Have you ever watched the region of Altai-Krai on National Geographic? If not make sure you do. The landscapes are breathtakingly stunning and inviting.

Location

Altai-Krai is located in the south-east part of western Siberia. The place extends 600 km from west to east and 400 km from north to south. You will see a variety of landscapes there. Mountains border the southern and eastern parts of the region, western and central parts are mostly foothills and steppes. Many small villages are lost in these rolling foothills.

The climate of this region is severe with long, cold, dry winters, formed as a result of winds blowing in from the Atlantic and Arctic sea. Thousands of bitter saline lakes and fresh water rivers are scattered over the region. The main river Ob takes up 70 percent of the territory. The other two rivers are Biya and Katun. Temperatures in Altai can drop upto -15 degrees celsius.

Essentials…

While multiple layers of clothing are good for your body; hoodies, caps, and scarves keep your head safe during winters. So pack a charming hoodie, a beautiful woollen scarf or a thick wool cap. With these, you will feel free to meander the vast expanses of fields that grow crops like wheat, oat, rye as well as potatoes, vegetables, beetroots, sun-flowers, hops, and soy, not forgetting Altai’s dairy farms. On these farms, you should try out some of Altai’s famous butter which was once exported to countries of western Europe.

[caption id="attachment_3677" align="aligncenter" width="890"] Raise your style quotient while trekking with Kosha[/caption]

The best time to visit this region is during the summer months. You will enjoy a continental climate of hot dry air and cool nights. In this season you will enjoy trekking or even horse-trekking in remote regions, rafting on mountain rivers, and going on paragliding flights. In winter, you can look forward to mountain skiing and snowboarding on slopes.

Indulge in activities…

Some of the highly recommended activities during summers are to go canoeing downstream on the Katun river, it will give you a rush of adrenaline as you change from simple routes to extreme ones; day-long walks and horse-back tours in the Altai district and Kolyvan mountains; skiing on the downhill-slopes on  Mount. Veselaya and Mount. Gorynya in the Altaiskiy district, from top of these slopes you will see vast expanses of the Katun river.

Trekking in the Altai mountains is highly recommended. It is as impressive as trekking in the Himalayas or the Swiss Alps. You will get a marvellous view of snow-capped mountains rising above green valleys. You will also witness the scenery changing from woodlands to deserted mountains. The beautiful Altai mountains are home to Turkic, an ethnic group living in the region for over 10,000 years.

While sports could keep you busy during the day, evenings can be spent visiting cultural events of Altai-Krai. A number of splendid festivals are held in the village of Srostki, the birthplace of Vasily Shukshin, a Russian writer and actor. The festival brings in more and more vis­itors from all around Russia and abroad to the land of Altai every year.

[caption id="attachment_3678" align="aligncenter" width="890"] Autumn in Bystroistokskiy district of Altai krai Russia[/caption]

Doesn’t all this sound exciting and adventurous? Yes? Then go ahead and make a trip to Altai-Khai in Siberia. You can get into Altai-Krai from Mongolia or Kazakhstan. There is a bus from Tsagaannuur in Mongolia to Astana in Kazakhstan that passes through Altai-Krai.  Once you get there, it's best to rent a car, you could rent a car from Barnaul or Novosibirsk or Tomsk, and stay overnight in various camping sites and drive up to various attractions in the region.

A variety of adventure resorts exist in Altai-Krai that offer inexpensive campsites where a traveller can rent horses or river equipment. Bobrovaya Zaimka (Beaver Settlement), located close to Belokurikha, is a highly recommended camping-site for those interested in paragliding.

Do not forget to carry a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, trekking shoes, rain jackets, a fleece pullover, thermal innerwear and a pair of woollen socks. Among utensils, you should carry a mug, spoon, bowl, and a knife. You should also carry a forehead lamp, matches, personal first-aid kit, dental paste with tooth brush, and tissues.

For holidays that leave an ever-lasting impression, Altai Krai is truly one mesmerizing journey…

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