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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhy is Baikal special? Lake Baikal is the world\u2019s largest freshwater lake by volume, containing about \u2155 of all of the freshwater. in. the. world. It\u2019s also the world\u2019s deepest lake, reaching 1,642 meters (5,387 feet). We heard that about 80% of the nature around Baikal is endemic, found nowhere else. Many of the plants and animals found around Baikal are \u201cin the red book\u201d as they say in Russia (the Red Data Book is a document listing rare and endangered species found in Russia). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On our journey, we spent a good amount of time in the Lake Baikal region – we were able to complete a breathtaking full day hike along the shores of Baikal to a village that can only be reached by boat (or, in the winter, by car – when the ice has frozen to about 1.40 meters thick and vehicles can drive on the lake\u2019s surface). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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We also took a ferry to the largest island inside the lake, Olkhon, a magical place to learn about Buryatian yellow shamanism<\/a> . We explored the island by foot, bicycle, and extremely bouncy van to see its pine forest beaches, stunning coastline and pristine water views. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We also visited a town at the foot of the Sayan Mountain range, one peak of which made for a devastatingly beautiful (and incredibly brutal) hike. There, we tried the free flowing mineral water which makes this town famous among Russian tourists and where many Russians used to come to be cured of medical malaises in \u201csanitoriums\u201d – truly the OG spa town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If any of these adventures sound appealing, read on for how to\u2019s and tips for making the most of your Baikal experience!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The city that you will use as a springboard for exploring Baikal will undoubtedly be Irkutsk. While many people go straight to Baikal from here, we recommend taking a few days to explore the city<\/strong> and rest between Baikal adventures. There are many hostels and hotels that will let you store your things if you are coming and going, which is really helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are a hiker, you will not want to miss the chance to hike along Baikal\u2019s shores for a day or several. The incredible variety of plants throughout the entire hike, the misty shores of the lake far below you giving way to sunshine that lights up the icy green waters below – it\u2019s a once in a lifetime experience. The Great Baikal Trail<\/strong> is a hiking path that will allow you to go on this journey. This group has ambitious plans to eventually have trails around the whole lake, though right now it\u2019s in its baby stages and you do a few days of this path \u201csafely\u201d \u2026 which we will get into later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re focusing on this as a one day hike or a weekend trip. The section of this trail from Listvyanka (\u041b\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0432\u044f\u043d\u043a\u0430) to Bolshie Koty (\u0411\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u0438\u0435 \u041a\u043e\u0442\u0443) is about 24 kilometers (just under 15 miles) – so it\u2019s a long day hike, but without too much elevation gain and definitely doable if you have a little hiking experience. Bolshie Koty is the isolated village you\u2019ll spend the night at and take a ferry back the next day. If you are prepared for wilderness camping, we also saw several beautiful campsites along the trail, especially a bit further along after Bolshie Koty. You\u2019ll just need to apply for the appropriate permit at the entrance to the forest (more on that below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can get to Listvyanka by fast ferry from Irkutsk. The journey will take about an hour and cost. There are also buses leaving Irkutsk that take only slightly longer. Many non-hiking tourists go to Listvyanka as a way of exploring Baikal and some even take the ferry to and from Bolshie Koty (\u201cBig Cats\u201d village), so expect transport to be crowded, especially in the summer season. When we got to Listvyanka we hung out at a cafe for a few hours waiting for the rain to stop. We didn\u2019t end up starting our hike until close to noon, so if you get a late start like us it\u2019s still possible to complete before dark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll walk through the village to the start of the hike, where you\u2019ll have to get a permit (propusk) and pay a few hundred rubles to continue. It\u2019s technically possible to get the pass ahead of time, but we found it wasn\u2019t worth it considering how easy it was to just walk up. From there, the route goes uphill for about 5 km through the woods before emerging for a beautiful view of Baikal, weather permitting. Don\u2019t worry, the first 5km are the hardest! From there, the trail continues along the shore, sometimes closer to the lake with possible detours to the beach, and sometimes rising high above the water again. This trail is absolutely stunning. All trail information, including directions, is available in English on their website<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Great Baikal trail takes you straight to this village – there is only one store here with irregular hours and limited vegan options. We suggest bringing enough food with you for the day of the hike, dinner that night (Lesnaya 7 has a kitchen with a kettle and hot plate, so you can easily make something like ramen or a simple hot meal), and breakfast\/lunch for the next day. We really recommend where we stayed, called Lesnaya 7 – you will stay in a cozy cabin with access to the communal kitchen and bathrooms. Their website<\/a> also states they will cook you a \u201cvegetarian\u201d meal if you give them enough notice – so if you don\u2019t want to bring as much food, you can contact them online and see if you can work out a hot vegan meal for your arrival. It\u2019s a good idea to book ahead of time either way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We wanted to visit Olkhon Island<\/strong> because it\u2019s often painted as a mysterious, beautiful and mystical place. Olkhon Island is the biggest island in Lake Baikal, with an area of about 730 square kilometers (280 square miles). You can only get to this boat by ferry, but once on the island there are extremely bumpy dirt roads that will take you through and around. The nature on this island is extremely varied – it contains taiga, steppe, desert and even its own lakes (lake within a lake?). Actually, most of the island is prohibited to visit and retains its natural ruggedness. The capital, and where you will likely stay if you visit, is called Khuzhir.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Buryats believe Olkhon to be an extremely spiritual place and you will see many \u201cserges\u201d – or Buryat ritual poles, throughout the island. As mentioned, this is a great place to learn about the Buryat people and their version of yellow shamanism, a type of shamanism common in Buryatia and Mongolia that incorporates elements of Buddhism. We had a great time on Olkhon Island, but just want to caution people to temper their expectations – the island, particularly Khuzhir, is extremely prepared for tourists (read: touristy) and sometimes felt even a little Disney-like when we went in high season (July\/August). You\u2019ll be able to get out to explore, but be aware that you will be far from the only one and might often get the feeling that the island is mostly inhabited by tourists. If you don\u2019t mind being \u201con the beaten track,\u201d Olkhon is still a place of extreme natural beauty that will transport you to another world. If you\u2019re interested in the how-tos, read on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are regular buses that leave from Irkutsk and go to Olkhon island – but your journey will be a long one. The bus will take 6-8 hours, including the ferry and another hour or so of driving on the island to get to Khuzhir. A lot of the trip length will depend on the wait for the ferry – there is often a line to get on the ferry, so you could be in that area for up to an hour on a busy day. Buses usually get their own, shorter line so it\u2019s recommended to come by bus vs personal car. The bus will stop at a few gas stations and a roadside cafe for lunch. We recommend vegans bring snacks – even if there was something we could\u2019ve potentially eaten there, nothing looked fresh, so we just went with a black coffee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Buses leave from the central bus station or from the market in Irkutsk – we left from the market and were able to buy tickets on site without reserving. If it gives you peace of mind to reserve in advance, this<\/a>, this<\/a> and this<\/a> company offer reservations – as you can see, there is plenty of tourist infrastructure. You can expect to pay about 1200 rubles for a one-way ticket, or about $16. Be aware that most of the transport is by marshrutka (or mini bus\/van) so try not to bring too much luggage – depending on how full the bus is you might be putting it at your feet or on your lap. Most marshrutkas will take you directly to your accommodation in Khuzhir. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We usually don\u2019t provide accommodation recommendations, but we do have a few tips. One of the biggest problems on Olkhon island is waste disposal, and I\u2019m sure it\u2019s very difficult for hotels to figure out this issue. Many accommodations provide private cabins with a shared outhouse. If you can afford it, we would really recommend splurging on accommodations with an actual flushing toilet – maybe it\u2019s because there are regulations about chemicals for waste disposal, but using the outhouse at our lodging was one of the most foul experiences imaginable. Without giving too many details, it was so bad that if you were in there for more than 30 seconds or so, your clothes started smelling like waste. So, tip #1 is to splurge on a place with running water toilets. Tip #2, if you stay in a cabin or outside, keep all of your belongings inside! There are many stray animals wandering around Khuzhir – goats, cats, cows, dogs\u2026and many of them are interested in your things. Jordan lost a shoe because a dog had wiggled under the fence at the property and taken it from the front porch of the cabin. Learn from our mistakes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have bad weather, you can visit the small Khuzhir Local Lore Museum of Revyakin <\/strong>in Khuzhir to learn a little about the history of the island. Go in equipped with google translate if you don\u2019t speak Russian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olkhon island is a location we highly recommend coming prepared. As you can imagine, everything needs to be transported to the island by ferry, so not only are goods sparse, but they are much more expensive than elsewhere in Russia. There are a few small grocery stores in Khuzhir, but no full supermarkets. Usually, the products are behind the counter and you must ask the shop assistant for them specifically, so it\u2019s hard to check labels here. We brought enough food for our trip and cooked at our accommodation, supplementing with products from the stores in Khuzhir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to eat out, the Bistro Francais<\/strong> has a few salads that can be veganized (check their English menu). Their potato dumplings might also be able to be ordered vegan, and they have a few pasta dishes that look veganizable as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also get a coffee or tea at the Baikal View <\/strong>cafe and, as the name implies, enjoy the fantastic view of the lake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u041a\u0443\u0434\u0435\u0441\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430 (Kudesnitsa) <\/strong>restaurant has the vegan \u201cv\u201d on their online menu button, but the menu itself isn\u2019t working to view online and confirm – if you go and discover they have legitimate vegan options, please let us know! <\/p>\n\n\n\n We actually weren\u2019t even planning on visiting Arshan, and therefore our trip was planned extremely last minute. We had actually booked a week hike through the Altai Mountains, but the extremely unprofessional Altai-Tour <\/a>company failed to mention to us that our hike was canceled due to lack of participation. We found out less than two days before the scheduled tour when we messaged them asking for a confirmation of our trip. If we hadn\u2019t asked, we might have actually gotten all the way to the Altai mountains before realizing our trip wasn\u2019t happening. So, we recommend avoiding<\/strong> this company. However, we are so happy we ended up with Arshan as a plan B!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arshan is a small village located at the base of the Sayan mountains and situated in an extremely picturesque part of Buryatia, about 210 km from Irkutsk. We really loved Ulan-Ude, also located in Buryatia, so we were initially drawn to Arshan because of its location that would allow us to explore more of this region. Arshan is famous for its mineral waters which flow freely from many spigots located in town. In fact, the name \u201cArshan” in Buryat means \u201chealing spring.\u201d You\u2019ll have the opportunity to try several different kinds of mineral water, which differ in their temperature and specific mineral composition. There are two famous sanitoriums here where you can partake in spa rituals. In Arshan, you can also visit beautiful waterfalls, climb mountains, have a look at a Buddhist temple, or peruse a Mongolian market. Read on to discover the best things to do in Arshan.<\/p>\n\n\n There are extremely regular buses from Irkutsk to Arshan and the trip should take about 3-4 hours. There is also a slightly longer bus from Ulan-Ude, but we were using Irkutsk as our home base to explore the Baikal region and so opted to leave from Irkutsk. You can additionally take a bus from the town Slyudyanka on the shore of Baikal and on the Trans-Siberian route – this is the most direct way if you are traveling East to West and don\u2019t want to go all the way to Irkustk to later backtrack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When your bus pulls into the station, you will notice several people with signs showing the word \u201c\u0416\u0438\u043b\u044c\u0435.\u201d Many people in Arshan have rooms for guests that they rent out per night and it\u2019s extremely common to find lodging this way – if you have a sense of adventure, you can approach someone holding a sign and use gestures to work out your stay. Otherwise, there are several places available on sites such as booking.com. For vegans, we recommend booking accommodation that has kitchen access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nOur Baikal Route, with How-To\u2019s and Advice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nSide Quest #1 Listvyanka and the Great Baikal Trail<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHow to get to Listvyanka (\u041b\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0432\u044f\u043d\u043a\u0430) and start the hike<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nBolshie Koty (\u0411\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0448\u0438\u0435 \u041a\u043e\u0442\u044b)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The ferry<\/strong> from Bolshie Koty leaves at about 18:00, so the next day you can just relax, wander around the village and admire the view, or continue a little bit further on the Great Baikal trail<\/strong>. Just a warning – there are some parts of this trail that felt a little unsafe to us (a narrow path cut from the side of a cliff for example). I thought \u201cno way it is legal to let people cross this section,\u201d before watching a father and his child traverse the area without hesitation. Just be very careful and watch your step if you decide to go past Bolshie Koty! There\u2019s more information on the website<\/a> about the next section as well. The flip side – the views from Bolshie Koty to Cape Skriper are also stunning, you\u2019ll be able to see more of the lake, you’ll get the chance to take an icy plunge in the lake (only for the very brave!) or have a beautiful picnic along the shores. It\u2019s your decision – if you decide not to hike you\u2019ll still be able to relax at the village before taking the ferry back. We recommend getting your ferry tickets ahead of time! We did not and luckily were able to purchase two of the last remaining tickets – otherwise, you might be staying longer than you\u2019d planned. You can take the ferry straight from Bolshie Koty back to Irkutsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/anywherevegan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IMG_20200810_143654.jpg?ssl=1\")
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\n\n\n\nSide Quest #2 – Olkhon Island (\u041e\u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0432 \u041e\u043b\u044c\u0445\u043e\u043d)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nHow to get to Olkhon Island<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nWhere to stay on Olkhon Island<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhat to do on Olkhon Island<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/7nIHCKUBchAYZV2RlYegS1TJNFU7LUevrirn-WtRmQAE6qk9nAY4T_a9jxsuZUPz6bT4-UWRJlBPiLDl86HhLDMkfOe5AYU-37l1egRBCUgqBn5xG8N7KpoOLfZxtE5STtWVs8vr\")
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/VoY1Mjh3tiL13R2iuSCKT4Rj1hFH6aFcs-GCG2wg89omXNv1QIgo2Nxfbzj77hGQesiKC-c-XOyQUN4dkuxuMhs2UEzQfduKTNmf-IqMKST7GzgnPrWqgJ-75Ms_1vLVMi1kuRZW\")
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/HPNN9A_SwDlDr_38QalI5xlIVarPIs5BNart7JRXWsjqtqioAxq0GOEv2uel4L8mdnsAhrHr1wlHqLi9DP-JIChemAtVW60Yb3WzglmHhem3rMNNccSj06GNy57LIgrau-oZDBUU\")
\n\n\n\nEating Vegan on Olkhon Island<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nSide Quest #3 – Arshan (\u0410\u0440\u0448\u0430\u043d)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/anywherevegan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IMG_20200817_170108.jpg?resize=469%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/anywherevegan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IMG_20200817_170603.jpg?resize=469%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/anywherevegan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IMG_20200817_181420.jpg?resize=469%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/anywherevegan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IMG_20200818_084200.jpg?resize=641%2C293&ssl=1\")
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\n\n\n\nHow to get to Arshan and where to stay<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhat to do in Arshan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
1. Hike Love Peak (\u041f\u0438\u043a \u043b\u044e\u0431\u0432\u0438)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/dP2TShZ3uu0IsjDjqTTMFhnt3_VxDKa7XzskJsTe8IFBgtrc6UuiLowhectJW2nMULd-4hq5a8mpqZynMPB5CF4RJLZ5Tf6F0Tf3ldiM7PoQ5OB_xaaWMheonkDH2eHoN7h7FUjA\")
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/anywherevegan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IMG_20200818_123907-scaled.jpg?resize=1173%2C2560&ssl=1\")
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