Most foreign tourists in Russia travel the well-trodden circuit between Moscow and St. Petersburg. The rest of Russia's vast expanses go unvisited essentially because most foreigners simply do not suspect what they are missing through lack of information.

No doubt, more intrepid foreigners would jump at the chance to paddle the rapids of the Karelian Peninsula, go horse-back riding in Bashkiria, cruise the waters of the Yenisei river in Siberia or try their hand at down-hill skiing in the Caucasus Mountains. But so far, demand on the foreigners' side remains timid and conservative, while on the Russian side, supply has yet to get organized.

"I wouldn't undertake to organize a canoe trip for foreigners in Russia at the moment," says a representative of the Central Council for Tourism. "I can't provide world-standard service. I can't guarantee that the canoe won't turn over in a rapid, and that the foreigners won't get wet, won't injure themselves, will get food on time and so on.

Galina Nazarova, Vice President of the Council, says that all the foreign clients she has spoken with say they do not stray beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg, because going further afield is too daunting a prospect.

What scares foreigners away is not the thought of trudging dozens of kilometers through the wilderness, getting caught in downpours or stranded on bad roads, but ordinary Russian public toilets.

Outside the two main capitals, civilized public conveniences are few and far between.

Prices for tours in Russia range from the expensive to the very economical. Cheap tourism is little more costly than simply hitchhiking one's way round the country, but requires tourists to sort out their own food and accommodatiosn.

As for the more costly deals, prices depend on clients' numbers and demands.

"For $8,000 to $9,000 we can do anything, even organize an expedition to the North Pole complete with polar bears," says a Council representative.

"Individual tourism is costlier and more difficult to organize than group tourism," he says: "There is a big difference between 30 people working for just one client, or 5 people working for 15. Groups make it more affordable for the tourists and are much easier for us. The tours are better organized.

Post-Soviet Russia has inherited a diverse range of resorts and recreational facilities. Some have undergone complete "euro" renovation and have hired qualified personnel able to provide world-class service. Others have deteriorated but are still functioning. They offer spartan conditions, but with cheap rates, remain affordable vacation destinations for people on the hunt for a genuinely cheap holiday.

Tourism professionals say that high-quality facilities are still very much in the minority in Russia. Also, the few top notch hotels, holiday homes and resorts are in constant high demand from Russians and rooms have to be booked up to six months in advance.

Among the more popular destinations are the Dubovaya Roshcha and Gorny Vozdukh vacation homes near Moscow, and the Radisson-Lazurnaya Hotel in the Black Sea coast city of Sochi. Foreigners working long-term in Russia generally prefer resorts of this standard, or they simply spend their vacation somewhere abroad.

Each holiday home has its own atmosphere and traditions. Some lay down rules about when to eat, when to sleep and so forth, expecting clients to abide by them. Some will not accept children, saying that they want to preserve the serenity for their adult clients.

In some respects, Russia has distinct advantages that could be used to attract more tourists. Health tourism, for example, could be turned into a potential boom industry. Russia has some regions with unique climate and vegetation that are ideal for health resorts.

Just one example is the town of Mineralniye Vody in the Russian part of the Caucasus, and its surrounding region that stretches from the foot of Mt. Elbrus to the steppes of Stavropol. The area is known for its favorable climate and the more than one hundred mineral spas that have made it famous as a site for numerous health resorts.

The spas' healing reputation has spread beyond Russia, and the region is also home to popular brands of mineral water like Narzan, Essentuki, and Slavyanskaya.

The chemical makeup of the waters at the spas in the resort towns of Kislovodsk and Zheleznovodsk are considered 70 percent healthier than the famous spas at the Czech resort of Karlovy Vary.

As well as taking the waters, visitors can also benefit from the unique healing qualities of mud from Lake Tambukan.

It is true that service in the Southern Russian resort towns does not match what is on offer at Karlovy Vary, but so long as there is a preparedness to take the rough with the smooth, they can be a great place for a vacation.

"For $250 to $300, you can get full board and lodging and a decent level of service in Russian health resorts," says Galina Nazarova. "And once you've paid, there's no extra costs to worry about.

If you have a budget like that and don't want to spend more, there's no point even considering somewhere like Karlovy Vary."