Yalta

Yalta is a kitschy place, with memories from 19th century VIPs who came to cure their illnesses, as well as from communist-era citizens who got the privilege to go there and take it easy. Today it's a tourist trap in beautiful surroundings. Yalta is twinned with Margate in England.

In the summer months it can get very crowded, but in the autumn the weather can still be warm and pleasant. In October for example, the temperature can still get to the high 20s. Winters are not as cold in Yalta as the rest of Ukraine. Protected from the North by the mountains and warmed by the Black Sea, there is never a lot of snow in the winter, but beware of the winds as they can be bitingly cold.

English is not widely spoken in the Crimea, but it is understood by most young people. Russian is the main language spoken in the Crimea, as well as Ukrainian and Tatar. The people are very friendly and crime in this city of over 80,000 people is low. Tourists are safe as long as they follow sensible rules: don't flash your cash, avoid unlit pathways at night (if only to avoid the drunks), and don't let strangers buy you drinks, in places you do not know.