Arctic - Goodtrippers

Sleep in an igloo on brand new Arctic adventure holiday

Fancy building (and sleeping) in your own igloo under the Northern Lights? This new adventure offers an Arctic experience like no other…

The brand new Arctic Ice Adventure trip, led by Sweden’s best Arctic adventure guides, promises a host of magical, snowy experiences this winter. Ever wanted to sleep in your own igloo? A pre-built snowy home will be your base for this holiday – and if you’re really keen, you can also learn the skill and art of making your own igloo and contribute to an ongoing igloo building project.

Away from your igloo base, you’ll be whisked away by snowmobile sled into the Arctic wilderness to explore spectacular ice formations, ice caves and awe-inspiring views. Visitors can also listen to ancient local stories, drink from ice glasses, learn to ice fish, and go Aurora hunting.

And what’s extra special about this trip, is that it’s family-friendly. Activities and excursions have been designed to be suitable for both adults and their children, allowing for some truly special, adventurous experiences in a magical environment.

Jonny Cooper, Northern Lights and Arctic travel expert from Off the Map Travel, tour operators for the Arctic Ice Adventure, said; “Ice, snow, igloos and Northern Lights are iconic to the Arctic region, with films and TV series regularly bringing them to our TV and cinema screens in recent times. The Arctic Ice Adventure has been designed to bring this to life for both parents and children to enjoy together.”

Available from 11^th to the 26^th February 2017, this new experience can be included a part of any tailor-made tour to the region, however is recommended as part of the Half Term Aurora itinerary.

Travelling with Off the Map Travel (www.offthemaptravel.co.uk) the Half Term Aurora adventure to Swedish Lapland costs from £1,299 per person, based on two adults and two children staying on a half board basis, excluding flights. Included in this are all transfers and activities including a Lights over Lapland photography tour with extra marshmallows to toast over the fire in the tepee; a dogsledding adventure into the Arctic wilderness; an Aurora spotting evening at Låktatjåkko Mountain Lodge in the giant snowcat along with warm waffles and hot chocolate; and an Arctic Ice Adventure at a local igloo on the frozen lake exploring ice formations and caves, a lesson in igloo building, delicious Swedish fika, local Sami stories and an Aurora hunt.

For more information about the Arctic Ice Adventure, Half Term Aurora adventure and other Arctic excursions visit www.offthemaptravel.co.uk or www.ilovenorthernlights.com or call +44 (0) 800 566 8901.

Experience the Northern Lights by moonlight – new for 2016

Many experts believe the Northern Lights is best viewed during a full-moon. This new trip is geared towards seeing the Aurora Borealis in the Arctic moonlight…

Aurora with the moon (Off the Map Travel)

The Moonlight Aurora experience, created by Arctic travel specialists Off The Map Travel and Aurora experts, gives guests an alternative experience in hunting the Northern Lights in January 2016. Contrary to popular belief, many Aurora experts, from leading guides to world class photographers, believe that the full-moon enhances the Northern Lights rather than detracting from it.

Jonny Cooper, Director of Off the Map Travel and Northern Lights travel expert said; “In our experience, a full-moon only affects really weak Aurora, and then only when the moon is directly behind it. For me, a good full-moon can add a different dimension to experiencing and photographing the Aurora. I love it and am more likely to spend the night looking skyward under the glow of a full-moon.”

Aurora Sky Station (Chad Blakley, Lights Over Lapland) — Aurora Sky Station (Chad Blakely, Lights Over Lapland)

Rather than the moon, the thing that can most spoilt a good Aurora display is thick cloud cover. Therefore, the Moonlight Aurora experience takes place in Bjorkliden and Abisko, Northern Sweden, which, due to its surrounding mountains, has special weather patterns that deliver more clear nights than other areas across the region.

Off the Map Travel’s Jonny Cooper continues; “The Arctic moon is a spectacular sight in its own right and gives guests a superb focal point when hunting for the Northern Lights to enjoy the Arctic by moonlight.”

Many photographers say that they prefer to capture the Aurora when there’s a full-moon. Chad Blakely, world class Aurora photographer and owner of Lights over Lapland, added; “I love photographing Aurora in moonlight as it gives pictures a completely different feel by lightening the foreground, and instead of the pitch black background, the moonlight gives the sky a rich blue colour which compliments the green of the Aurora. Moonlit Aurora are spectacular – I love them.”

Alone with the lights (Chad Blakley, Lights Over Lapland) — Alone with the lights (Chad Blakely, Lights Over Lapland)

The Moonlight Aurora experience will be held during the full moon from the 22nd of January 2016 and will give guests the chance to enjoy a range of the Arctic winter activities under the full-moon and, hopefully, under spectacular Northern Lights displays.

A four night Moonlight Aurora adventure to Bjorkliden and Abisko in Northern Sweden with Off the Map Travel costs from £1749 per person, excluding flights, based on two sharing. This includes:

transfers
four nights in a spectacular 4* hotel on a full board basis
a private specialist guide
a visit to the ICEHOTEL
private Lights over Lapland moonlight photography tour
dog sledding as the moon rises
visit to the Aurora Sky Station
snowmobile tour
guided moonlit snowshoe walk
Norway fjord trip
Ice-fishing and cooking under the moon

For more information about Moonlight Aurora adventure or Northern Lights holidays visit www.offthemaptravel.co.uk, call +44 (0) 800 566 8901 or email info@offthemaptravel.co.uk

Iceland volcano sparks spectacular Northern Lights show

Thanks to Iceland’s erupting Bardarbunga volcano, holidaymakers and intrepid aurora hunters are being treated to a spectacular night time display of colour this month – the glow of the emerging lava is being framed by spectacular green Northern Lights displays that are filling the skies.

A fissure eruption was first recorded on the 29th August 2014, with increasingly bigger eruptions continuing to the end of the month. This means that, although it’s unclear how long the volcano will continue to flow, visitors to Iceland in October have a fantastic opportunity to witness this incredible event and one of the natural world’s most unmissable spectacles.

Jonny Cooper, Northern Lights expert and founder of Off the Map Travel said, “This is a truly spectacular event with the rare opportunity to witness the awesome power of the earth and sky coming together in a truly unearthly light show. With such a strong start to the year for the Northern Lights, the combination of the eruption and such strong aurora displays may not be seen again for a long time.”

UK-based travel specialist Off the Map Travel is currently offering a six night trip to Reykjavik in southern Iceland and Akureyri in northern Iceland. Prices start from £999 per person on a bed and breakfast and self-catering basis including accommodation for three nights in a four star hotel and three nights in a four star self-catering apartment. Price also includes a golden circle tour, a Northern Lights and Volcano glow tour, airport transfers from the international airport to Reykjavik and airport transfers in Akureyri based on two adults; flights excluded.

For more information on Arctic expeditions and Northern Lights experiences to Iceland visit www.offthemaptravel.co.uk, call 0800 566 8901 or email info@offthemaptravel.co.uk.

New eco-luxe camp to open on Greenland’s ‘Arctic Riviera’

Adventure travellers looking to visit the stunning wilderness of Greenland’s east coast, will get the chance to explore the area from its first eco luxury base camp, opening in summer 2015.

[gdl_gallery title=”Greenland1″ width=”120″ height=”110″ ]

Built by nature travel and WWF partners Natural Habitat Adventures, the new Base Camp Greenland offers all the amenities of a deluxe African safari-style camp. Private tent-cabins will have heating, carpet, beds with duvets and pillows, en-suite bathrooms, and verandas with stunning views. A camp chef will prepare fresh meals and guests can gather in a communal area for dining and relaxing.

Natural Habitat founder Ben Bressler explained, “‘Til now, Greenland’s remote east coast, carved by glaciers and rent by deep fjords filled with icebergs, has been inaccessible to all but the hardiest of travellers. Base Camp Greenland is changing that.”

The camp enjoys a view of the Greenland Ice Sheet – the world’s second largest ice mass – where guests will have a close-up vantage point on the dynamics of global warming as glaciers spawn gigantic icebergs and meltwater rivers form in front of the ice cap.

The new ecolodge, which accommodates just 12 travellers at a time, is the vision of Natural Habitat’s Olaf Malver who has been to Greenland (a staggering) 26 times! He says the camp’s location is ideal, “It’s remote, majestic and nature feels huge here, like few other places in Greenland. Yet it is relatively easy to reach from Iceland.”

Travellers can book a four-night stay at Base Camp Greenland on Sermilik Fjord, the heart of a region known as the ‘Arctic Riviera’ for its many dry, sunny summer days – wildflowers will be in bloom on the tundra and pods of whales can be spotted from camp. Guests can enjoy a wealth of incredible activities and explorations including whale watching, sea kayaking, hiking, and visits to traditional Inuit villages.

[gdl_gallery title=”Greenland2″ width=”120″ height=”110″ ]

Trips depart in August 2015. For more details and booking, visit www.nathab.com/alaska-northern-adventures/greenland-nature-adventure.

Due to its commitment to environmentally-friendly travel, Natural Habitat Adventures has been chosen by global conservation charity WWF as its worldwide travel partner.

(Please note: The Google Maps marker indicates the nearest town and not the exact location of Base Camp Greenland)

[google-map-v3 shortcodeid=”TO_BE_GENERATED” width=”550″ height=”350″ zoom=”12″ maptype=”roadmap” mapalign=”center” directionhint=”false” language=”default” poweredby=”false” maptypecontrol=”true” pancontrol=”true” zoomcontrol=”true” scalecontrol=”true” streetviewcontrol=”true” scrollwheelcontrol=”false” draggable=”true” tiltfourtyfive=”false” enablegeolocationmarker=”false” enablemarkerclustering=”false” addmarkermashup=”false” addmarkermashupbubble=”false” addmarkerlist=”Tasiilaq, Greenland{}cabin-2.png{}Base Camp Greenland” bubbleautopan=”true” distanceunits=”miles” showbike=”false” showtraffic=”false” showpanoramio=”false”]