Expect the unexpected – prepare to be amazed by rolling scenery and charmed by the antics of the myriads of wildlife on an Arctic cruise or holiday.

An Arctic holiday promises to be a unique experience in many ways, whether it is enjoying the company of new friends and sharing a ‘once in a lifetime experience’ or savouring the gentle unfolding of each day’s activities as they offer you a wealth of choice!

The Arctic
At the very top of the world, the Arctic regions include Northern Norway and Svalbard, Greenland, Northern Canada and Alaska. Although Russia has the largest land mass in the area and the Franz Joseph Land archipelago, they are not readily accessible as tourist areas.

The Arctic, the land of the midnight sun, of snow and ice, offers some of the finest scenery and wildlife experiences in the world. Visitors to the region can witness enormous colonies of seabirds thronging the cliffs and shores, and enjoy the thrilling antics of whales at sea, and seals and walruses hauled out on rocks and ice-floes. The proximity of the pack-ice offers spectacular cruising between ice-floes. The lucky may even encounter the very symbol of the Arctic – the Polar Bear.
The High Arctic is best explored from June to September, as the pack ice recedes. From the decks of huge ice breakers to Luxury Cruise Ships to 50 passenger converted research ships, there’s a lot to explore.

The Arctic is a region of wild beauty and frozen landscapes inhabited not only by unique wildlife, but also, in Greenland, by hardy native peoples, who maintain traditional cultures at the same time as embracing modern enhancements in lifestyle and communication.

The region’s main areas are:
Spitsbergen
The most accessible part of the region and the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, a world of dazzling glaciers, ice-plateaux and snow-capped peaks. With its deep fjords, sweeping tundra and summer alpine meadows of wildflowers, the archipelago has a population of just 3,500 people in five settlements. Cruise amongst the islands and discover huge Arctic seabird colonies – little auks and Brunnich’s guillemot along with more familiar species such as puffins. Long -tailed and other skuas patrol the tundra and fjords looking for chicks and lemmings whilst the pure white Ivory Gull nests in small colonies. Animal life abounds too – reindeer, Arctic fox, walrus, seals, whales and polar bear and delicate flowers carpet the land in spring.

Greenland
Greenland is the largest island in the world. It stretches from 60º to 83º north latitude and Kap Farvel, its southern tip, is located at almost the same latitude as the Shetland Islands. The extreme north of Greenland is the northernmost point of land on Earth. Greenland is also dominated by the second largest ice-sheet in the world, covering more than 80% of its surface area. Although huge in size, it is inhabited by less than 60,000 people.

The coastline of Greenland is varied and spectacular. Heavily indented with numerous fjords, it consists of high mountains, 2000 metre (6500 feet) high cliffs and innumerable glaciers. The large glaciers produce the huge, cathedral-like icebergs that are abundant in Greenlandic waters. The largest fjord is Scoresby Sund at more than 300 kilometres (185 miles) long.

The Inuit are the indigenous people of Greenland and are traditionally subsistence hunters, living primarily from whales, walruses, Caribou, Musk Oxen, Arctic Foxes, Polar Bears and seals.

Canadian Arctic
The realm of the polar bear, the ultimate Arctic predator. Gyr falcons and snowy owls hunt whilst the seas contain the Arctic whales – narwhals, belugas, and the endangered northern right whale (bowheads). Geese and ducks nest across these chilly lands; reindeer graze on the sparse vegetation and the other Arctic gulls, the exquisite Sabine’s and the diminutive Ross’s, can also be seen.

Quick Facts
•    The Arctic contains all of the area of Earth located above latitude 66º 33 North.
•    The Arctic is primarily a thick flow of ice over the Arctic Ocean.
•    The Arctic includes Greenland, which is largely covered by a 1 mile thick slab of ice.
•    Greenland received its name from the Vikings who were trying to attract settlers. Most of the Viking settlers died.
•    More fish live along the edges of the Arctic Ocean than anywhere else on Earth.
•    The average winter temperature is minus 34ºC.
•    During summer, the temperature can climb to over 20ºC.
•    The Arctic is the only place polar bears live.
•    Unlike Antarctica, people live in the Arctic Circle.

Choose your Expedition
From the UK, most Arctic holidays expeditions are to and around Svalbard. Earlier in the season, trips are limited to specific areas of the coast due to the density of the ice pack. However, by mid season, it is usually possible to circumnavigate Spitsbergen on longer itineraries. Greenland is the next most popular destination and here the emphasis is on native culture, as well as scenery and wildlife.

There are other options available for Arctic cruises and holidays, including voyages through the ice to the North Pole or an 18 day transit of the fabled Northwest Passage.

Choosing a hotel that excels with its cuisine is getting more and more popular. The combination of high quality accommodation and food is the perfect recipe.

Windermere in the English Lake District is a destination for many foodies. The rich landscape and plethora of artisan produces and suppliers makes for the perfect combination for those wishing to combine a scenic holiday with fine dining.

The beautiful scenery doesn’t just entice guests but also high quality chefs. With chefs working in Windermere hotels that have worked under some of the best chefs in the United Kingdom and in some of most high profile restaurants, it isn’t hard to imagine how good some of the food is in the Lake District.

Many hotels in Windermere with restaurants are combining the latest culinary techniques with locally sourced produce to create show stopping dishes that guests from all over the world are impressed by. For guests from further afield, the ability to experience local produce to the Lake District area, whether that be cheese, air dried ham to rival any prosciutto or Cumberland sausage is a real treat.

In terms of meat production, the Lake District has some of the best quality beef and lamb found anywhere in the UK. For chefs in Windermere hotels it is heaven and why some of the best restaurants in the Good Food Guide and have been for many years.

For many visitors, having the luxury of being able to get ready for dinner and know that downstairs, high quality dining is on offer is highly exciting. No need to hunt around for a restaurant to go to. Do they have a table? What will it be like? Do we need a taxi? Leisure, luxury and first class service is always on offer in the finest Windermere hotel restaurants.

To add to the already long list of Windermere’s attributes and lures comes luxury. Windermere has some of the most stunning buildings with many of the larger residences being luxury hotels. In recent years, some of the luxury hotels have taken their attention to detail to another level. They have refurbished, redesigned, added on, decorated and paid even more attention to detail than before. Windermere now has some of the best hotels in the country and more than rival some of the famous hotels in the south of England.

So you really can have it all when staying in Windermere hotels. The scenery, walking, relaxation and for foodies, some of the best cuisine in the United Kingdom.

When visiting an area that has a high number of hotels, often the process of choosing is quite difficult.

Of course, it is great to have a large choice of hotels to choose and luckily, the internet has made searching and comparing hotels much easier now. With the ability to check availability as well, searching, choosing and booking can even be done late at night.

Everyone has different stipulations and requirements when it comes to the kind of hotel they’d like to stay in but some basic points can be found below.

Often not first on guests lists but a point that is predicted to have a bigger impact in coming months and years is eco friendly. Is the hotel eco friendly? Does it have any environmental awards such as the Cumbria Business Environment Network that Cumbria has? Do they recycle and encourage guests to recycle? Apart from recycling and energy conservation, hotels in Windermere and the Lake District can play a large part in conservation of wildlife and the beautiful landscape. The Tourism and Conservation Partnership is another organisation. They support tourism businesses who wish to invest in the landscape and environment. With a membership of over 200 tourism businesses in Cumbria, The Tourism and Conservation Partnership are working together to ensure a sustainable further for Cumbria – The Lake District. Their website has a list of members so this could be a good starting point when searching for your hotel.

Do they serve locally sourced food in their breakfasts or on their restaurant menus? This is important and relates to both environmental issues, ie, cutting down on food miles but using locally sourced produce also benefits the local economy. In areas such as Cumbria and the Lake District, local really is best as they have such a large amount of quality produce available.

Location is a large factor. Making sure you know exactly where the hotel is situated and that it suits your requirements is very important. Should you be relaying on public transport then a hotel off the beaten track probably isn’t the best idea. A hotel should have a map of the location on their website and these have become more detailed in recent years but should you not be entirely sure, a quick ring through to the hotel will confirm. Windermere has a distinct advantage when it comes to using public transport with a train station that joins the West Coast mainline and Manchester Airport and a bus station where buses run regularly to all the major towns in the Lakes. Many Windermere hotels offer to organise a taxi to bring you to the hotel which is a good service to be offered.

Does the hotel have any leisure facilities? A swimming pool can be a welcome relaxation after a long day on the fells but also useful should it be raining. Rain does occur quite regularly in the Lake District, but after all, there wouldn’t be any lakes if there wasn’t! Having a hotel that has leisure facilities or even just lovely, spacious communal areas such as lounges or snugs mean the rain will not be an inconvenience.