Give vacation a new meaning with an up-close and personal look at Arctic wildlife. The remote town of Churchill, Manitoba is surrounded by the boreal forest to the south and Arctic tundra to the north and is best known for its autumn polar bear activity.

Frontiers North is offering several artic adventures from October to November. One of their most popular is the Tundra Buggy Lodge at Polar Bear Point. This program immerses guests in the environment with round-the-clock bear viewing.

Guests have the option of staying in the Tundra Buggy Lodge, mobile accomodations out on the tundra itself, or in a Churchill-based hotel. The Lodge has two sleeper cars, a lounge, dining car and utility car. Open decks between the cars are perfect viewing and photgraphing areas. Daily Tundra Buggy excursions move guests from one place to another for a closer look at polar bears and other artic animals.

Another option is the Churchill Town and Tundra Experience. Guests live in the town and participate in bear viewing as well as cultural activities within the town. Guests will also have the opportunity to hop onto a Tundra Buggy and search for wildlife. Traveling over a system of established trails, guests stop to enjoy the scenery, look for animals and take photographs.

Each Tundra Buggy tour is separated into three interest levels (and three different prices)--specialist, enthusiast and adventurer. Specialist tours, led by professional photographers and experienced naturalists, are for travelers who want round the clock bear viewing. Enthusiast tours are for travelers who want to see Manitoba's polar bears, but also to experience the history and culture of the region.

Aside from bear watching, guests also tour the town, visit the Eskimo Museum and Parks Canada facility and also have the opportunity to dog-sled. Adventurer programs are the most cost-efficient and shortest of the options. Although they are unescorted, drivers and guides provide plenty of information for guests once they're on the Tundra Buggy.

If the autumn season doesn't work for you, note that grizzly bears come out to play from May to October, and beluga whales, walrus, and birdlife star in their own nature tours during the summer.

Four-night tours with airfare to the Tundra Buggy Lodge at Polar Bear Point cost CAD$3349 per person based on double occupancy; summer trips are less costly. To make reseverations, call 800/663-9832 or visit the Frontiers North website. For more information on the Tundra Buggy tours, visit www.tundrabuggy.com.

by Susan Finch, Patty Lee

Current special offers   Book this trip