Drift to sleep as icebergs float by your bungalow
There are few locations the place waking up appears like an on the spot journey.
At this lodge, not solely does the day forward current the potential for whale sightings, photogenic huts and mountaineering trails, however it additionally begins with an iceberg examine.
Earlier than brushing your tooth, a peek out the window will reveal what number of icebergs have floated into the bay in a single day, or maybe, even drifted out. The fun is that all of it will depend on the seas, the wind, and people huge floating beauties. You would wake to a 50ft frozen monster in entrance, or an entire bunch of bergy bits, bobbing round in a wide range of styles and sizes.
Ilimanaq Lodge is situated on the southern aspect of Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO web site on Greenland’s west coast. Open from mid-June to early September, the lodge is distant, enjoyable however oh so effortlessly luxurious.
It’s straightforward to suppose a distant lodge will lean extra towards the country aspect, however right here, the beds are cozy, the lounge is spacious, the meals are world-class and the little extras, structure and trendy decor all make for probably the greatest experiences you may have should you’re looking for a mixture of journey and luxurious.
Every bungalow additionally has an expansive balcony that appears over the ocean should you’re vulnerable to a night of iceberg watching beneath the midnight solar.
THE LOCATION
Ilimanaq is a small settlement situated roughly 15km south of Ilulissat. Entry is through boat throughout the icefjord which presents a chance to rise up near the would possibly icebergs floating all through Disko Bay.
Company staying at Ilimanaq Lodge may have transfers supplied as a part of their keep, or you can even do a day journey to Ilimanaq…I’d extremely advocate not less than one in a single day keep to actually take in the great thing about this vacation spot! Diskoline and World of Greenland each function providers all through the summer time months, as do a lot of different native tour operators.
It’s potential to entry Ilimanaq throughout winter by helicopter, or with dogsled, snowmobile or snowshoe from Qasigiannguit to the south.
The settlement has a inhabitants of solely 53, final counted in 2020 and operates primarily as a fishing village, along with the tourism portion supplied by the lodge.
THE DESIGN
Perched on the rocky shores, the A-frame design of the bungalows instantly stands out as you strategy Ilimanaq by boat. Nonetheless, on the similar time, they’re additionally mixing in, with the tones and supplies used reflecting these of the encircling rock and tundra.
There are 15 bungalows, all linked by picket walkways but spaced generously to make sure privateness and sprawling, uninterrupted views from every balcony. The angles and outlook have been cleverly designed to offer every bungalow with sea views not solely from the deck, however from the bed room upstairs.
The A-frame structure permits for lots of house downstairs the place the lounge space and loo are located, then a staircase leads as much as the bed room, providing a heat cosy vibe. As a result of inside mezzanine the place the bed room sits, you’re capable of snuggle in mattress and be careful the big home windows to observe the midnight solar, stars and even aurora in early September is feasible!
THE LITTLE LUXURIES
The very first thing to notice is the pleasant welcome, along with your lodge hosts greeting you off the boat and sharing insights about Ilimanaq, the lodge and how one can take advantage of your keep. Your baggage will then be whisked away to your bungalow, whilst you wander in direction of it and get your first glimpse of the views!
Within the rooms, there are espresso and tea amenities so you may sip a heat drink whereas photographing icebergs out of your deck (my type of images!), and there are native beers, a collection of wines and snacks obtainable to buy additionally.
The thought behind the lodge is that you just’re outfitted to remain in your bungalow all day should you want to learn a guide, {photograph} some bergs and chill out. All you’ll have to do is stroll all the way down to the bistro for breakfast, they’ll pack your lunch after which you may return for a wander to dinner – it’s superb! I’ll share extra for these eager on filling their days with journey slightly additional down the web page.
All bungalows are powered with photo voltaic vitality to help the inexperienced initiatives in place, and any further energy is handed to the native settlement.
Oh, and one sudden luxurious that ensures you’ll have entry to uninterrupted pure magnificence…the bungalows are wifi free. Use the time to take in the magic of your environment, to take heed to the waves, the bobbing bergs and the birds. It’s the proper alternative to actually take a break, unwind, and escape slightly.
THE FOOD
Restaurant Egede and its skilled staff of cooks serve up a menu of Greenlandic substances, offering a gastronomic expertise to pair along with your wine and the encircling wilderness. Having visited again in 2019, then once more in 2024, I’ve been fortunate sufficient to expertise the menu ready by Restaurant Egede, and in addition that of the Michelin-starred staff behind KOKS, which collaborated with the lodge between 2022-2024.
From 2025, the Egede staff are again and you’ll get pleasure from meals on the deck overlooking the ocean, or inside, the place it’s comfortable, Nordic and feels as rigorously designed because the dishes themselves.
Take a peek at a number of the meals beneath.
THE ADVENTURES + PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
Should you’re desirous to get out and about, you may {photograph} dawn out of your balcony, examine the brand new icebergs within the bay, earlier than heading down for breakfast then taking an all-day hike to the icefjord shores, or south alongside the coast.
The settlement of Ilimanaq itself may be very photogenic with the normal vibrant homes, Greenland canines in most yards, and naturally, the dramatic shoreline, distant peaks of Disko Bay, and no matter large icebergs are floating by.
To take advantage of the surroundings, enterprise up towards the cemetery for one of many highest factors within the settlement which lets you {photograph} over the colorful homes and compress the distant peaks, bringing the scene nearer collectively.
See the beneath picture which was captured with the OM-1 MKII + 40-150mm f2.8 zoom lens and the MC-20 2 x teleconverter. Such a traditional shot you could compose in a number of methods by transferring round and that includes the completely different colored buildings.
To the north, there’s a path that leads towards the icefjord. You may wander the whole monitor which takes as much as 10hrs, or you may take your time, take loads of pictures and see how far you get. Even simply strolling to the highest of the primary hill gives gorgeous views towards the icefjord!
There are numerous excursions you may take whereas staying at Ilimanaq Lodge together with a guided Settlement stroll, Tundra Hike, or, you may sail all the way down to Itilliup Ilua and enterprise in off-road automobiles to Tasiusaq Fjord and two glaciers!
As with all visible resort evaluations, I’ll let the pictures do the remainder of the speaking. If I can say one final thing, a keep right here is sort of a breath of recent air and essentially the most stunning approach to spend your final day or two in Greenland, significantly should you’re visiting Ilulissat.
Learn extra a couple of keep right here – https://worldofgreenland.com/en/ilimanaq-lodge/
(as a result of I photographed the lodge for World of Greenland again in 2019, you’ll truly discover a whole lot of my imagery scattered all through the location, and might even see me enjoyable on the balcony too…it was the most effective expertise to sit down on the market at 1am and watch icebergs float by!)
Journey and panorama photographer from Australia who is way extra comfy in a pair of flippers than heels! Having labored for publications comparable to Lonely Planet, Wanderlust and the Sunday Occasions, Lisa based The Wandering Lens to share vacation spot guides to the worlds most photogenic locations and outside experiences.
