Luxury Adventure - Winter Ice - February 1, 2006

Luxury Adventure - Winter Ice

In Search of the Perfect Gemstone. Imagine the feel of the crisp sub-arctic air on your skin as you part the flaps of your expedition tent and step out from its protected warmth into the silence of the midnight hour. The surrounding boreal forest lies hushed beneath a deep carpet of snow while the flames of the dying campfire flicker in the gentle breeze. Suddenly, your mind is overwhelmed by the hallucinatory vision of a shimmering waterfall of luminous green light undulating across the entire expanse of the sky. You find yourself falling back into the pillow-like drifts, two snow angels with spirits set afire by the magic of the Aurora Borealis.

The Trip

"The North is the only place where Nature can still claim to rule, the only place as yet but little vexed by man. All over the globe there spread his noisy failures; the North alone is silent and at peace."

Stephen Leacock, My Discovery of the West, 1937

Join us on a once-in-a-lifetime journey through the magnificent Canadian Wilderness on a quest for the perfect diamond, the enduring symbol of commitment and devotion. The swish of your dogsled racing through the fresh snow, a private wilderness camp for two, a luxurious post-and-beam lodge, a private bush plane flight across the endless permafrost....all of this will only enhance the romance and authenticity of your experience and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Immerse your Senses in the Northwest Territories

See

Smell

Taste

Touch

Hear

**the sky come alive with ghostly colours as you view the Aurora Borealis from Blachford Lodge, the best viewing spot in the world.

the rich aromas of your lake trout as it roasts over the open fire in your private wooded camp.

a succulent morsel of caribou braised in red wine as it melts in your mouth during a romantic fireside dinner.

the rough surface of a raw diamond and hold it up to the cutting blade as you begin the process of crafting your own personal gemstone.

the muted sounds of snow crunching underfoot as the eager dogs carry your sled across the ice field of Great Slave Lake.**

Highlights & Historic Sights

Grasp the ancient and weathered hand of a Dene elder as he greets you at the entrance to a traditional tipi before entertaining you with songs and stories of the North.
Explore wildlife habitats up close on from the vantage point of your private ski-plane which can land on a whim in a frozen lake in the middle of the wilderness to visit a herd of migratory caribou.
Have your name and the date of your engagement laser-engraved for eternity (invisible to the naked eye) on the girdle of your new gemstone.
Dine at Yellowknife's famous Wild Cat Cafe in the Old Town, fitted up to recall the gold rush days, and enjoy superb eating, quaint ambiance, water views and historic buildings while bush planes on floats or skis arrive and depart from the lake.
Grab a cured seal skin and head for the nearest hill for a first-hand experience of the original form of tobogganing.
Head out onto the frozen lake, where your guides have drilled a hole through 3 feet of ice, and settle in to a camp chair to try your hand at ice fishing.
Listen to one of the world's leading diamond experts as he explains the complicated journey that your diamond has followed from deep beneath the earth to the ring finger of your beloved.
Savour a gourmet meal of northern delicacies, from smoked Arctic char with a hint of lemon and capers to tenderloin of caribou with a red wine jus.
Stroll along quiet snow-covered forest paths and count the camouflaged 'white' ptarmigan in the bushes and listen for the cackles and caws of the jet-black northern ravens.

Where We Sleep

blachford lodge yellowknife luxury arctic hotel
Blachford Lake Lodge is an all season, fly-in wilderness lodge started in 1981 and owner operated by Mike Freeland. The beautiful post-and-beam resort sits at the west end of remote Blachford Lake, just north of the east arm of Great Slave Lake and is about 95 km southeast of Yellowknife.The main lodge is the only lodge in the Northwest Territories with full service facilities in winter and summer, including hot showers and running water, full electricity, fully stocked bar, and a high calibre chef providing gourmet meals.

luxury wilderness camp tent arctic yellowknife The luxury wilderness camp is located about 3 hours by dog sled into the wilderness from Blachford Lake Lodge. You will be spending the night in a 14x16 ft insulated white prospector's tent (6 ft walls with a 9 ft peak) on a bed of spruce bows, caribou skins, and double down sleeping bags. The tent is heated by small (and safe) wood burning stove, and your guide and chef will be preparing your meals for you around the campfire.

luxury hotel yellowknife arctic diamond travel The Explorer Hotel is Yellowknife's premier hotel, offering modern amenities, gracious service and renowned local cuisine. Blessed with a great location at the edge of downtown, it is within walking distance to all of downtown, the visitor center, the heritage center and legislature. Since the hotel is also built on a hill, there are terrific views of the city and lakes from most rooms.

Reflections

"It doesn't matter whether it's your first date or the celebration of a 50th anniversary, there is no more romantic experience on earth than sleeping on spruce bows and caribou skins beside a wood burning stove in a authentic prospector's tent in the middle of the Arctic wilderness. Apparently, certain Asian cultures believe that making love under the Aurora Borealis is more likely to produce either twins or gifted children, so all that romance will be put to good use...”

ANDREW WHITE, Horizon Guide & Director of Sales, previously ran the international division of Molson Canada, owned one of Canada's oldest outdoor adventure companies, and worked as a senior account director at Maritz Canada Inc, but his favourite career move was running Destination Arctic, a company specializing in exotic adventure trips in Canada's north.

Make It Yours

Imagine the look of surprise on the face of your loved one as you stroll through the exclusive lounge onto the tarmac and up the stairs of one of the most storied jets in the history of private aviation. Sit back in your plush seats, pour yourself a glass of chilled champagne, and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime. Deep in the heart of Canada's Arctic wilderness there is a dog sled team sitting patiently, a private guide & chef standing by, a romantic prospector's tent, fluffed and warmed in anticipation of your arrival, and a diamond waiting to have your names engraved upon it. After all, if you're going to spend a lifetime together, why not celebrate it in style?"

Horizon & Co. has teamed up with Bombardier Skyjet to create the ultimate diamond travel experience for discerning travellers. Priced at $160,000us, the package will include an enhanced Winter Ice trip for two, $10,000 worth of Canadian diamonds, and a 25-hour private jet card from Skyjet. Please call us for further details. (Please note that the private jet component is also available on a "pay-as-you-go" On-demand basis starting from around $90,000 - call us for more details.)

Diversions

FUN FACTS

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Diamonds are a crystalline form of carbon, known for their superlative gemological qualities of hardness and dispersion of light. They are mined from rare volcanic pipes, where deep-origin volcanoes drawing material from over 90 miles deep within the Earth have deposited them.

WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS

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Fly low in your small ski-plane from Blachford to Yellowknife and observe the variety of wildlife roaming their natural habitat. See a frozen lake filled with migrating caribou and watch for martins and minks slinking silently through the underbrush. Catch site of a lone wolf as it lopes through the forest in search of its pack and surprise the cheeky snow bunting as it rests on a frost-covered branch.

CULINARY DELIGHTS

YELLOWKNIFE ARCTIC TOURS NWT NORTHERN LIGHTS TRIPS After an invigorating day of snowshoeing in the crisp arctic air, reward yourself with a fine array of tempting regional dishes: a roasted rack of venison with cranberry compote, braised caribou medallions in a sherry reduction, and grilled lake trout that was caught earlier that day by your own hand.

Day by Day

Day 1 - (Sunday) – Yellowknife/ Blachford Lake, Northwest Territories.

Fly into Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories on the remote shores of Great Slave Lake. At the airport, meet your private guide for a tour of the city. Take in the old town’s vestiges of gold-rush history as you wander the tangled streets of rustic wooden shacks, stop to chat with the friendly locals, and then enjoy a leisurely lunch in the old town. This evening, board your charter bush plane (outfitted with skis for the winter in order to land on snow and ice) for the flight into the wilderness from Yellowknife and travel to the magnificent post-and-beam masterpiece that is Blachford Lake Lodge, one of the Arctic’s best fly-in wilderness lodges. Settle in to your luxurious room and then toast your day’s activities in front of a blazing fire with a glass of champagne while you admire the lodge's collection of historic photos and local artefacts. Relax over dinner in the cozy and elegant dining room and enjoy the local delicacies of Canada’s North, ranging from poached Arctic char to pepper-crusted tenderloin of bison. Hotel - Blachford Lake Lodge. Meals - LD.

Day 2 – (Monday) – Blachford Lake/ Wilderness Camp, NWT

Sleep late beneath the warmth of a luxurious down duvet, enjoy a hearty breakfast, and then stroll the groomed nature trails through the surrounding forest, try your hand at ice fishing, sample the cross-country skiing trails or take a spin on the natural ice rink on the lake. If you are feeling especially inspired, grab a cured seal skin and head for the nearest hill to sample the sport of tobogganing in its original form. In the afternoon, bundle up in specially-provided winter expedition gear and set out from Blachford beneath the blankets on a traditional dogsled with your personal guide and dog-musher. Skim silently across the frozen lakes and through hushed forests, spotting wildlife ranging from barrenland caribou and elegant mink to the elusive red fox and fierce wolverine. Arrive at your own private campground where your guide will set up camp and start the fire in your insulated prospector's tent. Take a walk through the silent snow and then warm up by the fire with a cocktail while your chef prepares a sumptuous meal of local delicacies. Tonight, gaze up at the most spectacular natural lightshow, the Northern Lights, from their most dramatic vantage point, and then retire to the comfort of your double down sleeping bags laid out on a soft bed of spruce bows and caribou skins. Hotel - Luxury Wilderness Camp. Meals - BLD.

Day 3 - (Tuesday) – Wilderness Camp/Blachford Lodge, NWT

Sleep late and wake to the sounds of ptarmigans chortling and ravens cawing in the woods. After a campfire breakfast, try your skills at snowshoeing as you explore the deep and silent forest with your guide, searching for animal tracks in the snow and learning about the delicate ecological balance in the North. After lunch, fine-tune your ability to steer the dogsled as you return to your wilderness oasis of Blachford Lodge. Recover from a day of active adventure with a glass of wine in the outdoor hot tub or ease your muscles with a dry sauna before enjoying another delicious gourmet meal and a restful sleep. Hotel - Blachford Lake Lodge. Meals - BLD.

Day 4 - (Wednesday) - Blachford Lake Lodge/Yellowknife, NWT

Talk the kitchen staff into serving breakfast in bed, and then spend the morning at leisure in the lodge. Curl up in the lounge with a long neglected book, check out the traditional tipi on the grounds, take a walk through the woods, or simply sit before the fire with a mug of hot chocolate and the backgammon board. After lunch, board your private bush plane and depart for Yellowknife. Keep an eye out for wildlife on the flight and consider a diversion to land on a frozen lake in the middle of a vast wilderness to see a herd of migratory caribou up close and personal. In Yellowknife, check into your elegant room at the comfortable Explorer hotel (the best in town) and spend the rest of the evening at leisure exploring this fascinating diamond capital. Dine tonight overlooking the lakes and sample the local delicacies such as bison, musk-ox, caribou and arctic char. Return to your room to relax in the bath or head out on the town to sample some of the local entertainment. Hotel - Explorer Hotel. Meals - BL.

Day 5 - (Thursday) – Yellowknife, NWT

Visit the world-renowned Aurora College for a brief and fascinating education on diamonds from Mike Botha, a transplanted South African and one of Canada’s leading diamond cutters and educators. Let Mike bring to life the journey of these precious gems from their mineral origins to their mining, and finally the process that transforms them from a dull gravel stone into a brilliant lustrous jewel. Roll up your sleeves and experience the first steps in cutting a diamond by taking a rough crystal and cutting the first eight primary facets. After a leisurely lunch on your own visit the diamond factory and meet your own personal diamond consultant for a tour, demonstration and laser engraving of your "loose stone". Discover the different cuts and carats of diamonds and conceive your ideal design and setting for your future jewel. Finish the unique journey of your diamond from rough, lacklustre pebble to sparkling masterpiece by choosing the design and having your name laser-engraved for eternity on the base of the stone before it is registered with Gemprint for insurance and legacy purposes. Over dinner, mull over your days activities and contemplate your diamond creation. After dinner, head out of town to Aurora world and enjoy a final opportunity to watch the magical Northern Lights illuminate the vast horizon. Hotel - Explorer Hotel. Meals - B.

Day 6 (Friday) – Yellowknife/Home

After breakfast, drop by the fine jewellers at the Gallery of the Midnight Sun to peruse the exquisite jewellery, northern furs and soapstones. Enjoy a casual lunch in the old town. In the afternoon, say your goodbyes to the Canadian north and transfer to the Yellowknife airport for your flight home. Meals - B

The Details

THE ESSENTIALS:

Partners The "Rare in Nature: Diamonds of the Canadian Arctic" initiative is multi-faceted and global. With the support of the Government of the Northwest Territories and its partners, it creates and presents exciting new diamond travel opportunities; fuels the growth of skilled diamond trades in Canada’s North; and invites diamond lovers to discover the exceptional diamonds and talented people of Canada’s Northwest Territories. For further information, please visit the Rare In Nature website

Trip Format: Independent Trips are designed for independent-minded travellers who like to travel on their own (without a Horizon escort), but still want to experience our superbly designed itineraries at reasonable prices. The itinerary and prices are always fixed, and the departure dates may be flexible or fixed depending on the specific trip.

Trip Series: Our Exploratory Series of trips are designed for travellers who are over 35, luxury-conscious, risk-loving, spiritually-curious and non group-travel oriented. The itineraries are built with a focus on personal freedom to allow you to savour experiences, haggle in the marketplace, linger over meals, or imbibe wine with the locals at the cafe.

Level of Activity: Moderate - Strolling through city streets, walking on forest paths, dog sledding, optional snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice fishing, etc. Suitable for all ages and abilities, with some opportunities for extended walks and other winter activities.

Level of Luxury:
Casual. These trips are designed with a focus on the richness of the experience rather than the cost of the accommodation, and thus the level of luxury in everything from hotels and meals to transportation is relatively modest (at least by Horizon & Co. standards). That said, there are no horsehair shirts to be worn - all itinerary choices are driven by a combination of convenience, comfort, charm and value. Accommodation tends to be in charming 3-4 star boutique hotels or luxury wilderness lodges, the food is focused around fresh ingredients and regional specialties, the transportation is comfortable and efficient, the guides are charming and knowledgeable, and the events are unique and intimate.

Start: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Finish: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

What’s Included:

1 night at Blachford’s Luxury Wilderness Camp
2 nights at the luxurious Explorer Hotel on a shared twin/double room basis
2 nights at Blachford Lake Lodge on a shared twin/double room basis with shared washroom
5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners
all bush-plane flights
all local transfers and baggage handling
all local experts and specialists
all entrance fees and tours
all special events and on-trip surprises
all pre-departure materials, including document wallet and destination details

GETTING THERE:

Flights:

We generally recommend that our travellers arrive on Day 1 on this trip in the morning. There are direct flights into Yellowknife via Calgary or Edmonton.

Travel Services:

For the convenience of our travellers, we are happy to arrange flights to and from the trip. If you require assistance beyond the flights (i.e. if you wish to extend your journey or arrive earlier) or you wish to make special private or custom travel arrangements, please call us to discuss your needs.

Date & Prices

DATES:

2006: Feb to Apr

Length: 5N/ 6D

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PRICES ($CDN)

Per person: $3,600

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PRICES ($US)

Per person: $2,985

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