1. Exploring Sakhalin by car in the weekend
Presented by: Ingrid Febus

2. Areas we are going to explore
• Okhotskoye – Lesnoye
• Aniva Bay – Taranay
• Korsakov – LNG and beyond
• Bikov Rapids
• Dolinks coastal area
• Cholmsk – Nevelsk
• The Big Circle
• Tichaya
• Cape Velican

3. Okhotskoye - Lesnoye
• Duration: half day
• Distance: +/- 100 km return
• Driving time: 2 hours
• Driving conditions: Easy
• GPS necessary: No
• What to see and do
– Frozen sea in winter
– Buy King crab in Okhotskoye
– BBQ on beach or at the warm lakes in summer
– Watch salmon in Lesnoye (July – August)
– See migrating swans in spring (April)

5. Route directions Okhotskoye
• Leave Zima and turn left at main road towards
Korsakov
• Follow the main road past the Police check point
(mind your speed) and take the exit on your left
at the sign Okhotskoye
• Nice picnic spots on the lakes on your left and
right before you reach the coast
• Stop to buy delicious King crab, prawns or
cucumber fish at the fish stalls on your left in
Okhotskoye
• Continue on the road along the beach to reach
warm lakes on your right hand side

23. Route directions Lesnoye
• Follow road to Okhotskoye
• If you reach the big lake on your right, turn left
and follow sign to Lesnoye
• Follow the road for 6 km until you reach Lesnoye
• Follow the main road to the village (in Salmon
season there is a checkpoint just before the
village, but you are allowed to continue) and
cross the bridge
• Turn right after the bridge and follow the road
along the river until the road turns left along the
coast. Park here and walk to the beach or river
• Turn left after bridge to see wooden houses

38. Aniva Bay-Taranay
• Duration: Half day
• Distance: between 110 – 150 km return
• Driving time: 2 to 3 hours
• Driving conditions: Easy, partly dirt road
• GPS necessary: No
• What to see and do
– Beach
– Salmon (July – August)
– Fishing
– Visit the yearly salmon festival

40. Route directions
• Leave Zima and turn left on the main road
towards the airport
• Turn right after the Rosneft petrol station
• Turn left and cross the railroad and follow the
signs from here
• There are two roads to Aniva, take the first one
and follow it to the end to go to the beach
• Return to town and turn left at the roundabout to
exit Aniva and drive towards Taranay
• Pass Taranay and keep driving until you reach a
river

49. Korsakov – LNG Plant and beyond
• Duration: Half day or more
• Distance: 80 – 110 or 190 km return
• Driving time: 2 - 4 hours
• Driving conditions: Easy (last part dirt road)
• GPS necessary: No
• What to see and do
– Explore Korsakov
– Eat shaslick
– LNG Plant
– Enjoy beach and lake

51. Route directions Korsakov - LNG
• Follow the main road South until you reach Korsakov
• In Korsakov drive past Rosneft petrol station and stay on the
main road along coast until the first traffic light, and turn left.
• Immediately first right and first left. Follow this road (keep
right at fork, do not go uphill) until you leave town.
• On the other side of town you turn right at crossing to stay on
main tarmac road and cross the bridge (the gravel road on
your left goes to Okhotskoye)
• Follow this road to the coast and the LNG – Plant
• View point with Japanese monument on hill on your left
before you reach LNG – Plant (concrete steps)
• On your way back drive around in Korsakov to find your way
to the highest point (past the main square in town) to have a
nice view over the harbour

52. Route directions Korsakov and beyond
• Follow the main road South until you reach
Korsakov
• Enjoy Korsakov and the LNG – Plant
• Drive past the LNG – Plant and follow the graded
road
• Beautiful and quiet picnic spots on the beach
• If the road bends inlands, you can turn left after
about 6 km (there is a bus stop on your right)
• Follow this bumpy road for about 5 km and turn left
at fork in road (iron pole next to road and cross
concrete bridge)
• Turn left again at the next fork for a stop a the lake
(N46 37.509 E143 17.223)

71. Bikov Rapids
• Duration: 3/4 day
• Distance: +/- 140 km return
• Driving time: 3 - 4 hours
• Driving conditions: Easy (last part dirt road)
• GPS necessary: No (but easier to find rapids)
• What to see and do
– View Rapids
– Beautiful picnic spots and scenery
– Short, but steep descent to river

73. Route directions
• Drive north to Dolinsk
• In Dolinsk turn left and cross railroad tracks via bridge
• Follow this road to Bikov (25 km) and turn left to cross
river via bridge, follow road
• In front you see a big abandoned building on the hill, turn
right
• 2nd road left (before pipe over road) and drive between
garages on your right and apartment block on your left
• Follow road uphill and turn right
• From here you follow the river approximately 2 km
• Small road on your right to park the car (you can hear
the rapids). Walk to the rim and descent to river

74. GPS Information
• Turn left in Dolinsk N47 19.781 E142 47.352
• Bykov Rapids N47 20.240 E142 30.938

93. Dolinsk coastal area
• Duration: Half day or more
• Distance: 180 km return
• Driving time: 3 hours
• Driving conditions: Easy
• GPS necessary: No
• What to see and do
– Search for amber
– Seals (during Salmon season)
– Salmon
– Camping

95. Route directions
• Drive North until you reach the coast
• Turn right and drive past houses until you reach
the beach and look for seals on the rocks
• Search for amber (you have to be very lucky to
find it)
• Turn back and drive further North to find nice
camping spots along the beach
• Good river for salmon fishing in the right season
(July – August)

107. Cholmsk-Nevelsk
• Duration: Full day
• Distance: +/- 230 km roundtrip
• Driving time: 6 hours
• Driving conditions: Easy, partly dirt road
• GPS necessary: No
• What to see and do
– Picnic spots on beach and along the river
– Cholmsk boulevard
– Datcha’s on the beach
– Scenic coastal and mountain route
– See Stellar Sea Lions in right season (April – May)

109. Route Directions
• Take road towards Aniva and follow signs to Cholmsk
• All tarmac road until Cholmsk
• Before you reach Cholmsk you can make photo stop at
monument and lookout on right hand side of the road on
highest point when you cross mountain pass
• In Cholmsk you can stop at the boulevard and walk
around
• If you continue on the main road, you should turn right
immediately after the bridge over the railroad to take the
coastal road to Nevelsk (don’t drive uphill)
• Follow road to Nevelsk where you can make a stop and
look at the changed coast line after the earth quake
(south side of town)
• Drive back 5 km to turn right to take beautiful mountain
road back to Yuzhno

143. The Big Circle
• Duration: Long day
• Distance: +/- 375 km roundtrip
• Driving time: 7 hours
• Driving conditions: Easy, partly dirt road
• GPS necessary: No
• What to see and do
– Have a coffee in Vzmorye
– Scenic coastline on East and West coast
– Picnic or BBQ on the beach
– See salmon in right season (Aug. – Sept.)
– See Japanese Arches in Vzmorye and/or Tomari

145. Route directions
• Easy to find on the map
• Start driving North (this part of the road is
included in more trips and therefore more
familiar) to have more time on the West coast
• Coffee (and photo) stop at Vzmorye train station
• A good spot to see salmon (in season):
– After you turn left to cross the island from the east
coast to the west coast. Turn left immediately after
you have crossed the third railroad crossing and park
the car after about 100 meters next to the river.

146. • See Japanese arch in Vzmory
– After you have seen the sign of Vzmorye, turn
right immediately after you cross a small river,
as soon as you see the first houses.
• See Japanese arches in Tomari
– Turn left (if you come from the north) just
before you reach the bridge, just before you
drive into town.

162. Tichaya
• Duration: Long day or weekend (camping)
• Distance: +/- 300 km return
• Driving time: 5 – 6 hours
• Driving conditions: Easy
• GPS necessary: No
• What to see and do
– Spectacular coastal scenery
– Abundant birdlife
– Beautiful hiking trails
– Great camping spot (can be busy)

164. Route directions
• Drive north via Dolinsk to East coast
• Follow coastal road and have an optional stop at
Vzmorye train station to buy coffee and/or crab
• 24 km past Vzmorye you reach Tichaya
• Turn right immediately after the Tichaya sign
• Follow dirt road past quarry (stay in valley, don’t drive
uphill) until you reach the beach
• Walk to the left past fisherman, walk along beach
• Find rope on the cliffs on your left and climb up for
amazing views
• With low tide, walk through cliff gorge at the end of
beach. Climb over rocks along water line and around
cliffs until you reach next small beach. Climb cliff with
rope and walk back over cliff rim to the first rope
mentioned before to return back to beach
• More beautiful walks if you turn right on the beach

177. Cape Velican
• Duration: Full day
• Distance: +/- 200 km roundtrip
• Driving time: 6-7 hours
• Driving conditions: Difficult
• GPS necessary: Yes
• What to see and do
– Beautiful picnic spots on beach and lake
– Rock formations on East coast
– LNG plant
– Swimming possibilities for die hards
– Spectacular views

180. Route directions – GPS information
1. Drive to Okhotskoe and follow the road along the coast until the
end. From here follow GPS coordinates given below
2. Turn right N46 48.068 E143 25.258
3. T-crossing turn left N46 44.614 E143 24.624
4. Straight on N46 44.027 E143 25.734
5. Straight on N46 40.887 E143 26.081
6. Sharp left turn uphill N46 40.855 E143 26.084 (from
point 2 to 6 is 16 km) This is a difficult narrow and bumpy road
that you follow until you reach the beach
7. Entry to beach N46 37.814 E143 30.976
8. Cape Velican N46 37.754 E143 30.982
9. Return to point 6 and turn left
10. T-crossing turn right N46 38.914 E143 22.976
11. T-crossing left N46 36.848 E143 18.305
12. Next fork turn right, follow this road for about 5 km and turn right
at T-junction N46 34.116 E143 18.252
13. Follow this road to Korsakov

193. The End
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