A few years ago, I wrote about my blissful two-day ‘digital detox’ aboard the Rocky Mountaineer train in the wilds of British Columbia. Disconnecting from phones and the internet gave me the rare chance to focus entirely on my surroundings. So, a week aboard Oceanwide Expeditions’ newest ship, ‘Hondius,’ in Northern Spitsbergen (also known as […]
Category Archives: Polar
A 500m cruise on Ponant’s luxury icebreaker in Lyttelton Harbour
Living in Lyttelton, I see a lot of cruise ships arriving and departing each summer, but Ponant’s luxury icebreaker the ‘Commandant Charcot’ is unique, so when I was offered the opportunity to enjoy a overnight aboard in the harbour, I jumped at the chance. The Charcot had just voyaged from Antarctica and was turning around […]
Travel Journal | From Urban Calm to Arctic Wilderness: A Journey from Oslo to Longyearbyen
Oslo often flies under the radar for travellers eager to explore Europe’s iconic cities, likely because it lacks well-known landmarks and is seen as quite pricey. So, I was pleasantly surprised by how impressive it is for a first-time visitor. The city boasts vast green spaces, including two massive sculpture parks, a hip urban seafront […]
Land of the Midnight Sun: Take a Journey through Land, Sea, and Legends Iceland
Keflavik Airport in Iceland has really changed since I first went through it. It’s much bigger and more impressive now, probably because Iceland has become super popular with tourists. Iceland expected 2.5 million visitors in 2018, which is a lot for a country with a population similar to Christchurch. Reykjavik now has direct flights to […]
Adventure to Antarctica: Aboard the Greg Mortimer!
Arriving in Ushuaia with the excitement of boarding The Greg Mortimer Ship the next day, I could hardly contain my enthusiasm. With a morning to spare before meeting my fellow travellers, I decided to explore the area on foot. It didn’t take long to spot others who would be joining me on the ship—everyone was […]
Chasing Ice: Walking in Shackleton’s Footsteps on South Georgia
For me, it’s the deep blue colour of the ice that keeps drawing me back. There’s an incredible sense of humility you feel when you see just how massive the continent is. It sounds like a cliché, but it really is ‘the trip of a lifetime.’ Once you’ve been, you come back a passionate supporter […]
Journey to the Arctic: An Expedition of Whales, Icebergs, and Polar Wonders
I had the incredible opportunity to join an expedition cruise from Churchill in Manitoba. The 12-day journey took us through Hudson Bay and across the Davis Strait to the famous ‘iceberg alley’ of Ilulissat in Western Greenland. This adventure remains one of my most cherished travel experiences. Our adventure began even before we landed in […]