Post-Conference excursions

“Ecosystems of the North Altai” (August 27 – September 1)

The excursion “Ecosystems of the North Altai” will be held in the territory of the Altai Republic. This excursion will show the best examples of natural and semi-natural vegetation and diversity of flora of the northern part of the Altai mountain system. The climate of this region is moderately warm and humid in comparison with other parts of Siberia. The average annual temperature in the low mountain zone is +1 – +30C, annual precipitation varies from 550 to 900 mm. The relief is formed by low and middle mountain ridges (altitudes are of 350-2000m) and scenic wide river valleys (the Katun, Sema) are typical. A wide spectrum of South Siberian vegetation types will be visited, from the xeric European-Siberian steppes to the North Asian high-mountain vegetation: xeric steppes of the terraces of the Katun river and petrophilous shrub steppes of mountain slopes; meadow-steppes, relic small-leafed-coniferous (Betula pendula, Abies sibirica, Pinus sibirica) subnemoral forests, pine (Pinus sylvestris) and larch (Larix sibirica) hemiboreal forests, various types of true boreal (taiga) forests, natural Siberian forest meadows, subalpine tall-forb vegetation, high-mountain Betula rotundifolia and Dryas oxyodonta plant communities. Four vegetation belts will be visited: steppe, forest-steppe, taiga and high-mountain

The scheduled program of the excursion:

  • August, 27 – the bus leaves Novosibirsk and travels 500 km to Kamlak village (the North Altai). The Kamlak field station of Central Siberian Botanical Garden will be place of allocation of participants of the excursion.
  • August 28 – visiting ecosystems of hemiboreal forests
  • August 29 – visiting ecosystems of high-mountain belt of the Seminskiy ridge.
  • August 30 – visiting taiga ecosystems of the Seminskiy ridge
  • August 31 – visiting steppe and forest-steppe belts of the Katun river basin.
  • September 1 – journey from Kamlak village to Novosibirsk

Please have with you warm closing, convenient tourist shoes, possibly a woolen knitted heading and woolen socks, an umbrella or rain coat. The fee of the tour equals to $250. The fee includes: transportation by bus, accommodation at Altai, everyday meals, guidance at excursions.

“Denisova cave, Altai” (August 27-30)

Altai tour will be in the place located about in 600 km from Novosibirsk near one of the Siberian archeological monuments, the so-called Denisova Cave. The Altai International Center of the Institute of Archeology, created as a research and tourist center, is located there. This place has all required facilities for the conference sessions. Altai is a place associated with important events of the world history, from the settlement of the modern type man in Asia and genesis of the most ancient cultures of the Stone Age. It is also one of the centers of biological diversity and origin of unique plants and animals.

The expedition settlement of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography “Denisova” cave, located at a picturesque valley of the Anui river at a height of 640 m.a. above sea-level. You will stay at a well-appointed tourist hotel, consisting of separate cottages with single and double rooms, rest- and bathrooms, supplied with electricity, cold and hot water. At a cozy restaurant you may enjoy Russian and Siberian cuisine, prepared from ecologically clean Altaian products. You are always welcome to the hospitable bar, where there is a wide choice of Russian vodka and other spirits, souvenirs and natural products of the Altai such as honey and healing herbs. Daily you may visit a Russian bath-house with specific methods of relaxation, that may have a beneficial effect on your health. Summer months are very warm and sunny in the Altai, but the weather is quite changeable, that’s why you’d better take a warm Jackets and waterproof shoes for travelling.

“Denisova” cave, a unique archaeological relic of Northern Asia, a dwelling-place of primitive man for the space of 300 thousands years since the Palaeolithic Age until the Middle Ages. The tourist hotel “Denisova cave” is the center of your travel. From there you will go on excursions around the Altai by car according to your schedule. All the excursions will be guided in an understandable way by the scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

You will have the following excursions.

  1. to “Denisova” cave a dwelling place of man from Paleolithic Age (250 thousands years ago) until the Middle Ages where you will see all ground beds from these times and listen a lot of stories about things which archeologists found in this cave (for example, about comb and dirk which young Scythian pair put at the base of right corner of their house and etc.)
  2. to Highwayman cave, the place where the highwaymen sheltered in the Middle Ages and where you will see stalactites and stalagmites
  3. to a place with the waterfalls, one of the most beautiful places in Altai

The fee of the tour equals to $220. The fee includes: transportation by bus, accommodation at Altai, everyday meals, guidance at excursions.

TOUR: IRKUTSK-UST ORDA-BAIKAL (ORGANIZED BY THE IRKUTSK BUSINESS NET) (August 28-September 1)

  • 1 day – arrive in Irkutsk, accommodation in one of the city hotels, city tour, visit to Art gallery.
  • 2 day – after breakfast departure for the place on Lake Baikal, which is called Maloe Sea, about 350 kms from Irkutsk.
    On the way a visit to Ust Orda, national cuisine lunch and a folklore concert and a visit the Ethnographical Museum where a rich collection of everyday objects of Buryat people is exhibited.
    After that you will continue your trip and arrive in Ulerba Bay. Accommodation in the camping area, dinner and overnight.
  • 3 day – whole day trip to visit archeological sites, to enjoy petroglyphs on the shores of the lake, the sites of ancient settlements and others. The scientists from Irkutsk state university will be your guides.
    In the evening one can experience Russian Banya and dinner by the camp fire.
  • 4 day – departure by boat all the way along the eastern shore of the lake to a town Listvyanka. Visit to Lymnology Museum, lunch, bus trip to Irkutsk. Overnight in Irkutsk.
  • 5 day – in Irkutsk: still many places to visit: a history museum, Decembrists’ museum, shopping area and others.
  • 6 day – departure.

This tour will be organized by the Irkutsk Business Net. The cost of 5-days tour is $685 for a person (the cost of railway or air tickets is not included) in case of accommodation of 2 persons in a single room in Irkutsk hotel and 4 persons in a cottage during the trip to Ulerba (Baikal).

In case of disposition of one person in a single room in the hotel and 2 persons in a cottage in Ulerba, the cost will be $835 per person. The cost includes hotel accommodation, meals, excursions.
Airplane ticket Irkutsk-Novosibirsk-Irkutsk amounts to $250.

Those participants of the Conference who wish to visit Irkutsk should directly address to the firm by the telephone or Fax which also can be found at https://conf.icgbio.ru/bgrs2000/en/tours/irkutsk/. Then the firm will send an application form with the bank account of the firm. The tickets Novosibirsk-Irkutsk and Irkutsk-Novosibirsk may be reserved by the firm too. If you choose this tour, you are kindly asked to inform also Organizing Committee about this decision.

Irkutsk Business Net

License : B 346479, issued in 1998 Address : 134 Lermontov Str., Irkutsk, Russia , office 219 Phones : +7-395-251-0506, +7-395-242-05-06, +7-395-220-05-06 Fax : +7- 395-2 51-11-98 email: tourism@irk.ru lis@irk.ru

BAIKAL EXCURSION, WHICH WILL BE ORGANIZES BY LIMNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE (August 28-September 1)

The airplane ticket Novosibirsk-Irkutsk amounts to 120$
(The prices for excursions are preliminary for tourist group of 10-30 members)
Meeting and delivery to the airport on the way back $5 for each person
The whole day excursion Irkutsk-Listvyanka $10
The whole day city tour $10
The whole day tour of Baikal $40
The whole day tour along shore of the lake $10

Hotels

  1. hotel MNTK
    Single (about $42 per night) Double (about $27 per night for one person
    breakfast $4, supper $5
  2. hotel “Akademicheskaya”
    Single (about $10-20 per night) Double (about $10-12 per night for one person
  3. hotel Intourist
    Single (about $125 per night) Double (about $70 per night for one person
    (including breakfast)

If you are interested in any of these tours, please send information to the organizing committee !