Anyone been to Yalta?...

[Frank O]

I hear it is a pretty nice place & the Oreanda Hotel (resort?) is very nice. Has anyone here been there? If so any feedback or advice regarding this place? How good are the beaches? I have a friend who said it sucked & smelled bad but others have said it's very nice.

[Philb]

... in response to Anyone been to Yalta?..., posted by Frank O on Apr 11, 2003

Just got back from Ukraine. Spent 4 days in Yalta.  The Oreanda and Yalta hotels have there own water heating system so they have hot water 24 hours a day.  The others do not and hot water is available from 5pm to 9am.  

I stayed at the hotel Crimea.  Good location but old and a bit worn.  The rooms were cheap, clean, and comfortable.

I took the train to Simferopol (spent the night there) and a taxi from there to Yalta.  Taxi costs 70 gryvna in off season and 100 and up during the summer.  There are also regular buses and a trolley bus (longest in the world) which make frequent trips.  The buses cost about 20 and the trolley bush is even cheaper.

If you go the taxi route negotiate the price to your hotel (don't just say Yalta) otherwise they will try to drop you off at the bus station or ask you for another 10 gryvna to take you to the hotel.

All of the restaurants I ate at in Yalta have menues in English.  The Georgian and Uzbek restaurants are quite good.  They are just of the beach  in between the Oreanda and the town center.  If you go to the Georgian Cafe be sure to drink the Borjomi mineral water (with gas).  Rumor says that communist party notables used to bathe in it back in the bad old days.  Stuff costs more then most beers.

[Streetwise]

... in response to Anyone been to Yalta?..., posted by Frank O on Apr 11, 2003

I went there a couple of years ago to meet a girl with whom I'd been corresponding. I recall that around the centre it was very green and leafy, with nice old buildings. But I stayed in her apartment (which she vacated to stay in her parents' apartment downstairs,) and like all the apartment blocks, which are set back on the outskirts, it was pretty scruffy and run-down. The surrounding area outside the city is beautiful, with many vineyards. We took a boat (with driver) for a short trip up the coast to the Swallows Nest. It was a bit of a tub but the crew (a guy and a girl) were very friendly and showed us some great caves en route. One word of warning... beware of con artists; they have all kinds of tricks to persuade westerners to part with money and Yalta is a happy hunting ground for them! Just keep walking!

[T P Cornholio]

... in response to Anyone been to Yalta?..., posted by Frank O on Apr 11, 2003

When we stayed at the Oreanda, it was $89/night with a balcony overlooking the sea during the high season.  Even at that time, the Oreanda was better and cheaper than the Chernoye More in Odessa at $125/night.  After rennovation of the Oreanda, rooms are now priced out-of-sight during the high season.  I've read where the Yalta is about to go through rennovation, and prices will certainly go up accordingly afterwards.  Probably wouldn't want to stay there once they start rennovating.  The Vremena Goda Hotel is located in downtown Yalta and is more reasonably priced (for a hotel), I think it used to be a sanitori, but I've never seen it.

The beaches along the beachwalk are all rocky (generally smooth rocks ~1-2" diameter), and you need to wear flip-flops or some type of shoe, but laying on the beach is not bad and we didn't have any problems swimming.  It is interesting to see all the broken glass that has been worn smooth, and looks like colorful rocks (or gems!).  During the summer, ferries are available for day trips to various tourist sites along the coast.

We may go again summer '04, but I'm not sure where we will stay then (no real plans as yet).

[Frank O]

... in response to Some years ago..., posted by T P Cornholio on Apr 12, 2003

NT

[Dan]

... in response to Anyone been to Yalta?..., posted by Frank O on Apr 11, 2003

Yalta itself is just OK (IMHO). Hotel Oreanda is, indeed, quite nice. Just for the experience, Olya and I stayed at Hotel Yalta - a huge Soviet era hotel and built as a response to the resorts in the West. It is not as nice as Oreanda, but certainly passable.

While Yalta was not our favorite part of Crimea, it does offer a nice 'stepping-off' point to see the sights of Crimea. And those sights are magnificent.

I particularly like Chershonnes museum in Sevastopol. In fact, I liked Sevastopol, as a city, far more than Yalta.

For some great photos and ideas for places to visit, check out this website -- www.aroundcrimea.com. It is run by a friend of mine, Eugene, and he has helped numerous Western guys during their visit to Crimea.

Enjoy!

- Dan

[John K]

... in response to Anyone been to Yalta?..., posted by Frank O on Apr 11, 2003

Last time I was in Sevastopol, we took a scenic road trip along the Crimean peninsula.  We got to visit Yalta and take a walk along the sea.  It was pretty nice and busy, as it was tourist season.  The sidewalk is above the seashore a few feet and there are periodic sets of stairs that take you down to the beaches.

One thing I really enjoyed was the wine tasting.  There's a wine shop along the seaside sidewalk that lets you sample 10 different wines, for a small fee.  They talk about the individual wine's history and where the wines are traditionally used.  My personal favorite was the Tsar's wine.

As far as the city goes, I didn't see too much of it.  Marina tells me that the streets are poorly laid out and can be extremely narrow in between houses.  When I popped the idea on her to visit there for a day or two, she wasn't thrilled about it.  She seems to think her own hometown is better.  But then again, ask any Russian woman where the most beautiful women come from and it will always be from their own city...  :-)

[CS767]

... in response to Anyone been to Yalta?..., posted by Frank O on Apr 11, 2003

No, but I will be there next week.My agent has me setup with a real nice apt for three days @ $45/nite.Which was a discount
from the $65 or so as advertised.Thanks to all of you that posted things of interest.I will keep a journal and try to do a trip report when I return.cs

[Zoidberg]

... in response to Re: Anyone been to Yalta?..., posted by CS767 on Apr 12, 2003

n/t

[wsbill]

... in response to Anyone been to Yalta?..., posted by Frank O on Apr 11, 2003

Before, they went to meet their Uncle Joe.

[Alfred]

... in response to Anyone been to Yalta?..., posted by Frank O on Apr 11, 2003

[This message has been edited by Alfred]

I've been to Yalta  Simiez is nice too. The Oreanda Hotel has quite a reputation, but I have no first hand experience with it.

[Cold Warrior]

... in response to Re: Anyone been to Yalta?..., posted by Alfred on Apr 12, 2003

Did you see the Livadia Palace where Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt held the famous Yalta conference?

[John F]

... in response to Yalta conference, posted by Cold Warrior on Apr 12, 2003

Interesting ....

The first floor is dedicated to the conference.  The second floor is dedicated to the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas Romanov.  Although the first floor is roped off from the public it is still used for important conferences.

[Alfred]

... in response to Yalta conference, posted by Cold Warrior on Apr 12, 2003

Yes, I saw Livadia Palace and the Gardens.  I saw several Palaces and gardens as these really interested my companion.

[Zoidberg]

... in response to Anyone been to Yalta?..., posted by Frank O on Apr 11, 2003

I'll be near in Simeiz with my scammer girl Sveta in May! If you can wait till then I am sure we will go to Yalta atleast one day.

Z.