Category Archives: Arctic/Antarctic Travel

From Silk Road to Antarctica, 5 ‘In the Footsteps of Explorers’ Routes You Can Follow

Join Big Chill Adventures on a trip designed to highlight Greenland and follow in the footsteps of Hans Poulsen Egede, a Dano-Norwegian Lutheran missionary (photo by M Cambiar).
Join Big Chill Adventures on a trip designed to highlight Greenland and follow in the footsteps of Hans Poulsen Egede, a Dano-Norwegian Lutheran missionary (photo by M Cambiar).

There are not as many undiscovered places as there used to be, but following in the footsteps of some of the great explorers is a fantastic way to discover a new adventure. From the Silk Road to the seas of the Antarctica, here are five historical routes that you can follow today.

  1. Shackleton’s Footsteps– Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton was a polar explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic, and one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. With shipping restricted by impenetrable pack ice to just two brief months each austral summer, few people have ever visited the Ross Sea region of Antarctica. Join Adventure Life on a 30-day voyage, helmed by skillful sailors and knowledgeable guides, to experience nature on a scale so grand there are no words to describe it. http://www.adventure-life.com/new-zealand/cruises/2961/in-the-wake-of-scott-shackleton
  1. Greenland Explorer– Hans Poulsen Egede was a Dano-Norwegian Lutheran missionary is credited with revitalizing Dano-Norwegian interest in Greenland after contact had been broken for hundreds of years. Join Big Chill Adventures on a trip designed to highlight all that Greenland has to offer, including calving glaciers, palatial icebergs, dogsledding, hut camping with Inuit people, wildlife viewing, a speed boat tour of the fjords surrounding Nuuk, kayaking amongst icebergs, mountain biking primitive trails, and helicoptering to a supra glacial lake. http://bigchilladventure.com/trips/greenland-june-2017/
  1. Follow the Silk Road– Marco Polo is probably the most famous Westerner who traveled the Silk Road. Silk, spices, teas, precious metals and jewels, carefully lashed to pack camels, once made their way from one world to another along this route. Visit Kashgar, one of the most exotic cities in the world, skirt the infamous Taklamakan Desert on camelback, and admire the breathtaking views across 12,000-foot Torugart Pass on MIR Corporation’s most comprehensive Silk Road offering. http://www.mircorp.com/trip/chinese-turkestan-central-asia/
  1. Visit Amazon Tribe– Despite the fact that indigenous people had been living in the Amazon for at least 10,000 years; the Amazon River was “discovered” by a Spanish explorer and conquistador, Don Francisco de Orellana. Gondwana EcoTours offers a 10-day tour of Ecuador that visits the Achuar, a tribe of 6,000 indigenous people still living traditionally in small Amazon communities along the Ecuadorian and Peruvian border. http://gondwanaecotours.com/tour/amazon-rainforest-ecotour/
  1. Hannibal Expedition– Hannibal led the military forces of Carthage that fought against Rome in the Second Punic War. Join Ride & Seek on a ride of historical proportions cycling in the footsteps of Hannibal from Barcelona to Rome. Biking some of Europe’s most iconic and picturesque touring routes through Spain, France and Italy, this epic journey has it all. Traverse some of the iconic climbs of the Grand Tours, roll through the vineyards of the Languedoc, Provence, Piedmont and Tuscany, and sample the delights of the diverse gastronomy to be found along the route. http://www.rideandseek.com/epic/hannibal 

 

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Spend a Day in an Igloo on New Arctic Ice Adventure for Families

sweden-igloo

(BJORKLIDEN, Sweden)  –  Off the Map Travel  invites families to experience their own winter wonderland with an exploration of Sweden’s spectacular ice formations and a hunt for the Northern Lights, all from inside a cozy igloo. Led by Sweden’s top Arctic adventures guides, the new Arctic Ice Adventure transports guests by snowmobile sled deep into the Arctic wilderness. Here they will spend some the day in a pre-built igloo and also learn how to build their own, contributing to an ongoing igloo building project.

Add to this the chance to explore and learn about magical ice caves and ice formations; catching dinner by ice fishing; listening to ancient stories about the Arctic; enjoying refreshments served in ice glasses and Aurora hunting from your remote Arctic igloo, and no matter your age, you’ll experience a frosty, fun and educational experience befitting Elsa or Anna in Frozen.

“Ice, snow, igloos and Northern Lights are iconic to the Arctic region, with films and TV series regularly bringing them to us from afar,” said Jonny Cooper, Northern Lights and Arctic travel expert from Off the Map Travel. “The Arctic Ice Adventure brings it all to life in a way that parents and children can experience it together.”

Available February 11-26, 2017, this new experience is included in a five-day family friendly Aurora adventure to Swedish Lapland priced from £1299 per person based on 2 adults and 2 children staying on a half board basis, excluding flights. Travelling with Off the Map Travel (www.offthemaptravel.co.uk ) the itinerary includes all transfers and activities including an Aurora hunt; a lesson in igloo building; a “Lights over Lapland” photography tour with marshmallows to toast over the fire in the tepee; Swedish fika; a dogsledding adventure into the Arctic wilderness; an Aurora spotting evening at Låktatjåkko Mountain Lodge in the giant snowcat with waffles and hot chocolate; and Arctic Ice Adventure at a local igloo on the frozen lake exploring ice formations and caves; and Sami storytelling.

The Arctic Ice Adventure can be added to any tailor-made Off the Map tour to Scandinavia such as a five-day Narvik Mountain Experience in Norway featuring a Northern Lights hunt at the Njalasouka Lavvu, a boat trip on the famous fjords, a “Lights at the Lodge” experience, a trip to Polar Park to meet the native animals of Scandinavia and experience a ‘wolf kiss’ and a night in the exclusive Wolf Lodge, and a Northern Lights dogsled trip.   

Off the Map Travel

Off the Map Travel is a team of travel experts who work with experiences and destinations that allow people to explore hidden wonders of the world. Specializing in soft adventure and viewing of the Northern Lights, Off the Map Travel creates tailor-made itineraries that offer a distinctive vacation based on first-hand experience. Off the Map Travel vacations anticipate all travelers’ needs with pre-planning and customization. Each bespoke itinerary is tailored to the ages of participants, creating experiences for families, groups, couples and singles that are comfortable and luxurious, with activity levels appropriate for all participants.

This project is supported by Interreg Nord and the Visit Arctic Europe project, developing travel to the Arctic Europe region.

For more information about the Arctic Ice Adventure, Northern Lights adventures or luxury adventure travel visit www.offthemaptravel.co.uk orwww.ilovenorthernlights.com; call +44 (0) 800 566 8901; email info@offthemaptravel.co.uk or join in the conversation on FacebookTwitter,InstagramYouTube or Pinterest

 

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