Not so long ago, one of the premium hotels of the Astrakhan region entered the top 5 best in our vast country according to the foreign magazine National Geographic, which in itself already speaks of the objectivity of the assessment. In this review, you can learn more about theFish Factory Hoteland why it soared so high in the ranking among hundreds of others across the country.
History and location
Delta of the Volga River, Kamyzyak district, the village of Samosdelka. 60 kilometers from Astrakhan stretches premium hotel“Fish factory”. Originally built “for himself” by the Moscow businessman and avid fisherman S. Kruglikov, this boutique hotel is suitable for fishing and recreation according to the strictest international standards, where it is not ashamed to invite high foreign guests. The place is expensive, with a designer finish, where each room or recreation area is decorated in an individual style. The target audience is businessmen, major executives, corporate travel, leisure for important guests. People come here to relax, wanting to enjoy the luxurious conditions of a premium hotel with a swimming pool, spa, restaurant and fish with a personal huntsman on a convenient boat.
The nature of this region will please not only with picturesque views, but also with a variety of flora and fauna: more than 55 species of fish, including beluga, sturgeon, catfish, pike perch, carp, bream; 275 species of birds – partridges, eagles, pelicans, white-tailed eagles, etc. And the valleys of lotuses, included in the red book, is a special article of eco-tourism of the Astrakhan region. Moving along the ducts of the old Volga on a boat rented here at the“Fish Factory”,you can get acquainted with the biosphere of this nature reserve.
Hotel Design
Over the architecture and interiors of this place worked famous designers Anton Skorobogatov and Inessa Moskvicheva. To the old building of the former fish factory, they completed another building and a veranda. When zoning the premises, they were divided into several interior styles. Some of the spaces are made in African design, the other in classic European, diluted them with modern “techno”. Each issue of the 11 available is executed in an individual author’s content dedicated to a famous city or locality.
In the interiors of the decoration used expensive materials and “handmade” items. Marble, granite, steel, brass, rare wood, European wallpaper, decorated plumbing, imported furniture, etc.
How to get there
Taxi from Astrakhan or the airport to the village of Samosdelka will cost around 1000-1200 rubles. It is better to book a car in advance by phone, so as not to lansuate in anticipation.
In the village there is a post office, a shop, a temple in honor of St. Matrona of Moscow. The hotel has secure parking (included in the price), WI-FI throughout the territory. If necessary, the hotel manager can pick up a transfer from the airport and excursions, calculate the cost of additional. services and provide other information.
Room stock
If you want comfort as in a five-star hotel and perfect cleanliness, then the conditions in this place will not disappoint.
The rooms have a huge bed with orthopedic mattress, plasma with a set of satellite channels, mini-bar (included in the price), capsule coffee machine, climate control, shower with all accessories, underfloor heating.
Caring girls from the room service are always ready to prompt and answer questions. The staff here is well trained, eager to serve and causes positive feedback from vacationers. A standard room costs 17,000 rubles, a “superior” with a separate exit to the pool 27,000 rubles. All rooms have the same area of 27 m2. The price includes breakfast, access to all recreation areas, equipment rental.
Fishing in the Volga Delta
For fishing and renting a boat, it is better to use the services of a huntsman familiar with the network of local reservoirs. He will tell you in which places it is better to catch this or that type of fish, pave the right route and will be “in shape” throughout the entire time of fishing.
In addition to the old Volga, fishing here is carried out on the channels, eriks, rolls and small rivers (banks). Rent on the basis of the boat, depending on the model costs from 7500 rubles per day – this is a motor boat “lr-520”, designed for 5 seats and a carrying capacity of 600kg.
9500 rubles a day is a plastic motor boat “LR-830”, a modernized generation of “hunter”.
14500 rubles per day – “Merry Fisher”, a French yacht with a capacity of up to 6 people with a cabin for rest.
15,000 rubles a day is an American pleasure boat “Monterey” with a capacity of up to 6 people. Prices may change, specify their relevance.
In addition, it is necessary to pay for gasoline from 2500 rubles per day. Equipment rental and huntsman services are already included in the price of the holiday.
Fishing in the Volga delta in excitement is hardly comparable with other reservoirs, because. there are a lot of fish and it is diverse. Of the predators, asp, pike and walleye are popular, which are caught spinning. Fishermen immediately release bass, because prey is not considered here. Of the herbivores, hunting for carp and bream is popular, which knowledgeable craftsmen catch on the bottom (worm, cake, legumes, etc.).
A separate story is the hunt for soma. In the pits you can find quite decent trophies from 20kg. Accordingly, the rod or donka must withstand the load.
The famous vobla is also caught on the bait, which is then dried and given to friends “to beer”. The Volga is the only place where the vobla lives.
On the rolls there is a specially equipped area for overnight stay and parking, where you can cook an ear, fry meat, drink “tea” and sleep.
Fans of spearfishing in these places can find a trophy to their liking: catfish under 100 kg or a huge carp. The best visibility under water on the rolls (up to 5 meters), the worst in the Volga delta (about 1.5 meters). Seasonal temperatures range from 3 degrees in winter to 25 degrees in summer. Wetsuit should be warm.
In winter, ice fishing catch pike by actively moving and drilling new holes. This is a real sport and active leisure activities, and not half-asleep sitting over a hole in a tent. On thematic forums, where fishermen share their experience with each other, you can read interesting reports on fishing in these places.
Cultural recreation areas
In addition to entertainment on the Volga and in the hotel itself, too, there is something to do:
- The heated swimming pool (90 m2) with audio system is located outside. There are sun loungers for sunbathing;
- Jacuzzi with aero and hydromassage is also equipped with heating. Located next to the pool and accommodates 3-4 people;
- the fireplace is a place where they relax on soft sofas under the crackle of logs in the fireplace, enjoying a picturesque view of the river through a panoramic window. Here you can order a hookah or a humidor cigar*. In this space, trimmed with green marble, it is convenient to have leisurely business and intimate conversations;
- the library also has panoramic windows, sofas, coffee tables, a rich selection of books, magazines and board games. Drinks and snacks from the bar will help even in the library to spend “cultural” leisure;
- The grotto is a separate building right by the Volga with small windows and a terrace. There is a wine cellar, a lounge area where wine tasting takes place, and on the upper terrace they meet the sunset;
- the campfire is arranged right at the edge of the Volga. Soft sofas, a hearth for making a fire are brought here.
The total area of recreation areas is more than 200 m2. There is also a garden for walking.
*Humidor is a special casket for storing cigars. It has a tightly closed lid, and the interior is trimmed with Spanish cedar wood. All this is necessary to maintain a certain humidity (60-75%), at which cigars are stored without drying.
Spa, massage
The spa area includes a sauna, sauna, hammam and 3 separate rooms for beauty services. In addition to massage with care (from 2500 rubles), you can order wraps, thalassotherapy, a variety of masks, etc. Sunbathe is best by the pool on sun loungers with a refreshing cocktail from the bar.
Meals and restaurants
The spacious loft-style restaurant is a convenient place not only for a feast, but also for entertainment. Designer fireplace “Sail”, pleasant music is complemented by a cinema with a broadcast of films or matches, karaoke and computer games with a screen on the wall.
The chef prepares mainly fish dishes of European cuisine. Guests praise the signature ear of several types of fish, ravioli with sturgeon, fried carp and catfish, salads, snacks, etc. The average cost of lunch and dinner without drinks ranges from 3-4 thousand rubles, depending on the appetite. Continental* breakfast is included in the price.
The bar has at its disposal a large selection of aperitifs, wines, spirits and classic cocktails.
*Continental breakfast, unlike traditional English, is lighter and less hearty. This usually includes products such as coffee with milk, pastries, butter, yogurt, etc.
Excursions and attractions
What else you can see:
- A sturgeon farm nearby offers lunch tours that include sterlet ear, baked potatoes with sturgeon, smoked and balyk tasting. Here they will tell in detail and show the whole entertaining process of growing beluga and sturgeon in cages, provide an opportunity to feed the fish and buy farm products at cheap prices. For add. the board will give a small live sturgeon, just caught from the cage. This child should be released into the Volga and make a wish that will come true;
- Birdwatching or bird watching is one of the interesting activities in these places for bird lovers. Strekhs, cormorants, herons, swans, pelicans and many other species in flocks and one sing back and forth. The Volga Delta is a wintering place for many species of birds. They are watched through binoculars, which can take pictures through a smartphone;
- “Settlement” in the village of Samosdelka is an excavation of the ancient capital of the Khazar Khaganate of the city of Itil, destroyed in the 11th century. In its place was built the city of Saksin, which was later burned by the Mongols in the 13th century. The cultural layer is 3.5 meters, excavations have been going on for almost 20 years. Many artifacts and treasures were found: gold, lead bars, ceramics, jewelry, even a piece of a chess horse. Burial grounds have been excavated, bones and skulls stick out of the ground around. The fortress wall of brick is the same shape as in the Moscow Kremlin. It is informative to get acquainted with the camp and the life of the diggers;
- Astrakhan is also interesting to visit before or after checking into the hotel “Rybzavod”. Main attractions: the museum “Zeigauz”, St. John the Baptist Monastery, opera and ballet theater, drama theater, planetarium, Kustodiev Museum, art gallery. On Violet Street there is a puppet theater and the most fashionable restaurants. The visiting card of the city is pies with sturgeon and som;
- lotus valleys are visited from July to September. This is the time of flowering of relict water lotuses*, listed in the red book. Whole fields of these wonderful plants will delight with large buds and blooming flowers. The beauty is indescribable!
*Lotus is a plant mentioned in all known epics, myths and works of ancient civilizations. The lotus flower is always turned to the sun, has the effect of self-purification, dry despite the fact that it grows on water. It is a symbol of Buddhism and food for many Asian peoples.
