20 Feb 2015

Message from Rodney Russ and Photographic Voyage with wildlife photographer

A personal message from Rodney Russ, Photographic Voyage with wildlife photographer Tui De Roy, Spend Christmas at Enderby Island, Spotlight on the Kamchatka Peninsula


A Personal Message from Heritage Expeditions' owner and founder Rodney Russ
As our southern season draws to a close .. we are starting to turn our attention to Russia and our upcoming Russian Expeditions. Obviously there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes all the time, securing permits and permissions but now is the time we start making final preparations.   The sense of excitement over our Russian expeditions hasn't diminished over the years, if anything it has heightened ... because I know we will be seeing old friends, renewing acquaintances and most importantly revisiting some of the most amazing wildlife sites and enjoying wildlife encounters that so few people have been fortunate to see and experience.
This part of Russia is at least nine time zones away from the unrest in the Ukraine. We have some reports that the sanctions against Russia are affecting, in some small ways, the regions we visit but the people there are largely divorced from these events and they are constantly telling us how much they are looking forward to our visits this year.   There is no reason to stay away...

                                                
Spotlight on Russia

Kamchatka, is known as the Land of Fire and Ice, and rightly so. The Kamchatka Peninsula is home to approximately 160 volcanoes, of which 29 are still active, including the Shiveluch volcano, which started erupting last week. For many years, snippets of this closed off and mysterious land captured the imagination of intrepid travellers entranced by stories of smoking volcanoes, abundant wildlife and jaw dropping scenery. It is only in the last ten years that Kamchatka has opened up to tourists with Heritage Expeditions pioneering expedition cruising along the peninsula in 2007.

Kamchatka offers much to delight the traveller and we strongly recommend incorporating a few days exploring the Kamchatka peninsula with an expedition cruise.There's never been a better time to explore a part of Russia that most people only dream of.

Valley of the Geysers
Discovered in 1941, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Valley of the Geysers is one of the most unique natural wonders in the world. One of the world's largest geyser fields, it attracts numerous international visitors keen to experience this incredible attraction. Travel by helicopter from Yelizovo to the Valley of the Geysers and be wowed by views of active and extinct snow covered volcanoes, as well as steep mountain ranges, taiga, rivers and lakes. Fly past two interesting volcanoes,  the very active Karymsky volcano (1486m) and Maly Semyachik (1560m) which has an acid lake in its crater. After landing in the Valley of the Geysers, explore this valley where more than 20 large geysers erupt at regular intervals from every 10-12 minutes to every 4-5 hours. Travellers are mesmerised by the fountains of boiling water, vents of steam and the incredibly vivid colours of the valley's slopes contrasting with the intense greenery of the grasses and trees.

This one day experience provides the perfect complement to an exploration of the Kamchatka Peninsula such as Siberia's Forgotten Coast, which departs from Petropvalovsk- Kamchatskiy on the 24th June 2015.

Visa Invitation Process
Our Russian speaking office team will be starting the visa process for this year's Russian departures on Monday. There is still time to book  travel to the Russian Far East this year, but don't delay!
If you need help planning your itinerary, don't hesitate to contact one of our experienced reservations team or view our flight suggestions online.  

Join celebrated wildlife photographer Tui De Roy on an extended exploration of the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands. Run in conjunction with New Zealand Geographic magazine, this 11 day itinerary will spend extended time at the Auckland Islands, Campbell Island and the Snares in the pursuit of the best New Zealand natural history images.
As well as making the most of our time in the islands, Tui will run photographic tutorials both on board and on landings to assist our expeditioners in getting their perfect shot!

Heritage Expeditions has been a proud sponsor of the New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year for a number of years now, and there is every chance that this voyage will yield a few competition entries and maybe even a winner!

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©C Collins