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Premiere in Russia's Far East - Otaru to Petropavlovsk
MS Hanseatic - June 13-30, 2012
Voyage HAN1211
English Excursions Guaranteed!
Enter unknown territory and discover landscapes that are among the most pristine throughout the
world. For the first time ever, the HANSEATIC sets out to circumnavigate the Sea of Okhotsk,
taking you to volcanoes, geysers and glaciers. The vast expanses of the tundra and
mountainsides covered with coniferous forests are the habitat of a multifaceted animal kingdom
which you will experience on numerous Zodiac rides.
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Date
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Destination |
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13-Jun-12
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Embarkation in Otaru
(Sapporo)/Japan, departure 24.00 hrs |
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14-Jun-12
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Relaxation at sea |
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15 Jun - 17 Jun-12
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Sakhalin/Russia (Korsakov, Tyuleniy ,
Piltun Lagoon) |
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18 Jun - 24 Jun-12
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Sea of Okhotsk/Russia (Iony , Shantar
Islands , Malminskie Islands , Okhotsk , Talan Island , Taran Point , Yamskiye
Islands ) |
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25-Jun-12
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Cape Utholoskiy/Kamchatka |
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26-Jun-12
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Relaxation at sea |
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27-Jun-12
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Kuril Islands/Russia (Atlasova ,
Shumshu ) |
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28-Jun-12
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Kamchatka (Listvinichnaya Bay ,
Russkaya Bay ) Petropavlovsk/Kamchatka, arrival 22.30 hrs Overnight stay on
board |
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29-Jun-12
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Petropavlovsk, overnight stay on
board |
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30-Jun-12
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Disembarkation. |
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Sakhalin and the Sea of Okhotsk
Starting out
from Otaru, you will reach the island of
Sakhalin, the scenic beauty of which is sure to provide a
lasting memory. It is Russia's largest island, and in bygone times, the tsars
maintained a penal colony here - more than 10,000 km away from Moscow - which
Anton Chekhov impressively described in his account of his travels entitled
"Sakhalin Island". What will capture you here today, however, are the treasures
of nature you can discover after a visit to the oldest Russian settlement on
the island, Korsakov. The Zodiacs will take you to places such
as the small island of Tyuleniy, which is not home to humans,
but to thousands of fur seals and Steller's sea lions as well as the breeding
ground of guillemots and black-legged kittiwakes. In this context, a hotel from
the Soviet era that was abandoned upon completion of the bare brickwork and is
today inhabited by the animals offers a curious sight. The landscape of
Russia's Far East is predominantly characterised by the tundra. In
Piltun Lagoon, the Zodiacs will take you ashore, enabling you
to experience this wild and romantic type of landscape on an exploratory hike
through nature. Here, Largha seals with their distinctive spotted furs are
likely to captivate your attention. The focus of the next destination of our
expedition will be on animals, too - Iony, a tiny island to
the north of Sakhalin right in the middle of the Sea of Okhotsk, is populated
by Steller's sea lions. During a Zodiac ride, you can watch the imposing
animals at close range from a safe distance. The Shantar
Islands and the Malminskie Islands are also secluded
natural sanctuaries where songbirds, birds of prey, seals and sea otters live
without being interfered with. Depending on the weather and ice conditions, you
may experience drift ice fields off the coast of the Shantar Islands - thanks
to the reinforced hull of the HANSEATIC, the ice does not cause a problem. In
the little village of Okhotsk after which the nearby sea was
named, the inhabitants will give you a warm welcome and offer you insights into
life in their village. Finally, you will have the opportunity to once again
hike across lush grassland tundra on Talan Island, in
Taran Point on the Koni Peninsula and on the Yamskiye
Islands. |
Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands - the Russian End of the
World
Kamchatka is the land of volcanoes, geysers and bears. On a
Zodiac ride setting out from Cape Utholoskiy, you will be on the
lookout, and with a little luck, you will spot brown bears ashore - an
unforgettable moment of your expedition!
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| The Kuril Islands are equally memorable. They connect Russia with Japan and are
of volcanic origin. The island of Atlasova, for instance, is
dominated by the volcano Alaid. The perfect conic shape of the mountain offers an
overwhelming sight. By contrast, the landscape of the island of
Shumshu is dominated by soggy marshland with countless little
lakes and puddles. Various globeflowers, irises and orchid species thrive in the
dense grassland tundra. From the Kuril Islands, our journey takes us back to the
wild land of Kamchatka, where you will be greeted by the beauty of
Listvinichnaya Bay. With a little luck, you will catch sight of
Arctic ground squirrels and plenty of birds on the occasion of a Zodiac landing in
Russkaya Bay - and enjoy the view of the volcano Vilutschinsky in
the distance on a hike. Petropavlovsk is your starting point for a
visit to the spectacular Valley of the Geysers*. This mystic
place, which is considered one of the greatest miracles of nature, can only be
visited by helicopter. The sight of steaming clouds of fog and volcanic chains
forms the unique finale of your expedition into the wild and pristine nature of
Russia's Far East. |
* These arrangements are not included in the cruise price. The
shore activities listed here are in the planning stage and are subject
to changes. |
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¹ Categories 6 and 7 include butler service
² United States Dollar prices are based on the current Euro to Dollar exchange
rate as of January 9,2012 and are subject to change. These rates do not include
airfare.
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