FRONTIERS NORTH ADVENTURES' TUNDRA BUGGY LODGE (Churchill, Canada) - Reviews & Photos

4.5

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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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Property amenities

Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)

Breakfast included

Airport Transportation

Non-Smoking Hotel

Shuttle Bus Service

Room features

Non-Smoking Rooms

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HOTEL STYLE

Great View

Quaint

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Contact

124 Kelsey Boulevard, Churchill, Manitoba Canada

Getting there

Metropolitan Area Airport17 mi

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129Photos

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AWFUL EXPERIENCE

I have had the pleasure of traveling to Churchill on several occasions and have stayed with Frontiers north twice.I saved up and had the dream vacation planned,a premier trip on Tundra lodge.Let me start by saying I am a very experienced traveller and enjoy meeting new people…

Date of stay: November 2018

Huge Disappointment

To start this was my second trip with Frontiers North and first on Tundra Lodge.We planned and saved for over a year to be able to experience such a tour.That is what makes this such an absolute disappointment.We had a total group of 40 guests divided into 2 groups.Frontiers…

Date of stay: November 2018

Response from Frontiers N, Manager at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge

Responded 6 Dec 2018

Thank you for taking time to provide us feedback about your trip. We constantly look at how we can improve and feedback from our guests plays an important role in that. It was through feedback from guests on one of our Lodge specialist trips in 2017 that we learned of issues with cultural differences that we had never encountered before so we worked hard to address this. Some of the steps we took were to provide better signage at the Tundra Buggy Lodge and translated Tundra Buggy rules in hard copy to non-english speaking guests. We also provided cultural training for our entire team so they are better equipped to manage diverse groups. With the groups on the Tundra Buggy Lodge during your stay, we ensured that translators were present to help bridge the language barrier. It would appear that despite our efforts, that still was not enough to address the issues. We hear you, we need to do better, particularly in situations where language barriers are a factor. With regards to an early departure from the Tundra Buggy Lodge. When it was brought to our attention that one of the guests wanted to leave and others desired a separate Tundra Buggy, we worked with our guides to present a number of potential solutions (we offered three potential options) and we left it to the discretion of the individual guests to determine which option was best for them. All food provided by Frontiers North is made available for all of our guests, though sometimes guests bring snacks for themselves. It is up to the individual guest bringing their own food if they want to share it with others, or not. Regarding the experience of our staff, all team members come with previous tourism experience and go through a mentorship training program with a seasoned guide or driver. We empower our guides to read the group and determine the right amount of interpretation to provide. We understand that you didn’t feel you received enough interpretive information from our team and it sounds like our guides erroneously interpreted that all guests were comfortable without the guide being present during one evening of northern lights activity. It sounds like we could do better here; we will use your feedback for the ongoing training of our team. Shortly after your trip with us we discovered we were dealing with a contaminated batch of fuel which adversely affected the operation of our Tundra Buggies and in particular the heating systems (which are diesel-fired). We sincerely apologize that these issues negatively impacted your experience on the Tundra Buggy. We understand that it doesn’t improve your experience but we hope that this information helps provide additional context for your recent trip with us. As this was your second trip with us, you know firsthand the kind of experiences we can deliver. Thank you again for taking the time to share your feedback. Please feel free to contact us directly to discuss these or any other concerns about your recent experience with us. Kind regards, Frontiers North Adventures

The best adventure ever

Polar bears abound and a wonderful experience for sure. We spent 3 nights on the lodge and 5 days out in The tundra. The best guide Emma who was there for every need and concern. The food was gourmet and plentiful. And happy hour delish with nice wine and great information from…

Date of stay: November 2018

Response from Frontiers N, Frontiers North Adventures at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge

Responded 7 Jan 2019

Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We are so happy to hear all the details of your trip including having a great time with Emma (our experienced guide), enjoying chef Jared's amazing culinary delights and learning about polar bear conservation from PBI. We hope we get to welcome you to Churchill again in the future!

Big Disappointment

I have traveled many places and traveled with many diverse groups and have never experienced such a dysfunctional trip as I did on the tundra lodge. Only 6 of the 20 guests spoke English so the safety and welfare on the buggy was compromised. The tour guide and driver could not…

Date of stay: November 2018

Response from Frontiers N, Manager at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge

Responded 5 Dec 2018

Dear Nomad0987654321: Thank you for taking time to provide us feedback about your trip. Continuous improvement is extremely important to us and feedback from our guests plays a key role in that. It was through feedback from guests on one of our Lodge specialist trips in 2017 that we learned of issues with cultural differences that we had never encountered before so we worked hard to address this. Some of the steps we took based on that feedback was to provide better signage at the Tundra Buggy Lodge and translated Tundra Buggy rules in hard copy to non-english speaking guests. We also provided cultural training for our entire team so they are better equipped to manage diverse groups. With the groups on the Tundra Buggy Lodge during your stay, we ensured that translators were present to help bridge the language barrier. It would appear that despite our efforts, that still was not enough to address the issues. We hear you, we need to do better, particularly in situations where language barriers are a factor. Regarding the experience of our staff, all team members come with tourism experience and go through a mentorship training program with a seasoned guide or driver. It sounds like we could do better here; we will use your feedback for the ongoing training of our team. Shortly after your trip with us we discovered we were dealing with a contaminated batch of fuel which adversely affected the operation of our Tundra Buggies and in particular the heating systems (which are diesel-fired). We sincerely apologize that these issues negatively impacted your experience on the Tundra Buggy. With regards to interacting with the species experts and scientists from Polar Bears International (PBI). During the day, PBI scientists based at the Tundra Buggy Lodge are conducting research and conservation outreach on Buggy One. Our Tundra Buggy Lodge guests have the unique opportunity to interact with these scientists during the evening when they provide evening presentations, Q&As, and mingle with guests at dinner and in Thanadelthur Lounge. By contrast, guests who join our Churchill town-based trips have a PBI Field Ambassador join one of their Tundra Buggy excursions. We understand that it doesn’t improve your experience but we hope that this information helps provide additional context for your recent trip with us. Thank you again for taking the time to share your feedback. Please feel free to contact us directly to discuss these or any other issues from your recent experience with us. Kind regards, Frontiers North Adventures

This was my third trip with Frontiers North Adventures (FNA). The first two, a summer adventure to view the Belugas and a Polar Bear Conservation Journey (staying on the Tundra Lodge) were excellent. The guides were very knowledgeable and helpful (Cole, Jessica and Brian). I…

Date of stay: November 2018

Response from Frontiers N, Manager at Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Lodge

Responded 28 Nov 2018

Thank you for taking time to provide us information about your trip. We’re glad to hear that you had excellent experiences on your two previous Frontiers North adventures. We’re sorry that was not the case on your most recent trip. Regarding your concerns about our staff, as per our response to the email you sent to our office, we are happy to address these with you directly. On all of our trips, Frontiers North strives to provide our guests with the best opportunities to experience nature and view wildlife. As you noted, wildlife viewing trips are unpredictable. We appreciate your understanding that nature is out of our control and we share your disappointment that there were not as many bears around on this particular trip. Having been on two of our other trips and having had excellent experiences you know firsthand the impact that exciting wildlife viewing has on the overall experience. Similarly the opportunity to see northern lights is never a guarantee. In the autumn especially this is a rare occasion as the skies during October and November are usually under heavy cloud cover. How fortunate the the skies cleared enough for you to enjoy the lights on not one but two of your trips with us. Thank you again for taking the time to share your feedback. Kind regards, Frontiers North Adventures

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Lodge is located in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, the middle of polar bear country

My bunk

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Sleeping quarter at Tundra Buggy Lodge, bunk beds and curtains

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Were you ever advised you would be with a big group on non English speakers?Were there any translators on board?

Never was advised of there being only 3 English speaking guests on our tour. No interpreter for the non English also. It turned into a nightmare

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How noisy is it to sleep at night with such close sleeping berths? (lots of snoring?) Could you indicate the timing of a typical day out at the Lodge?-Time of breakfast, time out on the buggy, and time for dinner? Is there any security issues with no doors for the sleeping berths?-Camera equipment, purses, money, etc? Thanks for the information.

Hi Ralph, Thank you for your inquiry! We do have sound-dampening curtains that will help decrease any noise, as well as ear plugs available if you are a light sleeper! A typical day at the Lodge would include breakfast, generally made available around 6:30am (you may come as you please) and then we would head off on the Tundra Buggy around 8am. After spending the day on the buggy enjoying the wildlife, we would head back at sunset. There would be beverages and appetizers available in the lounge before dinner. As for security, we have never had any issues however, if you do have specific concerns, you may talk to your guide who can assist you. Feel free to contact one of our Adventure Planners who will be happy to answer any other questions in further detail. Warm Regards, Abby

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Has anyone taken the 1 day tour where you fly in and out in a day? Experiences?

Hi Joel! The One Day Polar Bear Adventure we offer doesn't include a stay at the Tundra Buggy Lodge. Perhaps you can post this question on the Tundra Buggy Day Tours or Frontiers North Adventures Questions & Answers page?

Looking at coming in Oct/Nov next year from New Zealand - what type of clothing can you hire

Hi there! We offer a cold weather gear rental program that includes Canada Goose parkas, snowpants and Baffin boots. We look forward to hosting you next autumn. If you have anymore questions feel free to reach out to us by visiting our website (posting guidelines prevent us from including an email address in our answer - but you can find our contact info on our website). Happy Travels, Frontiers North

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Is there no tours in September? IF so why not?? Thank ou

Hi Dave, Although polar bears begin to arrive in the area any time after the ice on the Hudson Bay melts (usually in late June or early July), prime polar bear viewing season is October and November. Thanks! Frontiers North

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