This trip was special for me, not only because of the wildlife we were able to spy or because of the experiences we had aboard the Ultramarine, but also because I am a total Polar History nerd. I have read the expeditions of the polar greats: Nansen, Amundson, Svedrup, Franklin, Shackleton, and many many more. This voyage gave me the opportunity to follow in the metaphorical footsteps of a few of those greats and sail North of latitude 88 degrees N. It is totally incredible to imagine the voyages of these sailors back in the 1800's with their wooden boats and wool gear, planning their ventures knowing the certainty they would be overwintering while stuck in ice floes while discovering new lands or searching for the exact location of the North Pole. Admittedly, this voyage is quite a bit more comfortable than the voyages they led, but to sail the same waters and walk on the same bits of land is more than a gal could possibly ask for.
Throughout my travels I have, much like others, kept tabs on my list of continents (not quite finished yet) but I have also kept a list of another sort: Oceans I have swum in. On our trip to Svalbard, on a very brisk afternoon around 5:30PM just north of 88 degrees latitude, with the bright sun shining overhead, our group had the opportunity to Polar Plunge. Now, you cannot sail all this way to not dip a toe into the coldest waters on the planet! So, with adrenaline pumping, I quickly changed into my swimsuit and plunged into my "final" Ocean, completing the task of swimming in all 5 of the worlds oceans with a dip in the Arctic on a chilly 2.4 degrees Celsius evening. This was quickly followed by a shot of Vodka and a chilly walk straight into the ships sauna to get some feeling back into my toes. Having also plunged into the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica, I can honestly say that the Arctic was much more bone chilling and brain freeze inducing, but also, worth every frozen, skin tingling second. Definitely not something to pass up.
Finally, as I finish up my thoughts and tie a bow on this trip, I wanted to touch on Longyearbyen itself. This small town is truly an isolated existence, hosting about 2000 residents on an island of 3000 known polar bears. The town consists of a couple dirt roads with houses painted in government regulated colors (To preserve it's heritage). Old mining history and active mining areas surround the town itself. The town center boats the "Northernmost Brewery in the World" a couple hotel and activity centers, a tourism center and a small museum and town hall. Any activities or excursions that take you out of the town must be led by a guide and must be armed. A visit to the town is a great way to see what life in the far north is truly like, while enjoying a beer with intrepid explorers from around the world.
By the end of this adventure, I felt accomplished, truly lucky and extremely fortunate to have had the experiences I had, and completely exhausted. Longyearbyen was a great transition between ship life and our return to bustling civilization in Oslo the next day.
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
3 days ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.
Mary Warren
4 days ago
Jess was very easy going and answered all our questions. It’s not easy dealing with 6 people at once but she did an outstanding job!
Diane Foster
6 days ago
Kassandra and the Adventure Life team have been incredible! Kassandra was very knowledgeable and attentive to our asks while making sure we kept within our budget. This was our first experience with a travel agent and we were blown away by the booking/initial exploration service. We will use Adventure Life again.