Ice, cold, and endless wasteland are probably the first things one associates with the area. However, the Arctic is far from as boring and monotonous as it seems at first glance. We tell you what entertainments can be found here for inquisitive travellers, extreme fans and everyone who likes to have a good time.
1. Ride a mountain snowmobile
It is possible to travel in the North not only by reindeer carriage – try, for example, to conquer snow-covered mountain passes on a snowmobile. You can master it at the school of extreme skiing where the experienced instructors will teach you how to manoeuvre the slopes and descents in a dashing manner. For a northern extreme go to the Murmansk region – you can get here by plane from Moscow in a couple of hours. Just imagine: roaring engine noise, adrenaline rushing through your body and the feeling of complete freedom – for the sake of this you should escape from the city life and go to the Arctic for a few days. And in your spare time, go on excursions – it’s a great opportunity to admire the landscapes of the Arctic.
2. Cruise on an icebreaker
Be sure to bring your camera – in the Arctic it will come in handy because walruses and polar bears might appear overboard. Imagine how impressive photos you can take with you when you fly around fantastic landscapes of the North! And don’t forget to send your nearest and dearest a postcard from the northernmost post office in the world, located in Tikhoy Bay. It was opened especially for travellers going to the North Pole.
You should plan such a cruise a long time in advance. As a rule, there is practically no room onboard six months before the departure of the ship. But if that option doesn’t work for you you can always go completely in the opposite direction and instead choose a yacht rental near me in the sunny town of Miami and get no less an experience, just a much warmer one!
3. See reindeer and spend the night in a traditional indigenous home.
To make your trip unforgettable, you can visit reindeer herders. On an expedition tour, you can feed the animals, ride in a sledge, taste local delicacies, and even spend the night in a real tent, the cone-shaped dwelling of nomadic northern peoples. And if you are lucky with the weather, you can even enjoy the northern lights.
4. Take up snowkiting
Those who love snowboarding will probably also appreciate snowkiting – a combination of sailing and boarding or skiing. You just need to stand on the shell and grab hold of the towing kite – it’s a large kite. No additional equipment is required: a gust of wind will allow you to glide smoothly over the snowy expanses. The safest way to go snowkiting is to practice on a flat surface without vegetation, power lines and other obstacles – this way you will not get caught up in anything. So, for such purposes endless fields of tundra or frozen northern reservoirs are ideal.
5. Take part in a volunteer project
Unfortunately, today the Arctic is associated not only with picturesque landscapes and amazing nature but also with tons of garbage. The fact is that due to the intensive development of the region in the Soviet period industrial waste, scrap metal, and plastic accumulated in the North for decades. Eventually, the pollution reached such a scale that cleaning up these areas became one of the country’s most pressing environmental problems. At the moment there are many volunteer projects to help the Arctic. Anyone can join the ranks of volunteers – all you have to do is apply on the website of the environmental program you like.
