Located in Khuzir – Olkhon Island’s sole settlement – Nikita’s is basically an all inclusive resort (they even took care of planning all excursions around the island).

As there are no restaurants in Khuzir, all guests are provided three meals a day.

The view didn’t suck either.

Khuzir only got electricity in 2005 and still lacks plumbing (meaning, there are no flush toilets and no showers).

In place of showers however, there was a banya!!!  I’d been dying to try one the whole time I’d been in Russia and it did not disappoint.  [No photos allowed inside though]

A banya is a Russian sauna; think cedar-lined, super-heated steam room.  The full banya experience includes a few hot/cold cycles (i.e: sweating it out in the room, running and jumping into an ice cold fresh water source and then running back to the sauna) and getting whipped with branches of herbs.

However, running 10 minutes down to the lake in a bathing suit while dripping wet in sub zero weather, did not happen and turns out herb beatings weren’t on the menu.  Instead, the five of us just lounged around the banya benches for nearly an hour, letting the heat work its detoxifying magic. So relaxing.

The neighborhood surrounding Nikita’s provided endless novelties to fill our down-time.

Each night Nikita’s also provided entertainment – in the form of the most charming little old man accordion player and his less-than-enthusiastic singing ladies.

The combination of his peppy charisma and their indifference was hilarious.

*Some photos contributed by Conor O’Brien