Chimu Blog On the 23rd of June, 2019, we’ll be hosting our very first charter trip to the Arctic, taking the crew of Places We Go on an amazing filming adventure to the mesmerizing Svalbard archipelago.
And you can come along for the ride.
Arctic expeditions are an incredible experience. Credit: Shutterstock
Nothing can compare to the unique and unforgettable experience of cruising the Arctic seas around some of the most remote and spellbinding islands on earth, keeping your eyes peeled to the horizon for whales, narwhals and polar bears. Yet on our very special Places We Go charter expedition, you’ll have the unrivalled chance to relive your own unique Arctic experience live on national TV. An astonishing, once-in-a-lifetime expedition to the northern ends of the world accompanied by the crew of one of Australia’s most revered travel shows.
Chimu’s Arctic Unveiled 2019 Expedition promises to be an unmissable travel experience and you are invited to be part of all the action.
Chimu’s Arctic Unveiled 2019 Expedition.
Chimu & Places We Go – A match made in (freezing cold) heaven
This isn’t the first time Chimu Adventures is joining forces with Places We Go . When the crew of PWG travelled to the southern ends of our planet to film their Voyage to Antarctica episode in 2013, they chose to travel with Chimu and by all accounts no-one’s embarrassed to admit it was love at first frost-bite. Places We Go and Chimu share a friendship borne out of a shared passion for responsible and sustainable travel, for off-the-beaten-path adventures and for truly meaningful travel experiences.
Jennifer Adams, the founder and creator behind the popular TV travel-series, will be creating a two-part series on their Arctic Unveiled journey and it seems she is as excited about the impending adventure as we are! From reading Jen’s latest blog, we might even say she’s positively ecstatic at the prospect of experiencing the Arctic in all its magical glory.
And she certainly should be.
Dog sleds in the Arctic. Credit: Shutterstock
Arctic Unveiled – What to expect on this unique journey
Chimu’s expedition sets off from Longyearbyen and will take you on an 8-day journey of discovery along the dramatic cliffs, glaciers and fjords of Spitzbergen’s western, northern and eastern coastlines and across to the Seven Islands, the northernmost tip of the Svalbard archipelago. Over the course of this exhilarating journey, you’ll be privy to an array of unique Arctic wildlife, including migrating whales, walruses, bearded seals, adorable puffins and, hopefully, have plenty of chances to spot polar bears, the most revered and also most threatened of all the Arctic creatures.
Polar bear sightings are becoming rarer every year yet this location, at this time of year, still yields the best chances of spotting this majestic Arctic predator. A bear sighting is almost guaranteed!
Polar bear sightings are very likely on our trips to the Arctic. Credit: Shutterstock
Ocean Atlantic – Your home in the Arctic
Arctic Unveiled will cruise on the Ocean Atlantic, a strengthened ice-vessel that’s perfectly equipped and designed to take on one of the world’s harshest environments. Fully refurbished in 2016, the Ocean Atlantic boasts modern and comfortable cabins (six distinct classes of varying sizes and prices), excellent communal rooms, a great Polar library stocked to the brim with books, a gym with sauna and plenty of outdoor decking space for unrivalled Arctic landscape viewing and wildlife watching. The Ocean Atlantic carries up to 195 passengers yet is small, compact and powerful enough to get you to the remotest nooks of these incredible Arctic islands.
On-land expeditions aboard the ship’s Zodiacs will undoubtedly make for the most remarkable experiences. These sturdy inflatables get you closer to glaciers and bring you ashore, where you can walk on the arid Arctic tundra and retrace the steps of historic explorers like Roald Amundsen and James Clark Ross; get up close to colonies of unique Arctic wildlife and visit some of the remotest and hardiest villages on earth.
Every day of this Arctic Unveiled journey will offer incomparable nature and wildlife experiences and what they’ll also do is bring home the need for greater protection of this awe-inspiring yet ultimately fragile part of the world.
Explore the Arctic aboard the Ocean Atlantic.
The Environmental Impact of Arctic Expeditions
Jen from Places We Go is quite right in enquiring as to the environmental impact of Arctic Expeditions and although we excitedly declare that the impact has the potential to be ‘huge’, it may not be in the context many people envisage.
There isn’t a single Arctic expedition in the world that can shield you from the harsh reality of global warming and the effect it is having on this most pivotal region of our planet. The impact this can have on you is considerable and when we talk about the ‘huge environmental impact of Arctic expedition’, this is the one we mean: the one it will have on you, the visitor.
On your expedition cruise aboard the Ocean Atlantic, you’ll meet scientists, experts and environmentalists who’ll explain how much ice is melting in the Arctic, the consequences this melt is having on the region and, in turn, the potential for devastating effects on the planet as a whole. And because you will be right there, this is bound to have an infinitely more profound effect on you.
Arctic Expeditions are extraordinary but they are also incredibly informative and immensely emotive. Visit the Arctic with an open heart and you’ll undoubtedly go home with a fervent desire to protect it. That’s just what happens when you fall in love with a place you visit: you become an ambassador for it, a protector and an environmental warrior, most especially when you see it under any kind of threat.
Why we’re M.A.D. about the Arctic!
The Make a Difference foundation (M.A.D.) is Chimu’s not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to collect funds for bonafide, vetted and trusted projects the world over, chosen first-hand for their ethical and environmental missions. Our Arctic Unveiled expedition with Places We Go will be right at the heart of this project, as we’ll also be joined by famed Australian artists Wendy Sharpe and Bernard Ollis, who will endeavour to create a cache of artwork whose sale profits will be donated to M.A.D.
Chimu’s vision is to make every dollar count and every single decision matter because although you may consider a singular action inconsequential, an endless collection of them is what will make the biggest difference.
As Chimu’s own Meg Hall rightly states:
So why not come and join us all and turn your own Arctic travel dream into an unforgettable reality? Come and meet Jen, Clint and the crew for PWG, esteemed artists Wendy Sharpe and Bernard Ollis and all the amazing creatures of the Arctic on this truly once-in-a-lifetime Arctic expedition.
Explore the Arctic and discover walruses around the icy shores. Credit: Shutterstock
At Chimu Adventures, we are your Polar travel experts and, on the 23rd of June, 2019, we’d love to be your hosts. See our Arctic Unveiled page for prices and availability and click on the Enquire Now tab to know more.
Author: Laura Pattara
“Laura Pattara is a modern nomad who’s been vagabonding around the world, non-stop, for the past 15 years. She’s tour-guided overland trips through South America and Africa, travelled independently through the Middle East and has completed a 6-year motorbike trip from Europe to Australia. What ticks her fancy most? Animal encounters in remote wilderness, authentic experiences off the beaten trail and spectacular Autumn colours in Patagonia.”