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.

Pack your bags (not more than 20 kg, please—and no need for Manolos or Gucci here), hop on a plane for a day, and embark on the trip of a lifetime. Your final destination is Botswana, where the lions roar louder, the safari camps are comfier, and the views are more breathtaking than you can imagine. The ultimate safari experience awaits you alongside Ralph Bousfield, a legendary safari guide whose life and legacy are deeply intertwined with the African continent.
A descendant of a family that settled in Africa in the 17th century, Ralph carries the knowledge and spirit of generations past. His father, Jack Bousfield, was a skilled tracker and hunter known for his bold exploits, including taking down over 50,000 crocodiles in his time. Today, Ralph channels this heritage into a deeply respectful and transformative approach to the land, its people, and its wildlife.
Stylish, rugged, and endlessly fascinating, Ralph is a natural storyteller, with tales as extraordinary as the places he explores. He bears the scars of his adventurous life, including a near-fatal snake attack and a bout of blood poisoning. Having survived nine plane crashes—a tragic history that includes the loss of his father—Ralph continues to fly across the continent in his vintage red bush plane, affectionately named A2 SAN after the San Bushmen. On one arm, he wears talismans and amulets gifted by shamans and tribesmen; on the other, a Rolex—a fitting balance of tradition and modernity that reflects his approach to safaris.
Ralph’s safaris aren’t about rushing across the savannah in a race to tick off the Big Five. Instead, they offer something far deeper: an immersive, holistic experience of Africa’s most pristine landscapes. The Okavango Delta, where Ralph spends much of his time, is one of the oldest and most untouched ecosystems in the world. Seventy percent of its surface is a labyrinth of waterways, swamplands, and shallow pools, fed by seasonal rains and runoff from Angola’s distant highlands. Here, nature thrives in delicate balance, and Ralph guides his guests with unparalleled expertise.
Ralph’s reputation as one of the world’s finest safari guides has made him the private guide of choice for royalty, former U.S. presidents, and Hollywood’s elite. His ability to curate intimate, unforgettable experiences in the African wilderness is unmatched, combining adventure with profound cultural and environmental understanding.

Get in touch to plan a bespoke journey into remote Botswana with Ralph Bousfield, using a Pilatus PC-12 and helicopters to access untouched wilderness. Guiding services for Mr. Bousfield start at €3,600 per day, with pricing based on itinerary details, including aircraft, camps, and trip duration.
david@remoteexperiences.com

The post SAFARI WITH A LEGEND: BOTSWANA’S ULTIMATE ADVENTURE first appeared on Remote Experiences.

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.

A lot has changed since then. Now there is tourism. Call it good or bad, but it does provide the local community an income and reason why not to poach anymore. While Insiders claim that more money should go back to the locals. Now it mainly disappears into the pockets of the government and big tourism organisations. For the tourist, the infrastructure got much better than it used to be. Nowadays you can stay in very comfortable lodges like the Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge. Perfect to use as a base before or after a hike. Every morning a maximum of 80 people are allowed up the mountain. Groups are divided with no more than 8 people, together with an experienced guide and a handful of porters. We got lucky; our guide was Francois, the most famous of them all. He is a real “ancien”, once worked for Dian Fossey, and quite a character to have as a guide. A hike can vary a lot: sometimes the group is close, others have to hike for hours to see the gorillas. Once found, you can spend exactly one hour observing and watching them. Respecting their territorium and habitat. Our close encounter was a silverback running towards the group and giving Francois a firm push. “No worries!” Said Francois. “I know them and they know me.” Francois made a couple of growling noises, thus communicating with the gorillas. Impressive. Not only Francois being obviously very close to the animals but the whole experience. Because let’s be honest: nothing beats a gorilla trekking and afterwards going back to a comfy lodge where you can toast with a G&T to a memorable and successful day. Cheers to witnessing one of the most extraordinary animals on this planet.

The verdict?

This region is an inspiring piece of Africa. Not too touristy, safe and well organized and one of the only places where you can see these gentle but impressive primates in their natural habitat. A habitat of green, impressive mountains, mostly, of course, hidden in de mist.

How to go?

Traveling to Rwanda is very easy. A lot of carriers fly to Kigali: KLM, Qatar, Brussels Airlines.
Our favourite accommodation was the Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge. It’s the best Rwanda has to offer. (get it?)
Rates start at 445$/person full board.
A gorilla permit fee to trek for one day with one hour visit will set you back for 500 dollars per visit. When you order a permit after June 2012, you will have to pay 750 dollars.

SABYINYO SILERBACK LODGE RWANDA

The post MEET & GREET WITH THE MOUNTAIN GORILLAS first appeared on Remote Experiences.

WWW.UNCHARTEDAFRICA.COM
WWW.ANDBEYONDAFRICA.COM
WWW.ZAMBEZIQUEEN.COM

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