For them, Crimea is a whole world which they open up for the guests every day and which they every day discover from new aspects for themselves. The Crimean tour guides told the Travel Portal about the tours and excursions which they like most and why.
Elena Bukach, the guide from Saki with 18 years of experience, completely agrees with the famous statement: for us there is no land beyond Crimea. She really loves our peninsula for its contrasts and diversity, for its beauty and health-giving, for its special southern hospitality.
"We have everything to please, impress and to improve health. And when guests come to us from all over the world, they always notice the sun in the eyes of Crimeans. And my favorite sightseeing tour is the one that we developed three years ago for the anniversary of the Empress Catherine II voyage to Crimea. The tour was called "Catherine’s Milestone", it goes from Bakhchisaray to Sevastopol and Balaklava. This tour has become literally a dear child for me, but apart from this there are so many amazing places on the peninsula that even after being in the profession for 20 years, you won’t stop discovering a lot of new things", — said Elena Bukach.
As Lyudmila Dyakonova from Yalta, whose professional experience as a tour guide is 30 years, confessed, she was not born in Crimea, but she always dreamed of living here. And fate favored her: first, as a young specialist she came to work in a children's camp in Eupatoria, and then in the Artek children's camp in Greater Yalta.
"And as a result − I have been living here already for almost 40 years. For me, Crimea is the whole Universe, it is my love, my hobby and my profession. I can’t favor any excursion route – I love them all and each is good in its own way. But if to choose the best of the best, I adore Sevastopol, the mountains, the cave town of Eski-Kermen, I also love the Grand Canyon, the Vorontsov Palace with its artifacts and art masterpieces", — admitted Lyudmila Dyakonova.
Gulshat Grigoriadi, who is also from the resort capital of Crimea, has been a tour guide for nine years. She was born and grown up in the resort town of Foros, so her love for the South Coast was fated forever. And she loves to acquaint tourists with amazingly beautiful places in Greater Yalta most of all.
"I have visited many places and I know that Crimea is really the best. This is a world in miniature, a small corner where you can find everything your heart may wish. Crimean landscapes resemble different countries, and it is really very nice to introduce our guests to this amazing fact. Especially I like the South Coast − this is my favorite place for excursions. Classical palaces, former estates of the royal family members and estates of the nobility (which are many on the South Coast) are definitely worth seeing in Crimea, these and much more", — Gulshat Grigoriadi emphasized.
Senior lecturer of the Tourism Chair at the Crimean Federal Vernadsky University, member of the expert council and the certification commission of the Ministry of Resorts and Tourism of the Republic of Crimea (Simferopol) Ekaterina Lukyanenko is convinced: Crimea should be regularly “taken as medicine”, as a cough syrup. So to say − as a kind of stimulant mixture of happiness.
"There are places recognized by all as "must see". Starting from Kerch, our ancient Christian shrines, heroic monuments. Of course, how can one do without photographs at the Swallow’s Nest castle or without photographs of the famous Alupka lions − guardians of the Vorontsov Palace − in the background? If so happened − consider the vacation a failure. In Sevastopol, everyone is eager to see the legendary monument to the Scuttled Ships. In general, the list can go on and on. I would, you know, compile the TOP-10 attractions and give this list to all tourists so that they could go through these objects step by step, like a quest", — said Ekaterina Lukyanenko.
Pavel Horoshko, a First Category tour guide from Eupatoria, has been engaged in his favorite occupation literally since childhood. His father and grandfather knew and loved Crimea well, instilling this feeling in the younger generation. For the first time he felt like a tour guide in a children's camp when he led a group of his friends of the same age on a walking tour to Mount Chatyr-Dag. Passion has grown into a profession, and today as a tour guide he shows the peninsula to tourists.
"I believe that in Crimea every tourist should at least meet the dawn… I like to do this in the mountains on the Mangup plateau. We have developed a walking tour that allows participants to explore the mountains literally with a lantern on their heads and to meet a beautiful sunrise in the morning. And you should definitely see the sunset − and you need to do this at Dzhangul on the west coast. And one more: if you are not afraid of enclosed spaces and want to discover Crimea in a new way − take a walk beyond the siphons of the Kizil-Koba cave. Crimea is a unique dimension, an ideal place for life and creativity", — said Pavel Horoshko.
A hobby has become a favorite job for Anna Sirotkina, a First Category tour guide from Alushta.
"Crimea for me is life, work and love. By a happy coincidence, it all joined in me. I live in Alushta − the best city for me, which is very well placed and from which it is very convenient to travel west to Sevastopol, or to the east, or to the center of the peninsula. Therefore, there are many favorite routes, but for me personally, the most favorite excursion destination is the Crimean Nature Reserve, where I started working in this profession. There are a lot of beautiful places, but the "cherry on the cake" is, perhaps, the "Rotunda of Winds", — said Anna Sirotkina.
