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Titleist Performance Institute Tour Fitting - The Fitting

By GolfSpy Tim June 11, 2011 in Forum Testing Reviews

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Golfspy tim.

Titleist Fitting Works - TPI Tour Fitting – The Experience

A high-handicap spy gets fit like a Tour Pro.

You can see the first article in this series here.

Arriving at TPI, Carlsbad, CA:

Heading to the Titleist facilities last Tuesday had me excited and scared all at the same time. Here I am, a higher handicap player walking into Titleist's gated facility to review their process of them reviewing me!

Driving to the fitting appointment we stopped three times for me to find a restroom… I'd like to say it was due to some random food I ate, but I'm pretty sure it was my nerves realizing I was going to be analyzed for 3+ hours by some of the industry's best.

With a quick stop at the Rainbow Sandals factory in San Clemente, we eventually arrived at the Titleist Performance Institute facility in Carlsbad, CA.

Driving up to the Titleist Performance Institute property is like driving up to a top-secret military facility. You can tell something important is going on inside of those walls, but you'd have no clue it was Titleist in there without prior spy knowledge. The only sign from the outside that this facility was used for anything golf related was the towering nets on one side of the property. It feels pretty special driving up knowing that anyone else driving by might not know what this facility houses.

Once inside:

Once through the gate, we headed to check in at the front desk (we being my wife Cheryl and I – she was there to take a few pictures and videos of me in action)

From the start I felt like a VIP (And I can say without a doubt, this is how the experience is for anyone visiting) Once inside, I never had to open a door for myself, I didn't carry my own bag, and there were bags and bags of new ProV1 balls waiting for me to send them flying down the fairway.

After checking in at the front desk and signing a waiver/NDA that I wouldn't' spy more than I was already being allowed to, I was directed to the waiting room.

Waiting for me were bottles of water, an assortment of drinks, big comfy leather chairs, and a large TV for my enjoyment. I walked in, introduced myself to the other guy being fit that day, Ryan. I set my camera bag down and left Cheryl to relax while I wandered the halls looking for any signs of top-secret clubs or balls sitting around that I could photograph. No love, but I did get to check out all of their displays.

When I came back to the room there was a text message from my wife – I assumed that Ryan (a tall, handsome and fit guy) had been flirting with her and she was texting about that – turns out he was a total gentleman. The text is to let me know that Ryan is Ryan Getzlaf – Mighty Ducks team captain. You would assume that someone of some “celebrity” would get more attention than you, but nothing could be further from the truth at TPI. (Never once did I feel like Steve was distracted by one of the NHL's best players being fitted just 20 feet away)

After relaxing for a couple of minutes Cliff Walzak, Tour Fitting Manager, stopped by the room and asked if we all wanted a quick tour. He showed us TPI's workout facility, hitting bays, ball testing, short game area, driving range(s) and a quick glance at some of their more high tech toys used with the Performance Institute programs.

After the tour I was introduced to Sr. Club Fitting Analyst Steve Ziff. Steve would be fitting me for the day. (I have to say; Steve is an extremely friendly guy with many years experience and such a wealth of knowledge to share, both in fitting as well as advice for my swing)

Onto the Tour Fitting Experience:

The First step of the fitting was to pull out my old clubs (this got a good chuckle, and had Steve and Cliff both reminiscing on memories of the year my old clubs were released)

Steve asked some questions about what my goals are for my fitting and my game. I said I wanted to be able to hit the ball straight and more consistently/less miss-hits, and hopefully with a bit more distance, but with a focus on accuracy. You know, everything…

Steve had me hit a few balls with my 8 iron to get the initial numbers and see what my current swing with my old clubs was producing. As has been my norm with these old clubs, I was shamefully pushing every shot WAY right off the fairway into who knows where.

I started out REALLY nervous – i.e.: I literally could see the club head shaking as I setup to swing, but Steve immediately noticed how nervous I was and told me to relax and just swing away and not worry about anything – that there was nothing wrong with some bad swings. Steve did a GREAT job calming my nerves and making sure I was producing swings at the best of my ability. He ensured me it was ok to take bad swings, and that if/when I did, if they were my normal bad swings, we could talk about ways to fix them.

After watching me swing a few times and looking at the launch numbers on the Trackman system, Steve said he could definitely help with my accuracy and miss-hits, stating that his goal would be to take my 30+ yard misses and trim those down to 10 yard misses.

We talked a little bit about things I'd been learning in my recent golf lessons, and talked about a couple of things that could help as the day progressed. Just little pointers to help me tune my swing even more.

He also asked me which Titleist irons stood out to my eye. I honestly had no attachment to one over the other, so into my hands slipped an AP1 8 iron with a steel shaft.

Like magic, on my first swing I actually pushed the ball left. A few more swings and then Steve had me try a graphite shaft, right away it was obvious to him that this shaft was too light for me to be consistent with (I felt like I couldn't “feel” the swing as much with the lighter shaft, but with the steel shaft the swing came more to life for me)

While Titleist utilizes the Trackman system to come up with the raw numbers, it's Steve's eyes and experience that allow him to quickly compare the numbers as well as the visual ball flight and my swing to come up with the right mix of club head and shafts. To top that off, and the part I didn't expect was that they were always curious how the clubs “felt” to me, and how they looked to me. This feedback was important to help guide them as well.

After getting me dialed into the AP1 with the Dynamic Gold S300 shaft, Steve then had me try the same setup but with the AP2 head. Taking turns switching back and forth between the AP1 and AP2 8 irons, I was able to get a feel for both. The AP1 club felt heavier when I was swinging it, and as I can best describe the AP2 felt like it was allowing me to have a more “clean/crisp” swing. With this feedback Steve told me that the launch numbers were nearly identical with both, and that it really came down to preference.

Did I like the appearance of one over the other? Long term, did I want to eventually learn to shape shots a little, or was I happy just hitting everything straight? I can't say I liked one's appearance over the other enough to make a decision, but Bubba Watson is a bit of a hero to me, so the idea of someday learning to shape shots sounded fun and so the AP2 it is.

Cliff was hoping back and forth between fittings (Ryan had a dedicated fitter as well) So Cliff would check in once in a while and look over the numbers, make some suggestions and between Steve and Cliff they would take what they were seeing, mixed with the numbers from the Trackman, and decide if I needed a longer shaft, different flex, weight and/or any tips to tweak my swing ever so slightly.

Instruction never took over the fitting process, but it was great that throughout the entire day, if I was struggling with anything, either Cliff or Steve would quickly see what was going on and give a simple suggestion that I could do to fix things.

At first all the numbers they were talking about were going slightly over my head, but after a few different times stepping back and looking at the monitor and seeing the numbers, things began to make a lot more sense. Ball speed, launch angle, spin/rpms, carry and how they all go together to create distance and the optimal numbers for each.

The biggest news for me – I had a faster ball speed than the ladies!!! Honestly, I always thought I probably had low speeds, but as it turns out, with my shorter irons, my ball speed is pretty solid. It's not until I get into the longer clubs that the speeds were not holding up as well as they should.

I hit the AP2 8 iron with the DG S300 shaft at 36.5” with a ball speed of 106.8 mph, 21.1 launch, 7,291 spin and a carry of 133 yards.

AP2 5-PW, Dynamic Gold S300 shafts

Finishing the irons, we walked across the facility to one of the short game areas and started looking at wedges. Steve grabbed my current wedge and put it in the lie/loft machine to check the specs (this process was actually done for every club that was part of the fitting, checking to see the exact specs of my current club, and what that was producing in my ball flight) Then I took a few swings with my old club.

Steve took a few minutes to talk about bounce and how this affects the wedge as it moves through the turf, and the difference between being a digger or not. Having watched my swing from the irons and with my own wedge, Steve was able to start me in the right direction with the wedges without any guesswork.

At this point I was getting curious as to how lie angle would be checked. Steve pointed to my divots and said that from watching the divots I was taking he could tell what my clubs were doing during the swing, and that I didn't need any adjustments from standard. Basically, I had good looking divots, flat and square going straight and even the whole length. (It was really impressive to me that Steve and all the guys working at Titleist, have enough experience and knowledge to examine your divots and ball flight and know where you are and/or need to be for the lie of your clubs)

After watching me swing my old wedge Steve grabbed a few beautiful looking Vokey wedges for me to dig more holes in the ground with. We quickly narrowed in on the TVD wedges. Steve's notes show that I hit through the turf the best with these wedges. (can I just take a second to say how PERFECT the grass was at TPI!? I've only played one course with as nice of grass and it was a very private club)

After checking to make sure I was hitting both the 52-degree and 58 degree through the turf properly, we headed over to a bunker to make sure the 58 performed the same for me out of the sand. Immediately my lack of skill in the sand was apparent, and Steve asked if he could share a quick pointer with me (Steve is not only an amazing fitter, but he also is a great teacher – every tip he had was concise and easy to implement and built on what my instructor has been teaching me)

After showing me a couple tips on getting out of the sand, I was hitting the 58-degree without a problem from the sand. (I say without a problem, but by no means did I go from zero to hero, but I was getting out of the sand easier than ever before, due to both the club as well as the pointers)

The only remaining variables with the wedges were the shaft and the finish. Steve already knew the correct shafts from watching my iron play followed by lots of shots taken in the short game area with the wedges. As for the finish, I originally thought I wanted the Oil Can finish, but seeing in person how the Oil Can finish ages, I chose the Black Oxide finish.

Vokey TVD52 with Dynamic Gold S300 shaft, Vokey TVD58 with Dynamic Gold S200 shaft

Getting the wedges right, we headed back over to the long game area to start playing with hybrids. First watching me hit my current hybrid, crunching the numbers and watching my swing, Steve and Cliff came up with a shaft and head combo they thought would work well for me, and they pretty much nailed it first try.

Steve built two hybrids for me to try out in order to take the place of my 3 and 4 irons. (I can't hit a 3 or 4 iron to save my life)

This was the first club with a Sure Fit Tip and I was impressed at how quickly they could adjust the head. They were tweaking the spin rate I was producing by opening and closing the face. After playing around with the settings, they had me hitting the hybrids straight and at the appropriate distances, filling in some gaps that existed in my previous bag.

Steve and Cliff also had me try the hybrids with the DG S300 shaft, but the results weren't pretty, and it was immediately apparent that I was going to be a happy golfer with the graphite shafts.

Once the numbers were right and I was producing the results we needed it was onto the fairway woods.

910H 21 and 24 degree heads, Kai'li 80HBY mid flex-S – tip set to A-1

910F 15 and 19 degree heads, Kai'li 75 Mid flex-s – tip set to A-1

My old set of clubs only included one fairway wood, a 3 that sometimes went straight for me, but more often than not resulted in my topping the ball or pushing out way right.

The choice of fairway wood heads is either the 910F or the 910Fd. Steve pulled both heads out for me and explained the main difference is the placement of the weight on the club, resulting in different launch and rpm. From seeing my ball speed and launch conditions from all the previous clubs, Steve was able to explain that the Fd was not an option for my swing, and that the 910F was the right head. Then it was just a matter of finding the correct weight shaft – we already knew the Kai'li was going to be the right fit.

First Steve built a 5-wood/19 degree fairway wood for me with the matching shaft from the hybrids. With a small amount of adjusting both my swing and the club length, we were able to get the numbers on the launch monitor right and the carry of the ball looking good. With a 910F I was pulling a ball speed of 142, launch at 7.3 and spin of 3,313 for a carry of 205' with the 19 degree.

Next, a 15-degree “3 wood” was put together with the same specs. Wouldn't you know it, I could rock the 5 wood pretty well, but the 3 wood didn't seem to care for me. Tweaking around and giving me some pointers, we were able to create better results, but realized that I need a lot more practice and lessons to be as consistent as I should be with the 3 wood.

Steve said I definitely need a 3 wood in my arsenal, but to really get the ball off the ground with it I'll need to work on my swing a bit more. I think I may have managed one solid strike of the ball (maybe not even that) – and I'm pretty sure it was my swing that was the culprit through and through.

I could feel my swing falling apart a bit at this time, but didn't really think anything but, wow, I'm really starting to suck at swinging. What I hadn't processed through my head was that I'd been swinging a club pretty constantly for the past 3+ hours (realistically more like 4 hours at this point) Fatigue was setting in (this isn't just an excuse… Steve shared his notes with me from the fitting and he wrote for the Driver that I was having trouble hitting due to fatigue)… ;-)

Mind you, this fitting was supposed to only go 3 hours, but with as much talking as I did to better understand the whole process, and as giving of help as Steve and Cliff were through the whole experience, we quickly reached the 4-hour mark. I never felt rushed – and I never knew we went over-time until I got in my car and looked at the clock. Again, being treated like a VIP is the norm for anyone going through the Tour Fitting Experience.

Fairway woods:

910F 15 and 19 degree heads, Kai'li 75 Mid flex-S – tip set to A-1

So, onto the part of the fitting I was probably most excited for and scared of, the driver!!!! Who doesn't want to see a custom fitting take them from a 200-225 tee shot up to a 350-yard tee shot! Right?? Well, I'm here to tell you, a custom fitting can likely help you get more distance, but it can't take a terrible driver swing and turn it into something else, but it sure can help!

As we began the fitting for the driver, I found myself swinging for the fences. Totally typical for me as well, I think I need to try and drive the ball like a hero, and it usually has ugly results, and today was no different.

As the fatigue really started to set in and I continued trying to swing for the fences, Cliff and Steve were total professionals, offered a few suggestions to help me make better contact, and they were able to still give a solid assessment of my drive and what components would create the best results for me. (Trust me, I wasn't making it easy on them at the end of their day, with a terribly inconsistent swing, and making poor contact, but they were able to see through my errors and find the best fit)

I was put into a D2 head. This was a pretty easy decision simply due to the lower spin rates that I produce. The D2 helps someone with lower spin rates while the D3 helps those with higher spin rates. (It gets a bit more technical than that, but for my spin rate, the D2 was the better fit without question)

910 D2 10.5, Kai'li 65 Mid flex-S – tip set to A-1

Winding down:

After we finished the driver fitting, the crew started moving the carts full of clubs back inside. It was really amazing to see all of the different options for combinations of heads and shafts they had at their fingertips.

Before everything was put away, we stepped over to the grip cart and looked at different grip options. My old grips were oversized grips, and to the EXTREME. They said the old grips were by no means helping my swing. So after comparing my fingers to Cliffs, we had a great starting point for what size grip I needed. – 1/32 over. Next, what color/look/feel did I want? I like loud, so I went for white, and I liked the Lamkin grips – So the Lamkin Performance Plus 3Gen was the winner.

As I headed out Steve gave me two small sleeves of balls, Pro V1 and Pro V1x. (from what I understand, the Pro V1 is a better fit for my spin rates – but Steve said to play both of them and see if I noticed a difference) And he also let me know that if at any time I had questions, or my ball flight noticeably changed, to give him a call and we could figure out if the clubs needed adjusting or anything else. (Again, this is something that anyone doing a Tour Fitting is given as an opportunity to take advantage of after his or her fitting)

Cheryl and I headed out the door to meet up with a friend for dinner at Stone Brewery, about 30 minutes away, finishing the night with a beautiful selection of IPAs from all over California. (Can you say Pliny The Elder)?

Check out the full slideshow of images here.

My Reflections:

Wow!!! This was seriously one AMAZING experience. Naming it the Tour Fitting “Experience” is spot on. I felt like a tour pro the entire afternoon. Never did I feel like anyone was trying to talk over my head, and I was included in all of the details, with attention paid to me and my swing without interruption the entire day.

The facility is top notch, the grass is beyond perfect, you're in Carlsbad not too far from the beach, so the weather is great.

Steve and Cliff really know their stuff, and they helped ensure that I was swinging properly the entire day.

I think one of my concerns going in was that I'd be doing something wrong, and they wouldn't want to “overstep” their bounds and give advice, but it was just the opposite. Anytime I was doing something that could be helped/improved with the slightest suggestion, they were happy to give me direction, never too much, just the right amount.

There was no doubt in my mind leaving TPI that my game would improve; the question was, how much. Finally I had clubs in my hands that just felt right.

I can comfortably say that if you are interested in being custom fit for a set of clubs, and Titleist is on your radar, the Tour Fitting Experience is well worth going out of your way for. The amazing facilities mixed with an awesome team of fitters made this experience one I won't soon forget, and that stands out in my mind as a worthwhile experience that I would suggest for any and all of my friends.

Oh, and no… I didn't get a chance for a one-on-one with Scotty Cameron. The Tour Fitting does not include a putter fitting as Scotty's studio is separate from the TPI facilities.

Normal turnaround time on the clubs depends on how custom of options you get, i.e.: exotic shafts and such. My clubs were built the same week and arrived on Saturday (I was leaving town that weekend and asked if we could push for Saturday delivery vs. Monday when I would be gone)

The clubs arrived and I was like a child on Christmas morning! I pulled the boxes inside and started taking pictures… and half way through opening boxes, I called one of my golf buddies and asked if he could go out for a quick round of 9 in a half hour – and next thing you know I was headed to a course I play pretty regularly to put the clubs through the paces.

Ocean Meadows is a 9-hole par 4 course that's fun to play, ragged or not. (It's not the most amazing course, if you come visit me in Santa Barbara, I probably won't take you there, but when I'm looking for a quick round on a course I still enjoy, it's one of my first pics)

I'll be writing a bunch more in my next piece going in depth about my play since the custom fit set of clubs arrived, but to give you the quick and dirty, I purchased a new putter about two weeks ago, and I can't hit it to save my life and am putting worse than I ever have.

So, even with more putts in a round than I normally would ever take, I still managed to shave 5 strokes off of my best round before at Ocean Meadows (yes… 5 strokes saved in 9 holes, and that compounded with added strokes in my putting)

For the first time in my life I was hitting greens, and my miss hits were flying the correct direction. My irons were hitting farther, and my first drive off the tee on the first hole rolled out to nearly 300 yards, and with a PERFECT draw!

Tons more to come on just how a custom set of clubs have changed my game, but for now, I have to say, if you haven't been custom fit, there's no better time than now!

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Congrats on the new Titleist clubs. I have been playing with a new set of AP2s, Vokey Wedges and a 910h hybrid that were custom fit for me, and I have already shaved a few points off of my handicap (in just two months). I think one of the added bonuses of the Titleist drivers, hybrids and fairway woods is that they will adjust to your swing easily as you improve. This is probably not as much of an advantage for more experienced players, but for players like myself that still have a long way to go in developing a consistent swing, I think it really pushes the Titleist clubs over the top.

Driver: Cleveland Classic Custom 9 degrees with Matrix Black Tie Stiff Shaft

3 Wood: Nike VR Pro Limited edition with Diamana Ahina X-stiff shaft

3 hybrid: Adams A12 pro (20 degrees) with RIP X-stiff shaft

4-PW: Titleist AP2 with True Tember Dynamic Gold X-300 shaft

52 degree wedge: Cleveland CG15

56 degree Wedge: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled

60 degree wedge: Cleveland 588 forged

Putter: Edel custom with Flatso mid grip

since you recommend Tour Fitting Experience... may I ask what's the cost compared to a "standard fitting"?

Excellent insights. Great to have been able to take a few photos of the facilities as it can be hard with all the privacy issues. You mention you bought a new putter, what didi you end up getting?

In my bag: 06.10.11

Titleist 910 D3 10.5- Fujikura F3 S

Titleist 909 F2 15.5- Voodoo S

Titleist 909 H 19 & 24- Voodoo S

Mizuno MP-32 5-9 DG S300

Vokey 46, 51, 55, 59 (Bent from 48, 50, 54, 58)

Cameron SSL NP2 34/340 (Current Gamer)

Cameron SSS NP2.5 34/350

Cameron Del Mar 34/350

Cameron Newport Oil Can

Cameron Newport Gun Blue

The rate for any "single" fitting at TPI - ie: irons, or fairway woods... separately is $150 each, or $450 for everything but the putter.

For those of you interested in all the details that Titleist delivers after the fitting, here's a screen shot of that:

Any chance you're going to start posting scorecards as well now? It'd be great to compare how well you do to Golfspy Dave since you've both been fitted...

yes, I'm going to try and cruise back through the rounds I've already played with the clubs. I'm going to be creating a new post about how the clubs have changed my game.

PS: very nice detail on your day, really made it a great read. Oh yeah the pics were nice too.

Right handed

Cobra King FLYZ+ 10.5* w/ Aldila Rogue 125 R 44.5"

Tour Issued TM M2 10.5 w/ Mitsubishi Tensi CK Pro Blue 60S

Tour Issued TM M2 15* w/ GD Tour AD 7S 43"

TM R7 17.5 HFS w/ Tour AD 7S Stiff 42"

Cobra S3 Pro's 4-pw w/ Aldila RIP Tours SLT 115 Reg. 5i 38.5"

Titleist Vokey Proto's

52*,54*,58* all TTDG S-400

Scotty Cameron SSS Tiffany 009 350 34.5" or Bettinardi BB1 DASS Proto

GHIN # 5144472

Oh man, that fitting done outdoors on grass looks so nice. I'm so jealous as well.

Great Post, nice pics and video too. That must have been a great experience. REally nice to get a proper fitting and get the right equipment for your game. Thanks for sharing,

Matt Saternus

I am wowed by the slideshow - very slick.

Great review overall. Sounds like it was a great learning experience for you, and that you got a sweet new set up to boot! Glad to hear that the new clubs are already making a difference.

Follow me on Twitter: @MattSaternus

Matt, thanks! always fun sharing pictures... I actually still need to edit through all of the video!!!!!! YIKES

Stoked on the new clubs and can't wait to start sharing new scores.

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Sakhalin: Your Essential Guide to Russia’s Enigmatic Eastern Island

• January 14, 2024

A Journey Through Giant Burdocks, Wild Bears, and the Echoes of Ancient Japanese Temples

From the most dreaded place of exile in the Russian Empire to a Japanese industrial base and one of the most attractive and inaccessible places for domestic tourism in Russia.

Table of Contents

An island that was Russian, then Japanese, and then Russian again

From the 17th to the mid-19th century, it was believed that Sakhalin was a peninsula. This misconception firmly established itself on the maps of the time, as navigators failed to circumnavigate the island. The proximity of Sakhalin’s southern tip to the mainland created a false impression of being impassable for ships. An additional complexity arose from the fact that the route taken by ships from the Russian Empire involved passing through a narrow strait, which Nevelskoy managed to navigate only in 1849.

For a long time, people did not believe Nevelskoy, but he insisted that he had discovered a route through the strait, for which he became something of a hero in Primorye. Monuments and plaques dedicated to him can be found in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Vladivostok, and Khabarovsk. The H4H creative association created a graphic novel based on this story, which won a cultural initiatives contest and became part of the interior of the Khabarovsk Airport. By the way, the Sakhalin region is the only Russian entity entirely located on islands.

The remote and isolated location of the island during the Russian Empire was used as a natural barrier, and it became the site of penal colonies for hard labor prisoners. Its geographical position led to Sakhalin’s hard labor being regarded as particularly cruel.

During the period of the island’s development, Russian ships followed the Amur River and reached the island from the north, where the oldest port, Alexandrovsk, was founded. The Japanese attempted to develop the island from the south, entering through the Kuril Islands (part of the Sakhalin region) and Aniva Bay. For a long time, the Kurils were inhabited by the Ainu, representatives of a small indigenous people. The very word “Kurils” comes from the Ainu: “kuru” means “man.”

In the 17th century, Japan conducted its first expeditions towards the islands and began their development. Russia reached them later. The first mentions of the islands in Russian language date back to the late 17th century. For a long time, Russian, Dutch, Japanese, and Anglo-French navigators studied the islands, landed on them, and disputed their territorial ownership. However, only Russia and Japan managed to establish a foothold. To end the territorial disputes, the governments of the two countries signed an agreement under which the Kuril Islands went to Japan, and Sakhalin to Russia, which continued to develop the island mainly from the north. After the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, which ended in Russia’s defeat, the southern part of Sakhalin became part of Japan as the Karafuto Prefecture.

Until the second half of the 20th century, the island was owned by Japan and was quite successful in developing its resources. A huge number of mines were opened, several cities and lighthouses were built. In particular, the current regional center, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, was the former Japanese city of Toyohara. The famous Aniva lighthouse, now considered a symbol of Sakhalin, was built by Japanese engineers. After Japan’s defeat in World War II, the island passed to the Soviet Union. Contrary to history, the main life of the island moved from the north to the south. Alexandrovsk, which was convenient to reach by water, lost to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk with its infrastructure built by the Japanese, connections to neighboring cities, and airport. Interestingly, before leaving, the Japanese buried and hid the mining sites, and locals say that not all the old mines have been found yet, and they are sometimes stumbled upon during walks.

Because the island belonged to three different countries in just over a hundred years, it did not have time to develop any significant urban infrastructure. The cities lack outstanding architectural monuments and unique museums. However, some unusual Japanese architecture has remained. Meanwhile, Sakhalin compactly houses incredible natural attractions. Here, one can climb through forests and bamboo thickets to breathtakingly beautiful mountains as if outlined in graphite, and through a mountain pass reach the sea, into which clear mountain rivers flow with fish splashing in them.

The Ainu and Nivkh: Inhabitants of Sakhalin

For a long time, the island was mainly inhabited by the Ainu and Nivkh peoples. These ethnic groups are very different, making their coexistence as unusual as the neighboring of birch and bamboo on the slopes of Sakhalin’s mountains. Both are isolate peoples . However, the Ainu belong to the Australoid race, while the Nivkh are Mongoloids (the main population of Asian territories). It’s fascinating how representatives of different races have coexisted for ages on a small piece of land at the edge of the world.

There is no single version regarding the origin of the Ainu, leading to a multitude of theories — both scientific and conspiratorial. One theory suggests that the Ainu are the ancestors of the indigenous population of Australia, remaining in the north after continental migration. Some researchers write that the Ainu are the forebears of the Japanese. This theory is supported by the fact that before Japanese expansion, the Ainu mainly inhabited the Japanese island of Hokkaido. However, the Ainu suffered greatly from Japanese imperialism, and their culture and language were almost completely destroyed in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Now, there are just over two thousand Ainu living on Sakhalin.

The Nivkh are among the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the north. They suffered less from Japanese rule. However, during the Soviet era, they experienced a difficult phase of literacy development, destruction of tribal communities, and relocation to cities. About 2,200 Nivkh live in the Sakhalin region and another approximately two thousand in Khabarovsk.

During the Karafuto period, Japan brought captured Koreans to Sakhalin for hard labor. By the mid-20th century, the Korean population of the island was about 45,000 people. For comparison, the current population of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is 180,000. This large number of people, deprived of their homeland, was forced to adapt to life first under Japanese and then Soviet rule. In the USSR, Koreans were issued passports, and there were national kindergartens and schools. However, Sakhalin Koreans did not feel part of the larger community of Soviet Koreans (Koryo-saram) and struggled to integrate. Moreover, they were considered members of an ‘unreliable nation’ because they had lived in the Japanese Empire.

In the late 1990s, three countries – Russia, South Korea, and Japan – began a repatriation campaign for the first generation of Sakhalin Koreans (born before August 15, 1945) to their historical homeland. Now, about 3,500 repatriates from Russia live in South Korea. Under the program, the Korean government provides medical insurance and a monthly allowance to the repatriates. The Japanese government, in turn, buys housing (apartments up to 40 m²) and covers transportation costs. Additionally, every two years, Sakhalin Koreans who have moved to their homeland have the right to visit Sakhalin for free, funded by the Japanese government. Most Sakhalin Koreans settled in the city of Ansan , where 500 apartments were specially built for them.

Korean influence is weakly traced on Sakhalin: many Sakhalin Koreans no longer know the language and do not associate themselves with Korea. However, there are several authentic restaurants (for example, “Koba” ) on the island where you can try traditional dishes.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk — the capital and base for exploring the island

The city is predominantly characterized by typical Soviet architecture, with almost no remaining Japanese buildings. This is because during the Soviet period, the city was radically rebuilt after being liberated from ‘imperialist Japanese rule.’ Many buildings were demolished, and from the few that remained, some were turned into museums. Perhaps the main thing that has been preserved from the Japanese period is the layout. The city was founded from scratch near the Russian village of Vladimirovka, and Chicago was chosen as the model for its layout. Toyohara was divided into four parts by two main streets, O-dori (now Lenin) and Maoka-dori (Sakhalinskaya).

Japan established itself thoroughly on the island. In Toyohara, trade routes converged, new bays were developed, and roads were built. The city’s population grew steadily. Initially due to the military garrison, and later due to a paper mill, a sugar and distillery plant. Now, the buildings of the former Japanese factories are abandoned. Many of them can only be accessed with rare tours, while others are completely closed. However, their presence is still recalled by street names, such as Paper Street.

Another building in the Neo-Japanese style is the Karafuto Governorate Museum built in the 1930s (29 Communist Avenue). It now houses the Sakhalin Regional Museum . And in the former bank of colonial development, there is the Art Museum (137 Lenin Street).

Several other iconic buildings constructed by the Japanese have been preserved: the central hospital of Toyohara (41 Chekhov Street), the conference hall of the Karafuto Governorate (30 Dzerzhinsky Street), and the Toyohara City Hall (41 Communist Avenue). The Sakhalin Railway Museum in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is distinct from many similar museums in Russia due to its exhibits. This is because the island long maintained the Japanese standard of railway gauge, which differs from the Russian standard. Accordingly, the rolling stock was entirely different.

If in Vladivostok everything is named after the Far Eastern explorer and writer Vladimir Arsenyev, then in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, mentions of Chekhov are everywhere. At the end of the 19th century, Sakhalin was both the most dreaded place for exile to hard labor and one of the most tempting corners of Russia, which was not so easy to access. Chekhov received an editorial assignment and embarked on a ship along with prisoners, military personnel, and sailors to the most remote point of the empire. In his notes, which Chekhov compiled under the title ‘The Island of Sakhalin,’ the writer talked about many things: the geography and climate of the island, the life of the convicts, and ordinary residents. This book caused a great resonance at the time, and even now it was very interesting to read it while traveling to Sakhalin: some things have changed drastically, while others have remained the same. Now in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, there is even a museum dedicated to this one book, which turned out to be so significant for the island.

GoSakhalin is the website of the Sakhalin Tourist and Information Center. And in their official Telegram channel , you can find announcements of affordable excursions shortly before they start.

In any case, for travelers, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk remains primarily a hub and a place of rest. Here they return for the night and dinner, and it seems that real adventures begin outside the doorstep.

Surrounding Area

10–20 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

The main reason people visit Sakhalin is for its unique nature. Mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, and the sea, all on a small piece of land. In one day, you can travel from the Sea of Okhotsk to the Sea of Japan, cross several climate zones, see bamboo groves, birches, and spruces in one place, spot a running fox and a swimming orca. The island’s landscapes can boldly compete in Instagram appeal with Iceland or Norway.

Within Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk alone, there are about 30 kilometers of marked ecotrails, with brief descriptions and routes available on the official tourism portal. I also found an ecotrail in Nevelsk, which is not mentioned on the official website.

The ecotrails in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk start from the ‘Mountain Air’ ski center on the sopka (a term for mountains in the Far East) Bolshevik. There are five in total: ‘Children’s’ (2.7 kilometers), ‘Eight’ (8 kilometers), ‘Northern Ring’ (9 kilometers), ‘Russian’ (3.2 kilometers), and ‘Yelanka’ (5 kilometers). You can take a cable car to the start of the trails and then slowly descend through the forest and park to the city. However, the lift does not operate in rainy and windy weather.

Hiking the ‘Eight’ trail took me no more than three hours, including stops to catch my breath and take photos. Every kilometer and a half along the route, there are benches. From the top of the mountain, there is a view of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and it seems you can see a piece of the Sea of Okhotsk.

Chekhov Peak

The route to Chekhov Peak is a high-mountain trekking path that requires a certain level of physical fitness. Chekhov Peak has an elevation of 1045 meters, with an absolute altitude gain of 752 meters. The trail is narrow and slippery in places, hardly suitable for children or people with limited mobility.

Chekhov Peak is part of the Susunai Range, which supports Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from the southeast. You can exit from Gagarin city park to the foothills in about half an hour. The ascent to the peak itself cannot be missed: a marked trail and informational signs lead to it. On particularly steep ascents, ropes are hung for safety, but it is possible to walk up the slope without them.

In late spring, the forest trail has many streams, as well as May primroses and butterflies. The foothills are scattered with rare, incredibly large, and wonderfully fragrant marsh callas. Halfway to the peak, bamboo thickets are encountered, through which birches break through. This is also a kind of magic because, as a biologist friend explained to me, birch and bamboo are not supposed to coexist in the natural environment, but somehow they manage to do so. Occasionally, spruces are encountered — not tall, but very fluffy. Closer to the top, the vegetation becomes sparser, and the impressive views of the sea, mountains, and lakes open up from the height.

• The entire hike takes five to six hours.
• Even in summer, there is snow on the summit. In the afternoon, it starts to melt, making it more difficult to walk.
• Don’t forget to bring food and water.
• Wear boots with covered ankles, a jacket, and a head covering.
• Inform your family and friends, and someone living in Sakhalin, before setting out on the route. If you’re traveling alone, you could notify, for example, the hotel receptionist or roommates in a hostel.
• Snakes and bears are found around the trail. Watch your feet and try to make as much noise as possible. For example, play music on your phone and sing along occasionally.
• The ascent to Chekhov Peak can be the start of a journey to the village of Lesnoye on the shore of the Sea of Okhotsk. The distance to the village is 27 kilometers. With good preparation and an early start from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, this distance can be covered in one day.

Mud Volcano in Klyuchi

A mud volcano is an eruption on the earth’s surface of clay masses, mineralized waters, and gases. The mechanism of formation of these volcanoes is not fully understood. According to the existing theory, such volcanoes are formed near oil fields.

The mud volcano in Klyuchi consists of a mud field about 200 meters in diameter. There, you can see about 20 points of activity, resembling miniature volcano craters. This mud volcano became active in 1959, 1979, 2001, and 2011 (the last time due to a strong earthquake in Japan). During these eruptions, mud columns reached several tens of meters in height. Bus 189 goes to Klyuchi from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The distance from the village to the top of the volcano is nine kilometers and takes about two and a half hours to walk.

Ecopark in the Vestochka area: Frog Rock, Aikhor Waterfall, ‘Sunny Glade’ Recreation Park

Not far from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, there is a fairly large ecopark, known primarily for the Frog Rock outcrop. An outcrop is a remnant of harder rock around which softer rock has eroded over time. Outcrops are often known for their unusual shapes and are natural monuments. Frog Rock is part of a series of rocks standing one behind the other. This was once the seabed of an ancient sea, and fossilized shells can be found in its vicinity. From the top of the rock, amazing views of the Aniva Bay, Tunaycha and Changeable Lakes open up. This place was sacred to the Ainu, the indigenous inhabitants of the island.

The trail to the ‘Sunny Glade’ ecopark begins behind the ‘Electron’ culture house. Despite its name, it is not a city park, but a full-fledged forest with laid-out paths. There are houses, glades with tables for rest where you can cook barbecues, and wooden walkways leading to various attractions. These are all paid services.

The path to Frog Rock outcrop goes along the Komissarovka River. In areas of spring flooding, callas bloom and bamboo grows. The outcrop is located on a hill, with a total elevation gain of about 300 meters. The road is quite challenging, usually taking from an hour to an hour and a half. The higher you climb, the more you can see: the sea, the mountain gorge, the road to Vestochka. In the same park is the Aikhor Waterfall, which is also a short climb away, but along a less well-maintained trail. You can plan a whole day to visit Vestochka and even spend the night, without returning to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Vestochka is three high-rise buildings on one side of the road and a cottage settlement on the other. It is part of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, though located 15 kilometers from the main part of the city. A taxi there costs about 1000 rubles and takes 40 minutes. About a kilometer after turning off the main road, the asphalt ends and a terribly dusty dirt road begins. If you’re lucky, you can catch a bus that runs three times a day.

What else to see on the island

40 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

The oldest city in the south of Sakhalin, founded by Nevelskoy’s expedition. Here you can find a huge number of monuments dedicated to sailors, naval battles, and ships. The most significant monument in the city in recent decades has become the stele dedicated to ‘Koreans interned by the Japanese in Sakhalin, who never returned to their homeland,’ located on Mount Sorrow, created through the efforts of three countries’ governments (Russia, Japan, and Korea).

In Korsakov, some Japanese heritage has been preserved: the former building of the Hokkaido Takushoku Bank, a colonial development bank (Sovetskaya Street, 3), trade warehouses in the port, a document storage facility ‘Bunsyoko’ (Krasnoflotskaya Street, 1), a couple of rusty fire hydrants, and remnants of Shinto temples in the form of pillars with hieroglyphs. One of the local nighttime entertainments is watching the lights of the gas processing plant.

How to get there. Three electric trains a day, the journey takes just over an hour, and the ticket costs 75 rubles (0.77 euros).

Bird and Giant Capes

90 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Two capes, recognized as natural monuments in 1990, along whose coasts are many wind and wave-carved grottoes, caves, arches, and columns of various sizes and whimsical shapes, among which colonies of sea birds reside.

The place is not very close, but it’s very picturesque at any time of the year. In the area of one of the rocks, there is a pool where, during the salmon spawning period, you can observe a fascinating spectacle — a huge gathering of pink salmon.

Many tourists stay on the coast overnight to witness the sunset and sunrise. Near Cape Giant, there is a toilet, parking, and a rest area with benches.

How to get there. The journey from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk goes through the village of Okhotskoe, where you can buy fresh crabs, and takes about three hours one way. The road is fully passable only by high vehicles like Mitsubishi Pajero, Suzuki Jimny, as the last ten kilometers of the route have deep puddles, potholes, small cliffs, and rivers.

Nevelsk and Steller Sea Lions

Nevelsk is nestled between mountains and sea. The rocky mountains and the coast, which consists of small stone needles and shells, in every way explain why Chekhov so often mentioned in ‘The Island of Sakhalin’ how harsh the land of Sakhalin is.

Steller sea lions are the largest of the eared seals. One of their habitats is the breakwater in Nevelsk. As soon as you arrive in the town, the smell from the Steller sea lions’ haul-out site hits you. ‘They eat there, live, give birth to their young – that’s why it smells,’ the locals explain. Another feature is the noise. Steller sea lions are very loud!

You can view the sea lions from the central square, where binoculars are installed. However, tourists usually hire a boat and approach the haul-out site to get a closer look at the seals. You can see how the Steller sea lions bark, lie in the sun, jump into the sea and, most interestingly, try to jump back. The views from the square through binoculars are not as detailed and impressive. A place on the boat will cost 1000–1500 rubles (10.28 – (15.42 euros). You can also buy a tour from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk for 3500 rubles (35.98 euros). The most animals are present in spring and early summer. In autumn, there may be a couple of dozen individuals left.

From the embankment, you can observe the huge kelp laminaria floating in the sea. Some travelers catch them themselves and eat them. Although dishes made from seaweed are found in cafes and also sold in stores. Signs are installed on the shore indicating where to run in case of a tsunami. The last major earthquake with waves was recorded in 2007. Many houses were destroyed and two people died. The most famous Sakhalin tsunami was the 1952 tragedy , when the aftermath of the earthquake almost completely destroyed Severo-Kurilsk.

How to get there. From the bus station (Karl Marx Street, 51b) in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, buses go to Nevelsk, the ticket costs 300 rubles (3.08 euros), and the journey takes about an hour. Tickets can be purchased at the bus station ticket office or from the driver (cash or transfer). It’s not possible to board the bus somewhere in the city, as the bus does not make stops. It’s better to buy a return ticket immediately upon arrival in Nevelsk at the Nevelsk bus station ticket office (Lenina Street, 1). The bus is popular with locals, and there may simply be no seats left.

Remnants of structures from the Karafuto period include the Maoka-Jinja temple with a Japanese-style garden and an abandoned railway built by the Japanese. It used to connect Kholmsk with Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Tourists usually come to see two photogenic bridges – Devil’s and Witch’s – and a tunnel in the mountain that makes a full circle inside it. The trail passes along the old rails, and there are many vipers, so one needs to watch their step.

How to get there. The bus to Kholmsk takes two hours, the ticket costs 450 rubles (4.63 euros), with 14 trips a day.

Slepikovsky Cape and Lighthouse

120 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

At Slepikovsky Cape, there is the only relic grove of Korean cedar on Sakhalin. Also located here is the functioning Slepikovsky Lighthouse, which is a 27-meter tall round tower, connected by corridors to utility and residential buildings.

The cape and lighthouse are named after the commander of the Russian partisan detachment Bronislav Grotto-Slepikovsky, who operated in Southern Sakhalin during the 1904–1905 war. The route to the lighthouse goes through the villages of Yablochnoe and Sadovniki, where some of the best beaches on Sakhalin are located — with the cleanest water and white sand.

How to get there. The cape is located 29 kilometers north of Kholmsk. From Kholmsk to the turn towards the lighthouse, there is asphalt with dirt sections. From the turn to the lighthouse, there is first a dirt road, then beach sand, which is recommended to be driven on with deflated tires. Visiting time is from spring to autumn, as the road to the cape is not cleared in winter.

110 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

In 1891, when the island had a penal colony, this was the Russian village of Siraroko, named after a nearby Ainu settlement. In 1905, the south of Sakhalin was given to the Japanese, and the village was renamed Higashi Shiraura. Here there were a railway station, a brick factory, and a coal mine. 40 years later, the settlement was renamed Vzmorye.

During the Japanese times, there was the Shinto shrine Higashi Shiraura Inari-Jinja. Only the torii gates remain — P-shaped gates without doors that are placed on the path to a Shinto shrine. These are the only torii on Sakhalin. On the torii, there is an inscription ‘In honor of the 2600th anniversary of the foundation of Great Japan’ — this mythological date was widely celebrated in 1940.

On the way to the torii, you can see the famous giant burdocks and bear’s garlic. Vzmorye is also known as a place where poached crabs are sold along the highway.

How to get there. Two electric trains and one train that start from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk stop in Vzmorye. Unfortunately, all three are in the evening. You can also get there on passing buses that go to the north of the island.

Tikhaya Bay

140 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

On one side, the bay is framed by Mount Smely, and on the other side, the majestic Zhdanko Ridge begins. To the left in the bay itself is an island-kekur, which can be reached during low tide, as well as the epic cliffs of Tikhaya Cape. By the way, behind this cape, there are waterfalls that become icefalls in winter. At the base of the bay is the mouth of the Tikhaya River, where during the season you can see the spawning of pink salmon and chum salmon. Bears are aware of this, so they are often encountered here.

How to get there. Buses going to Poronaysk stop in the village of Tikhoye, near which the bay is located. There are four trips a day.

Aniva Lighthouse

The lighthouse has a complex history: there were attempts to maintain it under Soviet rule, but Aniva was so remote from inhabited areas that it was not profitable. Eventually, the lighthouse was switched to autonomous mode, bringing in a radioactive isotope to sustain its operation, and then it was completely closed. To this day, you can find signs on the walls reading ‘Caution, radioactive’. But now this warning is outdated, as the radioactive isotope was removed when the lighthouse was decommissioned. The lighthouse is very beautiful, offering views of the island and sea, and inside you can explore the remnants of rooms and working areas.

On the return trip, tourists are also taken to Mramornaya Bay, where you can also climb a mountain and view the jagged coast of Sakhalin from above. Orcas and whales are often encountered in these areas, most frequently in summer. I would also recommend taking a combined tour in summer to Aniva Lighthouse, the Blue Lakes, and Busse Lagoon, where you can see the amazingly blue waters and try sea urchins.

A kilometer from Novikov is Cape Tri Kamnya (46.320342 143.373006), which can even be reached by car. Four kilometers from the cape is the small Strelka waterfall , which requires a walk. If you stay in the village overnight, you can take a hike to the Blue (turquoise) Lakes (46.359603, 143.471909). On the way, there’s an abandoned Japanese power station. You can extend your route by another 15 kilometers and reach the opposite shore of the peninsula – to Cape Evstafiya. The road from Novikov to Cape Evstafyeva through the Blue Lakes can be driven in a jeep, if there hasn’t been prolonged rain before. But it’s better to ask in advance those who have recently been there, and get the phone number of a local tractor driver in Novikov, so that if something happens, he can pull you out.

How to get there. Getting there independently is almost impossible. The lighthouse is located on a rocky outcrop in the sea, and the nearest land is a high cliff. However, some people do reach Novikovo (the nearest village) by bus or car, and then walk 44 kilometers on foot to Aniva (the name of both the lighthouse and the bay). It takes about one and a half hours to drive from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Novikovo. And then another two hours of rough dirt road to the boat dock. A tour from the company ‘Friends-Hikers’ costs 6000 rubles (61.68 euros) in May (in summer – 7000 rubles (71.96 euros)).

Klokovsky Waterfall

190 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Klokovsky Waterfall is one of the highest waterfalls on Sakhalin Island. Its height is variously reported to be 48–49 meters, with a width of up to nine meters. The waterfall is accessible year-round, but is most full in late spring and early summer.

Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky

The ‘Tri Brata’ (Three Brothers) rocks are definitely a symbol of Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, and perhaps of the entire island. They are located in the Alexandrovsk Gulf almost opposite Cape Zhonkiyor. From the cape, there is a stunning view of the vast Tatar Strait and the Three Brothers. At low tide, it’s possible to calmly explore all the attractions of the gulf, collect seaweed and shells, see hermit crabs scuttling along the seabed with their shells on their backs, or watch the leaves of laminaria sway. At the strongest low tide, you can even walk to the Three Brothers through the water.

In the 19th century, convicts carved a 90-meter tunnel through Cape Zhonkiyor to service the lighthouse. To reach the tunnel by land, you need to come at low tide. Otherwise, you’ll have to climb the rocks. The tunnel is lined with logs, but there is almost always water at the bottom and a strong wind howls through it. If you pass through the tunnel, you will see the ‘Tri Sestry’ (Three Sisters) rocks and an old lighthouse from the end of the 19th century. All these places are described by Chekhov in ‘The Island of Sakhalin’: ‘Most often we went to the lighthouse, which stands high above the valley, on Cape Zhonkiyor. During the day, the lighthouse, if looked at from below, is a modest white house with a mast and lantern, but at night it shines brightly in the darkness, and then it seems that the penal colony looks at the world with its red eye. The road to the house climbs steeply, winding around the mountain, past old larches and firs. The higher you climb, the freer you breathe; the sea spreads before your eyes, thoughts gradually come, having nothing to do with the prison, the penal colony, or the exile settlement, and only then do you realize how dull and difficult life is down below.’

How to get there. From Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, there is one bus trip per day – at 12:10. The ticket costs 2200 rubles (22.62 euros), and the journey takes nine hours.

600 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

The main transit point on the way to the oil refineries. The village might be of interest to those curious to see a harsh northern town living off production: low-rise buildings made of siding and unexpectedly bright murals on the walls of five-story buildings. There is a local history museum in the village (Sovetskaya Street, 3) – it is praised for its excellent exhibition of the Nivkh culture and a monument to Nevelskoy. Also, one of the longest rivers of Sakhalin, the Tym (which translates from Nivkh as ‘spawning river’), flows through the town.

How to get there. A night train goes to Nogliki every day, taking almost 12 hours. The cheapest ticket in a seated carriage costs 1100 rubles (11.31 euros), a compartment – 4100 (42.15 euros). There is even a luxury (SV) carriage for 12600 rubles (129.53 euros).

Where to Stay

Hostels in the Far East are divided into work and tourist types. The former will also accommodate tourists, but the atmosphere there is like a dormitory where their own rules are already established, and you may feel like an uninvited guest. To avoid such a hostel, it’s important to carefully read the reviews, not book the cheapest hostels, not stay on the outskirts or near airports and train stations.

In the Islander hostel , mainly travelers stay, it’s very cozy, with convenient kitchen and showers with toilets. A double room costs 3000 rubles per day, and dorms – from 900 rubles (9.25 euros) per night. If you book directly through the website and for a long term, you can get a good discount.

The ‘Moneron’ hotel is located near the railway and bus stations. It’s a classic budget hotel with small clean rooms. The ‘comfort’ class rooms have a bath, and the hotel provides a complete set with slippers, towels, and a hairdryer. Prices start from 2800 rubles (28.79 euros) per night for a single economy room, while ‘comfort’ costs 4900 rubles (50.37 euros). Breakfast is included in the price.

The ‘Belka’ hotel building is made using Finnish technology in a wooden style from milled timber. The cost of large rooms with wooden walls and huge beds starts from 5800 rubles (59.63 euros). Breakfast is also included in the price. The hotel complex includes a sauna, spa, tavern, and gym.

Near Bussé Bay is the island’s only dome-shaped glamping site. A night for two costs 8000-10,000 rubles (82.24 – 102.80 euros). An extra bed is 2000 (20.56 euros). Each dome has a shower, toilet, and electricity. On cooler days, you can light the stove and sit by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa.

In other towns, apart from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the choice of hotels is quite modest and usually limited to one or two hotels, which cannot always be booked online. They have to be found on the map and booked by phone.

Transport on the Island

Car. If you’re only traveling between cities, there won’t be any problems – the roads between them are mostly paved, and the dirt roads are of more or less good quality. It gets more complicated with natural attractions. Almost all of them are accessed by dirt roads, which not every car can navigate.

In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, ‘Yandex.Taxi’ and ‘Maxim’ operate (also in Korsakov and Kholmsk). A trip within the city limits will cost a maximum of 300 rubles (3.08 euros).

Railway. From Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, about 30 electric trains depart daily. Most of them go to nearby areas like Dalnyaya, Khristoforovka, and Novoaleksandrovka stations – 8–23 minutes travel time.

To other cities, there’s only one electric train per day. It takes an hour to Korsakov and the ticket costs 80 rubles (0.82 euro). To Tomari, it’s four hours and 300 rubles (3.08 euros). To Poronaysk, it’s five hours of travel and 500 rubles (5.14 euros) for a ticket. Long-distance electric trains depart in the evening, as these routes are used by residents of the province who return from work in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to their homes.

There is also one train on the island – Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Nogliki, 12 hours of travel and 1100 rubles (11.31 euros) for a ticket in a sitting carriage.

Buses. It seems you can reach even the most remote settlements by bus. Often there’s only one trip per day, but at least it exists. To Kholmsk, Nevelsk, and Korsakov, the journey takes about an hour and a half, with tickets costing around 300 rubles (3.08 euros); to Poronaysk and Uglegorsk, it’s four to five hours and 1200 rubles (12.34 euros) for a ticket. You can check the current schedule on avtovokzaly.ru . But it’s always better to double-check by phone: +7 (4242) 72-25-53. The address of the bus station is Karl Marx Street, 51b.

Airplane. Sakhalin has a quite extensive network of airports, and you can fly from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Okha, Zonalnoye, Shakhtyorsk, Poronaysk, Smirnykh, Yuzhno-Kurilsk, and Iturup. Flights are operated by the Far Eastern airlines ‘Aurora’ and ‘Taiga’ . These routes are served by small propeller planes Bombardier and Mi-8 helicopters. Such a flight is an interesting experience in itself. Moreover, some flights are quite inexpensive. For example, to Zonalnoye, Shakhtyorsk, and Poronaysk, tickets cost 2000–3000 rubles (20.56 – 30.84 euros) one way. To Okha and the Kurils – from 6000 rubles (61.68 euros).

Ferry. From Korsakov, ferries run to different settlements in the Kurils every three to four days. The ferry to Kurilsk takes about 22 hours, to Yuzhno-Kurilsk – 22–30 hours, and to Malokurilskoye – about 40 hours. Interestingly, a ticket to any of these settlements costs from 2800 rubles (28.79 euros), available on the website of the ferry company.

How to get there

By plain. To travel to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from Europe, passengers typically fly through major transit hubs. Common routes involve flying from a European city to one of the major Russian airports offering direct flights to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, such as Moscow’s Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo airports. In 2023 it is only possible to fly to Moscow from major transit hubs such as Istanbul or Erevan. From there, travelers can catch one of the direct flights to the island. Some routes might also include stops or transfers in other large cities in Russia or Asia, depending on the airline and the flight itinerary, for instance, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Chita, Blagoveshchensk, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Sovetskaya Gavan, and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. There is even one international flight from Harbin, China.

In good weather, on approach to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, you can see the Tatar Strait, the Western Ridge, and the city itself. The airport is located within the city limits, and from there, you can easily reach any point by public transport (buses 63 and 3) or taxi.

Ferry. Vanino (Khabarovsk Krai) to Kholmsk (Sakhalin) . Passenger tickets for the ferry are sold at the Vanino railway station or at the ticket office in Kholmsk (Lenin Square, 5). They can also be reserved by phone: +7 (42137) 74088 (Vanino), +7 (42433) 50880 (Kholmsk). The ferries run daily, with a journey time of 18–20 hours. A seat costs 650 rubles (6.68 euros), while the cheapest cabin spot is 1400 rubles (14.39 euros). There is a dining room on board.

I was on the island in early May, and this has its pros and cons. On one hand, it’s already not very cold in Sakhalin at this time, and you can walk around in a light jacket or sweatshirt, and sometimes even just in a T-shirt. At the end of spring, you can catch the largest number of Steller sea lions in Nevelsk (closer to summer they migrate towards Avacha Bay). Also at this time, you can see the forest awakening: streams penetrate it from all sides, in their floodplains swamp callas bloom, meadows fill with primroses, and the hills are covered with bright green bamboo shoots. On the other hand, there is still snow in the mountains, in which you can get stuck while climbing, and the sea, which is not very warm in these areas, is completely unsuitable for swimming.

In summer, Sakhalin is not very hot, the coast blooms with wild roses, the sea warms up a bit, and there is less chance of bad weather when visiting remote attractions. Also, it’s precisely at this time you can see orcas (June – July) and whales (July – August), as well as the salmon spawning.

In winter, snowboarders and skiers come to Sakhalin. The mountains on the island are not high, so they are suitable even for beginners.

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