Nina and Nikolay Stenins, hostel owners in Khandyga. With Bjoern Steinz, a German photographer on the right side.
Here is information about where to stay for night in Khandyga. There are three hotels, but I recommend to stay at Nina & Nikolay Stenins’ place.
Back to hotels. One is called Presidential Hotel (the official name is different, but that’s the way, how people call it). It is a few-storeyed concrete hotel, where the 2nd President of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Vyacheslav Shtyrov prefered to stay. As you know, he was born in Khandyga. Who can stay there? First of all, those ones, who were invited by the administration of the Tomponsky region and major locally-based companies. The second in the rating list is known as Vedomstvennaya (it is also people’s name). Usually it hosts people arrived to visit organizations in Khandyga. Actually it is a big appartment with three big bedrooms, shared kitchen, shared lounge, shared bathroom. To stay in Presidential and Vedomstvennaya costs not less 1500 rubles per night. The worst option is the third one called Hotel of Khandyga. It is a ready-to-sink two-storeyed wooden building with a dozen of shared rooms, one toilet and without kitchen and bath. It is cheap and used by guests arrived from nearest regions. If you decide to spend night in this hotel, please, keep your room closed with a locker. That may protect you from drunk neighbours :)
The best option, I think, is the Stenins’ place. A few years ago Nina and Nikolay Stenins decided to make a hotel out of their former appartment in a 2-storied wooden living building. They did it. They created the hotel “Angara.” (Address: 7 Okhlopkov Street, Apt 5, Khandyga; Nina’s contacts: mobile +79141007418, work +7-41153-41462, home +7-41153-41006, steninan@list.ru, Rate: 1000 rubles per night. 5-6 people accommodated. Booking might be done by phone or via emal.)
I regret I didn’t save the GPS coordinates of the hotel. What did we do to find them? We arrived in Khandyga and found ourselves immediately on the main street. Actually it is the only one. Stopped by the chain of relatively big stores and called Nina. Her husband, Nikolay, came to us and showed us direction. So you can do the same. After we had done with accommodation, Nikolay lead our driver to a garage, where a space was already reserved for us. We paid 300 rubles for one night parking.
Now its former apartment has a hostel look. 3 bedrooms (two big with two beds and one small with one bed, each room with a TV set), shared kitchen (with all required stuff like a fridge, a gas-stove, a microwave, a teakettle, even a thermos), bathroom (hot & cold water) and toilet. Plus they’ve got a room with a steam iron, a table, a fan, an armchair and an ash-tray. Hosts live in other apartment.
When my friends & I stayed at their place, we liked that it was pretty cosy. We felt that the so-called private hotel is kept by a family. Everything is clean, and their blankets are very warm and soft, the latter are good, when outdoor temperature is around minus 40 or 50 degree Centigrade :) Besides, I like Nina and Nikolay. They are very friendly and hospital. Oh, it’s hard to believe, but Nina can speak English.
Private hotel in Khandyga. A room I stayed in. By the way, it is the only room with the biggest TV set. It has two beds. There are also one-bed and two-bed rooms, but with a small TV.
It is a hall with a phone. When we entered, we occupied it with all our stuff. So in this pic you can see our clothes, boots, etc.
A kitchen with above-described items. We left a lot of unwashed plates and dishes. Nina said, We should not worry about it.
A room for ironing and smoking. Aaah, I should adjust a blanket on an armchair before taking a photograph.
To me, it’s hard to describe what it is. It is not homestay, because hosts live in other apartment. It is not a classical guest house, it’s based inside the living building. It is not Bed & Breakfast, cause breakfast is not served, but guests can cook whatever they want. Hostel? Maybe. Locals usually say a mini-hotel. It’s like a hotel, but small one :)
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