... in response to Yalta, posted by Giraffe on Apr 3, 2005Hi Giraffe
I went to Yalta a couple of years ago. It's a great place to go in summer, and it is still a tourist resort for Russians and Ukrainians. The Crimea is very green, with a lot of vineyards and orchards, it has a Mediterranean feel to it. The most famous landmark is the Swallows Nest, a fake castle built on a cliff just down the coast from Yalta. I rented a small motor boat (with driver) for my girl and me, and we took the trip from the Yalta sea-front up to Swallows Nest, had a look around, and then back again. On the way, you can stop and poke the boat into some impressive caves set into the cliffs. It males a great day out and although I can't remember the cost, I'm sure it was under 50 dollars.
Be careful if you see someone "auctioning" goodies like camcorders etc, it's a scam where they invite passers by to bid for the item against each other, and the one who wins gets to take the camcorder or whatever, and a large chunk of the money as well. It's an obvious trick, but they try to convince westerners that they cannot lose, bidding against the less wealthy locals!
When you move back into Yalta from the seafront, you will see that the residential areas (apartment blocks) are very run-down and neglected. I stayed in the girls' apartment and she slept in her parent's apartment in the same block. As usual, the ex Soviet apartments are very small, basic, and the plumbing etc is temperamental. There is a high crime rate in Yalta, most visitors don't get to see it, but she was afraid to walk home at night, and there had recently been a rape in the area (poor lighting doesn't help.)
But there are also some grand old buildings, not least the Livadia Palace, the summer house of the Tsars where the Yalta Conference was signed by Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin, marking the start of the Cold War. You will be able to see it from the boat (yes, the boat trip is good value!)
I know of someone who is thinking of buying real estate there; in my opinion a mistake, as Yalta is already overpriced compared with places like Bulgaria which until now make more sense for Western investment.
Personally, like most people I flew into Simferopol from Kiev and then took a taxi to Yalta. There is a bus from Simferopol, cheaper but I don't know the frequency. Two important things here; first, be aware that in the winter season, airports like Simferopol often shut down due to fog, and flights get cancelled or delayed 24 hours or more. Second, be sure to double check your return flight from Simferopol some days ahead; I found that my return flight to Kiev was not operating on the date shown on the ticket, and I would have to travel next day, which would have meant missing my connection to UK. I had no choice but to take a taxi to Kiev (8 hours, 100 dollars; probably 200 dollars by now.) Leave yourself a safety margin between flights or be ready to do the same!!
Have a great trip.
