jambo safari pc

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Description:

Jambo Safari, a Sega AM3 release that has all the toughness, difficulty, and unforgiveness of having to research wildlife like a real-life researcher would. You’re doing your researching on a jeep and armed with some equipment that should help you during your quest to research wildlife. It’s basically close to experiencing the harshness of wildlife research without having to shell out $20,000 US to visit Africa and do a lot of research amongst wildlife animals.

As the theme suggests, you’re a super-daring researcher in a quest to research the remaining wildlife  »characters » at the wilderness of Africa. You will be doing your  »wildlife sighting » via the binoculars. Once you see the wildlife that you want to catch and research, then proceed to the chase. You have a few techniques that I won’t mention that will help change the outcome for the wildlife catching. You will need to master those techniques in order to catch the wildlife in a hurry. Once you get close to the wildlife, be sure that you catch them and get close to them QUICK before it escapes. Once successful, continue onto your toughest job ever.

The controls are simple and are easy to get used to (although the special techniques that I will not mention to you takes a lot of time to master). You have a steering wheel that steers your car left and right (depending on how you  »twist » the wheel, treat the steering wheel like you would with real-life cars) and moves the binoculars left and right as well. You also have a gas pedal with potentiometers to control the feed of the gas in your vehicle used for wildlife research. You also have a brake mechanism that performs all the braking functions of your jeep.

(Description written by: Mark Kim )

• Dustin Wilcox (Admin)
• Mar 25, 2020

Jambo! Safari (Arcade) Review

There was once a time where Sega was hailed as the gold standard of arcade gaming. To many this reputation was primarily earned throughout the 1990s when the developer churned out hit after hit—everything from Daytona USA to The House of the Dead. While I’d argue that pedigree was carried into early 2000s, I don’t feel any enthusiasm for the Sega arcade machine of 2020.

Thankfully, there still exist pockets of ‘90s Sega goodness in the world. One of these locations is the Walmart “Gameplay”—always a weird name to utter—in Murray, Kentucky. Here, you’ll find the wonderful, the visceral, and the all too excellent Jambo! Safari. And after playing it through…oh gosh, probably seven times at least, I’d like to share my thoughts on the title.

Without further delay, let’s get into the game.

Jambo! Safari

Developer(s): Sega AM2/AM3

Publisher: Sega

Release date: 1999

I’ve always described Jambo! Safari as Crazy Taxi in Africa. This obviously isn’t to say that you pick up passengers and take them to Pizza Hut, but rather to illustrate the time-sensitive, mission-based, and open-ended nature of the experience.

Wasting no time with introductions, you’re immediately set loose on the plains of Africa with the goal of (safely) capturing exotic animals for scientific research. Your actions are simple: drive toward animal dudes and lasso them up.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll find the gameplay loop endlessly satisfying. There’s a constant “push and pull”—quite literally—as you attempt to subdue careening creatures. The base mechanics are a real rush.

What makes this more challenging, and thusly more fun, is the time management necessary for mission completion. Research sites are populated with creatures great, small, meek, and mad—represented by stars and emotes. The more stars attached to animal, the more difficult that animal should be to capture, and the more time and points you’ll earn from capturing it. Just like in Crazy Taxi, you certainly can go for all the “low-hanging fruit” you want, but you probably won’t get very far.

The most valuable “standard” animals are marked with a floating crown above their heads. These animals are worth more time and more points than crownless contemporaries.

The most important animals by far are those marked as “Special Research” and “Final Research”. These can more or less be considered “boss battles”, based on both their level of difficulty and high point values. These encounters break up the first and third research areas.

The Special Research animal is a white rhinoceros. As far as difficulty is concerned, the creature can be a little tricky to pin down but is easily mastered with subsequent playthroughs. I’d almost call it easy at this point.

The Final Research contains one of three animals based on your performance. You’ll meet the saber-toothed tiger if you reach the site using continues; you’ll meet the white lion if you reach the site without continues; and you’ll meet the phororhacos if you achieve an S ranking on the third site and haven’t used any continues. I’ve only encountered the saber-toothed tiger and white lion so far. I’m also not always able to capture the final animal—though I have a few times before. The key for me is learning from previous playthroughs and improving in subsequent trials.

Apparently, there are also events (a.k.a. side missions) within the research sites that you can complete for time and points. Although I have yet to trigger or clear one myself, the events look pretty danged fun in gameplay footage.

All four stages are a blast to tackle, and on the whole, Jambo! Safari is quite fair. On a machine set to $0.25 per credit, I reached the Final Research four times, spending $1.25 on the first run, $0.50 on the second run, $0.25 on the third run, and $0.50 on the final run. It’s more than possible to beat the game on just one credit.

Couple that with the highly rewarding score system—a major part of why I played the game four times in a row—and you’ve got a surefire fun game. On gameplay alone, I can’t recommend Jambo! Safari enough.

Like previously reviewed Sega title After Burner: Climax, Jambo! Safari is admittedly an itty-bitty game. Most of my playthroughs clocked in at around 10 minutes. The short campaign can be experienced in either "Beginner" mode (with tutorial) or "Expert" mode (without tutorial). While that may not sound ideal, I firmly believe that the short game length makes perfect sense in this context.

There are four playable characters—Edward Arniele, George Wildman, Naftali Ngugi, and Marit Söderström—to choose from at the start.The game features four research areas—Embaba Plains, Special Research, Shetani Riverside, and Kuungo Prehistoric Site (Final Research)—creating a very cohesive experience that doesn’t lull or drag on.

Would it be nice if there were additional, unique research sites to bulk up the game length? Sure, but I’d argue that what we have is precisely enough. The existing stages are a joy to explore as it is. Plus, given how inexpensive it is to complete once you’ve mastered it, Jambo! Safari is a genuine value proposition.

Controls are another department where Jambo! Safari truly shines. The actual control setup itself is quite simple—one start button, one steering wheel, one gas pedal, and one lever—but its implementation flows beautifully.

You’ll use your left hand to steer throughout the environment and your right hand to push and pull and small hand lever that controls your lasso. I’m not sure how this would feel for left-handed individuals, but as a right-handed guy, it feels pretty good.

The pedal, of course, controls your acceleration. For whatever, it doesn’t feel like the accelerator provides true “analog” support but rather a “slow” speed and “fast” speed. This wasn’t a problem in the slightest—in fact, I’d say it improved my precision—but it was something I noticed. You can double-tap the pedal to “dash” (speed boost).

Steering is about as simple as you’d expect and every bit as effective. The only real problem I had with steering was that, once I had entered a dash, I was locked into a direction and wasn’t able to veer left or right. However, since this is how the game is intended to operate, it’s something I learned to work with just fine.

The lasso controls are similarly easy to pick up but require a bit more finesse to nail down. The default position of the lever is down, meaning your lasso is drawn. When nearing an animal, you’ll push the lever forward to throw out your lasso onto it, using the steering wheel to gently guide your aim.

From there, you have to get even closer to the animal by tugging on the lasso, or rather lever, just enough to gain traction but not too much that the lasso snaps. You’ll also need to maintain tight control of your steering to keep on track. Once your very close to animal, you’ll throw out a net to capture it for good. (Don’t expect it to be easy, though.)

The three primary inputs—steering wheel, lever, and pedal—come together to provide an excellent control experience. (And for the sake of discussion, the start button is good, too. I’m sure you were on pins on needles waiting to find that out.)

Graphics/Presentation

Jambo! Safari looks just about as good as you’d expect for a game of its age. While it’s not exactly mind-blowing, the aesthetics are still plenty pleasant. Characters are unique and fun, environments are well rendered and relatively expansive, and the general “feel” of the game is just right. Even if the game has no real story to speak of, the end goal is clear from the outset.

All this is made that much better by a HUD equal parts fun and clear. Along the top of the screen are your “Ranger Points” (score), crates representing the animals you’ve captured, and the remaining time. At the bottom-right is a radar illustrating where animals are in relation to your vehicle. Occasionally, radio notifications will pop up in the middle of the screen with tips such as, “Get right behind the animal to catch it!” Although the HUD is much, much larger than we’ve become accustomed to in the high-definition age, I never found it obtrusive or annoying. Heck, I honestly really liked it.

One presentation detail that I genuinely appreciated was the “navigation arrow,” for lack of a better term. Whereas Crazy Taxi had a rotating green arrow at the top of the screen, Jambo! Safari instead employs a large white arrow that “outlines” your vehicle on the ground and bends to and fro to guide you. While I had no problem with the Crazy Taxi method, I must say that Jambo! Safari’s approach was extremely effective.

A very minor “presentation” complaint would be what I consider short timers. While 15 seconds in menus and 10 seconds to continue were pretty standard in 1999, they don’t feel good at all in the year 2020. I dunno…maybe I’m just spoiled.

I will point out that I simultaneously like and dislike the "Name Entry" screen. While the aesthetic elements are properly delightful—your “cursor” can be represented by a different animal each time—the alphabet keys are a real pain to scroll through. Fortunately, I only ran out of time once, logging in a sad “DR” on the high score table.

Other than that, I can’t say anything else really blew me away or turned me off. Jambo! Safari is a good-lookin’ game all around.

Sound/Music

The Jambo! Safari soundtrack is pretty consistent in its quality throughout. I really liked the balance that was struck between “African-influenced themes” and “game-y video game music”. It made for some nice sounds. That being said, I can’t truthfully say any particular composition stuck out to me.

The sound effects, too, were all very good. Not being much of an animal or nature guy, I couldn’t tell you how accurately Sega captured the essence of the region they recreated. It certainly worked for me, though.

The quality of the game’s speakers was also more than acceptable. I really enjoyed the seat speakers that “wrapped” me in tunes.

I played Jambo! Safari on the standard, sit-down cabinet variant. Overall, it’s a wonderful design that invokes enough safari motifs to be visually distinct from more traditional driving game experiences. I’d say all the cabinet art is pretty dang amazing, even if it seems a little odd that the designers used in-game animal models for the marquee as opposed to pre-rendered ones. And the monitor, like many of CRTs of the day, is crisp and pops with color.

The only real qualm I have with the design is that there was not enough leg room between the control panel and the pedals. Though the space generally felt fine during gameplay, it was always such a nuisance to shift about when I had to insert more quarters—so much so that I often worried about running out of time before I could continue. Keep in mind that this constriction could be very well be my own fault for being a 6-foot freak.

To my knowledge, two other cabinets exist: an upright and a sit-down deluxe. The upright is the by-the-numbers NAOMI build that we all know and love. Though I’ve never had the opportunity to play any game in the configuration, I’ve always dug the look in photos online. And with all the custom art, Jambo! Safari is still as groovy as ever in this form.

The deluxe variant looks pretty awesome but isn’t necessarily my style. Far from a bad cabinet, I’ve just never really been into huge games. Plus, I know those rear projection monitors are prone to bad fading over time. Regardless of my personal nitpicks, I can’t deny that the deluxe cabinet is a mean piece of machinery that perfectly channels the Jambo! Safari essence and more.

All in all, I’d say Sega did a wonderful job crafting this line of cabinets.

As I’ve hopefully made clear throughout the entirety of this review, Jambo! Safari is a wicked cool game. Is it the longest? No. Does the standard, sit-down version have enough leg room? Absolutely not. But minor gripes like those could never take away from my love for this title.

Jambo! Safari represents so much of what I miss from classic Sega. Their commitment to experimentation, to quality, and—above all—to fun set them apart in an already competitive market. (Y’all know how much I love ‘90s Midway, after all.) Too bad we don’t get as much of that from Sega's arcade division anymore.

If you’re lucky enough to stumble upon a machine, make certain you play Jambo! Safari. I promise it’ll be worth 10 minutes of your time—if not 10 hours down the line.

Keep it real, ya sweaty flippin’ nerds.

AND I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER

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Jambo! Safari

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Jambo! Safari Arcade Machine

Jambo! Safari is a video game first released by Sega in 1999. The original arcade version of the game used the Naomi board, arcade hardware which was based on Sega's Dreamcast video game console. Even though other Naomi-based arcade games were, Jambo! Safari was never released for the Dreamcast. The UK version of the Official Dreamcast Magazine reported that the game was to be released in a 3-in-1 compilation along with other games in Sega's "Real Life Career Series", Brave Firefighters and Emergency Call Ambulance , but such a game was never released and neither of the other two games were ported either. Sega released versions of the game for the Wii and Nintendo DS, under the title Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue on November 17, 2009.

• 1 Shadow the Hedgehog
• 2 Sega Genesis Classics
• 3 Sonic the Hedgehog

Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue

In Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue become a safari park ranger in a wild action packed African adventure! Take on challenges in a variety of Land Rover vehicles to rescue wild animals with your lasso and bring them back to The Ranch. Nurse your animals back to full health in the enclosure before releasing them back to the wild. Packed with realistic environments to explore, exciting challenges, customization, photography and collectables.

• 2 Configuration
• 3 Version Compatibility
• 5 Gameplay Videos

There are no reported problems with this title.

Configuration

No configuration changes are known to affect compatibility for this title.

Version Compatibility

The graph below charts the compatibility with Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue since Dolphin's 2.0 release, listing revisions only where a compatibility change occurred.

This title has been tested on the environments listed below:

Gameplay Videos

• Full Fat (Developer)
• Sega-AM2 (Developer)
• Sega-AM3 (Developer)
• Sega (Publisher)
• North America (Release region)
• 2009 (Initial release year)
• Adventure (Genre)
• Single-player (Game mode)
• Multiplayer (Game mode)
• 4 (Players supported)
• Co-op (Game mode)
• Wii Remote (Input supported)
• Nunchuk (Input supported)
• 4 stars (Rating)
• Pages using DynamicPageList3 parser function

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• Consoles 16 Titles
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• Handheld 11 Titles
• Computers 18 Titles

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JAMBO! SAFARI

• File Name jambo.zip
• File Size : 30,41 mb
• Similar Games Year : 1999
• Region : Unknown
• Genre : Race, Driving
• Download : 3394

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Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue

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• SEGA of America, Inc.
• Full Fat Productions Ltd.
• #596 on Wii
• Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue (2009 on Nintendo DS)

Description official description

Based on the original Sega arcade game, Jambo Safari on the Wii allows the player to play as one of four park rangers as they undertake missions around the basic premise of capturing and caring for wild African animals. the bulk of the game is centered on capturing the animals with ropes from the four vehicles in the game. Two of these vehicles are licensed Landrovers, while the other two are unlicensed, a quad bike and a Bombardier. The animals are captured in expansive, free-roaming African savannas and brought back to the base for treatment and care.

In addition to the straight forward arcade style gameplay, the Wii version of the game also includes animal treatment minigames, a larger variety of missions including wildlife photography and balloon rides, co-op missions and several party games as well as fully customizable characters and vehicles.

The party games include ostrich racing, pebble skimming and the ChuChu Rocket -style 'Meerkat madness'.

• Console Generation Exclusives: Wii

Average score: 55% (based on 12 ratings)

Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 3 ratings with 0 reviews)

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• MobyGames ID: 50436

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Thing_128 .

Additional contributors: Charly2.0 , firefang9212 .

Game added March 24, 2011. Last modified March 31, 2024.

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Welcome to the Jambo! Safari Wiki [ ]

Jambo! Safari  is a video game first released by Sega in 1999. The original arcade version of the game used the Naomiboard, arcade hardware which was based on Sega's Dreamcast video game console. Despite the fact that other NAOMI-based arcade games were released for the Dreamcast,  Jambo! Safari  was never ported to the Sega console. The UK version of the Official Dreamcast Magazine reported that the game was to be released in a 3-in-1 compilation along with other games in Sega's "Real Life Career Series",  Brave Firefighters  and  Emergency Call Ambulance , but such a game was never released and neither of the other two games were ported either.

Overview [ ]

In  Jambo! Safari , players use a steering wheel and a gear shift to pursue animals in a jeep and catch them using a lasso. Players can select from four different player characters and several different vehicles to drive.

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Jambo! Safari

• Nintendo DS
• Nintendo Wii
• Action Adventure

Feature | How I ruined Sega's financial results

Or: What I did on my summer holidays, by Ellie Gibson.

Review | Jambo! Safari

Jeep and jeerful.

Complete the special research.

Khabarovsk, Russia

Tours, Attractions and Things To Do in Khabarovsk

Khabarovsk travel guide.

• 1. Architecture
• 2. Attractions
• 3. Cultural life
• 4. Souvenirs

Khabarovsk, Russia fascinates visitors with its unusual heritage and fabulous untouched nature. Tourists are drawn to the native culture, eclectic architecture and mesmerizing waters in this off-the-beaten-track destination, which promises a unique and memorable vacation.

As the center of Russia’s far eastern region of Khabarovsk Krai, the city offers celebrations throughout the year which are sure to give added flair to your trip, from traditional culture days to large-scale food fests. It is easy to keep a full itinerary during your stay thanks to its many theaters, museums, restaurants, workshops and quest rooms. Guests who want a more relaxed holiday can venture into the serenity of Khabarovsk nature, including the coast of the Sea of Japan or one of the region’s many picturesque lakes .

Khabarovsk Architecture

Khabarovsk architecture surprises with its harmonious blending of varying types and styles. This is due in large part to major changes which the city underwent in the mid-19th-early 20th centuries in conjunction with developments in the political, economic, scientific and technical spheres. The search for new trends in architecture came after the death of the classicism style, which had dominated the Russian Empire and the wider world for centuries. Beginning in the mid-19th century, the practice of mixing eclectic architectural styles began to emerge, leading to an era of amazing stylistic improvisations.

During the final decades of Romanov reign, many educational institutions for architects and engineers were opened. As a result, the face of numerous Russian cities began to change rapidly. Art Nouveau - a new, modern trend that absorbed several preceding styles – had come to dominate the architectural scene.

Many Art Nouveau buildings can still be seen in central Khabarovsk. These include:

• Takeuchi apartment building (5 Muravyov-Amursky Street)
• Esplanade Hotel (18 Muravyov-Amursky Street)
• Luhta apartment building (84 Komsomolskaya Street)
• Zandau apartment building (34 Muravyov-Amursky Street)

Khabarovsk also has many Gothic buildings, a style distinguished by its elegance and attention to detail. Every element of Gothic architecture emphasize a vertical orientation, as seen in the massive walls and columns, round arches and wide windows which contrast with narrow towers, pointed peaks and lancet windows.

Khabarovsk’s Gothic architecture is best represented by the artillery warehouse buildings located at 16 Komsomolskaya Street. Another notable example is the Red Guard Headquarters (105 Komsomolskaya Street), which has been preserved in its original form. The complex consists of two identical two-story brick buildings with unusual motifs containing pseudo-gothic elements.

Also of note is the early 20th-century Treasury Building, a luxurious red brick structure with openwork balconies that exudes an architectural grace.

Khabarovsk also has many Soviet-era buildings which were mostly designed in the constructivism style. Characterized by their enormous size and grotesque shapes, they often occupy most of the block and dominate the surrounding space.

During your Khabarovsk excursion, be sure to appreciate its unique architectural heritage by going for a walk downtown .

Khabarovsk Attractions

The layout of Khabarovsk is very simple: its 3 main streets of Lenin, Muravyov-Amursky and Seryshev pass through the downtown area, while Ussuriysky and Amur Boulevards run perpendicular to them. A distinctive feature of Khabarovsk are its many hills, so we recommend wearing comfortable shoes for your walk.

Begin your walking tour of Khabarovsk from the train station, where you can see the monument to Yerofey Khabarov, the famous explorer for whom the city is named. Nearby is a sculpture of a double-headed eagle, erected in memory of soldiers, officers and builders of the Far Eastern Railway. Moving from the station along Amur Boulevard you will reach the central market, just past which is Lenin Square. A spacious area with a granite fountain in the center, it is the main plaza of Khabarovsk and the site of the city’s Christmas and New Year celebrations. Next to the square is Dynamo Park, famous for its three ponds and Ferris wheel.

From Lenin Square, move along Muravyov-Amursky Street to reach Amur Embankment, passing most of Khabarovsk’s famous 19th-20th century buildings along the way. Descend to the embankment via two grand staircases or make a small detour onto Shevchenko Street, where you can follow the slope until you reach the embankment’s main stretch. Among other things, the area is home to the House of Officers and three museums.

As you move along the embankment through a park you will come across the city symbol of Khabarovsk, a building set on a steep cliff above the Amur River. It was at the foot of this cliff that the founders of a military post, the first semblance of civilization in the area, first landed.

After reaching the river and walking along Ussuriysky Boulevard to Turgenev Street, turn right to reach Glory Square. Here you will find another famous Khabarovsk landmark, Transfiguration Cathedral, along with a magnificent view of the Amur River and its dreamy islands. Glory Square concludes the main walking route of Khabarovsk, but from here you can reach any part of the city by public transport or taxi .

Khabarovsk Cultural Life

Khabarovsk entertainment centers around its many theaters and museums. Visit Khabarovsk Museum of Local Lore to get a better glimpse of city and regional life. Children and adults alike will want to visit Fishes of Amur River Museum, an aquarium which is home to some 90 species of the underwater world. To catch the vibe of local artists, head to the Far Eastern Art Museum.

There are several theaters in Khabarovsk, each of which is worth visiting:

• Khabarovsk Regional Puppet Theater;
• Triad Pantomime Theater;
• Khabarovsk Regional Philharmonic;
• White Theater, and others.

In addition, Khabarovsk offers several concert halls, culture houses, cinemas and art institutions .

Khabarovsk Souvenirs

While the city’s souvenir selection is not as diverse as in other Russian cities, guests can still find something suited to their tastes on their tour to Khabarovsk. Amur River and the Sea of Japan offer an abundance of seafood that can be tasted on the spot or brought home in dried or smoked form. Yet it is the rich culture of the local indigenous peoples which provides the largest selection of national souvenirs.

If you’re looking for an original gift, traditional Nanai slippers are comfortable and warm. Sewn from leather or fabric and decorated in a bright, colorful style before being trimmed with fur, they make the perfect house shoes in winter. Traditional decorations include amulets which are made from animal bones, fur or fabrics and decorated with ribbons and colored beads.

Standard souvenirs like plates, magnets, mugs and flasks stamped with images of Khabarovsk or its coat of arms can be purchased in souvenir shops, which are mostly located downtown and at the airport and railway station.

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Khabarovsk: A Mediterranean Dream in Russia

Khabarovsk Bridge across the Amur River. Source: Itar Tass

Sparkling new cathedrals that blend in with fine 19th century architecture, a thriving cultural scene, and the proximity of the Taiga make this city on the great Amur River one of the most diverse in Russia.

With traces of some of the great cities of the Baltic Coast, you’d easily be mistaken for thinking you are 8000 kilometres away from the Russian Far East, but just 30 kilometres separate Khabarovsk from Manchurian China. There is, however, no hint of Asia in this city of 620,000, the last major stop on the Siberian railroad before Vladivostok.

Founded in 1858, everything from its broad tree-lined avenues, pre-Soviet heritage buildings, trams, quaint cafes, squares with fountains and a buzzing riverside, is redolent of Europe.

The city has a laidback Mediterranean feel in the summer, with sun-bathers thronging the riverside beaches to work on their tans. While summers are even hotter and more humid than those in Mumbai, temperatures plunge sharply in the winters and average around minus 30 degrees Celsius. If you like, you can take long walks on the frozen Amur river.

Famous for its ornate fountains, the city’s Lenin Square attracts hordes of skaters, local artists and families in the evenings. In the winters, the square hosts ice sculpture festivals and one of the largest New Year trees in the region.

Khabarovsk is just the perfect city you can explore through leisurely walking. Another relaxed way to savour life in the city is to take its trams, which connect the city centre to many outlying areas.

While walking through the Muravyova-Amurskovo Street, you encounter fine brick buildings from the 19th century as well as pre-Russian Civil War architecture that has been painfully preserved by the proud administration of the city. 

Lenin Square in Khabarovsk.   Source: Itar Tass

The city literally breathes history. The Muravyova-Amurskovo Street, for example, has five museums. The regional history museum is probably the best in the Russian Far East and showcases the culture of the indigenous people of the region, besides an excellent section dedicated to the Russian Civil War. The brick building was built in 1894 and lived to tell the tale of the brutal war between the Reds and the Whites.

While the city is proud of its Soviet past, with several monuments dedicated to the USSR and the partisans, who fought against foreign armies, there has also been a religious renaissance in Khabarovsk. Viktor Ishaev, a former governor, played a large role in the reconstruction of Russian Orthodox Churches, destroyed during Stalin’s purges. The imposing Uspenya Bozhey Matery (Divine Mother of God) Cathedral is one such replica and is just above the riverfront.  The city is home to the largest Orthodox Church in the Russian Far East: the golden-domed Church of the Transfiguration, which is probably the most visible building one sees from the aircraft, while landing in the city.

A stone’s throw away from the Transfiguration church is the majestic World War II memorial. It stands as a testament to the patriotism of the citizens of the Russian Far East, who lost their lives in the war against Nazi Germany, thousands of kilometres away from their hometown.

Most of the city’s attractions are close to the riverside, including a central park that stretches for about 1.5 kilometres to a hill top from where you get the best views of the city. The city owes its existence to Count Nicholai Muravyov-Amurskiy, and there’s a large statue of the founder, who was the governor general of Eastern Siberia. The area around the statue is a favourite spot for couples and when it comes to romantic settings, very few places in the country can match the sight of an autumn full moon over the Amur River, reflecting on the golden domes of a nearby cathedral.

The riverside is buzzing with activity, and has several cafes and restaurants with live rock bands performing late into the night.  There are also several hydrofoil services for those that want to cruise the Amur. A 90-minute cruise is a wonderful way to observe the illuminated riverside architecture at night, but there are longer cruises north to the cities of Komsomolsk-na-Amure and Nikolayevsk-na-Amure. These cruises are a great way to explore some of the most stunning and sparsely populated areas in all of Russia.

The park of Khabarovsk.   Source: Lori Legion Media

The Great Outdoors

No trip to Khabarovsk is complete without a picnic in the forests near the city. Many residents of the city have summer cottages or ‘dachas’ in an area called Voronezh-1, an ideal place for a barbeque, beer and folk music. There are several forest trails in the area, which is strikingly beautiful in the autumn.

However, those seeking adventure head straight for Peak Heksir, which is only about 970 metres above sea level but is a difficult trek through thick forests. The great Ussuriskaya Taiga begins in this forest, which is home to the Amur Tigers, the largest tigers in the world. The tigers have the advantage of camouflage in the autumn, but can be spotted in the winter, when blankets of snow envelop the mountain range. The forests are also inhabited by the Amur leopards, who are incredibly difficult to spot.

The path to Heksir offers splendid views of Khabarovsk and the domes of the city’s cathedrals are visible from the peak. But the piece de resistance of Heksir is the view of the Russia-China border.  The last stretch of Russian territory is at the intersection of the Amur and the Ussuri rivers. All you can see of China is a stretch of forests and there aren’t any human settlements for miles from the border.  Special permissions need to be arranged for both Russians and foreigners to climb the peak, since it’s in a politically sensitive area.

Shantar Archipelago.   Source: RIA Novosti

Khabarovsk is also close to the isolated Shantar Archipelago, a string of islands, which are only accessible in the non-winter months. This group of 15 islands in the Sea of Okhotsk are famous for their rocky cliffs and spruce forests. The archipelago is a wildlife lover’s paradise in the summer. You can spot Bearded Seals, Bowhead Whales and the endangered Western Grey Whales. Bears are aplenty in the islands, but unfortunately, each summer, there are reports of campers getting killed by bears. Wildlife experts attribute many of these cases to reckless behaviour on the part of tourists from cities. The islands are accessible by helicopter from Khabarovsk as well as via fishing trawlers that make the most of the four months a year they have before the ice flows merge the archipelago with the mainland.

Ajay Kamalakaran was the editor of The Sakhalin Times from 2003 to 2007.

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