Find the best Russia Hotels

Russia boasts an interesting history stretching since its early beginnings 1,000 years ago as Rus. Its path from then has seen the Tsars and an era as part of the Soviet Union (USSR) come and go. Since the collapse of the USSR in 1991, travelling in Russia as a tourist has become far easier. Russia stretches across from Europe to Asia and as far as Vladivostok and the Bering Sea. Moscow, the capital city, is the main international entry point to Russia and is nine hours by aeroplane from Bangkok.

Summer is the best time to visit unless you are interested in winter sports. It can get extremely cold in Russia during the winter months. Moscow is loaded up with tourism attractions. Highlights are Red Square, considered the centre of Moscow and once housing a large market; the Grand Kremlin Palace, a 19th century complex once home to the Tsars; and Pushkin Art Museum, with its huge collection of paintings, graphic art, sculpture, coins and archaeological pieces. In St Petersburg, the number one site is the Hermitage Museum, founded in 1764 and packed with over three million items, making it the second largest art collection on earth. Others include Vasilievsky Island, which offers a number of interesting museums and is sited in the delta of the Neva River across from the Winter Palace; Saint Isaac's Cathedral and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.

Beef stroganoff, borscht beetroot soup, golubtsy stuffed cabbage and black rye bread are the essential tastes of Russia. The most popular sweet treat is blini pancakes with fruit or the deluxe caviar version. In Moscow, Arbat Street offers a good selection of eateries and pubs.

City tours of both Moscow and St Petersburg are must dos. Swimming and the summer sun at the resort town of Sochi is a good reason to add the Black Sea to travel itineraries while skiing at nearby Krasnaya Polyana is an enticement for a winter visit. The chance of seeing the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) at the Kola Peninsula is a reason to head up to Murmansk in winter. Riding the Trans-Siberian train from Moscow eastwards is one of the great rail trips and gives the chance of a stopover at Lake Baikal.

The world-famous matryoshka dolls are the top souvenir for visiting tourists. Lacquer boxes, khokhloma wood paintings and gzhel porcelain teapots are other amazing buys. Markets such as Izmailovsky in Moscow and Sennoy in St Petersburg are the top locations for souvenir shopping.