Semester 2008 på Jalta - Krimhalvön, Ukraina

The Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine. We tell you about the wonderful holiday in Yalta, Ukraine in 2008 before the Crimean crisis in 2014. Today it is not recommended to go to the Crimean Peninsula. That's why we're going to take you there and show you what it looked like before the crisis and how wonderful it was there. Come to the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine!

We started by flying to Odessa in Ukraine, where we spent a few days. Then we continued by train to the Crimean peninsula where we spent our sun holiday together with Peter's youngest son Billie and his cousin Pontus.

Table of contents

The Crimean peninsula - then and now

When we travelled to the Crimean peninsula in 2008, it was unquestionably part of Ukraine. The peninsula was handed over to Ukraine in 1954 as a gift from the Russian Soviet Republic, and upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Crimea remained part of Ukraine, although Russia was allowed to keep its naval base in Sevastopol.

Since the 2014 Crimean crisis, the situation is different. According to Wikipedia, the area is now disputed and belongs to Ukraine. de jure but Russia de facto. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently advises against all travel to the Crimean peninsula, so this is definitely not a travel tip. However, it might be interesting to see what the Crimean Peninsula looked like before all this happened! We don't know what it looks like today, but according to Wikipedia, Russian tourists still come here.

From Odessa to Yalta on the Crimean Peninsula

We travelled by train from Odessa to Simferopol on the Crimean peninsula. There we got off and found a trolleybus, which took us the last bit down to Yalta.

Odessa och Krimhalvön — We have circled Odessa, Simferopol and Yalta on the map.

Tåg Simferopol — Entering Simferopol to look for a trolleybus to Yalta

Giant hotel in Yalta

We stayed in a gigantic "Soviet style" hotel. Among other things, there was a huge saltwater pool and a large lift through the mountain down to the beach. The breakfast buffet was also huge and what differed from Western Europe here was the dress of the breakfast guests. Here one did not come down in shorts and foppa slippers not. No, no, preferably a dress, high heels and a wide-brimmed hat.

READ MORE: Kiev in Ukraine - travel guide to Kiev's gems

Sun and swimming on the Black Sea

We spent most of our time sunbathing and swimming on the Black Sea. The beaches were quite rocky, so most people lay on sunbeds, either on the gravel beaches or on the piers. The water was clear and sometimes there were some waves.

Women's beach fashion on the Crimean peninsula was clearly different from what we were used to in Western Europe. Here, a string bikini was the order of the day, or a dress, heels and a hat. Preferably you would be accompanied by a tiny little dog with a matching outfit. What about the men? Well, they were less meticulous, but we learned that big gold chains also exist outside the world of film.

Seaside promenade and bars

Of course, we also walked along the long promenade in Yalta, sometimes having an ice cream or sitting down at a bar for lunch or a beer. Our favourite bar was the "Orange Bar" where we hung out a lot.

All menus in all places were in Ukrainian, and thus written in the Russian alphabet. That someone knew a little English was the exception. We had studied a little Russian in an evening class before so we could helpfully and slowly spell our way through the menus. We understood the words for meat, fish, shashlik (a kind of skewer) and Caesar salad. And we could supplement this by looking and pointing ...

Apelsinbaren, Krimhalvön — Orange bar in Yalta

Dolphin show

One day we saw a show with dolphins. We didn't understand anything the presenters were saying, but then again, at a dolphin show, it's not the talking that's important.

Summary of the solar trip to the Crimean Peninsula

To summarise, we can say that we were very satisfied with our sun trip to the Crimean Peninsula. We got a lot of sun and swimming, while at the same time we got an exciting trip in an area that we knew very little about. That the situation is as it is on the Crimean Peninsula today feels very sad, of course.

23 Comments

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Kenneth Risberg says:

Thank you for these reports and pictures from Odessa and the Crimean peninsula. It's just sad that things are as they are there. It would be interesting to make such a trip.

04 February 2018 - 9:21

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, it feels really sad. It was a very nice place, sad development...
  
  04 February 2018 - 14:07
  
Ditte says:

Very interesting reading! But going there today does not feel attractive if you are not a reporter or similar. Read both today's and yesterday's posts with great pleasure.

04 February 2018 - 10:12

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Glad you enjoyed the reading! Unfortunately, I saw that the UD also warns journalists because there is a risk of kidnapping. Bad!
  
  04 February 2018 - 14:08
  
Ama de casa says:

Truly a great trip and great pictures to go with it. But I miss one picture... Yes, the one of Peter in a dress, high heels and a wide-brimmed hat for breakfast? 😉

Isn't it great to dig into the archive of memories?

It's tragic that things have turned out the way they have...

04 February 2018 - 10:13

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Haha, that's the picture we keep... 😉 ...
  
  04 February 2018 - 14:08
  
Kristina Svensson says:

Really glad you posted this. Growing up, I got used to more and more countries becoming available as travel destinations, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Sad when it goes the other way round.

04 February 2018 - 12:36

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Glad you appreciate the post Kristina! I feel a bit like you. You are prepared for the world to become more and more open. Sad when it goes the other way.
  
  04 February 2018 - 14:09
  
Staffan says:

Very interesting. Too bad you can't/shouldn't go there today. Crimea would interest me.

04 February 2018 - 13:26

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Glad you appreciated the post Staffan! One can hope that the situation will change in the future, but it does not feel so positive right now unfortunately.
  
  04 February 2018 - 14:10
  
Marina says:

So glad you were able to do this while it was still available. thanks for the visit 🙂 .

04 February 2018 - 13:27

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  We are happy to have been there. It just feels so sad that it turned out the way it did.
  
  04 February 2018 - 14:11
  
Mr Steve says:

Interesting reading. How nice it looked when you were there in the "good old days". Sad, however, when the development goes in the wrong direction.

04 February 2018 - 13:51

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  We had a very nice holiday here! Feels very sad that it turned out the way it did ...
  
  04 February 2018 - 14:12
  
Across the board says:

Funny that you have been there and can offer us this because now it does not feel so relevant to go there.....

04 February 2018 - 15:07

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Unfortunately, you should not travel to the Crimean Peninsula at this time. Very sad that it has become so.
  
  04 February 2018 - 18:17
  
BP says:

Also enjoyed your two posts on Odessa and Yalta. When I look at today's pictures, I spontaneously think of Majori/Jurmala outside Riga and Sopot! The main street is a copy of the one in Majori, but there were wonderful sandy beaches. But the buildings / hotels are so typical "eastern state boasting". Quite funny actually.

04 February 2018 - 17:18

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  There may be some similarities with Riga and Sopot, which are also in the East. But I would say that there was more concrete and stone in Yalta, even though it was green with plants and so on.
  
  04 February 2018 - 18:19
  
Travelling happiness says:

Hi Helena and Peter

An exciting and slightly different destination. Nice to read your retrospect to the journey there 🙂 .

Greetings Mette

04 February 2018 - 17:25

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Hi Mette! A very interesting destination, which we are now glad we had the chance to visit!
  
  04 February 2018 - 18:20
  
Ann-Louise says:

Very exciting to read about, especially since you can't go there now. I think it was about 10-15 years ago that I read a report about sun holidays in Crimea and then became very keen to go there because it felt like a very different destination. Hope the situation improves there in the future so that you can actually go there sometime. And what fun that you have been there anyway! 🙂

04 February 2018 - 20:38

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  It's interesting that you read a report on a sun holiday in Crimea, Ann-Louise! Yes, you do hope that the situation will improve, even if it's a bit difficult to understand how they will get out of this. But times always change, of course.
  
  06 February 2018 - 6:37
  
A:N. says:

Crimea is beautiful and development is going in the right direction, i.e. as the people of Crimea want!

24 July 2018 - 17:25

Sun holidays on the Crimean peninsula in 2008 - before the Crimean crisis

The Crimean peninsula - then and now

From Odessa to Yalta on the Crimean Peninsula

Giant hotel in Yalta

Sun and swimming on the Black Sea

Seaside promenade and bars

Dolphin show

Summary of the solar trip to the Crimean Peninsula

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23 Comments

Kenneth Risberg says:

Helena says:

Ditte says:

Helena says:

Ama de casa says:

Helena says:

Kristina Svensson says:

Helena says:

Staffan says:

Helena says:

Marina says:

Helena says:

Mr Steve says:

Helena says:

Across the board says:

Helena says:

BP says:

Helena says:

Travelling happiness says:

Helena says:

Ann-Louise says:

Helena says:

A:N. says:

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