Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic offers seven new itineraries for 2015

 

Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic has seven new itineraries for 2015 on board the 148-guest National Geographic Explorer. With a fleet of Zodiacs and sea kayaks, the ship fosters up-close exploration.

All rates quoted below are per person based on double occupancy in a category 1 cabin.

Azores to Morocco: Island Wonders and Fabled Shores, 10 days/8 nights. Departs March 27, 2015. Rates begin at £5,415.

Morocco, Spain and Portugal: Land of the Moors, 10 days/8 nights.  Departs 4 April 2015. Rates begin at £5,415.

Along the Viking Trail: Iceland to Greenland, 12 days/10 nights.  Departs 19 July  2015. Rates begin at £6,515. Book by 31 Dec 2014 to receive complimentary charter airfare (Kangerlussuaq to Ottawa--a £739 value). New bookings only, subject to availability.

Exploring Greenland & the Canadian High Arctic, 13 days/12 nights. Departs July 28; August 7, 2015. Rates begin at £7,944.

Coastal Treasures from the Panama Canal to Peru, 14 days/12 nights.  Departs 27 September 2015. Rates begin at £7955. Book by 31 Dec 2014 and receive complimentary round-trip airfare between Miami/Panama City and Lima/Miami. 

Patagonia, The Chilean Fjords and Argentina's Staten Island, 21 days/18 nights. Departs 21 October  2015. Rates begin at $18,880. 

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Canadian Arctic Adventures with The Cruise People.

Canadian Arctic adventures in the northern Candadian islands on board the 118-passenger Sea Adventurer are one of  the adventure options on offer from The Cruise People.

They represent well-known expedition and adventure companies offering voyages to the Antarctic, South Georgia and the Falklands, the North Pole, Alaska, Spitsbergen, Iceland, Greenland, the Northwest Passage and Hudson Bay, the Amazon, the Galapagos, the South Pacific and many other destinations polar and tropical. 

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Last minute discovery cruises for less than £60 per person per day

There’s still time to plan a last minute summer 2012 break with Voyages of Discovery (www.voyagesofdiscovery.com / 0844 822 0820) to the Baltic and Norway from just £879 per person.

Discover the jewels of the Baltic on the Baltic Treasures 15 day cruise. With an extended three night stay in St Petersburg, guests can explore the city’s famous palaces, visit the Hermitage Museum for a music recital, and take part in a traditional folklore excursion for a truly authentic experience.

For those with a sense of adventure the Nordic Natural Wonders cruise offers a footloose programme designed for seasoned hikers and amateur ramblers alike, giving them the opportunity to get off the beaten track to explore untamed landscapes such as Mount Fløien in Bergen and hike in Flam with the chance to see its famous railways. What’s more guests can find out more on the footloose programme by visiting www.voyagesofdiscovery.com/blog

The Baltic Treasures cruise starts from £899 per person. Price includes a 15 day cruise departing from Harwich (UK) and calling at Kristiansand (Norway), Copenhagen (Denmark), Tallinn (Estonia), St. Petersburg (Russia) – overnight x 2, Gdynia (Poland), Szczecin (Poland), Sassnitz (Germany) and transit through the Kiel Canal before returning to Harwich (UK). Price is based on a 28 June 2012 departure.

The Nordic Natural Wonders cruise starts from £879 per person. Price includes a 14-day cruise departing from Harwich (UK) and calling at Bergen (Norway), Flam (Norway), Akureyri (Iceland), Isafjordur (Iceland), Grundarfjordur (Iceland), Reykjavik (Iceland) and Torshavn (Faroe Islands) before returning to Harwich (UK). Price based on a 12 July 2012 departure.

For more information and to book call 0844 822 0820 or visit www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk. To reserve excursions visit www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk/book_excursions

NEW THRILLS AWAIT ACTIVE TRAVELLERS IN NORTHERN EUROPE WITH CRYSTAL CRUISES

Between May and September this year, Crystal Cruises’ guests in Northern Europe can hike, drive, ride, fish, climb, sail, row, bob, fly or surf in destinations from western France up to the Arctic Circle and over to Iceland. The ultra-luxury line has set more than 100 new boutique Crystal Adventures to take maximum advantage of the region’s abundant outdoor opportunities and stunning natural beauty.

On new outings, outdoor enthusiasts can:

· River Raft Iceland’s glacial Hvitá River (outside Reyjkavik).

· Rock Climb Ireland’s Mourne Mountains (CS Lewis’s Narnia-inspiration) outside Belfast, or rappel down a Dalkey quarry after taking in the view of Dublin.

· Surf in Biarritz, with Quicksilver’s world-class surf school instruction (from St-Jean-de-Luz).

· Tank-Drive a vintage WWII battle tank for two miles near Portland.

• Helicopter over Paris and Versailles (from Honfleur), Bordeaux wine country or Iceland’s recently-erupted Eyjafjallajökull volcano (from Reykjavik).

· Olympic Wheelbob down Lillehammer’s Olympic Bob & Luge Track outside Oslo.

· Horseback Ride through the “Garden of Ireland”/County Wicklow, Finnish countryside and forest near Helsinki or mountains outside maiden call Akureyri, the latter on the back of Icelandic horses descended from the Viking Age.

· Kayak past colourful Copenhagen via its harbour and canals or the natural beauty of coastal northern Norway (from Tromso).

· Hike the chalky Dorset coastline in Portland or Norway’s highest mountain, Mount Ulriken (in Bergen).

· Fish the Finnish Archipelago, Geirangerfjord or near Reykjavik (sea angling).

• ATV or 4x4 Drive through North Cape’s gateway, Magerøya Island (Honningsvåg) or past glacial Icelandic landscape to either a lobster lunch or snowmobile adventure (Reykjavik).

· Boat past Helsinki’s seaside villas and lighthouses by catamaran; discover caves and orkas in maiden call Heimaey, Iceland by RIB or motorboat; spot puffins on a RIB sea safari to Runde Island (near Ålesund, Norway); or scout for sea eagles by Zodiac in Lofoten, Norway (maiden call).

· Soak weary, post-activity bones in a natural geothermic/volcanic lagoon en route to stunning Godafoss, aka “Waterfall of the Gods” (from Akureyri).

Other new boutique excursions that focus on the arts and off-beat experiences (and require less adrenalin!) include:

· Blown Glassmaking near Saint-Malo: Fashion your own blown glasswork at a local studio.

· Venturing Off-the-Beaten-Path in Berlin: Explore living as the locals do, with shopping at the fruit and vegetable market, riding the Underground and going inside a typical local apartment.

· Painting in St Petersburg: Take a painting master class at Russia’s largest private modern art gallery.

· Evening Walking with a Night Watchman in Copenhagen: Take a different type of walking tour, at night, with a traditional uniformed - and informed - local “night watchman.”

· “Titanic Experience” in Belfast: Visit the new Titanic museum on the centennial anniversary of the ship’s sinking.

· Gourmet Dining and Wine Tasting in Bordeaux: From slow food to Médoc wine, join local experts in exploring the region’s legendary estates, including a gala dinner at Château Haut-Bailly.

Many Crystal Adventures offer new Private Options for couples. For even more intimate time on shore, guests can also custom-craft a Crystal Private Adventure or take an Overland Adventure, such as a two-day trip to Moscow from St Petersburg.

Until 30^th April, “Book Now” fares for Crystal’s Northern Europe cruises start at £2,166 per person/double occupancy for an 11-night sailing from Southampton to Hamburg departing 21^st May. Price includes flight from Hamburg to the UK, overseas transfers and 11 nights in a deluxe stateroom with picture window on an all-inclusive basis.

Crystal’s passion for creating exclusive, eye-opening luxury shore-side experiences is the cornerstone of its Crystal Adventures programme, earning the line top ratings for two decades.

For further information and reservations please call Crystal Cruises on 020 7287 9040 or visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk

FROM THE WORLD’S LARGEST YET LEAST VISITED NATIONAL PARK TO A TRANSATLANTIC CROSSING

Hurtigruten lines up new voyages for 2012/13

Fancy exploring the rarely visited North East Greenland National Park, the largest in the world and yet the least visited with approximately 500 visitors each year? Or how about exploring Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated town in Greenland? Or why not experience an Equator Baptism by King Neptune on a cross-hemispheric journey from the Canary Islands to Buenos Aires? All this and much more is possible with Hurtigruten whose latest dedicated programme of ‘Explorer’ voyages for 2012/13 in Spitsbergen, Greenland, Antarctica and Europe features new itineraries, experiences and the chance to visit some of the most remote places in the world.

New itineraries introduced, all on board MS Fram, include:

National Park Expedition- This voyage takes in three Arctic islands - Spitsbergen, Greenland and Iceland. Seven days are spent within the North East Greenland National Park, which is the largest in the world and the least visited with approximately 500 visitors each year. It is one of the most isolated places on earth and hikes, small boat trips, lectures and briefings can all be enjoyed. A day is spent at Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated town in Greenland and the trappers living here are the only ones allowed to hunt within the National Park. The 14 day voyage from Spitsbergen to Greenland and then onto Iceland departs on 6 September 2012 in the Arctic autumn and before the winter closes in and makes this corner of the planet uninhabitable. Prices are from £4535pp full board, cruise only.

Trans-Atlantic Crossing – This is a completely different, cross-hemispheric offering from Hurtigruten and the first time it has been offered travelling south. This is the main leg of MS Fram’s winter repositioning journey from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands to Buenos Aires. With the famous Equator Baptism by King Neptune and his wife for those crossing the Equator for the first time and BBQ’s on deck this voyage is all about enjoying life on the ocean wave in a relaxed atmosphere with the ships crew. The19 day voyage departs on 14 October 2012 and is priced from £1292 pp full board, cruise only. Just £68 per day.

Autumn Adventure – This new eight-day North Atlantic Islands voyage begins in Reykjavik, Iceland and sets off across the North Sea toward Torshavn on one of the 18 Faroe Islands and one of the smallest capitals in the world. Next stop is Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, by far the northernmost town in Scotland and Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands with a population of just 8,500. The voyage also calls at Leith/Edinburgh before crossing the North Sea to Bergen. Departing on 19 September 2012 costs from £872pp full board, cruise only.

Hurtigruten has also doubled the number of departures on its most popular Antarctica voyage, ‘The Classic Expedition’. For 2012/13 there are now six departures. New International Maritime Authority (IMA) fuel rules ban the use of heavy fuel oils from use and carriage from 1 August 2011. MS Fram uses Marine Gas Oil (MGO) rather than the heavy fuel oils used by some other ships. A 10 day Classic Expedition costs from £3443pp including flights from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia and back, full board.

For more information call Hurtigruten on 020 8846 2666 or http://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/

Reykjavik, Iceland

Reykjavik is one of those capitals that has a village feel to it, certainly in the centre with is old corrugated iron buildings, and stone Nordic architecture you get the feeling of an up market Norse fishing settlement. Th picture above is th eoldest building in the city.

The harbour was no more than a minutes walk from our hotel and the small lake where we managed to see glaucous gull. scaup, eider and whooper swan merely another three minutes!

Iceland’s has a trap in store for your body clock though. For a start you’re flying an hour ahead of our time but because of its latitude it doesn’t get and the dark until much later. In May we were sitting in a restaurant at midnight and it was still twilight. I asked our guide what it was like tin the winter. ”Not to bad” he replied ”It gets light at noon and dark again at half past two in the afternoon!’

Iceland, temperatutre extremes

I love the way these volcanic steam outlets are in front of the snow covered mountains at Hverir in Iceland. Talk about extremes in temperature. Have a great day now.