Olkhon



Olkhon (Russian: Ольхо́н ahl'-KHOHN) is by far the largest island in Lake Baikal, and one of the real jewels of Siberia. With its amazingly diverse landscape and a vibrant culture that even the Soviets couldn't quite suppress, this island practically begs for a spot on your Siberian itinerary.

Cities

 * Khuzhir. The island's main village with a population of about 1500 people.

There are also several smaller villages: Listed from north to south: Usuri, Pescanaja, Chalgaj, Charancy, Khuzir (main village), Mal. Khuzhir (little Khuzir), Jalga.

Other destinations
It is possible to visit the amazing north cape of the island, Cape Choboi, by 4 wheel drive — as well as the Taschkiney valley and Shara-Nuur lake and other destinations by day trips. This can be arranged in Khuznir, by either one of the tour operators, or at Nikita's guesthouse.

Understand
The island has an area of 730 sq. km (282 sq. miles) and is inhabited by around 1,500 Buryats. It is a center of local shamanism and features many holy sites.

Talk
The islands small population mainly consists of Buryats, a northern Mongol population group, and one of the largest minorities in Russia. Buryat is an independent language but closely related to Mongolian (and like in Mongolia, Cyrillic script is used for orthography), but as everywhere in Russia — despite the independent minded, and somewhat secluded population — Soviet centralism prevailed, and Russian is universally spoken.


 * Buryat phrasebook
 * Russian phrasebook

Get in
As Olkhon is an island, it is usually necessary to take a ferry from the pier in Sakhyurta, more commonly known as the MRS. as of summer 2012, the ferry ride is free for pedestrians and cost ₽100 of tax to randomly picked cars (that also go on the ferry). During the winter, though, the ice gets too thick for the ferry to run, and instead, buses resort to taking an ice road across the narrow channel. In April and October while the ice is forming and melting, the island is completely cut off from the outside world.

Minibuses and normal buses ply the 250-kilometre (160-mile) route from Irkutsk (five to eight hours) for around ₽500-600. You might have to pay a bit extra for big luggage. Normally the two major hostels in Irkutsk arrange minibuses to Khuzhir almost every day in season, and it is worth noting that in the early season, this is your probably your best bet, since buses do not begin to run until late May or June, even though the ferry starts running in early May.

Getting by car or hitchhiking from Irkutsk to Olkhon is also possible. the road is named P418 and goes north for about 120 km and then makes a sharp right turn at the village of Bayandai. from there it is about 60 km until a left turn at Tirgan. After that it's about 60 km more to the ferry station. keep notice that about 50 km of the road is an unpaved road.

You may also cruise the Baikal on ferries between Listvyanka and Olkhon in summer, taking 4 hours in each direction for around ₽4500. However, it is necessary to arrange your own transportation to Khuzhir unless you join the tours offered by the ferry operator.

Get around
The island has a 65-70 km main road that goes along the north part by the direction of north-east. Other than this road there are many roads leading to the forest and stepper grounds. You can rent bicycles and go on tours by boat, and of course you can walk around and sleep in tents, which you can also rent.

See




Beach
There is a popular beach just past the Shamans Rock, north to the main village, and many more along the north coast of the island. Some of these have warmer waters due to their shape and so they make a great place to camp and swim. On the far north eastern side of the island there are dramatic cliffs and the famous "Choboi Cape" from which it is possible to spot some seales. 15 km south of Khuzher towards the forest there is Sahara lake, which is a salty lake also good for camping. it is also possible to rent a kayak from guesthouses in Khuzher.

Sauna
Because there are no water pipes, showers aren't available in many private households. If you're lucky, your guest house has a water pump supplying the sinks, toilets and showers with running water. As an alternative there is the Russian banja (a steam sauna room) that can be arranged by talking to your guest house.

Mountainbiking
Mountainbikes are available for rent from many stores in town for a small fee and with or without deposit. There are many dirt roads through the forests to the eastern side of the island that are very picturesque. Don't forget to bring enough water on hot summer days!

ATV
ATVs or quads can be rented, but are very expensive and billed on an hourly basis.

Eat
In Khuzher, There are several little "restaurants", more like bistros. it is also possible to buy groceries (including raw meat and fish) for preparing camping food or BBQ. There are something in the range of five little supermarkets. The biggest one is at northern end of the middle of wide dusty main street, after the odd looking soviet war memorial. It looks closed all of the time, but isn't. in the season they all seem to close around 8PM-9PM

Buy
On the main road of Khuzher, and also next to ferry station, there are several souvenir shops that sell Buryat orientated ornaments. Buddhist artifacts, dolls, clothes and also music CD's and instruments. Some shops also sell postcards, statues and many more.

Drink
Beer, Vodka and other alcoholic beverages can be bought at the supermarket. There is also somewhat of a bar in Khuzher.

Sleep
Many people come to Olkhon island for the camping spots. it is common to see some tents even in the main village. the operator of the village church in Khuzher, Sergey, often gives campers a place near the church without any request. In session many backpackers are seen around the church, volunteering to build a floor for backpackers just near by.

On coming by bus, there will probably be a lot of "babushkas" (Russian grandmothers) waiting at the bus stop. You can rent a room at their houses and sometimes you also get dinner and breakfast (₽250 per person in 2007, including meals).

Go next
For Irkutsk, some of the shops in Khuzher operate a bus service that goes daily. it is also possible to get out by car or hitchhike on the some way in. For the island located northeast of Olkhon, there is a boat going weekly for ₽2300 from the north port of Olkhon.