Kholmsk
From Wikitravel
Kholmsk (Russian: Холмск, Japanese: Maoka (真岡)) is a port-town in Sakhalin Oblast facing the Tartar Strait, with a population of some 35.000 people. An utterly drab city, the only reason to visit here, is the ferry connection to the mainland.
[edit] Get in
[edit] By ferry
There is a daily overnight car ferry from Vanino on the mainland, departing Vanino at noon, and arriving in Kholmsk the next morning, however sailing schedules are often plagued by bad weather. In Vanino tickets are bought inside the train station, in Kholmsk tickets sales are at the ferry terminal, located in the center of town. Prices starts from 600 RUB. The Ferry is operated by SASCO[1] From and to Vanino, there are a daily train connection to Komsomolsk-on-Amur that continues further south to Khabarovsk and Vladivostok for access to the Trans-Siberian mainline.
 WARNING: DISEMBARKATION PROCEDURES: Sakhalin is a special designated border region, movement of foreigners is limited. To enter Sakhalin you are required to register with local authorities. During disembarkation you are required to provide your ferry ticket, passport and registration stamps. After all passengers have exited you will be taken to the customs office for an interview, your passport will only be handed back to you after the interview is completed. During the interview you have to provide information on the purpose of your visit, exit point and date, and accommodation. No English is spoken, having the above information written in Russian are advised. |
[edit] By Bus
Mini.- and regular busses depart for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on the parking lot, right outside the ferry terminal. Minibuses are the most convenient and takes 45 minutes to connect with Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (300 RUB), however normally you will have to wait for the minibus to fill up. There are also some scheduled public buses:
- Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Bus 516 - 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00 (5, 7)
- Nevelsk (Moneron) - Bus 525 - 9:40, 11:30, 12:40, 15:30, 18:10
[edit] Get around
Banks, busses and places to eat - are all only a few minuttes walk from the ferry station, along the main street. As with most other minor cities in Russia, intracity transportation are mainly provided by a fairly disorganised network of minibusses. If you need to get outside the city center, your best bet is to ask a local.
[edit][add listing] See
[edit][add listing] Eat
There is a few, mostly uninspiring - but as authentic as they come - restaurants and cafes along the main drag; Sovetskaya Street.
- Kushiro restaurant (Кусиро), 46 Sovetskaya st., ☎ +7 (42433) 66540. edit
- Mermaid Cafe (кафе Русалочка), 39 Sovetskaya st., ☎ +7 (42433) 66470. edit
- Restaurant Kholmsk (Холмск ресторан), 60 Sovetskaya st., ☎ +7 (42433) 50830. edit
[edit][add listing] Drink
There does not seem to be expats living in Kholmsk, and tourists in this area are extremely hard to come by. If you really need a drink, jump into a local pub, and enjoy the startled look on everyones faces as you place your order.
[edit][add listing] Sleep
- Hotel Kholmsk (Гостиница Холмск), 60 Sovetskaya Street, ☎ +7 (42433) 52854 (interturizm@bk.ru). Near the ferry terminal, this is the place to crash if you have to wait out for the ferry. Has a pub with food and drinks, and can help with train tickets from Vanino edit
- Guest House (Гостевой дом), 16A Pobedy Steet, ☎ +7 (42433) 66004. Fairly new and modern, this post-soviet era hotel was only build in 1995, and has conference facilities. edit
[edit] Get out
The unpopulated areas of Sakhalin, has some stunning scenery. However independent travel in these regions are only for the truly adventurous, an alternative is paying shameless amounts of rubles, for one of the fairly frequent organized tours provided by travel agencies in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
- Moneron (known in Japanese as Kaibato (海馬島) Right). is a small unpopulated island southwest of Kholmsk, popular with divers, snorkelers, and bird watchers. It's Russia's first Marine park- owning it's existence to an array of underwater reliefs, and the warm Tsusimskoye current that ensues an abundance of underwater wildlife, even subtropical species, and some fantastic plants. Although poaching is an increasing problem for this natural environment, it's still well worth a visit, and often has 30-40 meters of visibility. Above the water the scenery is quite enchanting with dramatic rock formations, waterfalls, rocky canyons and alpine meadows. The island has numerous bird colonies and is breeding ground for sea lions. Access requires a chartered boat, which usually leaves from Nevelsk, 50 km south of Kholmsk. Sakhalin Diving in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk can help with arrangements to dive here. edit
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