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| Day 1 |
AN
ARCTIC ARRIVAL AND AN AERIAL TOUR
Arrive in Churchill by air or train. One of our expert
staff will meet you at the airport/train station and
will provide you an orientation to the tour including a
clothing check (in order to crosscheck your "What to
Bring" list as provided to you in your travel
documents).
You will then be transferred by helicopter or fixed wing
aircraft to Seal River Heritage Lodge at approximately
11:30 a.m. This exciting flight takes you out over the
historic Churchill River, and then northwest up the
rugged Hudson Bay coast to Canada's most exclusive Polar
Bear viewing property. Keep a sharp eye out en route for
caribou, moose, seals, wolves and of course the great
Ice Bears.
Upon your arrival, your hosts Mike and Jeanne Reimer and their children, a
true (and thus rare) Churchillian family, will provide a
tour of the Lodge and get you settled into your room. A
thorough orientation about being in polar bear country
will be provided prior to any outings. This day
includes a guided hike on our rugged and starkly
beautiful coastline, an interpretive slide show
featuring the wildlife of Hudson Bay, and hopefully a
clear night for viewing the Aurora Borealis! All this
will be topped off with a gourmet lunch and dinner where
your hosts and guides will regale you with tales of life
and adventures in Canada's Arctic. |
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Overnight Seal
River Heritage Lodge |
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| Day 2 - 3 |
TUNDRA
TREKKING, POLAR BEARS, AND PRICELESS PHOTOGRAPHY!
In the coming days, your gourmet breakfast will be
served at 8:00 a.m. and the first walking tour generally
leaves at 9:30 a.m. Should there be a polar bear in camp
(this happens frequently!), the walking tour is delayed
for picture taking but no one ever seems to mind!
Once you’ve fueled up with one of Jeanne’s legendary
full course breakfasts, you’ll be eager to bundle up and
head out into the snow. The walks are comfortably paced
as they are geared towards plenty of viewing and photo
opportunities. They are guided by our professional and
knowledgeable tour leaders and so you’ll do a lot of
learning along the way as well. Obviously we cannot
allow the bears to approach too closely, and your guides
are expert in keeping bears at a safe distance without
sacrificing exciting viewing.
Polar bears are also known to saunter by our Lodge on a
regular basis so you can often view them from the warmth
and comfort of one of our lounges through the massive
picture windows. This opportunity is all too welcome
when a squall blows in! We have a variety of other
activities to take part in as well should the weather
prevent us from exploring the outdoors though such is
rarely the case.
Weather permitting lunches will be had in the field.
Generally by 4:00 p.m. we are back at the Lodge for hot
or cold drinks and appetizers. Your full course
delectable dinners are served at 7:00 p.m. after which,
the fireplace is almost always central. Your guide team
will give informative lectures and beautiful slide
presentations as well as initiate a discussion about the
activities for the following day. Bedtime is at your
leisure. The entire Lodge area is patrolled for polar
bears all night by one of our night watchmen so be
prepared to have your sleep cut short by a nocturnal
visit by one of the great Ice Bears (or by one of our
dazzling displays of northern lights!). |
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Overnight Seal
River Heritage Lodge |
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| Day 4 |
SAY GOODBYE TO
THE LODGE…
BUT NOT TO THE BEARS!
After another hearty breakfast it is time to pack for
the flight back to Churchill, say good-byes and snap a
few more pictures! After another exciting aerial tour,
you’ll arrive in Churchill and will be escorted to your
overnight accommodations (hotel or B&B) to check in. You
are then free to explore and wine and dine in this
frontier community at your leisure. We recommend Nature
1st Tours and Transportation (www.nature1sttours.ca)
should you prefer a guided tour of the area. Local
places such as Cape Merry, the Port of Churchill, the
Eskimo Museum, the Polar Bear Holding Compound
(otherwise known as the Polar Bear Jail), as well as the
Parks Canada exhibit are all of great interest.
Dogsledding and helicopter charters fit nicely into this
afternoon if you’re so inclined.
You will have your choice of Churchill’s restaurants for
dinner and will receive a $25 voucher per person. A list
of local restaurants are featured in your Travel
Documents(which will be provided to you pre-departure)
to assist you in making your decision. Then it will be
back to your hotel/B&B so you can rest up for your 5th
and final day with the bears.
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Overnight Churchill |
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| Day 5 |
MORE BEARS!
WHAT A GREAT WAY TO FINISH UP…
Today you will travel across the tundra in the world
famous Tundra Buggies ® for more polar bear viewing.
Transportation by bus to and from the Tundra Buggies ®
is provided at 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. respectively so
do remember to grab some breakfast beforehand. Lunch
“with the bears” will be prepared and served to you on
the tour. Your flight south to Winnipeg is scheduled for
this evening and thus we wish you safe travels back to
reality. If you’ve not had enough bear action for one
lifetime, ask us about our Birds, Bears & Belugas
adventure which takes place in July and August annually. |
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