Svalbard Testimonials

I still can’t believe that we made it all the way to Svalbard and back! Twelve months ago I would not have thought it possible. Our Svalbard photo expedition was everything we could have hoped for. Of course, seeing polar bears in the wild was the highlight, but the scenery and bird cliffs I had not expected. They were just beautiful.

The crew on the ship were lovely and the guides Eric and Roy were exceptional. There was a happy atmosphere on board, and I loved the fact that some of the crew came out on the zodiacs with us to enjoy the beauty of this special place.

I would have no hesitation in travelling with ORYX Photo Tours in the future.

I'm now back home after my Svalbard photo expedition, which has exceeded even my highest expectations! Ole is simply a superb expedition leader - knowledgeable, passionate, energetic, highly approachable and caters for the wishes of photographers while always keeping the welfare/conservation of the wildlife in mind. Couldn't recommend this enough.

Thank you for the excellent organization and coordination on your end, and I will be happy to find other opportunities to travel with ORYX Photo Tours!

Svarlbard was epic! The scenery was fantastically beautiful – with vast white snowy mountains and awesome glaciers. Sailing into the drift ice and pack ice and every sort of ice in between down the fjords under the midnight sun was very special! The guides were great in their dedicated pursuit in looking for the Polar Bears and the crew on the Origo were super friendly and attentive. A great group – a lot of laughs, extraordinary scenery and wildlife – making it a superb adventure! I would highly recommend a Winter Svalbard photo expedition to anyone!

Thank you for organising!

Going on this Svalbard photo tour was an amazing experience, one that left me close to tears at time at the sheer magnitude of what we saw in both the landscape and the wildlife. It was a supreme experience and found it surreal that as Africans with a rich and diverse natural environment around us, we had to travel almost 12 000km north to experience the best that nature has to offer. It was one of the few times I've truly felt a sense of awe and sheer isolation in nature.

I had a fantastic experience during my Svalbard photo tour and is so worthwhile going on the trip! We saw walruses, seals, polar bears, foxes, reindeers, whales (one blue Whale!) and a lot of birds. A lot of effort was implemented from the crew to find the wildlife and it was also great to be internet free for 9 days! We had wonderful days with a lot of unforgettable memories.

Overall the Svalbard trip was excellent! We were very impressed with the planning, flexibility in adjusting to ice conditions etc., and especially with the outstanding leadership and skill of our guides Roy and Frede. The opportunities for wildlife photography were superb and I could not possibly pass on suggestions for any improvement in leadership, management and viewing approach. This was as good as it gets and we are grateful for the efforts of all involved. In addition we are greatly appreciative of the friendly and effective crew of the ORIGO who were always ready to help. A valuable aspect was the Captain’s ready willingness, in fact encouragement, to let us stay up on the bridge at all hours and watch the magnificent scenery and wildlife slip past as we sailed through this remote environment. Our thanks go to all the staff!

It was an amazing trip! It was a combination of stunning landscapes and magnificent wildlife. Roy and Frede, as well as the entire crew of the ship were great and I enjoyed every minute!

We had a really magical time. Svalbard is a truly beautiful place…. We had great guides, light, sightings, fellow travellers and food.