Far East Russia is a destination few people consider travelling for their hard earned few weeks of holiday each year. It is a place where wild is wild and the creature comforts of the modern traveller are left behind.
The 100 year anniversary of the Russian Revolution has sparked interest in the lonely roads that weave through these forgotten regions. Levison Wood recently skirted along the mighty Caucasus Mountains while Simon Reeves embarks on a journey from the snow-capped volcanoes of the Far East to the great cities of the west. The first instalment of his three part series was shown on BBC2 last night, starting in Kamchatka and continuing to the Durminskoye Reserve to spend a day in the company of conservationist Alexander Batalov