Arctic | We go where the crowds don't.

HOWLING IN THE WILD, AN ARCTIC WOLF EXPERIENCE

david jules — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 22:10:41 +0000

What other hotel website has a moon calendar to help you time your stay? The northernmost wildlife park in the world is also one of its most exclusive—read: only for the happy few. With just a handful of annual stays available, this secluded lodge offers extreme privacy, nestled deep within the quiet Arctic woods of Northern Norway. Far from the ordinary, it’s a sanctuary where the untamed beauty of the Arctic meets luxurious comfort, creating an experience that is both intimate and extraordinary.
At the heart of this retreat is a unique opportunity to connect with Arctic wolves. Guided by a master animal guardian and seasoned keepers, guests are invited into the wolves’ domain for an up-close and transformative encounter. These majestic creatures, with their piercing eyes and quiet strength, offer an unparalleled window into the wild. It’s an experience that reshapes your understanding of nature and fosters a deep appreciation for the untamed.
The lodge itself features just three opulent suites, each designed for ultimate comfort and exclusivity. A private lounge with panoramic windows provides breathtaking views of the Arctic wilderness, making it a haven for reflection and connection. The safari-like rules add to the adventure—no one ventures out alone, ensuring safety while maintaining the sense of awe that defines the experience. Days are filled with exhilarating activities, including guided hikes through pristine landscapes, snowmobile rides over frozen lakes, and intimate moments spent with the wolves under expert supervision.
Guests can also learn about critical conservation efforts, gaining insight into the delicate balance of protecting these incredible animals. As night falls, the Arctic skies deliver a show like no other. In winter, the vivid colors of the Aurora Borealis light up the heavens, while in summer, the midnight sun casts an ethereal glow over the landscape. Each evening becomes a grand finale, a celebration of nature’s wonders.

Limited to just 15 all-inclusive stays per year, with a three-night minimum, this private retreat offers exclusive access to the wolves while directly supporting their care and conservation. It’s a rare and meaningful experience that allows you to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with the raw beauty of the Arctic. Book early—this unparalleled journey into the wild fills up fast!

This exclusive Arctic stay starts at approximately €80,000 for three nights.
Get in touch for more information.
david@remoteexperiences.com

The post HOWLING IN THE WILD, AN ARCTIC WOLF EXPERIENCE first appeared on Remote Experiences.

A DATE WITH A HUSKY

david jules — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 20:40:19 +0000

Our expedition leader Johan Väisänen has the looks of a Viking with the vigour of Ben Hur. The latter also refers to the sled on which he skilfully balances while zipping through a cold and silent, white landscape. Johan is a modern charioteer, with the only difference that the carriage is a wooden sleigh pulled forward by six hyperkinetic husky dogs. The territory of these dogs and their eight, extreme warmly dressed sledge drivers, is a quiet area around Kangos, a Swedish village 150 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. Johan runs with his family Pinetree Lodge, an intimate hotel with its own husky kennel. They live far away from busy and touristy Lapland where most travellers go. Kangos village is a couple of streets with a handful of typical wooden houses where according to the tradition; small lights are hung inside in front of the windows. It’s a gesture of warmth in a wintery landscape where temperatures often plunge below -35 degrees Celsius. This secluded area consists of nothing but dense forest, clear rivers and more than 150 lakes. During the winter months, everything morphs into an abstract, white entity. A wilderness of snow sculptures that were once trees, icy plains that change during the summer in lakes and quaint fishing huts that now serve as refuges to escape the -25 degrees nights. Pinetree Lodge is cosy inside. Far too cosy. Outside everything creaks under the extreme freezing temperatures and staying inside, close to the fire, seems the only human activity that is acceptable here. Within two days our group will leave on a three-day husky expedition. Everyone is hoping for a clear sky and maybe some northern lights. Don’t think you can go out in casual winter ski pants or a dress. We get special suits and giant boots as if we are going to walk on the moon. Thermal underwear is a man’s best friend here, believe me. Once you step outside to enjoy the majestic landscape and surroundings, you have to be prepared. Especially when leaving on a husky expedition.Fans of blue-eyed huskies should come here. Johan has his own kennel with more than 100 dogs. They are well groomed, are in top condition and have three full time carers who are working with them. Alaskan Huskies are not really lazy, on the contrary. Jumping, barking, crying, fighting, pulling … The next three days we will experience that standing on a wooden sled, pulled ahead by a few huskies on speed, isn’t a piece of cake. You soon feel that balance and flexibility are important and yes being fit, because when it goes uphill, you need to help the dogs. If you don’t, they will look at you as if you are a big lazy bastard. To hang casually on your sled, is not an option. We whiz past trees, under low-hanging branches covered in snow, through endless, shimmering plains where you will have to stay on the track or you disappear into the deep soft snow. Johan demonstrates his Viking skills and pops out his Sami knife to build a smouldering campfire for lunch. Reindeer skins serve as a bench in the snow, a pot of hearty soup hangs on a branch above the open fire. Shortly after sunset and on arrival at the wilderness cabin the only thing you want to do is get inside and warm up. But first the dogs have to be fed and put into bed, well, nest of hay, protecting them against deadly, cold nights. And the nights are long and dark in Lapland. Unless the Northern Lights decide to pop-up, then you will have to get out of the warm wooden cabin and stand in the freezing cold to see the spectacle. In case of frostbite, there is always the sauna to heat up again. Or the bottle of Aqua Vit or Jenever that one of our fellow guests took along on the trip. Life can be simple in the high north.

THE VERDICT Lapland is still amazing. It is so easy to travel from any city in Europe up here but yet you feel in another world. Last time we were in Finnish Lapland around Ivalo and it was much more busy and touristy then during this second trip in Swedish Lapland. During this weeklong stay, we were practically alone in this vast and quiet area. It’s exactly this feeling of solitude you really need when traveling up North.

HOW TO GO We travelled with Xplore the North to Swedish Lapland. They offer intense and extreme expeditions to Spitsbergen and to shortbreaks in Lapland for the whole family. A midweek starts from 595 euro, without flight. We flew to Kiruna in Sweden with SAS from Brussels, making a stop-over in Stockholm. SAS is a member of Star Alliance and connects easily with other airlines flying in from the States or Asia.

WWW.XPLORETHENORTH.COM
WWW.FLYSAS.COM

WHAT TO PACK 1.Start with warm merino woollen underwear: the New Zealand brand Icebreaker is the best when it comes to the warmest and most comfortable underwear and socks that are essential for these freezing temperatures. An Icebreaker baklava, a cap that covers the entire face except the eyes, will prevent freezing cheeks and tip of the nose. 2. Perfect for these climates is the Patagonia Down Sweater, made from Primaloft, a synthetic microfiber that replaces regular down feathers. This super insulating material was made during the 1980 for the U.S. Army and is designed to be as light as a feather. 3. An absolute necessity is a vest and pants of the brand Canada Goose. This is the favourite brand of people living in these cold parts of the world. 4. Cold feet are a disaster in Arctic regions. Invest in good boots that can handle the lowest temperatures. Our favourite type is Baffin Footwear, an outdoor brand from the far north of Canada. Especially the model Impact can resist temperatures down to -100 degrees Celsius for both ladies and gentlemen.5. Buy also some hand warmers that start glowing when needed plus a headlamp with LED lighting from the brand Petzl. Petzl crampons are also useful when
walking on the ice.

WWW.ICEBREAKER.COM
WWW.PATAGONIA.COM
WWW.CANADA-GOOSE.COM
WWW.BAFFIN.COM
WWW.PETZL.COM

The post A DATE WITH A HUSKY first appeared on Remote Experiences.

SAFARI IN THE POLAR DESERT

david jules — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 18:29:33 +0000

I am wearing three pairs of socks, two thermals, three shirts, a sweater and an expedition jacket, but I am still freezing. The arctic wind slashes against my face as we ride east on qamutiks, or komatiks, authentic Inuit wooden sledges pulled by snow scooters, to base camp. For five hours our small group swishes over the frozen ice of Eclipse Sound and along the shores of the majestic Sirmilik National Park, part of Baffin Island. I am burring my head deep into the warmth of my fluffy but colossal parka, hiding from the icy wind. Visions of tropical islands pop up into my mind. Did I make the right decision of traveling to this very remote Artic part of the world? But then we reach the ice of the floe edge. Arriving here is a breath taking moment, not just because the cold, Arctic air makes my lungs tingle, but because I am standing before a dazzling white desert of icy sea with only several dramatic icebergs in the distance. The only colors are the deep blue sky and some yellow forms in the distance. The qamutiks skate closer and those small, yellow dots grow into a dozen of tents: my otherworldly home for the next five days.
I am in Arctic Canada where a frozen sea awaits me together with a comfy base camp. It’s better not to venture into this unknown wild alone. The best is to book a trip with the bespoke travel company Arctic Kingdom. They bring individual travellers like me from all over the world to this remote location where the frozen floe edge meets the cold, wide Atlantic. Point of meeting is Pond Inlet, a small hamlet in Nunavut, located on the northeastern shores of Baffin Island, 72°North. It took me three flights and almost 10 hours from Ottawa to get here. Canadian North, one of two carriers flying to these remote corners of the world, services Pond Inlet each day with small, propeller airplanes.
Pond Inlet has just over 1000 inhabitants, mostly Inuit and a mix of “Southerners” living and working here. It is a tiny, somewhat peculiar community with a couple of small hotels, no restaurants, two shops and no bars because Pond Inlet is dry: alcohol is forbidden, alas for me, even for visitors. The snow that covers this hamlet during a very long and dark winter starts to melt around the end of May. Arctic Kingdom has set up our base camp on the ice, some 70 kilometres away from town. They looked for the perfect spot: next to the bird sanctuary of Bylot Island and close to two grandiose icebergs frozen in the landscape.
At the floe edge guide Mike drops a hydrophone into the icy water so that we can hear the outlandish sonar sounds below the surface. I am detecting Star Trek-like echoes and noises from bearded seals and whales while I am gazing across immense swathes of frozen Atlantic. There is something immensely calming and soothing about it. “You know, it is a virus. When you have it, once you’re bitten, it draws you back to the (Ant)Arctic. I call it the Polar virus,” says Mr Heiner Kubny from Switzerland who has travelled more than 50 times to Antarctica and into the polar regions of Russia, Canada and Svalbard. Mr. Heiner is sitting extremely relaxed next to me at the border of the floe edge while enjoying the views and snapping away with his huge camera.
During the summer months, the air temperature in the Arctic swings between just below zero and five degrees, depending on the wind chill. Greyish, cold weather with snow in the air and feisty winds that rattle my tent at night quickly changes into tranquil skies and a spooky mist covering the top of the giant tabular iceberg in the distance. A couple of hours later, bright sunshine makes the otherwise much appreciated Canada Goose jackets superfluous. It only takes me a couple of days to adopt the Arctic summer look: a deep tan with the mandatory sunglasses print burned into my face.
We embark on a walk beside a majestic iceberg in the footsteps of a huge polar bear. The guide measures the size of the animal by its tracks. “I think it’s a female, but a big one.” We explore the wide area around base camp on sledges while stopping now and again to admire the views, test the telephoto lenses or to warm ourselves with some hot coffee and tea. For a “top of the world” sensation, Mike suggests we climb a pinnacle shaped iceberg. “This might be your only chance to stand on a berg that is thousands of years old,” he smiles. But then the floe edge calls again where some narwhals have been spotted. Unfortunately, the brown silhouettes with their legendary ivory tusks disappear quickly in the still ocean and nobody is fast enough to snap a picture. The females come to check the floe edge first, to see if it’s already possible to swim through cracks in the ice to feed during the summer months in the rich waters off the Baffin Island fjords.
On my last day in this frozen world, the sky is covered in eerie black clouds; the air is cold and the top layer of ice looks and sounds like the crust of crème brûlée. Back on the floe edge, Mike entertains us by trying to attract whales while making wide arm gestures. “Oh rise up, mighty Leviathans! Rise up!” he calls. Then it happens. Whether by sheer good luck or Mike’s pleas, we get very up close and personal with a giant bowhead whale. The animal is feeding just below the pack ice, right next to the edge where we are standing. Every ten minutes it sticks its massive head above water to gasp some air, while looking at us inquisitively. We hear its loud breathing and smell its fishy breath. Everybody is awestruck and deadly silent. “Amazing! Any closer than this and it will be lying next to me in my tent,” jokes Mr Babis Bizas from Greece, a passionate traveller who has been to every country is the world, twice. “This makes my Arctic trip completely worthwhile.”

Discover more
Checkout our videos and daily blog posts of this trip

Our verdict
Baffin Island is by far the best spot in the world to witness these rare animals, but the narwhal migration varies every year, so it all depends on Mother Nature. The best time to go, is mid June. For polar bear viewing there are much better options then this part of the world. Arctic Kingdom is a well-established company and accustomed to taking travellers to this far-flung destination in the world. The Base Camp infrastructure was simply outstanding, but food could be better. However working in these remote parts of the world isn’t that easy. Think of almost impossible logistics and very social complexities with Inuit communities. So be prepared to be flexible.

WWW.ARCTICKINGDOM.COM

How to get there
Air Canada offers great Holiday Packages for if you want to discover more of Canada.
From Ottawa to Pond Inlet we flew with Canadian North. Half of the planes flying from Ottawa to Iqaluit are filled with cargo in the front and passengers in the back. It’s a quaint way of travelling and leaving the real world behind to end up in a remote hamlet far above the Arctic Circle. Generally it’s around 2-3 short flights from Ottawa to Pond Inlet. Flying in the Arctic is unpredictable, so it’s wise to leave at least one day of margin with your international flight!
If you fly from Ottawa to Toronto, Porter Airlines is the way to go. The Toronto based boutique airlines that works closely together with Winkreative, the brand and strategy company of Tyler Brulee, better known from Monocle, one of our clients. We loved the all-business class approach with a lounge for everybody at Bishop Airport and the sleek Bombardier Jet flying us.

WWW.AIRCANADAVACATIONS.COM

WWW.CANADIANNORTH.COM
WWW.FLYPORTER.COM

The post SAFARI IN THE POLAR DESERT first appeared on Remote Experiences.

FOLLOW THE COMPASS NORTH

david jules — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 16:58:50 +0000

Barely eighty years ago Spitsbergen was the Arctic end of Europe where only the polar bear reigned supreme. A century later, he shares his icy empire with a town of seasoned Norwegians and the rare tourist who ventures this far north. The Svalbard archipelago, of which the largest island is Spitsbergen, lies midway between Norway and the North Pole. Any traveller looking for Arctic sensations will easily find them here (just one comfortable SAS flight away from Oslo or Tromsø). Everyone reaches 74° north, but you have to be a bit more intrepid to reach 81° latitude. A few centuries ago, the only visitors to Svalbard were whalers and hardy fishermen. Today it’s seen as one of the most strategic places on earth. This is Europe, part of Norway, but on one side Svalbard faces Russia, and the North Pole is lurking just around the corner. NASA has installed one of its most important radars on Svalbard to closely track its satellites as they shear past several times a day on their orbit of the planet. Oil may soon be discovered here, and when that happens, Svalbard will be quickly swallowed into The New North Alliance of far-flung, northerly countries that are steadily gaining in importance. Fortunately, this isn’t happening yet and for the visitor, Spitsbergen is still a white, deserted and tranquil paradise.
Ideal for snowmobiling, husky treks to remote radio stations, skiing, tracking polar bears and of course enjoying the Northern Lights. The best months to travel to Spitsbergen are the winter months when the island is wrapped in a constant light of Arctic blue. From January until the beginning of March the sun gives way for the enigmatic blue light of the Polar Winter. For those who’ve always wondered what the hell there is to do on an island hidden deep inside Europe’s freezer compartment, pack those warm clothes, and follow the compass north.

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