Crimea - the Summer Playground for Russians up to this present day.You get splendid views of the mountains and the sea being on this islet.Checking out Crimea was on the top of my to do list.Yalta was my first stop.
Accomodation Woes no more
I wasn't able to find a couchsurfing host in Yalta previously.With the help of my Couchsurfing host Daria in Kharkov,I called a host i found via Hospitality Club and she agreed to host me in Yalta the next day.What luck!The host , Elena is a university graduate specializing in tourism and works as a tour guide in the Crimea during summer.In return for staying with her , i have to speak english and that was a great trade!
For those who come to Yalta without booking an accomodation , a contingent of babushki will be at the bus station waiting for your arrival.Each babushka has a set of keys for various accomodation options around Yalta.Just quote your price and they will find you a place to stay.Many Crimeans rent out their Seaside houses to tourists during summer and move to their dacha.This is perhaps the best and only time for them to earn money during the year.The Crimea region is heavily dependent on tourism and anytime outside summer means no income.
Weather
While , it is guaranteed sunshine in June , it may not be the case in May.While it may be burning hot in Kharkov , going further South does not guarantee warmer weather.Leaving my luggage behind in the Simferopol train station storage area before taking a bus to Yalta , I travelled light with just one set of clothes and no extra warm clothing.Bad move.It started raining in Yalta.Enduring the cold became a necessity.
What to see in Yalta?
1) Ai Putri
2) Lividia Palace
3) Swallows Nest
Soaked , the plans to check out the peak of Ai-Putri via cable car had to be cancelled .At the peak of Ai- Putri , there are some shops selling Tatar food ,and on the way down , visitors will be treated to a beautiful view of waterfalls )
Elena brought me to Lividia Palace instead.Lividia Palace, the summer retreat of the last Russian tsar and where Winston Churchill ,Franklin Roosevelt and other American delegates lived in when they were in Crimea for the 1945 conference.There are perks for being a tour guide because tour guides get to enters musuems for free if they bring a paying guest in.Elena took me on an interesting tour around the palace and the surrounding park.
Taking a boat ride to Swallows Nest ,a castle sits perched on a cliff .If you understand Russian , you'll be treated to a long commentary on Yalta's history.I nearly froze to death on the boat there.The sea breeze in May can chill your bones.It was not particularly interesting but the castle perched on the cliff definately gives any tourist an incredible view from the boat.My damaged camera did no justice to the real thing
To buy
Crimean dessert wine!
The host
Although it was my first time meeting Elena and her husband, we never ran out of things to talk about.From travelling to studying in Crimea and even tennis! Elena is a Russian girl brought up in the Ukraine.While her husband is a Ukrainian who can't really speak Ukrainian.They met on a hiking trip in the mountains and were inseparable ever since.They both love the mountains and nature.While Elena is fluent in English, her husband is still learning and has been encouraged by his employers , an American computer programming company to learn English.So he is getting alot of help from his wife indeed!
We chatted for half and hour during our quick breakfast before i left at 630am to catch the first bus to Sevastopol the next morning.And of course i left Yalta extremely happy with 2 small bottles of Crimean dessert wine!
The city of Yalta attracts hoards of russian tourists during summer ,but fails to be a similar draw to an international crowd.And Elena ,a fluent english speaker is trying her best to make Crimea known as a fabulous tourist destination via the internet.
Elena's link :http://tripcrimea.ucoz.ua/index/english_version/0-41
Look her up if you head to the Crimea!
Accomodation Woes no more
I wasn't able to find a couchsurfing host in Yalta previously.With the help of my Couchsurfing host Daria in Kharkov,I called a host i found via Hospitality Club and she agreed to host me in Yalta the next day.What luck!The host , Elena is a university graduate specializing in tourism and works as a tour guide in the Crimea during summer.In return for staying with her , i have to speak english and that was a great trade!
For those who come to Yalta without booking an accomodation , a contingent of babushki will be at the bus station waiting for your arrival.Each babushka has a set of keys for various accomodation options around Yalta.Just quote your price and they will find you a place to stay.Many Crimeans rent out their Seaside houses to tourists during summer and move to their dacha.This is perhaps the best and only time for them to earn money during the year.The Crimea region is heavily dependent on tourism and anytime outside summer means no income.
Weather
While , it is guaranteed sunshine in June , it may not be the case in May.While it may be burning hot in Kharkov , going further South does not guarantee warmer weather.Leaving my luggage behind in the Simferopol train station storage area before taking a bus to Yalta , I travelled light with just one set of clothes and no extra warm clothing.Bad move.It started raining in Yalta.Enduring the cold became a necessity.
What to see in Yalta?
1) Ai Putri
2) Lividia Palace
3) Swallows Nest
Soaked , the plans to check out the peak of Ai-Putri via cable car had to be cancelled .At the peak of Ai- Putri , there are some shops selling Tatar food ,and on the way down , visitors will be treated to a beautiful view of waterfalls )
Elena brought me to Lividia Palace instead.Lividia Palace, the summer retreat of the last Russian tsar and where Winston Churchill ,Franklin Roosevelt and other American delegates lived in when they were in Crimea for the 1945 conference.There are perks for being a tour guide because tour guides get to enters musuems for free if they bring a paying guest in.Elena took me on an interesting tour around the palace and the surrounding park.
Taking a boat ride to Swallows Nest ,a castle sits perched on a cliff .If you understand Russian , you'll be treated to a long commentary on Yalta's history.I nearly froze to death on the boat there.The sea breeze in May can chill your bones.It was not particularly interesting but the castle perched on the cliff definately gives any tourist an incredible view from the boat.My damaged camera did no justice to the real thing
To buy
Crimean dessert wine!
The host
Although it was my first time meeting Elena and her husband, we never ran out of things to talk about.From travelling to studying in Crimea and even tennis! Elena is a Russian girl brought up in the Ukraine.While her husband is a Ukrainian who can't really speak Ukrainian.They met on a hiking trip in the mountains and were inseparable ever since.They both love the mountains and nature.While Elena is fluent in English, her husband is still learning and has been encouraged by his employers , an American computer programming company to learn English.So he is getting alot of help from his wife indeed!
We chatted for half and hour during our quick breakfast before i left at 630am to catch the first bus to Sevastopol the next morning.And of course i left Yalta extremely happy with 2 small bottles of Crimean dessert wine!
The city of Yalta attracts hoards of russian tourists during summer ,but fails to be a similar draw to an international crowd.And Elena ,a fluent english speaker is trying her best to make Crimea known as a fabulous tourist destination via the internet.
Elena's link :http://tripcrimea.ucoz.ua/index/english_version/0-41
Look her up if you head to the Crimea!
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