Holidays in the Arctic: why the North is sweeter than the warm sea

Is a vacation in the Arctic a way out of your comfort zone?

"Comfort zone" is a fashionable phrase on the Internet. But what is behind this? Each has its own. If getting out of your comfort zone means spending your vacation in a jacket, not a swimsuit, then the answer is yes.

But Svalbard is not as cold as many people think. The temperature in February is 12-15 ° C below zero. Feels like -5 ° C.

In conditions of low temperatures and dry climates, people rarely get sick, and it is completely forbidden to die on the territory of the archipelago. Such a law is in force in Svalbard. If someone is very ill or has a potentially fatal accident, the patient should be immediately transported by air or sea to another part of Norway. If you do not have time, the funeral is still held on the "mainland". These forced measures are caused by the fact that in permafrost conditions, bodies do not decompose and attract the attention of predators such as polar bears.

If for you leaving your comfort zone means immersing yourself in a different culture, then in this regard, Svalbard, of course, cannot be compared with motley Asia. Here people do not litter, take off their shoes on the doorstep. Drunkenness is not widespread, terrorism and homelessness are absent, natural disasters do not occur.

The language barrier has been smoothed out. The archipelago is inhabited by 2,500 inhabitants from more than 50 countries of the world. You can easily find someone who speaks your native language, or practice any other.

Do they go there to amuse their vanity by meeting a real polar bear?

Polar bears are indeed the trademark of the Arctic. There are three times more of them than people on Svalbard.

In addition to the unique animal world, the northern lights, icebergs, the bunker of the World Seed Vault, the peculiarities of such a trip include its status.

Just imagine: to visit the Arctic Circle! For many people, visiting places such as the intersection of the equator line and the Greenwich meridian, Everest, Darien Gap, Antarctica, the Arctic and other unique points of the planet is of great importance. Whether they boast that they have conquered them, or not, depends on the person.

What do such travels teach?

In my opinion, people who want to live go on such trips. People who are looking for answers to deep questions that strive upward and develop.

In the Arctic, you can find solitude: the effect of the “fish eye” is felt, you can look at yourself from the outside and begin to see wider.

People go to the Arctic for inspiration. After returning, many life changes for the better.

Do you need a visa to the Arctic?

If we talk about Svalbard, then according to the 1920 treaty it was assigned to Norway. But all states parties to this treaty have the right to carry out commercial and research activities on conditions of complete equality.

Thus, the Spitsbergen archipelago is a visa-free zone for travelers from Ukraine and Russia. However, there are no direct flights to the archipelago, you need to make a transfer, for example, at the Oslo airport, which means you need a Schengen visa.

When is the best time to go?

The minimum temperature in February is minus 20 ° С. In July, the maximum is + 4 ° С.

Accordingly, in the summer, dog sledding races, ATVs, kayaking, trekking, water cruises and icebergs are at your disposal. From the animal world, you can contemplate walruses, deer, polar bears, toucans.

In February, you can catch the retreat of the polar night and the northern lights. But the chance to see walruses and toucans is much lower. ATVs are replaced by snowmobiles. You can ride a special arctic car - a snowcat or go down into an ice cave. Just what you need for an extreme tourist.

Where to live and what to eat?

The largest settlement in the archipelago is the capital of Svalbard, Longyearbyen.

It is home to about 2,000 people. And there are all the conditions for a comfortable journey: hotels, Wi-Fi, a restaurant and a supermarket. You can pay in cash in dollars and euros, or by credit card.

Tourists who love tasty food will surely like the local restaurant. They offer whale, walrus and venison dishes. Svalbard even has its own brewery.

Of the sights - the World Seed Vault, where the seeds of all plants important for mankind are stored in the event of a nuclear war.

What to take with you?

There are no specific equipment requirements.

You need the usual warm clothes and individual medicines, if you may need them.

Although it is a very remote, but quite civilized place.

Who should you go with?

I think this place is not for a solo trip.

Most activities require a company. You can ride a dog sled alone, but in a group it is more interesting: the speed is higher, even the dogs themselves have a spirit of rivalry. Snowmobiling is the same story.

You can also see a polar bear, and it would be nice to have a guide with a gun and a special deterrent device nearby.

Renting a snowcat alone will not be cheap, and sitting around a campfire in the evening in the company is much more fun. Another thing is that it is not so easy to find fellow travelers.

I once went to Svalbard in the company of guys from the Follow Your Dream Expeditions travel community. This is a community of like-minded people who organize trips to the most interesting places on our planet. Amazingly, I made many friends, and very soon I will go on a trip to Greenland with the guys.