Departures:
11/14/2013
Ship(s):
Trip Highlights:
Capture the spirit of the majestic Arctic with award-winning photographer guides, five nights at the exclusive Tundra Lodge, and premiere polar bear viewing.
Summary: Churchill is a pilgrimage for wildlife photographers, both professionals and avid amateurs. This custom photography expedition is designed to provide the very best opportunities available to take rare Churchill polar bear photos. From the Great White Bear Tundra Lodge, situated outside Churchill on the tundra itself, you can take polar bear photos from your unique "hotel." With exclusive use of this facility, there's plenty of room for gear and for shooting. A vehicle on site provides daily excursions around the tundra. Accomplished photography leaders guide this exceptional polar bear tour, drawing on their extensive experience to offer photography tips for getting that once-in-a-lifetime shot.
Arrive in Winnipeg and transfer to the historic Fort Garry Hotel. This French-style chateau is a National Historic Site, built in 1913 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and still the grande dame of Winnipeg, offering first-class hospitality. Meet for an orientation dinner this evening.
Day 2: Winnipeg to Churchill / Tundra Lodge
Fly to Churchill and transfer to the Tundra Lodge via tundra vehicle, with your first chance to photograph polar bears and other wildlife along the way. Here on the edge of Hudson Bay, where boreal forest meets Arctic tundra, animals abound, even in the harsh climate that envelops this environment much of the year. You may see caribou, Arctic fox, Arctic hares, ptarmigan and snowy owls, as well as the undisputed lords of the north, the polar bears. Your expert photo tour leaders, intimately acquainted with polar behavior, interpret all that you are seeing. At the lodge tonight, they discuss Arctic photography and share their extensive experience in these environs.
Days 3 - 6: Tundra Lodge
The Tundra Lodge is strategically positioned at the beginning of each season in the best area for bear viewing. Every fall, some 300 polar bears congregate around Churchill, waiting for the ice to solidify on Hudson Bay to begin the winter seal-hunting season. There are ideal early-morning, late-afternoon and evening photo opportunities, with a chance to photograph polar bears at sunrise and sunset. Since the lodge has plenty of common areas such as a lounge with sofas and chairs, as well as a dining car, each with sliding windows, photographers will have plenty of space to shoot at will.
Inquisitive bears often approach the lodge at close range, which features rows of windows and fenced observation decks to accommodate your own curiosity. Spend hours watching them interact, capturing their antics and rugged beauty. You may see mothers with cubs, and young adult males play-fighting. Your unique location, combined with half-day excursions in all-terrain tundra vehicles, affords the best possible wildlife experience in the Churchill area. At the end of each exhilarating day, retire to your cozy accommodations for dinner and presentations. If you are fortunate to have a clear night, you may get to experience the wonder of the Northern Lights. Once darkness descends, the lights often begin as a faint white glow, then intensify in scope and color as they undulate across the sky in shimmering curtains of color.
Day 7: Churchill / Winnipeg
This morning, you leave the tundra and head back into Churchill for your flight to Winnipeg. Depending on flight schedules, you may have time for some last-minute exploration of this frontier town, originally a Northwest Company fur trading post, with a chance to pick up native handcrafts at the Arctic Trading Company. Enjoy a farewell lunch in Churchill or dinner together in Winnipeg.
Day 8: Winnipeg / Home
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flights home.
Departure dates subject to change. Please contact ExpeditionTrips to confirm departure schedule before purchasing air tickets.
The Tundra Lodge:
This facility is a remarkable rolling hotel that is positioned at the beginning of the season in an area known for having lots of bears around. It has 32 rooms, each being a single compartment similar to a room on a train. There are 3 general toilets and 2 showers. The lounge and dining areas have sliding windows, perfect for bear viewing and photography. The Tundra Lodge provides an extremely comfortable and private northern expedition experience.
Included:
R/T flight from Winnipeg to Churchill; accommodations; all meals (except either lunch or dinner on your final day in Churchill); services of professional Expedition Leaders and assistants; some gratuities; all activities/entrance fees; evening wildlife and cultural presentations; all taxes and service charges.
Not Included:
Travel to and from Winnipeg; lunch or dinner on your final day in Churchill; alcoholic beverages; some gratuities; travel insurance; items of a personal nature (telephone calls, laundry, etc.).
Available Extensions:
Please contact ExpeditionTrips for rates and details on extending your trip.
Extra Day in Winnipeg (pre-trip):
Includes: Airport transfers; hotel accommodations; breakfast and lunch; guided tour of Winnipeg; guided tour of the Manitoba Museum; entrance fees.
Northern Helicopter Option:
View the Northís wildlife, scenery, and pre-Dorset tent rings and archaeological sites from a unique aerial perspective.
Dog Sledding Option: Experience the thrill of gliding through the boreal wilderness behind a team of sled dogs!
Why does AntarcticConnection partner with ExpeditionTrips?
True experts with first-hand polar experience, the ExpeditionTrips staff has sailed on the ships they represent; with a combined amount of 100 Antarctic trips between them;and can help you thoroughly compare and contrast the expeditions.
Their approach to travel is highly personal and professional, offering unbiased travel assistance to ensure you choose the very best Antarctica trip to meet your needs!
ExpeditionTrips works only with the highest quality small ships-all under 200 passengers-ranging from a 48-passenger Russian research vessel to a 200-passenger luxury expedition ship.