Great chances of seeing tiger

Of the world’s 3 200 wild tigers approx. 2 225 lives in India, and on this trip we visit the three parks, Kanha, Pench and Satpura, considered to be some of the best places in the world to see the endangered tiger. During our stay here we explore the park by jeeps, constantly keeping our eyes peeled for the characteristic tiger stripes.

Sloth bears, leopards and other exotic animals

The National Parks are also home to other exotic animals such as barasingha deer, gaurs, langurs and macaques, and with some luck we may see sloth bears, wild dogs and leopards.

A birder’s paradise

Indias’s National Parks hosts a rich and colourful birdlife. 12 % of the world's bird species are found in India and Kanha National Park is home to more than 200 of them.

We stay at cosy and comfortable lodges

During our adventure in India we are staying at small and cosy lodges, which all offer a perfect location nearby the National Parks. The lodges are built to blend into nature, giving us India’s spectacular wildlife just around the corner. At night you can marvel at the starry sky and listen to the sounds of the wilderness.

Rickshaw ride through Old Delhi

A bicycle rickshaw tour is a perfect way to experience the vibrant capital of India, the seat of power for Indian dynasties from the Moghuls to the British Raj.

Jamtara Wilderness Camp

It was the amazing wilderness in Pench National Park that inspired Rudyard Kipling to write hit classic, The Jungle Book. Via the link below can you watch a short film from Jamatra Wilderness Camp. Here, we stay in luxurious tents, located only a few minutes' drive from the gate entrance, giving us exclusivity to this part of Pench.

Saturday June 24th - Fuglefjorden, Raudfjorden & the pack ice

What a wonderful day we had! It contained almost all the fine treats Svalbard has to offer. Already during breakfast we were able to enjoy amazing views as we sailed through Sørgattet; the narrow strait that make the entrance to Spetsbergen's north wester corner. At Svitjodbreen we put the Zodiac in the water and made a cruise, passing by several glaciers. We spotted the king eider, and some of us even managed to get caught in the ice, and M/S Stockholm had to make some rescue work.

Just after our wonderful midsummer lunch with herring and Swedish "nubbe" we drove into the pack ice. The sun was still shining and there was barely no wind at all as we ventured further and further into the ice sheet. Here we saw several fascinating animals; minke whale, walrus and last but not least - the king of the Arctic. A polar bear, who just had caught a seal which it protectively looked after between its naps. A lovely sight! After a while, we turned off the engine and drifted peacefully amongst the ice durin night time.

Sunday 25 June - The Pack Ice, Virgohamna & Smeerenburg

The sun was still shining radiant as we woke up amongst the pack ice, and we took the chance to make a brief excursion with our Zodiac. We even managed to step ashore on an ice floe where we conducted a ”democratic” snowball war in true PolarQuest spirit. The ones who felt brave enough threw themselves into the freezing water – the polar plunge was on! After lunch we took another last turn amongst the ice, before leaving it behind for good. The evening landing took place at the exciting site of Virgohamna, known as the starting point for Swedish balloonist Andrée’s fatal attempt to reach the North Pole. In the warm light of the evening sun we also went to Smeerenurg, a place with lots of historical remains from the early days of whale hunt, and a group of charismatic walruses. While some in the group chose to stay with the walruses, the rest of the group went for a walk and got to have a really close look at the birds nesting this far northward; red throated-loons, aggressive Arctic terns (maybe a bit too close?) and brünnich’s guillemots. During night time we headed south after have passes the narrow Sørgattet once more.    

31st of May 2017 - Bellsund

We woke up early because a group of belugas had been spotted near the ship that lay in the ice far into Van Mijenfjorden. It was a nice encounter with these little white whales who doesn't have a fin as they always swim close to the ice and underneath it. A walrus also appeared nearby, and we were able to enjoy how it showed its long tusks for us.

Everyone helped to look for more animals from the bridge, more specifically after polar bears, since Expedition Leader David had announced a contest called the first one who finds a bear also gets a prize. We saw many reindeers along the coast of Bellsund, but sadly no bears.

After lunch, we made an excursion with our Zodiac in Recherchefjorden, and during the night, on our way north, we were awakened by David who had seen whales in front of us. It turned out to be both fin whales and blue whales, and it was an incredible experience to see these huge animals that come to Svalbard to eat the krill living in the waters here. What an ending of a amazing day!

1st of June 2017 - Kongsfjorden

In the morning we docked at the quay side of one of the world's northernmost societies, Ny-Ålesund. There are approximately 150 people living here during summer, and about 40 people all year around. They are researchers from all over the world who are running scientific projects here, and many of them examine the climate and the changes of it. Several of us took the opportunity to buy some souvenirs in the little shop before we walked through the village, earning some more knowledge about the coal mining and all the early expeditions that have started here. Adventurers like Roald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile used Ny-Ålesund as a base for their journeys northward, in their search for honor and fame.

We sailed further into the fjord to admire the magnificent Kongsbreen from the ship. And luck was still with us; we saw a powerful calving of the great ice wall, and the ice created huge waves that made the entire M/S Stockholm rock properly.

As we look out of our ger tents in the morning, we see impressive cliffs and Mongolia's immense blue sky!

We eat a hearty breakfast that is hard to understand how they have been able to make in such a remote place. As we eat, rubber floats are loaded onto an old Soviet truck that will take us to the starting point for today's adventure. We float, row and sometimes have to steer through fast currents. On both sides of us there are steep rock formations and the water surrounding us is as clear as crystal. In several places can we see the taimen, a trout species that can be up to 1.5 meters long. After a couple of hours, we step ashore at the river bank and sit down to have luch.

After a few more hours we are back in the camp where the staff shows us how to put up a ger and how they make horhorg, a traditional Mongolian dish made of ​lamb, potatoes, carrots and salt, cooked with hot stones. The ingredients were not so many but still the food tasted absolutely amazing.

Looking for fine dining? Visit Longyearbyen's best restaurants, Huset and Gruvelaget.

– Huset mixes local products and Nordic flavours with an impressive collection of wines. It is said that the restaurant’s wine cellar store more than 20,000 bottles, making it one of Scandinavia's largest.

Gruvelagret is to be found in an old mining storage and the interior reflects early mining history in Longyearbyen. Here you can enjoy a unique and cosy dining in the outskirts of the village.

Taste Svalbard's own beer! Since 2015 there is a brewery on Svalbard. Why not make a visit and try their five different beers?

– The beer is also served at several other bars and restaurants in the village like Kroa, Svalbar and Huset.

Have a fika at the cafe Fruene.

– Order a bun or buy some locally made chocolate - of course shaped like the king of Svalbard; the polar bear!

Learn more about Svalbard in the village’s museums.

– I recommend both the classic Svalbard Museum and the somewhat more recessed North Pole Expedition Museum.

Take a walk to Nybyen.

– After a 30-minute walk into the valley, you reach a range of houses that were built as accommodation for the miners, named Nybyen. Today, in addition to the restaurant Gruvelagret, you find a small art gallery and a nice bar called Coalminers Cabin here.

Get 300 meters into the mountain during an exciting visit to Gruve 3.

– The process of mapping the coal resources of the valley started as early as 1928, with mining in Gruve 1 and Gruve 2. In 1971, mining also started in Gruve 3 and continued until 1996 when it was closed. Today it is open for public visitations and well worth one! 

Admire the entrance to the global seed vault.

– You are not allowed to visit the actual vault, but you can still imagine it, situated 125 meters deep into the mountain. Preserved by the permafrost, over 900,000 different seeds from all over the world are stored here.