Volga Delta Lotus Fields

The Volga breaks into a delta below Astrakhan and reaches the Caspian through hundreds of channels across some twenty-seven thousand square kilometres, and in the lower delta the sacred lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, grows in enormous stands - fields of it across the shallow water, flowering from about mid July into early September, with leaves standing a metre above the surface and pink flowers the size of a hand. How it got here is argued: Kalmyk Buddhist tradition holds it was brought and planted, while others treat it as a natural relict, and it has been recorded in the delta since at least the seventeenth century. The Astrakhansky biosphere reserve protects part of the delta and needs permits; boats run from Astrakhan and from lodges through the channels to the lotus fields. The delta is also one of the great bird sites of Eurasia - pelicans, herons, egrets, spoonbills, eagles - and a major fishery.

What you actually see

• The lotus fields - stands of Nelumbo across shallow channels, flowering July to September.
• The delta - hundreds of channels across some twenty-seven thousand square kilometres.
• The birds - pelicans, herons, spoonbills and eagles in large numbers.
• The origin question - planted by Kalmyk tradition or a natural relict, still argued.

When to go

Mid July to early September for the bloom, which is a narrow window. A day by boat, better an overnight at a delta lodge. Spring and autumn for birds.

Honest expectations

The flowering window is short and shifts with the season - going early or late means leaves and no flowers. Mosquitoes in the delta are extreme. Summer heat exceeds forty degrees on open water. The reserve core needs permits and boats must be arranged.

Nearby

Astrakhan and its kremlin are upriver; Baskunchak is north.