We stayed on the lodge for the last tour of the season and were treated to a once in a lifetime experience. We were a bit apprehensive about the bunkhouses but wanted to stay where the bears are. Lucky for us, they had just installed brand new bunkhouses. They were warm and comfortable. Now there are 2 showers and 3 flush toilets per bunkhouse.

Bree, Julie and Tibor run the lodge with great care. The food was amazing, even the picnic lunches they sent us off with each day. We had warm soups each day and even had hamburgers heated on the propane buggy heater one day!

Jim our buggy driver and Richard our tour leader were first class. They took great care of us and shared their knowledge with us. It was obvious they were having as much fun as we were.

Staying at the lodge allows you more time with the bears. Going at the end of the season is great because the bears are more active in colder weather. An added bonus is the people on the buggy who are working with Polar Bears International. They were great to talk to and learn from. We were treated to a few evening presentations by these experts.

Finally, the Polar Bears. They were everywhere and almost always close to the lodge. We were lucky enough to spend many hours watching these beautiful creatures.

This trip is quite expensive but worth every penny. If you have the time and the money, do it. You will not be disappointed. It exceeded all of my expectations.

We were expecting very basic living conditions but were plesantly surprised at how well the lodge was run. Brei gave such fantastic food even for the packed lunch, its commendable. The lack of shower facilities for so many at a time is understandable but on the last night we were shifted into the new lodge.....it was fantastic. Warm beds plenty of hot water in all shower rooms and wider space. Location is perfect, you are right where the bears congregate to head back on the frozen bay. Awesome
The Polar Bear experience is the highpoint of my visit and hats off to Frontiers North Adventures, Merv, Lynda and John.

The main reasons to stay at the Tundra Buggy Lodge is for the opportunity to be overnight in the vicinity of polar bears and to avoid a daily, bumpy 90-minute trip from a Churchill motel to the bears and another 90-minute ride back to town. This is a wilderness experience, so expect only basic accommodations.

The lodge consists of specialized modules that stretch for about 300 feet on huge wheels, safely above a polar bear's reach, on the tundra. Each module is hauled out by a tundra buggy at the beginning of the polar-bear season to be hitched to another module. There are two sleeping compartments with bunk beds. One holds 18 passengers and the other holds 20. Each compartment has two flush toilets and one shower. A lounge car (complete with wi-fi) allows socializing, and there is a dining/kitchen car. A tundra buggy dock allows guests to exit from the buggy via its viewing deck into the first sleeping compartment. Thus, no one ever steps on land. For your stay (and safety), you are either in the buggy or in the lodge. I'm an extremely active person so I found it confining to be in such close quarters for about 48 hours.

Re the sleeping compartments, bunks with curtains that can be pulled for privacy, line both sides of a very narrow corridor. Taller people can request one of the few longer bunks. A narrow ledge by each bunk allows storage for small items and there is space for luggage under each bottom bunk. A good light illuminates the bunk area and offers a plug to recharge camera batteries. I found my bunk to be firm and comfortable, but my pillow offered little support. The sheets proved to be coarse and scratchy, but the one blanket provided the necessary warmth for two nights. A corridor closet holds additional blankets for those who need them.

I heard much activity throughout both nights. This included regular toilet use (have to pump the toilet to get water into it before each use) and a chorus of snorers. In the morning, the other guests seemed to have set alarm clocks at 15-minute intervals, as alarms kept going off regularly and started early. Alas, my bunk was located right by the doors to a viewing deck between one sleeping compartment and the next. Guests pushed open the doors, causing a loud bang and a rush of cold Arctic air in my direction. When booking, I recommend requesting a bunk away from the doors. The lodge offers earplugs.

One of the toilets in my compartment smelled strongly of urine after the first night and only got worse for the rest of the stay. The other toilet and the shower area remained fine, though, and the lodge provides each guest with a decent hand and bath towel.

Breakfast consisted of cold and hot items and tea or weak coffee. One night we had excellent bison lasagna for dinner and the other night, flavorless Arctic char. The scrumptious homemade desserts provided a highlight each evening. When returning from a day in the tundra buggy, snacks and boxed white and boxed red wine awaited us. When out in the buggy, a morning coffee break always meant home baked cookies (one each) and coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Lunch in the buggy consisted of soup and make-your-own sandwiches.

Unfortunately, the dining room did not have enough space to hold all the guests. Staff would ask for a few volunteers to eat in the lounge. Our group had bonded well so we missed those who could not join us in the same area for a meal. Three friendly, hard-working staff members worked in the lodge as did our driver/guide after his day in the buggy.

Though many people report on the fun of seeing bears while in the lodge, I saw none from that vantage point. So hope for sightings while lodge dining or socializing, but be prepared to only have that experience when out in the tundra buggy. You will see polar bears from the buggy during the day and other wildlfe, such as foxes, owls and hares.

I did this trip during the third week of October and it was still too warm for large numbers of bears to have gathered in the area. We saw seven bears but no cubs and no playful juveniles. I was told that this had been the same situation at this time last year. Thus, I suggest that potential visitors consider going in early November if that works with their schedule and budget.

I read all the reviews before booking Tundra Buggy Lodge and I wish TripAdvisor had more than 5 stars to use for rating. My trip was October of 2011, and it was well worth the money. I did a 3 day Adventurer Level tour, and we were out on the tundra in the buggy about 8 hours each day. At times it was slow, but each day there were spectacular photo opportunities. You have to remember that polar bears are very solitary and it’s unusual to see more than one at a time, but when you find one, you may stay with that bear for an hour. We lucked out and had 4 at once with a little drama between them. We also had bears that stood up and leaned on the buggy each day out….bonus! Our driver, Bob, was very knowledgeable and an outstanding animal advocate. We did not have snow on the ground for 2 of our days, but still got superb close up shots of the bears. Saw lots of Arctic foxes, Arctic Hares, and silver foxes.
You definitely need to bring earplugs. They have the foam kind at the Lodge, but for me the best ones are the wax variety like Macks. You can get them at CVS or Walgreens, etc. The sleeping bunks are noisy because of the wind, doors at the ends being opened and closed (at all hours) and the toilets flushing. The water heater also cycles on and off so that’s noisy as well. You won’t sleep the first night, but you probably will the others. We were so excited about the bears and being out in the middle of nowhere that we were up most of the 1st night. The bunks are very firm, pillows not terrific. You might want to bring a pillow. The big guys in our group did get warm in the bunks, but all the small women were cold and needed another blanket. Northern Lights are possible year round when there is a clear sky. We got them the last night and everyone was going through the doors in the middle of the night to view them. Food is incredibly good and plenty of it. Very, very fresh and unusual….bison lasagna, elk kabobs. Fresh veggies and salads, homemade desserts. Huge hot and cold breakfasts. Lunch out on the buggy is homemade soup and sandwiches.

Your feet don’t touch the ground from the moment you get on the buggy to go out to the Lodge until you return. You can wear comfortable shoes the whole time you’re out on the buggy or at the Lodge. However, you definitely will need boots for the time you are in Churchill. It is very cold and there is a good chance you’ll have snow on the ground. You walk everywhere in town, and the wind is bitter. You’ll also need a very warm ski jacket/hat/ gloves for the buggy because when a bear appears, all the windows come down. The routine seemed to be that the people on the “bear” side of the buggy would just stand up and lower their windows to hang out the side and get great shots. The others on the non bear side would either run back to the viewing platform on the back of the buggy or wait until an opening on the “bear” side. Our group was pretty generous with trading out so everyone got a good chance at bear photos. Also, much of the time, the bears are interested in us, too. They literally will circle the buggy so everyone gets a good shot. They’ll sit down, lie down, get back up, stand up and lean on the buggy. Amazing!!!

There was a presentation every night, but my friend and I were so tired after dinner that we went to the bunks and missed that. There is wine provided in the Lounge each night along with hors d’oeuvres . There IS wireless internet now in the Lodge…out in the middle of the tundra!

Our group of 32 represented 6 countries (Spain, U.K., Australia, USA, Italy, Japan) and all of us had been on many adventure trips around the world. You will get great tips for future trips from all the world travelers in your group. I rate this just behind my trips to Africa (which were incredible)…..and that’s only because this was a short trip. It truly is a trip of a lifetime if you love wildlife and adventure.