Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge
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124 Kelsey Boulevard, Churchill, Manitoba Canada
Update from hotel: This property has indicated that they are taking safety precautions against COVID-19.Read more
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A note from Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge
Updated 09/09/20
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#2 of 8 Speciality lodging in Churchill
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The Tundra Buggy(R) Lodge, situated in the heart of polar bear country, offers an unique, immersive experience where guests can fall asleep and wake up with polar bears right outside the window. The lodge consists of two brand new (2012) accommodation units, a lounge and cafe, and staff quarters. Viewing platforms connect each unit and allow for outdoor photography. Situated far from the lights of town, the Tundra Buggy(R) Lodge is the perfect place to view bears all day long and have optimal northern lights viewing at night (weather permitting). The lodge is also equipped with exterior field lights that enable us to continue to watch the bears even after the sun goes down!
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Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
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Free breakfast
Non-smoking hotel
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Non-smoking rooms
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Great View
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51Somewhat walkable
Grade: 51 out of 100
5Restaurantswithin 5 miles
8Attractionswithin 5 miles
95Reviews14Q+A18Room tips
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Frontiers North is the best trip I have ever taken in my 60plus years.......and I have travelled considerably more than some. Every detail was taken care of. The people were so interested in teaching visitors. The polar bears are amazing.......I took over 600 stunning photos ....and i'm not at all a photographer. Many thanks to Frontiers North!!!!!
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Date of stay: October 2019
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2 Helpful votes1 Save
Helpful
Response from Frontiers N, Frontiers North Adventures at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge
Responded 17 Jan 2020
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. We are so happy Churchill has made it to the top of your list for best trips taken! We're glad you took lots of photos and hope you look back fondly on these memories made. Warmest Regards, Frontiers North
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We went for the photo specialist tour at the start of November. We picked the dates after a careful review of when is the best time to see bears, and luckily this paid off and we saw lots of Polar Bears enjoying themselves in the cold weather. They are very curious animals, and great fun to watch. The Tundra Buggy Lodge is slightly different to your usual hotel with bunk beds and shared showers and toilets, but it is certainly the best way to live among the bears as some sleep right beside your window! The food and staff in the lodge were excellent, and wine was served with dinner. The only slight inconvenience was having to wait for a shower at peak times. Overall we had an excellent trip and the Arctic experience was certainly very memorable. Our driver Alex and guide Mike were both very professional and worked hard to make sure we were in the right place to see bears, foxes, ptarmigan, caribou and even a pine marten. It was certainly a very different and special experience. We can strongly recommend visiting the Tundra Buggy Lodge.…
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Date of stay: November 2019
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Response from Frontiers N, Frontiers North Adventures at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge
Responded 13 Dec 2019
Thanks for the great feedback Ann! We are so happy you were able to share your experience with us. Staying at the Tundra Buggy Lodge is such a unique experience– especially being able to roll over and watch polar bears as they sleep beside your window. It sounds like you were really able to get a good feel for life in the subarctic. Alex and Mike will be happy to hear your kind regards. Best, Frontiers North
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The food, the staff team, the lodge were really good, but the only downside is at the polar bear sighting. The tour was called "photo specialist" but we didn't have much of chance of photos. The tour was between 2019/11/12-19 with 5 nights at the lodge. We spent 5 full days on 2 buggies and at the lodge looking for bears but only saw 1 bear nearby for about less than 2 hours of time in total. Imagine how frustrated people were. All the information out there were suggesting this tour is great for polar bear sighting and photo-taking but sorry, 95% of the time were bear-less. Frontiers North said there is nothing they can do because "it's wildlife". Furthermore, they kept on telling me to come back and visit again, but I am not sure what to expect. No compensation plan, no responsibility, wonderful business I guess. Summary - The cost of the "photo specialist" tour : $10K - Bear in sight : 1 - How I felt: not worth the price, not as advertised, and surprised by Frontiers North not taking any responsibility as it was total failure in tour planning. - Advice : If you want to go in the mid-Nov, be prepare for the worst case. They do not guarantee for seeing anything out there. Keep in mind, we only had ONE bear in 5 days, so Zero is not impossible. "If what you saw is one polar bear, why not just go to the zoo in Winnipeg and it's going to be a lot cheaper." said by a lady I met during my transit flight at Toronto. The public image of the trip went down just like that.…
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Date of stay: November 2019
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Response from Frontiers N, President and CEO at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge
Responded 13 Dec 2019
Hi Jeff, It’s probably fair to say that in a situation like the one you experienced with us, neither you, our guest, nor Frontiers North is pleased with the wildlife viewing results. Decades of institutional knowledge inform our trip planning; we have forty years of wildlife sightings experience indicating a significant number of polar bears is likely in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area during the dates you opted to travel with us last month. Unpredictably, freeze-up came quite early this year along the west coast of Hudson Bay. Once the ice was firm enough for bears to head out onto it, they did. A few days later a south wind carried away that ice pan along with many bears, after that leaving behind fewer bears than we normally encounter. As you know, these are the inherent risks with any wildlife viewing trip. We share in your sincere disappointment with the low number of polar bear sightings you experienced on your trip with us. John Gunter Frontiers North Adventures
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My husband and I recently had the opportunity to make the trek to Churchill Manitoba to see the polar bears. Because we wanted to spend as much time as possible on the tundra we opted to do the tundra buggy lodge. The food was great, our driver Trevor was great and we were lucky to have a fantastic group of people to spend the 5 day trip with. The things I felt could have been improved on were the timing of things, the first pretty much 2 days are spent in Churchill. The driver who picked us up at the airport gave us a little tour and announced that at 1:30 they were going to fly a bear out to relocate him. We were all thrilled about the possibility of seeing this but we had to go to this little museum instead and then an hour later we had nothing to do and an hour to spare before our next planned experience. Failure of our guide? The three days we were out on the tundra we had a buggy failure every day. The last day it meant an almost 2 hour delay in our getting out. In the 3 days we were out we had 8 sightings, which I was thrilled with. But a few hours in Churchill would have sufficed and I would have preferred more time out on the buggy.…
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Date of stay: November 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Response from Frontiers N, Frontiers North Adventures at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge
Responded 17 Jan 2020
Hi Faith, Thanks for sharing your feedback with us. Overall it sounds like you had a good trip and we're happy you were able to experience the Tundra Buggy Lodge with us. We'll pass your compliments to Trevor and our Lodge staff. We do not have your tour number information to answer more specifically regarding the Tundra Buggy challenges; if you would like to email us directly (info@frontiersnorth.com) we could hopefully clarify some info for you. Our team works hard to provide the best experience possible for our guests and sometimes life and elements in the North can be unpredictable. Having eight sightings is amazing; polar bear viewing in their natural environment is such a unique experience-we hope you look through your photos and remember that experience fondly! Kindest Regards, Frontiers North
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+1
We had a perfect experience at Tundra Buggy Lodge for three days. The Lodge is beautiful, clean; everyone has individual temperature control, and great common spaces. All the staff were friendly and personally to provide the service. Neill and Cooper was our guide. They were absolutely fantastic and knowledgeable. We were a group people who love to photograph polar bears, and we were come from China. Cooper was played a key role to build a platform for communication. Neill and Cooper always had us in the right spot to see the polar bears and wildlife and ensure everyone was satisfied with the viewing time and had their photos before move on. It is a super impressed location! Polar bears are such amazing creature to watch!
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Date of stay: November 2019Trip type: Travelled with friends
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from Frontiers N, Frontiers North Adventures at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge
Responded 13 Dec 2019
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us! It sounds like you had a great time with Neil and Cooper; we'll definitely pass your kind words along to them! Viewing polar bears in their natural environment is something everyone should experience. Kindest Regards, Frontiers North
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ALSO KNOWN AS
tundra buggy hotel churchill
LOCATION
CanadaManitobaChurchill
NUMBER OF ROOMS
40
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge
Which popular attractions are close to Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge?
Nearby attractions include Itsanitaq Museum (0.4 miles), Prince of Wales Fort (2.3 miles), and Miss Piggy Plane Wreck (3.3 miles).
What food & drink options are available at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge?
Conveniently located restaurants include Tundra Inn Dining Room & Pub, Lazy Bear Cafe, and Seaport Hotel.
Is Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.5 miles away from the centre of Churchill.
Are there any historical sites close to Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Prince of Wales Fort (2.3 miles).