40 / Canada’s Arctic
GREAT
Explorations
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nce the preserve of remote indigenous communities, whalers and only the most intrepid of explorers, the natural wonders of Canada’s vast Arctic region – which spans more than 40% of its landmass – are more accessible than ever before as they’re now served by airports such as Iqaluit and all manner of small ship expedition cruises. even the fabled Northwest Passage through the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific, which eluded explorers such as Sir John Franklin, now, lies open. Best tackled during August, 2022 sailings include Quark expeditions’ 17day Northwest Passage: epic High Arctic, aboard Ultramarine, departing Toronto on August 30, and Hurtigruten’s 26-day In the Wake of the Great explorers aboard MS Roald Amundsen, departing Vancouver on August 23.
MICHeLLe VALBeRG
MICHeLLe VALBeRG
MICHeLLe VALBeRG
From visits to Inuit villages and walking with polar bears to intrepid cruise and ice road journeys, there’s much to explore in Canada’s Arctic region, says Karl Cushing
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Learn the ropes Arctic Kingdom’s website (arctickingdom. com/for-travel-agents) is a good starting point for agents looking to get to grips with available options. As well as showcasing its roster of trip options – including year-round polar bear viewing – it features all manner of handy advice and information to get agents up and selling. Highlights among the 36,000 islands of Canada’s Arctic region include Baffin, home to Auyuittuq National Park and wildlife from Arctic foxes to polar bears and caribou. The island stars on many tours, including Swoop Arctic’s (swoop-arctic.com) sevenday Narwhals, Bears & Ice, which spends five nights at Arctic Camp and one in Pond Inlet, and includes snowmobile safaris and kayaking. Prices start from £12,493pp, with departures in May and June. Baffin combines naturally with nearby islands such as Beechey, which houses
SEE THE CAnAdiAn ARCTiC by SnowmobilE
the graves of some of Franklin’s doomed expedition crew, plus tours of Greenland — as offered by the likes of Chimu Adventures. Other stand-outs include Prince Leopold, its cliffs alive with birdlife, while beluga whales and narwhal are among the prized sightings when sailing Lancaster Sound. Longer, more comprehensive voyages are in big demand, such as Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ sold out, 18-day ‘From Kangerlussuaq to Kangerlussuaq’ cruise aboard Hanseatic Nature, departing August 25, 2022 (hlcruises.com). Other Canadian Arctic explorations departing from Kangerlussuaq, Greenland include Ponant’s 13-night Baffin Bay Secrets, from £13,380pp, departing July 27, 2022, and 16-night expedition to the Thule Region, from £13,490pp, departing August 25, 2023 (uk.ponant.com). “It’s the combination of wildlife, culture and scenery [that sets such sailings apart],”
SELLING CANADA WINTER/SPRING 2021/22
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