Push the boundaries on this frontier small group journey to Kamchatka located in Russia’s Far East. The peninsula contains less than 200 miles of paved road in an area larger than Great Britain, which is just one indication of how truly wild and remote this region is.
Embarking on this safari will see you traversing the rugged landscape by helicopter – often the only viable form of transportation here – before first making camp on the shores of an idyllic lake surrounded by greenery-covered mountains that scrape the sky and then a stretch of river frequented by bears, but without human presence.
In both locations you’ll become acquainted with the European cousin of North America's iconic grizzly bear on daily photographic excursions, before enjoying a scenic helicopter flight to the breath-taking Valley of Geysers and a marine safari to see sea birds and a variety of marine mammals.
You’ll be accompanied on this trip by professional photographer and specialist guide, Andrew James. He will be on hand throughout your trip giving his expertise and photographic advice, taking you through the stunning landscape and enabling you to improve your camera skills. In August 2019 Andrew travelled to Kamchatka in search of brown bears, returning with a portfolio of incredible images seen below.
What makes this trip extraordinary
- Visiting one of the most frontier destinations in the world to spot and photograph one of the world's largest populations of brown bears.
- Spend two full days at Kuril Lake for fabulous opportunities to photograph bears catching salmon and raising their cubs.
- Two days in the wilderness location of Kambalnaya River to witness fishing bears with no one else around.
- Take a scenic helicopter tour to the Valley of Geysers for a birds eye view of Kamchatka's incredible volcanic landscapes with an optional dip in the natural hot springs.
- A full day marine tour to Russian Bay to spot sea life and birds in fjord-like landscapes.