Hi, I am Elena. I speak English (fluently) and German (ok level). I look forward to welcoming you at my place and helping you discover the Siberian dacha lifestyle.
This accommodation is a relaxing break during your travel, with a warm and quiet atmosphere, nature and fresh air, 30 km from Irkutsk, half the way to Lake Baikal, on the bank of the picturesque Angara river bay, in a green forested area.
My place is a wooden two-storied house of a non-standard architecture, with two entrances, a balcony, and a roofed terrace. It is situated on a green plot of land of 1300 square meters, with a forest in the back, a big garden with a lot of flowers and some vegetables, and birds waking you up in the morning… The house was built a year ago, is very cozy, comfortable and has all modern facilities. The walls, floor and the ceilings are done in wood. There are three separate bedrooms for guests from which you can choose (bed linen and towels provided), a modern bathroom with hot running water, bathtub, shower, toilet and washbasin, a well-equipped kitchen, a dining room and a spacious living room with a fire place.
Besides the main house, there is a little separate two-room wooden house in the 1960's style with a traditional Russian stove (good for a couple), and a romantic room upstairs in the wooden sauna house, with an attached dining room downstairs. Upon your wish and room availability, you can also choose one of these for your accommodation.
All the stoves are heated with wood. There are also electric heaters in each room.
The price includes breakfast and dinner, as well as a little snack in between. I guarantee you won’t stay hungry.
During your stay, you will get experience the real dacha lifestyle (‘dacha’ is a Russian country house, with all its attributes like gardening, picking flowers, conserving self-grown berries and veggies for winter, filling the water tanks for the sauna and heating the stove, sitting by the bonfire in the evenings…). And you enjoy the combination of the new and old in one place.
There is a bicycle for rent. Or you can have walks along the river bank and in the forest. Swimming is best in July-August, mushroom-picking in August-September.
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask me.
Greetings,
Elena
What can the guests use?
You can use the living and dining rooms downstairs and the roofed sunny terrace. The bathroom is shared, a hairdryer provided. Guests can use the fridge and other kitchen equipment in the main house and the kitchen in the dining room of the sauna house (cold running water, fridge, electric stove, oven). Besides the bathroom in the main house, there is a traditional Russian toilet outside the house that can be used in the warm time of the year. Sauna is possible every second day, upon a request, please ask me at least 3 hours in advance. Besides, you can enjoy the whole dacha territory, including the bonfire place (please ask beforehand if you want a bonfire arranged), garden, two hammocks, etc. There is a little library in the house (mostly in English). Laundry is also possible, reasonable amounts :-).
Communication with the guests
I speak English fluently (I used to work as an English language docent for many years) and am ready to help you around with your questions (12 years’ experience as a tour guide). We can talk during our meals, and I can advise you on what is here to do and see, as well as give you some tips on sightseeing in Irkutsk (if you decide to have a trip to the city). I intend to be at home most of the time because I work online and I will help you feel at home, taken care of and safe. Being a social person, I respect my own privacy and that of my guests.
Area description
The place is 30 km from the city of Irkutsk, half the way to Lake Baikal, the biggest, oldest and clearest lake in the world. The dacha village is about 300 houses and is situated on the very shore of the Angara river (the only river flowing out of Lake Baikal). The river bay is 2 km wide and looks like a lake rather than a river. Fishing is popular here, as well as some water sports. Boat trips are possible to arrange. The area is very green and forested, and picking mushroom in autumn is a very nice experience. There are two little food shops within a 5 min walking distance.