safari jeep yumuri zone 1

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Yumuri Valley Jeep Tour

• 8.50 / 10 144 reviews | 2,295 travellers A great day out driving a jeep through beautiful parts of the island. Scuba dived (for a small fee), drove a small boat on the river, swam in an underground lake, rode on horseback and enjoyed a delicious lunch. A superb experience with a great tour guide who was fluent in 3 languages. Definitely worth the cost. 10 Colin Lindley
• Free cancellation up to 3 days before
• Hotel pick up

Don't miss this spectacular jeep safari through the beautiful Yumuri Valley . Along the way, we will also  drift down the Canimar River , swim in a coral reef , and explore the incredible Saturn Cave .

Yumuri Valley Jeep Trip

We'll pick you up from your hotel in Varadero at 8 am and head to the starting point where the jeeps are waiting. You'll drive the 4x4s through the beautiful   Yumurí Valley , a territory of jungle landscapes and sugar cane fields.

The route begins at Coral Beach, a heavenly natural enclave of crystalline waters where we can snorkel in an impressive coral reef whilst admiring the island's rich marine diversity.

We'll continue to the incredible Cave of Saturn , which features two large caverns and a natural pool of emerald waters  where we'll leave you some time to swim . We'll of course also check out its half-submerged stalactites and stalagmites.

We'll then pass through the city of Matanzas to observe its curious bridges and cultural richness. We'll make a stop at Rancho Gaviota, where we'll be welcomed with a cocktail and, after the visit to the farm, we'll have a typical Cuban lunch .

Then, we'll continue exploring the farm and visit the cultivation and breeding areas. Here we'll leave you some free time in case you want to go on a horseback ride. 

Afterward, we'll go on a speedboat ride on the Cánimar River , a perfect place to enjoy the rainforest. At the end of the tour, we'll take you back to your hotel in Varadero, where we'll arrive around 6 pm.

More Information

The activity takes place with a guide that speaks in English and other languages.

Hotel pickup and drop off

English speaking guide

Snorkel equipment

Welcome cocktail

When to book?

You can book up until 3 days before the activity as long as there are still places. Book now to guarantee your spot.

Type of voucher

Accessibility.

Not wheelchair accessible.

Sustainability

All services published on Civitatis are carried out in accordance with our Sustainability Code .

Our providers commit to:

• Provide a safe and satisfying experience.
• Reduce, reuse, recycle.
• Incorporate eco-conscious technologies.
• Uphold fair employment standards.
• Foster the growth of local communities.
• Preserve the integrity of local culture.
• Safeguard both cultural and environmental heritage.
• Ensure ethical treatment of animals.
• Operate with honesty and transparency.
• Encourage sustainable behaviors among customers and staff.

Taino Tours Show more

Corporate name: Presencia Latinoamericana SA de CV

Not permitted.

Frequently asked questions

Q - Can I participate in the tour if I have Cuban nationality?

A - Unfortunately, those with a Cuban passport or nationality cannot participate in the tour.

Q - Is it necessary to hold a driving license to be able to do this tour?

A - No, if you do not hold a driving license then you can still do the tour but as a passenger. You must indicate this in the comments section when booking.

Q - Why do this activity with Civitatis?

A - Your safety is our priority. Civitatis works with certified providers for reliable and safe adventures. More information

Q - How to book?

A - To reserve the activity, choose the date and complete the form on this page. You will receive your confirmation immediately.

If you have any other questions please contact us.

Free cancellation

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Jeep Safari “YUMURÍ”

General Information

• Category : All day tours
• Modality : Landing tours
• Duration : 12 hrs aprox
• Departure time : 07:15 hrs Playa Marina-Paradisus Varadero / 07:30 hrs Iberostar Varadero - Blau Varadero / 07:55 hrs Meliá Varadero - Sol Varadero Beach / 08:05 hrs Be Live Varadero - Los Delfines / 08:15 hrs Mar del Sur - PLaya Caleta - Punta Blanca
• Tour guide : Yes
• Children are allowed : Yes
• Languages spoken : Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese and Russian
• Dress code: Casual

Program Details

We offer a wide selection of panoramic visits through the most important sites of Cuban history, culture and life today.

• Pick up by bus from the hotels according to a staggered schedule established for the tour
• Tourist Guide
• Transfer Hotel - Jeep Caravan Departure Point
• An adventure of more than 150 kilometers of journey through embankments, roads, quarries, palm groves and peasant villages. Jeep safari through the Cuban countryside to discover the exotic Cuban nature, travel through history through ruins and memories,
• Snorkeling on the Coral Barrier Reef at Playa Coral (equipment included)
• Visit and time for swimming in the most famous cave in the country "Saturn Cave", considered a natural spectacle without precedent
• Visit in transit to the city of the bridges "Matanzas", of great cultural richness.
• Tour through the Yumuri Valley up to Rancho Gaviota which includes a visit to a farmer's house, coffee plantation and horseback riding.
• Typical Cuban lunch.
• Guided visit to the areas of cultivation and animal breeding.
• Free time for horseback riding.
• Half-river speedboat ride on the Canímar River, a protected area that gives us the chance to enjoy the beauty and natural attractions of the place.
• Return to the starting point of the jeep caravan and transfer to the hotel.

Departure days: DAILY.

TIPS : • Recommended: light clothing, swimwear, sunglasses, hats or caps, tennis, sandals or comfortable shoes, solar protection and photographic camera. • For the tour we recommend a water bottle.

• The collected may be delayed up to 15 minutes depending on the number of hotels and punctuality of customers. Customer should be informed on sales desk to avoid disagreements. • This tour operates with a minimum of passengers. Holiplus will reconfirm 48 hours before the departure of your tour. If the provider decides to cancel, for not meeting the minimum required amount of passengers, Holiplus will offer an alternative tour or fully refund cost of your trip. • Up to 4 people can travel in the jeep. • When the excursion is purchased for less than 4 pax and the exclusivity of the jeep is not paid, the jeep can be shared with other clients who wish to drive or not during part of the trip. • The jeeps have mechanical transmission. • Exclusivity supplement in USD:

1 pax: 105.00 USD 2 pax: 70.00 USD 3 pax: 35.00 USD

• Professional chauffeur supplement: 60.00 USD • Whoever wishes to drive must have a driver's license. • All risk insurance is included, but if it is proven that the client was under the influence of alcoholic beverages or psychotropic substances and/or that the damages were caused intentionally or as a consequence of negligence, the client will pay the totality of the damages caused. • When a sale of 3 pax or more is made, at least one client per jeep must have a driver's license. • When the client decides for exclusivity at the rental point, this will depend on the availability of jeeps.

BOOK JEEP SAFARI “YUMURÍ”

Collective tour.

• Jeep 4 x 4 (Transport)
• Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday departures

Tour in collective Jeep 4 x 4 with specialized guide service in several languages. The best price.

Private tour

Private Tour in Jeep 4 x 4 with specialized guide service in several languages. The best price.

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Welcome Guest

Yumuri valley jeep safari tour with canimar river cruise & cueva saturno visit.

11 hour(s) incl. transportation

Available daily, pick-up available, not accessible, what to expect, travelers interested in this activity also viewed, activity provider amigo tours (cuba), activity provider, payment / cancellation policy.

• Credit card payment

• Any cancellations made after 07:30 local time, 2 business days prior to the activity will be subject to a charge of 100% of the total amount.
• Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat

Payment Methods

Cancellation Policy

Please visit VELTRA Support page to send an inquiry about this activity.

日本語ガイド＆オムレツ昼食付き

Eur 152.00~.

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• Participants must be 18 years old and above to drive a Jeep.
• This activity is not wheelchair accessible.
• Children of all ages can participate in this activity.
• International driver's license
• Participants must know how to drive a standard (manual transmission) vehicle and present an international driver's license in order to drive a Jeep.
• There is a maximum of four (4) passengers per vehicle including the driver.
• The activity schedule is subject to change or cancellation due to weather or traffic conditions.
• Gratuity is not included in the price.

• STEP 3 Book another activity, and use the coupon for a discount!
• Valid for one (1) booking per account during the designated promotional period.
• Cannot be used on the same activity on the same date and time as the first activity, or applied to activities that have already been booked.

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Excursion jeep safari yumurí, from varadero.

Duration: 11 hours

Children allowed

from USD 96

Enjoy the beauty and natural attractions in a jeep safari through roads, quarries, palm groves and small villages.

The offer proposes a day full of wonderful sights, leisure time and recreation options combining snorkeling in Coral Beach, a visit to an agro-ecological farm with sculling along the Canímar River, bathing time in the river and horseback riding.

After a typical Cuban lunch (included in the price) you can explore the Saturno Caves.

Availability and prices

If not staying in a hotel, please select the nearest to your lodging place

• - Pick up at the hotel
• - Jeep Safari around the province's countryside
• - Snorkeling in Coral Beach
• - Visit to the Saturno Caves
• - Visit to an agre-ecological farm
• - Lunch (included in the price)
• - Speedboat ride on the Canímar River to enjoy the nature
• - Leisure time for horseback riding, sculling or bathing in the river
• - Back to the hotel

Additional information

• - Transfer by bus (with AC) to the caravan’s departing point
• - Tour guide service
• - Pick up at the scheduled time in the hotel lobby
• - Jeeps have manual transmission
• - Driver’s license required
• - 150 Km Tour
• - Vouchers are non-transferable
• - Infants do not occupy seats

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Jeep Safari Yumuri - Price (2014) High season: Adult 81 USD / Child 61 - Price (2014) Low season: Adult 73 USD / Child 55

This full-day excursion allows you to explore the countryside of Cuba by jeep. Escorted by a guide you will drive through sugar cane fields and other plantations, small villages, and royal palm trees groves. You will visit a family farm. You will then enjoy some free time for snorkeling or swimming at Playa Coral and at the Saturno Cave.

Next on program is a panoramic tour of Matanzas (the city of bridges). You will then drive through the breathtaking Yumuri Valley to reach Rancho Gaviota where a welcome cocktail and a typical Cuban lunch will be served, and where you will also enjoy some free time to do horseback riding, canoeing, pedal boat of simply relax and observe the lush flora and fauna. The tour continues with a visit the Monserrate Heights and then to the Rio Canimar (Canimar river) for a 30-minutes boat ride where you can admire the rich flora and fauna of the riversides. Back to the jeeps depot in Varadero where a bus will take you back to your hotel.

Inclusions : Tour guide, transportation by bus to the jeeps depot, jeep rental, admissions to Saturno Cave and Playa Coral, snorkeling gear at Playa Coral, lunch, boat ride on Rio Canimar.

Frequency : Daily Departure : 8:30 am (may vary depending on hotel and tour operator) Return : 4:00 pm (may vary depending on hotel and tour operator)

Suggestions on what to wear and bring: • Driver’s license, mandatory for those who wish to drive • Camera • Comfortable shoes and wear • Swimwear & towel • Sunscreen, sunglasses and hat • Bottled water • Snorkeling gear (if you prefer to use your own) • Cash in small denominations for souvenirs, drinks and tips

Notes : - Each jeep must be shared with other tourists (4 passengers per jeep) - Driver must be 18 years+ and have a driver’s license (from your home country) - Jeeps have manual transmission

Lily & Normand © varaderoguide.net © destilino.com

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• +53 7 206-9606 (9 am - 5 pm)

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Jeep Safari Yumuri

Description:

A 150 km adventure through roads, embarkments, country-side towns! Snorkel in Playa Coral, visit to the Saturno Cave, the Yumurí Valley, the bridges of Matanzas plus a fast boat ride through the Canímar River! Pick up at hotels according to staggered schedule established for the Tour.

Transfer from hotel to the starting point for the jeep caravan.

An adventure of more than 150 kilometers of route through embankments, roads and peasant villages.

Snorkeling at the Coral Beach.

Visit to the Cave of Saturn. Time for swimming.

Tour in transit through Matanzas, the city of the bridges, of great cultural riches.

Tour of the Yumurí Valley with a stop at Rancho Gaviota that includes:

Welcome cocktail

Visit to a peasant house.

Typical Cuban lunch

Guided visit to areas of cultivation and breeding of animals.

Free time for horse riding.

Speedboat ride by the river Canímar, protected area with great beauty and natural attractions.

Return to the starting point of the caravan and transfer to the Hotel.

Book with Umbrella Travel:

• Help planning your vacation
• 24 x 7 telephone assistance.
• 18 + years of experience
• Competitive rates

4 pax per jeep.

If your group is less than 4 pax and you do not pay exclusive use of the jeep, you may share the jeep with other people.

Jeeps are of mechanical transmision

Jeeps are of mechanical transmission

Exclusive use of Jeep extra charges: 20 CUC x pax.

Request a professional driver: 40 CUC.

If you drive you must bring your driver´s license

Total Car Insurance included. (But does not cover driver if under drugs, alcohol or intended damage or negligence)

• Driver´s license ( if you will be driving the jeep)
• Clothing: Sport / Casual
• Photo Camera
• Sun protector
• Sun Glasses
• Bottle of Water

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Jeep Safari “Yumuri”

General Information and Program Details

• Duration: 9 hrs
• Departure time: 07:15 hrs Playa Marina-Paradisus Varadero 07:30 hrs Iberostar Varadero-Blau Varadero 07:45 hrs Meliá Las Antillas-Sol Club Palmeras 07:55 hrs Meliá Varadero-Sol Club Sirenas Coral 08:05 hrs Be Live Experience-Los Delfines 08:05 hrs Mar del Sur-P
• Tour guide: Yes
• Children are allowed: Yes
• Languages spoken: Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese and Russian

-Up to 4 people can travel in the jeep.

-The jeeps have mechanical transmission.

-Exclusivity supplement in USD:

1 pax: 60.00 USD 2 pax: 40.00 USD 3 pax: 20.00 USD

-Professional chauffeur supplement: 40.00 USD

-Whoever wishes to drive must have a driver's license.

-All risk insurance is included, but if it is proven that the client was under the influence of alcoholic beverages or psychotropic substances and/or that the damages were caused intentionally or as a consequence of negligence, the client will pay the totality of the damages caused.

-When a sale of 3 pax or more is made, at least one client per jeep must have a driver's license.

-When the client decides for exclusivity at the rental point, this will depend on the availability of jeeps.

Jeep Safari Tour "Yumuri"

Description

In this excursion you will enjoy an adventure in nature, getting to know important components of the Cuban fields, the beautiful coral formations and discovering very interesting elements of the landscape and natural environments found in the Yumurí Valley together with the history of the city of Matanzas.

Details of the tour

• Pick up by bus from the hotels in a staggered manner.
• Specialized guide service in several languages.
• Transfer to the departure point of the jeep caravan.
• Jeep safari through the Cuban countryside to discover the exotic Cuban nature, journey into history through ruins and memories.
• Snorkeling in the coral reef of Playa Coral (equipment included).
• Visit to "Saturn's Cave", time for swimming.
• Tour in transit through the city of bridges ¨Matanzas¨
• Tour through the Yumuri Valley to Rancho Gaviota which includes a visit to a farmer's house, coffee plantation and horseback riding.
• Cuban lunch.
• Half river speed boat ride on the Canimar River.
• Return to the starting point of the jeep caravan and transfer to the hotel

TIPS: • Recommended: light clothing, swimwear, sunglasses, hats or caps, tennis, sandals or comfortable shoes, solar protection and photographic camera. • For the tour we recommend a water bottle.

BOOK JEEP SAFARI “YUMURI”

• Collective tour (Guaranteed) Tour in collective Jeep 4 x 4 with specialized guide service in several languages. The best price. 1 Adult (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday departures) Book tour $86.00 Discounts applied:
• Private tour Private Tour in Jeep 4 x 4 with specialized guide service in several languages. The best price. 1 Adult (Daily departures) Not departure in selected date
• Collective tour Tour in collective Jeep 4 x 4 with specialized guide service in several languages. The best price. 1 Adult (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday departures) Not departure in selected date

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• TAILOR MADE TRIPS
• EXPERIENCES
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Yumuri Valley Safari

In a caravan of jeeps driven by yourselves and shared with other customers, we will depart at 09:00 h from Varadero.

We start an exotic route of 150 km through roads and peasant villages, with stops to snorkel in the coral reef of Playa Coral

Boat tour on the Canimar River.

Visit to Cueva de Saturno

Lunch at Finca Campesina with the option of horseback riding and boat rides

Return time around 7:00 p.m.

The tour begins in a jeep in the direction of coral beach , where we will provide you with the necessary snorkeling equipment. Playa Coral is an ideal and peaceful place for snorkeling and diving, with the second largest coral reef in the world and a great diversity of marine species.

From there we will go to the most famous cave in the country, Saturno Cave , with time for swimming, a small cave where stalactites and stalagmites submerged in water abound, with an incredible lake of crystalline waters inside. We will visit Matanzas in transit, known as the city of bridges.

From there we will start a tour of the Yumuri Valley until we get to Gaviota Ranch Country Estate , with a welcome cocktail and a guided tour of the farming and animal husbandry areas. Free time for horseback riding or rowing boat ride. Typical Creole lunch included.

The Yumuri Valley It is an incomparable place, an obligatory stop for nature lovers, a protected area where endemic birds abound, vegetation such as royal palms, rivers and large areas of sugar crops.

The Canimar River Valley completes this experience, a fluvial canyon with exuberant vegetation on both sides of one of the mightiest rivers in Cuba, a delight of intense greens for the senses.

There we will take a 30-minute speedboat ride until we reach La Arboleda, a special natural area for enjoyment and relaxation where you can simply walk or bathe in the river, ride a horse or take a boat ride. Return by jeep to Varadero.

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+34 603 725 506 | Mon-Fri: 9h-20h | [email protected]

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Jeep Safari Yumuri day tour

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Jeep Safari Yumuri day tour - Things You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Jeep Safari Yumuri day tour

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Jeep Safari Yumuri day tour - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

Moscow vs St. Petersburg – Which One to Visit?

• Posted on July 31, 2019 August 3, 2019
• by Kings of Russia
• 8 minute read

When it comes to Russian girls and Eastern Europe generally, guys love to debate over which city has the hotter girls – Moscow vs St. Petersburg.

Some say they’re all the same; others say there are clear differences, while some locals will laugh then explain in autistic detail just how different every district of each city is but it doesn’t matter because you’re a foreigner and all you have to do is show your passport.

Doing comparisons can be difficult because at the heart of the matter; all cities share a similar energy that is transferrable from one country to the next. Cities all over the world attract a specific kind of mentality: those seeking careers, adventure, and anonymity. Yet certain cities seem to excel in certain things relative to others, which end up attracting certain kinds of girls. From the many cities I’ve traveled to, I can always distill the essence of the place to two overarching mindsets: business and culture.

For our purposes here we’ll be talking about Saint Petersburg and Moscow. Combined, their metro population is about 23 million, which is about 15% of the entire Russian Federation despite being clustered in a small part of Eastern Europe. In other words, it’s a very dense area.

Similarities between Moscow and St. Petersburg

Both cities attract girls from all over Russia , and also the former Soviet countries as well as parts of Eastern and Central Europe. We are talking full on megalopolises here. Both are based off the center, from which everything then sprawls out. Both have efficient transportation systems that make getting around the sprawl quite easy. Both attract lots of students and career-oriented girls. Both cities attract scammers yet in different ways. Both cities are exotic yet familiar to Westerners.

Some people freak out about “going to Russia” because the lying media claim it’s dangerous and you’ll be robbed. Pay no attention to them. These same scaremongers have been saying the same thing for 100 years, all while creating danger and crime in the West and promoting chaos outside their borders.

Keep in mind that Saint Petersburg was built with Westerners in mind and Moscow has so much money floating around that unless you’re hanging out in an Uzbekistani’s car in the boondocks 15 miles out, you’ll generally be safer than in New York or London.

You’re likely to meet girls from the surrounding regions and provinces of both Saint Petersburg and Moscow. This can give Saint Petersburg a slant towards a “Northern” local population while Moscow has a “Central” pull. It’s also possible to meet girls from Kazakhstan, Siberia and Ukraine quite easily as well and girls from one region who prefer the atmosphere in the other, say a Northerner who’s into finance, or a Southerner obsessed with poetry.

Girls in both cities are friendly, but don’t mistake that for easiness. Russian girls know their value and you’ll have to put in the time and work to get them to open up. A particular girl may really like you and the “3 date rule” may not apply, or a girl may be slutty for her local guys but see you as a possible resource (shiny foreigner), hence may make you wait. Expect dating to be more normal than one night stands, unless the girl is completely westernized with tattoos, strange hair and strange piercings.

Differences

Now the biggest difference between Moscow and Saint Petersburg is that of mentality. And this mentality permeates into the girl’s aesthetic. In general, Saint Petersburg attracts the more creative, alternative, hipster crowd while Moscow brings in the more businesslike, refined, upscale one. You can find classical looking practical girls in Saint Petersburg and green-haired drug-abusing ones in Moscow but in general these two cities have their distinct template aesthetic. In St. Petersburg I’d more often than not ask myself “What is she doing looking like that?” whereas Moscow I’d just focus on the girl herself.  This doesn’t mean the girls in Saint Petersburg are genetically ugly; merely the appearance decisions they make is more in line with fully Westernized cities.

Like Paris vs London or New York vs Boston, Moscow and Saint Petersburg have a rivalry. There’s more money flowing into Moscow than Saint Petersburg, yet more cultural capital going through Saint Petersburg. This may account for why girls want to look like a “work of art” in Saint Petersburg while Moscow girls don’t seem to care as much.

Muscovites don’t necessarily dress fantastically either though. The hiptsterization has spread there and you can see some pretty uninspired fashion. Luckily the city is big and competitive enough so you don’t need to pay attention to the hipsters.

While all Russian girls like to talk about philosophical, literary and artistic things, I’ve found Muscovites to be more practical and interested in talking business, career, ambition and such. As a man, it’s your job to steer the conversation in the direction you want, just be aware of the overarching mentality you’ll find relative to which city you’re in.

Now if a girl is indirectly inquiring into your resources from a standpoint of being a long-term provider and you’re looking for a long-term relationship, it’s up to you to gauge the situation. Just be careful about exuding the idea of foreign wealth. Just because you can provide, does not mean you don’t deserve to be loved for who you are. Do not get taken in by superficial beauty as the consequences can burn later.

Defining Sexy

Defining what makes a girl sexy is another hotly debated topic. I know guys who have clear preferences on Moscow vs Saint Petersburg. Some like Saint Petersburg because it’s “easier”, others like Moscow because the girls are “hotter”. Others say Saint Petersburg girls are nicer, while Muscovites are too conniving and cold. Since we’re dealing with so many experiences, variables and populations I can only nudge you in the direction you think will help your situation and tastes.

If your definition of sexy is alternative, Western looking mentality, cultured and unusual dress but not necessarily unattractive underneath, Saint Petersburg may be the place for you.

If your definition of sexy is dressed to the nines, long hair, hip sway while walking and a go-getting work hard play hard attitude, then the Moscow girl sounds more like your bet.

Moscow carries a more distinct Russianness than Saint Petersburg and you’ll feel you’re in a more exotic place, though still with 1 st world style amenities. Some guys hate how the city is sprawled out, others marvel in its splendor. The girls here can be friendly but deceitful. Flaking is epidemic. In that sense it’s a lot like London or New York. There’s so much distraction and commotion it’s hard to find ground sometimes.

More guys seem to prefer Saint Petersburg as its Russia without the Russianness. Europeans and Americans alike enjoy the familiarity mixed with a touch of exoticness. The girls are easy going and friendly, and since their passion is towards arts and culture, they have a more liberal and relaxed attitude. For such a large city you don’t feel they’re stressed in the same way financial centers are.

Cautionary Tales on Scammers

Regarding scammers: in Saint Petersburg, bless their hearts, they have scamming down to a perfectly technical science. It’s not as obvious as a stripper with a hot pink umbrella and tickets telling you to come to the bar. These girls will match you on a dating app, have a perfectly normal conversation, even go with you to a venue one, and then perform the bait and switch by the time you feel buzzed and comfortable.

This bait and switch usually involves going to a bar she works with, has you sit down with her, and then proceeds to order an absurdly overpriced drink for which she gets a cut. As long as you do not agree to the terms well before it gets thrown on you, nothing will happen. Do not follow her into a venue, no matter how much she insists. There may be a small chance she’ll want to show you some cool dive bar, but you can easily verify this with Google reviews.

It’s not just from dating apps, both in my and friend’s experience, girls will give you huge IOIs on the street or in the mall, flirt with you heavily and fast forward to venue two and you realize the bait and switch with the overpriced champagne.

While Russian girls are friendly, put your ego aside and think for a minute. Why is she falling head over heels for you? Is she that desperate? Are you her perfect match? Or is she trying to get one up on you? Stay dispassionate and screen for her intent if it sounds too good to be true.

Some girls may not be official scammers but they get a kick out of racking up a huge bill. She’ll pout and whine that you don’t like her if you don’t give her what she wants. I find it so infantile that I usually end up walking out right then and there. You can try and laugh it off and game on, but be very careful around that kind of girl.

In Moscow, I’d say the girls are more businesslike and up-front in their scamming. You can feel it coming a mile away. They want to go to the obviously overpriced venue. They’re dressed in a revealing but kind of strange way, “working sexy” instead of “girly sexy” may be a way to put it. Think of bartenders trying to maximize business, but with more dress than jeans.

They want the most expensive thing right away and will shame you for not opening your bank account for her in 5 minutes. The high end clubs will even hire these girls to officially flirt with you then get you to order ridiculously priced drinks. Of all the scams, this one can be the worst as you’re in a normal venue under the influence, yet they’re working behind the scenes with the staff to scam you.

Once you can see these scams coming, they become obvious as the algorithm unfolds. As long as you keep your wits about, have your ego in check and screen properly you should be mostly able to avoid these scams. As the old saying goes, you can’t cheat an honest man. Become honest by questioning a girl’s extreme forwardness mixed with demands. Don’t just fall for her beauty.

Since sexiness can be subjective and I’ve seen first-hand how different friends clearly prefer certain cities, all you have to do is ask yourself where do you feel more at home? Moscow and Saint Petersburg have distinct personalities, and its likely one clicks more with you than the other. It may not even be the girls.

Some guys prefer certain city layouts which end up giving them a better vibe to approach girls and have more positive experiences. Other guys don’t mind sticking it out in a depressive sh**hole in search of glory. Ultimately the subjectivity of sexiness depends on what a man is looking for: how much more of rabbit vs a wolf he is in terms of sexual strategy, and where his personality and interests nudge him towards.

Start meeting Russian women online with the best dating app for long-term relationships:  Russian Cupid .

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Jeep Safari Yumuri day tour

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In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

• Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
• You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
• There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
• Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
• If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
• You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
• You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

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