100km Expedition in Greenland

I read the itinerary weeks before we left. And didn’t it read it again to allow everything to be a surprise. And it did not disappoint. The boat rides, the kayaking. The camping. The hostel. The city. The bar. Even the weather. Beautiful days of sunshine and then a major storm and flooding of the tents. I loved every single second.

The group I was with was amazing. The guides fantastic.

We set alarms for the northern lights and got to see them twice in Greenland. As well as whales and seals and a fox.

The glacier and the ice breathtaking.

I went end of August and it was perfect for temperatures, volume of daylight and night, and the midgies weren’t too bad. We got told earlier in the year they swarm. Later in the year it’s a lot colder.

With considerable flight disruption at both ends of the holiday, the overall experience was significantly affected. The main body of the holiday was far shorter than we, as a group, expected, and certainly not 100km of kayaking as advertised. While what we did manage to experience was fantastic, there was a lot of waiting around and uncertainty with the flights and the accommodation provided by Icelandair. We later learnt this was quite normal, but expectations should have been better managed.

Being sent early to Narsaruaq for our return flight meant we also lost the chance to enjoy the town before leaving, and it felt rather rushed. This was only to be caught needing emergency accommodation once again with the flight out being cancelled too. I now need to claim back on insurance and lost an additional day of leave at work. It was ultimately disappointing that for so much time spent there, only a small portion of our trip happened.

We absolutely loved our time in Greenland however the week definitely didn’t go as hoped or expected. Our flight was cancelled two days in a row ( something that we have since learnt is a regular occurrence) on the way out. We stayed in the hostel the first night as expected (although 48hrs late) then onto the rib at 8 am to get to the start point to start kayaking only to be told that it was too windy to actually do what we were supposed to be doing. After unpacking and setting up camp we convinced our amazing guide (Daniella) to let us kayak just around the bay as we were all itching to get out onto the water. After an hour we came in for lunch then we were allowed another hour. The following day was a full day that was absolutely fantastic! We set up camp again that was going to be for two nights to avoid the packing and unpacking situation. The next morning we were told that the plan had changed and we had to move camp. This does take a lot of time and effort ( about 2 hrs and the beginning and end of each day). Off we went again and had a great full day, kayaked next to a whale, saw the glacier then camped opposite the glacier. The site was stunning. Again we were told we would be here for two nights. Once again in the morning we were told that the plan had changed. We had to pack up ready to board the rib as the wind was going to be getting up and we were going to have to head back to the hostel then the airport hotel a day early as the boat wouldn’t be able to go the following day as it should have. We had a great morning hiking on the glacier then the rib took us back to the hostel via the glacier for a closer view. We unpacked yet again then did another rib ride to the airport hotel that we we were being put up in. This really did feel like a disappointment. Our trip was essentially cut short by 3 full days. We then had 24 hours in the airport hotel to fund our lunch and dinner ( about £100) only to see that the flight was then cancelled. So yet another night in the airport hotel. In all 4 extra nights in airport hotels. So a real mix of emotions about this trip. Greenland was wonderful as was our guide. Also the group were fabulous and such fun. I understand that they have to cope with what the weather throws at them but I can’t help but be disappointed that our 6/7 day kayaking trip turned into 3. It didn’t feel like great value for money. I rated the difficulty level as harder than expected but this is because of the setting up camp and de camping /lifting boats rather than the actual adventure days. Again I gave the itinerary rating a 3 out of 5 but this is only because we got to do half of it. Had we had the full itinerary I’m sure it would have been a 5 out of 5. I gave 2 out of 5 for value as our trip was essentially curtailed but had we had the full trip I would have given it 4. I would definitely recommend going to Greenland but please be prepared for a lot of unplanned changes and airport hotels. We have tried to contact MBA twice about this and as yet no response.

Amazing trip, well planned out from our tour guides to make the most of the experience with the weather. The food was great, we were never hungry. The kayaking and hiking was easy for anyone with a good level of fitness. Amazing scenery and in the proper wilderness of Southern Greenland.

Beautiful place, we had such a good time. We did unfortunately have a shortened trip because of being unable to land in Greenland due to weather so there was a big snafu and we stayed in Iceland in various hotels for a few days. The only reason I give it a 4/5 is because it seems that happened frequently from Iceland to Greenland and I felt neither icelandair nor MBA had a plan for what to do if that happens. But Greenland and the guides and the group were great. Such good memories and good people.

If you’re looking for an off the grid adventure in the arctic, this is it! Our trip was cut short, due to the inability to land the plane in Greenland, which added to the “remoteness” of the journey. The guides, Herman and Krista were top notch and had our safety as a priority. I highly recommend the food at “Teepee Restaurant”. BYO adult beverages and pack a good book - although tempting, it was too windy to sit out in the elements all night. Listening to the cracking icebergs in the howling wind was amazing in the tent.

Greenland is incredibly beautiful and we had an amazing adventure week paddling in the fijords around the icebergs, with dolphins and seals. Paddling with the whales was definitely our highlight.

This was an incredible journey in an incredible country brought to life by excellent guides. A real wilderness adventure. It's quite difficult to describe without sounding over the top. We stood on the Greenland icesheet. We saw humpback whales from our campsite. We swam amongst icebergs. We were entirely self sufficient for six days as we paddled between breath taking locations around the fjords. It's a physically demanding trip, but the rewards are worth the effort. Well organised by Much Better Adventures, and the in-country guide company were superb. I would recommend this trip, and seeing this spectacular landscape before it's gone.