TWO NATURE RESERVES - The Far Eastern Marine Reserve & Kedrovaya (Cedar) Pad Reserve

This tour will familiarize you with the unique places of Primorye! The southernmost island of Russia - Furugelm island, boat ride with scenic views, birdy spots, the unusual Sea of Japan, and of course Kedrovaya Pad Reserve - the oldest reserve in Russia, where the rarest cat in the world, leopard, lives. This is the part of the highlights that you will see during this tour. Adventures in the wild nature are waiting for you! This is the main reason why you have to visit the Russian Far East!

PROGRAM:

Day 1
7:30 - departure from Vladivostok by bus. The road to the village Posyet of the Khasansky district, the very south of Russia (about 4 hours on the way).
Boarding a high-speed pleasure boat that will deliver you to the Zapadnaya (Western) bay to the Furugelm island, the southernmost island of Russia (about 1 hour on the way). Enjoy a two-hour walking tour of the island, accompanied by an employee of the reserve. Here you will see amazingly turquoise water and white sand beach, a birdy spots of black-tailed gulls, beautiful thickets of island forest, hear the history of the development and protection of Russian land and visit the battery which took part in WWII. During the boat ride, you will have a chance to see Larga seals, which are not afraid of people and allow us to come pretty close.
There will be a picnic lunch on the seaside of the Sea of Japan. Time to have a rest with the epic view.
16:00 – with the guide, you will board the boat to return the Posyet village. Then transfer by bus to the Barabash village.
In the evening enjoy your dinner at the local cafe.
After dinner you will be transfered to the Kedrovaya Pad Reserve in Primorsky village (about 40 minutes on the way).
Accommodation in a guest house on the border of the reserve. Just imagine… beautiful forest, wooden house with woody smell. Comfortable rooms for 2-3 people with toilet, washbasin, and shower. Also, there is a small kitchen where you can warm tea or coffee. Here we will show you a movie about the oldest reserve “Kedrovaya Pad” and its rare cat - the Far Eastern leopard.

Day 2
Breakfast at the guest house.
You will start the walking tour to explore Kedrovaya Pad Reserve. Kedrovaya Pad is the oldest Russian Nature Reserve, established in 1925. This is the only reserve in the Primorsky Region in which the Far Eastern leopard constantly lives. And one of the features of the reserve is an excursion route laid along the habitats of this rare predator. Connoisseurs of ornithological eco-routes will also appreciate the reserve’s territory - the swampy plain separating the “Kedrovaya Pad” from the water area of the Amur
Bay is well suited for bird watching. Beautiful nature, interesting stories and a chance to make incredible photos and videos are waiting for you during this tour!

There are 2 options you can choose according to your physical condition:

• Option #1 – short tour for 1 km (lasts about 1.5 hours)
• Option #2 – full-day tour for 14 km (lasts about 8 hours) for those who want to explore surroundings of the reserve more detailed, to take pleasure in picturesque views and to hear a ton of interesting stories. You will ascend to the slope from where you can see the leopard’s den and have a chance to have sight of the leopard's scratches and other marks.

There will be a picnic lunch and time to relax and enjoy nature.
By the end of the excursion, you will depart to Vladivostok (about 3 hours on the way).

Need to know before you go:
- Necessary clothes: seasonal clothes according to the weather. Comfortable shoes. Pants that can be rolled up to the knee, as there are no piers in the Marine Reserve, maybe it will be necessary to land in the shallow sea. You can take a spare pair of shoes and pants. We recommend a good raincoat not only from the rain but also from the sea spray that strikes into a boat in windy weather. The weather at sea is changeable, be sure to bring a jacket, a warm hoody or a raincoat!
- The boat is a high-speed pleasure boat for a group of 6-10 people. The boat is not closed from the wind, it has only an awning from the sun. Always wear a life jacket on a boat! You need to be ready to get on and get off the boat without a ladder. It can be a problem for people with limited capabilities. The boat can swing in the sea - be ready for this too!
- Guesthouse in the reserve. Wood two-story house. The rooms are for 2-3 people. For your comfort, there is a kitchen (microwave, kettle, stove, refrigerator, sink, set of dishes) and bathroom (toilet, washbasin, shower, washing machine). Bed linens and towels are provided.