Follow Vietnamese tourists to "hunt" for golden autumn moments in Russia

Spending about 60 million VND for a 19-day trip, Ninh and his companions traveled independently through the cities of the Golden Ring to welcome autumn in Russia.

Do An Ninh, a Korean teacher living in Hanoi, and his companion chose October to make a 19-day trip to explore Russia, to fully enjoy the famous autumn of the birch country. Although it was their first time in Russia, they both planned and scheduled their own travel without using any tour services.

"The trip has been cherished for a long time after many delays," Ninh said, adding that he and his friends rented a car to explore the cities of the "Golden Ring" around Moscow such as Sergiev Posad, Rostov Velikiy, Suzdal and the town of Plyos on the Volga River (photo). The Golden Ring is the name of the cluster of ancient cities around Moscow, considered the cradle of Russian culture and religion, famous for its onion-domed churches, ancient monasteries, fortresses and traditional wooden architecture that are almost completely preserved.

Ninh said Plyos left an impression because of its peacefulness. The small town with cobblestone streets, wooden roofs and picturesque scenery. Plyos was also the inspiration for famous landscape paintings by artist Isaac Levitan.

Ninh said that the temperature in Russia's autumn from mid-October is only 5-10 degrees Celsius, the weather is humid and cloudy.

"When the sun appears, every scene seems to light up, so beautiful it's hard to believe it's real," the male tourist shared.

Yellow leaves cover the city of Pushkin, Saint Petersburg.

Ninh said the total cost of the 19-day trip to Russia was about 60 million VND per person, including all airfare, accommodation, transportation, food and sightseeing.

Some fixed expenses include evisa application fee of 1.5 million VND, Air China air ticket transiting in Beijing of 12 million VND round trip, domestic air ticket Moscow - Murmansk and Murmansk - Saint Petersburg of 7 million VND, train ticket Saint Petersburg - Moscow of 1 million VND, car rental cost for 6 days of 3.5 million VND and accommodation of about 9 million VND.

Catherine Palace grounds, Saint Petersburg in autumn.

According to Ninh, traveling to Russia is safe, even though the country is in a state of war. "Everything is still going on normally, the streets are clean, and walking around at night doesn't feel unsafe," Ninh said.

Catherine Palace, located in the town of Pushkin, about 25 km from the center of Saint Petersburg. The palace is notable for its brilliant green and gold Baroque architecture and the famous Amber Room. Ninh said that you should spend at least half a day visiting, especially in the fall when the garden is covered in a beautiful golden color.

Another autumn foliage spot in Saint Petersburg is St. Isaac's Cathedral, a religious structure that impresses with its gilded domes and marble interior.

To make travel easier, Ninh combined multiple means of transportation during the trip, including the subway and Yandex taxis in the city, self-driving cars when traveling to the suburbs, and trains and domestic flights between long-distance routes.

Public transport in Russia is convenient and suitable for people who like to travel independently," commented a male tourist.

"Real-life autumn painting" in the park near the Summer Palace, Saint Petersburg, in 7-10 degrees Celsius weather.

Ninh said that payment issues should also be noted when traveling to Russia at this time. International payment cards are blocked, so tourists should bring new cash to exchange and open a Yoomoney domestic card at the airport for use.

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, an iconic landmark in Saint Petersburg. The church impresses with its five-colored domes and ornate facade. The church is also associated with the story of Tsar Alexander II - a great but ill-fated monarch.

Autumn sunset scene next to the Church of the Blood.

Aurora in Murmansk, the highlight of Ninh's 19-day journey to "hunt" autumn in Russia. Located on the Kola Bay - an area of ​​the Barents Sea, Murmansk is an important naval base and seaport of Russia.

Murmansk is one of the few places in Russia where you can see the Northern Lights. On clear nights, the sky over the city is lit up with a magical blue-violet light that curves through the air. This amazing natural phenomenon usually occurs from September to March, attracting tourists from all over to experience the feeling of standing in the middle of the bright northern sky.

Suzdal countryside in autumn in October. Suzdal is a highlight of the Golden Ring region, with the peaceful beauty of the old Russian countryside.

In the autumn weather, Suzdal is quiet with traditional wooden houses and church bells echoing in the countryside.

For Ninh, the days in the Russian countryside were the most unforgettable experience of the journey. "Everything was slow and peaceful, as if time had stopped, that's the beauty that makes me most nostalgic about Russia," Ninh said.

He said the difficulty in the trip was the complicated procedure of getting a domestic SIM card, requiring notarized documents and biometrics, which could take up to a week to activate. Tourist SIM cards bought in Vietnam often do not work.

Ninh has prepared a few domestic Beeline SIM cards that do not require biometrics to book taxis and access the Internet. According to him, tourists can buy SIM cards from carriers such as MTS or Beeline, which cost about 3,000 rubles (about 800,000 VND), with unlimited phone numbers and data, but cannot make calls or send messages. Another way is to register for data roaming from Vietnam.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/theo-chan-khach-viet-san-khoanh-khac-thu-vang-nuoc-nga-post298882.html