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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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This was a life-changing experience for my son and me. Seeing polar bears in their natural habitat was simply extraordinary. Our guide Ward and Tundra Buggy driver Markus were incredibly knowledgeable and a pleasure to be with. We saw polar bears, including a mother and her cub, artic fox, red fox and a variety of birds. The accommodations in the lodge were great; although you sleep in bunk beds with shared bathrooms, it's actually very comfortable and the service and food are excellent. Frontier North is the company that you should use when visiting the polar bears of Churchill. They innovated the concept and have it down to a science. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
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Date of stay: October 2023
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Alex Cupeiro, Agency / Consultant at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge
Responded 3 weeks ago
Hello, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are elated to hear that you enjoyed the expertise of Tundra Buggy Driver Markus during your time out on the tundra. We are glad that you had a comfortable stay on the Tundra Buggy Lodge and enjoyed the dining experiences. We hope you will visit us again someday. Kind regards, Frontiers North Adventures
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We have spent 6 days on Frontiers North Adventure - Polar Bear Tundra Buggy trip in the begging/mid November. When we booked, we asked the sales office what is the best date to come. They said mid Nov but really, all dates are great. We followed their advise. Upon reading all reviews and articles, it is obvious that mid Nov might not be the best time to come. It is very hard to predict the weather and time this trip right. If you come in Oct, it might be too warm and the bears won't show up. If you come mid Nov, if the ice started forming, the polar bears will be gone. Even one day makes huge difference. Make sure you do your research and book for time you feel comfortable with. We have opted for Photo specialist trip. We were very lucky with cold but sunny weather and saw plenty of wildlife - polar bears, arctic fox, silver fox, red fox, snow owl, snow ptarmigan and arctic hare. We also had sunny weather for our helicopter ride and the visibility was amazing. But - most of the polar bears that were waiting for the ice to form literally left the first day we were there, as the ice started to form. We found few more bears but most of the bears already left. We were told this is the end of polar bear season in Churchill. I wonder why Frontiers North advertise Photo adventure in mid Nov, when historically the best time might be end October/first week of November. Obviously, this changes every year. But knowing the risks, I would book for tail end of October next time of early November. Our driver Trevor was very knowledgeable, photographer from Jasper and was great in finding wildlife and positioning our buggy so we can get good photos. The lodge is in the middle of nowhere, with only wildlife rooming around and was a very unique experience. We got lucky with small group of only 9, and most of us already knew each other so sharing bunks was easy and fun plus we had a lot more space. The lodge is a lot of fun as well, very comfortable beds, heated quarters and spacious observation deck for wildlife and northern lights. The dining experience was great, all food was tasty and carefully catered. Plenty of snacks provided at all times as well. The tundra buggy driver also provided us with snacks and hot lunch every day. Our photographer guide - Mike - has his own photography tour company in Jasper. He is a very skilled photographer. He was definitely pleasant to be around with but I felt like he didn't' provide us with much knowledge. He held one 15 mins lecture on northern lights during out stay and when approached, he helped with camera settings and stuff. But, I was hoping he would guide us bit more and help us to capture certain scenes. When the northern lights were out, he disappeared from the lodge and proceeded to take his own photos in the privacy of our empty buggy. That is a bit disappointing to say at least. At the end of the trip he shared few group photos with us, but obviously no animal photos, which again - disappointing. We paid a lot of money for this tour and I was expecting bit different approach. All and all, we had good time and experience. It was truly magical to see northern lights and all the wildlife. …
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Date of stay: November 2022
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a great trip! I saw at least 96 Polar Bears. I went dogsledding. I drove the Tundra Buggy! Food was gourmet. Mark was a wonderful guide. Frontiers spared no expense to make us happy. I spent 6 days smiling. I AM HAPPY!
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2 Helpful votes
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Response from Frontiers North, Agency / Consultant at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge
Responded 10 Nov 2022
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your Churchill adventure with us and left happy! Kind regards, Frontiers North Adventures
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
If going to Churchill for the Tundra Buggy polar bear experience the Tundra Buggy Lodge is a must stay! What a fantastic experience! 5 star food and very cozy accommodations. The staff is top notch and very lovely. Joyce is one of the happiest hospitality workers I have ever met. She truly loves her job!
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Bring ear plugs if your a light sleeper.
And maybe an eye mask as there is no window covering in...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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Response from Frontiers North, Agency / Consultant at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge
Responded 7 Nov 2022
Hi H5032PPsarahb, Thank you for sharing your experience with us we are elated to hear you enjoyed your accommodations and dining experiences at the Tundra Buggy Lodge. We will pass along your praise to Joyce. Kind regards, Frontiers North Adventures
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This was the adventure of a lifetime! The Lodge was a unique experience that my husband and I shared with 17 fellow adventurers. Good food, comfortable bunks, and a very accommodating staff. Wish we could have stayed a few more days! One of our best trips ever!
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Date of stay: October 2022
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Frontiers North, Agency / Consultant at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge
Responded 7 Nov 2022
Hi 50jacquiew, Thank you for sharing your experience at the Tundra Buggy Lodge with us. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed a comfortable stay out on the tundra. Kind regards, Frontiers North Adventures
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Just completed the 2 nights Winnipeg, 1 night Churchill, 3 nights on the Tundra Buggies excursion. Everything went very well. Our guide, Bryan, and driver, Alex were very knowledgeable and worked very hard to make sure all 20 guests were well cared for. The staff on the Lodge Buggies also provided great service and the food far exceeded expections, especially considering where we were. We were fortunate to see Polar Bears, Artic Foxes, and Willow Ptarmigan each day on the buggy excursions. With only 20 people on the buggy designed for 40, we had plenty of window access for watching or photographing the animals.
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Date of stay: October 2022
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Frontiers North, Agency / Consultant at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge
Responded 31 Oct 2022
Hi Gregoryk682, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are elated to hear that you enjoyed your time with us and staying out at the Tundra Buggy Lodge. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the hospitality and food during your adventure. We will pass along your review to Bryan, Alex and our Tundra Buggy lodge staff. Kind regards, Frontiers North Adventures
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stayed there for 3 days in october 2021 and it was the best choise for my trip. The logde is cosy, the beds are great, the food is excellent and the service is top class. I warmly recommend staying at the logde when in Churchill.
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Date of stay: October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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Response from Frontiers North, Agency / Consultant at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge
Responded 27 Apr 2022
Hi Naya P, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay at the Tundra Buggy Lodge. Kind Regards, Frontiers North Adventures
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Spectacular experience seeing many polar bears in their natural habitat. Highly recommend Frontiers North. Their trained eyes could spot the bears far off on the horizon, and they would kill the motor on the buggy to allow the bears to come to us if they chose to, and to keep the experience as natural as possible, for us and the bears.
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Date of stay: October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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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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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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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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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.