FAQ (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS)
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On this page you can find a lot of answers on questions you might have. Browse the topics and keep in mind that you can contact us by email, phone or chat if you can't find an answer.
Questions? ASK the team of dutchexplorers...FOR SHORT QUESTIONS YOU CAN ALSO USE THE CHAT! |
OUR expeditions, courses, road trips AND OTHER ADVENTURESHere are some questions and answers related to our travels, courses and expeditions.
WHY ARE SOME OF YOUR TRIPS CALLED EXPEDITIONS?
Good question, because it is an important one. We organise expeditions because we want to achieve specific goals, for instance, try to reach a particular spot, observe something or complete a journey. It also tells something about the atmosphere. And now reality comes around the corner. For instance, weather or weather forecasts, technical issues, physical capability or endurance of individual people joining can get us in a situation that we have to alter our plans. So you have to have a flexible attitude if you enter one of our expeditions. So here some examples to illustrate this. If the sky is cloudy it will block our sight to see the northern lights, if there are waves on the sea the location of whales cannot be found, if there is no wind we might not reach a destination by sail and do other awesome outdoor things instead... Expect the unexpected and be able to adapt to fast-changing plans. That's the essence of the expedition style of travelling and exploring. So nature, gear, weather, people can cause that we have to change plans, choose other destinations and adapt goals. We know that you use your holiday or your days off from school or work to join us, but that doesn't mean we organise holiday trips. So before joining a journey that is marked as an expedition, realise that you need a flexible attitude and be able to take care for yourself and the other participants. But the great thing is that when you live to expect the unexpected that it also brings you non-planned life-changing experiences, great surprises, meeting new people and stories that you will be there for a lifetime. Live the life of explorers! can A TRIP ALTERED TO MY WISHES AND INTEREST?
Yes, we like it when people have their own objectives or things they want to see or learn. We will check if it is possible and that it matches with the other participants. Please call or mail us before you make a reservation to discuss preferences, ask questions or ask for advice which trip to choose from. We can also organise custom made travels (you need to be with 2 or more people). We offer special arrangements for families, groups and senior outdoor travellers. Just contact us and discuss your ideas with us. We like to make it happen and give you a great time in nature. If you have problems for instance with your back or knees, we can offer you suggestions for trips to choose from or make special arrangements. cAN I DO RESEARCH ON YOUR travelS?
Yes, that is possible. We like that and we are eager to learn new things from you. Contact us for details. i WANT TO BOOK A trip FOR A PRIVATE GROUP
Yes, that is possible. Special arrangements are possible if you are with two or more persons. We can arrange trips for groups, schools and businesses. Contact us for details. wHAT IS THE DURATION OF your travels?
Most of our trips, expeditions or courses are 9 to 12 days. But we also offer short trips (3 or 4 days). If you like to stay longer than 12 days, then you can book for instance two tours (you get a discount on the second one usually). For groups of 2 or more people, special arrangements can be made, and we can customise the length of your stay. Extended stays (up to 21 days) or custom-made short trips (3-4 days) are possible for groups and sometimes individual travellers. Just ask, we like to find solutions. hOW MANY PEOPLE CAN JOIN a trip?
On most of our trips we take max 8 participants, We have special arrangements for bigger groups, companies or families. dO YOU ORGANISE adventurous trips FOR big GROUPS?
Yes on request we do that. For instance for schools, group of friends or businesses. wHAT IS THE AGE AND gENDER OF THE PARTICIPANTS?
People of all ages and all genders join our trips. It is important that you are mentally and physical fit for the trip you have chosen. We can advise which trip to choose if you have for instance knee or back problems. There are special arrangements for families with children and senior travelers. HOW TOUGH ARE THESE travels?
Check the details of each trip on the website. Remember that the actual weather can make a trip more tough or easier in reality. dO YOU ARRANGE FLIGHTS?
No, but we like to give you an advice. ARE THERE ACTIVITIES IN THE EVENING?
Not every day. We think that it is essential that you connect to nature and get into the slower rhythm of the Arctic. So, you need time for yourself. We cook and eat together, and if there are no activities planned, you have time to do your own thing (relax, go out for a walk, catch up with some locals or read a book for instance). If there are northern lights, we take you to an excellent place to observe the Aurora, for example, the top of a hill. Sometimes we plan evening activities like night fishing or a snowshoe hike (during wintertime). |
Flights Transfers, check in and meeting pointDo you arrange flights?
No, but if you need advice, you can contact us. In most cases, you fly to Oslo where you take a connecting domestic flight to your destination in Norway. SAS and Norwegian are the two major airlines in Norway. Browse their websites for flights. Wideroe does mainly domestic flights. HOW We get to the starting point?
We provide you with detailed information about transfers to the starting point of the trip after you have booked your trip or course. All travels have an easy connection between the airport and the starting point. On some trips, you have to take a local ferry that takes you to the starting point. You don't have to make a reservation for a local ferry. Where is the meeting point?
In the week before the start of your trip you get a briefing with all the details where we pick you up and how you can recognise us. It is pretty straightforward, and we give you our mobile phone numbers. What do i do when my luggage did not arrive?
Go to the baggage desk at the airport and inform the people. Usually, your luggage ussually arrives with the next flight of the same airline company. In most cases, your luggage will be delivered at the place where we start the trip. what do i have to do when my flight is delayed?
Call us or send us a message and we will make a plan. These things happen in the Arctic, and we are used to finding solutions. WHAT TIME CAN I CHECK IN?
You can check in from 10 AM in the morning on the day that the trip starts. Because people from all over the world are joining our travels, we wait until everybody has arrived. For those that come early, we have some activities to get to know the area, and you can also assist us in preparations. In the evening we serve a meal for those who have arrived. If you join an outdoor road trip the pick-up time is usually around noon. what time is check out?
On the last day you can check out any time you like, but the latest 18 PM in the evening. If you join a trip that takes place in Steigen, the ferry leaves at most days around 8:15 (AM) in the morning back to Bodo (1 hour trip). where can i find the time table of the ferry to STEIGEN (Helnessund)?
Here you can download the timetable of the ferry from Bodø to Steigen (Helnessund).
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Accommodation during your tripWhere do we sleep?
On most travels, we stay overnight in different types of accommodation like expedition tents, tipi-tents, (mountain) cabins or fishermen's cottages. For most cabins we have to pay a small fee to the community or owner. Usually the costs are around 30 Euro per person per night. Fishermen cottages (mainly in the Lofoten) are commercially rented out. Costs are shared among participants and staff on most trips. These costs are most of the time between 35-50 Euro per person per night. Check the description of the trip to check what's included. During survival courses we also sleep is self-build shelters or snow holes (winter time only). This is also on request often possible on other trips. On some travels, it is possible to upgrade accommodation to a private room or an apartment on some days during. Ask us for details and costs. can i upgrade to more luxury accommodation?
Yes, on some trips it is possible to upgrade accommodation to a room or an apartment. Contact us for details. is there a shower or washing machine?
Yes on most travels there is a possibility to use a shower or a washing machine occasionally (when we are not in remote areas). There is usually a small fee to be paid to the owners of the facility each time you use it. Is there internet?
Often there is free wifi in supermarkets or a local bar or restaurant. In the mountains and in the national parks we might not have cellphone coverage or bad 4G connection. |
NORTHERN LIGHTS (AURORA BOREALIS), POLAR NIGHT, MIDNIGHT SUNIn what period are the northern lights visible?
The northern lights around the Arctic Circle (where most of our travels take place) are visible from September until mid-April. Sometimes we have luck in the second half of August. Will i see the northern lights during a TRIP?
Probably. But remember when we have a clouded sky the lights are behind the clouds, and we cannot observe them. IS there a best place to see the northern lights?
In the areas we organise our travels there are outstanding opportunities to observe the northern lights. We use often use our carr to go to spots without light pollution to watch the northern lights or do a hike on a hill to get a good view. Can i take pictures of the northern lights with my phone?
There some apps that makes it possible to change your ISO and shutter speed, but a camera on a tripod works much better. what is the polar night?
It is the phenomenon that the sun stays just below the horizon. The days are filled with magic blue light. In the part of Norway where we organise our travels, you can experience this from the beginning of December until the beginning of January (so one month). what period is the midnight sun?
Roughly end of May until end of July. But in August the nights are very short. What is the midnight sun?
It is the phenomenon that north of the Arctic Circle the sun stays above the horizon all night. So during this period in summer, there is 24/24 hr daylight. |
Food, drinks, cookingWho is doing the cooking?
One most travels we prepare food together. You are always welcome to cook a dish. You can learn a lot from us about the traditional Norwegian kitchen, expedition food and food from nature, What do we eat?
We like simple tasty good food. We like to catch fish. We prefer cooking outside when the conditions are good. I Am a vegan or i have a food alergy, is that a problem?
No problem. Just inform us prior to arrival. If you have a special diet please bring some of the ingredients you need with you. Shops in Norway offer a lot of gluten-free food for sale. how expensive is food and drinks in norway?
The prices in Norway of food are 1,5 to 2 times the prices of that in other European countries. We like it when you bring ingredients with you from your home country. You can bring ingredients like meat, sausages, vegetables, cheeses, herbs and so. The supermarkets only sell beer. For wine and liquor, you have to go to special shops with limited opening hours. Prices are high, so you better bring some from your home country or buy it duty-free at Oslo airport.
can we catch our own fish?
Yes, on most trips we go a few times out on sea to catch for instance some cod, pollock, mackerel or halibut. We can teach you how to fish and how to do fileting. Do we cook outside?
We like to do that a lot, also in winter time. We have al the gear available for cooking on a fire like pots and pans, tripods, axes and of course our selection of herbs. How do we do the shopping?
A few times a week we go to a local shop to get the food for the next days. We also buy food from local farmers, who out at sea to catch fish or collect berries (August) and mushrooms (September) in nature. We invite you to bring food to reduce the costs and have local ingredients available from your country. |
Booking, payment, shared costs, cancellation and moreHow do I Make a booking?
Make a reservation by clicking the orange button Book Now and fill in the form, When you fill in the form, you choose the trip that you wish to join and add your address and other details. By pushing the Sent button, your reservation is on our way to us. You will receive a confirmation that we have received your reservation. We inform you about availability within 24 hours by email. If your trip is available we sent you a confirmation of participation, the packing list and an invoice. Once you received the booking confirmation from us your place the trip is a fact and you can start booking your flights. Can i book for other people too that are joining me?
Yes, you can book for 6 people including yourself. If you book for a group of people we sent you an invoice for the whole group. If you like separate invoices please provide the other emailaddresses on booking form, so we have all the details and we will sent all the information and invoices individually. When can i start booking flights?
At the moment you receive the booking confirmation by email from us, you can start booking your flights. when do i have to pay?
Together with the booking confirmation, you will receive an invoice with costs of the trip or course. Invoices have to be paid within 7 days. If you live outside Europe and you have problems with making a payment through your bank, then contact us, and we can give you details about how to transfer money through services like WesternUnion or other parties. I HAVE TO CANCEL MY BOOKING. WHAT DO I DO?
In case you have to cancel your booking or have a question about postponing your trip contact us and maybe we can find a solutiuon to arrange somethiing. Read also our general terms to check the rules and cancellation charges. Once your trip is confirmed by us (by sending you the booking confirmation) cancellation costs apply. SHARED COSTS
If you are on a trip or course where we share the daily expenses (for food, drinks and fuels) then we share those costs among guests and staff. Those costs are usually between 15-25 Euro per day (depending a bit on what kind of trip you have booked). At the section FACTS, DATES, COSTS AND MORE of each trip you can find the things that are included and the things that are not included. Transfers and flights are never included. |