums, such as the Arsenyev Museum, named after the
all played a role in local history. A city of more than 250,000 people
19th-century Russian explorer and scientist who charted the Far East,
(nearly half of the entire population of Kamchatka), Petropavlovsk-
and the Antique Auto Museum, which displays restored and vintage
Kamchatsky is home to fishermen, shipbuilders, traders, geologists,
Soviet vehicles from the 1930s to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
and students. It serves as the capital of the Kamchatka Peninsula, a
Delve into the city’s deep naval history as we stop along the total area of 472,000 square kilometers.
Korabelnaya Naberezhnaya embankment, which includes the Pacific
Following breakfast, we gain a new perspective on Petropavlovsk-
Navy War Memorial with the C-56 submarine and the Monument to
Kamchatsky while cruising its beautiful Avacha Bay, one of the world's
the First Settlers. Visit the Vladivostok Fortress Museum which, until
largest bays. Admire the boats and ships that arrive and depart year-
recently, was part of the city’s sea approach defense system, and stop in
round. Colonies of sea birds nest on the cliffs and rocks, the cone of
at the Naval Cemetery, the final resting place of Vladivostok’s most
Avacha volcano steams above the green hills, and the sheer sea stacks
renowned people. After our tour we return to the hotel for an evening
called the Three Brothers stand guard against tsunamis. We cruise
at leisure and independent dinner. Hotel Hyundai or similar (B, L)
around Starichkov Island, home to impressive seabird colonies, and
where we may perhaps spot some of the bay's sea otters, seals, and
Monday, August 15 other sea mammals.
Amur Tiger Rehabilitation Center
After lunch we visit the Museum of Volcanology. This specially
Following an early breakfast, we head north on a full-day trip to the arranged private tour prepares us for tomorrow’s introduction to
town of Spassk. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before transferring to geothermal activity during our visit to the Valley of the Geysers. The
Gaivoron Village for a visit to the Tiger Rehabilitation Center. museum houses a unique collection of minerals, ores, and lava samples
The Amur (Siberian) Tiger is the king of the Russian Far East. from the Ring of Fire and from other places in the world. See
With fewer than 400 remaining in the wild, the Amur tiger is critically incredible photographs and video footage of the latest volcanic
endangered, but due to the efforts of WWF Russia and other projects eruptions on Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands.
dedicated to the preservation of this magnificent animal, the numbers Avacha Hotel or similar (B, L, D)
are increasing.
This small, privately-run establishment, created by scientist Victor Thursday, August 18
Yudin, is part of the Russian Academy of Sciences Biological Research Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky / Valley of the Geysers
Reserve. Dr. Yudin will show us around the center, a five-acre wooded Board a helicopter and fly to the fantastic Valley of the Geysers, the
enclosure within the natural habitat of the rare Amur tiger. Meet a world’s second largest geyser field. This is the centerpiece of the
Volcanoes of Kamchatka World Heritage Site, and an outstanding Saturday, August 20
volcanic region with a high density of active volcanoes. The interplay Esso / Reindeer Herders
of active volcanoes and glaciers forms a dynamic landscape of great We board our helicopter and soar over the dramatic landscape of
beauty. The sites contain a great diversity of wildlife, including the Kamchatka to where the nomadic population of Even reindeer herders
world's largest known variety of salmonoid fish and exceptional still practice traditional methods of hunting and fishing. Visit their
concentrations of sea otter, brown bear, and Stellar's sea eagle. chums, the cone-shaped, portable tents they call home, and experience
Along the 3.7-mile basin in the Valley of the Geysers are and learn about a group of people and a way of life that is now in
approximately ninety geysers and many hot springs in a remote, hidden danger of disappearing completely. After the visit, fly back to Esso for
canyon only discovered by scientists in 1941. Geysers, thermal springs, dinner. Please note: the precise schedule for the next few days is subject to
mud pots and steam vents erupt from the valley floor, and boardwalks change, as helicopter flights are weather dependent. If needed, the program
thread their way through the extraordinary landscape. will be swapped around. Paramushir Hotel or similar (B, L, D)
Our approximately 90 minute helicopter flight takes us over this
active region of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Admire the beauty and Sunday, August 21
grandeur of active volcanoes and the mountain ranges, taiga, rivers and Esso / Anavgay Settlement
lakes of Kamchatka during the flight. Lunch is served picnic-style Spend the day in and around the alpine village of Esso. Situated in the
today near the heliport. After the return flight from the valley, enjoy middle of the Kamchatka peninsula, it has been called the Switzerland
dinner at a local restaurant. Please note: helicopter flights are weather of eastern Russia due to its dramatic mountains and relatively mild
dependent. If needed, the schedule will be swapped around to accommodate climate. Also known for its hot springs, all buildings in the settlement
the flight to the Valley of the Geysers. Outside groups may be joining our are heated with thermal waters in winter. Esso has a vibrant indigenous
flight to the Valley of the Geysers. Avacha Hotel or similar (B, L, D) culture, which its inhabitants have fought to preserve. An ethnographic
museum dedicated to the people who originally called this place home
Friday, August 19 is considered one of the best of its kind in Russia and offers a glimpse
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky / Esso into their way of life.
This morning we begin our nine hour drive to Esso. Although this is a This afternoon we travel to the nearby Anavgay Settlement, a
long travel day, our route provides us with fantastic scenery along the village of 700 people, of which most are of the Even and Koryak
way. We make frequent stops at small settlements known for natural groups. This settlement is an example of how the native populations
thermal hot springs and to enjoy the forested hillsides of central have integrated into modern life while still maintaining a link to their
Kamchatka. This is a route few travelers have taken, as Kamchatka past. The wonderful cultural center is managed by the local people,
remained off-limits to Soviets and foreigners for so long. During that and offers both historical and present day insights into their culture.
time it was one of the most secret and restricted parts of the Soviet You will find the people to be welcoming and warm-hearted. We have
Union due to its military installations (Petropavlovsk harbors the dinner upon our return to Esso. Paramushir Hotel or similar (B, L, D)
Russian Pacific submarine fleet and a major naval base).
Our lunch stop is at Milkovo, an old Cossack village situated on Monday, August 22
the banks of the Kamchatka River, the largest river on the peninsula. Esso / Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Notice how the climate differs markedly from Petropavlovsk: in the Our nine hour return drive back down the spine of the peninsula takes
summer, Milkovo is the warmest place on the peninsula. Time us through the rugged hills and remote villages to the coast and
permitting, we visit a replica of an old Cossack fort. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. This evening we bid farewell to the
Esso is a town of approximately 2,300 people, two thirds of whom Kamchatka peninsula with a festive dinner.
are Russian and one third of whom are indigenous peoples. We spend Avacha Hotel or similar (B, L, D)
the next three days visiting and learning about the two major
indigenous peoples of Kamchatka, the Koryak and the Even.
Tuesday, August 23
The Koryak people are divided into subgroups: nymylany (settled) Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky / Vladivostok
and chavchuveny (nomadic). The nymylany-Koryaks were originally
Transfer to the airport to fly to Vladivsotok. Upon arrival, we are
hunters and fishermen and today they mostly live a modern life style.
transferred to our city center hotel for check-in and rest. Gather this
The chavchuveny-Koryaks engage mainly in reindeer breeding. They
evening for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
rely on the reindeer for their food, clothing, shelter and transportation.
Hotel Hyundai or similar (B, L, D)
The chavchuveny-Koryaks have retained much of their original
nomadic culture, mainly because they continue to spend the better part
of the year traveling with their herds. Wednesday, August 24
Vladivostok / Home
The Evens came to the Kamchatka peninsula relatively late from
the Okhotsk region. Originally they engaged in fishing and hunting, After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flights home. (B, Meals aloft)
but towards the end of the 19th century their major occupation
became reindeer breeding. Under the influence of the Koryak, they
began to breed reindeer for fur and meat, tented shelter, clothing, and
transportation. Dinner is at the hotel.
Paramushir Hotel or similar (B, L, D)
G E N E R A L I N FO R M AT I O N
Price: $8,970 per person, double occupancy explore spectacular, secluded natural areas are musts. There are several long
drives and travelers should be able to endure long drives and bumpy, dusty
Single Supplement: $990* roads. Travel is by regular scheduled jet aircraft, private motor coach, and
helicopter.
*Should you request to share a twin room, we will attempt to find a
roommate for you; however, if at the time of final payment no roommate is
Insurance: We highly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance.
available, the single supplement fee will be charged.
An application for trip cancellation insurance will be available upon
confirmation. Depending on the level of coverage purchased, the pre-existing
Airfare: As of December 2010, international roundtrip airfare between
medical conditions exclusion can be waived if the insurance is purchased
Boston and Vladivostok, Russia: $1,950 for economy; $6,750 for buisness
within 15 days of initial deposit. Neither the Harvard Museum of Natural
class. As a general rule, it is wise to refrain from purchasing nonrefundable
History nor the tour operator accept liability for any airline cancellation
airfare until the minimum number of participants has been met.
penalty incurred by the purchase of a nonrefundable airline ticket or other
expenses incurred by tour participants in preparing for the tour. As a service
Tour Includes: All accommodations as indicated; private coach transport per
to our travelers, we automatically provide $50,000 emergency medical
itinerary; helicopter transport for Valley of Geysers and reindeer breeder
evacuation insurance. You will receive detailed coverage approximately 30
camps; internal round-trip flight in economy class from Vladivostok to
days prior to your departure.
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky; group arrival and departure transfers; all
sightseeing and excursions including entrance fees per itinerary; local English
Physical Health: Participation on an HMNH program requires that
speaking guides and tour manager throughout itinerary; special cultural
passengers be in generally good health. It is essential that persons with any
features per itinerary; meals as listed in itinerary; bottled/purified water with
medical problems and related dietary restrictions make them known to us
meals, beverages with lunches/dinners: choice of one non-alcoholic drink;
well before the departure. We can counsel participants on whether an
Special welcome and farewell dinners including wine, beer, or soft drinks;
expedition is appropriate for them.
gratuities to tour manager, local guides, drivers; baggage handling at the hotels
where available; $50,000 medical and evacuation insurance.
Questions: Please call the Travel Program at the Harvard Museum of Natural
History (617) 495-2463.
Tour Excludes: U.S. domestic, and international airfare between the U.S. and
the start and ending cities; air taxes or fuel surcharges; pre- or post-tour
Responsibility: The tour operator, its owners and employees act only as
services; visa or passport fees; medical and trip cancellation/interruption
agents for the various independent suppliers and contractors providing
insurance; medical immunizations; medical and evacuation costs exceeding
transportation, hotel accommodations, restaurant and other services
$50,000; food or beverages not included in group meals; items of a personal
connected with this tour. Such travel and services are subject to the terms and
nature such as laundry, alcohol, telephone expenses, room service, excess
conditions under which such accommodations, services and transportation
baggage fees, photo/video expenses inside museums (where allowed); other
are offered or provided, and Harvard University, the Harvard Museum of
items not expressly listed as included.
Natural History and the tour operator and their respective employees, agents,
representatives, and assigns, accept no liability therefore. Harvard University,
If you are arriving independently from the group, please note that you are
the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the tour operator, assume no
responsible for your transfer to the hotel. If you would like the HMNH to
liability for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or other irregularity
arrange a private transfer for you at your own cost, please contact our office.
which may be caused by the defect of any aircraft or vehicle or the negligence
or default of any company or person engaged in carrying out or performing
Reservations, Deposits, & Final Payment: To reserve a space on this tour,
any of the services involved. Additionally, responsibility is not accepted for
please mail a nonrefundable deposit of $500 per person payable to “Harvard
losses, injury, damages or expenses of any kind due to sickness, weather,
Museum of Natural History,” along with the completed reservation form to:
strikes, local laws, hostilities, wars, terrorist acts, acts of nature or other such
Travel Program, Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street,
causes. All services and accommodations are subject to the laws of the country
Cambridge, MA 02138. Final payment is due by check only by May 14,
in which they are provided. Harvard University, and Harvard Museum of
2011, 90 days prior to departure.
Natural History and the tour operator reserve the right to make changes in
the published itinerary whenever, in their sole judgment, conditions warrant,
Cancellations and Refunds: Cancellations are effective when received by the
or if they deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience or safety of the tour
Harvard Museum of Natural History (HMNH) in writing. Should you need
participants. They reserve the right to withdraw this tour without penalty.
to cancel, the following charges apply: 91 or more days before departure,
The right is also reserved to decline to accept or retain any person as a
$500 per person nonrefundable deposit; 61 days to 90 days before departure,
member of the tour, or to substitute another qualified leader or special guest.
50% of the land tour cost; 60 days or less before departure, no refund.
Baggage and personal effects are the sole responsibility of the owners at all
Cancellation of air reservation is subject to the rules and regulations of the
times. The price of the program is given in good faith based on current tariffs
respective air carrier companies.
and rates, and is subject to change. Any tariff, exchange rate, or fuel increases
will be passed on to participants. Neither Harvard University, the Harvard
Tour Size: This tour, exclusively designed for the Harvard Museum of
Museum of Natural History nor the tour operator accepts the liability for any
Natural History, is limited to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served
airline cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a nonrefundable
basis. The minimum group size is 12. Should the minimum not be met, we
ticket. The air ticket, when issued, shall constitute the sole contract between
reserve the right to cancel the program, levy a small group surcharge, and/or
the passenger and the airline concerned. As a part of the consideration and
send the program without an HMNH representative.
right to participate in this tour, each participant will be asked to sign a
liability release.
What to Expect: This exclusive expedition is designed for HMNH members
and friends who are interested in learning about the history, culture, and
natural history of Russia’s Far East and Kamchatka Peninsula. This is a
moderately active, fast-paced program. Some walks are potentially long. There
will be a lot of walking in old cities and natural areas. Accommodations are
generally the best available (traveling remotely, choices are not always as
numerous). Since some of the travel will be in remote areas, everyone must be
flexible concerning time schedules, food, insects, weather, and dust. In order
to enjoy this trip, a spirit of adventure and anticipation, and the desire to
Kamchatka & the Russian Far East: Reindeer Herders & the Ring of Fire
R E S E R VAT I O N FO R M August 11–24, 2011
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I wish to pay the additional $990 for a single supplement.
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Please return this form with deposit check to: Travel Program, Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA
02138 or fax it to (617) 496-8782. QUESTIONS? Please call us at (617) 495-2463 OR e-mail hmnhtravel@oeb.harvard.edu
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