Touch the Arctic
Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
Polar Bear and Northern Lights Adventure
Itinerary 2010
7 Days, 6 Nights Package $5895 CAD per person plus taxes out of Winnipeg, MB
Wildlife Viewing ˜ Northern Lights ˜ Nature Treks Photography ˜ Aerial Tour ˜ Local Culture
A Typical Week at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
Day 1 – Anticipation Builds During your Overnight in Winnipeg!
Arrive in Winnipeg by your own travel arrangements and stay overnight at the Four Points Sheraton located at the airport where your adventure with us begins.
Day 2 – The Adventure Begins!
Early the next morning, we fly you out of Winnipeg on Calm Air International, bound for Gillam, Manitoba. Upon arrival in Gillam you will transfer to a private twin-engine charter aircraft for a one hour flight to Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. This flight alone is a major adventure – the plane follows the mighty Nelson River to the plains and tidal flats of Hudson Bay, and passes over York Factory, which is a frontier Hudson Bay Company Post with 300 years of fur trading in its history. This is great country for aerial photography and the pilot will be alert for opportunities, such as pods of Beluga whales along the coastline. Upon arrival, the plane lands on a beach ridge right in front of Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Now your adventure begins!
After you get settled in your cabin, lunch is served, and you will be given a detailed orientation lecture in which you will be briefed on safety and other issues. Check out our library which includes local maps and information as well as our gift shop. That afternoon, we will take an interpretive walk on the inland Palsa Bogs, Tundra Ponds and Taiga Forest, and you will learn about the timber wolves, moose and other extraordinary animals that share this habitat with the polar bears. (Both wolves and moose are abundant, and you may hear wolves howling in the nearby woods at night.) Appetizers and cocktails are served at 6:00 pm and your gourmet dinner is presented at 7:00 pm. After dinner there will be an informative lecture or slide show presentation. Lights are out at 10:00 pm – this is when the generator is turned off. If it is a clear night you will have the chance to view the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).
Day 3, 4, 5 – Nature Trekking, Polar Bears, and Magnificent Photography!
During the rest of your stay your gourmet breakfast will generally be served at 8:00 am and your outings will begin at about 9:30 am. If there are bears near the lodge (this happens often!) the tour may be delayed to take advantage of the photo and observation opportunities. There is the option available for anyone to stay behind to take photos of the wildlife around the lodge and relax. Our outings change every day, depending on the tides and other local conditions – including your preferences – but these adventures are on the itinerary:
- A coastal tour of the tidal flats and Hudson Bay Shoreline, including a visit to the historic shipwrecked vessel the ‘Mooswa’. Lunch and tea are served around the campfire.
- A full day photo tour of the coast, photographing polar bears and other wildlife. Lunch and tea are served around the campfire. After lunch we will explore the river deltas and coastal eskers.
- Bears sometimes visit the Lodge out of curiosity. (On one rare occasion, we had 17 bears come to the lodge in 9 hours.) And on days when they are in the vicinity, we will stay close by to make the most of the unique photo opportunities that arise when bears are investigating buildings and other odd structures they have probably never seen before. Lunch is served at the lodge on this day.
After dinner, there is invariably a good time to be had around the crackling wood fire, as guests share photos on their laptop computers, guides tell bear stories, and our resident experts offer slide shows and nature lessons. Who would have guessed that adult education could be this much fun? Occasionally, the proceedings are suspended in a flurry when someone announces that the Northern Lights are blazing outside.
Day 6 – Last Minute Wildlife Viewing and reminiscing in Winnipeg!
This morning you will take advantage of last minute photo opportunities, pack your gear and get ready to head home. Lunch will be served at the Lodge and you will then fly off to Gillam, where you will connect with your Calm Air flight to Winnipeg. Early in the evening, you will return to the Four Points Sheraton next to the airport, where you will overnight, then continue home by your own arrangements the next morning.
Package Inclusions – All accommodations and transfers required within the package dates are included in the cited price. Meal Inclusions are as follows…
| Day |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
| Included Meals |
|
L,D |
B,L,D |
B,L,D |
B,L,D |
B,L |
B |
B - Breakfast, L - Lunch, D - Dinner
Contact Address:
Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge
PO Box 79
Kleefeld, Manitoba
Canada R0A 0V0
Ph: 204-377-5090
Fax: 204 377-4748
Tollfree:
1-866-U-GO-WILD
1-866-846-9453
Email:
