Samuel lives in Montreal. He had wanted to visit Russia for a long time, and what finally pushed him was a YouTube video about a boxing camp in Sochi. He wrote to the coach on WhatsApp, booked a hotel the same way, flew Montreal–Dubai–Sochi and spent sixteen days there in June 2025, training on the pebble beach and being driven around the city by a taxi driver who ended up becoming a friend. It’s the first Sochi chronicle in this section.
His account is useful for one very concrete reason: money. Samuel entered on a regular tourist visa (I explain the options for Canadian passport holders here), his foreign cards didn’t work, and he had to run the whole trip on cash — which meant four different banks and almost two hours to change his Canadian dollars. He also tells you exactly how the eSIM, the migration registration and Yandex Taxi worked out for him, and what he’d do differently next time.
What follows is Samuel’s own account, lightly tidied so it reads at an easy pace. The photos are his too. Thank you, Samuel, for sharing them.
| Traveller | Samuel |
| From | Montreal, Canada |
| When | June 2025 |
| Route | Montreal – Dubai – Sochi (Adler), plus Krasnaya Polyana, the Olympic Park and the mountains behind the city |
| Entry | Regular tourist visa |
| Reason for the trip | A boxing camp he found on YouTube |
| Duration | 16 days |
| Accommodation | Hotel booked directly over WhatsApp, around 69,000 rubles for the 16 days |
| Money | Cash only: foreign cards didn’t work, Canadian dollars changed in Sochi |
| Connectivity | Foreign eSIM (Holafly) |
Where Samuel moved during his sixteen days, approximate. He flew in from Montreal via Dubai and landed at Adler airport; from his hotel in Sochi he went out to the Olympic Park, the marina and, up in the mountains, Krasnaya Polyana. Map: OpenStreetMap.
It started with a YouTube video about a boxing camp
First of all, I want to thank Irena for this website — it was so practical — and for taking the time to answer my questions whenever I needed help.
The idea of going to Russia started when I saw a YouTube video about a boxing camp in Sochi. I knew travelling there would be a bit more complicated than a typical trip, but I didn’t care, because I had been wanting to visit Russia for a long time. I really wanted to experience the country, discover the culture and see it all for myself.
I visited the boxing school’s website and translated it into English. There was a contact button that opened a WhatsApp chat, which I found a little unusual, since I wasn’t used to businesses communicating that way. But it worked amazingly well. Through WhatsApp I got in touch with the coach, who answered all my questions and helped me organise everything.
Booking the hotel over WhatsApp too
I also reached out to the hotel over WhatsApp and booked my room in advance. At the time, paying before arrival wasn’t an option, so I simply agreed the booking and paid on the spot. The room was very affordable: about 69,000 rubles for 16 days. If you’d rather not do it that way, there are ways to book hotels in Russia with a foreign card, but in my case writing straight to the hotel was the simplest thing.
Montreal – Dubai – Sochi, and three days of jet lag
I flew from Montreal to Dubai, and then from Dubai to Sochi with Emirates. It was a long journey and I was exhausted when I arrived. Because of the jet lag — something I had never really experienced before — it took nearly three days to get a good night’s sleep. If you’re working out how to book your flights to Russia, that connection through the Gulf is one of the routes that works.
When I landed, I expected people at the airport to speak some English, but I quickly realised almost nobody did. That’s worth knowing before you get there: it’s a good idea to arrive with a translation app and a few words of Russian.
The eSIM saved the trip
I used a foreign eSIM (Holafly), which proved essential. I relied on it for WhatsApp to stay in touch with the boxing group, for translation apps and for navigation. I had one minor issue with it, but I connected to the hotel Wi‑Fi, reached out to support and they resolved it quickly. If you want to compare options before you go, there’s a rundown of the eSIMs that actually work in Russia.
Cash only: four banks in two hours to change my money
Since my foreign bank cards didn’t work, I had to rely entirely on cash for the trip. I exchanged a small amount at the airport, assuming I’d get a better rate at a bank in town. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the case.
The first bank didn’t offer foreign currency exchange at all. The second one accepted only 500 Canadian dollars, inspecting every single bill with extreme scrutiny and rejecting a few for reasons I still don’t understand — even though I had picked up crisp, perfect bills from my bank in Canada. To top it off, the rate was basically the same as at the airport.
I realised changing money was going to be far more tedious than expected. We tried a third bank, but they didn’t exchange money either. Finally, a fourth bank accepted my remaining 2,500 Canadian dollars, though at a pretty unfavourable rate. It’s worth reading up in advance on where to change euros or dollars for rubles.
Sacha, the taxi driver who became a friend
When I stepped outside the airport, several taxi drivers tried to persuade me to ride with them, but their quotes were steep. I showed them that Yandex Taxi was much cheaper, and suddenly one driver called another, who called someone else to pick me up. I didn’t love the vibe, so I decided to book officially through the Yandex app, where it felt much safer.
At first I couldn’t locate my driver, and a timer warned I’d be charged a waiting fee soon. I cancelled that ride and ordered another. This time I found my driver right away. His name was Sacha. He was quiet at first, but using a translation app and staying friendly, we quickly struck up a conversation.
I asked if we could stop at a bank before heading to the hotel so I could change the rest of my money, and that’s how the four-bank tour began. What amazed me was that Sacha stayed with me the entire time. We visited four banks over an hour and a half — maybe even two hours. I was starting to feel stressed, worrying the taxi meter was going to skyrocket. When we finally arrived at the hotel, he mentioned that if I wanted to explore the city, he and his wife would love to pick me up another day to show me around. Then he charged me the exact price quoted on the Yandex app: around 1,900 rubles. I couldn’t believe his generosity after spending so much extra time helping me, so I gave him a very well-deserved tip.
Checking in and the migration registration
When I walked in, the hotel staff was waiting for me. The receptionist was wonderful, and the migration registration was seamless: they simply took a picture of my documents and everything was completed in minutes.
Once settled in my room I relaxed for a bit before meeting the boxing coach, his wife, their children and one of his fighters. They took me out to explore some beautiful natural spots nearby. The coach’s wife spoke a little English, and we had some great conversations right from the start.
Sochi with Sacha: Krasnaya Polyana, the Olympic Park and the marina
The next day I met Sacha again, and this time he brought his wife along. They gave me a big tour of Sochi. We visited an area with huge hotels and casinos beside a beautiful river, saw the Olympic Park and several other spots. We mostly communicated through a translation app, but sometimes we surprisingly understood each other without translating a thing.
On another day we went to the marina to see the boats, and his wife, her sister and her kids came along.
We also visited a shopping mall, and I was really impressed by it. There were so many activities and spaces for children and teenagers to hang out — very different from what I’m used to back home. We ate at a restaurant in the mall where I tried Vkusno i Tochka, the Russian version of McDonald’s. To be honest, it wasn’t any better than back home: both taste pretty bad.
Every time I went somewhere with Sacha I tried to give him gas money, but he always refused. He was genuinely happy to show me his city and spend time together, expecting nothing in return. When it was time to leave, he was the one who drove me back to the airport. Once again he refused my money, so I hid some cash in his car and texted him on WhatsApp after he left to tell him where it was. I really appreciated his kindness and generosity.
Eating in Sochi: cafeterias priced by weight, and borscht every day
Most of my meals were in small cafeterias. I wasn’t used to that style of dining, so it was a little confusing at first: I didn’t realise almost everything is priced by weight — the menu shows the price per 100 grams and they weigh your plate at the till. Luckily, some of the staff spoke a bit of English, so it all worked out.
I also tried borscht for the first time and was blown away by how good it was. It was absolutely delicious, and I ended up eating it almost every day during my stay. I also visited a few great restaurants where I had lamb chops and lula kebab. The food was amazing.
The camp: training on the beach and a day up in the mountains
At the boxing camp, most of our training was on the beach or in the gym.
One day, our group piled into three or four old off-road jeeps and drove deep into the mountains. We visited an incredible natural spring and some small religious sites hidden in the forest. It was gorgeous.
We stopped at a farm for fresh kebabs — the food was incredible — and I bought a few things at the local market, where everything was surprisingly affordable.
Nikky, and the people I met along the way
At the camp I met a guy named Nikky. We spent a few evenings together with his wife and child, and we had a great time. He and his wife would often bring me fresh produce from the market. They were genuinely kind people, and I really appreciated their generosity.
Did I feel safe in Russia?
Generally I felt very safe in Russia and really enjoyed walking around the streets in the evening to explore. There were only a few moments where I felt a little uncomfortable, but nothing serious happened. One guy kept pointing at me while talking to others — someone had probably mentioned I wasn’t local, so he was likely just curious, though it got a bit annoying after a while.
There was also a big guy in a restaurant I visited a few times. He had a stern expression and was wearing a shirt with a massive AK‑47 design on it. The first time he approached me I felt a bit stressed, not knowing what to expect. It turned out he was just being kind: it was cold out, and he wanted to offer me a blanket to keep warm. It was a sweet gesture and a great reminder that first impressions can be totally wrong. The only other strange experience was a drunk guy who wanted me to party with him; I politely declined, and everything was fine.
What I’ll do differently next time
I still keep in touch with Sacha and Nikky, and I’m already planning my next trip. Next time I’d like to spend time in Moscow hanging out with Nikky and visiting his new dacha, which he bought this year. I also hope Sacha and his wife can join me in Saint Petersburg, as he mentioned to me that his wife has really been wanting to visit the city. Before I go back, I want to learn a bit more Russian so I can hold simple conversations without relying on my phone all the time.
For the next trip I plan to open a T‑Bank account and use stablecoins through Whitebird to transfer funds. I’ll also get a local SIM card this time, so I have a Russian phone number to complete the money transfers, and it will be much less expensive than using an eSIM. I might need to use a VPN to stay in touch with everyone back home, as that’s what my friends in Russia do all the time to message me.
Overall, I can’t wait to go back. I found the country wonderful and felt a real connection to the culture and the people I met along the way. Everyone I met was warm, welcoming and willing to help, even with the language barrier. It was an experience I’ll never forget.
Have you travelled to Russia recently and want to share your experience? Tell me about your trip here and I’ll publish it in this section, under your name or anonymously, as you prefer. Accounts like Samuel’s are the ones that really help the people who are planning their own trip.
