'''Sakhalin''' (_R_p___p_|_y_~), formerly known as '''Karafuto'''_@(____) to the Japanese, is a large and very sparsely populated island which was the center of a long power struggle between Russia/USSR and Japan for control of its large oil and gas resources. Sakhalin is beautiful, but has an undeveloped tourist sector. Because of the energy business, however, good food and hotels catering to foreigners are available. Yuzhno-Sakhalin, due to its large population of stranded Sakhalin Koreans, reputedly has very good Korean cuisine.
Cities
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk — the oblast's administrative capital and largest city
Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky — home to famous writer Anton Chekhov during his stay in Sakhalin
Kholmsk — Sakhalin's western port
Korsakov — Sakhalin's southern port
Okha — northernmost town of Sakhalin Island and booming oil hub
Understand
Sakhalin has been inhabited by several indigenous tribes since the stone age, The Ainu people, also present on Hokkaido in Japan populated the southern half of the island, and while a small group of Sakhalin Ainu is still present on the island, most were repatriated to Japan after the end of WWII. Sakhalin has long been the scene of a power struggle between the major asian powers Russia, Japan and even the Chinese Qing Empire have put forward claims on the island. In the 17th century both Japan and Russia started colonizing the island, from different ends, dividing the island into a northern Russian part and a southern Japanese part, and apart from a 25 year period at the end of the 19th century, the island remained divided until the waning days of WWII, when soviet troops broke through the defensive line, and invaded the Japanese half. After the end of the war, the Japanese and Ainu people were forcefully repatriated to Japan, while a sizeable Korean minority - brought by the Japanese into forced labour camps, remained on the island and were denied repatriation until the last years of Soviet rule, many still remain on Sakhalin.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Sakhalin has experienced an oil boom with Russian and foreign oil companies pouring into the island, bringing with it much needed investment in the islands infrastructure. This comes with a price though, as pipelines and logging pose a significant threat to the island's spectacular nature. There have also been complaints that the many oil dollars pouring in, aren't benefiting the island's population.
Talk
As elsewhere in Russia, Russian is the predominant language, but there are also an estimated 30,000 Koreans, although many do not speak Korean, mostly centered on the island capital, which also hosts a sizable minority of Azerbaijanis - especially it seems - among taxi drivers. Due to the proximity to Japan, you may also find staff on upmarket hotels and restaurants in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, with at least some understanding of Japanese.
Get in
For visa requirements, see Russia
While Stalin attempted to construct a tunnel under the Tartar strait with forced labour from the Gulags in eastern Siberia, construction was abandoned after a few kilometres had been completed, and while there is intent to finish the project, no money is forthcoming and for now the only options are to sail or fly.
By boat
There are several ferry routes connecting the mainland with Sakhalin, but unless you posses time, patience, and Russian skills in abundance, your choice is pretty much limited to the daily ferry service between Vanino on the mainland, and Kholmsk on the islands western coast. Vanino is linked with the rest of the Russian railway network by a daily service to Vladivostok, with stops in Komsomolsk and Khabarovsk en route. In the summer months another option is a Japanese operated ferry service linking Korsakov on the shore of Aniva bay at the southern tip of the island with Wakkanai on the northern tip of Hokkaido.
By plane
The booming oil industry has ensured an unusual abundance of options to reach a destination as remote, and sparsely populated, as Sakhalin. The airport in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk has connections not only to major cities in the Russian Far East, but also flights to Japan, Korea and China several times per week. If you are dubious about flying with a Russian airline, the only option is the weekly Asiana flight from Seoul, South Korea or the Vladivostok Air charter flight from Tokyo.
Get around
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is the main hub for all means of transportation. local and regional buses, charter minibuses, as well as Trains, all depart from the Station in the city center,
By plane
'''SAT Airlines''' (Sakhalinskie Aviatrassy) [http://satairlines.ru] the island's native carrier, operates flights between its main hub in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and the oil hubs Okha and Nogilki on the northern part of the island.
By train
Sakhalin has an extensive railway network, a lot of it build by the Japanese. Services are scattered and infrequent though, but a daily train (#001 & #002) connecting Nogilky and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is still the main mode of transport between the south and north part of the island. While there is a railway line between Kholmsk and Yuzhno Sakhalinsk it's in a sorry state, and does not see any traffic. Railway enthusiasts wanting to continue their journey by railway after disembarking the ferry, needs to catch a once or twice daily connection to Tomari (#1611) 80 kilometres to the north, and take another once daily train (#123) from there to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk or Korsakov, but unless you are really dedicated railway buff, this huge detour is probably not worth the effort. This situation could improve in the future though, as a 1 billion ruble refurbishment plan of the main lines is in the works.
By bus
See
'''Lake Tunaycha''' (_O_x_u____ _S___~_p_z___p ''Ozero Tunaycha''). An easy escape from the gray concrete of the island capital, the Lake Tunaycha region is only 45 km south east of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. This string of shallow lakes, including the islands largest fresh water lake, runs along Sakhalin's western coast line, and is a favorite with bird watchers and outdoor enthusiasts alike, though, as is the case with most other sights on the island, you'll need to figure out transportation for yourselves (the nearest town is Okhotskoye), or enlist a tour agency.
'''Moneron island''' (_}___~_u_____~), known in Japanese as Kaibato (_C_n__). A small unpopulated island south west of Kholmsk, popular with divers, snorkellers, and bird watchers. It's Russia's first Marine park, owing its existence to an array of underwater reliefs and the warm Tsusimskoye current that ensues an abundance of underwater wildlife, even subtropical species, and some fantastic plants. Although poaching is an increasing problem for this natural environment, it's still well worth a visit, and often has 30-40 meters of visibility. Above the water the scenery is quite enchanting with dramatic rock formations, waterfalls, rocky canyons and alpine meadows. The island has numerous bird colonies and is breeding ground for sea lions. Access requires a chartered boat, which usually leaves from Nevelsk, 50 km south of Kholmsk. Sakhalin Diving in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk can help with arrangements to dive here.
'''Vaida Mountains'''. The Vaida mountain ridge is part of the heavy forested Smirnych nature reserve, roughly half way up the island, at what used to be the division between the Japanese and Russian Sakhalin (it's known in Japanese as Okada-yama (___c_R)), and a scene of heavy fighting. These days it's more peaceful although heavy foresting have taken its toll on the unprotected parts of the area. Its two peaks, though less than a kilometre tall is the highest in the area. While its uniqueness, in geological terms, stems from its 24 karst cavities, for the less geeky the real attraction is its spectacular caves, particularly the Vaida Cave have impressive stalactites, stalagmites and petroglyphs and various artefacts have been found in the caves. The scenery above ground is rather spectacular with many alpine plants and some pretty lakes dotted here and there for good measure. There is a daily train serving the station in ''Smirnych'', from where you will have to arrange your own wheels to the small village of ''Izvestkoviy'', and start your hike from there. Though if you plan to venture into the caves, which is probably why you would want to come here in the first place, you would want an organised tour providing a guide, and the necessary safety equipment.
'''Tyuleny island''' (''Seal island'') Takes it's name from the breeding grounds of the rare Northern Fur Seal, it's one of largest rookeries of fur seal and sea lions left in the world, and also many species of birds for the ornithologically inclined. There is a small Russian research station on the island, with blinds for observing the wildlife blinds. The island is located some 19 kilometres south of the Terpeniya peninsula's cape, in pretty rough sees. You'd either have to go with a rare tour, a charter a boat for yourself to visit here, your best bet to make your own arrangements are probably from the station town of Makarov.
Itineraries
Russia to Japan via Sakhalin - Sakhalin is connected to Hokkaido, Japan by a weekly ferry during the summer - this itinerary tells you how to get there.
Do
Sakhalin has plenty of stunning natural scenery to offer. However, transportation out in the wilderness of Sakhalin, requires patience, and a lot of careful and thoughtful planning. An easier alternative is shelling out the extra cost for enlisting the aid of a local tour operator.
'''Diving''' - Moneron island, close to the city of Kholmsk is a marine park that offers some unique diving, there is a dive shop in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk that can help with arrangements. Most other location and dive sites are restricted by politics, because of the vicinity and sometimes heated relation to Japan, the border guard needs to approve diving elsewhere, in practice ruling out this option.
'''Skiing''' - There is a alpine ski resort just east of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Gorny Vozdukh, which has seen some substantial upgrades lately.
'''Rafting''' - Bykovsky Rapids on the Krasnoarmeyka River, near the city of Bykov some 50 kilometers north of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk offers good class 4 or 5 rafting. There is no permanent facilities, so you need to go on a tour from the islands capital, where they bring rafts and safety equipment to the starting point with 4x4's. It's also possible to do rafting on the Lyotoga river - starting point is the small village of Pyatirechye, just 35 kilometers due west from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on the P-495 road, and tours usually end in Petropavlovskoye, a few kilometers before the river flows into the Aniva bay. Rafting season for most of the island, mainly runs from early May to late June, where the rivers are awash with melting snow from the mountains.
Eat
Drink
The ''Kolos'' brewery in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk makes some excellent beers, Particularly their ''Bir Rinzo'' and ''Pivzavod Sahalinskij'' are good, but in the newly acquired Russian tradition, they pump out 10 other brands from their hoses as well, and serve them on their own brewpub on the brewery grounds on Sakhalinskaya Street[http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/5430/?view=beerfly]. Interestingly Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is not the only city with it's own beer - almost every major tow on the island, despite their modest size, has a local brewery.
Stay safe
Get out
'''Kuril Islands''' — see what few travellers ever get to see, and catch a plane or the twice monthly ferry to Kunashir island, in the Kurils chain of islands, one of the world's most unique natural habitats, including flora and fauna native to Japan, but long lost in Japan's quest of industrialization.
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