Polar bear watching cruise in Svalbard, Norway

COUNTRY:
Norway
DEPARTURES:
2013: 30 May, 2 Jun, 6 Jun, 9 Jun, 13 Jun, 16 Jun, 23 Jun, 30 Jun, 7 Jul
PRICE:
From £2990 (9 days) excluding flights
MORE INFO:
Price is based on 2 sharing and includes one night at hotel in Longyearbyen, seven nights aboard the MS Quest, the services of an experienced expedition leader and three knowledgeable naturalist guides/lecturers. Lecture on board and shore excursions are also included, as well as a detailed log book.
LATE AVAIL:
16th June spaces for 2 willing to share males, in triple cabin 30th June space for 1 willing to share male, in twin cabin
VOUCHERS:
Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
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Polar bear watching cruise in Svalbard, Norway

Polar bear watching cruise in Svalbard, Norway

Bear watching specialist

Typically trips are expertly guided by a leading specialist with a good knowledge of the area to be visited. Polar Bears, Grizzly Bears and Spirit Bears are the main focus of attention however most trips also incorporate other fauna and flora highlights of the destination as well. Our trips use local guides and experts and contribute to local conservation projects whenever possible.

How Polar bear watching cruise in Svalbard, Norway makes a difference

Environment

We always encourages clients to respect and appreciate the environment they are in; on this trip there are presentations in the evening. We reflect this in the running of the office in the UK where everything that can be recycled is and careful consideration is given to the environment.

We always ensure that clients are aware that polar bears are dangerous and wild animals. Clients are given rules to abide to ensure they do not come into danger and they do not make polar bears associate humans with food. A donation from each trip sold goes to helping preserve Polar Bears and the environment in which they live.

A direct contribution is made from each safari sold to the conservation and preservation of the bears in the destination of choice. This contribution is made for the conservation of the bears, local communities and projects, and local conservation agencies.

Wherever possible we use environmentally friendly local accommodation. It is not always possible to find eco-friendly accommodation in some remote destinations; if this is the case then we make every effort to alert the management of the accommodation in question to ways of improving their service with the environment in mind.

Our UK operations reflect our standards abroad in that we aim to minimise our impact on the environment as much in the UK as we would do in any of our destination countries. We attempt to do this through recycling of any office waste including, paper, plastic, cans, glass, refuse, in partnership with the Borough of Brighton & Hove.

Responsible tourism is the way forward for travel in the 21st Century; as we destroy more and more of our natural environment we slowly begin to realise how much we need it. When visiting destinations we bear this in mind and remember how privileged we are to be able to see the wildlife and nature that you are visiting, and, in a few years, if no action is taken, the fact that it will no longer be there...

Community

The purpose of our safaris is to contribute to local populations, communities and projects. We give our travellers advice on how to interact with the local population, flora and fauna in order to minimise any negative impact. We encourage the use of local guides in every destination and with every local agent. Even on our specialist led safaris we try to ensure that a local guide is also used. We do not believe in taking jobs from local populations in order to provide for western needs.

Where possible we will always use local suppliers in preference to others whether this is in the purchase of provisions, accommodation, transport or equipment.We believe the best way to learn about and enjoy the experience of being on safari with us is to make the effort to mingle with the local people, taste new foods and try new experiences.

Polar bear watching cruise in Svalbard, Norway

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How we choose the provider of Polar bear watching cruise in Svalbard, Norway

How we choose providers

Polar bear watching cruise in Svalbard, Norway

Reviewed 14 Jul 2012 by Renny Gye5 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


The whole thing was amazing, being able to go out to parts of Svalbard that other ships can't get to was fantastic, and the wildlife that we saw there was the overall highlight.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Book directly with the operator (the actual company that runs the trip - rather than an agent) to ensure that you get the correct packing list, pick-up information, flights, etc.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?


Yes definitely, the operator are obviously very concerned with preserving the nature in Svalbard and being environmentally responsible.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


Really fantastic.

Read the operator's response here:

We are delighted to learn that you had an enjoyable trip to Svalbard. We feel that seeing polar bears in their natural habitat is one of the most rewarding wildlife experiences and we are glad that you agreed with our choice of expedition which takes you to some of the more pristine areas.

Sorry to hear that you feel people should book their trip directly. As a UK tour operator we are members of both the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL) and Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust (ABTOT) meaning all bookings originating from the UK that are made with us are 100% financially secured and each of the components you book with us we are responsible for. If there is a problem with one of them, either prior to departure or while you are away, we provide you with help and assistance and peace of mind. For non-UK clients we can also arrange insolvency cover.

In regards to pre-departure information we do provide all of the information supplied by the local operator to our clients (in a different format), however we are currently looking at ways of making this information more accessible.

As ever thank you for your constructive comments and please do not hesitate to get in touch if we can ever assist you again with your future travel plans in any of our destinations.
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