Hotel we liked... Our "hotel" was the Viking Kirov, a sleek 20-year-old ship that was refurbished completely in 2009. Unpacking only once was a huge convenience, possible because our "hotel" moved with us. One hint: Book an E cabin. These are considerably larger but come at a lower price. You'll have a porthole instead of a window, but the upside is that no one will be wandering on the deck just outside your cabin.
Great local meal... Because we were sailing with Viking, all meals were on the boat. But the Kirov's chef used vegetables [PHOTO], meats, and cheeses [PHOTO] from the local markets to make authentic Russian dishes. The beets (served in traditional borscht) and beef Stroganoff were two of our favorites. We were hoping for caviar—alas, none of that—but the vodka was plentiful. Nostrovia!
Our favorite part... The Catherine Palace. We were the first to arrive, and we were greeted by a dancing brass band [PHOTO]. The palace is made up of room after magnificent room, and we were able to see it all without the crowds [PHOTO] Another highlight: the famed Amber Room. When we visited in 1996, it was in the early stages of being repaired after destruction during World War II. Now the room is restored to its full floor-to-ceiling glory.
Wish we'd known that... Smoking is so prevalent. Smoke-free areas are few and far between. Also, had we known about the beautifully decorated subway stations in Moscow, we would have made time to get off at each one for a peek. The opulent decor in the stations, from chandeliers to sculptures, is untouched by graffiti or vandalism—we suspect the highly visible guards help with that.
What we should have packed... To bring home with us? Our knowledgeable and humorous onboard guide, Victoria! [PHOTO] Besides providing interesting information about all the sights along the way, she shared her thoughtful perspective on the history of the czars, the former Soviet Union, and current-day Russia. She also recited poems by the man she reveres as the greatest Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin.
Worth every penny... The extra fee to visit the Armoury in the Kremlin [PHOTO]. Here you can view a collection of the amazingly intricate Fabergé eggs, encrusted with precious gems. Also on display are the czar's carriages, the czarina's gowns, and the family's crown jewels. A visit to the Yusupov Palace [PHOTO] was also worth it. This was once the private home of a wealthy St. Petersburg family. Rasputin was murdered here—or at least his murder began here. You will stand where he was poisoned and stabbed. For their role in Rasputin's death, the Yusupov family was exiled.
Never again... Will we wait so long to visit a country that holds such history and mystery. Now I'm rereading War and Peace and learning more about the Romanoff dynasty. This trip truly piqued our interest in Russia—past and present.
Total rip-off... The souvenir stands and street peddlers that sell inferior goods at superior prices. The sheer variety of matryoshka (nesting) dolls [PHOTO] was mind-boggling and felt tacky. Also be on the lookout for fake plastic "amber" and imitation papier-mâché boxes that have printed photos pasted on the top rather than hand-painted works of art.
Fun surprise... Catching sight of brides in their gorgeous wedding gowns at numerous sites around St. Petersburg and Moscow. Russian tradition calls for a civil ceremony in the morning and a party in the evening, and it's good luck to toast with champagne [PHOTO] and then break the bottle on the sidewalk. More traditions: In Moscow, newlyweds place a padlock on a metal tree, and in Yaroslovl, the locks are placed on a bridge railing [PHOTO], and the key is thrown in the river.
Overrated... Lenin's Tomb. It's only open for a few hours in the morning on certain days, which is inconvenient. We learned that Lenin's body is kept in a preservative solution, then makeup is applied, and then the corpse is dressed for display. The whole process seems somewhat ghoulish—and apparently the Russian government spends millions of dollars a year to maintain it all. We're with the locals who say, "Bury it."
Moment when things got tense... When we saw a young man asking his love for her hand in marriage. She declined! We captured the scene by the Grand Cascade [PHOTO] at Peterhof Palace. It wasn't tense for us, but it certainly was for the young gentleman!
We're still laughing about... A Yaroslavl café sign announcing "Free beer!"...tomorrow (in small letters) [PHOTO]. A sleeping guard in the Hermitage [PHOTO]. And a bear serving vodka to John [PHOTO].
Bonus! Our top tip: When booking this river cruise, select a date when the trip goes from St. Petersburg to Moscow rather than the reverse. When you take this route, you'll have time to reserve the limited tickets available for the Bolshoi Theatre and the Armoury.
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World's Weirdest Hotels 3.0
1. LA VILLA HAMSTER, NANTES, FRANCE Ever wonder what life is like for a hamster? If so, you're not alone—ever since it opened in 2009, La Villa Hamster has been booked almost every night. The owners, a local businessman and an interior designer, spared no expense when it came to the details of their property, an unusual addition to the town of Nantes in western France. Wrought iron has been affixed to the walls to suggest a cage, and, if they so choose, guests can drink water out of a tube attached to the side of the wall. Naturally, there's a large, fully functioning hamster wheel (consider it the hotel's gym) located on one side of the cage, ahem, room. 011-33/6-64-20-31-09, uncoinchezsoi.net, doubles from $136. • Photos of La Villa Hamster 1 of 2 2. CAN SLEEP, LAKE SKANDERBORG, DENMARK Beer lovers of the world unite at Lake Skanderborg for a full-immersion experience: drinking by day and sleeping in a giant beer can by night. No, we weren't imbibing the sudsy stuff when we found this one. The collection of 121 aluminum Royal Unibrew beer cans is known as Can Sleep, and it's only open one month out of the year during the Skanderborg Music Festival every August. The cans are clustered in sections of six (six pack, get it?), and each has a loft and is 12 feet high with a "lid" that cracks open. The loft is the sleeping area, and the Ikea furniture-bedecked bottom floor is a living-room-type space, complete with a minibar that's restocked each day with Royal Unibrew products. 011-45/8793-4444, smukfest.dk, doubles from $336. • Photo of Can Sleep 1 of 1 3. PALACIO DE SAL, BOLIVIA If you're one of those people who believe you can never have too much salt, then we've got the place for you. The luxurious Salt Palace, located on Bolivia's vast salt flats, is made entirely out of the mineral. From floor to ceiling, including the walls, beds, and chairs, it's all salt, all of the time. And the 16-room property offers dishes like salt-encrusted lamb, of course. Sufferers of high blood pressure should probably look elsewhere for a room. 011-591/2- 62-2951, palaciodesal.com.bo, doubles from $135. • Photos of Palacio de Sal 1 of 3 4. FREE SPIRIT SPHERES, VANCOUVER ISLAND, CANADA A whole new approach to tree houses has taken shape in an old-growth forest on Vancouver Island. Set on five acres, Free Spirit Spheres consists of three pods (made of cedar, spruce, or fiberglass, respectively) that are suspended 10 to 15 feet in the air and accessed by staircases that wind around the trees. The heated interiors are surprisingly comfy—and are even equipped with an iPod docking station. The pods sway gently, so those prone to motion sickness should take note. But look at it this way: At least a bear or other wild beast won't be able to get you. 250/757-9445, freespiritspheres.com, doubles from $135. • Photos of Free Spirit Spheres 1 of 2 5. HOTEL UTTER INN, SWEDEN What's so weird about this pint-size property in Sweden? At first glance, the one-room hotel appears to be a cheery red house in the middle of the lake—yes, it's in the middle of a body of water but how strange is that, really? Don't be fooled: The room isn't actually in the house; it's 10 feet underwater. It's also the only functioning underwater hotel that started out as an art installation. Designed by artist Mikael Genberg, the 10-year-old inn's sole room consists of two twin beds with panoramic windows on all sides. There is no electricity, but there is lighting and a portable gas heater. When ready to come up for air, guests can relax on the deck or take the dinghy out to one of the nearby uninhabited islands. 011-46/21-39-0100, vasterasmalarstaden.se, from $328 for two people, open April–Oct. • Photos of Hotel Utter Inn 1 of 2 6. HOTEL KAKSLAUTTANEN, FINLAND It's hard enough to pronounce "Kakslauttanen" sober, so don't even think about attempting it after a shot of Finlandia vodka (we do, however, recommend a few glasses of the stuff to keep warm while staying at this Finnish resort near the North Pole). The snow igloos here are cool (pun intended), but what really caught our eye were the futuristic glass igloos, which guarantee unrestricted views of the aurora borealis from the comfort of your zebra-striped bed; the phenomenon turns the night sky dazzling shades of green, red, and blue from late August to April. (The special thermal glass doesn't frost over—even if outdoor temperatures drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius.) Staff supply wool socks and down sleeping bags for guests who opt for one of the 12 "real" igloos, where the interior temperature hovers between 21 and 27 degrees Fahrenheit. If you get cold feet, the property also features more conventional accommodations like wood cabins. 011-358/1666-7100, kakslauttanen.fi, glass igloos from $468 for two people. • Photos of Hotel Kakslauttanen 1 of 2 7. JUMBO STAY, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN For most jet-setters, getting on a big jet plane and going nowhere might seem like a prank of transatlantic proportions. Then again, most people have never boarded Jumbo Stay at Stockholm's Arlanda Airport. The 450 seats on this retired Boeing 747 have been replaced by 27 rooms, all of which, we assure you, have plenty of legroom. To fly really high, book the cockpit-located suite, where you can move the controls and push as many buttons as you'd like without ever worrying about crashing. 011-46/8-593-604-00, jumbostay.com, doubles from $149. • Photos of Jumbo Stay 1of 2 8. LES ROULOTTES DE LA SERVE, PROVENCE, FRANCE Gypsy (Roma) circus performers once traveled through the French countryside in the three restored caravans that now welcome guests at Les Roulottes de la Serve. It's run by Pascal and Pascaline Patin, who bought this lush plot of land for their horses more than 20 years ago. They outfitted the caravans (roulottes) with eclectic bohemian and Indian touches: lanterns, garlands, woven carpets, framed images of deities, and plush armchairs. Guests share bathrooms, a kitchen, and a campfire—a communal setup that's gypsy-like indeed. 011-33/04-74-04-76-40, lesroulottes.com, doubles from $87, open early Apr.–late Oct. • Photos of Les Roulottes de la Serve 1 of 2 9. WIGWAM MOTEL, SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA The Wigwam Motel—located on Route 66—feels less like a place one might commune with Native Americans and more like a quirky stopover on a 1950s road trip. But whatever authenticity this hotel lacks, it makes up for in serious kitsch, starting with the tepees themselves. The western-themed interiors are simple: Each wigwam is outfitted with a wagon-wheel headboard as well as air-conditioning, a 25-inch TV, free Wi-Fi, and an in-tepee bathroom. There's also a kidney-shaped pool, a barbecue pit, and a gift shop stocked with Americana. 909/875-3005, wigwammotel.com, doubles from $66. • Photo of Wigwam Motel 1 of 1 10. ELEPHANT SAFARI PARK HOTEL LODGE, BALI The first confirmation that you're not at just any old luxury resort comes when pachyderm "chauffeurs" show up to transport you to your room at the Elephant Safari Park Hotel Lodge. The 26-room property is adjacent to an 8.5-acre sanctuary for the largest herd of rescued Sumatran elephants in the world. The rooms feature elephant art—literally painted by the park's pachyderms—and elephant-inspired decor and artifacts. Guests can hang out in the on-site baby nursery and catch the 29 resident Sumatran elephants performing in four shows per day. They roam the property, and you can admire them while you're lounging in the pool or dining in the restaurant. 011-62/36-172-1480, elephantsafariparklodge.com, doubles from $260. • Photos of Elephant Safari Park Hotel Lodge 1 of 2 STILL WEIRD! • A wine cask, a hotel that defies gravity, and more from 2009 • A beagle-shaped B&B, a sewer-pipe hotel and more from 2008 MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL • Photos: 8 New Natural Wonders • Best Places You've Never Heard Of • For more travel inspiration, deals, and news, sign up for our E-mail newsletter