# Orlik

Orlik (Russian: О́рлик OHR-leek) is a small town in Buryatia.

## Understand

Orlik is the small capital of Okinsky region, a remote mountainous area west of Ulan Ude that is famous for its pristine landscape, traditional Buddhist temples and hot springs. The town has a population of around 1,000, and makes the most convenient base for exploring the greater region.
Almost half of the territory of the district is occupied by forests. Most of the territory is covered with mountains, so the area is often called Gornaya Oka. Academician S. V. Obruchev gave another definition to the Okinsky region: “Tibet in miniature”.

### Climate

Orlik has long and severe winters, windless and little snow. Summers are short and warm.

## Get in

Orlik is the terminus of the A164 Kultuk-Mondy-Orlik highway.
The nearest railway station is Slyudyanka (Irkutsk region).
The nearest airport is Irkutsk.
The distance from Orlik to Ulan-Ude is 714 km, to Irkutsk 460 km, to Slyudyanka 370 km.
Every day at 08:00 a fixed-route taxi departs from the terminal square of Ulan-Ude station. A regular bus departs from here on Saturdays.
Buses to Orlik leave from Slyudyanka from the central square at 09:00 on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
You can also get from Slyudyanka by the transport of the information and tourist center "Gornaya Oka". You must arrange with them in advance. Contact Orlik, ul. Soviet, 32. Tel. +7 30150 51-320, admoka@rex.burnet.ru

## Get around

People move around the neighborhood on horses, light off-road vehicles and heavy vehicles because mountain roads are not adapted to the use of other ground vehicles.
Transportation must be negotiated with the local population or the Gornaya Oka company.
In summer, there is a fairly active flow of tourists in the Okinsky district, so you can easily leave with a group, paying only for yourself, and not for the whole car.

## See

The most popular tourist sites are the Shumak natural park, the Munku-Sardyk peak, the Khoyto-Gol springs, the valley of volcanoes, the wild resort of Zhoigan, and the Topographers peak. Here you will see glaciers, volcanoes and hot springs.
* Munku-Sardyk: the highest point of the Eastern Sayan Mountains (3491 m)
* Nuhu-Daban is a limestone char with a through hole, a well-known sanctuary on an old pack trail to the Okinsky District. In the epic "Geser" there is a legend that this hole was formed from Geser's arrow, which he shot at his enemy.
* Tymelik gorge: Soyot Suburgan, waterfall, "Crying Mammoth" mountain
The Akhin Ekhin area is the source of the Oka River and the stream flowing into the Irkut River, a place of worship for the Soyots Gargan locality: private Soyot farm with traditional mountain farming (yak breeding, horse breeding)
* Ulus Sorok: a place of compact residence of the Soyts, a local history museum, a tourist information center, a souvenir shop.
* School Museum of Local Lore in Orlik
* Okinsky Datsan: the highest Buddhist temple in Russia, there is a cave for meditation nearby
* Sentsyn Tal Village: stele Khongodors, energy stone burial Hun, 20-meter high stone Hunnish arrow.
* Sailag (Small Zhombolok) - 28-meter-high waterfall in the valley of the Oka river
* The Geser Temple is a wooden structure in the form of a gazebo with a hearth in the middle, built in the national style in memory of the exploits of Geser. Nearby there is a mountain called "Geser's Saddle".
* The village of Shara-Tala: Buryat yurt, national cuisine, old-timer Lopson Galsanov
* Topografov Peak is the largest glacier center in the Eastern Sayan Mountains (8 glaciers), the main peak (3044 m) of the Charm-Taiga massif
Dabat Falls - a cascading waterfall on the Dabata River. The total height of the waterfall is 1200 m, the maximum height of the free fall of water is 84 m.
* Mount Ulan-Shulun (Red Stone). Here, according to legend, the battle of the hero of the Buryat legends Geser took place.

## Do

* Wild resort Zhoigan is located on the territory of Tyva, but more accessible from the Buryat side. More than 30 mineral springs and hot springs treat many diseases. The temperature of the springs ranges from + 18 °С to + 40 °С. The sources are hydrocarbonate, and carbonic.
* Shumak: a natural park, valley of a hundred springs, open-air craft museum, waterfall
* Khoyto-Gol: hot springs (three baths, one pool), Arshansky pass (2300 m), alpine meadows, a valley of volcanoes (Peretolchina (2044 m), Kropotkin (2074 m) and Stary (with three craters) volcanoes, lava field)

## Buy

The village has several shops, a post office, a hospital, a canteen, a bakery, and a pharmacy.

## Eat

The traditional food of the locals is meat and dairy dishes. The meat is especially tasty here, because the cattle graze in natural high-altitude conditions. Reindeer and yaks are bred here. If you're lucky, you can taste these delicacies too.
In the Okinsky region, wild berries grow in abundance - strawberries, honeysuckle, blueberries, blueberries, forest currants. Therefore, you can please yourself with fruit drinks and jams.
In mountain rivers, grayling is found, which tastes in no way inferior to river trout.
All vegetables and fruits here are imported - the harsh northern conditions do not allow growing "green" in the beds.
You can have a tasty and inexpensive meal in the "Heshegtey Buuza" cafe in the village of Orlik, st. School 7 Tel: 8 (30150) 51-5-33.

## Sleep

Guest house "Oka" Okinsky district, Orlik village, Molodezhnaya street 32-2, 89834220002, 89833375748, 8 (30150) 51-3-63
Guest house "U Davydova" 671030, Orlik, Shkolnaya 4 n.t. + 79140565039, +7 9148350678, +7 9149811428
Guest house in Okinsky district 8-30150-51-336
Hotel "Sayany" Okinsky district, p. Orlik, st. Soviet, 34 8-30150-51-460