Tourists Are Not Welcome Here: An Honest Review of a Sochi Vacation
Tourists come to Sochi all year round, not only during the high season.
Sochi is one of the most popular resort cities in the Kuban region. Every year, tens of thousands of people from different regions of the country come there, and the disputes between them and the locals never die down. Many tourists complain about the attitude of the resort«s indigenous residents, and they, in turn, ask them not to vacation here anymore. One visitor decided to reflect on this problem in the blog »Tonkosti Turizma« (Tourism Subtleties). We publish his honest review about what he didn»t like in Sochi.
Views of Sochi from the seaside and mountain areas.
High Prices
Prices are rising significantly every time. Last time, we spent 600,000 rubles (about $6,500 at current rates) for a family of 4 for 10 days (including flights), rented an apartment, ate in canteens, and dined in a restaurant 3 times. There are canteens of good quality, and there are those where it«s easy to get food poisoning. The apartment was near the Mzymta River. The sea water is clean until it rains and the river doesn»t wash dirt into it. After rains, we had to go to the beach in Sirius, which is quite far. The beaches and embankments were clean and well-kept.
It«s convenient to get around by taxi, whether to the mountains or along the coast. Taxi drivers via the app are mostly polite and friendly, but as everywhere in our south, they drive fast, even with children.
Everyone Is Considered «Freeloaders»
The attitude of the locals is unpleasant, not all! But very many. We are well-mannered and friendly people, we always try to smile, we don«t leave the beach in swimsuits. But rarely did we get a smile and a kind look in return. It is clear that tourists are tired of and irritate the local population, they serve as if doing a favor, often with a dissatisfied look.
It«s as if you haven»t been rude to them, haven«t offended them, but in response, they treat you like a bothersome fly. We save money for 2-3 years to take the children to warmth and swim, and we come to a place where tourists are an irritation. And to consider everyone »freeloaders« is, at the very least, strange. Many tourists are well-mannered and polite people, without pretensions, bringing their hard-earned money, but they are still not welcome.
In general, one must distinguish: of course, there are those who get drunk and behave inappropriately, but not everyone should be tarred with the same brush. Moreover, if you come across staff from other regions, they will smile and wish you a good rest. There«s only one conclusion: for now, we are saying goodbye to the south.
