For me, learning the seven continents was easy. Learning the countries that reside within their borders was more difficult. Learning the landmasses which are neither continent nor country, however, was often downright impossible. So was the case with Svalbard – an Arctic archipelago halfway between Norway and the North Pole. If you’re anything like myself, you’ll have needed to pull out a world atlas or searched “Svalbard” on Googlemaps before gaining any sense of comprehension of its place in the world. Even then, merely knowing where it is located pales in comparison to knowing the dramatic landscapes and sense of wonder that one can find there.
I’ll admit that as a child, teenager, and even young adult, the world Arctic meant little more than icy, barren wasteland in my mind. I imagined that the Arctic, and everything it encompasses, was a giant sheet of ice. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Svalbard was a dream from which I never wanted to wake. Far from the lifeless, frozen expanse I had spent my lifetime picturing, Svalbard dazzled me with its jagged mountains, vivid green tundra, advancing glaciers (yes, you read that correctly), and icebergs so blue they might have been sculpted with kool-aid rather than water. Giddy each morning and full of anticipation every night, I constantly had to stop and remind myself that Svalbard was real – that I hadn’t fallen through Alice’s looking-glass and into my own Wonderland – which ironically would have looked exactly the same.
The agent had great response to questions and coordinated well to create an itinerary that met our expectations.
Bob Sunshine
1 day ago
Very responsive to all questions
Teresa Cardoso
2 days ago
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
2 days ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
3 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.