Kholmsk looks like a town built on a staircase. It climbs the steep hills on the western shore of Sakhalin, facing the Tatar Strait, and its ferry terminal and port are the island's main link to the mainland. Before 1945 this part of Sakhalin belonged to Japan, and the town was known as Maoka. Traces of that era remain in odd places, from old stonework to a few preserved buildings, and the name change is part of why the place feels layered, with older bones beneath Soviet concrete.
The road that brings you here from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is one of the island's best rides. It crosses the Western Sakhalin Mountains, climbing through forests of fir, spruce and dense, head-high dwarf bamboo, and then drops to the sea in a series of bends. The asphalt is generally good, though frost damage and landslips can interrupt it, and the gradients are steady rather than savage. Fog is the main hazard, rolling in off the strait and cutting visibility, particularly in early summer. September is a lovely month, with clear air and the first colour in the leaves, while winters bring heavy snow that can close the pass for short periods.
With about thirty-two thousand residents, Kholmsk has everything you will need: petrol stations, supermarkets, cafes serving fresh seafood and a handful of hotels. It is also a place to stock up before moving on, since distances on Sakhalin can be long and services thin. The ferry port is worth a look even if you are not travelling, with its trains and trucks lined up to board, and the sight of a railway ferry loading is a small spectacle in itself.
The sea smells of salt and fish, and the sky often turns pink and gold over the water in the evening. Sakhalin is known for its salmon, crab and sea urchin, and the markets sell them fresh and dried, along with the salty seaweed salad found throughout the Far East. Wander down to the front and eat something from the water, then take the road back over the mountains with the sun behind you. It is a short ride, but one that gives a lot for the effort.