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There are three options. You can reach Lensk from Yakutsk:
1) by plane,
2) by taxi,
3) hitchhiking (mostly with truck drivers).

Read more…

Received questions from China. A traveller is thinking over the ways of getting to Yakutsk from Beijing.

I wanna know, whether there is the railway in Yakutsk. I know a place Berkakit railway station. What’s solutions from Beijing to Yakutsk?

A very natural request. Air travel from Beijing to Yakutsk, even via Novosibirsk (I wrote about this option a while ago), can be quite expensive.

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Walter Colebatch, the UK Sibirsky Extreme moto adventure project leader, returned to Yakutia from Baikal. He said good bye to his fellows Tony and Terry, who went back home to England. At that moment, he thought “I still harboured a burning ambition to get to the Arctic Circle in Asia… I just had enough time before the seasons changed to try one more time to get North from Udachny.”

As two months ago, he hit the same route Ust-Kut – Lensk – Mirny – Chernyshevsky – Morkoka – Aikhal – Udachny and finally reached the place just a few kilometers before the Arctic Circle, the place that had stopped him and Tony last time round.

“The river then had been full of water, and rain was falling,” wrote Walter. “Now it was colder, but the sky was half blue. I approached the marker on my GPS that indicated the limit of our travels last time and took a photo. Now it was all dry road. Just 100 metres ahead there was the River … One look told me the river was 3-4 metre wide and at least 1 metre deep. I walked the shallowest part … My arse got cold and wet. That wont work on the bike, especially considering the current as well.”

Further, please, find more of Walter’s travelogue plus the scanned maps of the Anabar Road. Read more…

Maybe, it’s a little bit late at this point. Navigation on the Lena River, that usually lasts from early June till late September, is coming to the end. However, I think the following info will appear to be useful in the future.

I found out two alternative ways of traveling the Lena River on parts Ust-Kut – Lensk and Olekminsk – Yakutsk. Read more…

Received two almost similar requests from German and Indian travelers. The first one asked about the best way of getting to Yakutsk from Seoul (South Korea). Another was curious about the flying route from Almaty (Kazakhstan).

The same issue I had already had with another international guests who eventually arrived to Yakutsk through Novosibirsk. And you know what? I would say that Novosibirsk is currently the best hub (intermediate center) when you plan your trip to so far away region as Yakutia. Yeah, that’s true. Locals even prefer to fly to Moscow via this Siberian city, though there are direct flights. Read more…

I have to say

“Clif, thank you very much for your writing and sharing the great report on the journey by the ship “Mechanic Koulibin” down the Lena River from Yakutsk to Tiksi. This is valuable information. I am glad I have friended with you!”

Clif Maberly arrived with his wife from Hong Kong, but they are Australians. I had been keeping contact with Clif before his coming. And you know what? That was him who asked me much about the waterway from Ust-Kut to Yakutsk and from Yakutsk to Tiski by the regular passenger boat.

So, enjoy his informative report written specially for AskYakutia.com. Read more…

Another request arrived from the USA was very specific. About the ways of travelling from Yakutsk to Tiksi in September 2009. Read more…

Received a message regarding this route from a UK backpacker, who wishes to travel the Road of Bones by a taxi. Here is what he wrote:

Firstly congratulations on your site! This is a truly amazing resource for visitors to Yakutia. Here we can obtain information that would otherwise be impossible to find!

Thanks! : ))

My question is regarding the long distance taxi services in Yakutia. You have given list of eastward destinations, including to Ust-Nera. I am aware that it is not in Yakutia, but do you know if it is possible to continue onward to Magadan? If so, how would you go about this, and do you have any idea of the cost? It will be in January or February. Yes, basically I’m looking to travel the Road of Bones!

And here is my reply: Read more…

Checked my mail archive and found out the answer to the question received from a globetrotter. He asked about the availability of flight from Magadan to Anadyr.

That inquiry regarded to Magadan Oblast! Not about Yakutia. But… I wasn’t surprised at all. I am writing much about the way to Magadan, so people thought, maybe, I knew anything related to the neighbor area. Well, I recommended him to get in touch with DVS Tour. Later he came back with the info. Here it is. Read more…

Received a big portion of questions from a UK-based TV documentary production company. A production executive wrote in his request:

I’m researching a history/travel series about women travellers, their journeys and achievements. One story I’ve been looking at is about [a Brit nurse] Kate Marsden who travelled on horse back to help the Lepers in the Sakha Republic [in 1890s]. The part of the journey I’d like to do is from Yakutsk to Vilyuisk. I can’t find out much information about this region today outside of Yakutsk and I hoped that you could… advise me on this trip, about the regions, what to see and do etc.

Read more…