It was great fun and interesting and I had a fabulous time. My guide was really nice and fun and I liked all of the activities. The days were packed with just the right amount of activities to do, and also with some free time to do what you like; most of the free time I got I spent with my mum and my friends.
What you see on a trip such as this is always dependent on being in the right place at the right time. However the hard work and depth of knowledge of the expedition guides made for a memorable experience. They were always up, (if they ever went to bed), scanning the land and sea and sea ice, out early in the morning in zodiacs looking for the best opportunities to see wildlife, and using their experience to take us to amazing places. As a result we had good encounters with five polar bears over three days, saw hundreds of Walrus, thousands of sea birds, whales, seals and dolphin. Although not seemingly planned, the captain and expedition leader decided a complete circumnavigation of Svalbard was possible, so that’s what we did. It felt like a true expedition and that we were in the hands of experts. If anyone tells me that we were lucky to see and do so much, I would reply that one definition of luck is preparation meeting opportunity and the efforts of the guides and leader ensured we were prepared to take advantage of every opportunity that arose.
This trip was one of my favourites ever... breathtaking scenery, yummy food, lovely Oulanka Base Camp staff, and great activities. I would really recommend this trip as there is a different activity each day which makes it so memorable and rewarding especially if like me you haven't done any of these activities before.
Alla KaleisTravel Expert in Finland and Estonia
Emma VestrheimTravel Expert in Finland and Norway
