The useful thing about Listvyanka as a first Baikal day is that it does not need to be inflated. Start with the first shoreline view after the drive from Irkutsk, give the route a clean shape, and the character of Lake Baikal near Irkutsk[...]
The notes I would give a first-time visitor are not complicated: begin with the wide spaces of Olympic Park before moving back to the sea, keep the route honest, and do not make Adler and the Sochi coast carry more stops than the day can hold.[...]
The useful version of Krasnaya Polyana in summer feels as if it has been tested in the street, not assembled from a list of sights. In the Sochi mountains, that means starting with the lift base after leaving the humid coast behind, then[...]
The useful thing about a Sviyazhsk Island day trip from Kazan is that it does not need to be inflated. Start with the approach to Sviyazhsk where river, monastery walls and island streets appear together, give the route a clean shape, and the[...]
The notes I would give a first-time visitor are not complicated: begin with the lanes between Lake Kaban, old wooden houses and family restaurants, keep the route honest, and do not make Kazan carry more stops than the day can hold. The best[...]