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.
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
2 days ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
4 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
5 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
