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We have always wanted to go see the Polar Bears on Hudson Bay. The caravan tours are very expensive and we wonder if any of you have tackled this adventure without the benefit of a commercial caravan company? Thank you for any comments, tips, etc.
Still no response, so, I'll give my 2cents. The intent of my post is to encourage you to just do it! In my opinion, you have asked a mind-set question.
I don't mean to be rude or sarcastic, but help me understand what you mean by, "benefit of a commercial caravan company"? Here's why I ask. Given you ("FreeToRoam") probably already travel all over the lower 48 without the services of a caravan firm, what difference do you perceive in travelling in Canada without one? What I am suggesting is that there is NO difference in travelling north of the 45th. Same language, great roads, same customs, same access to services, phones, etc. are all "the same" as in the USA. Hence, to travel up there is just as you would travel down here with the same level of traveling homework you would do here. No more and no different - except for a couple more blankets. (For the feint of heart, I'd temper those statements slightly if you had asked about Mexico but don't tell Senorita Tioga and Team!)
Clearly, my bias is that caravans are exceptionally expensive for what you get. But they do offer the opportunity for structured companionship and you might feel (emphasis on "feel" vs "reality") somewhat more at ease as there are wagon masters and forced "friends." You are also on the caravan's schedule all the time, which you may or may not like. However, I found in all my travels (both sides of the border), as you probably have too, that there are plenty of folks you meet regularly on any given journey (hence plenty of unstructured companionship), Canada has the same access to and levels of emergency services (vehicle and medical) as the USA, the ability to travel at my leisure discovering as I go, etc, etc. all far outweigh the cost and structure of a caravan. But, to each his own.
Certainly there are great reasons to use a caravan, but first I'd ask myself what is it about a caravan that would make me feel more at ease travelling in Canada than if I did it alone? What this question should get at is what is the crutch a caravan provides you - as the cost of one is certainly a preventative hurdle to even taking the journey in the first place.
With a little thought you might come to the conclusion you don't really need a caravan and simply to just do it! Which is my point.
Doing Hudson Bay in my Zodiac and golfing in YellowKnife are on my list of todos for next year as it'll be Alaska this year!
Good luck and let us know how you work through this challenging mind-set.
RVDude, by 'benefit of a commercial caravan', I guess I was referring to the arrangements that would need to be made in advance. From what I've seen on the websites of some of the caravan companies, one would drive the RV to Thompson, then take a train or fly to Churchill, then take tundra-style buggies to go see the bears. I probably got prematurely overwhelmed with the complexities without doing much homework beyond looking at the caravan company websites. You've made me re-think maybe I should put a little more personal effort into this before I turn over my money to a tour company.
My reason for tossing the question out there was to see if anyone on the forum had actually done this on their own. The forum members seem to be seasoned travelers with lots of experience and varied travel backgrounds.
We agree with you that the caravan tours aren't for everyone; we have taken 3 (2 of those to Mexico); thoroughly enjoyed 2 of them and swore off them after the 3rd.
By the way, we did Alaska last summer (while some friends took a caravan) and there was no comparing the things we saw and experienced because we were able to set our own schedules and pace.
Thank you for the encouragement and we will do some more research.
I must have hit a key....it dissapeared...bad typing.... We have always except one time went on our own everwhere....this is from 3 months in europe to almost a dozen trips to Ak and NWT....all without tours or caravans....take your time and plan it out... We rarely make reservations...except for holidays.. Thats what the big blue "i" is for everywhere. or its equivalent in an information or welcome station.
HOWEVER, WITH POLAR BEARS I MAKE AN EXCEPTION....YOU DON'T NEED A CARAVAN, BUT IT SEEMS BEST TO SECURLY PARK THE rv IN CHURCHALL AND TAKE THE TRAIN AND THEN TAKE A JEEP TOUR OR SNOWMOBILE OR WHATEVER WITH AN EXPERIENCED GUIDE WHO CAN GET YOU WHERE THEY ARE AND SAFELY BACK THE FIRST TIME YOU GO. After you have done it once, you can decide if you go back if you know enouth to do it all yourself..
We have been up to yellowknife as late as september, and while the roads are good as far as Hay River, I don't need to go up to the wet cold cold rocks with nothing for miles and miles to get somewhere I can't wait to leave to get warm again.
We have often gone to SE Ak at Hyder to see the bears...We have many pictures and video's of them catching salmon at Fish Creek. You can see these at "Tiggers RV Travels" on our website at web.tampabay.rr.com/monaco2/ and scroll down on the right side to Tiggers RV Travels. ... We will go back again on the Way to AK next month. You may want to see them befor the Polar Bears.....My wife and I will go to the Polar bears after our dog Tigger is no longer with us, but for 15 1/2 years we have gone nowhere without Tigger in our RV..and we couldn/t leave him long enough to take the train and stay without him. Let us know if you go how it works out for you.....Happy Trails , Al Doris & Tigger.
