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The Arctic

Articles We’ve Written About The Arctic

The Arctic is the polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole. It includes the Arctic Ocean, numerous islands, and the northernmost parts of Canada, Finland, Greenland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States.

Here you will also find content from destinations like as Iceland and the Faroe Islands, which might fall just shy of the southern boundary of the Arctic Circle, but offer the same type of Arctic experiences.

Arctic Vacation Ideas: Top Arctic Adventure Vacations

Posted by on 1:21 am in Blog, The Arctic, World | 0 comments

Arctic Vacation Ideas: Top Arctic Adventure Vacations

The Arctic is one of the most beautiful regions you’ll ever visit, and if you’re someone with an eye for adventure, no matter how wild, a tour of the Arctic should be on your travel bucket list.

The world’s coldest region, the Arctic cuts across Canada, Denmark, Russia, Greenland, Alaska, Norway, Iceland, Finland, and Sweden, and offers glacial landscapes, waterfalls, wildlife, and the much sought after Northern Lights.

These regions characterize some of the earth’s loveliest places, and if you look beyond the chill, there’s so much to unpack on a north pole expedition. With so much choice, here are 9 ideas for how to experience the Arctic.

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The Ultimate Polar Region Bucket List

Posted by on 10:15 am in Adventure Travel, Antarctica, Blog, Eco Tourism, Greenland, Norway, The Arctic | 0 comments

The Ultimate Polar Region Bucket List

There are few places left in the world that you can truly call pristine, but that’s just what our Polar Regions offer. They are surprisingly havens for wildlife, and a range of small group tours journey to remote destinations like Greenland and Spitsbergen in the north as well as Antarctica in the south.

Whether you’ve always wanted to witness a vivid aurora or be bathed in 24 hours of sunshine, the world’s Polar Regions offer adventures unlike any other. From walruses and polar bears in the north to elephant seals and penguins in the south, our Polar Regions abound with rare and endangered wildlife.

In addition to witnessing almost unimaginable landscapes and wildlife, there are many epic activities on offer including dog sledding, hiking on ice sheets, mountain biking in Greenland, and kayaking or taking a polar plunge in the icy waters off Antarctica.

So grab your parka because Quark Expeditions, the leader in polar adventures, is ready to help you choose from some of the top Polar Region bucket list adventures.

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Dear Travelers to Iceland: Please Don’t Visit Until You’ve Understood These 8 Things

Posted by on 10:01 am in Blog, Iceland, The Arctic, Travel Tips | 71 comments

Dear Travelers to Iceland: Please Don’t Visit Until You’ve Understood These 8 Things

In recent years, rumors have begun to spread about the existence of a small Nordic island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean; an island defined by dramatic landscapes, with volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, lava fields, and elves. Yes, elves.

Rumors of this magical place are spreading like wildfire, and travelers have started arriving from all over the land. Though there is a delicate balance in maintaining the untouched and wild feeling of Iceland’s unique landscapes while making them accessible to tourists. Lava fields, volcanoes and thundering waterfalls might look super tough, but in fact they are very vulnerable.

Before tourists started arriving in mass, most Icelandic attractions had no need for infrastructure like car parks or ranger stations. So it’s extremely important that we are aware of our impact as travelers. As such, we have composed a letter to all those who are Iceland bound.

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Essential Clothing for Traveling in Extremely Cold Weather

Posted by on 4:31 pm in Adventure Travel, Antarctica, Blog, Equipment Reviews, The Arctic, Travel Tips | 0 comments

Essential Clothing for Traveling in Extremely Cold Weather

Traveling is a fun and exhilarating activity, however if you’re not prepared for the weather, you might find that you’ve effectively ruined your trip.

The weather is the single factor most likely to positively or negatively affect your travels, though it’s also one of the things most travelers take for granted, and people quite often find themselves caught off guard.

Checking the weather forecast for your destination before you leave is essential to ensuring you are packing appropriate clothes, and you shouldn’t make assumptions as to what you believe the weather is going to be.

I mean it’s always going to be warm in Australia right?

Always check.

If you’re traveling during winter, or to destinations that experience extremely cold weather conditions, make sure you have the following items of clothing with you.

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Destination Russia: A Captivating Travel Read For the Intrepid Soul

Posted by on 11:26 pm in Blog, Book & Film Reviews, Russia, The Arctic | 0 comments

Destination Russia: A Captivating Travel Read For the Intrepid Soul

Urban life in Russia is a far cry from the adventure that lies further out, and it’s only here, among the icy Siberian tundra; among communities who have never seen a foreign tourist; among Nomadic desert tribes on the Mongolian border, that you’ll find the true soul of Mother Russia.

And it’s this soul that is so perfectly captured in Fabio Bertino and Roberta Melchiorre’s new book “Destination Russia. A ship and a cat in the tundra and other extra-ordinary encounters”.

Having recently been released in English after immense success in Italian, the book is a captivating collection of stories that takes you on a journey with Fabio and Roberta as they travel to the farthest corners of the country, discovering the treasures (and adventure) that lie beyond Russia’s increasingly westernized veneer.

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The Best Places To Cover On a Finland-Russia Trip

Posted by on 7:21 pm in Blog, Finland, Russia, The Arctic | 0 comments

The Best Places To Cover On a Finland-Russia Trip

Europe is blessed with more than 40 beautiful countries and each one of them is unique in terms of history, landscape, art and culture. Russia and Finland are two such wonderful gems.

While Finland offers some of the most distinct natural phenomenon like the Northern Lights and spectacular fjords, Russia is known for its picturesque vistas, historical cities and some of the world’s best literature and art works.

Both Finland and Russia share a natural border with easy accessibility, which makes it very convenient for travelers wanting to cover both countries in one trip.

If you’re thinking of visiting both Finland and Russia, the following are the main highlights you shouldn’t miss on your first trip.

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7 Things You’ll See on an Alaskan Cruise

Posted by on 8:13 pm in Adventure Travel, Blog, Eco Tourism, Luxury Lifestyle, The Arctic, United States | 4 comments

7 Things You’ll See on an Alaskan Cruise

The first time we visited Alaska we flew into Anchorage and planned out a self drive itinerary by land. The thinking was that this would allow us to see and do more.

And while we had an incredible time, camping in the rugged interior of Denali, and encountering bears along some of the States most scenic drives, we actually missed out on the big show.

Because cruising actually allows you to experience more of Alaska than a land based DIY tour; while cruising offers the best of both worlds, and allows for land based excursions, driving means you completely miss out on sailing on the icy seas.

Cruising in Alaska means whale watching at 6am as soon as you fall out of bed. It means the opportunity to visit islands and towns not accessible by road. It means dining on fresh salmon as you float past massive blue glaciers, and snow-capped mountains shrouded in mist.

If you’re thinking of cruising Alaska, the word epic barely does the experience justice. Here are 7 things you can expect to see.

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The Best Foods to Try on Your Trip to Norway

Posted by on 12:48 pm in Blog, Food, Healthy Travel, Norway, The Arctic | 23 comments

The Best Foods to Try on Your Trip to Norway

We all know the saying “you are what you eat”; the belief that to be healthy and remain in shape you need to eat quality nutritious food. If this is true, then your dream of becoming as fit and strong as a Viking may mean you have to start eating like one!

Of course there is no better way to start eating like a true Viking than to head to Norway. People have long been taking bucket list trips to Norway to see the country’s breathtaking landscapes, but they have recently started travelling for another reason as well.

The new diet craze that is sweeping the world is the Nordic Diet. It is a diet that is not only proving to be quite healthy for us but the environment as well. It is a sustainable diet that takes advantage of seasonal ingredients and requires fewer natural resources with less pollution to produce meals.

The following dishes are some of the “must try” dishes you have to experience on your next Scandinavian adventure.

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5 of the Best Things to do in Norway

Posted by on 9:02 pm in Adventure Travel, Blog, Norway, The Arctic, Writers | 24 comments

5 of the Best Things to do in Norway

Sharing a 2,000 km border with Sweden, in the northern European region of Scandinavia, Norway is a beautiful Nordic country, and in recent years rumors have begun to spread of it’s insane natural beauty.

A country defined by epic landscapes which rank among the most stunning in the world, the sheer drama of the fjords is alone worth the effort of coming here.

Rumors of this magical place are spreading like wildfire, though what can a traveler actually do? While 98% of its territory is uninhabited and impossible to live in, for those who choose to travel, there are unlimited possibilities for adventure. The following are our 5 favorite choices.

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5 Types of Travelers Who Visit Iceland – Is This You?

Posted by on 12:40 pm in Adventure Travel, Blog, Iceland, The Arctic | 30 comments

5 Types of Travelers Who Visit Iceland – Is This You?

In recent years, rumors have begun to spread about the existence of a small Nordic island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean; an island defined by dramatic landscapes, with volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, lava fields, and elves. Yes, elves.

Rumors of this magical place are spreading like wild fire, and travelers have started arriving from all over the land. Though how do you know if Iceland is a country for you? Even though it’s a pretty safe bet in terms of an incredible vacation, what kind of travelers does it suit?

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