expedition cruising KAYAK PAST POLAR BEARS
When the liability waiver form you sign before sea kayaking in Svalbard mentions polar bears and leopard seals, you know an adventure awaits. G Adventures’ kayaking tours in the freezing Arctic waters are not for the faint-hearted, and you do need to be physically fit, but if you can tick all the boxes, an unforgettable adventure awaits. Guides take kayakers into sheltered bays and fjords for a different perspective on the grandeur of the region and to get closer to wildlife. The kayak programme, available for a maximum 10 people in the Arctic (20 in Antarctica), must be booked in advance and costs from £599 per person for at least four outings per cruise, weather permitting.
Book it: G Adventures’ 11-day Realm of the Polar Bear in Depth cruise round-trip from Longyearbyen starts at £3,314 per person, based on quad cabin share and departing July 13 (cruise-only).
gadventures.co.uk
3 4 EXPERIENCE A REAL-LIFE SUBMARINE
Just when you thought a cruise to Antarctica alone scaled the heights of thrilling, along comes Scenic’s expedition yacht, with a high-tech submarine that can explore the freezing polar world beneath the waves. Custom-made for Scenic Eclipse, the sub, aptly named Scenic Neptune, seats seven people (six passengers, one pilot) in air-conditioned splendour and can dive down to 300 metres in search of life beneath the ocean – a jellyfish or passing whale, or perhaps the bottom of a giant iceberg. Scenic has thoughtfully put the seats on revolving platforms so passengers can swivel around during the experience and never miss a thing. Dives are weather dependent, with prices from $250 per person for 20 minutes.
GO CAVING IN ICELAND
Set the dial to action because we’re going exploring inside a lava tube on a tour of Iceland’s Snaefellsnes Peninsula with Hurtigruten. Offered this summer on expedition ships Fridtjof Nansen and Fram, the tour involves plenty of adventure, including a hike through volcanic landscapes and past deserted fishing villages – but the most exciting bit kicks in at Vatnshellir Cave, where guests follow in the footsteps of Jules Verne’s hero Professor Lidenbrock in the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth. They might not go quite that far, but they do descend 35 metres into a cave created at least 6,000 years ago. The seven-hour tour costs £185 per person, with helmets and torches provided.
Book it: The 15-day Iceland Expedition cruise from Reykjavik to Hamburg on Fridtjof Nansen starts at £4,281 (cruise-only), departing September 6.
hurtigruten.co.uk
February 2020 41
Book it: A 16-day Antarctica in Depth cruise round-trip from Buenos Aires (the ship departs from Ushuaia) costs from £12,715 per person, including international and domestic flights on November 8.
scenic.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
