Traveler’s
Tips

News

26.03.08: March 26, 2008 in the cultural centre of Regional Library there was held the presentation of the preliminary report of “Kamchatka Visitor Survey” Program

Traveler’s Tips

		Kamchatka practical travel tips Traveling to Kamchatka has unique challenges and here is some helpful information for making your trip safe and enjoyable.
		Visa All foreigners entering Russia must have a valid visa. Tourism visas are issued for no more than 30 days. Extensions are only given for an additional few days to help in emergency situations. Visas are issued based on an invitation and contract for tourism services to the visa applicant.
		Migration сard All foreigners entering Russia must present for registration a Migration card, filled out on the plane when they arrive in Russia. Keep it inside your passport with your visa and present it with these documents for registration. Upon departure from Russia, you must return this card to the Immigration Control officers.
		Registration Within 3 working days of arriving, you must register your arrival on Kamchatka. More information about documents can be gotten from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs web site at http://www.mid.ru/brp_4.nsf/0/C952E5476E3A4D8CC32562620045068B. Or contact the Kamchatka Regional Tourism Agency at www.kamtourism.ru and kra@mail.kamchatka.ru. Usually non-Russian citizens must show a copy of their Kamchatka registration to immigration control officers when they check in for their departure flight.
		Wilderness travel Kamchatka is a huge wilderness with a small population concentrated in just several cities and towns. If you are not traveling in a guided group, let someone know your planned route and expected return date. Check in with protected area offices before you hike into a park. If you are hiking in the parks, register your plans with the park, a local tourism company, or your hotel and don’t forget to check in when you return. Hike with a buddy. If you are hiking on volcanoes, hiking with a pair of poles can stabilize you when you ascend slippery slopes or traverse snowfields that on some volcanoes never completely melt.
		Dress appropriately While we hope the sun will shine while you visit, it is just as likely to be cold and wet. A coat and hat (waterproof) can come in very handy if the weather changes. Some gloves and a warm fleece jacket and sweater can be your best friend when weather dramatically changes. For hiking/trekking in wilderness, expect to meet many streams and have footwear that will keep your feet dry in the most challenging conditions.
		Wildlife rule The animals were here first. They are fun to watch as long as you do not crowd them.
		Boating on the bay If you go on a marine tour, dress warmly, even on a sunny day. Take a hat, gloves, and rain gear, and wear rubber boots if available. Dress in layers with long johns under your clothes and a sweater on top. If it’s warm, you can always remove the sweater, but if it’s cold, you’ll be glad you have the extra insulation. Breezes often pick up in the afternoon due to temperature changes on land.
		About money… Purchases in most stores and at most hotels cannot be paid for with credit cards. Automatic teller machines are now located throughout Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the airport, and at Sberbank and Shamsa Shopping Center in Petropavlovsk and in Yelizovo. At most ATMs one can withdraw rubles, some will give dollars as well. Banks in Kamchatka also will allow you to withdraw money-euros, dollars, or rubles with a major credit card. Banks also have Western Union cash transfer systems too. Besides a credit card, one needs to have his passport for the transaction. Currency exchange booths are also located in many banks, department stores, and shopping centers around Petropavlovsk and in Yelizovo. One must present a passport to exchange funds. Some travel agencies and hotels in Yelizovo and Petropavlovsk that sell airline tickets will accept credit cards
		Public buses Public buses run from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM and after 9:00 PM, there are microbuses on the regular bus routes. Daily bus service from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky stops in Yelizovo, goes to Milkovo, Esso, and Kozyrevsk. Tickets are sold at either the Komsomolskaya Ploshchad central bus station in PK or at the main bus station at the entrance to Yelizovo. Microbuses also make express trips between Yelizovo and Petropavlovsk. They arrive and depart in Yelizovo from the main bus station at the entrance to town from Petropavlovsk. Microbuses going to Petropavlovsk from Yelizovo drop off passengers en route but the main Petropavlovsk destinations are the 10th kilometer and the KP public market.