The largest country in the world, Russia is about 5,600 miles from west to east (at the two most widely separated points) and encompasses no fewer than 11 time zones. Its landscape comprises expanses of tundra, taiga (coniferous forest), deserts and steppes. Over the past decade, Siberia and the Arctic Circle have opened up to ecotourism and hunting expeditions, while the dramatic Kamchatka Peninsula offers exceptional fly-fishing. Scenic river cruises between Moscow and St. Petersburg have also become popular, and the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express between Moscow and Vladivostok ranks among the world’s most epic luxury train journeys.