"Sakhalin Island" Sakhalin by wild_julia

Sakhalin Travel Guide: 11 reviews and 17 photos

Sakhalin North

I went to Sakhalin Island in March 2005 with my boyfriend. We both work for the same company in oil and gas industry. I must say I was really nervous to go there mostly because of the weather. It gets very cold there, something like -40C

We took a plane from Moscow to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (sort of like the capital of Sakhalin Island) and in 8.5 hours we were there. Flying there was quite an experience. Nothing against Transaero, but they should really watch for people smoking in the toilets on the plane. The fire alarm was going off every 5 minutes and it was very annoying. The airport was the smallest I've ever seen. You had to walk on the runway to get to the terminal and then wait outside in the freezing cold for your bags.

In the evening we took an overnight train from Yuzhno to Nogliki, which is the last train station in the north. Nogliki is a smalll village/town with absolutely nothing to see. Most people living there work on Sakhalin 1 project which is where we worked with my boyfriend.

I must say that Sakhalin is a very beautiful place. The nature there is just amazing especially in May and June (before mosquitos wake up). You can see foxes running around, big eagles flying above you (orlans) and even bears. You can pick up cloudberries ("moroshka") by the sea side and walk on a real iceberg by the beach.
Take a look at the pictures : )

Nogliki

Nogliki - the last train station in the north of Sakhalin. Small, but beautiful in winter.

Sakhalin 1 project - sea side

Sea side

Sea side just next to the Sakhalin 1 plant. You can actually take a walk from the camp to the site, it's about 30 minutes. There's a fence there now, so I don't think you can do that now.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Beautiful, wild life is amazing
Cons:Freaking cold!!!
In a nutshell:Cold, but beautiful

Last visit to Sakhalin: May 2005
Intro Updated Sep 12, 2005
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Reviews (3)

Warm clothes What to Pack (1)

Bring a lot of warm clothes. Gloves and a warm hat is a must. In May it's starts getting warmer, but you'd still have... more travel advice

Nogliki express Transportation (2)

If you're going to Sakhalin 1 project you'll have to take the train from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. It usually leaves in the... more travel advice

Transaero flight from Moscow Transportation (2)

If you're flying from Moscow you'll most likely fly Transaero or Domodedovo Airlines. I enjoyed the flight with... more travel advice

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Comments (7)

MikeStarr5 Nov 28, 2007 at 7:36 PM Report Abuse

Happy Birthday from Mike and Shelley in sunny "Barking Town" - - Woof, Woof ! - Have a great day !
matcrazy1 Jan 12, 2007 at 6:54 PM Report Abuse

Interesting reading and beautiful photographs, including the one of a fox :-)
CliffClaven Dec 15, 2006 at 7:38 AM Report Abuse

No wonder Yul Brynner left.....
Pablos_new Sep 10, 2006 at 10:46 PM Report Abuse

Fantastic photos, Julia! Go on...
azzulejo Sep 9, 2006 at 9:01 PM Report Abuse

Julia.. Thanks for the pictures and for giving us all an idea of what Sakhalin looks like.
KidRock Nov 19, 2005 at 2:12 AM Report Abuse

Very beautiful Island photo...nice job!!!
hassan_abu Sep 12, 2005 at 11:38 PM Report Abuse

Wow.. I did not know Sakhalin was beautiful. We did some projects for that island, but I have never been there before. Hope to see more pics. Cheers, Abu