Reviews

Overall rating based on 1,028 votes
Overall rating based on 1,028 votes

Region

Destination

Ship

Wildlife

Outdoor activities

Experiences

Year

by Henk Vogel

The trip with the Ortelius was planned almost one year ago and we have been looking forward to what we called the Expedition Polar Bear with high expectations. We is the male part of a family of three generations out of the “OPA” dynasty, two 13 year old boys, two 50 year old fathers and one 77 year young granddad called OPA. Each generation with his involvement and interest of the environmental changes at Svalbard.

We all enjoyed each minute and each activity of the trip. We liked to sail in the zodiac, to hike on the tundra and to climbe the mountain, to swim between the seals and polar bears , we even liked the experience to cruise during foggy and stormy weather.

The expedition was extremely well organized with a first class crew and equipment with much attention to safety. Especially the expedition leader, Ali with her staff, deserves a big compliment by creating a once-in-a-lifetime feeling and an atmosphere of adventure and companionship for all participants in the age from 13 till 77. The trip exceeded our already high expectations.

by christine schenk

erfüllend

by MARIE-LOUISE TSHIBUABUA

DAS WAREN WIRKLICH UNVERGESSLICHE TAGE DIE ICH IN DIESEM FÜR MICH GANZ NEUEN TEIL DER ERDE VERBRINGEN DURFTE. DIE NATUR ZU WASSER UND ZU LAND ZU ERLEBEN IN IHRER URSPRÜNGLICHKEIT BEEINDRUCKEND. ICH MÖCHTE MICH BEIM EXPEDITIONSTEAM GANZ HERZLICH BEDANKEN FÜR ALL IHR WISSEN DAS SIE MIT UNS GETEILT HABEN.

by ilse Raben-Petersen

Eine wunderschöne Reise, wo alles gestimmt hat! Dies lag nicht zuletzt an der hervorragenden Crew. Sie waren sehr umsichtig bei den Landgängen und überhaupt ein tolles Team. Die Organisation, die Vorträge, das gute Essen, die Einrichtung des Schiffes, alles hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Die Betreuung durch das Personal war hervorragend, und die Anzahl der Passagiere (105) ließ die Reise nicht als Massentourismus erscheinen, sondern gab ein fast familiäres Feeling. Werde diese Reise mit Sicherheit weiterempfehlen. Ein Dankeschön an Alle.

by Peter Burtscher

sehr freundliche Crew, gutes Essen, erfahrener, überlegt handelnder Expeditionsleiter. Die Guides haben sich sehr viele Mühe gegeben. Manche Guides sollten aber auch zugeben können, wenn sie etwas nicht wissen und keine falschen Sachen erzählen.

We made the cruise Around Spitsbergen in July 2018. It was a remarkable voyage. We saw a lot of the characteristic scenery and environment of the Arctic. Very special was that we saw at least 8 polar bears and as a highlight one from nearby eating a whale carcass. Further the extended glaciers were impressing. The expedition team was terrific and eager to tell about the background of all the things we saw. Our expedtion leader Ali Liddle did a great job and was in control every time that the programme had to be changed by unexpected situations. The team of our hotel manager Szuzanne served very nice meals and took care of our cabins without causing any disturbance. The crew on the bridge gave us the opportunity to look around from a very nice position. Summarized: a top experience.

by Kathrin Freise

After three times in North Norway with the beautiful old Noorderlicht I visited Svalbard last month. We did a whole circumnavigstion with Oceanwide and Birdquest. The trip was over all expectations! The landscape and the wildlife are incredible, the crew very friendly and always helpful and the expeditionleader well prepared and open for all questions. He shared his knowledge and passion for the polar regions with us. Thank you all for showing us the beauty and fragility of this very special place! See you next time ...

by Charles Pestoni

sehr schöne Reise

by Armin Horn

Crew war sehr freundlich. Essen war sehr gut. Kabine war sehr gut. Guides waren sehr gut und haben hervorragend ihr Wissen geteilt. Viele Tiere gesehen. Wanderungen und Zodiacfahrten waren sehr schön.

by Helga Radünz

ich stehe noch ganz unter den vielen Eindrücken und kann nur sagen : es war fantastisch.

by ulrike u. thomas witschi

Die gesamte Reise war sehr gut. Angefangen mit dem Expedtionsteam, das Schiff und das Personal. Wir haben viele Tiere gesehen und die Wanderungen waren auch sehr gut.

by Marion Leichtle

Nice trip

by Gwer Allenbach

Tolle Expeditionscrew, auch Herr Wermelinger! Immer gut informiert, gut getimetes Tagesprogramm, flexibel, gutes Fachwissen, Expeditionsleiter ausgezeichnet und guter Leader, Essen toll, wir finden keinen Negativpunkt. Auch die Unterlagen, die wir so schnell erhielten sind sehr hilfreich und auch die Fotos, die man herunterladen konnte. Danke, thanks u merci viu mau.

by Andreas Jäggi

Super Hotel Managerin

We already heard many stories about luxury cruises along the Norwegian fjords, in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean ... This way of traveling is not what we are looking for! But, Arjan from Thika Travel has convinced us that this is a completely different cruise, an expedition cruise. And he was right, we had all the necessary comfort on board, without superfluous luxury. Moreover, the crew (captain ...), the staff (restaurant, bar, cabin ...) and the expedition team (with Beau Pruneau as expedition leader) were very good from the first to the last. For us it was a unique, instructive experience.

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