Is there a connection and the Internet in Gorny Altai? Which gas stations are best for refueling? Are there banks and ATMs? Do you need cash? Useful information and our advice on these matters.
Our trip... For a month and a half we traveled by car in Gorny Altai. The team visited all the most interesting places from Manzherok to the border with Mongolia. We share our experience with you in a series of articles about rest in Gorny Altai.
What is Gorny Altai for a person who does not know anything about it? This is some kind of wild land, where there is no connection, no Internet, or other benefits of civilization. Before the trip, we were mainly concerned with practical questions: are there gas stations on the Chuysky tract, how much cash to take, are there ATMs. The impression was aggravated by the fact that on the Internet we could not find information that completely satisfies us, it was collected bit by bit. Therefore, in this and other articles, we will present everything that we have collected and tested ourselves.
Cellular communication, mobile Internet, Wi-Fi in Gorny Altai
Rest in Gorny Altai is a real opportunity to get rid of Internet and gadget addiction and undergo informational detox. Operators claim that the coverage in Gorny Altai is excellent - in fact, this is not the case. According to our observations, in some parts of the Chuisky tract beyond the Seminsky pass, there was no cellular communication, not to mention the Internet.
We had three SIM cards from different operators: Beeline, Megafon and MTS. Main - Beeline... In general, the network catches almost everywhere, with the exception of wilderness areas such as Ulagan Lakes and Dzhumaly Springs - there is no connection at all. The best communication is in Gorny Altai in large settlements, for example, in Manzherok and the surrounding area, Ongudai and Kosh-Agach. 3G Internet, everything opens quickly, you can even download movies!
If communication is important and you need internet for work, take to Gorny Altai multiple sim cards... Check the operators' coverage area before driving. By the way, there is no Tele2 in Gorny Altai yet.
Wi-Fi in Gorny Altai - an impermissible luxury, sometimes this wild beast is found in advanced bases and hotels, for example, in Aktash ("Green Kolobok", "Rasul"), Kosh-Agach ("Zarya"). Where the infrastructure is developed (Mayminsky and Chemal districts), there are no problems with it.
Check out our safety tips in Altai >>
Banks and ATMs of Sberbank in Gorny Altai
There are banks and ATMs of Sberbank in Gorny Altai - in any large village, so you can not carry a lot of cash. Cash will be needed if you are going to the remote places of Gorny Altai: Dzhumalinsky keys, Ulagansky lakes, Aktru. You can pay by card only in large supermarkets and some cafes. We recommend taking Sberbank cards, since we did not notice other banks beyond the Seminsky Pass. You can also go with Tinkoff Bank cards, which allow you to withdraw money from any ATM without commissions.
Find out also about shops and cafes in Altai >>
Gorny Altai gas stations
We tried to refuel at proven gas stations (Gazprom, Lukoil, Rosneft), but there are no familiar gas stations on the Chuisky tract after Manzherok (except that there is Lukoil in Kosh-Agach). Unnamed and unknown gas stations are quite common, with an interval of about 50-100 km.
The most popular gas station in Gorny Altai is Nika. Gasoline is good, there is almost always coffee. In Aktash, the locals did not advise refueling at the Rasul gas station.
Gasoline prices in Gorny Altai are overstated - about 2 rubles more per liter (about 39-40 rubles for 95th) than in Perm and Yekaterinburg.
