Traveling to the Republic of Buryatia

Very few foreigners ever set foot in the Republic of Buryatia in Russian Siberia. I was one of the lucky ones, arriving as a guest of the Governor himself. The journey began with an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Ulan-Ude — five and a half hours east. By coincidence, the Governor was on the same plane, which made the introduction easy.

I stayed for ten days, exploring the wild beauty of Buryatia, a region influenced for centuries by Silk Road cultures. This is a mystical land framed by Lake Baikal, the oldest and deepest lake in the world. Only 100 kilometers southeast of Ulan-Ude, itself a last outpost of civilization, it remains almost untouched by Western civilization.

High on my list was a hidden place few even in Russia know about: a village of the Old Believers, a community that has preserved faith and tradition for centuries.

Who Are the Old Believers of Russia?

The Old Believers split from the Russian Orthodox Church in the 17th century when Patriarch Nikon introduced reforms to liturgy and ritual. They resisted fiercely, continuing to cross themselves with two fingers instead of three, and refusing to accept the “new” church books. For this, they were persecuted, exiled, and in some cases executed.

Many fled to remote regions like Siberia. Others, known as the Semeiskie Old Believers, were resettled here in Buryatia by Catherine the Great to farm and guard the borders. They survived through faith, self-reliance, and community. Their haunting polyphonic songs are so unique that UNESCO has recognized them as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.

LA ESPERANZA GRANADA: THE BEST PLACE TO STAY IN GRANADA

Visiting the Old Believers’ Village of Buryatia

One morning, I set out by car. Ninety minutes of winding roads later, I arrived at a cluster of brightly painted wooden houses. The village looked like it had spilled out of a storybook — blue fences, yellow shutters, green gables.

“Even most Russians don’t know this place exists,” my guide told me. He was right. The village felt like a hidden world, almost out of time.

The people matched the houses. Dressed in long, handmade dresses, aprons, and embroidered shirts, they looked as though they had walked out of another century. Yet this was not a museum or a film set. This was their daily life, preserved against history’s storms.

Meeting the Old Believers: Warm Welcomes and Family Pride

The villagers greeted me warmly. Foreigners rarely come here, so they were just as curious about me as I was about them. I went from house to house, and each family opened their door with pride.

Inside, I saw heirloom furniture made by their ancestors — sturdy wardrobes, cradles, and cabinets built to last. Dresses in vivid colors hung on the walls like works of art. “My grandmother wore this at her wedding,” one woman told me through my guide. “Every stitch is memory.”

Old Russian Traditions Preserved in the Dresses of the Old Believers

The dresses glowed in shades of deep red, emerald green, and bright blue, their fabric heavy with history. Some had matching vests, thick with beadwork that caught the light. Others were embroidered in neat, geometric patterns — tiny crosses, stars, and lines stitched in gold, white, or black thread.

I ran my fingers across one sleeve and felt the raised texture of the embroidery. These weren’t museum pieces; they were garments worn for weddings, feast days, and family gatherings. Each one carried memory in its threads.

Inside the Homes of the Old Believers

Every corner seemed to carry meaning. Wooden stoves stood painted in bright floral patterns, their edges chipped from years of use but still beautiful. In one corner, icons glowed behind embroidered cloths, each frame carefully decorated. On shelves, carved boxes and hand-painted spoons sat beside heavy cabinets built by ancestors long gone. The air smelled faintly of wood smoke and bread. It was a kind of comfort that didn’t need explanation.

And everywhere were old-fashioned dolls dressed in intricate dresses, as if awaiting an invitation to a tea party. I found this extremely fascinating.

The Polyphonic Singing of the Old Believers

And then there was the sound. From another room came the voices of women singing, their harmonies rising in layered waves. It was the polyphonic singing of the Old Believers, recognized by UNESCO as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. The notes were raw and haunting, more powerful than polished. It was not performance; it was prayer carried in song, passed down through centuries without change.

Later, I asked a grandmother when they sang and why. She looked at me with steady eyes and said simply, “We sing when we work, when we pray, when we remember. Singing keeps us together. Without the songs, there is no us.”

The Amber “Pharmacy” of Buryatia

In another home, a man placed a massive amber necklace in my hands. The beads were large, warm, and golden, heavy with meaning.

“This protects us,” he said. “When someone is sick, we wrap them in amber. It brings balance back to the body.”

Then he looped it gently around my shoulders before gesturing to the wall. Dozens of amber necklaces in different sizes and lengths hung like glowing strands of sunlight.

“Every house has its own pharmacy of amber necklaces,” he explained with quiet pride.

Whether or not amber cures illness, here it offers strength, comfort, and continuity. In a village far from modern medicine, belief itself becomes part of the cure.

Of course I had to try the Old Believers’ dress with my amber necklaces too. Fortunately, one of the ladies kindly lent me a clean heirloom piece.

Traditional Food of the Old Believers of Siberia

That evening, several families invited me into the community common room. The walls were covered with icons and hand-painted frames. The table had been set with what they called a feast: beef and vegetable stew, a simple salad, and thick slices of homemade bread.

Almost every ingredient had come from their own fields or barns. Only on rare trips to Ulan-Ude, the capital of Buryatia, do they buy modern essentials. Otherwise, life continues much as it always has.

We ate together in the soft light, their children shy at first but soon curious, asking me where I had come from and why. A young woman leaned in and asked, “Most foreigners go to Baikal. Why did you come here?”

I told her I wanted to see the way they lived, to witness traditions that had survived centuries. She nodded slowly. “We are not a museum,” she said. “We live this way because it is who we are. If we stopped, we would not exist.”

READ ABOUT NAGATACHO OHKA: THE BEST RESTAURANT IN TOKYO

Generations in the Old Believers’ Village

Curious, I asked another woman, “How far back can you trace your family here, in this Old Believers’ village?” She paused, thought for a moment, and then shrugged.

“I don’t know. I never really think about that. All I know is that my family has been here for a very long time.”

The answer was simple, but it spoke volumes. Here, history isn’t measured in years or dates. It lives in the thread of a dress, the song of a family, the warmth of a stove, the walls of a wooden house.

Living History of Siberia

That night, I listened to the villagers sing again. Their voices rose in polyphony, a harmony so raw and ancient it seemed to come from the earth itself.

The Old Believers of Buryatia have carried their way of life past the reign of Tsar Nicholas II, past the Russian Revolution, past two world wars, and into the present day. While the rest of Russia has changed beyond recognition, this community remains steady. They still build their own homes, bake their own bread, and sing the same songs their ancestors sang in exile.

In a world that celebrates speed and change, the Old Believers remind us of something rare: continuity. Their life is not about nostalgia. It is about survival and identity. Standing there, I understood that this was not the past preserved. This was the past, still alive.

READ MORE ABOUT TRAVELING IN RUSSIA IN TRAVELIFE MAGAZINE

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Moscow Private Tours, a leading tour company for foreigners in Russia, is now offering a live tour of Moscow and St. Petersburg for those who are missing traveling this year. These tours are also perfect ways for families and friends to get together while doing something fun. Everyone needs some activity to take them out of everyday worries right now, and this tour experience is one of the best ways we can think of.

ABOUT MOSCOW PRIVATE TOURS

Moscow Private Tours creates over 2000 tailor-made tours for foreigners each year. Vyacheslav Kholopov, CEO of Moscow Private Tours, said: “As early as February, it was already clear to us that many tourism activities will migrate online. However, we did not fancy following the usual route of launching online tours in the form of lectures, showing photos of locations or Google street views.”

THE BEST TOUR OF MOSCOW

So they created a truly unique and interactive product that allows participants to feel like they are really on tour. Live Tours Moscow  offers real-time streaming of tours around Moscow with a professional guide. The tours are done in small groups so that everyone can experience the effect of being on a tour. Private Live Tours are also available.

Live Tours Moscow is made real via a Full HD live video that also allows participants to directly communicate with the guide and with each other. This is a very different from other Live mediums. It allow participation by comments or likes.

BOOK YOUR SPECIAL INTERACTIVE TOUR OF MOSCOW WITH THE TRAVELIFE MAGAZINE DISCOUNT HERE

VISITING RUSSIA DURING COVID-19

The private groups can be as big or as small as the organizers wish. In fact, Moscow Private Tours has even organized a date in Moscow for a couple stranded in different cities. However, in order for each participant to have enough opportunities to interact with the guide, Vyacheslav Kholopov recommends around eight participants for each tour.

He explained : ‘This is a non-standard technology. We created our own media-server since the existing services of the streaming industry are not ideal. Zoom, Skype, and Google Meets have limited video quality. Meanwhile Youtube, Facebook, Instagram have considerable latency issues.”

WHAT TO SEE IN MOSCOW

The Moscow Live Tour in English can be booked directly on the website of Moscow Private Tours. The tour includes the most important attractions of Moscow: Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Moscow Kremlin, and the Bolshoi Theatre. It even includes a peek at a Moscow subway station famous for its artworks. Yes, the high level of mobile networks coverage in Moscow has made live streaming possible from deep underground.

BOOK YOUR INTERACTIVE TOUR OF THE BEST OF MOSCOW WITH THE TRAVELIFE MAGAZINE DISCOUNT HERE

TRAVELING DURING THE PANDEMIC

The Moscow Live Tour is especially popular with foreigners who want to visit Moscow but who are now unable to do so because of COVID-19 restrictictions. Foreigners who have visited Moscow before and who want to refresh their memories of Russia are also enthusiastically booking these live tours of Moscow. The new St. Petersburg Live Tour is also generating much interest. Book your Live Tour of St. Petersburg, the city built by Peter the Great, here.

Moscow Private Tours will be launching live tours in other languages shortly. Vyacheslav Kholopov explains: “We believe this new format of excursions will stay in high demand even after the pandemic. These live tours will become an excellent tool for promoting Moscow as a travel destination.”

Read more about traveling to Moscow and other major Russian cities in Travelife Magazine.

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Last year, I journeyed to Crimea to visit the palaces of Imperial Russia. This was when I encountered the home of the Vorontsov family, which I reckon is the most beautiful palace in this area.

As Russian history buffs know very well, Crimea was a favourite holiday destination for Nicholas II and his family. Nicholas II was the last czar of Russia, as far as many historians are concerned.

THE ABDICATION OF NICHOLAS II

In truth, when he abdicated for himself and his son Alexei in Pskov in 1917, he transferred his power to his brother Michael. But Michael refused to take the crown and never took his oath as czar. This is why many historians consider Nicholas II the real last czar.

Anyhow, Crimea was also a favorite of previous generations of Romanovs. In fact, the father of Nicholas II died in his palace in Yalta. This was a wooden palace on the Livadia estate which I understand has not survived intact.

LIVADIA PALACE IN YALTA

Then Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra built the white palace of Livadia. Through this connection and the fact that the Yalta Summit of 1945 was held here, Livadia Palace became the most famous building in the Crimea.

I visited Livadia Palace twice. On this recent visit last year, the caretakers told me that sometimes they can hear the laughter of children on the second floor at night. This was quite a sad moment for me, and even now I feel a sense of heaviness when I think of Livadia Palace just outside the city Yalta.

THE BEAUTIFUL PALACES OF CRIMEA

Many Russian aristocrats and nobility also built their homes here. At that time, I personally think the Yusupov home was perhaps the most beautiful palace in Crimea. After all, the Yusupov family was among the wealthiest families in Russia. Also, Zenaida Yusupova was famous for her good taste and intelligence.

However, today the Yusupov home in Crimea is a government holiday facility that is not open to the public. I managed to visit it and very little remains of the grandeur of the Yusupov family.

THE INTERIORS OF VORONTSOV PALACE

In contrast, the public rooms of the Vorontsov Palace have been kept almost completely intact. This was a delight and a surprise for me, as we all know what the Bolsheviks did to many other Imperial Russia palaces.

Almost every piece of decor and furniture in the main rooms is original. The original wallpaper, carvings and statues have been preserved. Also the piano Sergei Rachmaninov reportedly played on is still in the sitting room, as is a wooden cabinet where letters from Pushkin were kept.

CRIMEA AND THE 1917 REVOLUTION

“How is it possible that the Vorontsov Palace is intact?” I asked my guides. It’s actually a very interesting story. The Vorontsov family owned this palace for generations.

Then, even after the 1917 Russian Revolution, Countess Elisaveta Vorontsova-Dashkova and the other members of the Vorontsov family who had managed to flee to Crimea continued to live in elegance and style in their home for about two years. This was due to the fact that the Bolsheviks did not reach Crimea immediately. It took two years for the Russian revolutionaries to make their way to Crimea.

ESCAPE OF THE ROMANOVS FROM RUSSIA

In 1919, the family members escaped Russia together with the Empress Dowager Marie Feodorovna and her retinue. The British government had sent a warship to rescue her and bring her to England. Almost all remaining aristocrats in the Crimea region sailed out on this ship into an unknown future.

In 1925, the Vorontsov Palace was made into a museum by the government in power. This was why it is the only palace that escaped the Russian Revolution intact. Every other palace, except for Massandra Palace, was turned into a government facility and the grandeur was lost.

PRIVATE VISIT TO VORONTSOV PALACE

The palace administrators were kind enough to give me access to the palace after regular hours. So I had the luxury of walking around the palace without anyone around. It gave me a feel of what it was like in the old days of Imperial Russia.

Several details especially impressed me. I loved the wood-panelled dining room with a marble fountain. Apparently, the Vorontsov family would have ice taken down from the Ai Petri mountain and then they would use the marble fountain as a giant champagne bucket.

The palace also has a beautiful greenhouse filled with plants and the most exquisite white marble statues. Many visitors to this palace especially love these statues.

THE FAMOUS VORONTSOV LIBRARY

The sitting room is also well preserved. The wall coverings are absolutely beautiful. However, the piece de resistance here is a room not usually open to the public. The Vorontsov family were not only wealthy but also very learned, so they kept an impressive library that remains intact to this date.

Many ancient books about the world and about strategies for war were on the shelves when I visited. The shelves are installed from floor to ceiling and completely covered with books. Unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos of the library, but even today, I can still remember how beautiful it was, with the sun shining at exactly the right point through the window.

Read more about our travels around Russia in Travelife Magazine.

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Recently I received an email from someone with some of the most amazing photos of many places I’ve been to.

It made me remember the many amazing things I’ve seen in my never-endingly eventful Travelife.

The photos are not ours and the email makes no mention of photo credits so unfortunately I can’t appropriately credit the photographers. 

OUR TRULY AMAZING WORLD

But I thought I’d share them anyway to remind everyone of the amazing, incredible, interesting and wonderful experiences in store when you embark on your own TRAVELIFE.  

From all of us at Travelife Magazine, the leading travel & lifestyle publication, our best wishes for a life of joy amidst travel.  

WHAT AWAITS ON A NEVER-ENDING TRAVELIFE

A bridge in Seoul

Hot air balloons over Turkey. Still one of my most amazing experiences so far.

A statue in France

A forest in Russia

A building in Germany

Sunset seen through a wave

An office in Madrid

Photo of a statue in Lithuania in the daytime and at night

A forest in Poland

A balcony in Chicago

View of Dubai

The (flat) floor of a store in Paris

A national park in New Zealand

The border between the Netherlands and Belgium, literally outside a cafe

Read more about the most beautiful places in the world in Travelife Magazine.

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Last week, I got on the Trans Siberian Railway train from Vladivostok to Moscow after an amazing week in the Russian Republic of Buryatia in Siberia. The capital of Buryatia is Ulan Ude, and it is about three hours away by car from Lake Baikal.

This train is on the bucket list of many adventure travelers because it travels between Moscow and the Russian Far East, Mongolia and China. The destinations along these routes are some of the most exotic places in the world. The stops include Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk, two major cities around Lake Baikal.

VISITING LAKE BAIKAL

On its way to Irkutsk from Ulan Ude, the Trans Siberian Railway train goes along the shores of Lake Baikal, the deepest lake and oldest lake in the world. This train ride is on the bucket list of most adventure travellers as it really passes through some of the most exotic scenery in the world.

Although not quite as glamorous as the Orient Express or the Blue Train of South Africa, this train experience is highly recommended.

1st CLASS ON THE TRANS SIBERIAN RAILWAY

The 1st class carriage of the train is spartan but spotless. It’s very comfortable for enjoying the most amazing views of Siberia. Most of the train staff do not speak English but foreign passengers somehow manage to communicate.

I traveled solo and long distance on this no-English train but I had no problems ordering lunch, asking for tea, or checking the arrival times of the train. Sometimes the train was late so it was good to double check.

THE SLEEPING CAR

Space-wise, the private compartments in the 1st class carriage have just enough space for two narrow beds and standing room in the middle. The beds are comfortable enough so I got to catch up on sleep. There’s a thin blanket, a thick blanket and a really fluffy pillow.

The windows of the private compartments only open at the top so it’s very nice to travel on this train during the cool season as you can keep the window slot open.

FOOD ON THE TRANS SIBERIAN RAILWAY

Passengers who book train tickets with meals will be served by the train staff. The food is not gourmet quality but then passengers on this train sign up for an adventure and not a luxury holiday anyway.

I would liken it to the economy class meals on an airplane. For lunch, for example, I had a plate of smoked fish as an appetiser and then beef stroganoff with potatoes as a main course. The beef stroganoff tasted like it came out of a microwave, but it was edible and tasty enough.

I also got a bar of Russian chocolate, a bottle of water and a bottle of tomato juice to accompany lunch. There were other drinks and coffee tea were also being served for an extra fee. A cup of black tea on the Trans Siberian Railway, for example, cost me an extra 50 rubles.

The 1st class carriage also had a hot water dispenser at one end so you can actually bring your own herbal tea assortment for the trip, especially as Siberia is so famous for its healthy herbal teas.

READ ABOUT THE BEST NEW HOTEL IN SPAIN

CLEANLINESS OF THE TRAINS

Finally, a word about the cleanliness of the Trans Siberian Railway trains. Everything was pretty old and used but spotlessly clean. My private compartment passed my squeamish test, and the two bathrooms at the end of the carriage were also decent.

If you’re lucky, as I was, you will get a carriage with very few passengers. This makes for peace and quiet, and also cleaner bathrooms in general.

Time passed very quickly on this train, enjoying the views from the window, taking naps, having meals and just getting some time for myself to think about Travel & Life.

If this experience has been on your bucket list, go for it. It truly is one of the great train rides of the world.

Read more about the great train rides of the world in Travelife Magazine.

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In beautiful Crimea until just last week, living a Travelife, I drove from Yalta to the naval city of Sevastopol.  This is considered to be the most Russian city on the Crimean peninsula.

This is obvious from its history and its architecture and even from the look of the average person on the street. To me, the locals here looked quite different from the locals in other cities in Crimea.

FINDING A GOOD RESTAURANT IN SEVASTOPOL, CRIMEA

It was lunch by the time we reached this Russian city so we decided to find a place to eat. “Let’s go to the best restaurant in Sevastopol,” I requested of my companions. “It doesn’t have to be the fanciest, but it must be the restaurant with the best food. I don’t care where we go as long as the food is good.”

My companion googled good restaurants on his phone and he found one that suited my request. He said: “This restaurant is by the sea. It’s not luxurious, but the food is delicious. I’ve eaten here before.”

DRIVING TO SEVASTOPOL HARBOR

Done deal. So off we drove towards the port, and this restaurant was right in the harbor area. But first, before going to the restaurant, I had to walk straight to edge of the harbor to take about a dozen photographs.

This Russian city is so beautiful. On a fine day, this scene could be in the south of France or southern Italy. I could not believe I was in Crimea because the entire vibe of the harbor area was fashionable, relaxed and sophisticated.

THE VIBE OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

Then we entered the restaurant and immediately I felt like we were in the south of France. The restaurant was casual, but it had live seafood and its waitstaff were all wearing nautical t-shirts. I knew immediately that this was the right choice.

We looked at the menu. The food sounded simple but good. I ordered oysters with a glass of sparkling wine and some seafood appetizers to share. Then we had fish soup and I had a seafood pasta.

PASTA IN CRIMEA

I’d been ordering pasta everywhere in Crimea. Every pasta that came my way so far had been very good. This was a big surprise for me, considering we were a long way from Italy.

When the food came, everything was way above my expectations. The dishes were arranged in a simple but stylish way, and everything tasted fresh and good. It was hard to believe I was in this Russian city and not somewhere along the Mediterranean coast.

SAILING IN SEVASTOPOL HARBOR

After such an enjoyable lunch, I wanted to see more of this beautiful city. So we hired a boat to go around harbor. 

The boat captain even allowed me to drive the boat along the way. Who would’ve thought I would have so much fun in a Russian naval city like this in Crimea, living a #Travelife?

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Last week, I was in Crimea to see all the major sightseeing spots in Yalta, Sevastopol, and Fyodosia. I also went to see the Crimean Bridge which just opened, linking the Crimean peninsula to the Russia mainland. On the way back, we stopped at a Tatar neighborhood store to try camca. Camca is a Crimean Tatar delicacy that is really popular among Crimean Tatars and also among the other people who live in Crimea.

The drive back from Kerch to Yalta took around four hours. Along the way, I got hungry. “What’s good to eat in Crimea?” I asked Mikhail, my official escort from the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Crimea.

A CRIMEAN TATAR DELICACY

Without hesitating, he said: “How would you like to taste the food of the Crimean Tatars? There’s a snack they make which is called camca (pronounced “samsa”) and I myself like it very much.”

“Let’s try it!” I said. “But I have one condition. It should be the best we can possible find.”

A REAL CRIMEAN TATAR OVEN

Mikhail said: “To do that, we must look for a Tatar shop by the road with a real Tatar oven.” So we drove a few kilometers along the highway towards Yalta until we found a wooden shack with a few round tables and chairs.

Mikhail said: “I see the Tatar oven. Let’s go to this one.”

I got down from the car and walked over to see a cylindrical oven made of brick and mud, and fired with wood. When the man from the shop lifted the cover of the oven, I saw inside several round bread that resembled pies.

HOT TEA OR COLD TOMATO JUICE?

Mikhail and I each ordered a spicy camca and to drink we were recommended to have the camca with hot tea or cold tomato juice. I ordered the tomato juice.

What a delicious treat this turned out to be. These were piping hot. And when I bit into mine, juices and meat oozed out. To give it an extra kick, we put lots of onion sauce into it.

I’m now in Moscow, getting ready to return to Asia. But still I am dreaming about that camca I ate, on the day I crossed the Crimean Bridge and then drove back to Yalta, living a #Travelife.

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Last night we had a traditional Russian dinner at Savva, the top Russian restaurant at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. The Metropol Hotel itself is legendary, as it was built in 1905 and it was the best hotel in Moscow before the 1917 Russian Revolution.

Today it is definitely one of the city’s top luxury hotels, and it is a must stay for those who want to experience culture and history. So much history happened at the Metropol.

LUXURY AT THE METROPOL HOTEL

The Metropol Hotel is a member of WorldHotel’s Elite Collection.

Recently it has begun a luxury refurbishment of its interiors. Savva, its top restaurant, is today a beautiful restaurant that brings back the days of Imperial Russia. It has kept much of its original interiors, which were created by the famous designer Ignatiy Nevinsky in 1905. So even today you can still see the classic marble columns and the wall and ceiling paintings that he chose.

I had long wanted to eat in Savva as I had heard about its authentic Russian cuisine. The chef of Savva, Andrey Shmakov, is also well-known in Moscow’s gourmet circles for his expert blending of traditional Russian cooking with Moscow local culinary traditions and some techniques for contemporary cuisine.

THE DAYS OF IMPERIAL RUSSIA

Savva is actually named after Savva Mamontov, the founder of the Metropol Hotel himself. So the restaurant is really a tribute to him. I loved the interiors. We had the corner table with a view of the Kremlin, and from here I imagined how Moscow might have been over 100 years ago.

I am sure that the Metropol Hotel and its restaurants were the favorite places of the Russian nobility and Russian aristocracy. Everyone who was anyone in Moscow and in the era of Imperial Russia must have spent time here.

THE BEST LOCATION IN MOSCOW

The Metropol is also the best hotel in Moscow in terms of location, too. The Bolshoi Theater and the Maly Theater are just in front, and the Kremlin is next door. The shopping streets of Arbat and main Moscow avenue of Tverskaya are also very nearby.

At Savva, we chose the gastronomic Russian tasting menu. This offered all traditional Russian dishes, but the food was all done in a stylish contemporary way. I was eager to try the Russian menu as I had just flown into Moscow yesterday from one week in the Crimea, and the food in Crimea is quite different from Moscow.

I also have only a few days in Moscow. So, of course, I had to eat the best Russian food available.

THE BEST SPECIALTIES OF SAVVA

Savva has many specialties. They have a tender deer fillet with celery and coffee, braised eel in kvass with honey, and a tender duck.

We began and ended our Russian gastronomic menu with shots of vodka. This is very Russian, of course. The vodka to start was a horseradish vodka, which was paired very well with some raw fish appetizers and two kinds of caviar on blini.

Then we went on to pelmini, which is the traditional Russian dumpling with some soup. Usually, pelmini is made with meat. But at Savva, they created pelmini with fish. It was very delicious.

BORSCHT IN MOSCOW

Of course, we also had borscht. And the borscht at Savva is most authentic borscht I have tasted so far in Russia. It came with the freshly chopped herbs and the sour cream.

For the main course, we ordered one beef and one fish so that we could taste both.

Finally, a dessert of Russia honey cake with raspberries was served. We ate this with a shot of honey vodka. Both the dessert and the honey vodka were so delicious. It was the perfect way to end my first evening back in Moscow, living a Travelife.

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Hotel Metropol Moscow is a member of WorldHotel’s Elite Collection. WorldHotels is a great online platform for readers to have access to the world’s best independent hotels around the world.

The post Caviar & vodka in Moscow appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

SIGHTSEEING ATTRACTIONS IN MOSCOW

HIRING THE BEST PRIVATE GUIDE IN MOSCOW

VISITING THE KREMLIN

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A stay in a farm in Yaroslavl, Russia

After exploring the thousand-year-old town of Yaroslavl, right by the mighty Volga River, we drove in search of a farm where I’d booked a simple log cottage for a night. I’m not really into spartan lodgings, but these were just about the best accommodations in Yaroslavl we could find.

Yes, I looked at all our options, but this was the absolute best overnight accommodations anywhere for miles.

Our 60-square meter wooden cottage costs $60 along with a buffet breakfast and afternoon tea. In cities like Tokyo or Paris, this is the equivalent of a modest lunch for two; so you can understand my initial trepidation at having nowhere else to lay my head down on unless I preferred a bed at a nearby monastery in the town of Rostov or a small room with a shared bathroom in a private guesthouse inside a building built in the Soviet era.

A stay in a farm in Rostov

Well, this farm stay in Rostov, in the countryside of Russia, provided me with a new perspective. We also stayed at exclusive resorts favored by Moscow’s elite on this particular trip, you see — think six 21st century villas on a massive private estate with about 30 people to cater to every whim (although none of them spoke a word of English); and this certainly provided a mind blowing contrast to this farm. Interestingly, it was this simple little place with chickens and goats that made me happiest.

A stay in a farm in Rostov

I loved this experience of ordinary Russian life. We walked in quiet fields and paddocks of no particular beauty, and then we had homemade cheese and fried bread with fresh herbal tea picked from the garden on our porch. I even ate berries picked straight from the bushes.

A stay in a farm in Rostov

In the evening, we sat outdoors very happily with Russian vodka and a tray of hearty appetizers including brown bread, pickles, sour cabbage, dried meats, and pâté. Even sleeping on rough cotton on a plumped up mattress on a hard bed was not as dreary as I expected. I truly was thinking the worst.

Russian appetizers to eat with vodka

The next day, we rented the farm’s sauna cottage for my first authentic experience of a Russian banya. The farmer had already fired up the sauna with logs when we walked over, and so the place was ours for about three hours. 

Inside was a table with fresh leaves picked from the garden for tea and beyond this was the famous Russian sauna clocking in heat at 120 degrees. Ready to bake us, basically.

We were to sit in this sauna for several minutes with felt caps to protect our heads; then we were to get out and quickly stand under an improvised shower that was really a wooden bucket filled with freezing water, with a string attached to it. You get the picture.

Extreme heat, extreme cold. And then back again for more. And more. Some people might call this sadistic, but the Russians call it the way to good health. And afterwards, I felt ever so fine in Russia, living a #Travelife.

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