I am Kristina Krechina (@kriskrechina) – an avid traveler, and I have not lived in Russia for several years now, coming here very rarely. But in vain! After a trip to Sochi, which I went on without any expectations at all, I wanted, firstly, to return here again, and secondly, to travel more around the country. For some reason, before this, the image of Sochi in my head was not the most positive; it seemed like a post-Soviet resort with a bunch of people. But I saw the absolute opposite. I hope I was able to inspire my audience (and you!) to visit this city and its surroundings.
I was in Sochi for only two days and today I’ll tell you about the best places and moments of the trip.
Hotel «Radiant Resort»
Immediately upon arrival on Friday evening, I headed to my hotel. It is located not in Sochi itself, but in Loo. I recommend it if you are not planning a very active holiday, because traveling to Sochi can be a bit difficult. However, I have never regretted choosing such a remote location, and I can say that this is the most photogenic hotel I have stayed in in Russia. In the morning I immediately ran to the sea, took delicious coffee and even managed to do a little work by the infinity pool.
As part of the project “Cudablin” my audience chose not only the city, but also the task that I would perform on the trip. When I announced that I was going to Sochi, everyone immediately started offering bungee jumping, but this was not at all for me (but if you are for extreme sports, then it’s worth trying at least once). Therefore, out of four options – driving a Formula 1 car, visiting tea plantations, completing tasks from strangers and searching for ancient dolmens – the majority of subscribers voted for the most suitable for me: a visit to tea plantations. And I was incredibly happy about it.
Tea plantations in Matsesta
My goal was to see the green labyrinths in the sunset rays, but I didn’t calculate my path at all and arrived after sunset. To be honest, it turned out to be much better than expected! I paid 300 rubles* for the entrance, and in about three minutes I ran from the barrier to the plantations themselves. By the way, to get there from the center of Sochi, you need to get to Izmailovka. Along the way you will be treated to incredible views.
The tea plantations of Matsesta are the northernmost in the world. They occupy 170 hectares at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level. Words cannot describe how picturesque it is there, and photographs do not convey it. So now I advise everyone to visit this place and even have a picnic here to enjoy the beauty longer!
Boat trip on a yacht
The peculiarity of Sochi is that there are both mountains and the sea. On my last day, I chose the latter. The idea to go on a yacht came when I had a view of the seaport from the DOM restaurant (I recommend going up to the terrace with a panoramic view). There are a lot of barkers at the port, so just choose the one you like best. An hour’s walk on the sea costs 1,200 rubles* per person. I ended up in a small group – it was even more fun. I believe that this activity is a mandatory element of any tourist’s holiday on the Black Sea coast. It was very fascinating!
I am very grateful to OneTwoTrip, because this trip inspired me to travel around Russia more often!
*Prices valid at time of publication
