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Spitsbergen Tours Reviews & Ratings

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Anonymous
·
2018-08-19
Provided by Exodus Travels
Iceland Walking Explorer
An active walking trip through a diverse kaleidoscope of landscapes, from
volcanic craters, green verdant hills to snow fields. An excellent way to
experience nature and Iceland without the crowds.
Hiking in Kerlingafjoll in snowy conditions. A combination of hot steamy
geothermal activity, stark hills covered in snow. Bleak, and beautiful.
Wading through snowfields, and clambering up slippery snow covered hills. It
was a real adventure.


Gunnar was great. Stoic, quietly passionate, a good chef who fed us well,
and kept us safe. He showed us the beauty of Iceland sprinkled with
traditional folklore. His depth of knowledge of the flora and fauna was
impressive.


Be prepared for all seasons from sun, snow, rain, wind. Waterproofs
compulsory and walking poles are useful. The walking is technically not
difficult but you do have to be reasonably fit. We walked on average 6-8
hours per walking day. Adverse weather conditions may make it more difficult
walking through muddy, slippery conditions.


Definitely go sooner than later. Camping is becoming increasingly popular. We
went at the beginning of the season and missed the crowds.


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Anonymous
·
2018-01-01
Provided by Exodus Travels
Wonderful adventure
This was a marvellous trip and a great way of seeing two wonderful areas of
the Arctic. In Spitsbergen we saw polar bears and arctic foxes and sailed
through the ice to reach 80 degrees north. In Greenland we saw musk oxen and
puffins and the most amazing icebergs. We also visited an Inuit community
and had the occasional whale sighting.

The ship was great - the Ocean Adventurer. The cabin was comfortable and the
food was really good. The operator was first class. We had a great tour
leader and a full range of specialist guides, i.e. geologist, ornithologist,
photographer, marine biologist etc. They were professional and great fun.
the other guests were good company.

We had four days around Spitzbergen and four days around Greenland so we were
able to get a sense of both rather than concentrating on just one. So polar
bears AND icebergs!

You don't actually get to see Iceland as part of the tour but you do
disembark in Akureyri in north Iceland. We asked Exodus to change our flight
back to the UK so we could arrange seven days there. We then drove from
Akureyri to Keflavic along the Icelandic ring road seeing the major sights.
The waterfalls are truly amazing. Greenland is actually icy and Iceland is
green. So we had polar bears, icebergs and waterfalls in a three-week trip.

Note: to get to Spitzbergen you fly via Oslo. Exodus brought forward our
flight and booked us into a hotel for two nights so we had a short city break
as well. There are some great museums in Oslo (Munch, Viking Long Ship and
the Fram Museum of Arctic Exploration) and this was a great start to our
Arctic journey of a lifetime.
To see a polar bear jumping and swimming from ice-flow to ice-flow.


The expedition and ship staff were all first class. The operator was very
professional and we be very happy to travel again with them.


See above - the trip covers Spitzbergen and Greenland - you need to make
additional arrangements to see Iceland otherwise you just fly from Akureyri
to Keflavic for the flight home..


We'd already been to Antarctica. We found the artic different. No penguins
of course but we had polar bears, arctic foxes, musk oxen and puffins - and
visiting the Inuit village.


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Anonymous
·
2017-11-10
Provided by Exodus Travels
Spitsbergen Explorer by Exodus Travels
Spectacular Spitsbergen July 2016
A very, very special trip that kept on delivering five-star sightings right
to the very last moment.
Too many to choose from… the polar bear right under the bow? The Mexican
stand off between two bears on ice right beside us? The bloodied bear
feasting on seal surrounded by ivory gulls? Getting up close and personal
with walrus around the zodiac? Three-day old Arctic fox cubs? Stunning light
in the pack ice that turned our photographs into artwork? And I haven’t
even mentioned the whales – bowhead, beluga, fin, minke and blue. Just
incredible!


Paul Goldstein is all about delivery, and that’s why he has such repeat
business – close encounters with wildlife are just addictive. Very sadly
his wing-man on this trip, Mark Carwardine, was taken ill and had to fly home
before the trip left Longyearben so the burden was all on Paul to deliver
good cop AND bad cop tactics on the photography front, as well as liaise with
the expedition staff to ensure that we maximized our opportunities to see the
manifold delights of this incredible archipelago. He did a fantastic job.
This was a photographic charter and Paul’s determination for us to fill our
memory cards with nothing but the best wildlife viewings – taking into
account the major melt this year that required us to go beyond 81 degrees
north into the pack ice – paid off handsomely. Nate was a great Expedition
Team leader, and kudos to the team members who worked tirelessly to bring us
the best wildlife encounters. Particular mention to the Captain of the
Vavilov, who seemed able to turn that wonderful ship on a 10p piece when
required to manoeuvre closer to a feasting polar bear.


Take the best camera and lens that you can afford, and don’t forget a
wide-angle lens as the wildlife can be close and the scenery is stunning.
Take a lap-top so you can back up and review your photos to release your
memory cards – you’ll need all the space you can get, and delete as you
go. I found handwarmers very useful to slip into my gloves before an
excursion or if we had wildlife close to the ship and were outside for hours
at a time. Inside the ship it can be very warm, so bring layers rather than
heavy jumpers; and soft trainer style shoes for the ship is fine; it’s very
casual on board so leave your finery at home. Don’t get stressed by the
photography aspect and remember to just watch sometimes. The Arctic is a
very special place, so if you are still hesitating, then do take the plunge
(but not literally!); it’s not just the wildlife and scenery, the trip is
also great fun and generally full of like-minded people who enjoy a drink and
a laugh in the bar after a fabulous excursion.


You might think that this is a once in a lifetime trip. It’s not. You’ll
be hooked.


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Anonymous
·
2017-11-10
Provided by Exodus Travels
Spitsbergen Explorer by Exodus Travels
Spitsbergen July 2016 with Paul Goldstein
I've always judged an adventure by the moments that take my breath away and
this Polar Expedition presented these in abundance. To be able to share
wildlife moments of such rarity with passionate expert staff on board was a
true privilege. It is impossible to explain these events as even the many
photos will not do them justice. There is no fixed itinerary and any
photographic opportunity is maximised by the 24hr daylight.
'Ships in harbour are safe but that's not what ships are built for' and that
is certainly not what the Akademik Sergey Vavilov for. If you are looking for
adventure, safety, silence and exceptional manoeuvring skills there cannot be
a better ship. The captain and expedition leader were always mindful to
position us in the best possible location for photographic opportunities, all
the while being mindful and respectful of the wildlife environment.
Magnificent glaciers, bowhead whales, polar bears, walrus, arctic foxes,
reindeer, you name it, we had it. Travelling with like minded wildlife
enthusiasts and photographers alike created new friendships and wonderful
memories.
Inspirational is a good choice of adjective for this trip as a whole. Not a
moment went by when I was not aware of the environment I was in. Every Polar
Bear encounter superseded the next but a truly special experience was being
woken at 6am to share our early hours with the majestic bowhead whales. The
One Ocean crew were also each inspirational in their own right. It was a
privilege to be led by them.


Paul is exceptional at what he does. As with all trips with him, he works
tirelessly to deliver. Top wildlife encounters are few and far between but it
seems that most of the ones I've had have been on his trips. You can see why
he has so many repeat clients. His charismatic daily nautical views
eloquently summarised our moment in time, which most of us could not put into
words. He gave many presentations on photography for all levels and sessions
in the bar to review our photos, all adding to the benefit of a photographic
charter.


Life is short. If you can, do it.

Expect to be woken at all hours, better yet, don't sleep! The trip notes are
detailed and pretty much tell you all you need to know. Bring hand warmers
for those long days scoping for bears (highly recommended). Layers are key
and take Paul's advice on how balmy it is with a pinch of salt! Always pack
extra in your rucksack for the zodiac trips, just in case. You never know
when a 2 hour planned ride can become a 4 hour one.

Most of all, put the camera down from time to time and take it all in.


Thank you to Exodus team for a well organised trip, Kim Christie who was very
helpful with information pre-departure and Andrea who was on hand during the
trip.

Double check any items to take with them, as this can change year on year
(i.e Binoculars & dry bags were provided for us in our cabins this year)


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Anonymous
·
2017-11-10
Provided by Exodus Travels
Spitsbergen Explorer by Exodus Travels
Spitsbergen Explorer - Polar Bears and More!
A fantastic, amazing journey up to 81 degrees north (and a bit more!) with
Exodus and Paul Goldstein and lots of new friends. The notes tell you what to
expect (early morning calls, delayed meals, cold zodiac rides) and believe it
for you get it all - and more. Polar bears so close they looked like they
wanted to get on board the ship, walrus in the water so close you could
almost touch them from the zodiac, Arctic Fox cubs playing in the sunshine,
fabulous seas and skies, wonderful staff to help, inspire and support,
excellent food (well done chefs!) and a fog bow! (I didn't know there was
such a thing!). Reindeer with young in the tundra and - more polar bears.
Blue whale, bowhead whale (so rare they were not even on the "tick off" list
of sightings), minke whales and birds, birds, birds. Fabulous!
My first polar bear on ice. Simply stunning.


Excellent. All the "blue shirts", led by Nate, were first class,
experienced, confident, helpful and friendly. Could not have asked for more.


Be prepared for anything, from flight delays with SAS to sudden changes in
the weather. Take plenty of memory cards for your camera and a tripod for the
deck as you watch the bears amble closer (don;t really need a monopod) and
your sense of humour. Above all, remember it is an Adventure of a Lifetime!


Enjoy, don't get competitive about your photos and remember they are your
memories, even if not competition standard they are yours.


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Anonymous
·
2017-08-02
Provided by Exodus Travels
TSF 150801 - Iceland Fantastic !
This was a super trip that didn't disappoint in any area. It did exactly what
it said in the itinerary.
The scenery was fantastic we had a mixed bunch of nationalities and ages, 3
in their 60's and everyone managed the walks. Weather! it was summer in
Iceland for UKs this means Autumn / winter temperatures so 3 season sleeping
bag and thermals on two nights, merino layers great during the day warmest
150 / 190 coldest 150+190+320 (others wore their tech tops and fleeces) one
walk the weather came in and warm jackets came out, covered in light ice
shower. Photos - fantastic picture postcards of glaciers, mountains,
waterfalls. This is camping to be willing to wash up, need to put tents up
and down in the rain - tents generally remained wet throughout but luckily
rain was in the night or days when we were travelling. Food - plenty of food
its surprising what can be cooked in two large pots on the camp burners.
prepare to queue for showers - but iceland facilities were clean and plenty
of HOT water. Scenery varied - lava fields, pretty towns, farmland, snow and
puffins, bubbling sulphur landscape…..take advantage of the nature baths.
Don't forget a warm jacket to sit around in the evenings…I did :-(…..
despite the summer you will be walking across snow and streams make sure your
boots are waterproofed…….sliding down the snow may be quicker than
walking….! Our guide was a star.
The scenery particularly the water falls. Standing on top of the glaciers


Orri was super, we trusted him completely he knew the walks well and guided
through some difficult weather conditions. Excellent cook and guitar
player….he managed all the background arrangements without us noticing and
was very informative about Iceland the places we passed and the treks.


3 season sleeping bag a must, Icelands summer is similar to UKs autumn /
winter temperatures pack clothing for layers lightweight tech tops to fleece.


we recharged phones in the bus, you have to pay at the campsites to recharge
- usually overnight, remember technology can't be plugged into a tent
!….cameras, phones, iPads……bring batteries or leave at home !


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