Russia: Venturing out onto Lake Baikal

The world's deepest lake, Russia's Baikal is a 7.8-million-acre (3.1-million-hectare) giant deep in the heart of Siberia—getting there requires two overnight flights and a five-hour drive. Ever ponder how you might set out to explore it? This year, in partnership with Russian trip specialist Mir Corporation, Maine-based H20utfitters aims to show you through their novel program, the Coastlines of Adventure. The intent is to make visiting far-off locales such as Baikal more affordable.

After a day exploring Moscow, you'll fly overnight to Irkutsk and drive to the shores of Lake Baikal. The next week is spent kayaking the lake's islands, scouting hidden bays, camping among sand dunes, and staying at a mix of guest houses, residential homes, and a barge hotel. When you're not paddling, the cultural experiences are decidedly local: You'll soak in hot springs on the Holy Nose Peninsula, visit a Buryat village, and meet the chief lama at Ivolginsky Buddhist monastery.

Vitals -

Length: 14 days

Price: $5,495

Difficulty: Hard

Departs: August

For more details - http://www.h2outfitters.com