There's a new honeymoon experience for newlyweds who don't want to stay in a standard hotel room. An igloo has been built in the shadow of a volcano in Russia's far east - and it's open until mid-May.
An igloo has been built in the shadow of a volcano in Russia's far east - and it's open until mid-May.? |
Through the hatch and into an icy wonderland. It stands in the Kamchatka region in Russia's far east, an area famous for its thermal springs.
Construction has been a challenge, as it's been an abnormally warm winter this year.
The diameter of a double room varies from three to six meters, and everything inside is made of ice - bed, chairs and even a fireplace.
Hotel guest, Anna Babich, says it's not actually that cold inside the igloo.
"It is my first experience of such a thing, it was very strange in the igloo hotel. The feelings are very strange, because at first glance it looked like an ice cube, but inside it is not cold at all, it has a very nice atmosphere and great design," she said.
Marina and Anton Ivanov are celebrating their wedding in Kamchatka, with their first night as a couple set to be a little frosty.
Despite the distance from family and friends, they say they're thrilled to be the first couple to have their wedding here.
"The place is very different, and we decided that it might compensate for the fact that our relatives could not be here (during the wedding), because they are far away and it's not realistic to invite them all to come. But this is the first igloo hotel in Russia and the first Russian wedding at the Igloo hotel," Groom Ivanov said.
And overseeing the nuptials are ice carvings on the igloo roof.
The area is already popular for its thermal springs, thus offering extremes of temperature.
Igloo hotel manager, Vitali Lazo, says the idea behind the Ice Igloo is to create some unforgettable memories for visitors.
"We wanted to surprise everyone. We did not want it to just be a cosy hotel like everywhere else; we wanted guests to come and say 'wow, where am I?' I think we have surprised everyone," he said.
The temperature inside the huts is not expected to drop below three degrees Celsius, no matter what the weather conditions outside.
The surrounding area is decorated with totem poles, and visitors can also take tours to the nearby Vilyuchinsky volcano.
The ice hotel is open until mid-May.