"entire day just travelling to reception..." and what if there's a medical emergency such as a heart attack or stroke? Such people in these remote areas simply die, with no chance of survival? I think a lot of my Russian readers, like you, are living in Moscow or larger cities where infrastructure is decent, yet they never travel outside of these areas to villages or other regions to see how the majority of the country lives. This is one of the things I value most about traveling with my Russian friend - I get to see many places in Russia that even natives have never stepped foot in. :)