Travel To Tuva
Posted June 21, 2008
Friends of Tuva is occasionally asked for details on how to
travel to Tuva. Unfortunately we do not always have up-to-date information
about flights to Tuva. As of June 21, this is what we have been told by
recent travellers.
Most travellers seem to still fly to Abakan and travel the final
421 kilometres to Kyzyl by land.
People have reported finding a Russian travel agency where there
are English speakers:
Roman Averkin Travel agent in Moscow, good English speaker:
7(495)956-50-19
[email protected]
The Kyzyl flights leave from Domodedovo Airport, usually a late
evening flight. There was once a flight through Ufa (the city in the
Urals) but it is definitely no longer available.
The above mentioned travel agency has no record of Kyzyl flights
at this time, however.
Correspondents at 'Tuva Online' provide the following
advice:
-
Don't bother with Kyzyl flights because they are not dependable
for scheduling. Go to Abakan.
-
Travellers from Norway were flying through a different city -
probably Novosibirsk to Kyzyl.
The Tuva Lingua Translation Agency
can also help some travellers.
One traveller from the summer of
2008 advises the following:
-
At present time there are only 6 flights a week between
Krasnoyarsk and Kyzyl. No other flights are available. So the best way is to fly
to Abakan and take a taxi.
-
It is important to everybody visiting Tuva to know that if you
are travelling alone (with no support from a travel agency) there is a severe
public security (safety) problem in Kyzyl and all bigger and smaller towns. Even
in the mountains. Drug routes in the Alai and Sajan Mountains are very
dangerous. Even Tuvans do not go there if not absolutely necessary.
Nomads in their yurts and villages where only Russians live are secure. Be
careful to avoid restricted areas (there are many! But the government will not
give you an overview): Mugur Aksy, the complete border area along the Mongolian
border, Ersinn...... It may be possible to get a special permit. But with time
it becomes more and more difficult to get them.