The formula for an ideal trip is extremely simple: today you buy a ticket and book a hotel, and tomorrow you fly in the chosen direction. Here it is, a journey without bureaucratic delays and visits to embassies. Fortunately, Russian citizens can visit more than 100 different countries and territories without a visa, or with a visa upon arrival at the airport, for tourism purposes, of course. But we will focus only on those that do not require a visa at all.
Indonesia
I returned peaceful, relaxed and different – this is how happy tourists describe the feeling of a trip to Indonesia. Indeed, the country strongly contrasts with the familiar reality of Europeans. Take the island of Bali, for example. While 88% of the state’s population professes Islam, Hinduism is firmly entrenched on the island. Eastern balance is felt in everything. Bali ranks first in the world for the variety and quality of SPA treatments.
The most popular resort area in Bali is called Nusa Dua. It is located 20 minutes from the international airport. Hotels located on this coast have a 4-5 star status.
The beach in Nusa Dua is of the highest quality: fine yellow sand and clean, clear ocean waters.
The Kuta area has rightfully earned the title of the youngest resort in Bali due to its large selection of budget accommodation. Good for those who love waves and wouldn’t mind enrolling in a surf school.
The disadvantages of holidaying in Bali include the ebb and flow of the tides, which do not allow swimming 24 hours a day. This natural phenomenon is least pronounced on the Jimbaran beach area. Tourists from all over the island come to the resort for magnificent views of the sunset, as well as to dine in one of the many fish restaurants in the fresh air.
If you need something exotic, and all the popular resorts of Bali have been explored, then you need to head for the resort areas of Lovina and Pemuteran. Firstly, here you can watch dolphins. Secondly, the beach is made of black volcanic sand and is washed by the sea, not the ocean. And most importantly, these resorts will give you the opportunity to feel the atmosphere of the island as it was a decade and a half ago.
Russian citizens can travel to Indonesia without a visa for 30 days. And when flying from Bali you need to pay an airport tax, which is $16-17.
Cuba
Rum, cigars, coffee and black coral jewelry are a must-have set of souvenirs from “The Islands are Free.” Flying to it from Moscow is nothing – about 12 hours on a direct flight. The “high” season in Cuba lasts from mid-November to early April. The average annual water temperature does not fall below + 24°С.
The number one resort in Cuba is Varadero. It really is as beautiful as they say: white sand, tropical plants, azure water merging with the blue sky. True, there are no attractions in Varadero, only the beach and the beach.
An hour’s drive from the paradise beach is the capital, Havana. Vintage cars from the 60s and 70s drive around the streets, and the Capitol was built in the center of the city, exactly like in Washington. In Old Havana, tourists are attracted by the Hotel Ambos Mundos, famous for the fact that Ernest Hemingway lived and worked here. It is better to come to Havana without an overnight stay because most hotels leave much to be desired: the rooms can be small and without windows.
Brazil
The jungle, golden beaches of Rio de Janeiro – all this, like a magnet, attracts millions of tourists from all over the world to the country. In addition, the beaches in the country are full of world famous names, the sea is warm and clear, and tourists invariably talk about Brazilian cuisine, as well as about Brazilian women, with aspiration. Another popular attraction for tourists is carnival.
In large cities, a traveler always has a choice: to stay for pennies in a shabby Soviet-style hostel, or expensively, but in a new private hotel of a good standard. The only drawback: the road to this beautiful country from Russia is long and expensive.
Georgia
Tourist Mecca of Georgia – Adjara. Both lovers of beach classics and adventure lovers will satisfy their hunger here. Batumi has a large selection of hotels and restaurants, free sun loungers on the beaches. And along the sea there is a seven-kilometer bike path. The beach is made of large pebbles, but rubber slippers will save the situation.
In the center of the capital of Adjara there is a tower with free chacha. But the locals advise going to the villages for proper Georgian vodka: “It’s real there. At 60 degrees.” Another obligatory point of the program, a ride on the funicular from the windows of which you can see both the new areas of Batumi and the sleeping areas.
30 minutes from Batumi there is a Botanical Garden, which has no analogues throughout the CIS. Taking a leisurely stroll through the park, you will eventually come out to the sea. By the way, free wi-fi is available for garden guests.
A two-hour drive from Batumi is the Mtirala National Park with several ecological paths in the mountains. One leads to a waterfall, the water of which is sweet like nectar, and the second to a mountain lake, swimming in which is very refreshing.
Montenegro
The country, also known as Montenegro, is small and even with a short vacation you can see all the cities and beaches. As a rule, they start from the capital and main tourist center of Montenegro – Budva. There is everything here: beaches, discos, restaurants and bars, casinos, sports grounds.
Two kilometers from Budva there is the unruly Ploce beach, made of concrete slabs on the edge of the cape. Due to the fact that there is no sand or pebbles, the sea is clean and deep. Water transparency reaches 30 meters.
Almost on the border with Albania is the Big Beach resort – it is one and a half dozen kilometers of gray volcanic sand. The place is ideal for relaxing with children. And due to the abundance of waves, the place is chosen by kite surfers.
Old Kotor, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is also a must-see. The city is located at the foot of a 300-meter hill, on the shore of a bay. Compared to Budva, it is very humid and stuffy here. The town is conducive to a relaxing holiday. Being one of the centers of navigation of the Adriatic Sea, Kotor welcomes yachts of all stripes.
Thailand
Thailand, where everything tourism is on stream, can hardly be called “exotic”. But the country has rightfully earned the status of a destination offering the best price/quality ratio for foreigners. Both for those who come to improve their health, and for extreme sports enthusiasts in the race for sex tours and round-the-clock parties.
A couple of years ago, the Thai authorities took care of the cleanliness of the beaches. All sunbeds and umbrellas were removed from them, and annoying sellers and fast food kiosks were cleared. Now Thai beaches look more like picture-perfect pictures from catalogues. The country’s two main resorts are Phuket and Pattaya. Both with vibrant nightlife and gastronomic diversity.
For the best diving and diving safaris, you need to go to the Similian Islands. There is an abundance of soft and hard corals, reef fish, as well as larger representatives of the underwater world: blue rays and whale sharks.
Israel
A country where you can always find someone to speak Russian with. Many Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians with Jewish roots migrated here, and they did it for good reason. Israel boasts access to two seas at once: the Red and the Mediterranean, historical heritage, quality service and warm winters.
If your soul asks for diving, then you need to go to Eilat, hire a coach and dive with a mask into the Red Sea. Tel Aviv, located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, will be remembered for excursions, rich nightlife and sociable people on the beach. For privacy and more affordable accommodation, you need to go to neighboring Netanya. By the way, this city has the largest number of Russian-speaking population.
A win-win option is a trip to the Dead Sea. This is an opportunity to undergo treatment in one of the medical centers, lie for 20 minutes on the waters of the saltiest sea in the world (longer is not possible). Each resort hotel has solariums, and the best of them have full-fledged SPA centers with heated water from the Dead Sea. Relaxation is guaranteed; for those who want to improve their health, doctors advise traveling for at least 14 days.
Uzbekistan
Gastronomic paradise for meat eaters and lovers of spices in different variations. In the north of the country they prefer pilaf, fried meat, dough products and flatbreads. The south is famous for its complex rice and vegetable dishes, as well as excellent desserts. Tea is the main drink of the country. Meals begin with it and end with it.
So close and yet not immediately understandable to our tourists, Uzbekistan is a treasure trove of architectural monuments and one of the centers of the legendary Silk Road. In the popular cities of Bukhara, Khiva and Termez you can touch and feel the real ancient East. Accommodation and food at reasonable prices. Dozens of direct flights from many Russian cities fly to Tashkent.
Morocco
Morocco is a country that enjoys comfortable weather all year round (more than 300 sunny days per year). It is rarely completely cloudy here. Wide sandy beaches make the country an ideal holiday destination for lovers of beautiful Instagram photos. Morocco is perhaps one of the few countries where you can still taste traditional Arabian exoticism without sacrificing comfort or risking your well-being.
A holiday in one of the traditional hammams in Marrakech will help you get a feel for the country. Shopping at the jewelry market at the Bab Smarin gate in Fez. And also a glass of authentic Moroccan tea in a coffee shop on Jemaa el Fna Square. Thalassotherapy, which Moroccans are experts in, will help you fully relax with every cell.
Dominican Republic
“Beach holidays at the highest level,” is how tourists characterize the Dominican Republic. The country is known for its clear sea and white sand beaches, located in lagoons sheltered from the ocean waves by coral reefs. While the Dominican Republic cannot boast of historical sights. There are only those here in the capital of Santo Domingo.
The most popular resort in the country is Punta Cana, where the water temperature does not drop below +26 degrees. The most spectacular entertainment is a trip to the dolphin reserve in Manati Park Bavaro.
The national drink of the Dominican Republic is rum; more than 15 varieties of it are produced here. The Dominican national cocktail is called “Mamajuana”. It is prepared from rum, red homemade wine, the bark of a special type of tree, honey and bush branches.
