If you, like us, watched the recent Frozen Planet series in amazement and now want to see it for yourself, may we suggest you take a look at our new Canadian Arctic programme.

Journey to the very edge of the Arctic ice floe, where wildlife congregates in abundance. It’s home to pods of exotic narwhal, their misty breath sparkling in the 24 hour sun, polar bears, seals, walrus as big as cars, an incredible variety of sea birds (including thick billed Murre, Kittiwake, Guillemot and Ivory Gull )and the rare Bowhead and Beluga whales. In early summer, with the sun shining throughout the day and most of the night (constantly in May and June), the temperatures are warmer than you might expect (averaging from -5°C to +10°C).

Arctic Kingdom, a specialist operator to this remote, amazing world, has a choice of itineraries, available at different times, lasting 7 or 8 days and each limited to between 4 and 12 participants.

In March and April the theme is polar bears, Northern Lights and the Torngat mountains, based in the company’s new luxury Arctic Igloo Domes set on the remote Ungava Bay coast. Click here for further detils.

In late spring (May and June) the Arctic rivers begin to flow, the flowers bloom and the narwhal whales migrate to the floe edge on a quest for summer feeding. On this trip you’ll see icebergs, glaciers and ancient human sites, and be able to kayak with whales under the midnight sun. Click here for more details.

The early summer (June and July) trips focus on the Foxe basin, home to Bowhead whales and walrus, and is based at Igloolik, Canada’s oldest Inuit settlement. Click here for details.

In August Arctic Kingdom’s departures are the most colourful, combining the blues of fjords, the pinks of Arctic char, the whites of polar bears, the crimson reds of sunsets, electric blues of glaciers and the purples of exotic flowers. With average temperatures around 5 degrees, this is also the best season for families. Click here for details.

In October you can fly-in to Arctic Experience’s new remote polar bear cabin camp set along the coast of Hudson Bay for a polar bear viewing experience like none other. Observe polar bears directly from the cabins as they lounge on shore waiting for the ice to freeze. Go on short nature treks and get even closer to the polar bears. Photograph them sparring, play fighting, foraging for food or simply lying down resting with their heads in their paws. At the end of the day, await nightfall and be the first to see the hints of the telltale shimmering northern lights. Click here for details.



As an alternative you could consider joining an Arctic Cruise
Cruise North Expeditions is owned and operated by the Inuit of Canada’s Arctic. We are featuring two of their itineraries aboard the 118 passenger Clipper Adventurer, a handsome expedition ship which will open up the world of glaciers, remarkable wildlife, icebergs, the midnight sun, the Aurora Borealis and 4500 years of human history.

Following in the footsteps of early explorers, a sample itinerary, the ‘Arctic Safari,’ starts in Greenland, the largest island in the world, crosses the Arctic Circle and visits the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ilulissat, Inuit communities on Baffin Island, the bird cliffs of Bylot and Prince Leopold Islands, and Beechey Island where one of the most famous of Arctic expeditions took a fatal turn. Included in the prices are all shore excursions.
A second itinerary, ‘Epic High Arctic’, ventures even further north, visiting the remote community of Grise Fjord and delving into the Kane Basin in Smith Sound. Thence to Greenland where, quoting from Cruise North’s own description, ‘the ice comes alive in iridescent blues, jagged peaks reach for the heavens, delicate tundra flowers nestle in tiny crevasses, towns are a brilliant montage of colour and much of the landscape seems untouched by human hands.’ Again wildlife scores high on the agenda, including narwhal, walrus, beluga whales, polar bears and amazing seabirds.

Both cruises include informative talks and frequent shore excursions designed to enhance your experience of Northern Canada.

Those preferring to head south, to the opposite end of the globe, you might like to consider an Orion Cruise to the Antarctica.
During the peak of the southern hemisphere summer, Orion offers travellers a unique opportunity to venture to the Continent of Antarctica. Orion sails from New Zealand, crossing the Antarctic Circle to places redolent with history and adventure. Along the way, the wildlife encountered will astound you. The Sub-Antarctic islands are home to penguin breeding colonies numbering in the millions, to Elephant Seals and Hooker Sea Lions, and the endangered Wandering Albatross. The Ross Sea coast extends from the ice shelf northwards until it reaches the very tip of Victoria Land and Cape Adare. Whilst in the Ross Sea Region, a variety of opportunistic landings are attempted, subject to weather conditions. Click here for details.

Any of these suggestions can be incorporated nto a tailor-made itinerary for you - please call one of our experienced consultants for details 020 7483 6555.