So you've been to Iceland, had lunch on a glacier and snow-mobiled around the remote countryside. Find yourself looking for a new, icy adventure? We think the hot ticket this year is undoubtedly the Svalbard archipelago. Although it is officially part of Norway, Svalbard is so far north that its part of the Arctic Circle no to mention the North Pole's nearest neighbour. Only three islands in the archipelago are populated and polar bears far outnumber humans; there's plenty to explore, with glaciers, fjords and floating packs of ice stretching as far as the eye can see. And then there are the Northern Lights... does it get much better?
Svalbard has all the special ingredients that make a truly fantastic break. Stay in the town of Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen, the largest island in the archipelago. A former mining town, it still has a frontier feel (without the shoot outs and saloons) and as half the land mass is covered by glacier ice your mode of transportation will be snowmobiles, boats, dog sleds or skis.
Make Basecamp Spitsbergen Hotel your home. The property was built using driftwood, sealskin and slate, and the glass ceiling in the loft room provides the perfect way to view the bright northern lights glowing above. To add to your adventure you could spend a night on the Ship in the Ice, a fitting tribute to the ancient Arctic explorers.
Spend lazy days on the water sailing by boat between fjords and towering glaciers and don't forget to keep an eye out for roaming polar bears and lounging seals. Use a kayak to explore the coast, home to an abundance of wildlife including grazing reindeer and colonies of birds. Snowmobiling and skiing across the icy fields is a must to soak up the landscapes and get your pulse racing.
Spitsbergen has plenty to offer in the evening with cosy bars, lodges and restaurants where you can dine on local specialties like reindeer meat and Arctic char. We can even arrange your very own private dinner at a log cabin in the woods for the ultimate Artic dining experience.
What's more, you can visit Svalbard any time of year. The Polar Jazz fest takes place at the end of January in the dark of winter when you can explore ice caverns with head lights or go dog sledding in moonlight. In the spring and summer there is permanent daylight and, as the Gulf Stream warms the coast, wildflowers burst into bloom. Whenever you choose to go, Norway?s arctic north is spectacular.
