Great Dymond Lake Polar Bear Tour

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Bear outside Diamond Lake Lodge Dennis Fast

Eco-lodge based trip with easy tundra walks for bear and other wildlife viewing at ground level. Stay in a warm, comfortable backcountry lodge, and enjoy home cooked meals and northern hospitality. Your trip also includes a day of bear-watching from the famous Tundra Buggy (c)

Highlights

Polar bears
Caribou
Arctic and red fox
Arctic hare
Wolves
Moose
Snowy owls, Ptarmigan, Gyrfalcons
Base out of a comfortable backcountry lodge
Wildlife hikes plusone day on the Tundra Buggy®
Spectacular northern lights

Day 1: Arrive Winnipeg

Arrive Winnipeg at your leisure, but in time for 6:00 PM dinner where you will meet your group. Overnight is booked at the Four Points Sheraton at the airport.

Day 2: Arrive Churchill and transfer to lodge by helicopter or plane. Aerial tour.

Arrive in Churchill mid morning where one of our staff will meet you and will provide you an orientation to the tour including a clothing check (in order to crosscheck your "What to Bring" list that was sent to you).

You will be transferred by helicopter or fixed wing aircraft to Dymond Lake Lodge where your incredible journey begins. Have your camera ready as your flight takes you out over the historic Churchill River, and then northwest up the rugged Hudson Bay coast to Canada's most exclusive Polar Bear viewing property. Keep a sharp eye out en route for caribou, moose, seals, wolves and of course the great Ice Bears.

Upon your arrival, your hosts which may be Mike and Jeanne Reimer (owners of the lodge) and their children, a true (and thus rare) Churchillian family, will provide a tour of the Lodge and get you settled into your room. After you are settled and a home made pastry with cup of coffee is enjoyed a thorough orientation about being in polar bear country will be provided. Your first day begins with a guided hike along our rugged and starkly beautiful coastline. In the evening a slide show featuring the wildlife of Hudson Bay will be shown, and hopefully a clear night for viewing the Aurora Borealis will be the kick off! All this will be topped off with a gourmet lunch and dinner where your hosts and guides will regale you with tales of life and adventures in Canada's Arctic.

Day 3 & 4: Tundra Trekking, Polar Bears and Photographing

Our days will be filled with tundra walks to spot wildlife, including polar bears. If there are bears in the lodge area, we can view and photograph them from observation areas at the lodge.

In the coming days, your gourmet breakfast with fresh pastries and breads will be served at 8:00 a.m. and the first walking tour generally leaves at 9:30 a.m. Should there be a polar bear in camp (this happens frequently!), we will hang closer to camp to photograph close to home. All the walks are comfortably paced as they are geared towards plenty of viewing and photo opportunities. The walks are guided by our professional and knowledgeable tour leaders and so you’ll do a lot of learning along the way as well. Obviously we cannot allow the bears to approach too closely, but your guides are expert in keeping bears at a safe distance without sacrificing exciting viewing and photography. Polar bears are also known to saunter by our Lodge on a regular basis so you can often view them from the warmth and comfort of one of our lounges through the massive picture windows. If for some reason the weather is indifferent, we have other activites to keep you busy and you can enjoy the outdoors from the comfort of the lodge cozzied up next to the fireplace.

Lunches are served at the Lodge. We are generally back at the Lodge by 4:00 p.m. for hot or cold drinks and appetizers. Your full course gourmet dinners are served at 7:00 p.m. after which, the fireplace is almost always central. Your guides will give informative lectures and beautiful slide show presentations as well as initiate a discussion about the activities for the following day. The entire Lodge area is patrolled for polar bears all night by one of our night watchmen so be prepared to have your sleep cut short by a visit by one or two of the great Ice Bears (or by one of our dazzling displays of northern lights on a clear night!).

Day 5: Morning flight back to Churchill. Day free to explore area.

After another wonderful breakfast it is time to pack up for the flight back to Churchill. Have your cameras ready for the trip back to Churchill. You will have the afternoon free to explore and wine and dine in this frontier community at your leisure after you are checked into your Churchill hotel for the night.

In the time you have to explore we suggest a trip to Cape Merry, the Port of Churchill, the Eskimo Museum, the Polar Bear Holding Compound (otherwise known as the Polar Bear Jail), as well as the Parks Canada exhibit which are all of great interest. Or for the adventurous types, a dog sledding excursion or a helicopter trip would be the order of the day. Please book it with us so we can make sure you are back in time for the trips.

We work with Blue Sky Mushing and you can visit their website at www.blueskymush.com. For aerial tours you can contact Hudson Bay Helicopters at info@hudsonbayheli.com or by phone at 204-675-2576.

You will have a choice of Churchill restaurants for dinner and will be provided with a dinner voucher. Participating restaurants will be listed on the voucher. Then it will be back to your hotel or B&B so you can rest up for your 6th and final day with the bears.

Day 6: Full day on the tundra

Today you will travel across the tundra in the famous Tundra Buggies ® for more polar bear viewing in the Gordon Point area. Transportation by bus to and from the Tundra Buggies ® is provided at 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. respectively so do remember to grab some breakfast beforehand. Lunch “with the bears” will be prepared and served to you on the buggy. Your flight south to Winnipeg is scheduled for this evening. You will check into the Four Points Sheraton for your overnight.

Day 7: Fly home.

After a complimentary breakfast, fly home any time.

2012 Dates

October 26 - November 1, 2012

October 29 - November 4, 2012

November 1 - 7, 2012

November 7 - 13, 2012

November 10-16, 2012

2102 Rates

2012 Rate: $7995 CAD from Winnipeg, Manitoba plus taxes.
A $1500 CAD single supplement plus taxes will apply for single travelers who are not willing to share their room with another same-sex single traveler (or if none are available).

To calculate today's spot exchange rate, click here.

Please note that this is the "spot" rate, and the actual bank exchange rate may vary a few points from this. Your exact rate will be determined at the time of your booking and payment in full. VISA and MasterCard accepted.

Included:

Return airfare between Winnipeg and Churchill
6 breakfasts, 4 lunches, & 6 dinners
Return aerial transfers from Churchill to the lodge and all necessary ground transfers

Tour Details

Registration

To confirm your space on this tour, please send a deposit of $2000 USD to our office. Balance is due 120 days prior to departure. Please note: Tour rates are based on Canadian Dollars.

Cancellation Policy

In the event you must cancel your reservation, refunds will be made according to the following schedule: Deposit $2000 non-refundable. All monies paid 120 days prior to departure, 100% non-refundable.

Insurance

Because many advance logistical arrangements have been made prior to the running of this trip, we must adhere to the above policy. In addition, please be aware that many insurance policies do not cover illness and accident expenses outside of the U.S., and Medicare does NOT cover any such expenses at all. In light of this, we strongly recommend trip cancellation and supplemental insurance. Weather can be a factor in getting in and out of the lodge. If you are delayed by weather, it will be at your expense in Churchill and a rate of $200 addtional will be applied to the lodge and paid at the lodge if you are stranded at the lodge.

A travel insurance form will be sent to you upon registration, or you can purchase it from our site by clicking on the "Purchase Travel Insurance" in the left-hand column. Our insurance carrier is Travelex.

Dymond Lake Lodge is your base for our Great Dymond Lake Polar Bear Tour. It is located a short 30 km and 15 minute flight north of Churchill and is right amidst the famous polar bear action that has brought travelers to the Churchill-area for decades.

Dymond maximizes viewing potential by giving guests the opportunities to see polar bears from a variety of locations. Whether it is from one of the nature trails, the lodge's viewing tower, or right from the lodge windows, a trip to Dymond Lake Lodge ensures guests will have exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities.

Access: By air only. Float plane, wheelplane or helicopter.
Location: Located at Dymond Lake on the Hudson Bay coast, about 30 kms north of Churchill.

Features:

A viewing tower to take in the expansive tundra landscape and its wild inhabitants
Cozy common areas with fireplaces for evening wind down
1 double room (one bunk bed), 1 triple room (one bunk bed, 1 single bed), 5 quad rooms (two bunk beds) in two separate guest cabins, all with private washrooms
Expansive picture windows on virtually every wall to maximize viewing
Full service and gourmet meals
Electricity 24 hours a day, every day
Natural gas and wood heat
Library with maps
Gift Shop
Radio/Telephone/Internet